The Right Size Marketing

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[00:00:37] Welcome to the Space Marketing Podcast where we look at marketing principles, strategies and tactics through the lens of space.

[00:00:47] Hi, I am your host Izzy House. And this year we're going to shake things up a bit.

[00:00:53] We will meet space industry professionals that focus on promoting their companies and space.

[00:01:00] So on this episode we will meet Space Marketing Professional on the agency side, Melody Thostrup with My Size Marketing.

[00:01:10] So lift off in 3, 2, 1.

[00:01:16] Welcome to the Space Marketing Podcast. Information relating to our discussion today and links to the video version can be found in the episode show notes on SpaceMarketingPodcast.com.

[00:01:39] Please like and subscribe to the podcast. It will help more people reach beyond the atmosphere.

[00:01:48] Information in this episode is for entertainment and information only. Please consult a professional for your specific situation.

[00:01:57] As we have journeyed our way through the Space Marketing Books and Podcasts, I have seen the need for the space industry to have a voice.

[00:02:06] It is critical for any business to let their audience know that they exist.

[00:02:12] And we need to be telling the inspiring story of the space industry.

[00:02:17] This voice is created by marketing professionals.

[00:02:21] And I have met some amazing space marketing professionals that are doing a wonderful job.

[00:02:27] In my book Space Marketing, Competing for the New Commercial Space Industry, I introduced marketing through the lens of space.

[00:02:36] I walk through what it is and how to use it to build your brand and to establish relationships with your audience or customers, whatever they may be.

[00:02:47] I conclude the book with How to Find Talent.

[00:02:51] We look at in-house versus partnering with an agency for services.

[00:02:56] Today we will talk to a marketing firm that works with the space companies.

[00:03:02] Do you need a big agency with a big price tag to help your company market your company?

[00:03:09] I got that better in another one.

[00:03:11] Okay, let's do that one again.

[00:03:13] Do you need a big agency with a big price tag to help your company market?

[00:03:19] No.

[00:03:20] There are many sizes of options from a freelancer to a small firm that is just the right size.

[00:03:28] See what I did there?

[00:03:31] Marketing can be a tough thing to navigate.

[00:03:34] Finding the right person to lead you through this new and unfamiliar territory is the first step in growing your business.

[00:03:43] My next guest is a marketing professional, and we will touch on the challenges and successes of working within the space industry.

[00:03:52] We will also discuss the significance of having a marketing professional as part of your company's team.

[00:04:01] Help me welcome my guest today, Melody Falstrup with My Size Marketing.

[00:04:08] Melody, welcome to the podcast.

[00:04:11] Thank you, hi Izzy.

[00:04:13] Thank you so much for having me. What a pleasure.

[00:04:16] Oh, it has been a pleasure to get to know you as well.

[00:04:20] For the audience out there, we first connected on LinkedIn and met at Spacecom in 2023.

[00:04:27] And we have a very similar journey to space, and it was not initially part of our career plan.

[00:04:35] So let's jump right into that and tell us how you became interested in space. What's your journey?

[00:04:43] Well, so it is a long journey and I won't go through all of it. But the bottom line is I never intended at first when I went to college even being marketing.

[00:04:53] I knew I liked communications but actually had a theater background and knew I like to write and I like to be in front of people and speak to people and help people.

[00:05:03] But I got into retail just to pay bills right out of college and that led me on a journey and eventually into the marketing and advertising world to get out of the retail hours and be with my, who would become my new husband and spend more time with him.

[00:05:19] But what I loved about the marketing world is it really didn't matter what company or what industry you're working with. We were using as I was learning from some wonderful mentors and ad agencies and publishing companies and internet news media websites.

[00:05:33] I was learning there are just so many tools to tell that story and to help those different businesses from a small business, which is one of my passions, to a big company who still has to get their message across.

[00:05:46] And I moved to Huntsville actually with the retail job back in, I guess late 80s early 90s and fell in love with the space program.

[00:05:57] You know, because growing up in Alabama though, I didn't know much about it. What was here once you get to Huntsville?

[00:06:03] You discover so many amazing people and so many amazing stories in the history. And so just as a community involvement person, I got to know more and more about our program but had never worked on the front lines.

[00:06:18] And so a few years ago I've had my own marketing firm since 2011. But I actually shared something on Facebook about helping a client in there with some marketing campaign and an event and just all the success and how much I love my job.

[00:06:33] And actually had a friend from college reach out to me and she worked with a company who worked in the space industry and was a contractor. And she said, I didn't know you did that because I didn't really put that on my personal page.

[00:06:48] And so I said, well, you know, she said we'd love to talk to you. We'd love to help some help with marketing. We have a great company, but we still need the help getting that story out there just like any other company.

