Beyond Marketing

06/09/2025

Over the weekend, I had the chance to attend a Savannah Bananas game in Charlotte—and what a night it was.

Before the show began, I got a moment I won’t forget: a photo with Jesse Cole.

What Jesse may not realize is just how much his message has influenced me. Since reading Fans First on vacation in July 2022, I’ve shared the Savannah Bananas story in presentations across the U.S. and Europe as a powerful example of what it means to truly reimagine the customer experience. He took a sport that’s been played the same way for over 100 years—from little league to the major leagues—and completely reinvented it by paying attention. He made it fun again by focusing on what truly matters: the fan experience.

That message has always resonated with me. For years, I’ve said: “It’s not our job to please the customer; it’s our job to amaze them.” The Savannah Bananas are the clearest, most joyful expression of that belief I’ve ever seen—and I’ve used them as a case study ever since.

I’ll admit—I was curious to see how the Bananas experience would translate from their smaller home stadium to a massive venue with so many more moving parts.

The answer? A resounding yes.
Me and 70,000+ others were entertained for hours.

And here’s the part that really stayed with me: this photo with Jesse was taken just a couple of hours before the show began. With everything going on, he still took time to smile and connect. One of probably hundreds of people that night. That kind of care doesn’t just happen—it’s built into the culture.

There’s a lot to take away from what the Bananas are doing. In a time when technology—and now AI—is changing how we work and interact, one thing remains true: making people feel seen, heard, and valued will never be replaced. And no amount of innovation will ever be more powerful than that.

06/06/2025

My mum didn’t go to university to study business, but she and my dad were incredible entrepreneurs. Everything I’ve truly learned about running a business came from watching them work side by side.

My dad was the "operations man" — always thinking about how to keep things moving smoothly. My mum was the "details lady" — focused on every little touch that made guests feel special. Together, their strengths created something far greater than the sum of their parts.

They ran an eco-kayaking tour company for over 20 years, and their attention to detail wasn’t about being perfect — it was about making people feel cared for.

They had a simple philosophy:
“If I were the customer, what would I want to feel in this moment?”

And whatever that answer was, they did it — without compromise.

Marketing matters. But making people feel cared for and seen?

That’s the kind of “marketing” people never forget.

In the example below, this was my mum every night during the "season" - when you've got 100+ competitors, you've got to be the first to respond with the most detailed and personal e-mail possible, and she delivered with every message with her whole heart.

Consultants charge a lot of money to dole out that advice. It came so naturally to my Mum.

My parents are my heroes, as they taught me lessons by the example they set. The deeper I get into my entrepreneurship journey, the more I see their brilliance.

06/04/2025

I’ve had jobs where the drive to work came with a pit in my stomach—places where the culture was toxic and I felt invisible or undervalued. Those experiences left a mark and shaped my perspective as a business owner today.

I’m passionate about building strong company culture—because I know what happens when it’s not there. Earlier in my career, I didn’t give it the attention it deserved, and the result was a team that never really clicked.

Now, 12 years into my current business, I still love driving to work every day. That says a lot about the work we do—and even more about the culture we’ve built. One that puts people and purpose at the center of everything.

Here’s a short clip from a recent podcast conversation with Matt Morris, PMP of ActionCOACH. Grateful for the opportunity to join you, Matt—thanks for having me on the show!

06/03/2025

In 2024, with the rapid evolution of AI and its impact on search, we made a strategic decision to move away from the industry norm of relying on contractors for SEO. Without the ability to ensure ongoing education and process alignment, we were concerned about maintaining the high standards our clients expect.

To strengthen the consistency and quality of our search work, we brought on two exceptional full-time team members.

I’m excited to officially welcome Cecilia Malise, who joined us in December 2024, and Liz Gilanyi, who came aboard in January 2025. Cecilia—known to most as "CC"—and Liz have not only raised the bar with their work but have added so much to our team culture.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to CC and Liz!

01/20/2025

Talk about taking client research to new heights! 🪂 We're thrilled to announce the launch of Skydive Carolina fresh new website. What started as a site visit turned into an impromptu skydiving adventure for our team (because when your client offers you the chance to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, you say yes!).

This project was extra special since our team has deep connections with Skydive Carolina - from James' time working there to some of our skydiver teammates who call it their second home. We poured all that personal experience and passion into creating a website that captures the true spirit of skydiving. ✈️

01/14/2025

From managing websites to molding clay - our incredible Director of Website Maintenance, LJ Happick, brings creativity to everything she touches! When she's not ensuring our clients' digital presence runs flawlessly, she's crafting beautiful pieces through her business, Mud Magick Pottery. We're beyond honored that she created this custom Beyond Marketing mug (and yes, it makes our morning coffee taste even better! ☕️).

12/02/2024

"Fall in love with yourself, with life, and then with whoever you want." A little from Frida Kahlo 🔥

08/07/2024

Beyond Marketing is hiring! We are seeking an SEO Account Manager. Applicants must be local. For more information and to apply, please visit here:

Welcome to our Careers Page! At Beyond Marketing, we believe in the power of people to drive success. We are dedicated to positively impacting the lives of our employees, exceeding client expectations, and serving our community. Our goal is to be the most respected marketing agency in the region, re...

05/31/2024

Since Shelby joined us two years ago, she has made our business and culture, better. That can be cliché, but it’s not with Shelby. We are better because of her care, her incredible brain and her levity.

Shelby is an SEO Specialist and is one of the few people we’ve met who is able to bring creativity to a data-driven subject and thrives! She cares for her clients and is an outstanding teammate. She brings levity to our Vestaboard and keeps us laughing. If you ever have a desire to win at team trivia - you need her on your team - she is the Trivia Queen! 👑

We are so lucky that Shelby said “yes” to us two years ago!

Interesting facts about Shelby: Former skydiver and parachute rigger, built her home with her husband by hand (as in they did it themselves!), runs a small farm and proclaims that all movie trivia will usually have a question involving Die Hard (pro tip). She doesn’t have an internal voice, but that’s a whole other post!

We look forward to more years with you Shelby! 🥳

12/15/2023

Today was a good day and we popped some bubbly to celebrate. We celebrated a great year for our business which resulted in our most productive year in 11 (almost) years of business. We also launched a web design project today that had over 600 hours invested across 8 team members through four months, and lastly, we hired a new web designer (looking at you Jayne) who is great at what she does while being someone that enhances our culture with her positive spirit.

I love what I do because I get to do it with people I love working with everyday. No day is easy, as we are challenged all the time, but it makes the work rewarding when it all comes together as it did today and as it did this year.

I am grateful for my team and to our clients who trust us enough to work on their visions.

I have gratitude!

- James

07/09/2023

Congratulations to our teamie, LJ for making her 700th skydive today! You’re a rockstar LJ and we’re glad you’re on our team!

07/03/2023