StoryBrand Marketing Agency
Is Your Marketing Message So Confusing Even Your Own Mom Doesn’t Get It?
We're a StoryBrand Marketing Agency that helps Service Businesses clarify their messaging so everyone wants to work with you!
✓ Build trust and authority in your industry
✓ Connect with CLIENTS WHO ACTUALLY GET IT
✓ MARKETING THAT FEELS NATURAL
WATCH THIS VIDEO
If your message isn’t landing—and the right clients aren’t showing up—it’s not your fault. Most service business owners are great at what they do. They just struggle to talk about it clearly.
In this video, I’ll walk you through how we fix that using the StoryBrand Framework, plus how to get started with either DIY or done-for-you options.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR MESSAGE ISN’T CLEAR
Can your mom explain what you do?
Can you easily explain what you do?
Can anyone?
If not, that's the problem we fix.
Because when people don’t understand what you do, they move on. You end up working harder just to stay in the game.
You’re always re-explaining yourself
Your website doesn’t convert visitors into clients
Your leads aren’t the right fit
Referrals become scarce
Marketing is frustrating as all hell
But it doesn’t have to be this way. A clear message makes all of that easier. It’s the difference between chasing leads—and attracting the right ones.
You might not believe it yet, but marketing can actually be the opposite of frustrating when you're doing it right.
MAKE YOUR MARKETING Simpler
Whether you want to learn the system or hand it over completely, the goal is the same: clear messaging that brings in better clients with less effort.
A DIY SYSTEM THAT’S SIMPLE TO FOLLOW
for weekly group coaching, templates, and a proven system that fits seamlessly into your week—without taking over your life.
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COACHING THAT MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE
Want someone to walk you through it? Get 1:1 or team coaching to clarify your message and apply the StoryBrand Framework to your business in real time.
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DONE-FOR-YOU MARKETING
Too busy to do it yourself? We’ll build your messaging, write your copy, create the assets you need, and handle your StoryBrand marketing—so you can stay focused on running your business.
HI, I'm Vicky Sidler
And I’VE BEEN WHERE YOU ARE
I know how it feels to stare at your marketing and think, “Why isn’t this working?” That's why I created a StoryBrand Marketing Agency.
All in all, your business isn’t just another brick in the wall—it’s something special. Your story matters, and I’m here to help you share it in a way that feels real, connects with people, and gets results.
As a certified StoryBrand Guide, I specialize in turning complicated ideas into clear, compelling messages that resonate with your audience.
With a background in journalism, I’ve spent decades telling stories that matter and crafting content people want to read.
I’ve developed a proven system to help businesses like yours cut through all the AI trash that's out there and build genuine connections with their audience.
Your story isn’t just important—it’s the reason people will choose your business. Let’s make sure it’s heard loud and clear by the people who need it most.
And sorry if I got Pink Floyd stuck in your head just now...
EVERYTHING STORYBRAND, ALL IN ONE PLACE
Whether you need help with strategy, websites, content, or SEO, I offer the full range of StoryBrand marketing services—done with you or done for you.
StoryBrand Framework
StoryBrand Wireframe
StoryBrand Websites
StoryBrand SEO
StoryBrand Video
StoryBrand Copywriting
StoryBrand Email Sequences
StoryBrand Marketing Funnels
StoryBrand Workshops
StoryBrand Consulting
StoryBrand PPC
StoryBrand Lead Generation
StoryBrand
Social Media
StoryBrand Strategy
StoryBrand Content Marketing
StoryBrand Local Service
StoryBrand Coaching
MARKETING THAT DOESN’T TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE
Whether you want to build it yourself or hand it off completely, as a StoryBrand Marketing Agency, we’ll give you a clear message and a simple system that actually works.
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BOOK A COFFEE CHAT
This is a no-pressure, non-sales call where we discuss what’s working, what’s not, and where you want to go.
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CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Get hands-on support through the StoryBrand Course, 1:1 or team coaching, or let me build the entire marketing system for you—messaging, website, emails, and more.
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FIX YOUR MARKETING
Walk away with a message that resonates, a plan that’s easy to follow, and marketing that works while you sleep and finally delivers results.
COFFEE’S ON ME (OK, NOT REALLY)
But I'm serious about helping you connect with your audience. Let’s grab a coffee (on Zoom) and chat about your marketing goals.
