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Distinktiv

Accessible, pragmatic marketing strategy advice and guidance for purpose-led businesses to help you market smarter and stand out to the customers that count.

End-to-end non-fiction ghostwriting service that delivers your story to the readers that count. I am a small business owner so I know first hand how hard it can be to set aside time to work on growing your business. It can be so tempting to settle for the quickest win, especially when it comes to the areas of running a business where you have the least experience. I also understand that every pen

ny, pound, cent or dollar counts. You are so much more careful about what you spend when it’s you who has worked really hard to make that money in the first place. No matter how much you are in a position to invest. That’s why it’s so important to get the marketing basics in place: understanding your goals, knowing who you are targeting and why, how to position what you sell to them as well as the best channels to use. Doing so will result in far more focused marketing. This will help you stand out, achieve that all important cut through and get a far better return on the money you invest. In short, helping you market smarter. Like many I also believe small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. For this reason, I want to share the valuable strategy skills and expertise that I have learned and developed over past 20 years with you, the small business owner. Skills and expertise that earned me awards during my corporate career and have seen me nominated since setting up Distinktiv. For many, strategy is something associated with dark suits, complex models and boardrooms. It doesn’t have to be that way. I won’t blind you with science. I will provide you with practical actionable advice and recommendations. Some of it you will be able to implement pretty quickly. However, some will need more time - but as they say the best often comes to those who wait! You can access this expertise in the following ways

1. Join my Facebook group - The Secret To Standing Out (www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettostandingout.) Access a range of tips, advice and guidance on creating you marketing strategy.

2. Enrol on the Market Smarter online course and learn how to market smarter step by step (https://coursecraft.net/courses/z91sf/splash)

3. Work with me. Benefit from my expertise laser-focused on your business. Book onto a power hour for 60 minutes of powerful marketing strategy expertise (https://calendly.com/distinktiv/power-hour). Sign up for a discovery package (https://distinktiv.co.uk/programmes-and-packages/discovery-packages/) and walk away with a set of actionable recommendations that you can take forward yourself or let me help you implement.

28/11/2025

"You're kidding me." I said those words to someone during an appointment yesterday afternoon.

We touched on the subject of ghostwriting, and she asked if I'd worked on anything she might have heard of. I began by mentioning Hair Happiness, but quickly added that I thought there may be a chance she hadn’t come across it, since the book has only been subject to some initial marketing so far.

She replied, "I think I have heard of that one. It's on our book club list."
I couldn't believe it. "Really? Blue cover, Hair Happiness, Love Your Hair, Love Your Life by Leslie Spears, Keith Chandler, Sharon Dale and Alison Cooney?"

"Yes," she confirmed, "That's the one, and it was me who asked for it to be added to the book club list. I was looking for a self-help book related to hair and body image that we could read and came across Hair Happiness. I loved the premise and the reviews, so I got it added to the book club list." Which elicited my surprised response above.

🎯 The Universe Responds

Alongside discussing the ghostwriting, I also shared that I am transitioning from ghostwriter to author. She began asking me about that, and I explained that I am currently on the hunt for a literary agent. I asked if anyone in her book club happens to know any.

"Not in my book club," she replied, "but I work with a published author and I'm seeing them on Saturday. I will ask then!"

We spoke about the book I’m working on and why I am writing it. It turned out we have shared experiences in relation to our eyesight.

“Please let me know when your book comes out,” she asked, “I’ll definitely want to read it. I’ll get it added to my book club list.”

Although I keep pinching myself, I don’t believe any of this happened by chance. These past 18 months, inspired by Leslie and working on Hair Happiness among other things, I have invested heavily in inner work to understand why I behave, hold the beliefs and have made the choices that have held me back. I have then worked hard to change how I relate to and react to the world and the people around me. The news I shared about the scholarship last week and the events yesterday afternoon are the culmination of that hard work. It's the result of learning to take the action that feels right, even if I am not entirely sure of the purpose at the time, instead of continuing to pursue the action I believed I should take, even when it never felt right.

💡 The Strategic Marketer’s Lesson

Naturally, I am going to say this as a strategic marketer: have a vision, a goal and a plan. Know your why, know who you want to target and have a good idea of how you can solve their problems. If you’re like me, don’t hold any of it too tightly. Be prepared to adjust. Be willing to learn and listen to advice, but if it doesn’t feel right, pause, get curious and ask why. If it does feel right, jump on it!

