What Is Social Media For?
Social Media promised connection, visibility, and impact. But if you’re a builder—whether in music, design, podcasting, or entrepreneurship—you have to […]
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Scoreboards matter
As a parent with kids in elementary, middle, and high school—and with my oldest on the verge of college—I’ve been
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Freemium
If you create online—music, writing, podcasts, design—you’ve felt the squeeze: everyone expects content for free, but free doesn’t pay the
Better ChatGPT Prompts
This post is a much more tactical piece than what I usually sit down to write, but my hope is
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The Status Quo Isn’t Broken
If you’re in the business of change—whether as an entrepreneur, artist, podcaster, or creator—you’ve likely run into a brick wall
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We’re All Marketers
For decades, marketing was a department—a function within a business responsible for advertising, branding, and selling products. It was about
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Better Podcast Guests
If you’re struggling to book great guests for your podcast, you’re not alone. Most new podcasters think it’s a numbers
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By Design
Every decision—big or small—swings on an invisible hinge. Before we act, before we build, before we invest time and energy,
The Blacksmith’s Dilemma
Imagine you’re a blacksmith in the early 1900s. For generations, your craft has been essential—shaping iron, forging tools, shoeing horses.
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Same As It Ever Was
“You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.”— William Randolph Hearst, 1897 It’s easy to assume that misinformation, media
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The Brand Print
A few years ago, when I was leading Research & Strategy for a digital transformation agency, one of the most
Move Your Desk
Most people don’t fear change itself.They fear what change might cost them. A loss of comfort. A loss of status.
Speak Clearly
Public speaking isn’t what it used to be. A few decades ago, most people saw maybe one or two speakers
That’s Not Fair
From playground squabbles to boardroom negotiations, the idea of fairness is one we wrestle with constantly. Kids argue over whose
Cutting, Shaping, And Sanding
A dull blade doesn’t just make the work harder—it makes it dangerous. In woodworking, sharp tools cut cleaner, require less
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The Cost of Yes
Debt isn’t just about money. Every decision we make in our work—every project, commitment, and responsibility—comes with a cost. Sometimes
Better Stories
Stories shape who we are. They’re the threads that weave together our shared human experience, building the fabric of culture
Bad Ideas
Somewhere along the way, we were sold a lie: that great ideas arrive fully formed, perfect from the start. That
The Big Game
Every year, brands drop millions for 30 seconds of airtime during the Super Bowl. It’s the gold standard of advertising,
On Cookies
The internet used to be blind—every visitor was a stranger. Then came cookies. Cookies were invented to solve a basic
Emotional Labor
In an era where AI can write an essay, generate an image, and respond to customer inquiries in seconds, one
Your Music Streams Don’t Matter
Independent musicians are bombarded with numbers—streams, followers, likes, monthly listeners. But here’s the truth: most of these numbers don’t matter.
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Win Small
Many businesses fail, not because they’re bad, but because they try to be for everyone. In a world obsessed
Brands and Desire
Every brand that has ever built deep loyalty has done so by aligning with something much deeper than commerce: emotions,