How to Break Mental Limits & Transform Your Vision
What if the very things that made you feel “too much” or “too different” are actually your biggest advantages in business?
In this episode of Be The Giraffe, Chris Jarvis sits down with marketing powerhouse Courtney Kehl, founder of Expert Marketing Advisors, for a raw, insightful conversation about branding, courage, failure, and what it really takes to stand out in crowded markets.
Courtney has helped some of the fastest-growing tech companies in Silicon Valley create “crazy buzz” and scale fast. But behind the polished success story is a journey full of rejection, doubt, homelessness, caregiving, grief, and a whole lot of humble pie.
This isn’t just a marketing episode—it’s a roadmap for anyone who feels called to do something bigger, but is still wrestling with fear, imposter syndrome, or the need for approval.
Branding Is Not Your Logo – It’s Your Truth
Courtney works with B2B tech companies around the world, but her perspective on branding is deeply human:
Branding isn’t just “some colors and a logo.” It’s how you tell the world who you are and what you represent.
She uses icons like Nike’s swoosh and Apple’s “Think Different” as examples of what brands can aspire to: simple symbols that carry a powerful, emotional story.
But she’s quick to remind founders: before your brand is memorable, it has to be honest.
Are you trying to be an outlier… but terrified of being an outcast?
Are you asking the whole world for feedback on your idea—then getting paralyzed by opinions?
Are you preventing your brand from standing out because you’re desperate to “fit in”?
Chris frames it through the Be The Giraffe lens: when you step out of the herd, you end up in that awkward in-between space. You’ve left where you were, but you haven’t yet reached the next level. That’s where branding, courage, and clarity really get tested.
When Love & Safety Hold You Back
Both Chris and Courtney share how family dynamics shaped their drive.
For Chris, childhood pain—divorced parents, bullying, not feeling understood—became the fuel behind Be The Giraffe. He wanted people to finally feel seen and understood.
For Courtney, the defining relationship was with her dad.
He wanted her to have the “safe” path: big corporate job, benefits, 401(k), stability. What he didn’t realize is that constantly hearing “no, because I said so” pushed her to chase his approval and eventually, to build something of her own.
Her turning point?
Her father passed away. One month later, she launched Expert Marketing Advisors.
Without even realizing it at the time, she says it was as if she no longer needed his approval to move forward. That’s when she articulated one of the most powerful lines of the episode:
“Dreams are so fragile when they’re small and young and just beginning.”
He meant well—but his fear for her safety made entrepreneurship feel “wrong” or “irresponsible.” And that’s exactly what so many founders face:
well-meaning people, giving bad advice for the right reasons.
If you’re sitting on an idea but you’re waiting for someone else to tell you it’s okay: this part of her story will hit home.
Feedback, Failure & the Power of “Ugly”
Courtney doesn’t sugarcoat it: if you’re going to build anything real, you’re going to get negative feedback.
And you should want it.
“I always say I want to know the good, bad, and ugly—and most importantly, the ugly.”
Why the ugly?
Because:
The good feels nice, but doesn’t change much.
The ugly shows you where the friction, confusion, or disappointment truly lives.
That “ugly” is how you crack the code and stop getting stuck.
She applies this everywhere:
Inside her team – by creating a culture where people feel safe to be honest.
With clients – by actively asking what they love, like, and hate.
With herself – by embracing mistakes as part of the process, not a reason to quit.
Chris connects this to one of his favorite themes: if you’re not getting any negative feedback, it probably means you’re not putting anything real out into the world.
You’re playing small. You’re invisible. You’re safe—but stuck.
The “Love – Like – Hate” Exercise (for Teams and Customers)
One of the most practical frameworks Courtney shares is her “Love – Like – Hate” exercise.
She uses it with her own team:
Love – What do you love doing? (Branding, messaging, operations, design, etc.)
Like – What do you like doing but don’t feel fully confident in yet?
Hate – What drains you, frustrates you, or makes you want to put it off forever?
Then she builds around that:
People who love something lead.
People who like it get to grow alongside someone who’s an expert.
Things you hate? You stop forcing it. You hire or partner with someone who loves it.
She applies the same framework externally with customers:
What do they love about working with you?
What do they like, but want more of or slightly different?
What do they hate—or quietly tolerate?
