S&T: The CMO Seat & the Four-Brand Rebrand
THE PROBLEM When I arrived at S&T, there was no CMO. Marketing existed — a capable team, a real budget — but it reported up through another function, which meant…
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The Lorax in the Boardroom: Why Marketing Needs an Equal Voice
When I was a CMO, I used to tell the executive team I was the Lorax. I spoke for the people — not the trees. The line landed as a…
The 90% Rule: Why Good Enough Beats Perfect in Modern Business
Perfection is expensive. In this article, Matt breaks down the “90% Rule”: once your product is good enough, chasing the final 10% wastes time, money, and momentum. Learn how Apple, Southwest, and others win by balancing marketing, ops, and experience—and avoiding costly perfection traps.
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The Four Pillars of Brand Leadership: Lessons from a Brand Strategist
Most teams don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they over-invest in one kind of excellence and neglect the rest. In this post, I share a four-pillar framework that keeps brands balanced: product experience, economics, positioning, and organizational alignment. Get all four working together, and growth gets easier.
There’s a big difference between building a business and building yourself a job.
Most of the founders I’ve worked with didn’t realize they’d made the choice until it was already made. The choice: are you building a business, or are you building yourself…
The Creative Team Map: Understanding the Roles Inside a Boutique Design Agency
Over the course of my career, I’ve sat in hundreds of discovery calls that opened the same way: “We just need someone who can do the logo, the website, some…
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Using the 5-Paragraph Order Format for an Effective Business Plan
Most business plans I’ve read fail at the same point: somewhere between “the opportunity” and “the financials,” they stop telling anyone what to actually do on Monday morning. The analysis…
The Fog of War: Lessons in Strategic Clarity
In the military, “the fog of war” is the name for the confusion that sets in once a plan meets reality — uncertainty, missing information, conditions that shift under your…
From Service to CEO: Leveraging Military Experience to Build a Business or Side Gig
Transitioning from military service to civilian life can be a challenging shift, but for many veterans, the discipline, leadership, and problem-solving skills they developed in the military make them well-suited…
Night & Gale: An Elegant Brand Journey
Creating An Identity In the bustling world of wellness, a visionary client embarked on a journey to create something extraordinary. A haven where beauty and healthcare intertwine, offering a sanctuary…