The Truth About Marketing: Long-Term Success vs. Quick Fixes with Caroline Cox

Your Dream Business

In this episode of Your Dream Business Podcast, I chatted with Caroline Cox from Caroline Cox Marketing, a boutique agency in Nottingham, England. With over 20 years of combined marketing experience, we got real about what marketing is (and isn’t), busting the myth that it’s a quick fix for business success. Caroline shares her journey—from working in marketing to launching her own business while raising a young family—and how her story mirrors mine in many ways. We talked about why long-term strategies matter more than quick wins, the challenges of personal branding, and the ups and downs of running a business while balancing family life. Packed with honest insights and useful takeaways, this episode is perfect for business owners, marketers, and anyone trying to juggle entrepreneurship and family.

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• Marketing is a long game – There’s no overnight success. Sustainable business growth comes from consistent, long-term strategies, not quick-fix tactics.

• Personal branding is powerful but challenging – Standing out in the marketing industry requires authenticity, visibility, and confidence, which can feel overwhelming but is crucial for success.
• Balancing business and family is tough—but doable – Caroline shares how she manages entrepreneurship while raising a young family, proving that with the right mindset and strategy, you don’t have to choose between the two.

If you enjoyed this episode then please feel free to go and share it on your social media or head over to Apple podcasts or Spotify and give me a review, I would be so very grateful.

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE

Connect with Caroline Cox on Facebook, Instagram, Website or LinkedIn Connect with Teresa on Website, The Club, Sign up to Teresa's email list, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook

