We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angela Gerber. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angela below.

Angela, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Naming your company is no easy feat. To me, it’s a balance between creativity and clarity – you want something unique and memorable, but also not something that leaves someone wondering what you do.

After an online search made me realize part of the name I originally liked was used by all kinds of other companies, I knew I needed to go back to the drawing board. There had to be something else that connected to the idea of tonics and formulas, as I truly believe marketing is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Sitting at one of our favorite breweries surrounded by microscopes and chemistry knick-knacks, brainstorming with my husband, it suddenly came to us, and “The Marketing Apothecary” was born. In the end, the ‘Marketing’ part was straightforward – I wanted to be clear about the industry. But ‘Apothecary’ allowed me to play with the idea of formulas, tonics, and curated solutions to ‘cure’ our clients’ marketing challenges. It’s a nod to both science and art, which reflects my approach to marketing strategy.

I can appreciate the trend of quirky, memorable company names I’ve seen in the industry and wanted to stand out from the ‘three guys’ last names’ or ‘alphabet soup’ approach that’s been common in the past. This name is meant to be both descriptive and evocative – it tells you what I do, but also hints at how I do it.

The apothecary concept also allows us to have some fun with our branding. I can play with the idea of ‘marketing prescriptions’ or ‘custom-blended strategies’. It’s a way to make what I do more tangible and engaging for our clients.

Ultimately, I chose this name because it encapsulates my core belief: that effective marketing isn’t taking a cookie-cutter approach, it should be carefully formulated for each unique business. Just like an apothecary, I’m here to diagnose, prescribe, and cure their marketing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Angela Gerber, founder of The Marketing Apothecary. My journey into marketing has been as unique as the solutions I craft for my clients. I’ve always been a blend of science and art – starting out pre-med, then venturing into fashion design, before circling back to science. This diverse background has shaped my approach to marketing, allowing me to bring a unique perspective to every project.

After completing my master’s degree, I found myself drawn to marketing, realizing it was the perfect blend of my diverse background. Over the past 17 years, including more than 15 years in corporate marketing, I’ve honed my skills across all facets of the field. This comprehensive experience, coupled with my certification as a StoryBrand Guide, allows me to offer a holistic approach to marketing that many others can’t match.

At The Marketing Apothecary, we solve a critical problem that many businesses face: the struggle to articulate their value and engage their customers effectively. They are quick to jump to tactics and follow the trends, without starting from the ground up. It’s a crowded market and without the right marketing plan, many companies find their stories lost in the noise. That’s where we come in. We act as a strategic partner, unlocking our clients’ unique stories and pairing them with specifically formulated marketing plans.

What sets us apart is our commitment to blending marketing expertise, storytelling flair, and obsessive attention to detail. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, we curate strategies that make customers come back for more. We’re particularly adept at bridging the gap between sales and marketing teams, ensuring alignment that drives real business results.

I’m most proud of turning The Marketing Apothecary from a long-time vision into a reality. It’s incredibly rewarding to help businesses cure their marketing woes and achieve tangible results. Whether it’s crafting captivating brand stories, creating perfect marketing plans, or amplifying a company’s impact, we guide our clients from confusion to clarity.

What I want potential clients to know is that we’re not just another marketing agency. We’re problem-solvers, storytellers, and strategic partners. We understand the fundamental elements of marketing that many overlook – the clarity of story, the power of words, and the necessity of a well-crafted plan. We work hard and like to have fun!

My journey from a small town to living in Australia and now calling Colorado home has given me a unique perspective that I bring to every client interaction. I’m creative, passionate, and always ready to tackle complex marketing challenges.

At The Marketing Apothecary, we don’t just do marketing – we cure it. We’re here to help businesses articulate their value, engage their customers, and ultimately achieve the results they’re after. If you’re ready to stand out in the marketplace and make a real impact with your marketing, we’re ready to craft the perfect prescription for your success.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Reading is something that was not part of my life for a long time, and I wish I had connected back to books sooner, as there are many that have significantly shaped my approach to marketing and entrepreneurship.