[00:06:58] And I said, okay, well sure, I can come talk to you about that. And it just turned into now going on three years because at first I was apprehensive. I was like, oh, space government, that's for the big leagues or that's for bigger companies or bigger firms or you've got to be educated and experienced in that.

[00:07:15] But the more I got to know them and their struggles, again, it was the company was a great company. They were doing an excellent job and the people within their circle knew they were excellent.

[00:07:26] But like even our own community didn't necessarily recognize their name because they hadn't done a lot. And if they wanted to recruit new people, especially all the people coming to our area or if they just wanted to have the community to know who they were,

[00:07:39] it was the same challenges I got with every other company I've ever worked with. So that became such a fun thing to not only get to use my skills and experience to help them as in their marketing, but to get to go right up close and personal to the space industry

[00:07:55] and to get to know people and meet people and talk to people and interview people and write about people that they were meeting, not only in Huntsville but across the country and then get to go to SpaceCom last year was just like the icing on the cake.

[00:08:09] And to meet you and to just hear all these really smart people and see Space Force right up in NASA. And of course we have some wonderful NASA people here in Huntsville, but it just what was wonderful is I got to point my career where everything I had learned I knew could help them, but I got to start a whole new part of my career at the same time.

[00:08:29] Yeah, chapter three. And I want to go back a little bit about what you said about posting on your Facebook and let's talk about how sometimes we're terrible about marketing ourselves.

[00:08:44] And yes, so let's go a little bit there on, you know, the importance of marketing yourself and not being afraid to tell people what you do.

[00:08:57] I actually got so, I taught a lot of different workshops as you and I've talked about this and you have to small businesses to organizations to leadership groups.

[00:09:09] And one of my favorite things to do and what I just taught recently is about your personal brand, right? We used to call that, you know, the person's character before social media was a thing to put your character out there to put your choices, your opinions, your hobbies, your loves or likes.

[00:09:26] And I did try to keep that separate because I thought well, nobody wants to hear about that except for people I'm targeting in my business world.

[00:09:33] And I still is funny because I still am hesitant only unless I think I'm helping another company.

[00:09:43] Like if I'm helping a client to say, you know, on my personal Facebook page to say, oh, we have this great ribbon cutting.

[00:09:48] I'm so proud and excited for them. And it's all about them. But I get to be a portal to share that, then I don't have a problem with that.

[00:09:55] And I've done that a lot more. But what I've taught in my personal brand class is everything you do, the clothes you wear, the car you drive, everything you do reflects you and your personal brand.

[00:10:10] And that's not just as an owner of a company. That's if you want to rise up a corporate ladder, you know, people are hiring and promoting people.

[00:10:18] And they're going to look at two different people with very similar qualities, very similar skills and experience and say who do we want representing our company at this level?

[00:10:29] So I talk about the charities you get involved with. You know, don't get involved in a charity just to be known, right?

[00:10:36] But to get involved in something that helps you, that you know you can help others. And that helps. For example, I had a client I coached one time.

[00:10:45] And it was a husband and wife team. And the wife said, well, we really want to get the word out about us working with this project.

[00:10:53] And she said my husband already donates a lot of money to this charity, but he doesn't anonymously.

[00:10:59] And I said, that's wonderful. You know, I can appreciate that in the Bible. You know, it says do it in secret. But at the same time, I said there's a way to take at least some of that that you're giving.

[00:11:09] Because they really want to support this charitable organization. And I said, when you get a face to that and you acknowledge that in your business, not only are you getting a little good PR for yourself,

[00:11:21] you're making your employees feel good. You're making your customers feel good about doing business with you. And obviously you're giving a lot more spotlight to that charity that they probably don't have the money and resources to give.

[00:11:33] And so I said, I just want people to think about that when they're out there, you know, working with other companies, working with charities, doing things in their spare time.

[00:11:42] When your brand is about helping others, I don't care who you are, what industry you're in. If that's sincere, it's not a bad thing, right? It's not. And so when I do put that on my personal Facebook or social media or LinkedIn, it's not about me.

[00:11:57] But yeah, I benefit. But it's just like if I help somebody, I benefit from helping them because I've helped somebody get something, you know, in their business or my neighbor or whatever.

[00:12:07] So I agree it is a fine line. But if it's authentic and it's sincere and it's really about the other person or the other entity or the other company or organization, you're never going to be wrong.

[00:12:22] Well, and I just want to let all the professionals out there know that this is this is not something that just you struggle with. I struggle with it too. I can't tell you how many times I've sat there and thought, OK, this would be a good thing to do.

[00:12:39] And then talk to myself out of it because it was me. And so I have a conversation with myself and I asked myself, would I do that for a customer? Would I do that for a client because it would be good for them?

