From Ukraine war zone to wordsmith!

This week on The Engaging Marketeer, Darren sits down with Maiia Zlotnikova, a Ukrainian student who left Kyiv in the hope of building a better life. Maiia was just 16 when the war broke out…. now, at 19 years old, she’s made a name for herself by building a business from scratch.

If you’re looking for words of advice from someone who’s truly experienced it all and come out of the other side, make sure to tune in to this episode.

Connect with Maiia: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maiia-zlotnikova-199a69323/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maiiazlotnikova

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maiia.zltn/

Skool: https://www.skool.com/@maiia-zlotnikova-4972

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

From Ukraine war zone to wordsmith!
This week on The Engaging Marketeer, Darren sits down with Maiia Zlotnikova, a Ukrainian student who left Kyiv in the hope of building a better life. Maiia was just 16 when the war broke out&hellip;. now, at 19 years old, she&rsquo;s made a name for herself by building a business from scratch.
If you&rsquo;re looking for words of advice from someone who&rsquo;s truly experienced it all and come out of the other side, make sure to tune in to this episode.
Connect with Maiia:&nbsp;
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maiia-zlotnikova-199a69323/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/maiia-zlotnikova-199a69323/</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@maiiazlotnikova">https://www.youtube.com/@maiiazlotnikova</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maiia.zltn/">https://www.instagram.com/maiia.zltn/</a>
Skool: <a href="https://www.skool.com/@maiia-zlotnikova-4972">https://www.skool.com/@maiia-zlotnikova-4972</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike.

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike.

Engaging Marketeer

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike. The Engaging Marketeer Podcast debuted at #1 in the Marketing chart on Apple Podcasts.

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike. The Engaging Marketeer Podcast debuted at #1 in the Marketing chart on Apple Podcasts.

From War Zone in Ukraine To University in Chester A Copywriters Journey

Want to start a business and make money straight away?

Of course you do. But what if the real goal shouldn't be quick cash at all?

In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren sits down with Cheryl White, founder of Apollo Care and a franchise consultant who has helped businesses across the UK turn their companies into successful franchise networks.

During their conversation, Cheryl explains a reality many new business owners struggle with - you don't launch today and start signing clients tomorrow. That isn't how strong businesses are built.

Instead, the focus is on building something far more valuable... a sustainable business that generates consistent revenue, grows over time and eventually becomes a saleable asset.

If you've ever considered starting a business, buying into a franchise or scaling your company through franchising, this episode gives an exclusive look into how it works behind the scenes. 

More about Cheryl:

Cheryl White is the founder of Apollo Care and an experienced franchise consultant with more than 30 years in health and social care. After starting Apollo Care from scratch, she grew it into a successful care brand with franchises across the Northwest, Wales and the South. Alongside running Apollo, Cheryl helps other business owners franchise their companies, with a strong focus on sustainable growth, solid systems and long term value. She is known for her practical approach, high standards and commitment to building businesses that make a genuine difference.

You can connect with Cheryl here:

Website: https://www.apollocare.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylwhitefranchising/

Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.white.397/

Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/apollocareservice

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylwhite_franchising/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Want to start a business and make money straight away?
Of course you do. But what if the real goal shouldn't be quick cash at all?
In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren sits down with Cheryl White, founder of Apollo Care and a franchise consultant who has helped businesses across the UK turn their companies into successful franchise networks.
During their conversation, Cheryl explains a reality many new business owners struggle with - you don't launch today and start signing clients tomorrow. That isn't how strong businesses are built.
Instead, the focus is on building something far more valuable... a sustainable business that generates consistent revenue, grows over time and eventually becomes a saleable asset.
If you've ever considered starting a business, buying into a franchise or scaling your company through franchising, this episode gives an exclusive look into how it works behind the scenes.&nbsp;
More about Cheryl:
Cheryl White is the founder of Apollo Care and an experienced franchise consultant with more than 30 years in health and social care. After starting Apollo Care from scratch, she grew it into a successful care brand with franchises across the Northwest, Wales and the South. Alongside running Apollo, Cheryl helps other business owners franchise their companies, with a strong focus on sustainable growth, solid systems and long term value. She is known for her practical approach, high standards and commitment to building businesses that make a genuine difference.
You can connect with Cheryl here:
Website: <a href="https://www.apollocare.co.uk/">https://www.apollocare.co.uk/</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylwhitefranchising/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylwhitefranchising/</a>
Facebook (Personal): <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.white.397/">https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.white.397/</a>
Facebook (Business): <a href="https://www.facebook.com/apollocareservice">https://www.facebook.com/apollocareservice</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cherylwhite_franchising/">https://www.instagram.com/cherylwhite_franchising/</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

How Franchising Can Scale Your Business - Cheryl White of Apollo Care

If your business can’t run without you, you don’t own a business. You have a job.

Most owners start with the same vision - more income, freedom and time. Then, reality kicks in, and suddenly you’re buried in the day to day of chasing sales, answering everything yourself and wondering why growth still feels hard.

In this episode, Rod and Darren unpack why so many businesses get stuck there and how to break out of it. This is about building something that has value beyond you - something that can grow, scale and eventually run without you being glued to it. If that’s the goal, this conversation is essential listening.

More about Rod

Rod Kuchta is a business coach who works with UK-based small business owners to help them regain control of their companies, their time, and their long-term goals. Drawing on a background in sales leadership and business development, he specialises in helping owners step out of the day-to-day operations of their businesses so they can focus on growth, strategy, and building teams that can operate independently.

