In this episode of Better Business, Better Life, Debra Chantry-Taylor sits down with Brendan Lee, founder of Conversions Today, to uncover one of the biggest marketing mistake business owners make: building marketing around what they like, instead of what their customers actually need.

Brendan shares his journey from corporate life to building a specialist marketing agency that helps businesses in complex industries such as law, accounting & medical technology generate measurable growth. Along the way, he discovered that successful marketing is not just about creativity. It is about understanding people, tracking the right data & making decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

A key theme throughout the conversation is the danger of vanity metrics. Brendan explains why likes, clicks & impressions can create a false sense of success when they are not connected to real business outcomes. Instead, he advocates for tracking the full customer journey, including offline activity such as phone calls, direct mail campaigns & letterbox drops.

Debra & Brendan also explore the growing role of AI in marketing, including how it can improve efficiency, speed up content creation & support smarter decision-making, while still needing a clear plan behind it.

Listeners will learn why effective marketing requires consistency, patience & a structured approach. Brendan also shares practical insights into ROI reverse engineering, helping businesses understand the true value of a customer before deciding how much to invest in acquisition.

This episode is packed with practical advice for business owners who want to stop guessing, avoid costly marketing mistakes & build a marketing system that consistently supports long-term business growth

CONNECT WITH DEBRA:   
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►Debra Chantry-Taylor is a Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Business Owner
►Connect with Debra: debra@businessaction.com.au
►See how she can help you: https://businessaction.co.nz/
►Claim Your Free E-Book: https://www.businessaction.co.nz/free-e-book/
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GUEST’S DETAILS:
► Brendan Lee – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdanlee/
► Website – Conversion Today: https://conversions.today/

Episode 277 Chapters:  

00:00 – Introduction
00:35 – Marketing Strategy and Introduction to Brendan Lee
27:26 – Brendan’s Agency and Marketing Approach
27:53 – Effective Marketing Strategies and Mistakes to Avoid
29:11 – The Role of Data and AI in Marketing
41:50 – Practical Tips for Improving Marketing Effectiveness