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Market This | Marketing For Local Business Owners
Are you a local business owner who's spent money on marketing and still isn't seeing results? You might not have a strategy problem. You might have a messaging problem.
Market This is the podcast that helps local service businesses fix what they're saying so their marketing actually works.
I'm Lindsay! A messaging strategist and website copywriter with 20+ years in journalism and advertising. I've written for CBC Radio and led copy on million-dollar campaigns, and now I help local business owners compete on clarity, not budget.
Each week, you'll get practical marketing strategy and content marketing tips you can actually use, like how to write website copy that converts, what to say (and stop saying) in your marketing, and how to build a local business strategy around messaging that's clear, not complicated.
Inside each episode, you’ll learn:
⚡️How to write website copy that actually converts
⚡️How to build a marketing strategy that fits a local business
⚡️What to say (and cut) from your homepage, about page, and social content
⚡️Simple content marketing that doesn't eat your whole week
⚡️When to DIY your copy and when to bring in help
If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your words and start using copy that actually sells, hit subscribe and follow along. And come hang out with me on Instagram too: @lindsaysmithcreative
And if you want expert eyes on your website, you can book your copy audit here:
https://www.lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit
Let’s turn your words into your hardest-working salesperson.
Market This | Marketing For Local Business Owners
S1 #12: Building a Business With Values With Kristi Soomer
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In this episode of Market This, I’m joined by Kristi Soomer, founder and CEO of Encircled, a Canadian-made slow fashion brand that’s been growing thoughtfully since 2012.
Kristi brings a refreshingly honest perspective to entrepreneurship, sustainability, and marketing, especially for small business owners who are tired of the hype and want something more grounded, realistic, and human.
We talk about what sustainability actually means (beyond the buzzwords), how her corporate background shaped her business decisions, and the behind-the-scenes realities of running a product-based brand from inventory and cash flow to returns and pop-up shops.
If you’re a product-based business owner (or thinking about becoming one), this conversation is full of smart insights and “oh wow, no one talks about that” moments.
In this episode, we cover:
- Kristi’s journey from management consulting to building a slow fashion brand
- What sustainability really looks like and how to spot greenwashing
- What it means to be a Certified B Corp (and why it’s such a rigorous process)
- Why transparency and brand values matter more than polished perfection
- How Kristi approaches marketing without trying to be everywhere at once
- The realities of entrepreneurship that don’t get glamorized on social media
This episode is for you if:
- You run (or want to run) a product-based business
- You care about values, impact, and building something long-term
- You feel pressure to be everywhere online and want a more sustainable marketing approach
- You appreciate honest conversations over hustle culture soundbites
Connect with Kristi:
- Encircled: https://www.encircled.ca
- Instagram & Threads: @encircled_
- Kristi’s website & coaching: https://kristisoomer.com
- Podcast: Ecommerce Maven (archived episodes available)
This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.