Wondering how to simplify your message? Let’s talk.
Ready to stand out in an AI-saturated world? I’ve got ideas.
Just need clarity? I’ll help you see the big picture.
This isn’t a sales call—just a friendly, low-pressure chat. At the very least, you’ll walk away with some cool ideas you can try on your own.
SCHEDULE YOUR COFFEE CHAT WITH ME (VICKY) TODAY
FIXING YOUR MARKETING SHOULDN’T FEEL IMPOSSIBLE
Most small business owners aren’t marketers—they just want to explain what they do in a way that makes people care.
But when the message isn’t clear, everything else gets harder: websites don’t convert, leads go cold, and social posts fall flat.
You might worry that getting it right will take too much time, cost too much money, or feel like just another online course you’ll never finish.
That’s why I offer three simple paths: do-it-together support through the StoryBrand Course, 1:1 and team coaching, or done-for-you services where I build your full funnel myself.
You’ll get clear messaging, practical templates, and real support—so your marketing finally works and your business actually grows.
YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
We know marketing can feel overwhelming, and you probably have questions. That’s why we’ve put together answers to the things people ask us most.
What makes Strategic Marketing Tribe different from other StoryBrand marketing agencies?
We’re the StoryBrand marketing agency that skips the boring "corporate speak." We blend the power of StoryBrand with strategic marketing solutions to craft content that feels human, genuine, and impossible to ignore.
How can your strategic marketing solutions benefit my business?
Our strategic marketing solutions simplify your message, clarify your brand story, and help you connect with your ideal customers. It’s marketing that makes sense and gets results – no jargon, no gimmicks, just growth.
What is StoryBrand, and why does it matter?
Think of StoryBrand as a cheat sheet for marketing clarity. It helps you explain what you do in a way that makes people stop, listen, and say, “Oh, I get it.” We use it to create marketing that feels human and that your audience will actually enjoy reading.
Do I need to be familiar with StoryBrand to work with you?
Not at all! Whether you’re a StoryBrand superfan (like us!) or have no idea what it is, we’ll walk you through everything. We’re here to make the process simple, clear, and (dare we say) fun.
How do I know if this is right for my business?
If people keep saying “I don’t really get what you do,” or you’re getting the wrong kind of leads, it’s a sign your message needs work. That’s what we fix.
What if I don’t have time to take a course?
The course is built for time-strapped business owners. You get short lessons, plug-and-play templates, and live support so you’re never stuck or overwhelmed.
What’s the difference between the course and the done-for-you service?
The course gives you training, tools, and weekly support so you can do it yourself. The done-for-you option means I build your whole funnel for you.
How long does it take to see results?
Most people see clearer messaging and better engagement within a week of applying the one-liner. Bigger results (like leads and conversions) follow as you apply it across your marketing.
What if I’ve already tried StoryBrand and it didn’t work?
Many people try to apply StoryBrand on their own and miss key parts. This course walks you through it step-by-step, with real examples and live feedback from a Certified Guide.
STORY, MEET STRATEGY
Let’s make marketing feel less robotic and more real. Find resources from a StoryBrand Marketing Agency that bring your message—and your business—to life.
AI Cheating Prompts Return of In-Person Interviews
By Vicky Sidler | Published 6 September 2025 at 12:00 GMT
If you’ve ever thought “This candidate sounds too good to be true,” they probably were. Especially if the interview was on Zoom and their answers came straight from ChatGPT.
That’s the problem big companies like Google and McKinsey are facing. And their solution? Dust off the meeting room chairs and bring back in-person interviews. Because apparently, the best way to detect AI cheating is a handshake and eye contact.
According to The Wall Street Journal, companies are starting to realise their virtual hiring processes are turning into prompt engineering competitions. And they’re not impressed.
