Welcome to Living My Faith, a weekly show that celebrates the everyday believers who are walking with Jesus not just on Sundays, but in every area of their lives. From relationships and parenting to health, habits, and home, our guests share how they keep their faith at the center of it all. Hosted in Jacksonville, Florida and supported by Christ-centered partners, Living My Faith is a space where real life meets real faith. Today our host, James Fenimore, spoke with Mark MacDonald
Mark MacDonald
Church Branding Strategist at Be Known For Something
Website Address: https://www.beknownforsomething.com/
Short company description:
Tired of your church being ignored in your community? Be Known for Something® Church Branding Co. helps churches become known for something relevant and needed—so people finally take notice. Our proven, bestselling Church Branding Framework has helped hundreds of churches across the U.S. discover their unique communication thread and become the go-to ministry in their neighborhoods.
We’re one of the longest-serving church branding companies in America and have been the trusted voice for national ministries and local churches alike. From church logo and visual identity to a complete church communication strategy, we’ll guide you with research-based solutions. Whether it’s your church website, social media, email campaigns, or print materials, we’ll ensure everything works together to reflect your brand thread.
How did you get started in your field of work?
Working for one of eastern Canada’s largest ad agencies
What makes you unique?
We have a system that quickly leads organization towards a brand. Our 3-day retreat is unique — the fastest way to a rebrand.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over your career?
Say less, they’ll listen more.
What nonprofit do you have a heart for and how do you support it?
Local Churches
What’s your favorite way to get involved in the community?
Local Churches
If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?
Great question! It’s what we ask every client! Focusing on the right things.
Transcript:
James:
Welcome back to Living My Faith on Faith Works TV. I’m James Anmore. Today we’ve got a special treat for you—joining me is Mark McDonald. Mark, how are you?
Mark:
I’m doing great. Thank you so much for having me.
James:
Thank you for joining us. I’ve got one simple question for you, Mark: How are you living your faith?
Mark:
Man, living our faith is so important. I think back to when I was eight years old and decided I was going to follow Jesus. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to be where I am today. So I often go back to the basics—what does it really mean to walk out my faith, to live my faith, to follow Jesus?
We tend to imagine it as this big, grand journey, but in reality, it’s one step at a time.
James:
One step at a time. Tell me more about that. For the people at home—what does that look like practically?
Mark:
Well, I was just with my grandkids recently—I have two of them—and while we were shopping, I told them, “Make sure you follow me.” And as any parent or grandparent knows, if they’re not concentrating on every step, a two- or three-year-old can wander off quickly.
It reminded me that we also need to pay attention to each step we take. We have to plant each step in the direction Jesus wants us to go. And sometimes that’s not about knowing the whole destination—just making sure that every step is one that follows Him.
James:
So how do you make sure you’re staying obedient to those steps?
Mark:
We always have to go back to the Book—the truth. That’s what keeps us on course. And if you think of it like a map, the Bible doesn’t always show you the full route of where you’ll end up, but it absolutely keeps you on the right path.
James:
That’s incredible. And I know you don’t only live your faith personally and with your family—you live it in your professional life, too. Tell us about that.
Mark:
Yeah, it’s interesting. Our organization, Be Known for Something, is a church branding agency. We started it 25 years ago. We moved from Canada to North Carolina and set up a branding company focused on churches. And along the way, we really fell in love with pastors—trying to understand why people aren’t paying attention to the church anymore, and helping churches figure out how to become known for something that their community will actually pay attention to.
James:
So you’re helping churches get their message out there?
Mark:
Exactly. And similar to walking step-by-step, churches often have so many good things happening—so many ministries—that when someone asks, “Tell me about your church,” the pastor or a member ends up listing everything.
We help them concentrate on the one thing they should be known for, so they say less, and people listen more.
James:
So you’re telling me even a church needs an elevator pitch?
Mark:
Oh my goodness—yes.
Back in the day, we talked about elevator pitches being 30 seconds because the average elevator ride was about that long. Today, with websites and digital media, people don’t give 30 seconds anymore.
When someone visits a website, they spend about 30 seconds total clicking around. But within 3 to 4 seconds, they decide if they’ll even stay that long.
So we ask pastors: What can you say in 3–4 seconds that makes someone say, “Tell me more”?
James:
Wow. And are you doing this just in the Jacksonville market, or everywhere?
Mark:
We’re across the country—and in Canada as well.
James:
Multinational—that’s incredible for the Kingdom. Is there any piece of advice you’d give, beyond having that elevator pitch? Something for churches or for anyone trying to live their faith and share Jesus?
Mark:
Absolutely. When I talk to pastors, I don’t usually lead with “I’m in church branding,” because many respond with, “We don’t need branding—we’re the church.”
Instead, I ask: What’s the perception of your church in the community? What are you known for?
For anyone sharing their faith, the key is understanding the perception of people outside your immediate circle. Effective communication rises and falls on how well you know your audience.
Understand their needs, concerns, and goals—and make sure you’re presenting Jesus as the solution to them. And learn to say it quickly: either their pain point or the solution.
James:
Mark, I really appreciate you coming by today. This has been eye-opening for us. Thank you not only for the work you do with your family, but for everything you’re doing for churches and the wider community. Thank you so much.
The Daily News Network, Buzz Tv News, and DAILYBIZBRIEF highlight business professionals, nonprofits, veterans and community leaders on over 40 TV Segments including The Horse’s Mouth, Legacy of Leaders TV, Veterans Buzz TV, Finding Your Frequency, and Buzzworthy Businesses.
Teal, The Agency, powered by Client Focused Media, offers marketing agencies a full-service white-label solution to scale their services without the cost or complexity of building large in-house teams. Tailored for small and medium-sized agencies, Teal specializes in relationship-driven lead generation, advanced CRM workflows for personalized client engagement, and end-to-end project fulfillment. With powerful integrations like HighLevel, Stripe, and Zapier, Teal simplifies your operations while optimizing efficiency—saving you valuable time and resources. While other tools on the market like Vendasta, RocketDriver, and DashClicks, may require contracts, Teal provides flexible, no-contract pricing, giving you the freedom to grow on your terms. Ready to elevate your agency’s impact and efficiency? Explore how Teal can help you deliver exceptional results and better serve your clients. Apply on BeTeal.com today to start your journey toward becoming a marketing powerhouse by understanding digital marketing strategies for agencies, SEO best practices for marketing agencies and scaling a marketing agency.
