Some people hear the phrase, “personal brand,” and think it means self-promotion. It doesn’t. Your personal brand is the sum of what people know, trust, remember, and say about you when you’re not in the room. Holding the door for someone whose hands are full. Returning a shopping cart instead of leaving it in the parking lot. Failing to follow through on a promise. Constantly showing up late for meetings. These are the moments that…
Last week, I met Bill Meeus, better known as Pim, the owner, operator, and entire staff of Bill’s Bike Tours in Amsterdam. His official title might be “guide,” but that undersells it. He’s quietly running a masterclass in marketing from the front of a bike. Here are four lessons Pim gets right that many brands don’t. Lesson #1: Know what your audience is worried about and say it. Bill’s Bike Tour is listed on Airbnb…
At some point, nearly every organization needs a marketing lead. That’s when the checklist starts. Companies often stick to the basics: Years of experience Industry background Social media expertise Experience with key software tools None of that is wrong. But it’s not what actually determines whether they’ll be effective. Marketing isn’t static. It’s not a set of tasks. It’s a way of thinking. The best marketing professionals don’t just do marketing. They figure things out. Here’s what…
The Big Game is Sunday. Super Bowl LX is serving up a quarterback showdown that feels like a Hollywood script: New England Patriots’ Drake Maye led the league in completion percentage and passer rating in just his second season. Seattle Seahawk’s Sam Darnold completed his second 14-3 season in a row, establishing himself as a bonafide starter and removing the ‘bust’ label from his name after six underwhelming seasons with four other NFL teams. That’s…
Investment doesn’t guarantee impact. If your new messaging, fresh creative, and shiny new website are not producing results, it may be because your brand just doesn’t sound like itself. I see this all the time. Smart organizations with solid strategies end up with creative that feels professional and polished – and could belong to almost anyone in their category. That’s why I like to play what I call the logo game. If you swapped your logo…
This time of year always pulls me into reflection mode – what worked in 2025, what didn’t, and what surprised me. It’s a reminder of how grounding intentional planning can be, and how a little reflection now can help set the direction for the new year. Here’s a checklist for your 2026 marketing strategy. #1: PEOPLE. Your customers and your employees remain the heart of your marketing success. Know your customer. Understanding your customers’ wants,…
As a marketing strategy consultant, I get a front-row seat to the same struggle across companies – from scrappy startups to nonprofit organizations to legacy brands: Smart people buried in tactical work. I’ve been in plenty of strategy sessions where leadership teams dream big – market expansion, deeper personalization, faster content cycles. But those ambitions often peter out, because teams are too busy cranking out blog posts, updating decks, and pulling reports. That’s where AI…
When we bought our first house – a charming but nearly 100-year-old fixer-upper – we had no idea what we were getting into. We were blissfully naive, armed with big dreams and a can-do attitude. Thankfully, one of my early (and generous) bosses at Progressive Insurance agreed to delay my start date so I could tackle the endless DIY projects. I showed up for my first day at Progressive with paint in my hair…
After some serious people-watching in NYC, I found myself staring at my soft, worn, and slightly misshapen jeans—tight in some places, loose in others—and asking myself, “Are these out of style?” I’d worn them countless times without a second thought, but standing in front of the mirror, I finally realized they were outdated. The answer was clear: Yes. I hadn’t bothered to reassess how they fit or if they still worked. They had become a…
Leah, my fearless little sidekick who is two, slept over Saturday night. She may be small, but she delivered big lessons. Who knew a toddler’s antics could serve as a crash course in marketing? Leah’s Lesson #1: Repetition + Consistency = Results Leah doesn’t just tell her dog Sunny Bunny to “sit” once. She repeats it — with purpose, with persistence — until it sticks. That’s how behavior changes. Same goes for marketing. Effective calls-to-action…
