Marketing to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community requires a plan. Positioning yourself as the go-to person for the community in regards to business transactions requires a strategy and a plan as well. You have to be logical in your approach. You can’t just put a rainbow sticker in your storefront and hope …

As part of this blog I get the great pleasure of answering a question from a blog reader like you. This question comes from an exchange I had with a follower on Twitter. This person was looking for ideas and topics that would be helpful for small business owners, “Are there small business resources for LGBT business owners?” …

I previously posted about the difference between an Ally and Advocate because it became apparent that not everyone knew what the difference was. In this post, I’d like to address two more similar words, Advocate and Activist. While researching my previous topic of ally and advocate I had troubles locating any blog that had previously posted …

Part of what I try to accomplish within this blog is to share with you things that I feel can help improve your marketing efforts towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. In this post I’d like to introduce you to RSS feeds. A few years ago I made the decision to find a special way …

In this post I’d like to talk about calls-to-action. This has come up in a myriad of conversations lately and it seems appropriate to talk about it here. I previously recorded a podcast episode that you can click here to listen to where I talked a great deal about calls to action and why they matter. So what’s …

Have you heard of the rule of thirds before? Perhaps you’ve heard of it from a photographers perspective? That’s where I first learned the term. In photography terms the rule of thirds helps you frame out your shot in the most interesting way. Rather than having your subject portrayed in the dead center of the …

A Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) from a Fortune 500 that I have worked with in the past gave me a call and asked me “Do you know of any good places to purchase LGBT stock photography?” I sighed and said “Unfortunately there just doesn’t seem to be a good spot.” I have helped many business …

In day to day interactions with people I’ve come to find that many do not know what a chamber of commerce is or what a chamber of commerce does. I’m noticing that I may just live in a bubble where I make assumptions that everyone just knows what a chamber of commerce is because I …

A quick note from Jenn – When my dear friend and colleague Diane reached out to me upset with what she had just read I was empathetic. However, rather than voice my thoughts on the matter I invited her to share her thoughts and opinion here on my blog. It is my intention for this …

One of the early terms I remember very clearly when I took my first marketing class in college was DINK. If you are a marketing person and you are reading this chances are you are very familiar with what a DINK is. For those of you who don’t know what a DINK is – it …

My personal mission and goal is to educate you on how to properly market to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) market. As cliche as the old School House Rocks expression is “Knowledge is Power.” (Who didn’t love that show?)   The purpose of my postings is to fully engage and educate you so you can …

Previously, I shared an email I received with you regarding a crank pot who didn’t really agree or understand what it is that I do. He was responding to a message I sent to him via LinkedIn. I know the response came from a straight man – and someone I would certainly not consider to be an …

Have you ever said “but you don’t look gay” to someone? Or has anyone ever said this to you? I write many of my blog posts to provide guidance on how to handle any situation thrown your way in a business setting. In this post we are going to talk about the phrase “but you don’t look …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Epi82-How-to-Impact-1-Million-LGBT-People.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T. Grace – Episode 82 – How to Impact 1 Million LGBT People Thank you for tuning in to episode 82 of the podcast. In this episode I discuss a small mindset shift that I’ve had over recent months and how that’s impacted a goal …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Epi81-Growing-LGBT-Business-with-Kimberly-Vaughan.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T. Grace – Episode 81 – Growing Your LGBT Business with Kimberly Vaughan Thank you for tuning in to episode 81 of the podcast! You may have noticed that I’ve rebranded the podcast to ‘Professional Branding for the LGBTQ Professional’ to really focus on the …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Epi80-Fast-Track-to-Business-Growth-with-Michael-Mapes.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T Grace – Ep 80 – Fast Track to Business Grown with Michael Mapes Thank you for tuning in to episode 80 of the podcast! In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Mapes of Graveyard Innovation. It was so interesting to …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi-79_Women__LGBT_Entrepreneurship_Dissected_with_Guest_Jennifer_Brown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSEpisode 79 is a rebroadcast of one of the first – and most interesting – podcast interviews I’ve had the pleasure of doing. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jennifer Brown for an honest and thought provoking conversation. We were able to catch a glimpse into her world …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi_78_6-content-marketing-tips-to-develop-your-personal-brand.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T Grace – Ep 78 – The 6 Steps to using Content Marketing to create your Personal Brand Thank you for tuning in to episode 78 of the podcast. In this episode I’m discussing the 6 steps to using content marketing to create your personal …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi_77_top-5-fears-of-new-LGBT-authors.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T Grace – Ep 77 – The Top 5 Fears New LGBT Authors Have and How to Conquer Them! Thank you for tuning in to episode 77 of the podcast. In this episode I’m tackling the top 5 fears new LGBT authors have and the …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi_76_StandingOut-and-ReinventingYourself-with-DorieClark.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T Grace – Ep 76 – Standing Out and Reinventing Yourself with Guest Dorie Clark Thank you for listening to episode 76 of the podcast. In this episode I had the privilege of speaking to Dorie Clark, a true triple threat! She’s a marketing consultant, …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi_75_Planning-for-2016-will-you-become-an-author-this-year.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSDownload the Transcript here! Jenn T Grace – Ep 75 – Planning for 2016 – Will you become an author this year_ Thank you for tuning into episode 75 of my podcast – and the first episode of 2016! In this episode I talk about all of the exciting things …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/episode-74-The-LGBT-Events-in-2015-that-have-Changed-History-with-Sam-McClure.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Thank you for listening to episode 74 of the podcast, my final episode of the year. In this episode I speak to Sam McClure, Senior Vice President of NGLCC. Some of you may recognize Sam’s name, as I also had the opportunity to speak with her as part of …

