Guest Information Lorraine Ball is the host of More Than a Few Words, a marketing podcast celebrating 15 years on the air. She's a former marketing agency owner who sold her business after 19 years and now focuses on consulting, teaching, and podcasting. Episode Highlights From Traditional to Digital Marketing Evolution Started her marketing company in 2002, pre-social media era Specialized in home services: HVAC, roofing, plumbing contractors Witnessed the evolution from direct mail (1,000-3,000 postcards) to email marketing to social media Transformed from traditional marketing to digital agency over 19 years Strategic Business Growth Decisions The 10-Person Cap: Made a conscious decision to limit team size to 10 people Capacity Management: Raised prices instead of expanding capacity when demand increased 30% Rule: No single client could represent more than 30% of business revenue Location Lock-in: Chose to renovate existing building rather than expand to larger facility Customer Service Excellence One-Ring Policy: Every phone call answered on the first ring Personal Touch: Any team member could handle client issues, not just account managers Friday Availability: Only agency answering phones on Friday afternoons for media deadlines Long-term Relationships: Clients staying 10+ years (flooring company: 11 years, Randall Beans: 10 years) Key Business Philosophy Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill: Southwest Airlines model approach Lead web designer had never built a website when hired, stayed 7 years Focus on personal connections over systems and processes Employee retention: Multiple 7+ year team members Current Consulting Approach Target Clients: Established businesses unhappy with current marketing results Service Model: Strategy and audits only, no execution Unbiased Perspective: No agenda since not selling specifi...