Marketing Made Simple

Marketing Made Simple grew out of Donald Miller's StoryBrand framework, which argues that the most effective marketing treats the customer as the hero and the business as the guide. The podcast, hosted by J.J. Peterson and April Sunshine Hawkins, ran for 237 episodes over three years before wrapping up. Each episode focused on practical messaging and marketing strategies, typically running 25 to 45 minutes, though some stretched past an hour when the topic demanded it. The StoryBrand approach is the backbone of the show. Every conversation comes back to clarity: how to explain what your business does in a way that people actually care about, how to build a sales funnel that makes sense, and how to write marketing copy that connects without being manipulative. The hosts walked through real examples, case studies, and listener questions to make the framework tangible rather than abstract. What made the show work was its accessibility. You did not need a marketing degree or an agency budget to apply the ideas. The advice was aimed at small business owners, solopreneurs, and marketing teams who needed a clear system to follow. The podcast eventually transitioned into The StoryBrand Podcast with Donald Miller himself hosting, so the lineage continues under a different name. The archive of Marketing Made Simple remains available and still holds up as a practical course in clear marketing messaging. It earned a 4.6 rating from 288 reviews, and listeners consistently praised how immediately actionable the advice was.