Raw Takes. No Buzzwords. Just Real Insights.
Marketing isn’t about keeping up with trends—it’s about understanding people. That’s why I write. To cut through the noise and talk about what actually matters in branding, storytelling, and business.
What Video Games Taught Me About Leadership (and My Son)
My son Enzo is 14. He plays video games with his friends almost every day. And here’s the part I find fascinating: It’s not just about the game. It’s about the gathering.
Discipline Is the Ultimate Creative Hack
People talk about creativity like it’s magic. As if it belongs exclusively to designers and “creative people”.
Momentum > Motivation
Motivation doesn’t matter that much. It’s overrated. Massively. Sure, it’s nice when it shows up. The spark.
Originality Is a Lie — So Build Better Imitations
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be “original.” To launch the first-of-its-kind product. To write the post that no one’s ever written.
The Unsexy Truth About Brand Building
Why Consistency Beats Virality Every Time. A brand is a complex thing. It’s not a logo. Not a tagline. Not your last viral post. It’s a cocktail of values, actions, experiences, and relevance. It’s being part of the conversation.
Startup Mode Isn’t a Phase. It’s the Blueprint.
We romanticize it. Movies are made about it. Books try to bottle the chaos. Startup Mode? It’s a wild ride. Any founder will tell you that.
The Case For Building A Niche Focus
There’s a reason that some sayings are overused. They’re true. My favorite of the bunch: Jack of all trades, master of none. This idiom plagued my career for decades. No joke.
Why I’m Picky About Who I Advocate For
I love asking founders “Why?” First off, you NEVER get the same answer twice. There’s something deeply personal about what motivates someone to start a business. Because it’s NOT just business. It never is.
Inside the Beverage Industry’s Next Chapter: Notes from a Powerhouse Panel
The beverage industry is an obsession of mine. Maybe it’s more of a curse? I make this joke only because the industry evolves faster than Prince
“We can’t hire them… They have TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE”
Being considered ‘experienced’ is great… no? After all, experience is perhaps the only nugget of gold that failure produces.
Hire an Agency — Or Build an In-House Team?
This won’t be a long article. Because it concerns a question with a clear answer. One that Eli Rubel knows all too well.
In Conversation with a Master Communicator
Success is primarily determined by relationships. Ignore anyone who doesn’t agree with this statement. Yes, other things matter. Work ethic and luck come to mind.
Real Talk About Founder Branding: AKA What I am is What I am
I hate the phrase “personal branding” — it feels like something cooked up in a marketing lab, stripped of humanity. Not to mention it’s so 2008.
Sacred Spaces exist in the agency world.
And I’m willing to defend them with my life. Well, that’s probably a stretch. It’s not like I’ll break out the katana in a Zoom meeting and march to the home of a client who attacked our team on a call
🌱 Take it easy for a day or two this weekend! Song list for you below
I highly recommend you take a few hours off this weekend! Life can wait while we recharge, and I’ve got just the soundtrack for a slower day.
Bravery is good. Courage is great
You can count on courage. Because it’s about knowing what you’re in for… And facing it anyways. Bravery is entirely different. It’s an unexpected reaction to f***ed up external stimuli.
Founders — Take care of yourselves (I’m not kidding this time)
I’m not young anymore. And that’s a good thing (depending on how you look at it). It’s good because of what’s behind me. I’ve started three companies, serviced hundreds of clients, and have accomplished a lot of what I wanted to.
AI: Don’t Ignore The Hype, But Let’s Get Things Straight
“I’m trying to replace my workforce with AI.” No joke, this strategy doesn’t make any sense. But I’m seeing a LOT of agency leaders taking this route — despite the fact it remains to be seen if AI actually has the potential to straight-up REPLACE humans.