Here we are on part 6 of the “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” We are almost to the end of this series. I hope you’ve enjoyed it up until this point. The whole series came up because I believe 98% of miscommunication blunders occur for one of 7 avoidable reasons. The 7 deadly …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi-73-gay-business-marketing-hrc-corporate-equality-index-replay-of-episode-53.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Hey all – this episode is a re-airing of episode 53, so if you already heard episode 53, come back for a new episode in episode 74! In today’s episode I cover a few topics. The first is I answer a listener question about what to do when you …

Welcome to part 4 of 7 of the “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” This entire series is based around the idea that I believe 98% of miscommunication blunders occur for one of 7 reasons, which I’ve dubbed the 7 deadly sins. We’ve already covered 1. Assumptions 2. Stereotypes and 3. Inappropriate Questions. In …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/episode_72_How-Does-Confidence-Impact-Your-LGBT-Marketing-Approach.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Today we are talking about how confidence impact your LGBT marketing approach. I’m bringing this question to you because I’ve had two conversations with prospective clients in the last couple of weeks, and both of them – with two very different businesses were both asking similar questions around this topic. …

So here is part 3 of 7 in the 7 part series titled: “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” I first introduced to you the idea that I believe 98% of miscommunication blunders occur for one of 7 reasons, which I’ve dubbed the 7 deadly sins. As a reminder – here are the …

In 2014 we received word that the LGBT buying power in the United States has grown, again. This was no surprise as it continues to grow year after year. I’m happy to report to you that the buying power of America’s LGBT adult population was approximately $884 billion in 2014. That was up from the $830 billion in 2013. This …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/episode_71_Simple-tactics-for-reaching-LGBT-consumers.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSThank you for listening to episode 71 of the podcast. On my last podcast I was able to answer a question from a reader and it was nice to get back to that type of podcast! I decided this week I would get to a few more questions I’ve received …

This is part 2 of the 7 part series titled: “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” In part 1 I introduced you to the concept that I believe 98% of miscommunication blunders occur for one of 7 reasons, which I’ve dubbed the 7 deadly sins. I will continue to start off each blog …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Episode_70_An-open-letter-from-a-self-admitted-homophobe.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSThanks for listening to episode #70 of the podcast. Today’s episode of the podcast isn’t an interview, it’s a response to an email I received from a reader. It’s been a few months since I’ve spent a podcast just talking to you, my audience, so it was nice to get …

Welcome to part 1 of the 7 part series titled: “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” Previously I introduced you to the concept that I believe 98% of miscommunication blunders occur for one of 7 reasons, which I’ve dubbed the 7 deadly sins. I truly believe that most people come from a place …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/episode_69_Melissa-Ferrick-Rock-Folk-Singer.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Thanks for listening to episode #69 of the podcast. Today’s guest, Melissa Ferrick, is a master of many trades – an acclaimed performing artist (currently listed as #20 of the top 50 women in indie music), a record label owner as well as a professor at Berklee College of …

