
Sequence Over Strategy
Welcome to Sequence Over Strategy, a show about small business entrepreneurship. Michelle Warner's goal is to help you find and trust your own sequence of actions rather than follow someone else's theoretical strategy. In every episode she takes a real challenge or question shared by real entrepreneurs like you, and figures out the right next action to take.
Together, you'll wrestle with the problem, examining your business to find solutions. And every time you'll walk away with a single tool or framework, you can apply to your own business. So stop looking for playbooks. Stop chasing strategy. Don't search for all the answers before you act. Act to find your answers.
Latest episodes

Dec 5, 2024 • 24min
Decoding Hidden Advantages
Ever wonder why some business strategies work wonders for others but fall flat for you? Discover the concept of survivorship bias, which skews our view by focusing on success stories while neglecting failures. Uncover the hidden 'unfair advantages' like timing, charisma, and robust networks that often drive success. Get tips on how to recognize these biases and make smarter decisions tailored to your journey. It's a guide to reframing your perspective and seizing control of your path to success!

Nov 21, 2024 • 27min
Why Asking Matters
Do you ever hesitate to ask for help? This discussion reveals how asking can actually enhance relationships instead of weakening them. It introduces the 'ask continuum' to navigate the balance of requesting too much or too little. Personal stories illustrate the importance of seeking assistance, bridging community bonds, and fostering gratitude. Learn five practical strategies for crafting meaningful requests that deepen connections and trust. Embrace the art of asking to enrich your personal and professional relationships.

10 snips
Nov 7, 2024 • 22min
How I Use Social Media (and Why You Rarely See Me Post Publicly)
Tired of the social media numbers game? Discover how to transform it into a relationship-building powerhouse. Learn why service-based businesses should embrace a connection-driven approach rather than traditional marketing. Gain practical tips for creating authentic content that attracts ideal clients and nurtures trust. Explore the crucial stages of awareness, engagement, and sales to elevate your marketing efforts and establish lasting business relationships.

6 snips
Oct 24, 2024 • 27min
Engineering Leads That Act Like Referrals
Discover how to generate leads that feel like referrals through relationship marketing. Learn why service-based businesses need to move beyond just driving traffic. Michelle Warner shares actionable strategies for creating impactful first impressions that establish trust. This approach not only engages potential clients but also accelerates conversion. Dive into the importance of building meaningful relationships for sustainable business growth.

7 snips
Oct 10, 2024 • 25min
Filling the Engagement Gap
Explore how marketing campaigns often succeed in grabbing attention but struggle in converting that interest into sales. Discover the essential engagement strategies that can bridge this gap. Learn about the interconnected stages of awareness, engagement, and sales, along with practical examples to foster meaningful interactions. Get insights on building trust and guiding potential customers through an effective marketing sequence.

Sep 26, 2024 • 31min
The Trust Transfer Playbook
Michelle Warner, an expert in relationship marketing, dives into the intriguing concept of trust transfer as a powerful tool for audience engagement. She shares insights on how collaboration can build trust with new audiences, contrasting successful partnerships with those driven by transaction. Warner emphasizes the need for hosts to truly value their guests' expertise, which is crucial for effective trust transfer. With real-life examples, she provides strategies for vetting collaboration opportunities to ensure long-term value, even if the fit isn't immediately perfect.

4 snips
Sep 12, 2024 • 20min
How to Master Your Marketing Using Sequence First
Join Michelle Warner, an expert in effective marketing strategies, as she dives into the power of sequence in marketing. She reveals why the order of your marketing steps—awareness, engagement, and sales—matters more than you think. Michelle emphasizes the importance of targeting the right audience from the very beginning to ensure successful engagement and sales down the line. By breaking your marketing into clear stages, you can diagnose issues more effectively and adapt your approach for better outcomes!

Aug 29, 2024 • 24min
Customer Maturity as Marketing Strategy
Michelle Warner, a marketing expert, explores the concept of customer maturity and its crucial role in marketing success. She reveals how businesses often miss the mark by not aligning their messaging with customers' understanding levels, leading to lost opportunities. Using a lawn care analogy, Michelle explains how maturity influences customer experience and emphasizes the importance of tailored communication. Learn how to adapt your marketing strategies to better resonate with your audience's needs and ensure your offers hit the right mark.

Aug 15, 2024 • 29min
Aligning Product and Customer Growth
Michelle Warner, a strategist focused on aligning advanced products with customer needs, dives deep into the struggles businesses face with product and customer mismatch. She discusses how such misalignments can lead to marketing frustrations. Warner shares strategies for realigning marketing approaches to enhance customer satisfaction. The conversation also highlights the key differences between relationship and traffic marketing, underlining the importance of a unified business model for sustainable growth.

5 snips
Aug 1, 2024 • 24min
Aligning Marketing and Growth
In this engaging discussion, Michelle Warner, a business designer and strategist known for her expertise in marketing strategy and bootcamp teaching, shares insights on her evolving approach to marketing. She delves into the crucial distinction between relationship marketing and traffic marketing, emphasizing the need to align your strategies with your business goals. Listeners will discover how she balances deep connections with the necessity of reaching larger audiences while promoting her new bootcamps. Michelle also highlights her role in the 'Make Marketing Suck Less' summit.
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