Marketing Field Guides
Quick and painless lessons from an expert in the field to improve your marketing & design IQ.
All Field Guides— from newest to oldest
Marketing Decision Fatigue is Real — Here's the Framework That Got My Team Through It
I knew nothing about NASCAR when I signed on to executive produce an award-winning documentary about pit crews. Two years and a thousand daily decisions later, I learned something that had nothing to do with racing: you cannot carry marketing decision fatigue alone. Here's the framework that got my team (and me) through it.
Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working (Even Though You're Doing Everything Right)
Sometimes the problem isn't that you're not doing enough. It's that all that doing has nowhere to go. This one's about the plan that stalled, the sales dip that followed, and the honest question behind why is my marketing not working even when you're clearly trying: are you steering, or just staying busy?
The Small Business Guide to Referral Marketing Strategy
Have you ever had that moment when things are running on all cylinders — clients waitlisted, referrals coming in left and right — and then, seemingly overnight, it all dries up? I've been there. The fix isn't a piece of software or a referral platform. It's a real strategy, built into your annual plan, with a goal you set together with the people closest to your clients. Here's how to stop treating your best source of new business as a happy accident.
How to Choose the Right Support for Sustainable Business Growth
Choosing the right marketing and design partner is a strategic decision that affects clarity, trust, and growth. The best partners lead with strategy, understand business realities, and design marketing systems that serve both the business and its audience.
How To Decide Which Marketing Trends To Ignore
Anti-trend marketing is a strategic approach that prioritizes discernment over hype. Instead of chasing every new trend, evaluate what aligns with real business goals, your team’s capacity, and long-term value. Ignore the rest.
How to Choose Marketing Priorities Without Chasing Every Idea
What are marketing priorities? Marketing priorities are the limited number of strategic outcomes marketing is responsible for achieving. They help leaders focus effort, align messaging, and avoid chasing tactics that don’t support business goals. This field guide walks you through how to prioritize with restraint.
How to Build a Solid Marketing Strategy
A solid marketing strategy starts with purpose, not platforms. Define why your business exists, who you’re serving, and what message connects you to your audience. Then, focus on the channels that matter most, build systems to stay consistent, and measure your results regularly. A clear, intentional strategy brings direction, consistency, and measurable growth to your marketing efforts.
What You Don’t See in Marketing: Understanding the Dark Funnel
The dark funnel refers to the unseen parts of your customer’s journey that analytics can’t track. For small businesses, understanding the dark funnel means focusing less on vanity metrics and more on authentic connections, trust-building content, and consistent visibility across multiple touch points.
SEO, AEO, and GEO: What Small Businesses Need to Know About the Future of Search
What’s the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO? SEO helps your business rank on search engines like Google. AEO gets your content featured as direct answers in AI and voice searches. GEO ensures your brand appears in AI-generated summaries and recommendations. Together, they future-proof your visibility across every kind of search. Here’s what you need to know (and do) about it.
An Unforgettable Week in Wichita: Marketing, Stewardship, and a Whole New Perspective
What can a trip to a maximum-security prison teach you about marketing? During my visit to Wichita to meet my client Enterprise Stewardship, I toured Seat King — a manufacturing company employing inmates while holding 70% of the market share for zero-turn lawn mower seats. The experience was a powerful reminder that great marketing isn’t about algorithms or trends. It’s about alignment: between purpose, values, and the story your business tells.
Lately in the Feed