Those answers can reshape:
Your offers
Your messaging
Your positioning
And even your roadmap
If you’re early-stage, she says your first few customers will often reveal:
Whether you should go deeper into a specific industry (vertical)
Or deeper into a specific role or persona
And if you ever hear your customers repeating your messaging back to you in their own words?
You’ve nailed it. Keep it. Don’t overcomplicate it.
From Homeless to Multi-Million Dollar Homes (and Why Neither Defined Her)
Courtney also opens up about the extremes she’s experienced in life:
She has been homeless.
She has also lived in multi-million dollar homes.
The surprising part?
The fancy chapter was the most stressful.
“Some of my happiest times were just living on the river. A rainbow in the redwoods. Four walls and a roof—I’m extremely grateful. Money can buy you a lot of things, but not necessarily happiness.”
Those experiences shaped not just how she runs her company, but how she relates to people:
with humility, compassion, and an understanding that everyone has invisible battles.
She also shares how she survived abuse—and how talking about it took the power away:
“The more I talked about it, the more I recovered. The more it took away the strength that person had over me.”
This is where the episode becomes more than “marketing advice” and moves into personal transformation:
The secrets you’re afraid to say out loud are often the ones keeping you stuck.
The story you’re hiding is often the thing that will connect you most deeply to your audience.
Vulnerability isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s a growth strategy, for you and your business.
Marketing Lessons for Founders (Especially the Small & Scrappy Ones)
Courtney works with VC-backed companies and enterprise tech—but she has a big heart for earlier-stage founders.
Some of her biggest tactical takeaways:
1. Stop Overthinking. Start Testing.
Don’t get stuck on the “perfect” name, colors, or webinar script.
Record the webinar. Send the email. Ship the draft.
You can refine later—but you can’t optimize what doesn’t exist.
2. Talk to Your Existing Customers
Especially if you don’t have a big budget:
Ask them: What is it like to work with me? What do you value most?
Let them shape your messaging and your ideal customer profile.
Your early adopters will often show you where to pivot, niche, or double down.
Chris shares how, after being kicked out of a company he started, he went back to his clients and asked:
“What do you come to me for? What do I actually do for you?”
Their answer?
He gave them a different perspective—and that became the birth of Be The Giraffe.
3. Don’t Outsource Your Humanity
Courtney calls herself “the queen of outsourcing”—but there’s a line she won’t cross:
No fake bots pretending to be her.
No sloppy copy-paste outreach.
No generic, hollow follow-ups.
Founder-led sales still matter. If you send the message, people will respond differently. Authenticity is your unfair advantage.
4. Partnerships Are Rocket Fuel
Partnerships helped Expert Marketing Advisors survive COVID and then grow.
At first, they used partners to deliver what they couldn’t do in-house yet.
Then they realized they could sell into partners as well.
Some partner relationships became so strong they’re now considering acquisitions.
Her approach to partnerships:
Give more than you get—especially early.
Be generous, be reliable, and let your results speak first.
Over time, the right partners become force multipliers.
Be Courageous. Be Patient. Be the Giraffe.
If there’s a thread running through everything Courtney shares, it’s this:
Courage: Say yes before you feel “ready.” Be willing to fail, learn, and iterate.
Vulnerability: Share the scars that shaped you. Take the power back.
Authenticity: Don’t hide behind bots, perfect veneers, or fake polish.
Curiosity: Listen deeply to your customers, your mentors, and your own story.
Or in Chris’s language:
Most people want to be outliers—but they’re terrified of being outcasts
You can’t have one without risking the other.
Being the giraffe means:
Leaving the herd that feels “safe.”
Risking misunderstanding, criticism, and failure.
Trusting that the higher view is worth the vulnerability.
Where to Find Courtney & Expert Marketing Advisors
Want more of Courtney’s work or to explore how her team can support your marketing?
Visit Expert Marketing Advisors online at expertmarketingadvisors.com
Connect with Courtney Kehl on LinkedIn—yes, it’s actually her replying (as long as you’re not a bot)
If you’re feeling that pull toward something bigger—but you’re wrestling with doubt, approval, or “not being ready yet”—this episode is your sign.
It’s time to stop overthinking, start asking better questions, share more of your real story…
…and be the giraffe. 🦒