Nicole Zeno – Wild Business Growth Podcast #266: Small Business Director, Founder of Clever Cow Media

Set up the processes to grow your small business. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Nicole Zeno. Nicole is the Founder and CEO of Clever Cow Media. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth Podcast Summary

Episode 266: Nicole Zeno – Small Business Director, Founder of Clever Cow Media

Nicole Zeno, the Founder and CEO of Clever Cow Media, joins the show to share her journey from directing music videos to helping small businesses grow like trees. Hear how to make changes backed by data, improve your processes, take time off from your business, Nicole’s karaoke song, and the best (and worst) dad jokes. This episode covers everything from cows to concerts. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Why did Nicole study at the School of Visual Arts
• How did she start a stained glass club
• What helped her achieve success with Clever Cow Media
• Where did the branding come from
• What are Nicole’s favorite types of projects to work on for clients
• Why did the chicken go to the séance
• What’s the best life lesson Nicole has learned from her parents
• Vans Warped Tour

Connect with Nicole at CleverCowMedia.com, on social media @CleverCowMedia and @NBZeno, and YouTube @CleverCow.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Music Videos
  • [0:29] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:38] Connect with Nicole at CleverCowMedia.com, on social media @CleverCowMedia and @NBZeno, and YouTube @CleverCow
  • [1:58] Hippo Direct
  • [2:27] Animal Farm by George Orwell
  • [3:01] Why did Nicole study at the School of Visual Arts (SVA)
  • [4:05] SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)
  • [4:20] CalArts (California Institute of the Arts)
  • [4:37] Pixar, ILM (Industrial Light & Music), DreamWorks
  • [5:02] What was Nicole’s favorite piece of art she created before college
  • [5:12] Did we just become best friends?!
  • [5:35] Romero Britto, Peter Max
  • [6:00] How did Nicole start a stained glass club
  • [6:15] Introvert
  • [6:23] Podcasts, YouTube Shows
  • [7:26] What did Nicole do in the music video world
  • [7:42] Entrepreneur
  • [10:19] Musicapreneurship
  • [10:42] The Smashing Pumpkins
  • [11:02] Yellowcard, Saosin
  • [11:13] “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins
  • [11:37] X Games, Gravity Games, Jane’s Addiction, Sum 41, Filter

• The Clever Cow Media Story
  • [12:11] What helped Nicole achieve success with Clever Cow Media
  • [12:41] Revenue
  • [13:54] Budget
  • [14:04] CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
  • [15:29] Where did the branding for Clever Cow Media come from
  • [15:42] “Zero” by The Smashing Pumpkins
  • [16:14] Pinkberry
  • [16:44] Google
  • [17:21] Heights International Publishing (HIP)
  • [17:39] Wisconsin State Fair (Hire Nicole!)
  • [18:02] AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  • [18:11] What are Nicole’s favorite types of projects to work on for clients
  • [19:03] The Home Depot
  • [19:35] Social Media
  • [20:05] KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
  • [21:37] How do you make changes backed by data
  • [22:00] Google Analytics
  • [22:06] POS System (Point-of-Sale), CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
  • [22:40] Cash Flow, P&L (Profit-and-Loss Statement)
  • [22:54] Warren Buffett
  • [23:03] Oooooh!
  • [23:56] Conversion Rate
  • [24:04] A/B Test
  • [24:22] Email Nurture, Abandon Cart
  • [25:02] All of the above
  • [25:13] What makes data points pop off the screen
  • [25:47] SaaS (Software as a Service)
  • [26:21] Oh boy
  • [26:48] How do you improve your processes
  • [27:02] SMBs (Small-and-Midsize Businesses), Startups
  • [27:28] PR (Public Relations)
  • [27:52] PayPal
  • [29:26] Automation
  • [30:32] MaxPodcasting
  • [30:35] Honeymoon Pics
  • [30:48] Wild Business Growth Podcast
  • [32:02] Why thank you!
  • [33:47] What an important stumble
  • [34:20] Hit me up if you want to talk take-time-off planning!
  • [36:17] Be the tree!
  • [36:26] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23
  • [36:28] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
• The Unusual
  • [37:20] What is Nicole’s biggest pet peeve
  • [37:25] Bazinga!
  • [37:51] Stress
  • [38:18] What’s a quirk Nicole has
  • [38:24] Dad Jokes
  • [38:47] Why did the chicken go to the séance
  • [39:11] Cluckling
  • [39:22] What’s a Weird Talent Nicole has
  • [39:54] Buddy the Elf makes breakfast
  • [40:17] What’s Nicole’s favorite custom dish to cook
  • [40:50] Beef Wellington, Coq au Vin

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [41:27] What was the biggest adjustment moving to Scottsdale, AZ
  • [42:05] Shoutout, Sheryl, Gary, and Boca Midnight!
  • [42:25] What’s the best life lesson Nicole has learned from her parents
  • [43:55] What would be her dream instrument to play well
  • [44:04] Oh no!
  • [44:20] High Soprano
  • [44:53] Coachella, Vans Warped Tour, South by (SXSW)
  • [45:18] “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard
  • [45:28] Shoutout, Alana!
  • [46:00] Why did the scarecrow get an award
  • [46:20] Connect with Nicole at CleverCowMedia.com, on social media @CleverCowMedia and @NBZeno, and YouTube @CleverCow
  • [47:29] What are Nicole’s Final Thoughts
  • [48:06] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [48:27] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [48:30] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [48:32] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [48:37] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Nicole Zeno on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And dad joke your heart out with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!