Blog
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
When You Graduate, Move To the City
I went to school in Montana. I loved it. Upon graduation, I even had a good job in my industry, right here in Montana. Still, I moved to Seattle to become an unpaid intern at an ad agency. That decision ultimately led to a pretty incredible career so far, which
How To Create Win-Win Situations
Business can be complicated. Ditto for marketing. Relationships, same. Whenever others are involved, you're going to encounter challenges and compromises. Welcome to being human. There are two ways to approach those situations. You can look to come out ahead (mostly a zero-sum game), or you can try to create a
The Undeniable Upside of Handkerchiefs
I am European. That means a few things. I wear my wedding ring on my right hand, even though my wife is still alive. I judge people harshly when not ordering mayo with their French fries. I once picked my mother-in-law for dinner on a Vespa. When someone asks me,