Word & Mouth Blog
Where food, hospitality, branding, and human behavior all crash into each other. I write about restaurants, wine, placemaking, customer experience, and the small details that make people talk about a business long after they leave.
For even more snarky takes on marketing, pop culture, branding, and the internet, visit my Substack, Burnt Popcorn & Branding: Substack
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A mix of hospitality, branding, customer psychology, hospitality culture, and internet behavior from someone who’s worked behind the scenes in marketing long enough to know what feels authentic and what feels painfully forced.
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Yes. Especially if your marketing currently sounds like ChatGPT wrote it.
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No LinkedIn thought leadership energy here. Just strategy, storytelling, and occasional side-eye toward trends, Chat-GPT written branding advice, and “disruptive” ideas that all look the same.
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People in marketing, hospitality, branding, retail, wine, or anyone who secretly judges restaurants by their menu design before reading the food list.
Celebrating 11 Years as a Social Media Entrepreneur
I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur—maybe because I never had employees under me. I guess when I think of entrepreneurs, I think of traditional “small business owners” like my dad, who has employees. I realized that my mindset—thinking of my work in such a small way—was holding me back from spending money on myself and on my social media marketing business.
Define Your Brand Passions For Your Social Media Marketing
Take a look at the core brand passions that get you or the owners of your business up in the morning. Remembering your brand passions will help guide your content creation for social media marketing.
Instagram Engagement Hack
Are you looking for an Instagram Engagement Hack to help you grow your following and get more comments on your posts? I think I have found the secret sauce to true connections with your target audience on social media.
Interview with Local Mom and Co-Owner of Brew Coffee and Beer House, Alisse Cottle
Wine Country Mom Interview: Entrepreneur and Mom of 3, Alisse Cottle co-owns Brew Coffee and Beer House and raises her kids in Sonoma County.
My Word of the Year 2020 - None
Every year I create a Word of the Year to help motivate me for the upcoming year. It's more than just New Years Resolutions or Goals, it's more of a life mantra that I come up with and print for my home office. 2020 feels different though.
So, I am not creating a word of the year for 2020, at least not right now.
Gift Ideas for Social Media Marketers
As a social media marketer, I am always on the lookout for new toys to play with when it comes to creating content. Since most of my work in social media is all about PHOTOGRAPHY, here are some of my favorite gifts to get a social media marketer in your life.
Connections Are What Make Social Media Marketing So Powerful
Social media marketing is about being SOCIAL. Digital marketing is not the Wild Wild West of marketing anymore. It is a dynamic tool for brands to share their story and to connect with their target audience - all with better access to insights than ever before.
Top 11 Wineries in California on Instagram
My picks for top CA Wineries on Instagram are not based on who has the most followers, the prettiest pictures, or which wineries get the most Instagram location check-ins. While those are important, I chose these wineries based on their community engagement and unique brands… I chose wineries on Instagram that were true to their brand passions and connected with their target audience.
Instagram versus Reality...
What I don’t like about social media is the mental health issues it causes – the compulsion to be perfect and compare yourself to others. Especially when looking at influencers on Instagram.
Kids, Fake News + Cyberbullies: An Interview with Kerry Rego
Growing up in a world with social media, Kerry Rego teaches kids about cyberbullying and fake news & she tells us why her tween doesn't have a cellphone.
Back to school and back to work
My toddler is back in school and instead of a stay at home mom, I can be myself again - a freelancer writer, East Bay Marketer, and... well, I am not sure what else I am right now. Honestly, I’m learning how to be myself again.
Instagram Jail + FOMO
When I got put into Instagram jail I realize that FOMO on social media only happens if I allow it to.
Understanding Wine Influencers
Wine Influencers are always a hot topic that people (mainly older people) in the wine industry like to get upset about. But it works. Right now, in addition to the ROI question, people are looking at the term “influencer” as a group of girls posing for the camera, not knowing anything about the subject matter, and expecting things for free. Once again, I'm here to say that that is not the case for everyone, and certainly not the case for wine influencers worth their weight in cans of rosé.
The Move to the East Bay
This past July we moved from Sonoma County to the East Bay, CA in Concord/Walnut Creek area with the family. We did it for work life balance and to spend more time with my husband now that he doesn't have a long commute. More family time in the East Bay = happy family.
My Weight Loss Journey to Losing 45 Pounds
Moving forward, I am learning to listen to my body. When I start shaking if I eat more than a few bites of dessert, when my head throbs after having more than two glasses of beer or wine in a day, and when I feel the urge to get up and move when binge watching Schitts Creek – I LISTEN!
How To Take a Child-Free Vacation and Recharge (Without Feeling Guilty)
Tips for how to take a child-free vacation in order to recharge. Even if it is just for one night, right here in Wine County.