Frictionless Growth Marketing
Sonia Thompson | Inclusive Growth & Customer Experience Strategist
Brand growth today depends on removing friction from your marketing and customer experience to attract and retain more of the people you want to serve.
Frictionless Growth Marketing is the podcast for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by eliminating the messaging, experience, and strategy gaps that quietly push customers away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth and Customer Experience Strategist, the show breaks down how modern brands drive sustainable growth by designing frictionless customer journeys, building trust with identity-rich growth communities, and adapting to changing consumer expectations with clarity and confidence.
Each week, you’ll hear practical insights, real brand examples, and candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts on:
Brand strategy that fuels long-term business growth in the age of modern marketing
Customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty in today’s market
How friction shows up across the customer journey — and how to remove it
Identity-driven marketing, cultural relevance, and belonging
What’s actually working now with today’s values-driven consumers
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve — and convert more of them — without relying on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics, Frictionless Growth Marketing will show you the new rules of modern marketing and growth.
Because when you remove friction, you remove barriers to growth — for your customers and for your business.
Frictionless Growth Marketing is the podcast for marketers, business leaders, and founders who want to grow by eliminating the messaging, experience, and strategy gaps that quietly push customers away every single day.
Hosted by Sonia Thompson, Inclusive Growth and Customer Experience Strategist, the show breaks down how modern brands drive sustainable growth by designing frictionless customer journeys, building trust with identity-rich growth communities, and adapting to changing consumer expectations with clarity and confidence.
Each week, you’ll hear practical insights, real brand examples, and candid conversations with marketing leaders and subject-matter experts on:
Brand strategy that fuels long-term business growth in the age of modern marketing
Customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty in today’s market
How friction shows up across the customer journey — and how to remove it
Identity-driven marketing, cultural relevance, and belonging
What’s actually working now with today’s values-driven consumers
If you want to reach more of the people you’re meant to serve — and convert more of them — without relying on outdated formulas or brute-force tactics, Frictionless Growth Marketing will show you the new rules of modern marketing and growth.
Because when you remove friction, you remove barriers to growth — for your customers and for your business.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 26, 2024 • 44min
130. How to plan more inclusive business events with Eman Ismail
When it comes to business events, particularly those where important and transformational relationships are formed, it's very common for them to not be inclusive -- particularly for people who, for whatever reason, don't engage in specific activities that are considered "norms" in these types of settings.A big part of inclusive marketing is challenging what is often considered to be "normal" in your quest to make more of the people you want to serve feel like they belong with you.In this episode, I sat down with Eman Ismail, an email marketing strategist and copywriter, and founder of Eman Copy Co, an email marketing microagency. We had a really insightful chat about her experiences feeling excluded by the norms at many events, and how it made her feel, as well as how it impacted her success.We also walk through practical examples for brands for how to create more inclusive events that enable more people to achieve success and feel like they belong with you.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterLet's work togetherEman Copy CoMistakes That Made Me podcastEman Ismail on LinkedIn
Sep 19, 2024 • 16min
129. 7 Customer acquisition strategies smart brands used to reach more consumers
Customer acquisition is one of three core components of any good and effective inclusive marketing strategy. In particular, brands must prioritize "inviting" consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities to be their customers.In this episode, I walk you through seven customer acquisition strategies smart brands use to win new customers from often ignored communities.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterWork with meVisuals, examples, and links mentioned in this episode
Sep 12, 2024 • 21min
128. Inclusive marketing isn't enough. Why (and how) to build an inclusive brand
Being successful with inclusive marketing is about more than just the marketing. It requires building an inclusive brand that supports communities and thinks and behaves inclusively throughout the organization.That's what consumers say they want. In this episode, I walk you through why building an inclusive brand is essential to your success with inclusive marketing. I also show you how to build an inclusive brand with my 5C Inclusive Brand Framework.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterLet's work together
Sep 5, 2024 • 37min
127. How to create a multilingual content strategy with Selim Dahmani
