Marketing Wins: Industry Experts to Published Authors

Ex-Apprentice contestant turned podcast host and her industry-expert partner release guide to winning marketing strategies. 

Marketing is a constantly evolving, fast-paced world where standing out is essential; with marketing success evolving to likes on Instagram reels and Tiktoks, understanding the significance of integrated marketing strategies that deliver measurable results is crucial. 

Marketing Wins (Troubador, 2026) bridges the gap between traditional marketing wisdom and digital innovation. Covering the entire customer journey, this business guide will equip marketeers with the tools to craft effective and cohesive strategies that will drive success in today’s crowded marketplace. 

Written by former ex-Apprentice candidate and her industry expert partner, this marketing roadmap is the new power tool for the marketing experts, allowing them to offer holistic and innovative expertise. But how did their journey begin? What insights do they have into the world of marketing? And how do they envision utilising their self-publication to further support their thriving businesses? 

The Making of the Marketeers 

Elliott’s journey has always been at the intersection of technology and strategic communication. “I founded the digital agency MintTwist in 2007, which we grew into an award-winning firm before its acquisition by Finn Partners in 2021. Today I serve as a Managing Partner at Finn Partners, where I help global brands navigate the complexities of digital transformation.” 

He has taken his knowledge and experience beyond the meeting rooms. As a passionate educator and speaker, he serves as a Visiting Lecturer at various institutions within the University of London umbrella, and has authored a number of CPD-certified digital marketing courses and workshops. Alongside this, he is a frequent guest speaker for membership organisations, corporate events, industry conferences, and more. “My focus is always on bridging the gap between academic theory and pragmatic digital strategy.” 

Aleksandra’s career has been varied. She studied business and information science, which led to a very technical role in telecommunications. After leaving to have children, she came back and fell into marketing and communications. “I realised in my old job that my strongest skills included communicating with clients, and it happened very naturally,” she said. Since then, Aleksandra has been a candidate on The Apprentice, founded a boutique marketing consultancy, the Aleksandra King Agency, and hosts the Beyond with Aleksandra King podcast. Since launching the video-first podcast in January 2025, it’s had a breakout year - surpassing 50,000 subscribers and heading towards 1,000,000 views and downloads across Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. 

A Diverse Marketing Approach 

A part of the pair’s strength, says Aleksandra, is their differences - especially when it comes to marketing: “he has the programming background - loves digital, very granular in his approach to marketing, concentrates a lot on the technical details,” she says, “whereas I am much more out there, big grand ideas, unafraid to take clients on a big stage; he will fit the detail and structure into whatever high energy and bold ideas I have.” 

This complimentary diversity has always been an integral part of the pair’s relationship. When they met, she was a business analyst and he was a programmer. “Our strong communication and differing skills makes us an incredibly powerful team both professionally and personally. You support each other through your strength and your shortcomings, which makes for an excellent partnership.” 

From Industry Partners to Co-Authors

Where did the idea to write a book come from? Well, the pair identified an opportunity. “Whilst the ‘tools’ of marketing change almost weekly, the fundamental ‘wins’ are built on timeless principles,” Elliott says. “Aleksandra and I wanted to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and the psychological resilience required to succeed in a digital-first world. We saw too many businesses getting lost in the "noise" of tactics without a clear blueprint—we wrote this to be that blueprint.” 

But, they are able to utilise not only their experience as marketeers, but the pair’s experience as lecturers as well. This positioned them perfectly to create an educational, informative and interesting book tailored to both marketing students and professionals alike. “Elliott’s structured course was a massive help, because it helped us identify that a marketing book would really help people,” Aleksandra says, “And as a different type of marketeer, there were things that I noticed that I could bring to the table.” 

Marketing Wins, published by Troubador. 

Why Self-Publishing? 

“We opted for self-publishing (specifically via the full-service model with Troubador) because, as modern marketers, we value agility and creative control. It allowed us to maintain the integrity of our ‘Signal Over Spin’ philosophy, ensuring the final product was exactly what our audience needed without compromise,” Elliott says. “Troubador have been an absolutely brilliant partner throughout this process—all the while being professional in their advice, clear and transparent on costs, and truly ‘interested’ in our project. Having a partner that genuinely cares about the content makes a world of difference.”

For Aleksandra, working with Troubador has been enlightening. “Troubador has a 360 view,” she says. “They are easy to speak with, and had great collaboration and an intimate partner you could talk to - the whole service was good.” Troubador’s approach to the press releases, she says, are something that have been incorporated into her agency. “The way Troubador approach a book is holistic, and no stone is left unturned.” 

Building on Business Success 

Writing the book has been beneficial for Aleksandra’s own business. “It’s a way for me to categorise everything in my own mind, and provide a scaffolding - which has been a massive help for me and my own business.” 

Aleksandra tells us she has also been displaying the books in the background of all her podcast episodes, as well as giving clients copies of the book. “Publishing the book gives that added credibility,” she says.  

Aleksandra with Marketing Wins in the background of her podcast

 

Elliott agrees that, alongside being a useful tool for the business, publishing a book is a credibility signal, positioning the pair as thought leaders. 

“Google or ask your favourite AI chatbot about Aleksandra or I, and a lot of the information you’ll see about us will stem from our content and the fact that we have written this book,” he says. “Authoring a book (even in the age of AI) provides a cachet of prestige that even the LLMs cannot ignore! For my work at Finn Partners and my lectures within the University of London, the book serves as a tangible manifestation of our methodology, anchoring our workshops and speaking engagements.” 

Marketing Wins

Through their varied and impressive careers, Aleksandra and Elliott King are perfectly positioned to write an inspiring blueprint for success, guiding professionals and students alike through the ever-changing world of marketing. By self-publishing with Troubador, they have been able to facilitate a publishing journey synonymous with marketing itself; a process filled with agility and creative control. 

Now, not only are the pair industry experts but also authors, who plan on utilising the world of publishing to further their reach and credibility - the book is a brilliant marketing tool, indeed.