[00:12:53] And if the answer is yes, then I have more arguments sometimes and still have, you know, putting myself out there. But it is hard because, you know, we're taught not to be vain. We're taught not to make it about us and be that person.

[00:13:11] Especially women.

[00:13:13] And well, I think what you said and you told me about teaching when you teach you're in front of people. You're being paid attention to but you're giving knowledge and value and a good teacher is one that everybody pays attention to.

[00:13:28] So if we're a good marketing person, people have to pay attention to us and for a good reason because you have so much expertise in what you do. And I loved hearing you speak at Space Command. I look forward to hearing you again because as somebody who wants to hire you or learn from you, I'm like, I want people to know her.

[00:13:46] You know, so you're right. We're as it's almost like doctors that they're worse patients, right? Or the shoemaker who doesn't have his children don't have shoes.

[00:13:54] So I, yes, we're on that same struggle bus together.

[00:14:00] Yes. Yes. And all of you listening, you are not alone. We feel your pain and you just, we, I just pretend that I'm a client. And that's how I get through it. But it is real.

[00:14:14] Smart words.

[00:14:16] It is real. And I also look at the end goal. The end goal is to, for me, is to promote space to make it to where companies can succeed and the next generation can succeed. So that's ultimately my goal.

[00:14:33] And if I have to be the vehicle that does it, I reluctantly got on it and here we go.

[00:14:41] So real quick, you talked about how I got to space. Well, of course the company hiring me is related to space, but coming to Huntsville, I didn't even know what an engineer was. I really thought it was just a train conductor engineer.

[00:14:53] Okay.

[00:14:54] And my mother tried to educate me because she had had relatives from here and she's like, no, no, they, you know, it's like, you know, not a math person. I'm a word person.

[00:15:02] So when I met my husband, it was, I don't know, it was right before, right after I saw the movie Apollo 13 that they actually did some filming and training here. Right.

[00:15:11] And I remember the scene where they take all the pieces of parts and they take them to the room with all these engineers and say, hey, figure out how they're going to come home.

[00:15:22] And I was like, and duct tape and PVC pipe. And I was like, I get it now. I understand. And so again, every time I watch space movies like the Martian and you know, again, some fictional stuff.

[00:15:34] Well, actually Apollo 13 was a true story, but I just am so fascinated by this, this place that this in our history that we're at where we have a legacy, but it's just scratching the surface.

[00:15:49] And now we're starting another and there's so much compared to the internet and computers where we feel like we've learned a lot. And of course, there's more to learn.

[00:15:56] Space is so there's so much more to learn. And to me as somebody going on 60, I love having new things to learn. I'm excited about the potential for our space industry worldwide.

[00:16:07] And that's why I'm very excited about going to space companies in two weeks. So you mentioned the story, which stories are powerful.

[00:16:17] You know, so don't discount stories. Stories can make people dream stories can to make people put together parts and pieces and hoses and marketing in a way is kind of like an engineer.

[00:16:31] We take parts and pieces and we put them together until they run. So it's just a different kind of parts and pieces.

[00:16:39] Hold on to your boosters. We will be right back with guest Melody Thallstrop with my size marketing after a brief message from our sponsors.

[00:16:50] Please like and subscribe to the Space Marketing Podcast so you don't miss a thing.

[00:17:14] Tell us a little bit about your company, My Size Marketing.

[00:17:19] So another funny story I had again after I got into the marketing world and I worked for a lot of small husband, wife teams, agencies, small budding and then now have grown huge media.

[00:17:34] Internet media companies and a family and publishing company. And I loved being part of a team.

[00:17:41] And I thought, wow, I'm so glad I'm in this part and I'm not in charge because I don't think I could handle that. Right? Of course I was in my 20s and early 30s.

[00:17:51] So when the opportunity came and I was working for an agency that had been around 36 years and I was there for the last five and I loved again family owned and wonderful team.

[00:18:03] And they closed. The owner decided to retire. The president who she thought was going to take over had actually started a side business that wasn't really competing but she decided just, she just wanted to do that.

[00:18:15] She was burnt out and so we all kind of went okay, what are we going to do? And I had a client. I had a client that was a small medical clinic and they said you're not going to quit helping us right?

[00:18:29] And I said, you're still going to take care of us right? And I said, let me get back to you on that. Sure, sure. And so I nervously went to a local business entrepreneur program that I was already coaching at marketing with but I didn't know anything about entrepreneurship.

[00:18:46] And I said, can I do this? Do you think I can? And they said, oh yeah. Get a good accountant and quick books and get your business license and we've got some courses and they were just so supportive and I still work with them and that's been almost 20 years.

[00:18:59] But I didn't want to be a business owner. I wanted to help people but I didn't want all the hard parts that come with that.

