Market It With ATMA

Betting on Yourself: The Journey from Corporate Media to Marketing Maven

• Advent Trinity Marketing Agency • Season 5 • Episode 2

Share episode

Suizan Schacherer, owner of Square Peg Marketing, shares her journey from corporate media to entrepreneurship and reveals how her 30+ years of experience helps small and medium businesses create sustainable growth strategies.

• Suizan's background includes working for major companies like ABC Disney and CBS before starting her own marketing business
• Creating Square Peg Marketing allowed Suizan to maintain valuable client relationships while gaining flexibility to raise her family
• Unlike many consultants who "sell a product," Suizan focuses on building trust and providing honest advice even when it means turning down business
• The importance of understanding business owners' goals - whether growth, sustainability, or preparation for selling
• Why marketing strategies should begin with internal evaluation before external promotion
• Leveraging existing customers through referrals and vertical growth before expanding horizontally
• Creating a business that's "party ready" - making sure all aspects of your operation reflect your brand before inviting new customers
• The value of bringing in unbiased perspectives to identify blind spots in your business
• How business owners can build brand trust through integrity and consistency
• Suizan's upcoming speaking engagement at the Connecting Collaboration event with Premier Allied Health Group on the 24th

Connect with Suizan through LinkedIn or email her directly using the contact information in the 

suizan@squarepm.onmicrosoft.com

Click here >>>Suizan Linkedin Page<<<<


🎙 Market It With ATMA Podcast
Brought to you by Advent Trinity Marketing Agency
www.adventtrinity.com


Storie:

Welcome back to Market it With Atma, where we share the tips, tools and strategies to help your business be successful. Today we have on the show a very special guest, the owner of Square Peg Marketing, Ms Suizan Schacherer, the person you really want to know, right, Suizan? Tell us more about what you do and how you were led all the way to this way, Like what inspired you to start Square Peg?

Suizan:

So I have been now. I've been in the business about 30 years plus, obviously like.

Storie:

I hope I age as well as you have.

Suizan:

Well, you know I started when I was nine years old right. And what ended up happening was you know, I come from a media background. My mom and dad were both in media and I wanted to be in media and I knew it and I, I told my dad and he said no, you don't. I said, yes, I do. We went back and forth here.

Suizan:

I am 30 years later, so.

Suizan:

I had had my first daughter in. We were living in Philadelphia market number four. And we then moved here when she was a year and I was working for ABC Disney at the time and my idea was my long-term was like I do plan on having another kid.

Storie:

Right.

Suizan:

And I had two clients that could spin me out, basically so that I could start my own LLC. Right and and I thought why not do it for myself? I bet on me. I'll bet on me all day long.

Storie:

Cause you've learned everything being in the industry for so long, right?

Suizan:

Yes, I have been absolutely honored to work for some, some huge companies that I've been able to sell their assets. That's how you kind of look at it. Right, you know let me do my work and I'll sell your product and absolutely it's a win, win, right, yeah, and you loved it. Loved it, like I ever since market 187 in New London, connecticut, connecticut, connecticut Wow, one county.

Storie:

Oh, my goodness yeah.

Suizan:

It was tiny and I loved it. I loved it so much. I did everything from shore reports, traffic news, weather, whatever they asked me to do production. So you just absorbed everything and ran with it, ran as fast as I could before the imposter syndrome. The imposter syndrome, yeah before I realized before they realized like who is she?

Storie:

Right, no, that's a smart way to be. So that led to Square Peg. Yes, tell me about what.

Suizan:

Square Peg is so I again. I was so fortunate not only get to work for some great companies, but I also had some amazing clients. And within that you know bag. Some of them were huge that needed some help, like regionally, such as National Pork Board the other white meat right board, the other white meat right, and I worked for them in their rollout phase in the South Central region. So I worked, I had that client and then I had a part of Pfizer that I could work with them because I worked with them when I was in Philadelphia.

Suizan:

Brought that business here to ABC. Disney. So we already had a relationship trust equity, so it was great, so that they were like okay, you know, we weren't going to ask you if you could handle our business, but since you're leaving, can you handle? Our business absolutely, I can that's wonderful.

