The Marketing Diagnostic: Break the Assembly Line and Lead Strategy
Erika Barbosa
Marketing Leader, 21K+ LinkedIn Learners
Most marketers are busy. Few are strategic. This changes that.
Marketing has a diagnosis problem.
Requests come in. You execute them. The quarter ends and you look back wondering why none of it mapped to what actually mattered. You were not lazy or unskilled. You were stuck in assembly line mode.
The bar is rising. AI can execute tactics faster than any team. What it cannot do is tell you which problem is worth solving. That judgment, that diagnostic pause between the request and the response, is now the skill that separates order-takers from leaders.
This course teaches you a repeatable framework for diagnosing what actually matters before you touch a single tactic. You will practice it on real scenarios, apply it to your own marketing situation, and walk away with a completed one-page diagnostic you can use immediately.
Three live sessions. One weekend. A framework you will use for the rest of your career.
What you’ll learn
You will stop being the person who gets things done and start being the person they call when they need to figure out what to do.
Master the 5-Question Diagnostic Framework through real scenarios across demand gen, pipeline, launches, and channel decisions
Identify your single highest-leverage opportunity using a structured process, not instinct or seniority
Leave with a completed one-page diagnostic of your own marketing situation, ready to act on Monday
Recognize assembly line mode in real time and interrupt it before a quarter disappears into low-impact execution
Create intentional space between the request and your response using a repeatable decision process
Connect every project you take on to a company goal you can articulate out loud
Use proven scripts to challenge low-impact requests without burning political capital or damaging relationships
Position diagnostic thinking as a strategic contribution that leadership welcomes, not a delay
Practice handling resistance live with peer feedback during the session
Build a personal operating system that keeps diagnostic work built in, not squeezed in after the requests pile up
Learn to switch between tactical and strategic altitudes without losing momentum or context
Leave with a one-page operating system template you can implement the following week
Who this course is for
Senior marketer or director who ends most weeks feeling busy but cannot clearly articulate what they moved forward strategically
Mid-level marketer with 5+ years experience who executes well but wants to be seen as strategic, not just dependable
Marketer stepping into their first leadership role who needs to shift from doing the work to deciding what work matters most
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Erika Barbosa in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with a cohort of marketers working through the same challenges. Learning continues beyond the course.
The 5-Question Diagnostic Framework
A repeatable system for evaluating any marketing request before you execute. Practiced across real scenarios so you can apply it with confidence immediately.
Live Diagnostic Lab
Bring your single most pressing real marketing problem. Work through a live diagnostic with Erika and peers and leave with a completed one-page situation assessment.
Stakeholder pushback scripts
Word-for-word scripts for pushing back on low-impact requests and building credibility with leadership without burning bridges.
Personal diagnostic operating system
A one-page template for designing your working week around strategic thinking, not reactive execution. Ready to implement the following Monday.
Certificate of completion
Showcase your diagnostic marketing credentials to employers and your network with an official Maven certificate and LinkedIn badge.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
3 live sessions • 5 lessons • 4 projects
Week 1
Apr
11
Session 1: Diagnose
Sat 4/115:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)Apr
12
Session 2: Apply
Sun 4/125:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)
Apr
10
Optional: Office Hours: Ask Me Anything
The Diagnostic Framework
The Framework in Action
Handling Resistance
Your Diagnostic Operating System
Bonus
Know Yourself First
Schedule
Live sessions
6 hrs
Fri, Apr 10
7:30 PM—8:30 PM (UTC)
Sat, Apr 11
5:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)
Sun, Apr 12
5:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)
Projects
1-3 hrs
Frequently asked questions
$975
USD