Marketing Mentor

What Marketing Mentor does

Marketing Mentor is a privately held, bootstrapped coaching and educational-content business founded by Ilise Benun in 1989 and operated as a solo practice serving freelance creative professionals (designers, copywriters, photographers, web designers, and other solopreneurs). The company helps its target audience attract better clients, price confidently, write proposals that close, and build consistent marketing habits, addressing pain points such as feast-or-famine income cycles, underpricing, and marketing overwhelm.

The core product surface is the Simplest Marketing Plan (SMP) and its enhanced SMP+ program, which codify a three-pillar methodology (outreach, networking, content marketing), supplemented by private one-on-one coaching, a Kick-Start Call upsell at $99, digital bundles (e.g., Profit from Your Personality at $247, 4 Marketing Plans Galore at $186, Birthday Pack 2 at $79), individual ebooks and proposal kits priced from $39, and three courses each distributed through Domestika and CreativeLive. The proprietary technology stack is minimal by design: products are sold through a Shopify storefront on marketing-mentor.com, delivered digitally, and the flagship non-product asset is a content ecosystem built around a 554+-episode Marketing Mentor Podcast, a regularly updated blog named by QuickBooks as one of the 100 Best Business Blogs, and a bi-weekly Quick Tips email newsletter distributed to 16,000-24,000 subscribers.

The business model blends one-time digital product sales, fee-for-service coaching (introductory free 30-minute consultation via Calendly, then per-session or recurring engagements), book royalties, and speaking/workshop fees. Go-to-market is community-led and content-driven: the podcast, blog, and newsletter attract creative professionals; free content creates top-of-funnel; the free consultation converts prospects to paid coaching; product bundles capture self-serve buyers; marketplace presence on Domestika and CreativeLive extends reach. The company runs with 1-10 employees (a solo practice led by the founder), no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no institutional funding.

Name

Marketing Mentor

Legal name

Marketing Mentor

Website

https://marketing-mentor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marketing Mentor is a solo coaching business helping freelance creative professionals attract better clients, price confidently, and build consistent marketing habits through courses, ebooks, books, and one-on-one mentoring.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Coaching Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Consultative Selling & Discovery (EDABABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Sales Leadership & Revenue Executive Coaching (EDABANAL), Sales & Customer Service Training (EDAGANAC), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Creative business coaching
• Marketing plan services
• Freelance marketing education
• Proposal writing training
• Pricing strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoboken

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Digital Products & Courses: One-time purchase digital products including the Simplest Marketing Plan (annual), courses from Domestika and CreativeLive, ebooks, proposal templates, and bundled toolkits. Products range from $39 to $247. Revenue is recognized at point of sale with no recurring component.
2. Coaching & Consulting: One-on-one marketing coaching sessions sold individually or as ongoing engagements. The Getting Started Questionnaire forms the foundation, with sessions customized per client need. Biweekly or monthly check-ins provide accountability. Conversion from free consultation to paid sessions.
3. Books & Publications: Seven published books for creative professionals, including 'The Creative Professional's Guide to Money' and 'The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing.' Books serve as both standalone revenue and customer acquisition for higher-priced offerings.
4. Speaking & Workshops: Fees from speaking engagements, workshops, and conference presentations to creative industry groups. Since 1993, Ilise has conducted marketing workshops for art schools, trade organizations, and conferences including HOW Design Live, SCAD, RISD, and Freelancers Union.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marketing Mentor provides one-on-one marketing coaching and self-paced educational products for self-employed creative professionals. Its flagship offering is the Simplest Marketing Plan (SMP), a structured annual program built on three pillars—outreach, networking, and content marketing—designed to help freelancers and small creative firms win better clients and bigger projects. Supporting offerings include private coaching sessions, ebooks, proposal and pricing bundles, online courses distributed through Domestika and CreativeLive, and seven published books.