Storie:

So you, you obtained the LLC and you've been kind of running with it since. But I saw in here that you kind of took some time off, for the kiddos maybe.

Suizan:

Or I did. That's actually really what inspired me to leave, because I thought I can do this on my own and have that flexibility to raise my children.

Storie:

Because media and marketing it can take up a lot.

Suizan:

It can absorb you sometimes it does and I will even say, even outside of corporate, it can absorb you and it does and you should be absorbed because you're dealing with. You know, especially when you're working with small and medium sized businesses, that's their money. There's no, there aren't, there's not a board of directors or there's not. You know, there's not a pocket of money. You know, sometimes with these small and medium sized businesses it's not that you're up against. You know other media companies.

Suizan:

They might need a new computer system or they might need to hire four new people, or whatever You're dealing with their money.

Storie:

That seems like your passion now. So you've worked with the big billionaire companies. You are out here. You started Scrapaback up to help the medium-sized businesses or the startup businesses, right? So how have you envisioned walking through that with these medium size and why is it on your heart to kind of follow that path?

Suizan:

Well, within any industry, you can follow somebody that didn't that they weren't their best consultant. We'll just say Absolutely so you can follow somebody that did somebody wrong, and so now you're not only trying to build your own trust with that person, you're trying to negate their past experience.

Storie:

Absolutely. It's like a trauma response right, exactly.

Suizan:

And so like, let's just say, one of one of my favorite stories is you know, I found this weight loss company and one of those circulars, you know the newspaper print on your fingers just bottom of the barrel, and I was like I'm going to, I'm going to reach out to this person, because who doesn't want to lose weight? Right, yeah, At any given point.

Storie:

There's some time, there's always someone.

Suizan:

And so I reached out to him and we met, and you know, at the same time of him saying well, I've done radio before. This is when I was working in radio. It's like I've done radio. It hasn't worked. I said how many people have said that your weight loss program doesn't work? That's because they didn't do it correctly? Always kind of put it back into their window so that they can understand that if they don't do your weight loss exactly the way you scripted it, with some room a little bit of variance here and there, but in reality I have followed a lot of radio consultants that were selling a product.

Storie:

They weren't being the consultant, and they didn't do right by this person.

Suizan:

Okay, this person Okay.

Storie:

Okay, I can see why this is on your heart now, because there's very few, I mean, I think, any salesperson or marketing person. When you think of that, those two words, it's like oh no, I got to see through. Whatever they're trying to sell me on, right?

Suizan:

Exactly.

Storie:

And it's a wonderful point to make because you really you can be a business owner and you can know what you're doing. But if you can't relay it to your audience, like you said, the way that they need to do it or they need to hear it to be intrigued, it's almost worthless right, it's lost.

Suizan:

It's lost. And again you're dealing with people that are digging into their own pocketbook. This isn't some multi-million dollar company. This is somebody that takes that money from their business, their business. You know it could be coming from one giant.

Storie:

Friends or family or anything you don't know where that money is coming from.

Suizan:

At the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're giving the best advice possible and I think for me one of the litmus tests is and you can't even believe how many times I've heard this but they will say, like, how much does one spot cost? And immediately I want to say to them I'm almost glad they came to me first, because somebody else might take their money For me. I have to sleep at night.

Suizan:

So I would say to them you know, tell me what your goals are and what are you ready to apply to this? Because I'm going to tell you and I've done this several times I've walked from hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively over 30 years Because I've said maybe you should do something a little more local first. I don't think you're ready to put the tens of thousands of dollars and you can't just do it for one week unless you have a sale, but you need to look at long-term, like you've got to commit.

Storie:

You want to create a strategy for them so that they aren't these one-off. It's almost wasted money. It's just like our discovery, which I kind of had a meeting with you a couple of days ago about how our process is. You have to have that strategy because if you don't, I mean one, people will take advantage of you, as you've seen, a hundred percent. And two, where are you going in the midst of all this? Well, you got to have something to refer back to, right?

Suizan:

Yes, you have to have that baseline.

Storie:

For sure, for sure.

Suizan:

And grow from there.

