Episode 3: Business Cataylst
Bridging the Gap Between Founding and Investing in Startups
In this episode of “The Business Catalyst,” host Sadaf Abbas interviews Daniel Morel, a marketing consultant. Morrell discusses the importance of a strategic approach to marketing, emphasizing the need for businesses to have a clear plan and competent management. He highlights common issues in marketing tactics, the significance of choosing appropriate media channels, and the importance of a targeted message and strong network. Morrell also talks about his book “Spaghetti Marketing,” which critiques disorganized marketing strategies. The episode aims to offer valuable insights for business owners and marketers on refining their marketing approaches.
About Our Guest
Daniel Morel
Author | Entrepreneur | Marketing Growth Consultants
Daniel Morrell is an experienced marketing consultant and author of “Spaghetti Marketing.” With over twelve years in the field, he specializes in creating strategic marketing plans for various industries and emphasizes the importance of targeted messaging and effective use of media channels. His expertise focuses on guiding businesses toward organized and efficient marketing strategies.

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What You’ll Learn:
- The Importance of a Strategic Marketing Plan: Understanding the need for a clear, manageable marketing strategy.
- Common Marketing Pitfalls: Identifying and avoiding inconsistent and inefficient marketing tactics.
- Effective Media Channel Selection: Choosing the right channels for reaching the target market.
- Crafting Targeted Messages: Developing messaging that resonates with the intended audience.
- Building a Strong Network: The role of networking in marketing and business growth.
- Insights from “Spaghetti Marketing”: Learning about the drawbacks of disorganized marketing approaches.
- B2B vs. B2C Marketing Strategies: Understanding the differences and similarities in these approaches.
- Emerging Marketing Trends: Gaining knowledge about current trends and strategies in marketing.
- The Role of Community Engagement: How engaging with the community benefits marketing efforts.
- Continuous Improvement in Business: The necessity of constantly improving business services or products.
Transcribe
Sadaf Abbas: Welcome back to another episode of the Business Catalyst. And this is your host, Sadaf Abbas today, we are joined by the truly versatile guest, Daniel morel. He is a seasonal marketing consultant with an extensive background with span, with a wide range of disciplines, from marketing strategy to regeneration and weight loss programs. Daniel, thank you for joining us today. Now, let’s dive right in. How has your diverse professional experience influenced your marketing consultancy approach?
Daniel Morel: Well, I’ve got over twelve years of experience working with businesses in all fields of work, from roofers, plumbers, martial arts, and summer camps. And they all think they have a unique product or service, which they do, but they all have the same need. They want their market to know about them. They want their market to be able to find them easily. And then businesses jump from one tactic to the other. And what they’re doing is they’re wasting time and money. They’re buying stuff that maybe another business, a friend of theirs, an email, they got a video they’ve seen. So they think marketing is easy, they’re good at their jobs, but then they look at marketing to say, I can do this, and then they jump into it. Or they have someone on their team do that. So, my consultation right now, the way I do it is I tell them it’s not easy. You have to stop, do that, focus on your business, and let the professionals do their job and help you get your message to your market.
Sadaf Abbas: Perfect. So what, in your opinion, are the key ingredients that must be included in a successful marketing plan for our local businesses?
Daniel Morel: That’s a good question. It starts with a plan, an easy plan that can be followed. Most businesses, when I ask them, what’s your plan? They don’t have an answer. They start telling me the tactics they’re doing. So they have no plan, and it’s not managed by anyone competent. They’ll have an associate, they’ll have a front counterperson do their marketing, and they’ll have people they hired from anywhere in the world. And they don’t have any systems and automation. So sometimes it gets done, sometimes it’s not, sometimes it’s poorly done. So it’s kind of a mixed match of things.
Sadaf Abbas: So the most important ingredient is a plan that is followed. So that’s why I need to add over here. The same thing is happening in the startups; even the SMEs hire the people. I’m not saying their hiring process is not good. Professional consultants have a lot of experience in diverse industries, so they know exactly what they are doing. So I think it’s better to hire a consultant in a specific area. It’s far better to hire a new person. Maybe they have the experience, but consultants, I think it’s a good point to choose them. And, of course, this is very cost-effective as well as time-saving. So, let’s go to my third question. Daniel, can you share a case where you adapt a marketing strategy for better results and describe the challenges and solutions?
Daniel Morel: Well, I like to do everything in kind of three pillars. It helps my brain to process things and explain things. So, the first problem most businesses face is media reach. They only select a few channels. They’ll tell us, well, we do Facebook and Instagram, but no YouTube or TikTok, they’re not on LinkedIn for some reason. So what we do is we make sure that we select all the channels for them. And we do that with again systems and experts. We open all the channels. So if they have a video, it goes to all video channels, all articles to article channels, and so on. Now, what that means is that the business has access to its market on all frequencies and channels. It’s like saying, well, we do radio but not TV, you can do it all, it’s the same content. Once we have that channel open, we have to change the messaging of the business. Most businesses are a me-too business. I do the same thing they do, but better or cheaper. No, you do something for your clients. It’s not for comparing yourself to other businesses; it’s about what you do for your ideal prospect. Let’s attract these people. Let’s not worry about what the competition is doing this way for the business. They have a better client; they have someone they want to work with because they’re not fighting on price or some convenience. They have targeted the right clients. And the third part that we do is build their network. Without a network, it’s truly difficult for a business to thrive. They don’t have referrals; they don’t have a good business community that they can rely on a lot of times, which will help them save money, make money, grow their business, and get a better talent pool. So it’s the message, well, first it’s the media network, then the message, then the connections.
