Blog
Make a thoughtful suggestion
Someone pitches me something daily, usually via some cold email sequence or LinkedIn automation. And honestly, I read most of their first emails. Why? Because I or someone who works with me pitches someone something every single day. It's how the world works nowadays, and I am not even mad
The House Money Fund
I don't gamble - not in casinos, nor with my investments. I am a Vanguard ETF guy to fund everything from my retirement to my daughter's education. I am only willing to make aggressive bets when I genuinely feel it's money I can afford to lose. About 12-15 years ago,
Hard Now > Hard Later
Assuming you're not a trust fund baby gifted with incredible genes, things are going to get hard at some point in life. You might struggle to pay the bills. Or you're dealing with some health issues brought on by a series of compounding unhealthy life choices. Or a relationship with
3 Reasons Why The Best Marketing Has Nothing To Do With Promotion
When most people think about marketing, they think about promotion. That is false. And it's why most marketing doesn't work. If you study marketing, you learn a simple framework. It's called the 4Ps. Product - what are you selling Place - where are you selling it Price - how much
4 Strategies To Make Fewer But Better Decisions
Making decisions can be exhausting. And if you burn out from making decisions, you run the risk of procrastinating or making bad decisions. Or even worse, you spend too much time making fairly inconsequential decisions and then delay the important decisions you need to make. I've been there and done
Do Then Know > Know Then Do
I have been teaching at the university level for the last couple of decades, first at the Academy of Art University and then at my alma mater, the University of Montana. At the same time, I've been both a marketing practitioner and entrepreneur. When I first started teaching, I'd follow
When Starting Your Career, Optimize For a Variety of Experiences. Here’s Why and How.
For the first ten years of my career, I spent my days working on dozens of large brands in ad agencies and my nights trying to launch side project businesses. My agency work exposed me to bigger-picture business strategy thinking across various industries and some of the most brilliant and
The Three Skills You Need to Supercharge Your Career Growth
Early in your career, your focus should be on honing your craft. Do the work. Learn about the work. Put in the extra hours. Start a side project that gives you even more at-bats. Your goal needs to put yourself on a track to be great at what you do.
How to win at life by taking a portfolio approach to everything you do.
I studied finance in college and even worked for American Express Financial Services. I loved some of the principles that drove half of our decision-making. I hated the greed that drove the other half. So ultimately, I ended up in marketing. One of the principles that stuck with me was
Focus on those leaning in
I have done marketing for twenty years now. Without exception, I can tell you that the best people to market to are the ones already "leaning in" looking for a solution to their problem. Yet somehow, too many marketers and brands decide to go after everyone and their mother-in-law regarding