[00:19:06] But the more I got into it and the more I saw the benefit of being able to not only help people but not have all the stuff that I used to fight, you know, paperwork and red tape and stuff to do our job.

[00:19:18] For example, the agency I was at right before they closed was a wonderful, very well-known firm but we'd have clients or potential clients come in the door and say, we want to hire you but they couldn't afford us.

[00:19:32] So as my side's marketing, I decided that that would be my goal. If I was going to start a business, I wanted it to fit that small business who's got to the point where they do need to market, they are growing.

[00:19:44] They've got a good story to tell but they can't afford not only an agency, they can't even afford a hire full-time marketing person.

[00:19:50] And so that became my sweet spot and so that's who I've been working for for the most part.

[00:19:55] I've had like a few other bigger clients but they working with them allows me to stay working with mostly the smaller ones.

[00:20:02] And I just did a ribbon cutting for a really cool coffee shop and I worked with a junk removal company in another market and I get to coach people.

[00:20:11] I coached a lady who had a gourmet popcorn business up in Virginia.

[00:20:14] I mean that's the beauty of video conferencing.

[00:20:17] So my goal is to help overwhelm small business owners, learn how to take their marketing to the next level but starting at 90 days at a time.

[00:20:26] Like we just focus on the first 90 days. What can we do to make that needle move and work with the budget you have and work with the resources you have and the story you have to tell

[00:20:37] And not just put it all in social media but let's look at how can we build your brand? How can we connect you? How can we get you in front of your clients?

[00:20:45] Maybe it's a trade show. Maybe it's an event. Maybe it's a charitable partnership.

[00:20:50] Maybe it's something within your community. I don't know but it's not all social media, right? I love social media but it's just a tool.

[00:20:58] Like every other tool we've used and it's going to change and evolve just like every other tool we've used.

[00:21:03] And so you've got to have a very well balanced media marketing plan no matter what company you're with, no matter what size you're with.

[00:21:13] The numbers may change but it's still about where's your customer, your target customer and how can we reach them in multiple ways to get the show them how you can provide value to them.

[00:21:25] And that's what I do.

[00:21:27] And one of the things that I stress is that yes, the tools they change. They change at a rapid pace. I mean let's just take the example of Twitter which is now eggs and how that has changed.

[00:21:39] You know there's a lot of people that I mean love them or hate them. That particular platform has changed dramatically and has changed budgets.

[00:21:50] So what really is important whenever you're doing any marketing is the relationship you have with your audience.

[00:21:59] Number one, it does, you know, the tools will come and go. If you are dedicated to having that relationship then that is what is good marketing.

[00:22:12] What is the saying people care? Yeah, people only care. Oh no I can't think of what the saying is now. People don't care about what you know. They only care if you care or something like that.

[00:22:24] People don't care what you say as people care about how you make them feel.

[00:22:30] Exactly. That's it. I think it's my angel. Yes, excellent.

[00:22:34] Yes. So and let's talk about conferences. You know one of the things that COVID really taught us is that number one, the world is open and it's fabulous.

[00:22:44] I mean we're talking right now and from both of our homes and that has been great and doing online webinars and everything has been great.

[00:22:54] You've been, I'm able to go to things in England and things like that without having to buy a plane ticket. So that has been wonderful but that physical in person conference, you know there's a part that's missing when you go to an online conference.

[00:23:13] It's like you get the sessions. You get what I call the bricks, the bricks to a building. You get those sessions. You get that information.

[00:23:23] But it's all the stuff in between and it's something about that face to face, that connection, that almost physical connection when you shake somebody's hand. You cannot replace online.

[00:23:37] So conferences are huge for building relationships.

[00:23:41] Last week you introduced me to our guest for last week. I'm getting confused here because we're recording backwards.

[00:23:49] So you introduced it. So Kevin Brown is the VP of all points and do you want to tell us a little bit about what you're doing with all points and we're going to really focus on conferences with his particular session.

[00:24:04] Yes, so all points is a company that is leading solutions provider for a lot of different, you know, tech engineering cyber space launch support.

[00:24:17] DoD I mean they have so many smart people doing a lot of wonderful things and space and NASA and contracts with companies that do business with NASA is obviously a big part of how they've grown in the last 20 years and Kevin Brown is our senior vice president.

[00:24:34] Business development and he is actually based in our Florida of Merritt Island office and he is a go getter for sure and has really is overseeing a really exciting project that he can tell you more about.

[00:24:46] That will be a huge facility that will support space launch services in the area right near Kennedy Space Center. We just did a recent press release.

[00:24:54] They just completed their site surveys, you know, things are starting to become real. They've got some exciting partners they're going to be working with and I believe Space Florida is helping with the financial because it is going to be such a benefit to the community and the economy.