If you’re the opposite to me, use your vision, goal, and plan as anchors, and ask yourself: How well does this course of action align with what you are trying to achieve? Does it feel right?

I hope this story has inspired you. That was my motivation for sharing it. Do you have any similar experiences and pearls of wisdom you'd like to share?👇

21/11/2025

“Some might argue we’re living by Newtonian laws in an Einsteinian world.”

Words to that effect were uttered by the brilliant Niki McGlynn (Organised Mind) in one of our sessions with her earlier this year. Read more about her work with us and its impact here: https://distinktiv.co.uk/tips/the-hidden-cost-of-unprocessed-trauma-and-retained-primitive-reflexes/

Intrigued, when my daughter and I got home, we looked up both scientists. Einstein was at that time very much on our radar as my daughter had been learning about energy transfer (Brian Cox's waterfall video is a must watch). Newton not so much, but Niki’s words made absolute sense and with them came a significant shift in my worldview. Structure, order and logic are important to a point but was I clinging to them too tightly in an attempt to feel safe?

What would happen if I loosened my grip, trusted my gut, changed tack, and didn't stick so stubbornly to something because I’d committed to it?

Actually, lots, and none of it bad. In fact several incredible things have happened this week: I was awarded a scholarship to continue qualifying as a therapeutic coach and two fabulous, and my instinct tells me, significant people have entered my life this week, in the form of content creator Vicki Handley () and author Kathy Saxondale

In fact, until yesterday evening, this week’s offering was looking very different to what you have in front of you now. What should it have been? Well, that’s for me to know and for you to maybe, or maybe not, find out. At the end of the day, I’m not sure it really matters.

14/11/2025

If your answer to "Who is your ideal client?" is a list of surface attributes, you are avoiding the deep work.

The real magic happens when you understand their internal world and behaviour:

✅Psychographics: Hidden beliefs, fears, and aspirations.
✅ Behavioural Triggers: What decision-making process are they using right now?

When you target the psychographics, your message whispers directly to the person who needs your solution.

Ready to stop marketing to ghosts?👻

➡️ Read the full guide: Struggling to Define Your Ideal Client? Look Beyond Age and Gender.

https://distinktiv.co.uk/tips/struggling-to-define-your-ideal-client/

07/11/2025

It’s one thing to know your strategy. It’s quite another to execute it without freezing, compromising, or even talking yourself out of it.

Does this sound familiar? When people tell you the answer is to "face your fears," you bristle. You don't feel fear, and you have plenty of evidence in your life of immense inner strength and courage.

At the same time, you see others managing life in a way you cannot fathom—expanding, achieving, and bouncing back.

Until recently, I didn't recognise this resistance as fear. I didn’t feel frightened. Instead, it felt like I was engaged in a game of tug of war with myself, where I would skillfully justify this internal resistance as prudence. This was my subconscious strategy to keep myself safe.

It stopped me from fully realising my potential.

I'm sharing my story to encourage you to explore whether what was blocking me might also be blocking you from taking action and achieving your full potential.

Read the full story and discover the actions I have been taking to tackle this hidden fear.

https://distinktiv.co.uk/tips/overcome-professional-self-sabotage-why-hidden-fear-stops-your-business-growth/

31/10/2025

👻 The Ghostwriter’s Grimoire: Trick or Treat, the AI Paradox

This week I’ve shifted focus away from marketing, put on my ghostwriting hat (it would have been rude not to on today of all days 😉) and teamed up with publishing expert Sarah Houldcroft of Goldcrest Books for a special Halloween chat complete with a gripping AI plot twist.💡

In it, you'll discover the following treats:

🤖 The AI Paradox: How the same tool can create a bestseller or a brand disaster.
✨ Briefing Benchmark: Why the quality of your instructions, not the tools you use, dictates your output.
✅The Antidote: Our 3 Essential Rules (Purpose, Quality, Briefing) to turn your idea into a high-value asset

Read the full, terrifying, and surprisingly helpful interview here👇:

https://distinktiv.co.uk/tips/how-not-to-turn-your-book-into-a-branding-horror-story-lessons-from-the-ai-age/

24/10/2025

The single biggest reason marketing efforts—or even book projects— can end up disjointed and abandoned, a bit like a one night stand, is confusing the hierarchy of Strategy, Plan, and Tactics. ❌

We’re cutting through the confusion this week:

Strategy is the 'What' (Goals, Why & Who). 🎯

Plan is the 'How' (The roadmap, which tactics will we use). 🗺️

Tactics are the Concrete Steps You Take. 🛠️

Ready to define your 'What' and master the 'How'? This framework is essential to ensuring your marketing builds lasting relationships or your book project is a coherent, purpose-driven asset. In fact, writing a book could be one of the concrete steps you take as part of your marketing.