This series is what I call the 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications. During the time I have been writing this blog and during my many years in the field of LGBT marketing, I have noticed a pattern, 7 of them to be exact, that make up what I predict to be 98% of the miscommunication …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/episode_68_michele_wierzgac.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSThanks for joining me for episode #68 of the podcast. My guest today is Michele Wierzgac, who I’m so glad shared her story with me and now you. Michele’s journey is an interesting one; from the volleyball court to the main stage there’s never been a dull moment. She offers …

This is part 3 of my 6 part series on the effects of marriage equality within your marketing, yay! Or perhaps you missed the intro? No worries you can read it here –Marriage Equality is HERE: What does your marketing say about your company? (A special 6 part series). After having read the previous posts where we talk …

This post is part 2 of a 6 part series. Please read the Marriage Equality is HERE: What does your marketing say about your company? (A special 6 part series) to find out what else you can find in this series. In Part 1, we talked about defining who you’re looking to market to and what your …

This post is part 1 of a 6 part series. Please read the Marriage Equality is HERE: What does your marketing say about your company? (A special 6 part series) to find out what other topics are part of this series. Whenever I am browsing the internet for LGBT related news, I usually come across a myriad …

If you’ve been living under a rock this past week, have I got good news for you – this past Friday (June 26th – also my birthday!), the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 vote that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Finally–this ruling makes same-sex marriage a right nationwide! The repercussions of marriage equality will …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/063013_SelisseBerry.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSStorytelling with Selisse Berry of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates San Francisco, California  Links mentioned: Out & Equal Workplace Advocates  Update: The 2014 Out & Equal Workplace Summit is in San Francisco, CA from November 3rd through November 6th. Click here for more details. Books mentioned: Out & Equal at Work: From …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_062913_KevinLetourneau.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSStorytelling with Kevin Letourneau of Go Out Loud Salem, Massachusetts Links mentioned: Go Out Loud  Northshore Pride City of Salem, Massachusetts Google Reader Salem State University You can get in touch with Kevin here: Go Out Loud website Facebook.com/GoOutLoud Twitter.com/GoOutLoud Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below! Would you …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/062813_DanNilsen.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSStorytelling with Dan Nilsen of Bishop-McCann Kansas City, Missouri Links mentioned in the show: Bishop McCann Mid-America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce – Kansas City Area The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_062713_RonyTennenbaum.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSExpert Interview with Rony Tennenbaum | Business Owner and Jewelery Designer New York City, New York Links mentioned in the show: Amazon Kindle Commercial  Rony Tennenbaum Rings  You can get in touch with Rony here: RonyTennenbaum.com Facebook.com/RonyTennenbaum Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below! Would you prefer to read …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_062613_TonieSnell.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSStorytelling with Tonie Snell of 925 Hire Cleveland, Ohio Links mentioned in the show: 925 Hire Snitch.name Crain’s Cleveland Business: Cleveland Business News Google Business Products  Knack.it Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below! Would your prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/062413_VictoriaFulkerson.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSStorytelling with Victoria Fulkerson of National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Washington D.C. Links mentioned in the show: National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Out for Work NGLCC Supplier Diversity Initiative  NGLCC Conference 2014 Books Mentioned: Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization On the Growth Track–and Keeping It There You can get …

In the blog post titled “Marketing to the LGBT Community” I pointed out two critical components for effectively targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Authenticity and transparency. These two core principles are paramount when targeting the LGBT community because many LGBT consumers are more aware of LGBT non-discrimination policies, practices, and treatment …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/gay-business-marketing_epi-59_Heather_Cox_Certify-My-Company.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Listen to this great (and entertaining) interview with Heather Cox as we discuss – • Supplier Diversity • LGBT Business Certification • Certification as a marketing tool • Buying from each other I had a chance to sit down with Heather Cox of Certify My Company recently and ask …

If you have found this blog post then it means we have at least one thing in common; you are looking into marketing to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and I am the one who can help teach you what you need to know. This blog contains all sorts of information on …

