In the Age of AI, Strategy Is Your Competitive Advantage
A few months ago, I asked AI to help me draft my newsletter strategy. The output was 14 pages: some good, some bad, some just unnecessary.
How to Know if Your Marketing is Working
The most common question I get from business leaders is “How do I know if my marketing is working?”
Relevance Beats Personalization
Last week, I received an email from someone pitching a guest for my podcast Grow Good. The email mentioned my podcast’s name, a recent guest’s name and quote from their episode, and a thematic connection explaining why the recommended guest was a fit.
Branding is a Differentiator (Part 4 of 4)
Octopus Energy entered the UK energy market in 2015 and became the UK’s leading energy supplier with 24% market share just 9 years later.
Standing Out When Everyone Sounds the Same (Part 3 of 4)
The challenge so many companies face is: how do you differentiate your message when everyone is saying the same thing?
Quality Is Not a Differentiator (Part 2 of 4)
A few months ago, I drove past a billboard just like this that illustrated one of the most common mistakes I see companies make when communicating differentiators.
How to Differentiate: Why Less is More (Part 1 of 4)
This is the first article in a series on differentiation, one of the most important factors influencing why customers choose our product or service over another.
Why Great Thinkers Write
My goal is to help you become a better thinker, and I’m convinced writing is one of the best ways to do it.
The Hidden Foundation of Effective Marketing
When companies hit a growth inflection—when budgets grow, when referrals are exhausted, when competition increases, when the product portfolio expands—the instinct is to accelerate activity.
How to Earn Attention: Invitation vs. Interruption
A few years ago, Red Bull came to Cincinnati for its Flugtag event. Teams designed and constructed contraptions that launched off a 30-foot platform over water, aspiring to remain airborne as long as possible.
How to Win in 2026: Intentional Experimentation
As we enter 2026, we face two somewhat opposing dynamics. On the one hand, there is massive uncertainty – tariffs, political polarization, economic volatility. On the other hand, we have massive opportunity.
How to Incorporate Sustainability Into Positioning (Part 3)
Picture a sustainable brand. Most likely, images of “green,” “crunchy,” and “granola” companies come to mind.
How to Create Strong Positioning (Part 2)
One of my favorite positioning examples is Ben & Jerry’s.
What is Positioning and Why You Need It (Part 1)
Positioning is one of the most foundational, misunderstood, and under-utilized parts of a company’s core business strategy.
Grow More with Less: 5 Principles to Power Your ’25 Strategy
Startups think a lot about product-market fit (PMF). Established companies? Not so much. This is a missed opportunity.
Do You (Still) Have Product-Market Fit?
Startups think a lot about product-market fit (PMF). Established companies? Not so much. This is a missed opportunity.