[00:25:08] But he has done an excellent job in our space prep division. It's like a whole nother product line for us and a whole nother division and he runs that and they're just doing some amazing things and building some really great infrastructure to support space launch for NASA and government as well as commercial space industry.

[00:25:29] So I'm really excited to be working with them on that and we're going to Spacecom to share about all of that. And we're platinum sponsors are very excited.

[00:25:39] Very yes. So let's let's go into some of the initiatives that you are promoting with them and what you have taught them to do and why maybe conferences in particular.

[00:25:52] Gotcha. So when I first met with all points three years ago, they really were just focusing on growing their Huntsville market and I being in Huntsville for 30 something years was able to easily help them get involved more in the Huntsville business market outside of just their space and NASA connections.

[00:26:10] And again, like I said, we started becoming the official government contracting sponsor for the catalyst which is called the catalyst for business and entrepreneurship.

[00:26:19] It's an SBA partially funded and privately funded huge wonderful support system for small businesses and we have a whole they have a whole government contracting sector because that's a big like probably over half of our small businesses are going into government contracting in one form or another.

[00:26:33] And so after being involved with them myself and I introduced them to their their tech rich government contracting liaison.

[00:26:41] I said this is a no brainer. We want all points connected with all this because we do a lot of matter protege projects. We've worked with several and one mission innovate has actually machine multiplier was the other partner.

[00:26:54] They've grown now to the point where they can be, you know, doing subs with people. So it's really been exciting to and the trade shows they do in Huntsville were kind of my first foray to see what they were doing and then space, I got to see, you know, on a bigger level and outside the Huntsville market.

[00:27:10] But the bottom line is like you said with a trade show. It's not just here's our booth. Here's our collateral. Here's our video. It's the meetings, the conversations, the wonderful reception we did last year and I'm excited about this year where we have, you know, we partner with a couple of different companies and we host people can come and visit which I hope you'll come join us.

[00:27:30] And all those conversations in between like you said it's the mortar that puts the bricks together because when you can talk to somebody one thing about business and two about their kids or their favorite food or where to go shop or whatever, you build relationships.

[00:27:45] And I don't know if your listeners are familiar with the B&I. I used to be one and what I loved about their philosophy was, you know, like no one trust, right? You start to meet people. You're like, I like that person.

[00:28:00] Then you get to know them and then you trust them and that credibility becomes profitability and you can't just do that on Zoom and you can't just do that by email.

[00:28:08] So I'm thrilled that they get the opportunity and they're very invested in a lot of different shows of different levels across the country. They're going to the big one in Colorado in the spring and but they do a lot of small things.

[00:28:21] We support the military at the ones that come in Huntsville. So they, you know, get out there. We work the crowds. We talk to people.

[00:28:29] They get on like Kurt, who's one of our business development people. He's a former retired colonel. He gets on the committees for the ones in Huntsville. He gets involved.

[00:28:38] So it's not just us showing up with a booth. We want to get involved. We want to be engaged because the better the shows are, Cyber Summit is another one we like to host or help host in Huntsville.

[00:28:50] The more involved we are as a staff, as a team, as a company, the more it grows that support system, right? And then everybody benefits. Our smaller companies, we had a small men or protege company that spoke at our Cyber Summit.

[00:29:06] We went and supported them. They had their own booth, you know. So it's just like you said, it's about people and getting in front of people is just the best way to connect.

[00:29:15] And one thing I'd like to note for all those listening out there is that you may not be the biggest. You may not be the best. You may not have the best price. It may be all those things.

[00:29:27] But if you're likable and people trust you, they will pick you over somebody that is better, cheaper and, you know, has all the other gadgets and things because it's about the relationship.

[00:29:41] And I'm going to make a prediction that this is going to become even more important with AI because AI, you're able to falsify looks.

[00:29:52] I can't tell you how many filters I've seen where people have changed the way they look right there while they're playing with it.

[00:29:58] You know, put bunny ears on or whatever.

[00:30:00] Yeah, right.

[00:30:02] There's just a lot of AI is going to be taking over a lot of stuff and it's, I think that having a connection.

[00:30:08] Well, the messaging.

[00:30:10] The words.

[00:30:12] Yes.

[00:30:14] Well, even some of the pictures, I mean they can make somebody like Donald Trump look like they're talking and saying things he's not.

[00:30:19] Right.

[00:30:21] So I think with that era that we're getting ready to go into these in-person conferences are going to be even more valuable because it's really hard to fake a real person.

[00:30:33] That's kind of crazy.

[00:30:34] It's kind of crazy.

[00:30:36] So let's segue into that with, you know, like me, you have watched marketing tools and changed dramatically.

[00:30:44] Let's just, you know, we've been about in industry, you know, enough to see it just flip constantly on its head and change.

[00:30:54] And so what are some of the marketing challenges you see in the marketing industry as a whole?

[00:31:00] Just the marketing industry.

[00:31:02] What are some of the challenges you see?

[00:31:04] Well, like I said, social media has been such a boon for so many small businesses because you can create direct line to your customer, especially if you're retail.

[00:31:15] But you can, you know, put your message out there no matter what the news says or picks up of your stories.

[00:31:21] I love that.

[00:31:23] I do love that.

[00:31:25] But when that's what you're counting on for your lead generation all the time, that's when I get nervous.

[00:31:29] But again, like I said, I remember when cable TV became a thing we could buy advertising on cable TV.

[00:31:35] So and that was like, oh, everybody's going to do cable because it's cheaper and there's more channels.

[00:31:39] Well, I mean now cable and TV had to go to the digital world.

[00:31:43] So I worked for an internet marketing company that was for our newspapers here in Alabama and they're part of a family company across the country.

[00:31:51] And I remember when our little company was selling ads for $500 and the newspapers were making thousands of dollars.

[00:31:57] And we were the redheaded stepchild.

[00:32:00] Well, times have changed.

[00:32:02] Artis Papers is not even inexistent anymore.

[00:32:05] And I remember when the building got torn down and I cried.

[00:32:08] I didn't even work there but I had friends that worked there.

[00:32:11] They got jobs, made jobs for themselves, you know, or got jobs other places because they were great writers and editors.

[00:32:17] But so again, if you have that connection with a customer, maybe email, right?

[00:32:24] Email has been around a while.

[00:32:25] I don't think that's going to go away.

[00:32:27] So I do talk to my smaller customers about having some kind of email presence, whether it's personal or it's a value service that you provide and share information and things like that.

[00:32:38] Because then you own that email.

[00:32:40] They can always unsubscribe but if they choose to subscribe, they're seeing you in their email box.

[00:32:44] So that's a powerful online tool that I do recommend.

[00:32:47] But I do tell people, you know, if you can get involved in a local, hopefully industry related organization.

[00:32:55] If you're just business related organization and or charity related organization building those relationships, you just never know where your next customer or boss or employee is going to come from.

[00:33:08] Right? And I've seen that doing this as long as I have.

[00:33:11] So I do like email.

[00:33:13] I think that's a powerful tool.

[00:33:15] I do like LinkedIn.

[00:33:17] I think LinkedIn has really evolved and even small businesses can take advantage of that and even local markets.

[00:33:20] I see a lot of mine and I'm once you start liking people's things, you see your local market as well as your industry.

[00:33:28] So and you can connect like we've connected directly.

[00:33:30] So I think LinkedIn does have a lot of things to offer in as far as especially for free.

[00:33:37] I mean, obviously they have paid levels and that can be beneficial if that's what you need, especially for recruitment.

[00:33:42] But I tell my clients, especially new businesses, I say if you don't have a logo that really is a good representation of the brand or the emotion that you want your brand to feel.

[00:33:55] You know, sometimes it's about a pretty graphic.

[00:33:57] Sometimes it's just about the right title of your business, right?

[00:34:00] The right name.

[00:34:02] You get that like naming your baby, right?

[00:34:04] You want to call it across the yard and like how it sounds.

[00:34:07] But the right name, the right logo and in a website, right?

[00:34:11] You can't go backwards.

[00:34:13] You can't expect to just build a website and then never touch it again.

[00:34:17] It's like my house.

[00:34:19] I would love to just not touch a room once I've got it, you know, but unfortunately we have to keep changing.

[00:34:23] So that I would say if you if your website's current and your websites interactive and user friendly.

[00:34:30] I remember that term when I first started working in the internet world and I was like, what does that mean?

[00:34:34] But now I get it.

[00:34:35] And if we're very lazy, short, you know, short attention span people.

[00:34:41] The website is you 24 seven.

[00:34:43] And so how no matter how small your business is or how big your budget is, there's no excuse nowadays not to have a website that is clean informative and you can update yourself on a regular basis and keep the news stories and keep the, you know, events that you're plugging in and do the shout outs for your people.

[00:35:02] And I've even seen companies I had for a while like a fee directly from my Instagram or my Facebook.

[00:35:09] And if you're a business having it, if you're LinkedIn all the time, have a feed for your LinkedIn.

[00:35:14] It's a plug in. It's real easy to do.

[00:35:16] So there's things to do that cost a lot of money.

[00:35:19] Yeah, I think most of them if they're WordPress, yeah, I think plugins nowadays everybody's got to plug in.

[00:35:25] So if I can do it, anybody can because I'm not exactly.