Are you looking to really make an impact on people? Make your business shine? Really show people how much you kick ass? Well… I have great news for you – the bar is set really low and you can make an impact, make your business shine and show the world that you mean business in 2 …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/gay-business-epi-56-growth-opportunities-for-your-lgbt-or-allied-business.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS  Today’s podcast episode is going to cover the ripple effect that supplier diversity opportunities can have on ​your​ business, whether or you are part of the LGBT community or an ally to the LGBT community. It doesn’t matter if you are a diverse supplier or if you are selling …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_episode_55_interview-with-paul-collanton-from-august-2013.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSHello! Welcome to episode #55 of the podcast. Today’s episode is a rerun of a podcast episode I aired back in August 2013. I am doing this because I am currently in Miami speaking at the New Mainstream Business Summit! Since I have so many new listeners each day, giving …

This is part 5 of 5 of the 5 part series of How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. Wow, we are finally at the conclusion of the 5 part series about How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. I have enjoyed covering the 5 parts of creating an effective plan with you. From determining …

No matter what part of the country you are in – even in really progressive areas – there will still always be someone who says something that will instantly make you think he or she is an insensitive jerk. I was having a conversation with a really close friend of mine who runs a manufacturing …

This is part 4 of 5 of the 5 part series of How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. Thanks for checking out part 4 of 5 of the How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. This has been such a great series of posts to write for you. Many of you have taken …

This is part 3 of 5 of the 5 part series of How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. Thanks for stopping by to read part 3 of 5 on How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. We first discussed the 5 questions to ask yourself to help create a solid plan for your LGBT …

This is part 2 of 5 of the 5 part series of How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. This is the second post in a 5 part series. The first post was titled  “How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan,” if you haven’t checked that one out, go back to it when you are …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/episode-44-gay-business-and-marketing-made-easy-re-perez.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS I had a chance to recently sit down with Re Perez of BRANDING FOR THE PEOPLE. I’ve known of Re for a couple of years through our mutual relationship with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. At this past conference I brought home some of his marketing …

Every time I travel I witness something that sparks a new blog post. My trip to Kansas City to speak at the Mid-America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Equality Conference was no different. What an experience! I’ve heard that this chamber was doing some great things so it was really exciting to see …

This is part 1 of 5 of the 5 part series of How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan. We are going to do a deep dive into defining your target market. In a post titled “How to build a simple LGBT outreach plan” we discussed 5 questions to ask yourself to help create a solid plan. …

I don’t know about your schedule but mine can be pretty chaotic – usually trying to fit a lot of meetings and phone calls into one day. For some reason Thursdays always seem to be my busiest days of the week. I’m usually up and out early, attending events, going to mastermind meetings, having a …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/epi_41_interview_jeff_berger_national-association-of-gay-lesbian-real-estate-professionals.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS   I had the great pleasure of talking with Jeff Berger on today’s podcast.  Jeff is the founder of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) and shared some great insights on more effective marketing to the LGBT community.   Here are some of the …

  I have two kids so the phrase crank pot comes up often in my house. A crank pot meaning someone who’s just cranky about something in general. In this post I want to point out a crank pot who reached out during my book launch. I have a very large network of people, which I …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM-epi-40-book-launch-of-no-wait-you-do-look-gay.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS This week’s podcast is all about my virtual book launch. A much shorter episode than usual, that is filled with so much love and gratitude to you the listener and reader. I really appreciate you! 🙂 Now through Friday is the virtual launch of my new book, No, wait… You do look gay! …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/gbm_ep39-NGLCC-recap-and-Burger-King-Case-Study-8-7-2014.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Below are the items mentioned in this episode of the podcast. Where’s the Beef in Burger King’s ‘Proud Whopper’ Campaign? How Burger King Recently Brought Out The Intolerance Of Facebook Christians (Video) Three (3) critical mistakes you don’t want to say in a crowd of LGBT people… Listen to …

In the blog post titled “Internally Communicating LGBT Marketing Strategies to your Employees” we covered a few critical areas. We touched upon the topics of external perception versus internal perception, we discussed the value of employee resource groups (ERGs) within your organization and I also demonstrated a real life example of an ERG’s value. But …