It is very likely that people who speak different languages also have the problem your brand solves. As such, a smart way to grow your brand and customer base is to intentionally engage with consumers who speak other languages with content that attracts, converts, and retains them.In this episode, I sat down with Selim Dahmani, a Senior Growth Manager at HubSpot, who is focused on growing the brand in the French market.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterLet's work together Selim on LinkedIn
Aug 29, 2024 • 16min
126. How to identify and eliminate friction in your brand's customer experience
A lot of brands have unnecessary friction in the customer experiences they deliver. That friction negatively impacts those brands’ conversions. That friction and impact on consumers is even more pronounced when it comes to people from underrepresented and underserved communities.This episode is all about how to identify and get rid of the friction in the customer experience your brand delivers specifically for consumers from marginalized communities. As a result, your conversions will increase.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterVisuals and examples mentioned in this episode
Aug 22, 2024 • 15min
125. How to increase conversions with an inclusive website and social media audit
Most brands don’t know how much they could improve their conversions by optimizing their website and social media to also work for consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities.Conducting a website and social media audit can highlight opportunities to deliver better experiences for all the customers you want to serve while improving your conversions.In this episode, I walk you through how to get started with a website and social media audit for your brand. Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterVisuals and examples mentioned in this episodeWork With Me
Aug 15, 2024 • 18min
124. 3 Ways to deliver customer experiences that boost conversions
The experiences you deliver play an important role in how well you do at converting people who are considering your brand. Far too often, brands deliver customer experiences that do not hit the mark for people from underrepresented and underserved communities.As a result, conversion rates for people in those communities suffer, as they go off in search of another brand that does a better job at meeting their needs.In this episode, I walk you through 3 ways you can increase conversions for your brand overall, by doing a better job of serving people from underrepresented and underserved communities.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterVisuals and examples mentioned in this episode👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing Assessments: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/Consulting & Custom Traning: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/
Aug 8, 2024 • 22min
123. A framework for an inclusive SEO strategy
SEO is a common strategy marketers use to attract a broader customer base. However, most SEO strategies do not effectively serve the needs of consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities. And as a result, SEO doesn't often work so well as a customer acquisition strategy for diverse consumers.But with an inclusive SEO strategy, SEO can effectively serve as a smart customer acquistion strategy for people from underrepresented and underserved communities.In this episode, I walk you through my framework for an inclusive SEO strategy that will help you attract and retain a bigger, more diverse, and loyal customer base.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterLinks and visuals mentioned in this episode👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing Assessments: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/assessments/Consulting & Custom Traning: https://inclusionandmarketing.com/consulting/
Aug 1, 2024 • 35min
122. How Michael Graves Design & Pottery Barn Are Working to Bring Accessible Home Design to More Consumers
It is increasingly becoming more important for brands to consider the physical needs of consumers. Sixteen percent of the world’s population has some form of disability. This often doesn’t include people who have temporary or situational disabilities. Another growing sector of the population where accessibility considerations are growing in prominence is the aging population. Baby Boomers make up 21% of the population in the U.S., with the youngest of this generation beginning to enter their sixties. Recognizing the unmet need, Michael Graves Design, known as the most accessible design brand, has teamed up with furniture retailer to release the Michael Graves Design for Pottery Barn collection. In this episode, I sat down with Ben Wintner, CEO of Michael Graves Design to learn more about their approach to creating products that work for a broader group of consumers, as well as about the partnership with Pottery Barn.Get the Inclusion & Marketing Newsletter👇🏾 Work With MeInclusive Marketing AssessmentsInclusive Marketing ConsultingMichael Graves Design for Pottery Barn
Jul 25, 2024 • 28min
121. How to write inclusive prompts for biased AI tools with Chi Odogwu
AI has a lot of biases in it. We know this, simply by considering the sources of the training data used. But knowing that AI have bias doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't use them in your marketing. Rather, it just means it is important to know the types of prompts to give your AI tools, to help root out the bias to create something that would be beneficial for the diverse group of consumers you want to reach.In this episode, I sat down with Chi Odogwu, an AI Operations Strategist.Get the Inclusion & Marketing NewsletterEpisode 95: Navigating the effective use of AI for inclusive marketing with Joyann BoyceChi Odogwu on LinkedInChi's website