Storie:

Absolutely, and so many people don't or haven't understood that. I don't think I mean. You could have a great product or a great idea, but the implementation is so important and that's where you come in right that's everything you just said.

Suizan:

The exact word implementation is everything and and the commitment to the long-term goal. Like, if you are in growth mode, what does that look like to you? Because what it looks like to you may look different than what it looks like to my husband. Where my husband is looking to, he wants to get it all squared away because he's looking to sell it off. He wants to retire, but someone in new growth mode. They're just now opening and they're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and they're excited about bringing it to the market and growing and having seven locations.

Storie:

So it looks different to each business owner. So do you go through a kind of a template intake form to really understand their thoughts or processes, or more of a consultation?

Suizan:

Yeah, you are so much more organized than I am. There's no form. It is, and it's funny, because I'm sure that that's what used to make my managers crazy was. It's like what you and I do we just have a conversation, I know what I need to ask and, again, it's not a one size fits all. So it's not going to be a form, because I will pivot at any given time. All of a sudden, I find out oh, you're planning to retire in five years, so what does growth look like to you? Since we're talking, Exactly.

Suizan:

But it's just, it's a constant pivot and you don't know, it's like an action movie.

Storie:

It really is and I think, the integrity of you relaying that to people, even if you have to just say no, you don't need to invest in this right now, I'll. I'll lose the money in the long run.

Suizan:

you have you have loyal followers for life because really you are your brand at the end of the day, right, exactly, and I don't think people understand enough about the idea of brand. You know, you even this building down to the plates, the color of the plates out there it's all.

Storie:

It's all strategic. There is it's so strategic.

Suizan:

It, it's strategic and it's there's. There's, there's something meaningful behind every single part of this entire building and the company. Absolutely and people don't understand, I think, what brand means, cause I think it's so vague.

Storie:

Yeah, it is and it can be. A lot of people think, okay, I need a logo, but no, your colors matter, your, your placement matters, what you're trying to relay matters. So having a mission statement and a vision and those types of things are huge. So what is it you're looking for now that you've restarted the business? Um, you're looking for these local businesses or national businesses. You'll do zoom consultations with them as well.

Suizan:

Yes, I would. It's definitely on local, regional and national which I've done all of that. I think A lot of my growth here is going to be bringing people to market and teaching them, you know, actionable tasks that they can do today to grow their business. And you know, I have a couple of speaking engagements and that's part of underneath my square peg umbrella is that I will be. I get to do fun stuff like this with you Story. Of course, I get to do fun stuff like this with you Story.

Storie:

Of course.

Suizan:

But, I also get to do speaking engagements with Chamber of Commerce and business expos and meeting people, and that's probably my most favorite part of my job is that I get to learn other industries and find out how I can help them. And then, honestly, there's success and people say that's so hokey, but it's like helping somebody succeed and getting to be happy about it. There's something selfish in that too.

Storie:

I mean, at the end of the day, you get that dopamine hit of reward. I did that, you know. But one thing about you that I've noticed that I don't hear from a lot of consultants or, you know, project manager, anything like that is your willingness to learn. You have been with industry leaders for years and you just said I can't wait to meet people and learn about their business Because I think that's what makes people successful. You never can stop learning. You never know enough, right?

Suizan:

Not ever. I tell my kids that all the time I'm like I'm still learning. I know you look at me and think, oh, she's done learning. Just like you know my kids are like are you done growing? And I'm like what does that mean? No, I physically I'm done growing, but no, I'm always going to be get. This is uncomfortable for me. I can talk about marketing all day long with a business owner, right, but getting in front of your audience, getting in, standing in front of people, that's so new to me, that's completely new.

Suizan:

I'm for me, I'm growing and I can't wait to tell my kids like I came in today feeling a little anxious because this is not what I do.

Storie:

Right, I'm always behind the scenes. And that's the fun part right when you get to be behind the scenes watching other people, but I mean to think about it. For you to push yourself forward in a safe, controlled, push right, uncomfortable situation. You're also showing these business owners that they can push themselves a little bit and be uncomfortable and still be successful.

