Truly Significant.com presents Tami Canizzarro from Thryv. Tami talks about the current challenges facing entrepreneurs, why more people are starting businesses than ever before (call it a “boss boom”) and strategies to get a new business off the ground or grow an existing one. She also shares her journey and advice to being a successful CMO at a leading SaaS and marketing company.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
And welcome back to truly Significant dot com presents. I'm
Rick Tocchini. Our very special guest today is Tammy cana Zero.
She runs a wonderful company called Thrive, and in lieu
of me giving this long dissertation as her biography, I'm
going to welcome you, Tammy and ask you to tell
(00:30):
us your backstory.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, thanks so much. I joined Thrive a few years
ago after working over twenty years in B to B
tech tech marketing for large companies like IBM and eBay
and Oracle, and I really wanted to you know, work
with you know, a bit of a passion, you know,
a passion or you know, kind of doing some good
(00:52):
in the world. And so it feels great working for
small businesses, kind of helping bring them some of the
technology that the big you know, the big company use
to be successful.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And why the focus on smaller companies. It can't be
just because you feel sorry for them. Is there some
saft spot that you've got for those size companies.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh that's a great question, you know, that's a great question.
I do really just love, you know, love small business
and local business right now, you know, I think it's
a tough game out there. Right for some of these
small businesses to compete. And you know, you just hear
the stories, and you know, as I've worked with these
(01:33):
small business owners, you hear the stories of just how
hard they work. You know, some of these business owners
get up at four o'clock in the morning to do
their paperwork, and you know they've started these businesses. Often
it's a passion of theirs and it's just been really
fun to work with this segment.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Isn't it interesting with small business owners that they've got
so much passion and a sense of ownership And you
wish sometimes you could bottle that passion and send it
back into Fortune five hundred companies and watch the big
guys prosper.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
It's very true. It's very true some of the big
companies that the folks can be I'll say a little
more jaded, right.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
That's right. What does Thrive do exactly?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
So we actually sell marketing and software and also services
to small businesses, and we have business advisors across the
country that actually work in local markets. So, you know,
alongside of small business owners helping them to navigate what
can be a complicated space getting found online and being
able to grow and market your business.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Is that the biggest challenge that faces small business is
just getting traction and becoming known.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We found that to be the biggest problem. Right there's
a sea of competition. I think there are over thirty
million small businesses in the United States, and so you know,
getting your business found can be you know, can be
really hard in terms of figuring you know, figuring out
that whole digital landscape and getting found online. And you know,
I don't know about you, but I can't go and
(03:07):
when I say I'm in marketing, I can't go and
get my haircut or walk into a shop without getting
multiple questions on do you understand SEO or you know
my listing's not right? Or can you help me with
my website? You know, I mean, it's there's a lot,
there's a lot there that they kind of have to
navigate and figure out, often without a marketing team. That's true.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Tell us about how you are advising small businesses when
it comes to AI.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, it's it's tricky, but it's actually a very similar
algorithm to what they had done in the past with
a few modifications. So you know, first of all, it's
really important to just have the basics right to really
have a good, strong website and to have your listings
correct and updated and accurate. And it's pretty easy and
(03:55):
not too difficult. But then it's around creating user generated content.
So those reviews that were important before are even more
important because you know, the AI algorithm wants to hear
from real users and real people, so reviews become very important.
And then also consistency with your message and your story
(04:16):
to stand out online and you want to try to
get in as many I'll say, you know, kind of
organic forms as you can like Reddit or even you know,
local listings can become really important, and it's it's actually
become very important to create more content on a possibe.
(04:37):
They're able to use AI to create that content, which
can really help, you know, help because it can be
very labor intensive to create content. But creating content with
AI has actually, I think helped small businesses to have
the tools at their fingertips to compete.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, me too. We had a guy on the other
day he talked about the of SEO and the birth
of large language models. And I listen to every guest
and take notes and then I draw my own conclusions.
