Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed

Showing up at a trade show with an attractive booth, a pile of giveaways, and a hopeful smile is not a marketing strategy. It is what Jen Kelly calls “the trade show prayer,” and it can become a very expensive way to wait for something to happen. In this episode of Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed, Adrienne sits down with Jen Kelly, founder of New Initiatives Marketing, to discuss how B2B companies can turn trade shows, technical expertise, and strong reputations into measurable business opportunities. Jen explains why successful trade-show marketing begins long before the doors open and continues after the booth has been packed away. From preparing employees to engage visitors to developing a clear message and following up with leads, every part of the experience should support a larger business objective. The conversation also explores the fractional CMO model and why growing companies may benefit from experienced marketing leadership without hiring an entire in-house department. Jen shares how her team supports engineering, industrial, technology, and professional-services companies that are excellent at what they do but may struggle to explain, promote, or expand what they offer. Adrienne and Jen also discuss the appropriate role of artificial intelligence in marketing. AI can support a knowledgeable team, but it cannot replace the industry experience and critical thinking required to recognize when its recommendations are incomplete, generic, or simply wrong. Why “the trade show prayer” wastes time and money How to prepare employees for booth duty What companies should do before, during, and after a trade show Why booth representatives must understand the product or service How trade shows can reveal potential clients, partners, distributors, and competitors The difference between an in-house marketing leader and a fractional CMO How fractional marketing gives companies access to an experienced team Why technical and engineering companies need specialized marketing support How Jen built her company after being laid off during the 2008–2009 recession What women-owned certification can and cannot do for a business Why AI still requires experienced human oversight Jen Kelly is the founder and CEO of New Initiatives Marketing, a woman-owned fractional marketing company based in Toronto and serving businesses across Canada and the United States. After building her career with organizations including Siemens, Motorola, Future Shop, and the Financial Times, Jen launched her own company to provide experienced marketing leadership and execution to organizations that do not have a complete in-house marketing department. Her team specializes in B2B marketing for engineering, industrial, technical, and professional-services companies, helping clients introduce new products, enter new markets, strengthen their messaging, and build marketing systems that support long-term growth. Website: https://newinitiativesmarketing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkelly/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adrienne-barker-speaks-no-prep-needed/id1736383646 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a person, product, service, or company truly irresistible? In this lively, honest, and delightfully unscripted conversation, Adrienne Barker sits down with Dr. Larry J. Gould, better known as “Mr. Irresistible.” Larry’s journey began when he left school at 15 and started working in retail. He went on to build two multimillion-dollar international businesses, become a mentor at Cornell Tech, and help entrepreneurs develop the confidence and strategy needed to build businesses people cannot resist. Larry shares why not fitting in can become one of your greatest strengths, why entrepreneurs must learn to sell themselves without feeling as though they are bragging, and why failure should be treated as information rather than a final verdict. Adrienne and Larry also explore confidence, rejection, asking better questions, taking calculated risks, using AI without losing the human connection, and the emotional realities of entrepreneurship. This conversation is candid, funny, unpredictable, and packed with lessons for anyone building a business or trying to become more confident in what they bring to the table. Why being different can become a competitive advantage. What it really means to be “irresistible.” Why selling yourself often feels harder than selling a product. How confidence changes the way people receive your message. Why entrepreneurs need to become comfortable with rejection. How open-ended questions create better conversations. Why failure is part of the entrepreneurial process. The emotional and mental health pressures facing startup founders. How to take risks without allowing fear to control the decision. Why your business must give people a compelling reason to choose you. Dr. Larry J. Gould is a serial entrepreneur, business mentor, author, and the founder of The Irresistible Company. After leaving school at 15, he built two multimillion-dollar international businesses, including the language-services organization thebigword. Today, Larry mentors entrepreneurs at Cornell Tech and helps founders strengthen their sales, marketing, confidence, positioning, and go-to-market strategies. He is also the author of The Making of Mr Irresistible, a memoir about overcoming poverty, setbacks, rejection, and failure while building an extraordinary life and career. LinkedIn Instagram The Irresistible Podcast The Making of Mr Irresistible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Periods, bladder leaks, and reproductive health are part of everyday life, so why are we still whispering about them? In this episode of No Prep Needed: Adrienne Barker Speaks, Adrienne sits down with Cherie Hoeger, CEO and co-founder of Saalt, for an honest conversation about period care, disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship, and creating a business that genuinely improves lives. Cherie shares how a conversation with a family member in Venezuela, where pads and tampons were nearly impossible to find, inspired her to search for reusable alternatives. When she could not find products that met her standards, she and her husband launched Saalt in 2018. Today, Saalt