While I have focused on how to apply this Strategy-Plan-Tactics framework to your market in the guide, it can equally be applied to your book writing!

➡️ Read the full guide: Strategy, Plan, and Tactics: The Difference in Marketing.
https://distinktiv.co.uk/tips/strategy-plan-tactics-difference/

17/10/2025

I'm excited to be sharing my expertise on this page again. Whilst I have been away, I've expanded my skillset, which now includes being a bestselling non-fiction ghostwriter ✍️ alongside my work as a strategic marketer📈. I am also part way through training as a therapeutic coach🧠.

This means my posts going forward will bring you insights across ghostwriting, marketing, finance, business strategy, and mindset—giving you a much broader view of how you can stand out to those that count most.

To kick things off, let's talk about motivation.

💡 Quick Strategic Check: Your Core Motivation

How often do you check what's really motivating you before starting a project? 🤔

I often see small business owners jump straight into ex*****on (adverts, launches, content creation) without checking first how aligned it is with their overarching goals.

Here’s a quick strategic check based on one of the three core questions I use with my clients:

The Why Check

When you define your target audience, I would argue your motivation (your Why) is the most crucial piece of the puzzle.

For example:
If you're targeting high-revenue clients, ask yourself this:
A: Is your primary motivation genuinely to help them achieve a specific, high-impact goal? 🎯
B: Or is your primary motivation the size of their fees?💰

If you're targeting solo freelancers just starting out, ask yourself this:
A: Is your primary motivation to help them make the biggest difference in their business? 🌟
B: Or is it because you assume they will be less demanding than larger organisations?🛋️

Both the 'B' answers (chasing fees, avoiding difficulty) are genuine human motivators. But if those are your core reasons and you dress them up as something else in your marketing, your message will eventually feel inauthentic and fall flat. Your audience will sense the mismatch. However, openly advertising those reasons is not going to win over potential clients. If you are struggling to figure out how to communicate your core reasons effectively, that's where I can help!

Want to dive deeper into all three questions? 👇

Read the full blog post here: https://distinktiv.co.uk/tips/the-3-essential-questions-you-must-ask-before-you-market-or-write/ 🔗

Get weekly insights delivered: Starting this week, I will be sharing fresh guidance every Friday. Sign up here to get the future blogs—packed with practical tips and insights— delivered straight to your inbox: https://mailchi.mp/959426fc9fc8/mailing-list-sign-up 📬

30/08/2025

Ghostwriting and marketing. A perfect partnership. 😀

(Link to the book in the comments)

27/08/2025

Did you know I now offer non-fiction ghostwriting alongside my existing marketing services?

I specialise in:

BUSINESS BOOKS Position yourself as a thought leader, share your industry insights, or document your company’s journey.
SELF-HELP GUIDES Empower others with your knowledge, strategies and transformative experiences.
MEMOIRS Preserve your unique life story, family history or personal legacy for future generations.

Whether your goal is commercial publication to reach a wide audience or a private legacy book for family and close circles, I will not only craft a manuscript that speaks volumes, but I can also assist with the publishing process and support your marketing efforts.

Want to create something special that will truly stand out and make a difference to your readers? Discover the power of a ghostwritten book.

Download to learn more: https://bit.ly/distinktiv_non-fiction_ghostwriting

31/12/2024

Capacity has been limited this year, but a massive thank you to those who have worked with Distinktiv in 2024.

I have loved being the difference in people's businesses, encouraging them to build on the successes they have already achieved by taking bold steps and supporting them when they do. This has led to some outstanding results, such as securing a game-changing level of grant funding. 🙌

I look forward to continuing to be the difference in your businesses in 2025! ✨

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