Transcript

Teresa: Marketing is often seen as the magic bullet that is going to be the answer to all of your prayers, but can we really do something in marketing and then suddenly the sales flow in or does it take a bit more strategy and a bit more time than that? In today's episode, I'm speaking with a marketer of 20 something years who shares with us what marketing should really look like in your business. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Your Dream Business Podcast. On today's episode, I interview someone who's been in my world for a while. It's funny, I always talk about people being in my world and when I set up the community aspect for my one to one people, my accelerator people, and for people who are buying Grow, Launch, Sell, the community is called Tease World because the team decided that That was a cool name, given that I constantly talk about people being in my world, but today's guest really has been in my world for quite some time. Today, I'm interviewing the very lovely Caroline Cox. Caroline is the owner of Caroline Cox Marketing, a boutique marketing agency that is based. near, I don't know, it's in Nottingham, but basically in the middle of England. [00:02:00] And Caroline has been working with me for years and years and years as a member of my membership. And it has been so amazing to see how her business has changed, how she's changed, and also to have a fellow marketeer to talk to because. Her story is really similar to mine in the sense of she was working in marketing and dad 15 years in it, had done her degree in it, and then basically decided to start her own business when her children were little. So again, really similar to the story that I had. And in today's episode, we have a really great conversation about marketing in general and what we should be doing. When we think about marketing our businesses and showing up to market our businesses, we also have a really interesting and open discussion about what marketing isn't. And sometimes in this very fast paced world that we live in, we actually end up thinking that marketing is the answer to everything and it isn't [00:03:00] always. So we have a really cool discussion around that. And then we finally finish off with talking about how she manages her business with a small young family. So she has three children, two of which are twins, which honestly it's like a bonus child. If you think I'm having another one and you end up with a. third one. But yeah, so we have a chat about that as well. It's a really lovely conversation. And Caroline is honestly one of the nicest people in the world. So I think you're going to get lots from today's episode. So without further ado, here's the lovely Caroline. Caroline, I am so excited to welcome you to the podcast. Caroline: So excited to be on your podcast, Teresa. Teresa: so you have been in my world a long time. which is ace. And there's something Caroline knows is that every time I speak to her, it's like going home. It's really odd. And there's like a tiny bit of family connection. So Caroline's from near Nottingham in the UK, and I have some family. And one of my cousins, who is probably my favorite cousin lives in Nottingham and has a Nottingham accent. Not that I'm massively close to cousins, but [00:04:00] so whenever I have Caroline, in my world, it's like, ah, it's like coming home. Caroline: Well, whenever Teresa mentions it, it makes me want to sit up a little bit more and I think, oh, am I being a little bit No, Teresa: not at all. Not at all. So if you're American listening to this, then obviously, weirdly, how distance wise, how far are we from each other? About an hour and a half, maybe two hours? Yeah, I keep meaning to just double check that, but I think it is that. And yet we sound so very different, like the accent is wildly different, which I love anyway. Anyway, so apart from I love having Caroline in my world, and she's been a long time, and her accent makes me somehow feel like home. Um, Caroline is joining me today because Caroline works in marketing and like all of us runs a business with a family and all that good stuff. And two reasons actually why I've had Caroline on is one, I want to talk about that and the whole running a business and being a mom and all of that. And I think we'd have a really good, [00:05:00] honest conversation about that. The other reason I wanted Caroline on is from a selfish coach point of view, because I've been working with Caroline on getting her visibility up, which is something that if you guys listen to the podcast, you'll know I talk about a lot. And I said to her. With people in my world, I will say to them, why haven't you asked me? So I would love to start on that bit in particular, because when you work in marketing, people will assume you are very comfortable being very visible and putting yourself out there and, and marketing yourself. Talk to me about that visibility challenge and putting yourself out there and what was going through your head as we were doing all that. Caroline: I think the hardest find is that I have with personal branding, that's a big buzzword at the moment, is personal branding, is, is that you put, you are literally putting yourself out there. I can put myself behind brands, behind companies, and I [00:06:00] am the biggest cheerleader and I will pinpoint things that they don't see and I'll be like, that is your selling point. But to do it for myself, I find it really difficult. I find it really difficult. And I launched this business when the babies were like six months old and like I'm coming into year six now. And I'm still not sure where I am. It's that transition between mom, business woman, and so much has happened. But this year. I've given myself, well, you've given me the challenge of visibility and I need to get that personal brand out and just stop caring about what people think or stop caring about perfection. Just make it happen. Teresa: Yeah. And one of the things that you said that was really interesting is prior to starting your business, which you started when you had your children, you were totally out there doing all the stuff, showing your face. Why do you think? What's changed? Why is this now so much harder? Caroline: I know, before, before, the job that I did before, I was [00:07:00] literally like the networking queen. And I would connect businesses together and I'd, I'd give them platforms, you know, we'd run a business awards and things. And then I think it was always a dream of mine to launch a marketing company. Um, and then I had my sort of now or never, and I just got my head down and just launched the business, but then I just didn't know how to project. myself. And then I think during those six years, I've gone through so many different growth stages. And I was listening to a podcast yesterday, Rachel Heisler, I love. And she said, you're allowed to change. And I think that's what's happened to me is. I'm allowing myself now to change and I'm not thinking about, you know, the clients that I've had from, from day one, some people I've outgrown and they don't want you to change. When I've looked back, they don't want you to change. And that sort of knocks you sort of confidence in a way. So it's, [00:08:00] it's a bit of confusion there. Whereas now. I've sort of found myself in a new era where I'm feeling more confident and, you know, I've got proven track record and the clients that I've got on board now, you know, they, they wouldn't care if, if I'm doing certain like presentations or being out there, et cetera, cause they knew, know who I am. So I feel like I'm sort of in this. different sort of growth stage where I'm more comfortable to put myself out there. Maybe it's cause I have got the credibility and the proven track record now. You know, when you just start a night, it's sort of finding your feet and, and finding your sort of target market. And I feel like I've found that niche now. Teresa: But you, what was your, You were doing marketing before you started your business, weren't you? Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. I, I, an old uni friend said to me not so long ago, she, she lives in Dubai now. And then when we met up, you know, catching up on everything. And she was like, you've literally just done marketing. Like you did it at uni. And like all of my friends, like they were off in like different careers and stuff. She's like, You've [00:09:00] just stuck to it. And I was like, I don't know. I know it sounds pretty boring when you say it like that, but it's, it's just such a passion man. Like when I started out, it was all very much what's classed as traditional marketing, you know, media and everything like that. I've been through the transitions and I'm still constantly, I mean, it's, it's never moved as fastly as within the last five years. God, you've got to hold on tight. You've got to know your stuff more so than what it was in the 15 years prior to that. Um, and it's just, it's just something I like to light people up. I love it when we get results. And you know, when you're dealing with small businesses and they can really feel the results of what you're doing, that really does light me up and that sort of keeps me going. And that, that's sort of where I've always been with, with the roles that I've done, just wanting to sort of shed the light on. on people's qualities and just help them grow. Teresa: To me it's so fascinating that, and you and I are really similar in the sense of like, we both did [00:10:00] degrees in marketing, we both were doing marketing. How long were you in marketing before you started your own business? Caroline: Um, about 15 years. Teresa: Okay. So I was 10 and then started mine and I'm 11 years this year and also you're six. So, but really similar. And yet, and I can totally feel this with myself and what I've done. You said that you obviously were in marketing for 15 years and you're only now getting comfortable showing your face because you feel like now you have the credibility. Like. Isn't that wild that 15 years in marketing, you were confident, you were happy, you showed up, you did all the things, you then started your own business and you needed to wait for some credibility to actually go, look, I know what I'm talking about. Caroline: I know. I know. It's crazy. And you know what? I get a lot of comments. And at first, when I launched the business, I got a lot of people saying. Wow, you're brave. And I took that the wrong way to begin [00:11:00] with. And I was like, I took it as a bit of an insult. And then I'm sort of reflecting, you know, you get to that age where you are sort of like the grown up in certain situations. Teresa: I hate it. Caroline: I know. It sounds like some younger lady sort of asking me for advice and things. And I'm like, Is it because of my age or is it because of my experience? And then it's sort of, look at you as today. And then I think it's quite important to sort of paint the picture of how you have got there and what sort of mindset tools and, you know, network you've got that's, that's got you there. And I went, I sort of went back to that wording of, Gosh, you're brave. And somebody else said it to me quite recently. And I thought, no, actually I am brave. It is really brave to step away from the corporate world, that sort of security, that sort of team, that network, and just completely step out. [00:12:00] on your own. And again, then I sort of then was like, I was confused. I thought you're brave enough to do this and you're good enough to have kept it running for six years. And during that time, the little ones, the COVID, et cetera, I thought now it's time to sort of put your big gill pants on. I've been told about a few times, big gill pants on and now elaborate a little bit more and make yourself. a bit more visible without thinking what you might put out there, somebody might challenge us wrong. It's not wrong. It's so sort of subjective marketing is, and that's what I needed to get out there with and just find my voice again with it all. Teresa: And one of the things that we talked about a lot was, you know, you're not saying you're the only voice. You're not saying that everyone else is wrong. You're just saying with your 15 years of experience, with your six years of then experience of running your own business. all the knowledge you've accumulated over that time, this is your take and your opinion and your experience of that. [00:13:00] And you have a place to speak about it like anyone else does, and why shouldn't you find that place? Caroline: Yeah, exactly. And Sort of, I still find it difficult to find, you know, doing a competitive analysis as you would with any of your new clients. I find that difficult to do in my business for me. And that's not coming from an arrogance of nobody does it like me. It's not quite sure. I'm not the massive marketing agency that, that sort of up the road, but there is a reason why. Somebody is buying from me. So it's sort of honing in on, on your, your niche, which, which isn't easy, but everybody has a niche. And when you're coming up against having conversations with companies that have worked with marketing agencies, and they've got a style of going in and, and promising the insights and promising the data and promising that, you know, all the metrics, et cetera, and putting a load of budgets together. They can go in and promise that because then [00:14:00] they've got the, they can go in and do the project and get out again. Whereas where, where I come from, if I'm taking on a retainer client, I'm embedding myself in the business and I'm interested in the long term and I won't work with you if you are constantly panicking and pivoting your strategy because you're looking for the quick wins. And it's, it's hard because. you'll have agencies that are ringing them up that will promise those quick wins and they'll try and undercut you and they'll be like, we'll get you here within six months for X price. So you know, you're going to have the head turns, but then they're not my people. And that's what I've sort of become a little bit more comfortable with. And, you know, and the one thing that I've identified is. My accidental niche is family run businesses and they're not small businesses. They are large multimillion pound businesses, but they are interested in the long term because they really do need that sustainability within the business. They want people that they're comfortable with. [00:15:00] Um, and that's sort of where I've found people that if I'm comfortable with them, I'll, I'll fly. Um, that's where I've, I've sort of seen my niche and that's where I'm going to hone in on. Well, there is a lot of that that's. going on that, you know, the competition that, that can make the promises, but there is no quick win and no easy wins. You've got to have your long term strategy and you've got to be brave and you've got to stick to it. And my key is always, you need that consistency because you might be looking at the data. Nobody's looking at social media. Nobody's looking at the website. That's what you're thinking of the data, but holistically, when you do get yourself out...