TL;DR
Google and McKinsey are reinstating in-person interviews to stop AI-assisted cheating
Candidates are using AI to answer technical questions during video calls
One face-to-face round is now required at both firms before a job offer
Paper resumes and fly-ins are making a comeback
Most candidates prefer in-person interviews anyway
Small businesses should pay attention: this changes hiring, trust, and brand signals
Need help getting your message right? Download the 5-Minute Marketing Fix
Table of Contents
AI Cheating Prompts Return of In-Person Interviews
Why Big Companies Are Reverting to Human Contact:
The Bigger Trend—Old-School Is Back:
AI Is Breaking More Than Just Interviews:
How I’m Going Old School, Too:
Why This Matters for Small Businesses:
1. In-Person Builds Faster Trust:
2. Guardrails for Virtual Interviews:
4. AI Affects Your Brand Voice Too:
Why Real Interviews Still Work:
Clear Messages Cut Through AI Noise:
YouTube Shorts AI Tools: What Small Businesses Should Know
Marketing Automation's Transparency Gap Is Costing You Sales
Gen Z Social Search Shift: How Brands Must Adapt
Mastering StoryBrand Marketing: Your Guide for 2025
AI, Cybersecurity & Social Media Now Drive Small Business Growth
FAQs About AI Cheating and the Return to In-Person Interviews
Why are companies going back to in-person interviews?
Who is bringing back face-to-face interviews?
What kind of AI cheating are employers seeing?
How is AI affecting small business hiring?
Is this shift only happening in recruitment?
Do people actually prefer in-person interviews?
What’s a simple way to make my hiring process more authentic?
Why Big Companies Are Reverting to Human Contact:
Interviews are meant to test your thinking, not your browsing speed. But hiring managers are catching on—candidates pause, then read answers like they’re narrating a tutorial.
McKinsey added an in-person round over a year ago. Google followed. On The Lex Fridman Podcast, CEO Sundar Pichai said face-to-face interviews help verify if people really understand the fundamentals.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s risk management.
The Bigger Trend—Old-School Is Back:
Digital trust is fraying. Paper resumes are back. Some companies are even flying candidates in just to see how they respond in a live setting.
Why? Because the job market is tight and competition is fierce. Quiet layoffs and “job hugging” mean employers want more confidence before they make a hire. And AI makes it harder to trust what you see on screen.
This shift may start with tech giants, but it won’t stay there.
AI Is Breaking More Than Just Interviews:
Hiring is not the only process being rehumanised. Here’s what else is getting rolled back:
Customer service: After promising to replace staff with AI, Klarna rehired humans because bots were upsetting people.
Education: Schools ditched video proctoring and brought back handwritten exams.
Healthcare: Some hospitals stopped using AI to generate medical notes due to accuracy concerns.
Retail: Amazon moved away from “Just Walk Out” technology. It was glitchy, and customers hated it.
Finance: Banks now run manual checks alongside AI systems to reduce compliance risk.
The pattern is clear: human-in-the-loop is back in fashion.
How I’m Going Old School, Too:
I’ll give you a simple example from my own life. My boyfriend and I started watching DVDs again.
Actual, physical DVDs. From a DVD player. That we had to plug in. Turns out, those bad boys actually still work.
He already had a decent collection, and half the movies aren’t even on the streaming platforms we pay for. Second-hand DVDs are so cheap it feels like we’re doing something illegal, but it’s perfectly above board.
And here’s what’s strange—it feels better. No autoplay. No algorithm pushing you toward “one more episode.” You watch one thing, it ends, and then you go to bed like a person with boundaries.
He watches more Netflix than I do and was getting serious algorithm fatigue. I didn’t realise it at the time, but choosing a DVD feels like reclaiming your attention span. You’re not being nudged by “you might also like...” You just watch what you planned to watch. That’s it.
Sometimes the low-tech option isn’t just good enough—it’s actually better.
Why This Matters for Small Businesses:
You don’t need to hire hundreds of staff for this to affect you. If you run interviews, review CVs, or market your brand, here’s what to keep in mind.
1. In-Person Builds Faster Trust:
Meeting someone in person tells you things a webcam won’t. Body language. Eye contact. Confidence. You can’t fake those easily.
2. Guardrails for Virtual Interviews:
Still remote? Add timed exercises, follow-up questions that require thinking, or screen-sharing so you’re seeing what they’re doing, not just what they’re saying.
3. Paper Resumes Stand Out:
In a pile of AI-polished CVs, an old-school resume—hand-delivered—can show effort, originality, and actual handwriting. Yes, really.
4. AI Affects Your Brand Voice Too:
If candidates are using AI to fake answers, they’re also using it to write emails, sales pages, and job ads. If your message sounds like it came from the same tool, you’ve got a trust problem too.