Suizan:

Absolutely, and I think a lot of them, something that might be uncomfortable is spending that money and investing in themselves, and you're talking to somebody that I left CBS and went out on my own. Let's talk about uncomfortable, right, like I've never left a job without a job since starting, when I was 16 years old.

Storie:

Because that's what they put in your mind. Right, you have to be secure, you have to set a structure.

Suizan:

Don't take a chance on yourself.

Storie:

You know what, and I think the world has really shifted. I mean digitally entrepreneurial wise. I feel like less are looking to college and more are looking to start their own businesses with the YouTube and everything like that. These kids are making money. We'll see how it pans out.

Suizan:

But yeah, we'll think about quarantine. I joked with you know, like after quarantine it was hard to hire people. I'm like because they learned that they didn't have to be a corporate. They're making they're making necklaces at Etsy. Like I'm not that creative, so I had to go back to corporate on a mass level.

Storie:

And you know COVID, you mentioned that. It helped me also realize, because I'm really an introvert too, I've never wanted to be in quote unquote sales. I was such a shy child, but COVID helped me realize, you know what there there is something about being able to work from home, making the same money and utilizing your time efficiently, and that's really helped me a lot and helped me also realize that, even though I'm an introvert, I still need to be around people, because you can't grow and you can't be creative unless you have other people around you to give you some inspiration. So, with that being said, do you attend a lot of networking events or conferences that you don't speak at to kind of expand your name, or is it more referral, since you have such a close connection?

Suizan:

It's both so, and that is one of the first things I tell any client, even my husband if you are not asking for referrals, it's just such a missed opportunity.

Suizan:

My husband's been an eye doctor for 35 years and you know his idea of asking for a referral is check in on Facebook yeah, you miss 100 of the shots you don't take right right and you know, and I and it's funny because we are now working together to where I can, I'm trying to help him because he thinks so clinically, because that's what that analytical thought process, what you're supposed to do as a.

Storie:

We are now working together to where I can.

Suizan:

I'm trying to help him because he thinks so clinically. That analytical thought process, that's what you're supposed to do as a doctor. You should not be thinking about selling a pair of eyeglasses, right? That's why you have the people out front. But this is his business and it's my job. I feel like it's my job to help him and say I think you should be doing it this way, and I'll say it once if you implement it, that's on you. If you don't, that's fine too. But I can't sit here and watch you do this.

Storie:

And know that I have good, good information to give you. At least you got it out.

Suizan:

I'm here to help you. I'll never push it. My marriage is way more important than you taking my advice, and that's hard to learn. Well, that's a whole nother podcast.

Storie:

Tell me what advice would you give businesses that are ready to launch a campaign and just maybe internally not aligned yet?

Suizan:

I would say, first of all, what do you have? What are you ready to invest? Ready to invest If. If you, you know cause, whether you are a doctor's office, a boat dealer, whatever there are plays, there are ways to grow vertically right. So who's going to trust you more than anybody? Your current, your current base because they've already bought a boat from you or they're already getting their eyes checked by you, right?

Suizan:

So, you can. You can start marketing without spending one single dollar. First of all, referrals always ask for referrals nurture that, that client base you already have.

Storie:

That's great. That's the number one um closing strategy. You know that if someone refers another person to me, I am going to take a lot more thought into that person than I would if they just walked up to me on the street, right?

Suizan:

100, because there's there's a little bit. First of all, there's that brand equity that you've already built with that person referred you. So you want to make sure that you're continuing your brand with that new person and you want to make sure you're taking care of them, because they thought enough of you to get you referred right.

Storie:

Absolutely.

Suizan:

So that for me is the first thing. Again, doesn't cost you a dollar, doesn't cost you one single penny.

Suizan:

The second thing is growing your current base vertically as well. If you are a boat dealer and they've sold you a boat, you get a new boat in, and if you're not calling them going, oh my gosh, Doug, do you know that? We've got this boat today? And it made me think of you. If you bring in that boat that I just sold you six months ago, you can trade that in. You're only going to raise your and this is me, I'm not a boat dealer.

Storie:

Right.

Suizan:

And you know you're only going to be paying $25 more per month, but you're going to get this, this and this Growing a growing that current base vertically.

Storie:

Yeah.

