#64 – From the Trenches: Grassroots Smarketing, Human-First AI & Social Selling (Stephanie Peace)

In this From the Trenches episode, Stephanie Peace joins Josh Peterson to explore how small MSPs can reinvent marketing by combining grassroots sales tactics with human‑first AI and social media. Stephanie explains that after two decades of sales coaching she saw MSPs wasting money on canned marketing packages, so she started Goal Root Strategies to give underserved businesses a voice. The conversation contrasts “spray‑and‑pray” blasts with personalised outreach, from knocking on doors with donuts to thoughtfully crafted LinkedIn messages. Drawing on sales/marketing alignment (“smarketing”), Josh and Stephanie point out that authentic, consistent messaging builds trust far better than mass emails or cold calls. They urge owners to avoid shortcuts, invest in brand voice and target their ideal clients—advice that echoes Bering McKinley’s reminder that marketing done right broadens your base and pays long‑term dividends.

The discussion then turns to data hygiene, AI and content repurposing. Stephanie highlights that clean CRM data, defined customer journeys and cohesive handoffs between marketing and sales are crucial for effective automation, a point supported by BMK’s call for aligning sales and service teams. Josh notes that webinars and podcasts can feed a steady stream of micro‑content—blogs, vlogs and social posts—using AI tools to chop transcripts into targeted clips. They agree that video and social platforms drive discovery in the AI era, so MSPs must be present where their audience lives and repurpose assets across channels. Throughout, Stephanie insists that even with AI, human communication matters: salespeople need to look clients in the eye and build real relationships while technology nudges them along. For owners struggling with capacity, she offers pragmatic strategies to keep marketing affordable and authentic, making this episode a blueprint for melding technology with genuine connection.

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Episode Highlights

• 00:00:00 – Introduction to the series and the concept of “smarketing.”
• 00:45:00 – Stephanie shares her journey from B2C sales coach to founding Goal Root Strategies and sees a need for affordable MSP marketing.
• 03:12:00 – Grassroots marketing in action: door‑knocking, donuts and personalised outreach versus generic blasts.
• 05:30:00 – Data hygiene and building customer journeys: why clean CRM data and aligned handoffs between marketing and sales are critical.
• 08:10:00 – Leveraging AI to repurpose webinars and podcasts into blogs, vlogs and social posts while keeping the human touch.
• 12:00:00 – Social platforms, video and the future of AI search: being where your audience lives and letting technology nudge genuine relationships.

About the Guest

Stephanie Peace is a sales trainer and grassroots marketer with over 15 years of experience coaching and mentoring women in the B2C arena. After witnessing MSPs squander money on one‑size‑fits‑all packages, she co‑founded Goal Root Strategies to give small businesses and IT providers an authentic voice through bespoke, human‑first marketing. Stephanie champions “smarketing”—aligning sales and marketing through data hygiene, AI automation and personal connection—and helps clients craft consistent messaging across LinkedIn, webinars and community outreach. Outside of work she enjoys gardening and spending time with her family.

🔗 Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn →

About the Host

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. Through the From the Trenches series, Josh invites MSP owners and thought leaders to share candid conversations about growth, execution and the realities of building sustainable service businesses.

🔗 Connect with Josh on LinkedIn →