The book that really changed the game for me and how I approached marketing was ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller. I realized we had to stop telling our company and product stories and start focusing on the story of our customers. This fundamentally changed my perspective and my output and dramatically improved our sales and overall impact in my last corporate job was the seed that ultimately planted my business idea.

Miller’s work resonated so much that I went on to read ‘Marketing Made Simple’ and ‘Business Made Simple’ (and several others). These books provided invaluable clarity on various aspects of business, from creating effective presentations to business planning and team management.

‘The One Page Marketing Plan’ by Allan Dib is another resource that I found incredibly useful. It offers a straightforward approach to developing and implementing marketing strategies, which aligns well with our philosophy at The Marketing Apothecary.

I’ve also gained a lot of insights from Alex Hormozi’s books, ‘$100M Offers’ and ‘$100M Leads’. Hormozi’s perspective on creating irresistible offers and generating high-quality leads has been instrumental in refining our approach to client acquisition and retention.

In terms of ongoing learning and inspiration, I regularly tune into podcasts by thought leaders in marketing and entrepreneurship. Some of my favorites include Colin Boyd for his expertise in storytelling and mindset, Jenna Kutcher for her insights on business growth and personal branding, and Amy Porterfield for her practical advice on digital marketing and entrepreneurship.

These resources have collectively shaped my philosophy on marketing and business management. They’ve reinforced my belief in the power of storytelling, the importance of customer-centric approaches, and the need for clear, actionable strategies. I’m always on the lookout for new insights and perspectives to continually refine our approach at The Marketing Apothecary.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Like many professionals, one of the most pivotal moments in my marketing career came during the COVID-19 pandemic when I was working in my last corporate job. As a B2B company, our entire business model was thrown into chaos when the world shut down. Their doors weren’t open and our traditional sales methods became obsolete overnight. It was a make-or-break moment that required us to completely reimagine our approach.

The odds were heavily stacked against us. We had to find a way to sustain our B2B clients and simultaneously build a new B2C sales division from scratch. It was a daunting task, but it was also an opportunity to put everything I believed about marketing to the test.

We leaned hard into storytelling and strategic planning. We completely revamped our product messaging, pivoting towards medical-grade safety eyewear. This wasn’t just about selling a product anymore; it was about providing a solution to a pressing need in a time of crisis.

But the real game-changer was finally bridging the gap between our marketing and sales teams. We forged a partnership between these two traditionally siloed departments, creating a unified approach to our new product-to-market strategy. This alignment was crucial in keeping the company afloat and driving growth.

The results were beyond what we could have hoped for. In the midst of a global crisis, we managed to keep our B2B sales division intact, add over $10,000 per month in incremental growth, and fundamentally change how the company operated.

What started as the worst of times turned into a powerful demonstration of the impact of clear storytelling and strategic marketing. We weren’t just selling glasses anymore; we were providing safety, peace of mind, and a way for our B2B clients to keep their doors open.

This experience was the seed that eventually led me to start The Marketing Apothecary. It made me realize how many businesses overlook the fundamental starting points of marketing: being clear on your target audience, knowing how to talk to them through effective storytelling, and having a solid plan to bring that message to market.

In those challenging months, I felt a mix of fear, excitement, and determination. There were sleepless nights and moments of doubt, but also bursts of creativity and the thrill of seeing our new strategies pay off. It was a rollercoaster, but it proved to me the power of adaptability in marketing and the crucial role of aligning sales and marketing efforts.

This story serves as a constant reminder to me of why I do what I do. It’s not just about crafting clever campaigns or catchy slogans. It’s about understanding your audience, telling the right story, and having the agility to pivot when circumstances demand it. That’s the kind of impactful, results-driven marketing we strive for at The Marketing Apothecary every single day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://themarketingapothecary.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarketingapothecary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themarketingapothecary
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelabgerber/

Image Credits

Photo credit: Mark Stevens Photography
Logo credit: Tiny Beast Studio