Mariah MacInnes journalist turned content strategist, host of 300+ episodes, came on to talk about what most businesses get wrong before they ever hit post. The conversation covered the foundations of a real content strategy, how storytelling and selling can coexist without feeling forced, why she takes a TikTok-first approach even for clients who hate TikTok, and what consistency actually means when we throw the word "authenticity" around like it solves problems.

• Storytelling isn't a trend. It's the oldest way humans have shared information
• The content marketing funnel still exists: awareness, consideration, conversion and stories map to all three depending on their intent
• Target audience → business goals → platform selection — in that order. Not the other way around
• TikTok-first strategy: what works on TikTok usually works on Instagram. The reverse is not true
• Build an email list.
• 12-month calendar with seasonal activations lets you plan ahead

• 00:00 — Intro
• 01:05 — Mariah's background: journalism, PR, internal comms
• 03:51 — Is storytelling a buzzword or a real shift?
• 08:27 — How to balance storytelling with selling without it feeling forced
• 13:55 — Know your brand. Know your platform. Not everything translates.
• 14:22 — Where to start when building a content strategy (audience → goals → platforms)
• 19:46 — Repurposing, amplification, and when to actually expand channels
• 25:38 - The Power of relatability and storytelling in virality
  31:56 - Authenticity versus consistency
  38:25 - Common content mistakes and strategic pitfalls
• 42:20 — Virality: when it works, when it doesn't, and what to actually focus on
• 49:56 — YouTube: discovery tool or hosting platform?
• 52:47 — Why businesses still chase trends (and what to do instead)
• 53:57 — Does timing still matter for posting?
• 56:10 — Rapid fire Questions

CONNECT WITH US

MARIAH MACINNES - a.k.a. Content Queen Mariah is a content marketer and strategist based in Australia. She approaches marketing with a storytelling-first lens, focused on organic strategies that build real audience connection without relying on trends or paid traffic.

She hosts The Content Queen Podcast, works with clients across industries on full content strategy and execution.

• Website: contentqueenmariah.com
• Social: @contentqueenmariah
• Podcast: The Content Queen Podcast

JOE BARON - Founder of the New York creative design agency Branded Baron and the host of Mark It 2 Me.

• Website: brandedbaron.com
• Social: @brandedbaron

MARK IT 2 ME -

• Website: https://markit2me.com/
• Social: https://www.instagram.com/mark_it_2_me_podcast

In this episode, Joe Baron speaks directly to the listener and breaks down eight lessons gathered from Jalen Brunson's postseason, covering how confidence is built, what pressure is really telling you, why sacrifice is the strategy, and the 0-0 mindset that carried the Knicks to a championship. These lessons were there when Jalen Brunson walked into his post-game interview especially after Game 4 in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. It wasn't about basketball. It was a leadership philosophy.

Whether you're managing a team, running a creative business, or just trying to grow your career these principles apply. Brunson demonstrated every single one of them under the highest pressure possible. Here's what you can take from it.

Topics covered:

— Confidence comes from work ethic, not the moment

— Pressure as a signal, not just a feeling

— How the best leaders think about worst-case outcomes

— Chasing wins over accolades

— Sacrifice as a leadership strategy

— Work ethic across roles and titles

— Why doubters don't deserve your energy

— The 0-0 mindset and what it looks like professionally

Chapters

0:00 — Intro — A Leadership Manual, Not a Basketball Story

0:33 — Who Is Joe Baron / Branded Baron + Mark It 2 Me

1:13 — Setting the Scene

2:12 — Lesson 1: Confidence Comes From Your Work Ethic

2:35 — Lesson 2: Pressure Means You Stopped Preparing

3:03 — Lesson 3: Think About the Worst Outcome — Then Move On

3:32 — Lesson 4: Stop Chasing Accolades. Chase Wins.

4:00 — Lesson 5: Sacrifice for Your People Pays Off

4:52 — Lesson 6: Your Work Ethic Doesn't Change With Your Role

5:17 — Lesson 7: The Doubters Don't Deserve a Response

5:53 — Lesson 8: You Never Know What's Possible If You Keep Working

6:46 — The 0-0 Mindset

7:29 — Branded Baron Insight + Outro

CONNECT WITH US:

Connect with Joe Baron:

BrandedBaron.com

Sign Up to the Newsletter:

https://eepurl.com/iT2gyY

Mark It 2 Me Website:
https://markit2me.com/

Key Takeaways

• Confidence is the byproduct of preparation

• Pressure that paralyzes you is almost always a preparation problem.

• The best leaders absorb friction, pass the credit, and take the blame. That's the job.

• The 0-0 mindset means resetting after every win and every loss and only the next task exists.

• Most creative careers stall not from lack of talent but from a premature stop. Keep chipping away.

Host Joe Baron sits down with Cleveland muralist and illustrator Lisa Quine for a conversation about how she built a mural business that actually works and what she's doing now to get back to the creative work that fills her up. From landing the Cleveland Guardians to writing a book to designing a Phantom of the Opera cover, Lisa's career has never followed a straight line. That's kind of the point.

What we cover:

• How Lisa went from chalkboards and lettering to 150+ murals and counting
• The Cleveland Guardians mural trilogy — and how Progressive Insurance got involved
• Why she invested nearly five figures in SEO and how it's paying off
• Her approach to presenting one concept (and why it works)
• Balancing commercial work with the creative identity underneath it
• What makes a truly great art director or creative director to work with
• The solo art show coming in November — A to Z, every letter a chapter
• Rapid fire Questions: favorite books, paint markers, and more!

Timestamps / Chapters

• 0:00 — Intro
• 1:52 — Lisa's reaction to the intro
• 2:13 — The Third Cleveland Guardians mural
• 5:25 — Balancing two brands in one mural
• 8:18 — Painting a Cleveland Guardians mural than T-shirt
• 9:05 — Throwing out the first pitch. Twice.
• 11:31 — From chalkboards to murals: how it happened
• 13:25 — Outdoor vs. office murals
• 15:18 — How Lisa actually gets work
• 19:04 — Staying current without chasing trends
• 24:21 — Presenting one concept vs. multiple directions
• 27:19 — What clients are like when they've never worked with a mural artist
• 30:50 — What makes a great art director to work with
• 33:47 — What people don't expect about painting murals
• 38:04 — Smart business cards
• 40:34 — Big Magic, ideas, and the cost of not executing
• 43:26 — The Dreamy Castles deck of cards (still in progress)
• 47:32 — Lisa Quine, published author of Vintage Hand Lettering
• 51:44 — Designing the cover of Our Strange Duet for Andrew Lloyd Webber's team
• 55:09 — ABC Around CLE: painting letters with Posca markers on canvas
• 57:30 — Speaking at conferences and building authority (or not)
• 1:01:15 — The November solo show: A to Z, the full story
• 1:04:06 — Craft but Struggling
• 1:06:11 — Rapid Fire

Follow Us

Lisa Quine is a Cleveland-based muralist, illustrator, and author known for bringing strategy, joy, and bold design to blank spaces. Named Best Artist in Cleveland in 2024, she's completed over 150 murals across the US and internationally, collaborated with brands including the Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Cavaliers, DoorDash, Meta, Mercedes-Benz, and the Holiday Inn, and authored Vintage Hand Lettering.

• Website: lisaquine.com
• Instagram: @lisaquine
• LinkedIn: Lisa Quine
• TikTok: @lisaquine

Joe Baron - Creative Director of the design and marketing New York boutique agency Branded Baron and host of Mark It 2 Me
• Website: brandedbaron.com

• Instagram: @brandedbaron

Mark It 2 Me Website

https://markit2me.com/