Sadaf Abbas: And I think I need to add over here that 360 marketing criteria you are applying because you are not just targeting one channel, but targeting all the channels. I would like to add one more question. So are you describing the marketing strategy as per the audience, such as B2B, because B2B strategy is different or B2C? This is a major concept. Do you agree with that?
Daniel Morel: They are similar because again, A B wants to talk to B. Right? And a local business wants to talk to C’s. But it’s still the same conversation. So we open all the channels, and we make sure the message is on point. Once the message is on point, then we can start, okay, who is in our network that can provide the extra audience, the shared audience So it doesn’t matter. It could be for political, commercial, or spiritual connections. It’s always the same thing. Open the channels, make sure we have a message on point and then set up the connections.
Sadaf Abbas: Perfect. So my fourth question is, Daniel, when working with local businesses, what are the main terms and conditions you establish to ensure successful collaboration?
Daniel Morel: That’s a tough one. First is commitment. If they are not committed, if they’re on the fence, if they’re thinking that they have an input into what we do, it’s not a good fit. We don’t go to our doctors and say, well, I’ll do only part of what you ask. Right? We want the same kind of collaboration. We are the experts; our team is the experts. So when they come in, it has to be fully committed and they have to let go of the idea that they can do marketing. I had the expression, stay out of the kitchen. A restaurant owner and a chef have that great relationship where the chef is in charge of the kitchen, and usually, the partner is in front of the house, making sure that the front of the house is working well together; they have that collaboration that makes a great business. When one of the partners interferes with the other partner’s business, it doesn’t go so well. So we have to have that relationship, and then we always aim for improvement. Good enough is never good enough. We always strive to do better. So we make sure that we have the feedback coming in so that we can see what is not ready or not optimal, and then we optimize that, making sure that the business is ready to grow.
Sadaf Abbas: So, in what ways do you assist local businesses in achieving their growth goals? Are there any unique approaches or techniques you rely on?
Daniel Morel: Yes, we prepare business for scale. There’s a gentleman named Ryan Dice who owns a scalable company, and they have a well-planned system for scale. And the first part of that is what they call the growth flywheel. The growth flywheel is to have a business ready to take on clients to grow their audience, and we provide that for them. Then we steer them towards scalable, where they can rely on community experts and find people who are truly masters at what they do to help scale a business. So it’s helping them find systems, a better accountant, a better financial planner, and a better HR department. So it’s not only like we take care of the marketing, but then we help our clients find the right people to help them to the exit because many owners at one point are ready to exit. Even at that point, we help them find the right professionals to help them find a great way to be able to exit their company.
Sadaf Abbas: Awesome. Can you explain your process for conducting a marketing audit for a company? What are the steps involved in this assessment?
Daniel Morel: We start at the start. We start with a 30-minute consultation. And during that time, we go through the three pillars of a business. We start with the media. Where are they? What are the platforms they’re using, who’s doing it, what’s their cost? And that’s where we find a lot of waste of time and also money and a waste of talented resources because a lot of businesses have a great team and they have the proper resources, but they’re not allocated properly. Once we have that message, we find the holes in the media, and then we start talking about the new message because we elevate our clients to be the local heroes, and that changes the message. So we craft a new message for them, and then we look at their network and where they could start expanding their network. How to get that organized, and systemized? Because nobody wants to be at a breakfast meeting on Thursday mornings at 06:00 a.m. So we do that for them. Then we find out where in their network they should start focusing on growing their network. So it’s always media message and then network.
Sadaf Abbas: Perfect. So now this is my good question. I like this. So tell us about your book spaghetti marketing. The art of wasting time and losing money and the art of wasting time and losing money is connected with my services as well. What motivates you to write it, and what valuable insights can readers gain from it?
Daniel Morel: Well, I didn’t invent the saying throwing spaghetti at the wall. I’ve heard it recently, and when I heard about it, I thought that’s what 100% of my conversation is always about. Sometimes people say, well, most, but I can say personally, hundreds and hundreds of conversations with business owners, 100% were spaghetti marketing, throwing stuff against the wall, trying this, trying that, whatever is new, a new TikTok method, a new YouTube method. So it’s always about trying things. So, throwing it up against the wall. And I saw it as a piece of art. It is the go-to for so many businesses; it should be in a museum. So that’s what inspired it. And for me, it helps me to make the point easily with a business owner.
Sadaf Abbas: Right.
