The zero-budget marketing approach — My business partner and I both grew up in small towns. But when we started our consulting practice in 1992, we had big city dreams. We aspired to work with the best companies. …

Or should we consider speed limits, guardrails, and restrictions on size? — The NFL is the most successful sports league in history, but how did a relatively obscure sport — born in Ohio in the 1920's — turn into a cultural and financial powerhouse? In one word: Parity. Although it was a long journey of experimentation, the governing body of the NFL…

DTC companies are turning to physical retail in an attempt to prove they are more than just hype — “They make your forehead look big,” my straight-shooting wife belted out with a chuckle. “Okay…” I said, slightly offended. “How about these glasses?” hoping for a more confidence-building response. “Now you look like that televangelist preacher from the 90s, Jim Baker,” she replied. “I think we’re done here,” I said…

How to build a bootstrap marketing approach with limited resources — Starting a business is akin to trying to build a utopian colony in the middle of the jungle. …

How to build a bootstrap marketing approach with limited resources and a near-zero-budget — Starting a business is like trying to build a utopian colony in the middle of the jungle. …

Why Big Tech’s business goals are not all that different from drug dealers — After my wife accidentally drove her SUV over the new motorized driveway gate the contractor installed, I shook my head in disbelief and said, “Maybe I should start taking drugs.” It’s not the first time the thought has crossed my mind before, especially when the double-barrel stresses of life and…

How the future of working in an office could affect your business — “Only an architect would obsess about the design of the telephone handset or how the numbers look on the keypad instead of how the phone system functions,” my father remarked. When I set out to buy a new phone system for our growing company, the appearance of what it looked…

The three questions companies need to answer to define their transformation potential — “We’d like to rebrand our church,” the pastor said on the other end of the line, “and we’ve heard your firm walks on water,” he added with an unexpected chuckle. His request surprised me because most of our work is for saving companies, not souls, and I wasn’t sure we…

Some thoughts on where customer relationships fall apart — “They look like the perfect couple together,” my wife said, admiring her handiwork in setting up two of our single friends on a blind dinner date. “They do!” I replied, a bit more skeptical. “But let’s see how they do once they get to the third fence.” “That’s true,” my…