I'd love to hear your perspective on it. Since chat
(05:16):
gpt has become the verb and Google has become the noun.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
That's exactly right, you know, And I think people are really,
especially small business owners, are really starting to understand this
because as a user, you're really starting to see this
now right when you go to Google it says AI mode,
and you're starting to kind of get the hang of
you know what, why would I do all my own
research when you know chat gpt is going to do
it for me and pull to pull from the Internet
(05:43):
and really give me the answers that I need rather
than be going out and searching onto all different websites.
So it really is very critical to make sure that
you are figuring out and navigating the new landscape of
you know AEO or you know se O in the
age of a.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I exactly if you were starting your own new company
tomorrow called Thrive Part two, what's the first thing that
you would do as a new owner?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well, I will say, the first thing you want to
do is you want to make sure that you have
you know, in the marketing business, we call it, you know,
the right ICP or ideal customer profile and the right
product market fit. So basically, you know, in simple terms,
do you have a product that people want? You know,
and by the way, is there enough people in that market?
Is it a sizeable addressable market? And so the first
(06:34):
thing you want to do is make sure there's some
there there. So I always recommend, you know, before you
spend too much money and before you launch your business
to really kind of do some testing and research to
really make sure that you have a product that people
want at a price that will be profitable.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Okay, be more specific on Thrive two point zero that
you're now the CEO of are you going to make it?
Are you in this case because you know this space
so well, what will be your unique selling proposition?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
So it's interesting you asked that because when I first
joined Thrive, we were selling you know, more of all
in one software and our value prop was kind of,
you know, save time and will help you run your business.
And there are actually a lot of companies that do
that today and it's become a little bit more commoditized.
And what we found was through working with small business
(07:29):
owners so that what they really wanted was growth, What
they really wanted was help with marketing and sales, and
that was a part of our story, but it wasn't
our whole story, and we've pivoted. We've actually pivoted into
you know, really helping with the marketing and sales tools.
And the other pivot we made was that we realized
(07:50):
a lot of small business owners don't actually want to
log into software. They want services. So they want us
to do organic for them or help you know, help
them to use AI and do their social posting or
their social ads or their SEO or AEO for them.
And so we were able to kind of through through
research and through meeting with customers, we've been able to
(08:13):
pivot and really drive what I think is a you know,
a new offering that's actually quite unique.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Very good. Now that is getting down into the weeds.
I love that because now we're talking about what real
customers truly want. And having owned our own business now
for almost seventeen years, you can't.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Do it all yourself, That's right.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
So give out a commercial on how people can contact
Thrive and start to put them in the boardroom where
people are making decisions.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Well, great, you can check us out on thrive dot com.
You know, if you have interest, we'll do a demo
and well we won't give you a can demo. We'll
talk to you about your particular need and have a
conversation about how Thrive can help beautiful.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Okay, in our last five minutes with you, I want
to ask you some deeper, more philosophical questions. Okay, great,
this isn't your first rodeo. You've tasted success. I want
to know what your definition of significance is.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
In terms of in terms of my personal goal for success. Yep,
what is it?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
But basically defining success versus significance?
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah. Well, you know, honestly, I think for me, success
is really feeling good about the work that I'm doing.
And you know, it really makes my day when I
meet these small business owners and they you know, they say, oh, Tammy,
you know I'm able to now go to my kids
game because you know, I'm now getting help with my
marketing and I'm able to grow my business and by
(10:02):
the way, I just added a second store. You know,
those are the kind of conversations that just make me
feel great and feel like we're actually doing, you know,
doing some good work.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
That is lovely advice, Tammy, because it's you. It's about
how you feel and how they feel and adding value
to other people's lives.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah, it really is, and it feels you know, with
a small business, it feels very personal. You know. Sometimes
in a large corporate corporation, you know, you lose sight
of that, and you know, these small business owners it's
you know, their businesses, they're feeding their families, they're you know,
they're funding their kids college education, and it does become
become very personal.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
That's right, great definition, Tammy. Thank you so much for
joining us. You're a delightful person. You're welcome to come
back anytime. Give out your information one more time on thrive.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Thank you so much. It's thrive dot com, th h
R y V dot com and feel free to you know,
to sign up for a demo or contact me directly
at Tammy dot Panazaro at thrive dot com.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Thank you so much. And to sort of quote Tammy
as we close today, to no success but to no
significance or two different things, to give back to people
and help others feels pretty darn good. So try it
out for yourself. Thanks again, Tammy for joining us.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Thank you so much,
And welcome back to truly Significant dot com presents. I'm
Rick Tocchini. Our very special guest today is Tammy cana Zero.