Product overview

Marketing Mentor is a coaching and educational platform for creative professionals, operated by Ilise Benun. The core offering consists of the Simplest Marketing Plan (SMP) and Simplest Marketing Program (SMP+), which provide structured marketing frameworks built on three pillars: outreach, networking, and content marketing. These are supplemented by private one-on-one coaching sessions and a Kick-Start Call add-on. The product portfolio includes multiple digital bundles and ebooks addressing specific business challenges such as pricing strategy (WORTH IT, Tiered Pricing Kit, Package Pricing Bundle), client communication (What to Say When), and proposal writing. Additional offerings include the Marketing Mentor Podcast (550+ episodes), a blog with regular articles, and online courses distributed through Domestika and CreativeLive platforms. The company also offers themed bundles like Birthday Packs and the Marketing Plans Galore Bundle for customers wanting variety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Simplest Marketing Plan (SMP) / Simplest Marketing Program (SMP+) Flagship annual marketing program built on three pillars—outreach, networking, and content marketing—offering creative professionals a structured, repeatable client-acquisition system; the SMP+ tier adds community access, office hours, and group coaching.
• Private Coaching One-on-one marketing coaching sessions with Ilise Benun providing personalized marketing guidance, strategy development, and accountability for creative professionals; converted from a free consultation.
• Kick-Start Call A 30-minute private coaching session where Ilise Benun reviews the client's creative business and provides a clear action plan; sold standalone or as an add-on.
• Profit from Your Personality Bundle Comprehensive bundle of three courses covering personality branding, headline copywriting, and proposal strategy, designed to help creatives attract ideal clients through authentic self-presentation.
• WORTH IT: How getting good at the money talk pays off 54-page ebook teaching creative professionals how to master money conversations, negotiate better deals, and raise fees, with scripts, cheat sheet, and money mantras.
• What to Say When (by Ilise Benun & Bob Bly) 90-minute video training paired with a 54-page companion ebook providing scripts for 27 tricky client communication situations, co-created with veteran copywriter Bob Bly.
• 4 Marketing Plans Galore Bundle Bundle of four different marketing plans—SMP 3.0, Get the Work You Want, Marketing Blueprint, and 30 Minutes/Day Plan—allowing creative professionals to sample and pick the framework that fits them.
• Birthday Pack 2: Money Mindset & Pricing Bestsellers Money-focused bundle including WORTH IT ebook, Package Pricing Bundle, and Tiered Pricing Kit, designed to help creatives improve pricing and money conversations.
• Pricing & Proposals Collection Collection of proposal templates and pricing strategy kits tailored to specific creative disciplines, including Package Pricing Bundle, Tiered Pricing Kit, Copywriter's Proposal Bundle, and Designer's Proposal Bundles.
• Domestika Online Courses Self-paced courses hosted on Domestika.org featuring Ilise Benun, including 'Writing a Winning Proposal to Land Your Dream Clients,' distributed globally alongside other creative instructors.
• CreativeLive Online Courses Live and on-demand courses on CreativeLive covering proposals, marketing, and pricing for creative professionals, with platform-managed video hosting and sales infrastructure.
• Books for Creative Professionals Seven published trade books by Ilise Benun for creative professionals, including titles such as 'The Creative Professional's Guide to Money' and 'The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing'; sold as standalone revenue and as funnels into higher-priced coaching.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% increase in business revenue reported by one client (Maria Guerriero) over multiple years of coaching
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HOW Design LivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Co-founder and host of the Creative Business/Design Entrepreneurship program for HOW Design Live since 2008, one of the original events. Also developed the Certificate in Creative Business Entrepreneurship courses for HOW Design University covering proposals, pricing, marketing, and freelancing.
• Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIlise Benun developed and delivered programming for SCAD as a 'Business Coach,' providing marketing and business education to creative students at the institution. This represents a curriculum-level partnership for business skills training.
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIlise Benun served as instructor in the 'Business of Design' graduate program at MICA, delivering business education specifically designed for graduate-level creative professionals.
• Freelancers UnionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead developer and trainer of 'Freelance 360: How to Be a Better Boss of You,' a curriculum including six workshops and panel presentations covering freelance business fundamentals. Delivered programming for Freelancers Union members.
• DomestikacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThree online courses published on Domestika.org, a global creative education marketplace. Courses include 'Writing a Winning Proposal: Land Your Dream Clients' and others. Domestika distributes Ilise's courses alongside thousands of other creative instructors.
• CreativeLivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThree online courses available on CreativeLive.com, a live and on-demand education platform. CreativeLive handles platform distribution, video hosting, and sales infrastructure while Ilise provides course content.
• Bob BlyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored 'What to Say When' — a 90-minute video training and ebook featuring scripts for 27 client communication situations. Combines Ilise's creative professional focus with Bob Bly's 40+ years of B2B copywriting expertise. A co-created product sold through the Marketing Mentor store.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Futur: The Futur is a coaching and content platform founded by Chris Do that teaches designers and creative professionals how to price, market, and grow their businesses. It directly mirrors Marketing Mentor's coaching-plus-content model targeting the same freelancer/agency creative segment with overlapping topics like pricing, proposals, and client acquisition.
• Double Your Freelancing: Founded by Brennan Dunn, Double Your Freelancing sells courses, coaching, and digital products that teach independent professionals how to get better clients, raise rates, and run profitable solo businesses. It directly competes with Marketing Mentor for the same freelance creative audience with a similar mix of courses, ebooks, and paid programs.
• Productive Flourishing: Charlie Gilkey's Productive Flourishing provides courses, books, and coaching to creative entrepreneurs and small studios on planning, pricing, and project execution. It competes for the same independent creative professional buyer with similar digital products and coaching offerings.
• Win Without Pitching: Blair Enns's Win Without Pitching is a coaching and training business that teaches creative agencies and freelancers how to win business through positioning and proposal strategy. It is highly comparable to Marketing Mentor in serving creative services firms with consulting, books, and paid programs like the SPIN cycle framework.
• Craft + Commerce: Sean McCabe's Craft + Commerce is a conference, podcast, and educational community for creative entrepreneurs focused on building sustainable creative businesses. It overlaps Marketing Mentor's niche of helping designers, illustrators, and makers with the business side of their craft.

