Frictionless Growth Marketing
Sonia Thompson
Friction is the enemy of growth.
And Frictionless Growth Marketing is the show for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by removing the friction in their customer experience—the kind you may not even realize is pushing people away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist, the show teaches you how to create sustainable growth by designing customer experiences that feel seamless, intuitive, and human—experiences that earn deep trust with today’s identity-rich, values-driven consumers.
Each week, Sonia breaks down what it really takes to grow in today’s market with today’s customer—from evolving traditional tactics so they actually work now, to decoding shifts in customer behavior and expectations, to learning from brand case studies so you can adapt with clarity and confidence.
You’ll learn how to:
Build frictionless customer journeys that convert
Engage identity-rich growth communities with authenticity
Design inclusive, high-performing growth strategies
Elevate brand trust, belonging, and loyalty
Remove the messaging, experience, and operational barriers holding your business back
Plus, you’ll hear candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts about how the smartest brands are winning by putting identity, belonging, and experience at the center of their growth engine.
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve—and convert more of them—without leaning on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics (that quite frankly are less and less effective each day), this show will guide you through the new rules of modern growth.
And Frictionless Growth Marketing is the show for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by removing the friction in their customer experience—the kind you may not even realize is pushing people away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist, the show teaches you how to create sustainable growth by designing customer experiences that feel seamless, intuitive, and human—experiences that earn deep trust with today’s identity-rich, values-driven consumers.
Each week, Sonia breaks down what it really takes to grow in today’s market with today’s customer—from evolving traditional tactics so they actually work now, to decoding shifts in customer behavior and expectations, to learning from brand case studies so you can adapt with clarity and confidence.
You’ll learn how to:
Build frictionless customer journeys that convert
Engage identity-rich growth communities with authenticity
Design inclusive, high-performing growth strategies
Elevate brand trust, belonging, and loyalty
Remove the messaging, experience, and operational barriers holding your business back
Plus, you’ll hear candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts about how the smartest brands are winning by putting identity, belonging, and experience at the center of their growth engine.
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve—and convert more of them—without leaning on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics (that quite frankly are less and less effective each day), this show will guide you through the new rules of modern growth.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 8, 2024 • 22min
123. A framework for an inclusive SEO strategy
SEO is a common strategy marketers use to attract a broader customer base. However, most SEO strategies do not effectively serve the needs of consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities. And as a result, SEO doesn't often work so well as a customer acquisition strategy for diverse consumers.But with an inclusive SEO strategy, SEO can effectively serve as a smart customer acquistion strategy for people from underrepresented and underserved communities.In this episode, I walk you through my framework for an inclusive SEO strategy that will help you attract and retain a bigger, more diverse, and loyal customer base.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterLinks and visuals mentioned in this episode👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing Assessments: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/Consulting & Custom Traning: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/
Aug 1, 2024 • 35min
122. How Michael Graves Design & Pottery Barn Are Working to Bring Accessible Home Design to More Consumers
It is increasingly becoming more important for brands to consider the physical needs of consumers. Sixteen percent of the world’s population has some form of disability. This often doesn’t include people who have temporary or situational disabilities. Another growing sector of the population where accessibility considerations are growing in prominence is the aging population. Baby Boomers make up 21% of the population in the U.S., with the youngest of this generation beginning to enter their sixties. Recognizing the unmet need, Michael Graves Design, known as the most accessible design brand, has teamed up with furniture retailer to release the Michael Graves Design for Pottery Barn collection. In this episode, I sat down with Ben Wintner, CEO of Michael Graves Design to learn more about their approach to creating products that work for a broader group of consumers, as well as about the partnership with Pottery Barn.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing AssessmentsInclusive Marketing ConsultingMichael Graves Design for Pottery Barn
Jul 25, 2024 • 28min
121. How to write inclusive prompts for biased AI tools with Chi Odogwu
AI has a lot of biases in it. We know this, simply by considering the sources of the training data used. But knowing that AI have bias doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't use them in your marketing. Rather, it just means it is important to know the types of prompts to give your AI tools, to help root out the bias to create something that would be beneficial for the diverse group of consumers you want to reach.In this episode, I sat down with Chi Odogwu, an AI Operations Strategist.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterEpisode 95: Navigating the effective use of AI for inclusive marketing with Joyann BoyceChi Odogwu on LinkedInChi's website