Why Real Interviews Still Work:
Most people prefer them. A 2023 study from the American Staffing Association found 70 percent of adults in the US would rather interview in person than over video.
It’s not just about formality. In-person gives people a better shot at showing who they are—without a second device feeding them responses.
If you’re hiring soon, try offering both options. Then compare who shines when the chatbot isn’t whispering answers in their ear.
Three Simple Fixes:
Step 1: Add a human moment:
Even if you do most of the hiring online, include a call, live test, or short in-person meet. It doesn’t need to be long—just enough to see someone think in real time.
Step 2: Revisit your message:
Your hiring page, job ad, and interview questions should reflect your company culture. If they sound generic, candidates will treat you like a template too.
Step 3: Build trust early:
Behind-the-scenes content. Staff introductions. Office walk-throughs. All of these show what your business is like—and help filter for people who fit before they apply.
Clear Messages Cut Through AI Noise:
AI is everywhere. But when everyone’s using it to sound smarter, the real edge is sounding human. That’s what builds trust.
If your brand message is clear, confident, and real, it will outlast the trends and outshine the noise. That’s what the 5-Minute Marketing Fix helps you do.
Because even the best prompt can’t replace a real conversation.
Related Posts
YouTube Shorts AI Tools: What Small Businesses Should Know
If AI is making hiring feel robotic, it’s also creeping into your content. This piece shows how AI video tools can make your brand sound inauthentic—and how to fix it.
Marketing Automation's Transparency Gap Is Costing You Sales
Just like AI in hiring, AI in marketing can leave you in the dark. This article dives into how automation without oversight can quietly drain trust and conversions.
Gen Z Social Search Shift: How Brands Must Adapt
If your future customers crave realness over polish, this is your wake-up call. Learn why Gen Z is choosing authenticity over algorithms—and how your business should respond.
Mastering StoryBrand Marketing: Your Guide for 2025
You can’t fake clarity. This guide shows how to build trust and connect with people using simple, human messaging that cuts through the AI noise.
AI, Cybersecurity & Social Media Now Drive Small Business Growth
Want the full picture? This trend report breaks down how AI is reshaping hiring, marketing, and customer engagement—and what small businesses need to do to stay ahead.
FAQs About AI Cheating and the Return to In-Person Interviews
Why are companies going back to in-person interviews?
Because AI is making virtual interviews unreliable. Candidates are using tools like ChatGPT to answer questions in real time, especially during technical interviews. In-person settings make it harder to cheat and easier to assess real skills.
Who is bringing back face-to-face interviews?
Google, McKinsey, Amazon, Anthropic, Cisco, and Deloitte are among the major companies reinstating in-person interview rounds. Some even require candidates to sign agreements not to use AI tools.
What kind of AI cheating are employers seeing?
Candidates are using AI-generated answers during live interviews, faking resumes with AI, and in some cases using deepfake technology or hiring proxies to sit interviews on their behalf.
How is AI affecting small business hiring?
Smaller companies may not face deepfake-level fraud, but they’re still dealing with overly polished, AI-generated applications and rehearsed video answers. Adding a human layer—like a phone call or in-person meeting—helps cut through that.
Is this shift only happening in recruitment?
No. Education, customer service, finance, retail, and healthcare are all seeing a return to manual or hybrid systems. Many businesses are finding that AI introduces complexity and compliance problems that outweigh its benefits.
Do people actually prefer in-person interviews?
Yes. A 2023 American Staffing Association study found 70% of US adults would rather do in-person interviews than virtual or phone-based ones. People want real connection, not a performance.
What’s a simple way to make my hiring process more authentic?
Start small. Add one in-person round or a case-based question that can’t be Googled. Or require a short writing task done live. Anything that gives you a clearer view of the person—not just their prompts.
How do I keep my brand from sounding AI-generated?
Use your own voice. If you use AI to draft content, edit it until it sounds like you. Better yet, start with a clear message written by a human.The 5-Minute Marketing Fix helps you write one powerful sentence that connects with people—no robot required.
Is your Marketing Message so confusing even your own mom doesn’t get it? Let's clarify your message—so everyone wants to work with you!
Created with clarity (and coffee)