
How to Market Yourself Without Feeling Like a Sleazeball
Marketing can feel uncomfortable. You know you have something valuable to offer, but the idea of constantly promoting yourself, telling people how great you are, or pushing people towards a sale can feel completely out of alignment with who you are. And when the alternative seems to be avoiding marketing altogether, it can leave you feeling stuck. In this episode of The Power of Two, my special guest is Tad Hargrave, founder of Marketing for Hippies, who has spent more than two decades helping people build profitable businesses in a way that is ethical, human, and aligned with their values. Tad brings together ethical marketing, community building, local economies, and a deep belief that business can be both effective and good for the world. We explore why self-promotion feels like “human kryptonite,” and why Tad believes we shouldn’t necessarily try to get better at promoting ourselves. Instead, there may be a much more natural superpower available to us: promoting other people. From finding the right joint venture partners to protecting your reputation, creating genuine reciprocity, and making partnerships easier for everyone involved, this conversation offers a different way to think about marketing and collaboration. At the core of Tad’s approach is a simple shift: Marketing isn’t about trying to get someone to buy. It’s about finding out whether there’s genuinely a good fit. Catch these highlights from our discussion.... >> Why self-promotion is “human kryptonite” — and why you may not need to overcome it >> How promoting other people can become a more natural and effective form of marketing >> Why ethical marketing starts with finding the truth of whether something is a good fit >> How to think about reciprocity without falling into a “you promote me, I promote you” mindset >> Why your reputation is one of your most valuable business assets — and how partnerships can strengthen or damage it >> How to properly assess someone before putting your reputation behind their offer >> Why swipe copy should be a starting point, not the finishing point >> How to make it dramatically easier for partners to promote you >> Where to look for potential joint venture partners by understanding what else your audience is already interested in And much more… One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is simple but powerful: “Marketing will always feel terrible if we're trying to get somebody to do something.” But when the intention changes — when the goal is genuinely to discover whether something is a good fit for both sides — marketing can feel very different. For Tad, partnerships aren’t simply about exchanging promotions. They’re about creating a win-win-win: something that works for you, the person you’re partnering with, and the people receiving the recommendation. And that means being thoughtful about who you endorse, taking the time to understand the person behind the business, and recognising that every recommendation you make contributes to your reputation. Because ultimately, partnerships are built on trust. And the best partnerships aren’t about getting something from someone. They’re about finding ways to support each other, make things easier for each other, and create something genuinely valuable for everyone involved. Here are some useful resources from our interview: ➡️ The Marketing For Hippies Website ➡️ Tad Hargrave's Facebook Page Connect to the host, Danny Bermant: ➡️ Connect to Danny on LinkedIn ➡️ Connect to Danny on Facebook ➡️ Danny’s Joint Venture Mastery Newsletter ➡️ Danny’s Get JV Ready in Just 5 Days Bootcamp















