You're Paying for Marketing You Can't Touch
“Great. Can you just add our company email to the ads account so we're copied on everything?” Silence. Pete waits. Listens to the quiet ruffling of papers on the other end. “Actually, that account is under our management center. But don't worry, we'l...
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Pretty Reports. No Growth.
I remember sitting across from a CEO who was frustrated but trying not to show it. “We’re doing a lot,” he said. “Blogs. Social. Ads. Email. Our agency says performance is up.” On paper, he was right. Traffic was up. Engagement looked healthy. Leads...
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Taste Test Before You Buy in Bulk
Pete bought a new house without seeing a single picture of it. At least, that’s what his recent business decision felt like. He signed a 1-year contract with a marketing company that used all the right words to promise results. Before pen touched ...
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Why Pete’s Office Went Silent (and What I Told Start Local About It)
Pete’s Team Has the Monday Blues After awkwardly dismissing the meeting, Pete slumped into his chair. There hadn’t been a snappy, cleverly written line in weeks; meetings felt like disabling a bomb, and the chatter of the office was down to a solemn...
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Stop Buying Marketing "Magic" and Start Buying a System
Pete is regretting locking into a 1-year contract. In his onboarding marketing meeting, his new advisor said “any leads are good leads.” His product isn’t for everyone, and he knows that. Why doesn’t his marketing company know that too?Pete is dealin...
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She Called It "Illogical Math." That's How We Knew.
Around a hundred cover letters cross my desk every year. Two years ago, the best ones were easy to pick out. They were thoughtful, specific, and clearly written by someone who had spent time with our work. The rest were all about the applicant—their ...
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Your Voice Matters, Because AI Doesn’t Have One
A CEO told me, “We used AI to finally come up with new messaging.” Cue the recycled, all too familiar statements: Your trusted partnerBest in the areaIndustry leader...
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You're Buying a Faster Factory for Forgettable Marketing
Your new AI tool delivers a “finished” campaign draft in minutes. Your team is moving faster than ever. The work feels familiar, competent… but it echoes your competitors. You solved for speed. Did you outsource your originality?...
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5 Seconds Changed How I Think About Design
It takes about 5 seconds for people to decide what they think....
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Room Temperature Marketing Is the Default
The conference room was quiet in a complacent way. Heads nodded. Someone said, “Looks good.” Another added, “Yeah, I don’t see any issues.” No one felt like they needed to give any other feedback. The homepage wasn’t bad; it just didn’t do anything....
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