She runs a wonderful company called Thrive, and in lieu
of me giving this long dissertation as her biography, I'm
going to welcome you, Tammy and ask you to tell
(00:30):
us your backstory.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Well, thanks so much. I joined Thrive a few years
ago after working over twenty years in B to B
tech tech marketing for large companies like IBM and eBay
and Oracle, and I really wanted to you know, work
with you know, a bit of a passion, you know,
a passion or you know, kind of doing some good
(00:52):
in the world. And so it feels great working for
small businesses, kind of helping bring them some of the
technology that the big you know, the big company use
to be successful.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And why the focus on smaller companies. It can't be
just because you feel sorry for them. Is there some
saft spot that you've got for those size companies.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Oh that's a great question, you know, that's a great question.
I do really just love, you know, love small business
and local business right now, you know, I think it's
a tough game out there. Right for some of these
small businesses to compete. And you know, you just hear
the stories, and you know, as I've worked with these
(01:33):
small business owners, you hear the stories of just how
hard they work. You know, some of these business owners
get up at four o'clock in the morning to do
their paperwork, and you know they've started these businesses. Often
it's a passion of theirs and it's just been really
fun to work with this segment.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Isn't it interesting with small business owners that they've got
so much passion and a sense of ownership And you
wish sometimes you could bottle that passion and send it
back into Fortune five hundred companies and watch the big
guys prosper.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
It's very true. It's very true some of the big
companies that the folks can be I'll say a little
more jaded, right.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
That's right. What does Thrive do exactly?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
So we actually sell marketing and software and also services
to small businesses, and we have business advisors across the
country that actually work in local markets. So, you know,
alongside of small business owners helping them to navigate what
can be a complicated space getting found online and being
able to grow and market your business.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Is that the biggest challenge that faces small business is
just getting traction and becoming known.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We found that to be the biggest problem. Right there's
a sea of competition. I think there are over thirty
million small businesses in the United States, and so you know,
getting your business found can be you know, can be
really hard in terms of figuring you know, figuring out
that whole digital landscape and getting found online. And you know,
I don't know about you, but I can't go and
(03:07):
when I say I'm in marketing, I can't go and
get my haircut or walk into a shop without getting
multiple questions on do you understand SEO or you know
my listing's not right? Or can you help me with
my website? You know, I mean, it's there's a lot,
there's a lot there that they kind of have to
navigate and figure out, often without a marketing team. That's true.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Tell us about how you are advising small businesses when
it comes to AI.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, it's it's tricky, but it's actually a very similar
algorithm to what they had done in the past with
a few modifications. So you know, first of all, it's
really important to just have the basics right to really
have a good, strong website and to have your listings
correct and updated and accurate. And it's pretty easy and
(03:55):
not too difficult. But then it's around creating user generated content.
So those reviews that were important before are even more
important because you know, the AI algorithm wants to hear
from real users and real people, so reviews become very important.
And then also consistency with your message and your story
(04:16):
to stand out online and you want to try to
get in as many I'll say, you know, kind of
organic forms as you can like Reddit or even you know,
local listings can become really important, and it's it's actually
become very important to create more content on a possibe.
(04:37):
They're able to use AI to create that content, which
can really help, you know, help because it can be
very labor intensive to create content. But creating content with
AI has actually, I think helped small businesses to have
the tools at their fingertips to compete.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, me too. We had a guy on the other
day he talked about the of SEO and the birth
of large language models. And I listen to every guest
and take notes and then I draw my own conclusions.
I'd love to hear your perspective on it. Since chat
(05:16):
gpt has become the verb and Google has become the noun.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
That's exactly right, you know, And I think people are really,
especially small business owners, are really starting to understand this
because as a user, you're really starting to see this
now right when you go to Google it says AI mode,
and you're starting to kind of get the hang of
you know what, why would I do all my own
research when you know chat gpt is going to do
it for me and pull to pull from the Internet
(05:43):
and really give me the answers that I need rather
than be going out and searching onto all different websites.