Jul 18, 2024 • 32min
120. How to use data to deliver customer experiences that convert with Jess Cervellon
Customer experience is an integral part of ensuring that the people you serve feel like they belong with you.But knowing what actually creates a better customer experience can often feel like a guessing game. That's why using data as a marker to help you identify what works and what doesn't is a smart approach.In this episode, I sat down with Jess Cervellon, founder of Open Late Collective, a consultancy focused on brand strategy, retention and lifecycle marketing, and customer experience. Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing Assessments: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/Consulting & Custom Training: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/Open Late CollectiveJess on LinkedIn
Jul 11, 2024 • 31min
119. How to build an SEO strategy that reaches a broader diversity of consumers with Dale Bertrand
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a common strategy brands use to attract their ideal customers. But a lot of times when engaging in SEO, marketers don't take the time to think through the different identities of the people they want to reach.And as a result, the brand loses out on a lot of their would be customers, because they didn't take a more inclusive approach to their SEO strategy.In this episode, I sat down with Dale Bertrand, Founder and CEO of Fire & Spark, an SEO agency to chat more about smart ways brands can be more inclusive with their SEO strategies.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterFire & Spark SEO agency Dale Bertrand on LinkedIn 👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing Brand Audits: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/ Consulting & Custom Training: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/
Jul 4, 2024 • 14min
118. The right (and wrong) way to use pop culture references for your brand
Many brands use pop culture brands in their messaging and content. It is a way for brands to relate to consumers and connect to them at a more emotional level that goes beyond a product offering.But there are definitely times where brands should not be using pop culture references, because it has the opposite of the intended impact by pushing some of your ideal customers away from you.This episode walks through 3 reasons why you should reconsider using pop culture references for your brand, and how to ensure any references you do use draw more of the people you want to serve to you.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterVisuals mentioned in this episode👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing Brand Audits: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/ Consulting & Custom Training: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/
Jun 27, 2024 • 14min
117. Power dynamics in brand imagery
Brands hold a lot of power. The imagery brands choose to use communicates in ways that influence consumers more than they realize. Brand imagery not only plays a role in how people view others but also in how they view themselves. Multiple factors play into the subconscious messages brand imagery communicates to consumers, including power dynamics.This episode highlights for marketers the vital role they have in choosing visual imagery for their brand, and gives critical guidelines for how to represent people in a manner that produces positive outcomes.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter: www.inclusionandmarketing.com/newsletterVisuals mentioned in the episodeUnderstanding PhotojournalismWork With Me:Inclusive Marketing Brand Audits: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/ Consulting & Custom Training: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/
Jun 20, 2024 • 40min
116. How to authentically engage Hispanic consumers with Federico Gagliardone
When you look at the ethnic group that is the largest in the U.S., by far, it is the Hispanic population. As of the 2020 Census, 18% of the population was of Hispanic/Latino descent. And this number is growing.Another analysis from the U.S. Census showed that 1 in 4 children in the U.S. are Latino.As a brand, particularly if you are marketing to consumers in the U.S., know that having a sound understanding of how to market to the Latino population is increasingly becoming more important.To help you navigate how to market to this growing customer base, I sat down with Federico Gagliardone, COO at MECENAS, a minority-owned publishing and full-stack media company that connects brands with U.S. Hispanic and multicultural communities. And if you’re not in the U.S. or not marketing to consumers in the U.S., this episode is still totally worth the listen, because many of the principles are applicable to underrepresented and underserved communities.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterMECENASWeAreCocina.comStarPicks
Jun 13, 2024 • 28min
115. How to create a brand customers love with Lydia Michael
I spend a lot of time talking about belonging and how important it is for you as a brand to ensure you’re making the people you serve feel like they belong with you.But how do you go about doing that exactly?My guest today, Lydia Michael, author of Brand Love, has ideas for you. Lydia has created a framework for you that will not only help more people love your brand, but feel like they belong with you in the process.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterLydia's book - Brand LoveLydia's consulting agency - Blended Collective
Jun 6, 2024 • 22min
114. What is "normal" anyway?
People from underrepresented and underserved communities are often viewed as not being "normal" or very different from everyone else -- which is why the don't get the attention and support they should.But what does it mean to be "normal"? Who gets to decide what "normal" is? And is "normal" even a real thing, or is it a construct we should all reject?I cover all these important questions, and ways to think about it for your brand in today's episode.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterThe Canary Code bookUnilever ditches the world "normal"Inclusive marketing ethicsInclusive marketing spectrum
