Benjamin Shapiro is a brand development & marketing strategy consultant. He left a successful career in business development at eBay to become an entrepreneur that has run a bootstrapped startup, multiple marketing teams at early-stage VC-backed companies, and an independent consulting & content business. Benjamin specializes in helping growth-stage companies understand how to identify the overlap between corporate identity and customer needs to build an effective marketing strategy. He is also the producer & host of the top-rated MarTech Podcast. During our interview we discuss: - Ben shared why he decided to leave corporate America and start up his own business. - He shares the 1 thing he wishes he knew before he quit his job to become an entrepreneur. - We talk about one of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make when launching their business. PLUS 2 strategies on how to avoid it. - Ben shares the #1 strategy he uses to get new clients for his marketing consulting business. - Why he started his MarTech podcast and the impact it has had on his business. - Ben shares his thoughts and strategy behind truly understanding your brand to help ensure success. - He shares an important exercise to make sure all of the leadership and stakeholders are on the same page. - Why its critical important to ask and understand what your prospective customers want, need as well as where they spend their time. - The third and final piece is to create a strategy to go to market. - Should you outsource channel expertise like Facebook advertising, Google ads? - Ben shares his favorite growth tool/software. - He shares one of his favorite books. Ben's websites: www.benjshap.com www.martechpod.com —————————– If you enjoyed this episode, please RATE / REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE to ensure you never miss an episode. Connect with Dennis Brown  AskDennisBrown.com LinkedIn Twitter Instagram [Free Giveaways]