[00:35:29] But yeah, I think, I think again, trade shows if you have one in your industry and if you don't have a trade show at least a local like if you're involved as a support for the construction industry or the builders or the realtors, they all have local chapters.

[00:35:44] Right. And if you can't find a local one in your area, join something online or join something for the state because again people do business with people they know.

[00:35:53] And so sometimes you have to start small but or get in between an organization for your industry that's national and go and just pay a ticket to go.

[00:36:05] I always tell people, go check out a trade show first.

[00:36:07] Check it out. See where the big players are. See where the smaller companies like you would be.

[00:36:12] You know, find out what the pricing is because it's going to take you sometimes two years to even get a booth because if it's popular they've already got it booked out.

[00:36:18] But can you co-share a booth with somebody? Can you help be a speaker? Can you help sponsor something just to get a presence there?

[00:36:27] Right.

[00:36:29] Never be afraid to just start, I always tell people do your budget as if, right?

[00:36:35] Go research as if you're ready to spend the money tomorrow for all these marketing things you want.

[00:36:39] Whether it's signage, whether it's a wrapped vehicle, whether it's a building, start putting on paper.

[00:36:47] How much is this going to cost for me to have all this stuff and do all this stuff?

[00:36:50] And when would it ideally be beneficial for me to have it?

[00:36:53] If you don't shop now, when you get that influx of money from an investor or business loan or whatever or that first customer, you won't be ready to go and pull that trigger.

[00:37:02] So, yeah, start researching where you want to be when you grow up and just get out there and see what it's going to cost and talk to the people who are there.

[00:37:13] What's beneficial to them? You may find that that $3,000 booth is not as beneficial as this $2,500 sponsorship that you don't even have to have a booth for but you get to be in front of all the people at that breakfast or something.

[00:37:24] So, I just start doing the research as if you've got the money and then when you're ready, you'll find the money.

[00:37:32] And right before the chapter that I was referring to earlier is a chapter about that.

[00:37:38] It's dream big, like you have all the money in the world because if you see that there's an item that you're like, oh my gosh, that would be, I really need to go to Spacecom.

[00:37:48] That is really where I need to be.

[00:37:50] Then you can say how can I go?

[00:37:54] What do I need?

[00:37:55] What are some other creative things I can do if the money is not there?

[00:38:01] Can you speak?

[00:38:03] And that's where speaking is so critical.

[00:38:07] And I know is the scariest part of our job and our existence and any marketing is getting up on stage and speaking, but it is so important that you learn how to do it well.

[00:38:18] And Toastmasters is who I have to think.

[00:38:21] I was painfully shy.

[00:38:24] I'm an introvert pretending to be an extrovert people, okay?

[00:38:27] You do a great job.

[00:38:29] Fill me.

[00:38:31] So, go to Toastmasters and get that practice and get that experience and learn how the public speak.

[00:38:39] It's like any kind of skill that the more you do it, the better you get.

[00:38:43] And it'll move mountains for your marketing and it will save you a lot of money as far as marketing is concerned.

[00:38:53] So, do that big list and then pare it down and then figure out how you can creatively get those tasks done without spending money or just one I like to do is how can we make money at it?

[00:39:07] So you have this marketing that you want to do.

[00:39:10] So, okay.

[00:39:12] Now how can it be flipped just a little to where maybe it can provide an income rather than an expense?

[00:39:19] So that's something I like to play with.

[00:39:22] That's smart.

[00:39:24] So, alright.

[00:39:26] Wrong, wrong.

[00:39:28] Long cursor.

[00:39:30] So we're going to, we already, the last two questions.

[00:39:33] Okay.

[00:39:35] So where do you see the space industry in the next 10 to 20 years?

[00:39:41] That's a good question.

[00:39:43] And I don't know if I'm well versed enough to know what that is.

[00:39:47] I just love everything I'm seeing.

[00:39:50] Obviously, you know, the elephant in the room were disappointed that space command is not coming to Huntsville.

[00:39:56] But I mean, it's a good problem to have that we even have a space command.

[00:40:01] So I'm excited for the country to have that.

[00:40:03] I'm excited what I love seeing when I go to these, the agendas and the people that are going to be at these events.

[00:40:10] It's global.

[00:40:12] That's what I love about the space industry.

[00:40:14] You know, marketing is kind of similar.

[00:40:16] Like you said, we don't really care where people are from.

[00:40:19] We just care that they care and that they have a good story and we want to share that story.

[00:40:24] When I, during COVID, I joined some networking groups just for podcasting and whatever.

[00:40:30] I just had clients who had podcasts.

[00:40:32] I was like guest on some podcasts.

[00:40:34] And it was a really good, really smart girl that was running it.