Suizan:

Grows your business Again? An eye doctor? If they're already coming to see you for a vision, are you selling them glasses and sunglasses? Are you fitting those children with athletic gear?

Storie:

What we would call an upsell strategy right.

Suizan:

Yeah, and those are ways if you've. Just you've got to look internally first. Is your house ready for the party?

Storie:

Absolutely yes, are you?

Suizan:

ready to grow horizontally and bring in new people? Have you done an honest walkthrough of your business before they come in to see you? Is the bathroom clean? Do you have?

Storie:

you know that part. It's important.

Suizan:

It's part of your brand, it is important, every single thing, and you almost need to bring in a third party, maybe not even your wife.

Storie:

A non-biased party, absolutely you need to walk around here.

Suizan:

If you walked in here, would you buy, would you? Upsell Would you buy X, would you buy that widget?

Suizan:

Would, you buy it from me. If you walked in here, do you think that I'm going to carry what you need Absolutely? Do you think that I'm going to carry what you need? Absolutely? It's all part of your brand. You've got to be walking the house, so to speak. Is it party ready every single day? Am I? Am I at my best? Do I need to clear away that? You know, I've, I've had that pile of papers over there. It kind of makes it look a little cluttered.

Storie:

There are small things that again, they don't cost you one single penny so you're coming in and helping them address those things, that it'll it'll create the the flow of the process to be smoother. Yeah, that's what you're saying right.

Suizan:

I think I think you have to have, and I hate to use the whole party idea, but I feel like, for me, I don't want anybody to talk over my head and and I don't, absolutely, I don't ever want to be look to be a condescending person and speak over someone's head, right?

Suizan:

So, I try to use the party idea, you know is the house ready? Do you have the pigs and blankets in the oven? Is the bathroom clean? Does the house look party ready before you invite people? Because you only get that one chance to make that first impression.

Storie:

Absolutely. And you know what, with this digital day and age, now that we're ever so evolving in um one of our first clients it reminds me what you just said of one of our first clients that came in and they're like I don't understand. I have a great facility, I have great food, I have all the entertainment. Well, you go and look at their Google reviews. Somebody complained about the bathroom and though that really affects you, because that's some people's first impression, I always go to Google when I'm going to a new haircut place for my kids or anything like that. So just optimizing on those things is what you really help people. You're saving them money at the end of the day.

Suizan:

I think you're saving them money and I think you're also creating a space that you are creating success for them. If you're saying we need to look at what's important here first, I like to go at it diagnostically first. I want to sit down with the owner, the CFO, the CMO, whoever it is, first, find out, like what's your loss leader, what brings them in first Right, and then from there build from that. But first what we have to do is if they're coming to you, does this space create success? If you came to my house and I'm like I need you to clean my house and I see you drive up and your car has, you know.

Storie:

A broken hubcap?

Suizan:

Yes, 14 months of dirt. I'm going to be like you don't even have a clean car.

Storie:

Absolutely.

Suizan:

Everything is a first impression and you have to start in your house first. Are you party ready?

Storie:

What we use here I use a lot anyway in our marketing is you cannot build a house on sand or without a blueprint. So what is your strategy? And most people you know don't know what their strategy is. They think they have an idea, but actually putting it out and out in your mouth and out on paper is a lot harder than you would expect and how to optimize, cause you have to have a fresh, like you said, set of eyes looking at things.

Suizan:

Right, the fresh set of eyes looking at things Right. The fresh set of eyes is everything, and when you think about the time it takes to earn, brand trust can be lost in seconds seconds, but it can stay with you forever. Yes, yes, integrity yes, just you've got and it could, and it could take longer to get there but, it's just.

Suizan:

It's to me. I think it's more sustainable if, again, if you start internally, look vertically, then you're going to bring in. You know those horizontal, you know building vertically 100, but then then you look more to how am I going to build horizontally because I'm ready?

Storie:

I'm ready. I'm ready to invite the guests. Yeah, when you feel ready to it's instead of avoiding it, right? Yes, so it's saying how does your background in storytelling from me, from the media world, help you show up as a compelling voice? How does it, even when the stage feels new? How, how do you?