Daniel Morel: I tell them your marketing is what I call spaghetti marketing. And they get it instantly. I don’t need to go too deep into the conversation. Oh, what do you mean by that? They understand, yeah, we are trying a lot of things to see if it works or not. And it opens the conversation. And to be quite frank, a few owners I’ve told got upset. They take it personally. I did that, and I still do some of that. So it’s nothing personal; it’s just a reflection of what they do. They follow advice from a book, from an agency, or something. But when we tell them it’s not the best, some people get upset.
Sadaf Abbas: Yeah. The majority of the time, I have seen from the marketing budget that they are just making a budget first and then throwing it away for two or three months and then seeing what the results are. This is just; you can say play and plug watch, I think. So, the marketing or ROI needs to be understood before going into the marketing cost. Whether this plan is working out or not, rather than just read and watch for three or four months after spending so much money. So yes, I think so. This is the same thing that is happening right now in the whole business domain. As an author, how do you balance your writing with your consultancy work? And what impact has your book had on your consultancy career?
Daniel Morel: Interesting question. I am not an author. I wrote a book with help. So, it was more of a tool for me to help business owners understand what their problem is as quickly as possible. So, the book is a short read. It’s meant to be consumed in a day. It’s not a month of the book of the Month kind of publication. So I think I’m done with books for a little bit. I might do another one on weight loss again, but that’s another story. However, preparing for the book helped me understand all the problems of a business and what they face. I went deep into every aspect of marketing, and that helped me find problems. And then, instead of complaining about problems and okay, how do we find the solutions to those problems? So it helped me craft out this complete solution. And as far as the impact, it’s a brand new book. Sales are coming in. I’m getting contacts from that, which is good. That was the purpose of it. But my goal is to get that book into business owners so they can talk to their agencies, their partners, and their network to build that themselves. They don’t need to come to me for the consultation. It will produce a consultation, but the goal was to make it something that a business owner can read and open their eyes to. What is marketing? It’s not tactics; it’s a simple plan.
Sadaf Abbas: Awareness. The purpose of this book is to provide awareness regarding marketing. Let me go back to another question. You mentioned offering a free copy of your book and social branding consultation. Could you tell us more about this offer and how our listeners can take advantage of it?
Daniel Morel: Yes. So the book is available for free on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, and at that point, that’s where they can go. The consultation that I offer is a 30-minute consultation, currently free of charge. And the best way to find me is on LinkedIn. I’m on LinkedIn. My profile is there. That’s where I met so many great business owners, connections, and investors. So it’s a great place for businesses to network. I find that many business owners are not on LinkedIn, and it’s a free program. It’s a place where we can find great resources, so they can contact me there and send me a connection request. Either I or my assistants are there on LinkedIn every day. So we respond to our message quickly, and we can set up a 30-minute call. There’s no charge for the call. And until we’re done with beta testing of our co-op business club, we have the time right now to talk to a lot of business owners, investors, and people who want to help us grow Our network. So we’re looking also for network investors. And once they contact me, I send them an invitation for a call. They’ll talk to me or with my assistant. I have an assistant right now who’s getting clear on what we’re helping with. So the next step can be to find me on LinkedIn, say hello, and we’ll get the conversation started.
Sadaf Abbas: Okay, my last question for you is, in your opinion, what are the emerging trends or strategies that local businesses should consider in their marketing efforts in today’s competitive landscape?
Daniel Morel: Well, that’s where a lot of businesses will say, okay, what’s the next tactic? Let’s go back. So the first one is to be engaged with the community, whether it’s A, B2B, B2C, or any other community. Be engaged, have a system in place, a process in place where you can share your message, and then you can respond and adapt to the responses you get. So that’s the first one. The second is to improve their business. A lot of businesses ask me how I get my quality score higher. Improve your business. How do I make more money? Improve your services. Increase your services. So those two start to get in step. And then the third one is to build networks. Businesses are terrified of competition and that gets them to shut down and not explore the connections that other businesses can provide without competing with them. It’s to engage their community, improve their business, improve their offer, and then build a bigger network. And what we call that is to be the local hero. They’re the local hero to their partners. They have a better business, and they engage with their community, helping them solve their biggest problems, I think.
Sadaf Abbas: So this is the first and foremost thing we need to better our product. If you are providing products and if you’re providing services, you need to better your services. In the Society of Japan, business owners are not putting so much effort into the market. Of course, marketing is a very important department, but they are not putting efforts into marketing because they are putting their efforts into increasing their service quality or product quality. So the consumer, because you and I are all, every person is a consumer to each one. And they are coming directly to the good product and the services because they have a very good product in the market. So this is the thing that, again, with your conversation, I need to link that. Yes, we need to understand that we all are connected. We need to understand the market problem and then improve the services day by day. Don’t stop at any level. So thank you, Daniel. And that brings us to the end of the insightful episode. A big thank you to our guest, Daniel Morel, for sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience in the world of marketing consultancy. And we hope you, our valued listener, found this episode enlightening and inspiring with it. Stay tuned for our next episode. We will continue exploring fascinating topics and bring you experts from various fields, like Daniel morel. Thank you. Join us. This is the host signing off.