offers reusable menstrual cups, discs, and leakproof underwear designed to support people through menstruation, bladder leaks, postpartum recovery, perimenopause, and other stages of reproductive life. Cherie also explains what it takes to introduce consumers to an unfamiliar product in a highly stigmatized category. Through straightforward education, thoughtful branding, and customer-focused product development, Saalt has grown into an eight-figure company while helping normalize conversations about periods and women’s health. The conversation goes beyond products. Cherie shares how Saalt supports working parents through a free in-office preschool and uses business as a force for good. As a certified B Corp, Saalt commits 1% of its revenue to initiatives involving menstrual health, girls’ education, sustainability, and access to clean water and sanitation. In this episode: ✅ How a family’s struggle in Venezuela inspired Saalt. ✅ Why period care has seen so little meaningful innovation. ✅ How reusable products can provide comfort, convenience, and long-term savings. ✅ The importance of education when introducing a disruptive product. ✅ How Cherie built an eight-figure business without an MBA or previous CEO experience. ✅ Why Saalt created a free in-office preschool for its employees. ✅ How the company is helping address period poverty around the world. ✅ Cherie’s advice for women who have an idea but question whether they are qualified to pursue it. Cherie’s story is proof that entrepreneurship does not begin with having every answer. It begins with recognizing a real problem, caring enough to solve it, and having the grit to keep going. Learn more about Cherie and Saalt: Website: https://saalt.com Saalt’s social impact: https://saalt.com/pages/impact This episode is sponsored by PressLaunch.VIP: https://presslaunch.vip Listener note: This episode includes general discussion about menstrual health and product safety. It is intended for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pressure Reveals the Leader You Really Are What happens when titles, résumés, comfort, and control are stripped away? Pressure does not create character. It reveals what was already there. In this bonus episode of No Prep Needed: Adrienne Barker Speaks, Adrienne uses lessons from 60 Days In and Survivor to examine how people respond when circumstances become uncomfortable, uncertain, and intense. She explores why walking away is not always quitting, how relationships often matter more than talent, and why strong leaders must understand that everyone on their team is motivated by something different. Adrienne also shares two important scam warnings involving fake remote jobs, cryptocurrency payments, AI-generated FBI videos, and fraudulent recovery websites designed to victimize people a second time. How pressure reveals a person’s true character The difference between giving up and wisely letting go Why staying in the wrong situation can cause more damage The five personalities found on almost every team Why relationships and trust often matter more than talent How reputation follows you into every room Why great leaders do not assume everyone wants the same thing How scammers use fake jobs, cryptocurrency, and AI-generated videos The warning signs that could protect you from becoming a victim Leadership is not tested when everything is going well. It is tested when plans change, people disappoint us, and fear shows up. Sometimes the strongest leaders are not the ones who endure the longest. They are the ones with the wisdom to recognize when it is time to choose a better path. Learn more about protecting yourself from scams at StopVerifyProtect.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A title may make you a manager, owner, or supervisor, but it does not make you a leader. Leadership begins when people trust you enough to want to follow you. In this episode of Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed, Adrienne welcomes Jay U. Jacobson, a licensed funeral director, leadership educator, consultant, and author of Lead by Legendary Example. After more than 45 years in funeral service, Jay has learned what it means to lead when emotions are high, decisions carry real consequences, and people need someone who can bring calm, compassion, and clarity to the room. Jay also shares how his wife’s medical crisis unexpectedly inspired his book. During 18 difficult months and 12 major surgeries, Jay kept a shared journal to update their daughters. When he later reviewed those entries, he discovered six leadership principles woven throughout the decisions his family had made: presence, integrity, vision, servant leadership, adaptability, and mentorship. The conversation also explores the changing funeral profession, creating more personal and meaningful memorial services, the communication skills younger professionals need, and how AI can reduce repetitive work while allowing people to spend more time making genuine human connections. In this episode: • Why having a title does not automatically make someone a leader• The six pillars of legendary leadership• How presence builds trust at work and at home• Why strong leaders teach people what to do and explain why it matters• How AI can support human connection without replacing it About Jay Jacobson Jay U. Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP, is a licensed funeral director, author, educator, entrepreneur, and founder of Jacobson Professional Staffing. He helps funeral homes and other service-driven organizations strengthen leadership, communication, customer care, staffing, and workplace culture. Connect with Jay: Website: https://www.jacobsonprostaff.com/ Order Lead by Legendary Example:https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Legendary-Example-Jay-Jacobson-ebook/dp/B0FZS2WRXX LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayscookies Listen, follow, and share Adrienne Barker Speaks: No Prep Needed:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adrienne-barker-speaks-no-prep-needed/id1736383646 This episode is brought to you by www.stopverifyprotect.com, www.presslaunch.vip, and www.authorityaudit.vip. Learn how to recognize scams before you respond, send money, or share personal information at https://stopverifyprotect.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices