Question: If you could go back to when you started your first business, what would you have done differently? Answer: Nothing. Because it just didn’t work. It’s not about success. I can win on accident. I can’t replicate an accident. I’d much rather know what didn’t work because what I took out of my failure was that I still can conquer the world. I just found out that this was not the way to conquer...
Question: I hear that almost all new businesses fail, what are a few important things I need to do to avoid failure for my business idea? Answer: Here’s the fundamental answer. Don’t be a dumbass. Don’t take your foot off the gas. I’ve actually had this conversation this week with someone else, so it’s a common issue. I know loads of people that I call parabolic entrepreneurs. Which really means they’re a blip in the radar....
Question: I am pretty low on funds, what do I need to do financially to prepare myself to launch a new business idea? Answer: So you’re a starving college student, low on funds with an idea for a new physical product. You have no money in the bank, but you’re still willing to buy that daily Rockstar. Step 1: Stop buying Rockstars. Basically, don’t buy soda for a month. Step 2: Ask yourself if anyone legitimately cares...
Question: When did you discover that you had a talent for marketing? Answer: I actually don’t think that I have a talent for marketing. I think I have a knack for finding and resolving problems. I’m good with logical solutions. I think people put marketing in a bucket. They say marketing is all about conceptualizing and strategizing. That’s helpful and all but if you don’t have the fundamentality to solve problems, it doesn’t matter what else...
I’ve been recommending these tips to clients for years. Social media is free. So why not utilize it? If you’re a plumber, electrician, hairstylist, baker, you should be taking advantage of all social media has to offer. No matter your business, you should be maintaining social media. Here are some basic tips for all small to medium-sized businesses. -Start With a Plan It becomes really easy for people to not think about what they post. A...
Question: So did you choose to start a marketing business because you’re a good problem solver? Answer: I’m really good at being a dick. I’m hypercritical. I’m Scottish. I just automatically think “It’s not good enough, and here’s why. Here’s how we fix it.” Coming to America, people talk with a certain amount of fluff. I always hear these happy-go-lucky Americans saying “Hi!!! How are you???” and I respond, “Uh, I don’t know you. Let’s start...
I always think of this Eddie Murphy stand-up where he talks about his wife and how their love is like that 1986 Janet Jackson song. The two have obviously loved each other in the past, but the big question the wife has is the title of that song, “What have you done for me lately?” Meaning really how have you shown me your love? Our clients are only human. They want to know the answer...
Ask yourself: Who’s buying your stuff and why are they buying it? What is that driver behind their actions? And how can we (the agency) channel more value through (our client) to the end customer? Email marketing is enormous. To most of us, this isn’t headliner news. Unless of course you’ve been frozen in carbonite since the invention of the internet and were only recently awoken (#nevertellmetheodds). Email marketing has gotten a bad reputation in...
Although my journey into entrepreneurship and marketing as a career was basically a happy accident, I had already entered that world as a kid and loved it. Let’s turn back the clock to when I was 7 or 8 years old, my dad’s friend owned a video shop. Any of you remember those? R.I.P Blockbuster. This store, however, was a little independent shop instead of a massive chain. Back in the day of the VHS, the video stores...
There’s been a debate on ad campaigns in recent years. How far should a brand go to stand out from competitors? How exactly far is too far? Well, I have two examples for you. One good, one bad. And both revolve around soft drinks. There’s a fine line between being edgy and disruptive…to offensive. Being from Scotland, we have a perfect example of how to blur that line and still be popular. There’s a national...