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Schulzke Dot Com

My name is Mario. Last name Johnson.  I kid. Last name Schulzke.

I am an equal parts entrepreneur, marketer, and teacher. Or at least that is what I tell my mother.

re: entrepreneur. I founded IdeaMensch, where we have interviewed and featured over 7,000 entrepreneurs, makers, and doers since 2009.

re: marketer. I spent my twenties running digital marketing campaigns for some of America's biggest brands. Since then I have been doing the CMO thing at the University of Montana, Geniuslink, and now am the COO of Pathlabs.

re: teacher. I teach marketing to both business students and nonprofit leaders at the University of Montana and on Commonsense Marketing.

My goal in life used to be to live an interesting life. Then I had a child. I am an immigrant, a grandson of refugees,  a (slow)Ironman, and a Costco Exec member. My lifemates are a curly-haired wife, a baby girl who won't nap, a cat named Walter, and a vindictive long-haired wiener dog.

Recent Posts

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Solar

We are getting solar panels installed at our house. Given the recent electricity price increases, I am confident it's a good investment. But to me, solar is the ultimate sign of loving your kids and country. I want my daughter to live in a place with clean air to breathe

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Sunk Cost

You've been in a bad relationship for years. You should break it up but don't because you have already invested so much time. You've been a member of a political party for a long time. Deep down, you're starting to disagree with some of the issues, but you don't allow

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Sometimes Rich

Always rich seems exhausting. You’re introducing a level of expectation into your life that can be hard to meet. Trying to meet those expectations presents a constant battle with both “rich” norms and yourself. Want to drive a cheap car? What are the neighbors going to think? Live in

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Granted

Once you live in a lovely big house, it's hard to live in a small one again. Once you drive a luxury car, it's hard to drive a normal one again. Once you fly first class, "comfort plus" loses its luster. None of these changes are real. They're felt. But

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Great Band

Great band last night at dinner. Wife walks up dancing to the table. Our friend Peter asks, “Who is this?” Wife says “This is the woman I was before I had a baby.” He was asking about the band.

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