Humane Marketing with Sarah Santacroce

Brian chats with Sarah Santacroce, a LinkedIn guru turned humane marketing revolutionary. Sarah opens up about the breakdowns and breakthroughs that led to her living her passion for bringing empathy and kindness to business and marketing.

On the episode, Sarah discusses how to succeed in online marketing by finding your purpose and being your true, authentic self. She also shares the pitfalls of buzzy marketing phrases, and how using softer words can bring compassion to current and future clients.

Episode Highlights

Mission-driven entrepreneurs focus on their why.

To Sarah, mission-driven business owners start by reflecting on what they care about before they jump in and execute on an idea. These savvy entrepreneurs think about their values and ideal clients just as much as their business opportunities.

"What is your big question that you want to answer by helping others," Sarah said on the episode. "Reflecting on the things that you made your why."

Marketing doesn't have to be slimy.

Online marketing can sometimes feel pushy, aggressive, and slimy, Sarah said. In fact, Sarah once contemplated leaving the industry because she felt she had too much empathy for modern marketing. Only after having a breakdown, did she have a breakthrough that humane marketing with an emphasis on human connection could work in the modern era, too.

"Because we focused so much on the technology -- the scaling, the always bigger, always more -- we lost touch with the actual relationship that we have with other people that are humans," Sarah said.

Passion first. Clients later.

One of Sarah's seven humane marketing principles is that passion and purpose come first, and clients come later. This type of thinking reverses the conventional marketing paradigm of a scarcity mindset -- there are only so many clients. Instead, it emphasizes finding the right clients.

"If you bring more of you to your marketing, that will resonate with the right clients," Sarah said.

One shred of evidence this is working in the real world is with the "Great Resignation," a term coined as record numbers of American workers quit their jobs. Sarah says a similar trend is happening with customers, who are now willing to pay a little bit more to buy a service from a business or brand that aligns with their values.

"That matters for entrepreneurs to say, 'I have an opinion, and I have these values.' They matter," Sarah said.

Resources + Links

• The One Page Marketing Plan
• Sarah's website
• Humane Marketing Podcast
• Marketing Like We're Human
• Sarah's Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• Brian's Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast

Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.

On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.