Emerging players

• HoneyBook: HoneyBook is a SaaS platform serving the same freelance creative professional segment with proposals, contracts, invoicing, and client workflow tools. It competes with Marketing Mentor's Proposal Oreo Strategy and pricing kits by offering automated tooling that replaces the manual proposal methods Marketing Mentor teaches.
• Bonsai: Bonsai is an all-in-one freelance business platform offering proposals, contracts, time tracking, and pricing guidance for freelancers and creatives. It competes adjacent to Marketing Mentor by automating much of the proposal-and-pricing workflow that Marketing Mentor teaches through templates and coaching.

Broad incumbents

• Duct Tape Marketing: John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing is a broader marketing consulting and education franchise system that helps small business owners with marketing strategy. While not creative-specific, it overlaps in offering small business marketing education, training, and resources to similar SMB buyers.
• Marie Forleo: Marie Forleo's MarieTV and B-School offer coaching, courses, and content aimed at helping entrepreneurs build businesses they love. While broader than Marketing Mentor's creative-only focus, it overlaps in selling online courses, ebooks, and premium programs to small business owners and creatives.
• Seth Godin: Seth Godin operates an altMBA, a popular daily blog, podcast, and book portfolio that teaches marketing, shipping, and creative work to professionals. It is comparable as a solo-led educational business monetizing marketing expertise through books, courses, and content, though with a wider audience than just creatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1238321
• Xx.com/ilisebenun
• Facebookfacebook.com/marketingmentortoolbox

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marketing Mentor