So it really is very critical to make sure that
you are figuring out and navigating the new landscape of
you know AEO or you know se O in the
age of a.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I exactly if you were starting your own new company
tomorrow called Thrive Part two, what's the first thing that
you would do as a new owner?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well, I will say, the first thing you want to
do is you want to make sure that you have
you know, in the marketing business, we call it, you know,
the right ICP or ideal customer profile and the right
product market fit. So basically, you know, in simple terms,
do you have a product that people want? You know,
and by the way, is there enough people in that market?
Is it a sizeable addressable market? And so the first
(06:34):
thing you want to do is make sure there's some
there there. So I always recommend, you know, before you
spend too much money and before you launch your business
to really kind of do some testing and research to
really make sure that you have a product that people
want at a price that will be profitable.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Okay, be more specific on Thrive two point zero that
you're now the CEO of are you going to make it?
Are you in this case because you know this space
so well, what will be your unique selling proposition?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
So it's interesting you asked that because when I first
joined Thrive, we were selling you know, more of all
in one software and our value prop was kind of,
you know, save time and will help you run your business.
And there are actually a lot of companies that do
that today and it's become a little bit more commoditized.
And what we found was through working with small business
(07:29):
owners so that what they really wanted was growth, What
they really wanted was help with marketing and sales, and
that was a part of our story, but it wasn't
our whole story, and we've pivoted. We've actually pivoted into
you know, really helping with the marketing and sales tools.
And the other pivot we made was that we realized
(07:50):
a lot of small business owners don't actually want to
log into software. They want services. So they want us
to do organic for them or help you know, help
them to use AI and do their social posting or
their social ads or their SEO or AEO for them.
And so we were able to kind of through through
research and through meeting with customers, we've been able to
(08:13):
pivot and really drive what I think is a you know,
a new offering that's actually quite unique.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Very good. Now that is getting down into the weeds.
I love that because now we're talking about what real
customers truly want. And having owned our own business now
for almost seventeen years, you can't.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Do it all yourself, That's right.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
So give out a commercial on how people can contact
Thrive and start to put them in the boardroom where
people are making decisions.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Well, great, you can check us out on thrive dot com.
You know, if you have interest, we'll do a demo
and well we won't give you a can demo. We'll
talk to you about your particular need and have a
conversation about how Thrive can help beautiful.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Okay, in our last five minutes with you, I want
to ask you some deeper, more philosophical questions. Okay, great,
this isn't your first rodeo. You've tasted success. I want
to know what your definition of significance is.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
In terms of in terms of my personal goal for success. Yep,
what is it?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
But basically defining success versus significance?
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah. Well, you know, honestly, I think for me, success
is really feeling good about the work that I'm doing.
And you know, it really makes my day when I
meet these small business owners and they you know, they say, oh, Tammy,
you know I'm able to now go to my kids
game because you know, I'm now getting help with my
marketing and I'm able to grow my business and by
(10:02):
the way, I just added a second store. You know,
those are the kind of conversations that just make me
feel great and feel like we're actually doing, you know,
doing some good work.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
That is lovely advice, Tammy, because it's you. It's about
how you feel and how they feel and adding value
to other people's lives.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah, it really is, and it feels you know, with
a small business, it feels very personal. You know. Sometimes
in a large corporate corporation, you know, you lose sight
of that, and you know, these small business owners it's
you know, their businesses, they're feeding their families, they're you know,
they're funding their kids college education, and it does become
become very personal.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
That's right, great definition, Tammy. Thank you so much for
joining us. You're a delightful person. You're welcome to come
back anytime. Give out your information one more time on thrive.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Thank you so much. It's thrive dot com, th h
R y V dot com and feel free to you know,
to sign up for a demo or contact me directly
at Tammy dot Panazaro at thrive dot com.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Thank you so much. And to sort of quote Tammy
as we close today, to no success but to no
significance or two different things, to give back to people
and help others feels pretty darn good. So try it
out for yourself. Thanks again, Tammy for joining us.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Thank you so much,
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