Brand strategy, mindset, and solo-business wisdom—choose your path

Insights to Help You Build a Better Brand (and a Business That Works for You).

This is your hub for everything I write—whether you’re growing a brand with The Creative Brief or navigating the business-of-one life with Solo(ish). Explore by topic or follow the content stream that fits where you are now. Both are here to help you work smarter, show up stronger, and stay aligned with what matters most.

Present Like a Pro

Present Like a Pro

Are you stressed out about your upcoming featured presentation? Are you worried about whether you're going to get your message across? Concerned if anyone will remember anything you said? Some people think that a featured presentation is merely to give a talk in front...

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3+3+3=9 Minutes

3+3+3=9 Minutes

Here are some secrets for planning and preparing for your 10-minute featured presentation. You'll learn about the 3+3+3=9-minutes rule. Please listen to this very carefully: what you put into your featured presentation is what you'll get out of it. Don't use your time...

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Specific is Terrific

Specific is Terrific

Business professionals who want to do business by referral are often far too general in their requests of other people. In referral marketing, it’s crucial to teach others how to refer you. This is why you need to be specific to be terrific. Why? Because sometimes,...

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GAINS profile

GAINS profile

So often, BNI members are frustrated about not getting more business referred to them. After all, isn’t that what business networking is all about? The fact is, it’s not enough that you’re great at what you do and can offer a lot of value to new clients. To win...

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Brand Marketing Is Like Planting Trees

Brand Marketing Is Like Planting Trees

Think about marketing as planting trees. The trees of brand marketing you plant today will guarantee business growth tomorrow. What you are communicating today is to help potential customers make the buy decision in the future when they need what you are offering.

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How To Use Social Networks to…Network

How To Use Social Networks to…Network

If you’re like me, you have changed your approach to networking over the last seven months. As we have learned in our chapter, we can all find new clients by watching out for each other on Facebook. But Social networks are multifaceted tools being used to create awareness, promote, and build relationships!

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Networking Virtually…tips for the new normal

Networking Virtually…tips for the new normal

With social distancing becoming the norm, networking has moved to online platforms, but it is still an essential tool for building relationships. To be successful, you must have the right mindset, where you focus on how you can help others, not how they can help you. This approach builds mutually beneficial relationships, which is the goal of networking. You can start by nurturing existing relationships, checking in on close friends, family, and colleagues. To meet new people, you can target specific groups or be open to random connections. Allocating just 30 minutes a day to LinkedIn can be an effective way to network online by skimming your feed, commenting on relevant articles, and sending personalized messages to your connections.

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The Marketing Mix

The Marketing Mix

Even after 40 years (or 60 in the case of the original P’s), the Marketing Mix is still very much applicable to a marketer’s day to day work. A good marketer will learn to adapt the theory to fit modern times and their own business model.

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Your Brand Needs a Purpose

Your Brand Needs a Purpose

Mission, vision, values, and positioning statements are the most widely recognized strategic tools used to define a company’s business, strategic objectives, and overall approach to reach those objectives. Another less frequently recognized strategic statement that many companies neglect to employ is the Purpose statement.

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Don’t Stop Marketing

Don’t Stop Marketing

Rather than stopping all of your marketing, consider instead changing your strategy. Instead of selling, inform. Instead of daily email blasts, send emails weekly (or monthly). Instead of doing the same thing you’ve always done, pivot to something different. Here are some specific ideas for this difficult time.

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How To Name Your Brand

How To Name Your Brand

Effective brand naming isn’t emotional or political—it’s strategic. It should align with your positioning, resonate with your audience, and be memorable enough to stand on its own. More than a trivial detail, a name plays a critical role in shaping perception, signaling value, and reinforcing your brand’s promise. A weak or confusing name can dilute impact and force your brand to work harder to stay top of mind. Ultimately, naming is both a creative and disciplined process that deserves as much attention as any other aspect of branding.

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40+ Types of Marketing for Your Business

40+ Types of Marketing for Your Business

Marketing isn’t just one thing—it’s a diverse ecosystem of strategies that have evolved with technology, consumer behavior, and media platforms. This comprehensive guide explores over 40 distinct types of marketing, from traditional advertising and inbound content to emerging methods like voice, experiential, and neuromarketing. It emphasizes that there’s no single best approach—businesses should choose the right mix based on their audience, goals, and resources. Ultimately, understanding these categories helps brands become more strategic, creative, and effective in how they engage and convert their audiences.

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