So this Marketing Friday is going to be a little different than usual. I am hard at work preparing to launch the 30 days – 30 voices – Stories from America’s LGBT Business Leaders project. This means every single day in June there will be a new blog post and a new podcast for you to listen to. In celebration of …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_Epi_35_Ann-Jenrette-Thomas.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSToday’s interview is with Ann Jenrette-Thomas of Esquire Coaching Inc. Ann and I had a great conversation around being an LGBT business owner, coming out to our families, how to leverage being a lesbian in business and all of the wonderful things she is doing in her coaching practice focusing …

For new readers and repeat visitors, I write about business etiquette and the nuances of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.  In this post I address the phrase, “It’s just a phase…” Most of what is written here is aimed to educate you on what not to say in a business setting but there tends to …

This is a guest post from Melanie McMillan, the Public Relations Director for Keiler (www.Keiler.com) Guilty as charged. I, a straight woman who works as a public relations professional, bought into the common assumption that gay Americans have a greater disposable income than the rest of the populace. In my defense, let me explain the …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_Epi_034_LGBT-Chamber-of-Commerce.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS Today’s podcast is all about LGBT Chambers of Commerce. Yes, you’ve heard me talk about them in the past but today we do a deep dive in how they can change your business and possibly even your life. They have been a big part of my life since 2006 …

Wow, we are finally at the conclusion of the 6 part series about Maximizing Your LGBT Outreach with a Solid Plan. I have enjoyed covering the 5 parts of creating an effective plan with you. From determining who you are marketing to, to figuring out how you are better than the competition to showing you …

This question from a friend comes from a lively discussion I was having with a handful of colleagues. As you may know by now I often dedicate blogs to answering questions that some may find uncomfortable to ask for fear of being judged or afraid they may offend someone if they do ask. In my circle of …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_Episode_31_Webinar_recording.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSSo this weeks podcast is a little bit different. This is the audio recording of my March 19th webinar that I did. As you may know I do webinars every single month. I’ve heard from many podcast listeners that you just can’t make it live to a webinar so instead …

Here we are in the final installment of the “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and it proved to be valuable to you. By now you probably know this entire series came up because of my belief that 98% of miscommunication blunders occur for one of 7 …

Welcome to part 5 of 7 of the “The 7 Deadly Sins of Ineffective LGBT Communications.” We are moving right along on all of the ways that you can improve your communication skills within the LGBT community. This whole series has been based on what simple idea – that I believe 98% of miscommunication blunders occur …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_Epi_029-8-great-things-in-3-weeks.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSIn the last episode of the podcast I made mention that the media is the gift that keeps on giving these days. There is so much going on for LGBT equality its hard to keep up with. Today I am going to give you an update on just a portion …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Episode_028_Leanne-Pittsford.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSSo we are talking to Leanne Pittsford today who is a woman of many titles – she is an entrepreneur, risk taker and a queer and women’s rights leader. She is also the CEO & founder of Start Somewhere, which helps organizations with their online presences from design support, to …

I would like to share with you an incredibly heartfelt letter that I received from a fan of this blog. Don reached out to me after having attended my webinar.  Don’s entire letter to me embodies the reasons why I do what I do. In an ideal world there would be no need for my services …

In previous blog posts I’ve discussed the two critical factors in effective LGBT marketing – the fact that you need to be authentic and be transparent. I explained that to have a truly successful LGBT marketing campaign you must embrace both of these core principles because LGBT consumers are savvy. They know what you are …

This past year has been a good year for LGBT equality. As with anything there is still so much more work to be done, but this year was something I am proud to have witnessed occur. You can see the shift in consciousness happening, in the United States. However, there is more work to be …

A few years back I wrote about all of the lesion I learned in 2012. Believe or not, all these years later, I continue to have a great response to that post, click here to take a look. Because of the response I received I decided to do it again and share the 6 key lessons I …

This is another post where I get my ‘geek on’. I have a love hate relationship with numbers. I am notorious for transposing numbers when I am trying to dial a phone, seriously it’s painful to watch. However, I have a love for numbers and statistics especially when they are so strong and powerful and tell …

This post is the final installment of  my”What is your why?” series. In the previous 2 posts in the series we’ve been covering reasons why the LGBT community matters to you. In the very first blog post I explained to you that the very first question I ask any potential customer is “Why do you want to market to the …