Suizan:

well, and that's funny that you say storytelling, because I think that's what sellers do. I think that's the best way to compel somebody is through storytelling, whether it's you know, oh, I helped you know. You know, oh, I helped you know you're in this industry. I helped somebody just like you. This is where we started. This is what we did.

Suizan:

You know, I had this roofer and he said you know, people are, people look at me and they think because I'm a roofer, I'm shady and I had never heard that, because I'd never had that interaction right. And so I rebranded him, and so the messaging was great, the timing is great and we knew who you know. Because, again, everybody likes to say, and I'm sure you also, being in the agency business, you'll say who do you want to reach? They're like everyone, I'm like okay here we go.

Storie:

Yeah, and we'll just say his name is.

Suizan:

David, and I'm like David you don't want to reach everyone because you don't care about renters, right? You don't care about 12 year olds. You don't care about someone that lives in an apartment, you're a roofer so you care let's start be very elementary about this. You want homeowners first, right, right, and it's like talking them through it because it all feels, feels very elementary to us. But that's because we're in marketing. But I couldn't speak, roofer, that.

Storie:

That's why I bring in the professional Even working in a marketing company, because I have a family business outside of this. It's almost like when you're in it and you're doing it, you forget all of the things you know, right? I mean, some of the things will definitely come to mind, but again, having someone like you to come in and say you know what? You don't see this because you care a little too much about that parent.

Suizan:

But this is what you need to do. I mean, it's almost invaluable, it is and I think also bringing in that unbiased person to say you know, whenever I walk into your business, okay, it looks a little dated and I and I and I've got offensively right, yeah, and I need you to understand that when I'm coming, I'm not calling your baby ugly. I'm in it with you, right? I am in this with you because I if, if I don't say it, then why are you paying me?

Suizan:

absolutely and so when I walk in here and I'm looking around and I see that it's dated, I'm thinking they may not have what I'm looking for, because I wanted something a little more of this or a little bit of that or what, if I'm not good at design, which I'm not?

Storie:

I look for help. Absolutely, you have to have a team.

Suizan:

You need a team and you need to not be afraid to ask for help that's right ask for help, ask for guidance, whatever that looks. Looks like you need to ask, just like we tell our kids oh, ask for help.

Storie:

I can't help you if you don't you don't ask for help and you can't learn unless you make mistakes, right, right, it's so nice I think you're right about that is, um, when you actually have been through some turmoil and walk through it, people do trust you more, right? Yes, so tell me where you are speaking at. You said you have some upcoming events, yeah.

Suizan:

So again, I know this is where you're very comfortable and you know again, I could talk about marketing all day long. I don't. I don't speak for a living. I do marketing for a living, but I've got a connecting collaboration event coming up with the premier allied it's actually premier allied health group, uh-huh, and it's actually Premier. Allied Health Group and it's actually next week on the 24th. The 24th. Where at At the Houston Room in Dallas at 530.

Storie:

Wow, and if anyone wants to know more about you or more information on where you're speaking, how can they reach you?

Suizan:

They can reach.

Storie:

It's best to reach me either through email, which I know you've got that yes, I'll put it in this, in this paragraph at the bottom, so everybody can click on it, right?

Suizan:

and I've also got a LinkedIn okay always. I get a lot of messages through LinkedIn, just because you know if someone's searching for marketing or someone that's worked at CBS or or ABC or Cumulus or radio or television or whatever. I'm pretty easy to find on LinkedIn.

Storie:

It's a great tool.

Suizan:

Yeah, my name is a mess. I'm literally a walking bowl of of alphabet soup.

Storie:

It sounds nothing like what it looks like you guys, so I'll definitely list it in the bottom too, but it's easy to say. So that's all that matters, and you're a wonderful, wonderful person. So thank you so much for coming on the show, and I want you back on the show when you've done your speaking engagements and tell me how much you've grown.

Suizan:

Thank, you I'm I'm ready. Thank you story. So much for having me.

Storie:

It's been a wonderful opportunity thank you and to all of our listeners out there, make sure you have some fresh eyes. If you have want more information or you want to contact Susan to see how she can help you really elevate, please see the link in the paragraph below or give us a call anytime. We'll see you next time. Bye.