Ep.74 Brendan Carr | The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market?
Release Date: 12/04/2025
Ep.81 Peter Andrijeczko | A Business Owner’s Guide to Cybersecurity
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Peter Andrijeczko, a Reading-based cyber security expert and Information Security Manager. The conversation delves into the human side of security, defining it as the essential practice of protecting valuable data from "bad actors". Peter emphasises that employees serve as a business's first line of defence and highlights the importance of education in spotting threats like phishing. We also discuss the evolution of security models, moving from traditional "bastion" defences to the modern Zero Trust approach—a "verify, don't trust" philosophy that constantly monitors...
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My Local Marketer Podcast
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My Local Marketer Podcast
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Ep.78 Susanne Clausen | Securing Reading’s Creative Infrastructure
My Local Marketer Podcast
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Ep.77 Maria Lloyd | 4 Simple (But Overlooked) Shifts for Business Growth
My Local Marketer Podcast
In the final My Local Marketer episode of 2025, Maria shares four key takeaways from local business interviews to help Reading-based entrepreneurs succeed in 2026. 1. Mastery of Industry Insights Maria highlights Becky Ottery from Eclectic Games, who stays competitive by tracking designer blogs, attending trade shows, and listening closely to customer interests. To streamline this, Maria suggests using AI prompts—specifying your niche and location—to identify the best sources and people to follow. 2. Strategic Positioning Differentiating your business from giants like Amazon is essential....
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Ep.76 Tomson Chauke | Bridging Cultures and Building Brand in Reading
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Tomson Chauke, a musician, community leader, and founder of World Groove, discussing his mission to build bridges across the diverse communities of Reading. Tomson wears many hats, including running his band Limpopo Groove, working as a session musician, and hosting a radio podcast on B Radio. The conversation centres on the work of his main project, World Groove CIC, which uses African drumming to help young people and young adults with autism find their rhythm. Tomson explains how this work creates a vital community where parents and carers also meet, share experiences,...
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Ep.75 Will Carver | Why Authenticity is Your Biggest USP
My Local Marketer Podcast
In this episode, Will Carver, a successful writer, podcaster, and fitness business owner, shares his philosophies on work and creativity. The conversation delves into his preference for the title "writer" over "author," his method for balancing his different activities and roles, and his views on the changing landscape of the publishing industry. The discussion begins with Carver's view that a writer uses words to change the world and make sense of difficult subjects. We then discuss his podcast, Nothing Important Happened Today, and how Will uses this creative outlet. We then turn towards...
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Ep.74 Brendan Carr | The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market?
My Local Marketer Podcast
Ep.74 The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market? This episode features Brendan Carr, Community Engagement Curator at Reading Museum, discusses his role, the museum's vast collections, and strategies for engaging audiences. Brendan was born and bred in Reading and has a wealth of experience in museums, including the last 25 years at Reading Museum. The conversation delves into the evolution of Reading Museum, which is housed in the beautiful red brick Reading Town Hall and has been accumulating collections for over 140 years. He emphasises that the visible displays are just the...
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Ep.73 Alex Langlais | Scaling a Successful Reading Eatery (Without Losing the Personal Touch)
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Alex Langlais, the owner of Café Yolk, discussing her background, the development of Café Yolk, and her philosophy on running a successful hospitality venture. The conversation delves into the diverse community it serves, and the detailed operational strategy behind its success. The discussion begins with Alex's French-Canadian background and her upbringing in the restaurant industry, highlighting the essential need for passion and resilience in the field. She explains that Café Yolk was created to fill a market gap by delivering good quality food at an affordable...
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Ep.72 Tony Cowling and Tricia Marcousé | How to build an impactful & scalable community model
My Local Marketer Podcast
This episode features Tony Cowling and Tricia Marcousé of Draughtbusters, a community group dedicated to draught proofing the homes of people in energy poverty. Originating from a 2013-2014 initiative by Reading Borough Council, the service is provided free of charge. Despite the low overhead, the work is highly impactful: draught proofing can lead to annual savings of £150 to £250 and more on energy bills. Tony, a former builder, explains that common draughts are found in places like leaky trickle ventilators, under newly fitted doors, around pipes, and through floorboards. Draughtbusters...
info_outlineEp.74 The Mirror Test: How Do you Reflect Your Target Market?
This episode features Brendan Carr, Community Engagement Curator at Reading Museum, discusses his role, the museum's vast collections, and strategies for engaging audiences. Brendan was born and bred in Reading and has a wealth of experience in museums, including the last 25 years at Reading Museum.
The conversation delves into the evolution of Reading Museum, which is housed in the beautiful red brick Reading Town Hall and has been accumulating collections for over 140 years. He emphasises that the visible displays are just the "forefront," while the vast reserve collection acts as the town's "memory bank" for researchers worldwide.
The discussion touches on the vital topic of contemporary collecting and community engagement. Brendan stresses the importance of the museum acting as a "mirror," where people can see their own culture and background reflected. Engagement strategies focus on a balance of "old school" simple, tactile interactives and leveraging digital platforms for a growing global audience.
Finally, the conversation covers the challenges of funding, and the success of strategic partnerships and crafting "compelling" projects that align with the needs of funding agencies. Brendan concludes by encouraging listeners to visit the free museum for discovery and its positive impact on long-term wellbeing.
TIME CODES
00:00 Welcome
00:55 An introduction to Reading Museum
04:41 How large is the museum collection and how much is on display
08:19 How Reading Museum decides what stories and objects to collect
12:23 How Reading Museum staff keep the collection relevant over time
18:29 Brendan’s role at the museum and what it involves: Community Engagement Curator
23:34 What works for engaging museum audiences
29:07 The data Reading Museum collect and how they’re used
35:02 What challenges Brendan faces in carrying out his role
41:07 Brendan’s final thoughts for listeners
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Be a "Mirror," Not Just a Platform: Customers must see themselves reflected in your product or service. Ensure your offerings and marketing reflect the diversity and current story of your target audience to establish identity and a feeling of belonging.
Craft Compelling, Aligned Partnerships: The museum augments its budget by raising funds through grant applications. The key is to craft partnership arrangements with communities and projects that fulfil the needs of the funding agencies/partners. Business owners should look for partners whose strategic goals align with their project's outcomes, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
Proactive Asset Acquisition: Don't just save records—proactively collect items, stories, and data that reflect your current history. Business owners should be capturing the tools, narratives, and artifacts of their current success (e.g. prototypes, early marketing materials, customer testimonials, team stories) as they happen.