Frontier Marketing Co.

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Another Good Marketer Joins the Pod, Ep #59

Ben Johnson
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Episode 59

With Benjamin Johnson and Becca Gust

The world needs good marketers. Thankfully, Frontier FM has got you covered! On this episode, Ben is joined by Frontier strategist and new co-host Becca Gust to discuss her background, the Enneagram, her first Fall at Frontier, subjectivity in fundraising marketing, and the experimentation culture within Frontier.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • Getting to know Frontier FM’s newest co-host, Becca Gust! [1:22]

  • Diving deeper into the Enneagram [11:40]

  • Becca’s first Fall at Frontier and resisting the urge to worship work [14:45]

  • Identity, perspective, and subjectivity in fundraising marketing [29:34]

  • The experimentation culture at Frontier and Becca and Ben’s hopes for the future [33:29]

How GREAT is the Enneagram?

If you’ve listened to this podcast for any amount of time, you know Ben loves the Enneagram. One of the reasons it is so great is that it really narrows down the different nuances of personality and how that shows up in our motivations. For instance, Becca is confident she is an Enneagram One. However, Ben pointed out that an Enneagram Three with a self-preservation subtype can be mistyped as a One because their motivations are more virtuous than a typical Three. At the end of the day, discovering your number is only the first step in your journey. The Enneagram is all about identifying your personal pitfalls so you can become a more integrated and well-rounded human. It’s not about being a One or a Three. It’s about not letting your number keep you from being the best version of yourself.

Creating harmony between desires

The idea of “work/life balance” doesn’t really exist in a capitalistic society. There will always be more work. More clients to help. More money to be made. That’s why Ben says it’s important to create harmony between work and your other desires. He recently dropped down to a four-day work week because giving work five days made it his obsession. It consumed his thoughts and took time away from his family. The constraint of working four days a week allows for the other areas of Ben’s life to grow. Becca also relates to the need for harmony as an Enneagram One (for now). She naturally has a tendency to work as hard as she can to make sure everything gets done. Which is a super valuable characteristic! The shadow side of that is having the inability to separate work and everything else. That’s why Frontier is committed to creating an environment that actively fights against burnout. 

Subjectivity on the highest level

One of the things that someone like Becca gets to learn by working at Frontier is subjectivity on the highest level. What someone may see as a good appeal may only be a good appeal for a health organization. Likewise, a great response rate or average gift for one campaign may fall short for another. Good fundraising marketing is very contextual and not as universal as some might think. It’s more nuanced than even Ben realized until a few years ago. But this is why Frontier exists! To help clients figure out what vertical they're in, identify what is unique about them, and use testing to see what works for their specific audience. Listen to this episode for more insights from Ben and Becca!

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