Episode 17. Making Marketing More Human with Dyon Swanborough

In this episode of the BYOB podcast, I sat down with long-time friend, marketing specialist and our Queensland Social Star City Leader, Dyon Swanborough. We talked through his 20-plus years in marketing, his deep love of tech and sound, and his practical, no-fluff approach to helping clients move people through the messy middle of the marketing funnel.

Dyon has a gift for translating complexity into simple, actionable systems. Whether it’s choosing the right software, designing a customer journey that actually converts, or automating the warm-up phase between interest and sales, he has a way of making it all feel human. I brought him on because I know firsthand how valuable his insights are — not just to our business, but to anyone trying to grow a brand in today’s market.

We swapped stories about our early days in business, the importance of curiosity, and how Dyon’s first brush with marketing came via a fax machine and a Peter Sun book. It lit a spark that turned into a lifelong pursuit of understanding what makes people tick — and how to serve them better. Over the years, he’s soaked up learnings from seminars, books, and decades of hands-on experience, refining his craft at the intersection of marketing and technology.

Our conversation also touched on the power of automation when done well, and how tools like the Social Star Hub (based on Go High Level) can dramatically reduce the manual effort in nurturing leads, without compromising personalisation. Dyon’s perspective on software is refreshing — he doesn’t get swept up in hype, but instead focuses on how tools can genuinely help businesses offer more value and guide clients with less friction.

One of the most powerful moments in our chat came when I asked Dyon what advice he would give someone just starting out. His answer was simple, sharp and so true:

“Have you got something that will feed a starving crowd? Because if no one wants it, it doesn’t matter how much you love it or how good you think it is. You need to validate it. Talk to people. Charge something for it. See if they’ll actually pay.”

It’s advice a lot of people skip over — jumping straight into branding or tech before truly testing the offer. But as Dyon points out, the best marketing starts with a hungry market and a clear value proposition.

If you're in the early stages of business or struggling to bridge that tricky gap between awareness and sales, I reckon you'll get a lot from this episode. Dyon’s experience, pragmatism and straight-talking style bring a lot of clarity to the chaos of modern marketing.