If you are a long time reader of this blog, or perhaps you’ve just found my site, either way you’ll understand real quick that I am a Dork – with a capital D. So each year when the Human Rights Campaign releases their  Corporate Equality Index scores I am like a kid in a candy store! …

This post is part 2 of a 3 part series that explores the reason why you are interested in marketing to the LGBT community. In part 1 I gave you a few things to think about and even provided a worksheet to help you through the process. You can go back and see part 1 and get …

In November 2013 we received word that the LGBT buying power in the United States has grown, again. This was no surprise as it continues to grow year after year. I’m happy to report to you that the buying power of America’s LGBT adult population was approximately $830 billion in 2013. That was up from the $790 billion in 2012. This …

The past few years have been years of creation for me. I’ve written and published 2 books, which you can find here, and I created a series of online products to help you master your communications and marketing skills when working with the LGBT community. During this process I had a fabulous conversation which brought to …

This is part 2 of a 2 part series. Previously I talked about one small change you can make in your LGBT marketing to be more inclusive of LGBT clients and potential LGBT clients. The one small change was to add LGBT imagery to your existing website or marketing materials. If you missed that post …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Episode_023_WhatIAmThankfulFor-HappyThanksgiving.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSHave a listen to episode #23 of the Gay Business & Marketing Made Easy podcast! Today is a shorter episode than usual as I just want to talk for a few minutes about what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. I wish you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving weekend! …

This is part 1 of a 2 part series. I previously had a meeting with a small business owner in my area. We’ve known of each other for a while but we were gathering to understand more about each others business. This particular business owner has had a catering business for over 20+ years. We …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_Episode_022_JoanneSprague-FriendFactor.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSHave a listen to episode #22 of the Gay Business & Marketing Made Easy podcast! You’ll hear the story of Joanne Sprague, the Re-Founder & CEO of Friendfactor the “LGBT Rights Organization for Straight Friends.” Listen to the podcast, and sign up to participate in the Workplace Ally Challenge Joanne …

By now you know that most of my blog posts comes directly from experiences in my day-to-day life. As a very out lesbian and owner of a business catering to education about the LGBT community, I have an endless supply of things to write about, which I am very grateful for. After hundreds of blog posts and counting …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/Episode_19_Authentic_Gay_Marketing.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSS After hearing so much chatter about the CEO of Barilla Pasta and his anti-gay remarks, I have my own thoughts on this. I take a different angle than you may expect and share it all in today’s podcast.           To listen to this audio podcast …

We live in a competitive world, right? Sometimes its a downright dog-eat-dog world. Each day as business owners and entrepreneurs we are trying to figure out what is going to make us better than our competition. In my personal experience understanding what is going on in your industry and knowing what your competition is up …

This blog is going to be more personal than usual and will discuss the power of making a commitment, how important we are as brands of our own companies, as well as the importance of setting goals. I want to share a story and experience with you that put me on a journey of self …

Previously I wrote a rambling blog post titled, Deconstructing gaydar: Why do I know she’s a lesbian? I am really happy with the readership and comments spawned from this post. My intention was to create a dialogue around the mystique of gaydar but also point out that it does exist as well as ask questions about …

A few years back there was a lot of buzz around the Supreme Court’s repeal of Section 3 of DOMA, the media was atwitter with acronyms and buzzwords that left even some in the LGBT community scratching their heads. To save you the time of researching each one, I’ll explain to you the three common phrases that were …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_060413_SamMcClure.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSExpert Interview with Sam McClure of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Washington D.C. Links mentioned in the show: National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference But You Don’t Look Gay… Green Eggs & Ham Oh, the Places You’ll Go! https://twitter.com/SamNGLCC …

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: RSS

http://traffic.libsyn.com/jenntgrace/GBM_060113_JenniferBrown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowSubscribe: RSSExpert Interview with Jennifer Brown of Jennifer Brown Consulting New York City, New York Links mentioned in the show: The Manhattan Jazz Transfer National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Out & Equal Workplace Summit Book – Lean …

I want to talk a bit about the power of social media for getting your message out, whether it is intentional or unintentional. Social media can be a very powerful business tool if harnessed correctly. If used incorrectly it can be incredibly damaging to your business.  I want to share two very different examples of how …