Through coaching, Rod helps business owners identify the gap between where their business is today and the vision they originally set out to achieve. His approach focuses on empowering teams, improving processes, strengthening leadership, and creating businesses that are sustainable, scalable, and ultimately valuable enough to sell or step away from.

Rod works with entrepreneurs who want more freedom, more time, and a business that delivers the lifestyle and financial results they originally started out to create.

You can connect with Rod here: 

Website: https://entrepreneurscircle.org/coaches-directory/info/rod-kuchta/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-kuchta/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Kuchta-Consulting-Ltd-100080935483410/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therodkuch/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

If your business can&rsquo;t run without you, you don&rsquo;t own a business. You have a job.
Most owners start with the same vision - more income, freedom and time. Then, reality kicks in, and suddenly you&rsquo;re buried in the day to day of chasing sales, answering everything yourself and wondering why growth still feels hard.
In this episode, Rod and Darren unpack why so many businesses get stuck there and how to break out of it. This is about building something that has value beyond you - something that can grow, scale and eventually run without you being glued to it. If that&rsquo;s the goal, this conversation is essential listening.
More about Rod
Rod Kuchta is a business coach who works with UK-based small business owners to help them regain control of their companies, their time, and their long-term goals. Drawing on a background in sales leadership and business development, he specialises in helping owners step out of the day-to-day operations of their businesses so they can focus on growth, strategy, and building teams that can operate independently.
Through coaching, Rod helps business owners identify the gap between where their business is today and the vision they originally set out to achieve. His approach focuses on empowering teams, improving processes, strengthening leadership, and creating businesses that are sustainable, scalable, and ultimately valuable enough to sell or step away from.
Rod works with entrepreneurs who want more freedom, more time, and a business that delivers the lifestyle and financial results they originally started out to create.
You can connect with Rod here:&nbsp;
Website: <a href="https://entrepreneurscircle.org/coaches-directory/info/rod-kuchta/">https://entrepreneurscircle.org/coaches-directory/info/rod-kuchta/</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-kuchta/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-kuchta/</a>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Kuchta-Consulting-Ltd-100080935483410/">https://www.facebook.com/p/Kuchta-Consulting-Ltd-100080935483410/</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therodkuch/">https://www.instagram.com/therodkuch/</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

How Your Small Business Can Grow Without You Doing All The Work - Rod Kuchta

Going viral is NOT a strategy!

In today’s episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Bron Watson breaks down one of the biggest misconceptions in modern marketing: visibility without direction.

Likes and connections aren’t a strategy, and neither is going viral. Bron explains why marketing only works when the long, medium and short game are aligned, and why every action has to answer one simple question: what are we doing next?

Awareness on its own doesn’t pay the bills, and engagement on its own doesn’t grow a business. If it doesn’t lead somewhere meaningful, it’s just noise. This isn’t simply a theory, either - Bron built and continued to lead her business through a double cancer diagnosis. So when she talks about resilience, long games and strategy, she’s speaking from lived experience, not just marketing textbooks.

If you’re serious about growing your business, building loyal fans and making your marketing drive revenue, this episode will challenge the way you think.

More about Bron:

Bron Watson is an Australian marketing strategist, business owner, and founder of The Social Coach and The Serenity Project. With decades of experience across corporate marketing, healthcare, and education, Bron combines commercial insight with deep personal resilience.

After building a successful marketing business, Bron was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and later with multiple myeloma in 2023. While continuing to run her business, she developed The Serenity Project, a framework that blends science, mindset, and practical resilience to help people navigate adversity.

Bron now works with small business owners to build raving fans through strategic marketing, while also advocating for a more human, trauma-aware approach to healing and healthcare.

You can connect with Bron here:

The Social Coach: https://thesocialcoach.com.au/

The Serenity Project: https://serenityproject.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwatson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bronwatsonme/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bron_watson/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Going viral is NOT a strategy!
In today&rsquo;s episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Bron Watson breaks down one of the biggest misconceptions in modern marketing: visibility without direction.
Likes and connections aren&rsquo;t a strategy, and neither is going viral. Bron explains why marketing only works when the long, medium and short game are aligned, and why every action has to answer one simple question: what are we doing next?
Awareness on its own doesn&rsquo;t pay the bills, and engagement on its own doesn&rsquo;t grow a business. If it doesn&rsquo;t lead somewhere meaningful, it&rsquo;s just noise. This isn&rsquo;t simply a theory, either - Bron built and continued to lead her business through a double cancer diagnosis. So when she talks about resilience, long games and strategy, she&rsquo;s speaking from lived experience, not just marketing textbooks.
If you&rsquo;re serious about growing your business, building loyal fans and making your marketing drive revenue, this episode will challenge the way you think.
More about Bron:
Bron Watson is an Australian marketing strategist, business owner, and founder of The Social Coach and The Serenity Project. With decades of experience across corporate marketing, healthcare, and education, Bron combines commercial insight with deep personal resilience.
After building a successful marketing business, Bron was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and later with multiple myeloma in 2023. While continuing to run her business, she developed The Serenity Project, a framework that blends science, mindset, and practical resilience to help people navigate adversity.
Bron now works with small business owners to build raving fans through strategic marketing, while also advocating for a more human, trauma-aware approach to healing and healthcare.
You can connect with Bron here:
The Social Coach: <a href="https://thesocialcoach.com.au/">https://thesocialcoach.com.au/</a>
The Serenity Project: <a href="https://serenityproject.com.au/">https://serenityproject.com.au/</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwatson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwatson/</a>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bronwatsonme/">https://www.facebook.com/bronwatsonme/</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bron_watson/">https://www.instagram.com/bron_watson/</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

From War Zone in Ukraine To University in Chester A Copywriters Journey

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