Hi Reader, Over lunch, I asked a new friend about his approach to his branding agency. Their website is ideal; I'm jealous. With an agency named Off-Menu, the goal is to cook up relatable but different. Relatability is slept on even though it's a key ingredient to brand success. Relatability is engagement. If you're going to read anything this week: What does it mean to be relatable? It's the art of connecting with others on a personal level. Our brands are capable of making these...
18 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Brands have pressed paused on the growth-at-all-cost era. We're still running some paid ads, but we've scaled back. Now, we're focusing our energy on holistic brand building. Organic growth is back in style. Slow and steady wins the race. As the content schedules ramp, try to remember to stay true and stand on business. If you're going to read anything this week: It's easy to get swept up in trying to achieve a side quest instead of the mission. Brands want to go viral; they want...
25 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, One of the biggest sources of frustration as a business owner is the feeling of spinning your wheels. It's hard enough to gain traction for a product or service in a booming economy. It's infuriating to feel stuck during a recession. Yet, the market we are facing today isn't like it was a couple years ago. AI, high interest rates, inflation, and a slew of other things has changed the landscape. Venture capital isn't flowing. We're on our own. Let's make sure we're putting in work...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Almost everyone I meet is suffering from a fundamental problem. I notice freelancers that only offer one service are often exempt from this problem. For instance, let's say you take pictures at weddings and someone asks you what you do for a living. You'd say, I'm a wedding photographer. But, the minute we add more than one service or product to our offering we get so damn complicated in our explanation. It wouldn't be a big deal if humans had decent attention spans. We don't....
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Last week's email on good and bad copy hit a home run. This week, let's make it interactive! It's a difficult time to be a business owner. Getting customers is harder than ever. Creating social content that grabs attention is no cakewalk. Raising capital to fund your vision is slow AF. I have a plan for you. Focus on what you can control. If you're going to read anything this week: Recently, I had a meeting with a marketer at a venture capital firm. There's no better source for the...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Why is it so hard to simplify? We want to attract customers. We want to get more sales. More sales, means more revenue (and more profit🤞🏽). Yet, we continue to blast potential buyers with noise. If you're going to read anything this week: Marketing creators are fun to watch. Their website reviews and advertising hot takes are informative. I'm deep in the marketing game too. I see everything in the world like a ticker tape of selling. It's hard not to have my own opinion. I recently...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, You've got a huge task in front of you. Building a new business from scratch? Attempting to launch a new product? Adding new tech skills to stay competitive? Nowadays we have YouTube, Masterclass, online communities, podcasts, and so much more. How do you tackle what's ahead? If you're going to read anything this week: Three years ago, I became a co-founder in a business that was already built. Joining after something has been built is more like a renovation project rather than new...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, My FYP features a lot of bad business advice. I can't stand seeing videos about how you can create $3,000 in side hustle income from dropshipping or copywriting. Become a forex trader overnight—laughable. One piece of advice that does sound smart, but is mostly hollow: "Get yourself multiple streams of income. It's the path to wealth." If you're going to read anything this week: Do you know what it takes to spin up multiple streams of income? How many people do you think actually...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Doing things a little different this week. Instead of linking you out to specific blog posts, I'd like to share some helpful things right here. If you're going to read anything this week: The lead investor for my last startup, Slauson & Co., hosted a virtual event called "Framing the Pitch." Slauson is an early stage venture capital firm rooted in inclusion that believes your lived experience is your competitive advantage. They've done a lot of work trying to expand access to...
3 months ago • 3 min read