[00:40:35] But I met people from all over the world because of the benefits of video conferencing.

[00:40:41] And we all had the same struggles.

[00:40:43] We all had the same struggles.

[00:40:45] And the fact that I gave any nuggets of marketing tips to some of them and they gave nuggets to me about other things.

[00:40:52] I was like, this is what the space industry is doing.

[00:40:54] They're, you know, yeah, it used to be with beat the Russians or whatever.

[00:40:58] It doesn't matter anymore.

[00:40:59] We're all trying to stay alive when we don't have as many options here on earth or hopefully just expand our options here on earth from what we learn in space.

[00:41:08] I mean, it just, you know, you watch the space movies, Star Wars and whatnot that are more fictional.

[00:41:13] But you just think, why can't we have some of that?

[00:41:16] Why can't we have a global community that is all on the same page?

[00:41:21] We all want the same things in our lives and our families.

[00:41:24] We just do it a little differently, have a little bit different flu, different climate.

[00:41:29] And that's the wonderful about space industry is we're all on the same track to get everything that's going up to be successful and support everything and all the research and all the, you know, like you were telling me about those wonderful experiments that the companies in Kentucky were doing for three-dimensional organ transplant.

[00:41:49] I mean, that's amazing.

[00:41:51] I don't care where that's coming from.

[00:41:53] I'm just thrilled that that's a thing that space is going to be a part of.

[00:41:55] So I don't know what's coming.

[00:41:58] I just am excited to see what's coming next and that's why I'm excited to go to Space Common and hear from the experts what's coming next.

[00:42:04] Yeah, as the saying goes, our cup is empty.

[00:42:08] Yes.

[00:42:10] And so it is a joy every day to have it filled.

[00:42:13] And so what thoughts do you want to leave our audience with today?

[00:42:18] What do you want them to mull over as they go about their day and say, huh, that was pretty interesting?

[00:42:23] Well, I hope when I teach anybody, I like I said, I've gotten the blessing to teach a lot of different industries and a lot of different people at different levels in their companies or whether they're the owner or the sales person or whatever.

[00:42:36] And I don't care what company you're with or how side, what size you are.

[00:42:40] If you know what you're doing is going to provide value for the world, whether it's in a small way or a big way, just keep on believing in that and don't give up.

[00:42:50] And don't ever forget to ask for help whether you can afford to pay for it or not.

[00:42:56] There's so many great resources, SBA, different small business support, men are protege programs that it can change your world.

[00:43:05] But you have to ask, you have to research.

[00:43:08] Don't expect it just because you don't have the money now or you don't have the resources now that it's not there.

[00:43:14] Don't be afraid to ask for help because I know I love when people ask me for help because I love to help.

[00:43:19] And when it comes to, you know, I'm going into government contracting, I'm going into the space, you know, marketing.

[00:43:25] It's still marketing. What is the story? How did you get to this point with your product or your service that you can again offer value?

[00:43:35] This is just your part of the world, the part of the industry you're targeting. It doesn't matter.

[00:43:41] People care that you have something to offer and help their company or their industry or their organization or their economy.

[00:43:48] If they know that story, then everybody wins.

[00:43:53] Right. And so if your people, your people are your best assets.

[00:43:57] So if your people get excited about telling your story to, you know, let them get involved in the community.

[00:44:02] Let them get involved in things. Let them be a representation too of your business.

[00:44:07] Again, it doesn't matter if it's space or construction or medical. It doesn't matter if you're there to help the world with your product or service.

[00:44:15] Just keep on, keep on going and brag about it like you would your kid who just graduated from kindergarten.

[00:44:23] Right. Don't be afraid to tell your story, but also see how you can help somebody else with what you offer and find out how maybe you can help them.

[00:44:33] I always try to have a conversation with somebody and I try not to ever leave it, especially business conversation without saying,

[00:44:38] so what are your challenges and maybe there's something I can help you with today?

[00:44:44] That cost you a thing. Right. Because if I've helped somebody, then I know that they've hopefully gone away to get something better in their organization or their company or their life.

[00:44:54] And I feel better. And then if that creates a business down the road, great.

[00:44:58] But I just want to know that whenever I laid lay on my head for the last time, I've helped as many people as possible.

[00:45:03] And as a business owner, you're helping a lot of people if you do your job right. So don't be afraid to ask for help and don't give up.

[00:45:12] Great advice. A special thanks to Melody Thallstrop with MySize Marketing for sharing her journey to space.

[00:45:20] Be sure to check out her links listed in today's show notes.

[00:45:24] Please like and subscribe to the Space Marketing Podcast to help us get the word out about this incredible industry of space.

[00:45:33] I hope that you have found this podcast useful for your journey as you reach for those stars.