Hey Hey Reader!

I mentioned this at the end of 2024, but it bears repeating: sometimes (read: most times), it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

At its core, marketing is all about relationships.

• Podcasts? They’re a way to nurture relationships—with your guests, your audience, and potential clients.
• SEO? It’s about finding the right words to connect with your people on their terms.

Both are marketing tools I use to… you guessed it… ✨build and nurture relationships.✨

We’re officially 16 days into the new year, and I’ve been reflecting on the power of showing up for our communities. Think about how people come together during tough times—it’s inspiring, right? But what if we didn’t wait for challenges or crises to support each other? What if we made showing up a regular practice in our businesses, our relationships, and our lives?

I’m a firm believer in helping small business owners do BIG things.

Here’s how I’ve shown up for my community so far in 2025:

• Connected a brand-new entrepreneur who launched on Jan 1 with a seasoned business owner to help them master pricing.
• Helped an NC-based event planner stop relying on Instagram as the lifeline of their business. Together, we shifted to email marketing—and grew their bare-bones list to 20 subscribers in just 7 days!
• Coached a life coach for women on using ChatGPT as a launchpad for social caption ideas—because when the creative well is dry, it’s a real Sahara!

Here’s how my community has shown up for me:

• Helped me book out the podcast guest roster for Q1. Wait until you meet these powerhouse business owners!
• Referred me to a legal pro to review my agreements (because staying in my marketing zone of genius is non-negotiable).
• Sent a North Carolina-based family photographer my way for a website SEO audit.

Now it’s your turn. Let’s get specific:

• What are your goals for this year, whether big, small, or still taking shape?
• What do you need in 2025? Who do you need in 2025?
• How can I best serve you?
• How can we collaborate or support one another?

I’ve made it my mission to have more connection calls this year—quick 20-minute chats where we explore these questions together. It’s a chance to share ideas, discuss goals, and find ways to support each other. I’d love for you to be part of that!

Just hit reply to this email with your answers, and we’ll get the ball rolling.

Here’s to building something amazing together in 2025!

Talk soon,
Tahjma VanBuren
​SEO + Podcast Management​