S2 E17: Santa Cruz Natives Tricia Mogensen & Jenny Keck of Opposite of East: Branding That Scales

Why do some local brands feel like a real person while others blend in? Tricia Mogensen and Jenny Keck, the Santa Cruz co-founders of Opposite of East, share how strong brands are actually built, and what it takes to scale a business past word of mouth. We start on the ground with Jerry: a flood of homeowners insurance quote requests, and why wrong details on roof age, plumbing or electrical can cost a buyer the house. We also talk about flood insurance confusion and clients who show up with confident AI-generated answers that don't match the property. Then Tricia and Jenny unpack their "chameleon" approach, the opposite of cookie-cutter marketing. Every client starts with strategy first, then brand design, photography and web. Their core idea: humans connect with humans, so your business has to feel like a person with a point of view. They also share the beach walk where the name Opposite of East was born, and the hard years that made them restructure how they work. We get honest about scaling: why founders can't be replaced, only supported, how much to budget for marketing (they suggest 5% to 10% of gross revenue), and what to do when you're too busy to market at all. Sometimes the right move is retention marketing or marketing to hire, not chasing more leads. Chapters 0:00 Why homeowners insurance quotes are overwhelming 1:44 Wrong listing details can cost a buyer the house 3:51 Flood insurance and AI-generated answers 5:17 Meet Tricia Mogensen and Jenny Keck 7:46 How Tricia and Jenny started working together 11:00 The chameleon approach to branding 15:31 Why every client starts with strategy 17:45 Marketing budgets and owner resistance 19:32 Word of mouth vs. building systems 21:57 Taking the founder out of the equation 28:28 The pandemic pivot and the name story 32:47 Restructuring their own operating system 35:30 What a real brand strategy includes 39:30 Humans connect with humans 44:05 The hardest years and restructuring 47:06 How much research goes into a strategy 48:24 How much to spend on marketing 49:05 Too busy to market? Retention and hiring 50:15 Where to find Opposite of East 51:13 Santa Cruz generations and wrap-up Find Tricia Mogensen and Jenny Keck Opposite of East - Creative Marketing Agency Brand Strategy | Brand and Web Design | Photo and Video | Marketing and PR 📍 925 41st Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 🕙 Office hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 📞 (831) 345-6206 🌐 https://www.oppositeofeast.com 📸 Instagram:   / opposite.of.east   Listen to the full episode: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35... Hosted by Brandi Jones (Keller Williams Thrive), Ryan Buckholdt (CrossCountry Mortgage) and Jerry Seagraves (Seagraves Insurance), with Brian Upton of Santa Cruz Vibes. Know a business owner who's ready to grow but stuck doing everything themselves? Subscribe and share this episode with them. #SantaCruz #OwningTheCoast #OppositeOfEast #Branding #SmallBusiness #MarketingStrategy #SantaCruzBusiness #HomeownersInsurance Brandi Jones | REALTOR® | KW Thrive Santa Cruz 🏡 Real estate strategy + aligned decisions for your next chapter. Reach out anytime if real estate is part of your next chapter. 📞 (831) 588-5145 🌐 brandijonesrealtor.com 📍 Santa Cruz • Monterey Bay • Santa Clara County DRE# 01385191