A New Way to Score at Marketing
One heroic play doesn’t win a championship. It’s years of practice, thousands of reps, and a relentless focus on the fundamentals. The big win is far down the road. That’s what a lot of marketing is, and it’s why you put it off. The work is immediate...
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Would you board this plane?
After hours of scouring the internet, a prospect just had one more question… “What would it actually be like to work with you?” This is where most websites go silent....
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AI Recommends Your Competitor
A buyer is standing in line at the bank, phone in hand.But they’re not Googling.They open an AI chatbot and ask:“Who’s the best [insert your service] company in [your city]?”AI thinks for a moment and lists…your competitor.That’s the gut-punch moment...
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Here’s How My Team Actually Uses AI
We talk about artificial intelligence like it’s something mysterious and monumental.Something out there. Something looming.But in my day-to-day work—helping family-run companies untangle their “random acts of marketing”—AI isn’t some magical oracle....
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Is AI Revving or Driving Marketing?
You’d never just toss your kid the car keys and say, “Figure it out. The car is too powerful. The potential for mistakes is too great, and the consequences? Far too costly. Instead, you teach them, and you set them up for success. You start them off ...
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Your Site is Polished, but is it Persuasive?
A buyer pulls up your site and a competitor’s.They're so close to a decision.One of the sites answers all those lingering questions that come with a purchase.The other makes them dig.Is your site polished? Yes. Is it professional? Sure.But guess who ...
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You Can't Feel Profit
It’s a never-ending, ever-exhausting pursuit. You diligently chase numbers: revenue, profit margins, and ROI for good reason. But you can't feel profit. You can see it on a spreadsheet. You can deposit it in the bank. But that deep, intrinsic satisfa...
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Vacation Mai Tais vs Office Calls
Two weeks. When David Whitwell* asked the question, “Can you go on vacation for two weeks uninterrupted?” I was struck. Because at that moment, for me and Bright Orange Thread, the honest answer was a resounding no....
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“Good” Is Overrated
You don’t want just good for your business. You want great. You want to keep those fires from starting and derailing your day. I’m not talking about perfection in every aspect of your day. I’m talking about actively working toward less friction among...
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You're NOT Uber. Good.
Uber, Airbnb, Apple. These are the companies that seem to be everyone’s go-to inspiration for strategy. Great companies, absolutely. Revolutionary, even. But here’s the thing: you aren’t Apple, and you can’t be like Uber. No, this isn’t an insult....
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