Reality Check.
Growth Creates Complexity. We Keep It Simple.
This blog is where we break down insights on strategy, growth, and systems.
Disclaimer: All images used on this blog are the property of their respective creators, networks, or studios. Images from TV shows, films, or other media are used under the principles of fair use for the purposes of commentary, criticism, or education. No copyright infringement is intended. If you are a rights holder and would like an image removed or credited differently, please contact us directly.
Your Team Hates Forced Culture Initiatives.
Stop with the Trust Falls.
No one’s getting more motivated by a company-wide “Fun Friday.”
The Slack gratitude channel? Muted.
That awkward offsite with improv games? Pure pain.
Here’s the thing: culture can’t be manufactured—and your team knows when you’re trying.
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-pizza-with-cheese-3944312/
Stop Selling Features. Start Selling Outcomes.
“This tool has AI-powered automation.”
“This platform integrates with 100+ apps.”
“This service includes a customizable dashboard.”
Cool. So what?
If your sales pitch is just a feature dump, you’re losing deals to people with worse products and better messaging.
Here’s what actually works.
Photo by Leeloo The First: https://www.pexels.com/photo/question-marks-on-paper-crafts-beside-coffee-drink-5428834/
Why Your Leads Aren’t Buying
When deals stall, the first thing sales teams blame is the price.
“We were too expensive.”
“They went with a cheaper option.”
“They didn’t have budget.”
Sometimes that’s true. But most of the time? It’s not the price. It’s the pitch.
Here’s what actually works.
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/shopping-cart-full-of-goodies-5650049/
What Ryan Reynolds Can Teach You About Sales
You’re selling products. Ryan sells feelings.
Most salespeople pitch features, pricing, and “differentiators.” They forget that humans don’t make buying decisions based on spreadsheets—they make them based on gut instinct and emotion.
Ryan doesn’t sell minutes and megabytes. He sells relatability. He sells self-awareness. He sells trust.
And when people trust you, the decision gets easy.
Image © Evan Agostini/Invision/AP – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.
What Nintendo Can Teach You About Sales
Nintendo doesn’t win by copying. Never has.
While Sony and Microsoft race for realism, graphics, and horsepower, Nintendo builds consoles with cardboard, sells decade-old games at full price, and still prints money.
Why? Because they understand something most sales teams don’t: when you zig while everyone else zags, you stand out.
Photo by Mao Batista: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-nintendo-switch-and-a-bunch-of-super-mario-game-items-17122728/
Why Does Google Ads Constantly Want Broad Match?
“Try broad match!”
“It works better with Smart Bidding!”
“Reach more potential customers!”
Translation: spend more money on less relevant clicks.
Google wants you using broad match because it gives them more control—and gives you more noise.
Photo by Mumtahina Tanni: https://www.pexels.com/photo/excavator-on-work-on-a-landfill-3230538/
Your Website Isn’t “Fine”
There’s always something to optimize.
When someone says “our website is fine,” it’s usually code for: “We haven’t looked at it in six months.”
Meanwhile, bounce rates are up. Leads are down. And no one’s clicking the button that says “Schedule a Consultation” like their life depends on it.
Photo by Format: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-imac-near-macbook-1029757/
How to Actually Track Marketing ROI
Clean connections, young grasshopper.
You can’t improve what you can’t measure. And yet, most companies still treat marketing ROI like a vague hope rather than a hard number.
They’re “pretty sure” that email campaign worked. They “think” the new ad brought in leads. And when the CFO asks for proof? They start sweating.
Photo by Héctor Berganza: https://www.pexels.com/photo/serene-coastal-stone-cairn-at-sunset-31689113/
Your CRM Isn’t the Problem
A lot of teams blame their CRM when deals slip through the cracks, data gets messy, or nobody follows up on leads.
“It’s clunky.”
“It’s not intuitive.”
“We need something better.”
So they switch systems. Again. And guess what? The problems don’t go away. Because the problem usually isn’t the software—it’s how you’re using it.
Photo by j.mt_photography: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rusty-orange-volkswagen-beetle-1428547/
Will AI Replace Marketers?
Every time a new AI tool drops, someone declares the end of marketing jobs.
Copywriters? Replaced. Designers? Replaced. CMOs? Hanging on by a thread.
It’s dramatic—and mostly nonsense. Yes, AI is changing how we work. But replacing marketers entirely? Not happening. Not now. Not soon. Maybe not ever.
Photo by Tara Winstead: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-photo-of-a-transparent-mannequin-8386366/
Marketing Trends to Ignore in 2025
Every January, the internet spits out 100 “must-know marketing trends” that all sound the same: AI, NFTs, the metaverse (again), Web3, voice search, QR codes, holograms, whatever.
Here’s the problem: most of these trends are either recycled, overhyped, or totally irrelevant to your actual business.
If you're a marketer or business owner trying to focus on what works, here’s what to ignore in 2025—and where to put your energy instead.
Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-and-white-floral-shirt-wearing-eyeglasses-8111383/
Funnel Evolution in 2025
Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, Deloitte—even Google—they’re all saying the same thing:
The funnel is dead.
Not because people suddenly stopped buying things, but because the way they move through a buying journey is nothing like that tidy awareness → consideration → decision diagram you saw in your marketing textbook.
Let’s break down what’s changed—and why it matters.
Photo by Maria Orlova: https://www.pexels.com/photo/set-of-glass-coffee-pots-for-pour-over-4946622/
Are Chatbots & AI Assistants Ruining Customer Experience?
You just want to change your shipping address or cancel a subscription, and instead of a human, you get a cheerful little chatbot named “SupportBot 3000” who’s totally not helpful and definitely doesn’t understand what you’re asking.
AI is everywhere in customer service now—and while it’s not all bad, let’s be honest: a lot of it sucks.
Here’s what’s actually going wrong—and what companies need to fix before the bots take all the blame.
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-white-message-balloons-1111368/
Run Marketing With a Small Team (or Solo)
Be Flexible and Open
Running marketing with a tiny team—or by yourself—is part strategy, part juggling act, and part improv show.
You don’t have time for fluff. You don’t have budget for a 12-person creative team. And you definitely don’t need another “10-step framework” written by someone with three interns and a six-figure ad budget.
Photo by fauxels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-sitting-near-wooden-table-3183190/
Ad Fatigue in 2025
Why Your Best Campaigns Are Dying Faster
You launch the campaign. It hits. Clicks, conversions, leads—things are working.
Then, two weeks later… crickets.
Welcome to ad fatigue in 2025—where even your best ideas have a shelf life shorter than a TikTok trend.
It’s not you. It’s the system. The platforms, the pace, the audiences—all of it has changed. If you’re wondering why your high-performing campaign is suddenly on life support, here’s what’s going on.
Photo by Marcus Herzberg: https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-billboards-1058276/
Landing Pages That Actually Convert
Most landing pages are pretty. Clean layout. Nice fonts. Maybe even a snappy headline.
And then… crickets.
Because here’s the truth: pretty doesn’t convert. Clarity does. Relevance does. Trust does.
So if your landing page isn’t doing its job—bringing in qualified leads or sales—it’s not because your button isn’t orange enough.
Here’s what’s actually going wrong (and how to fix it).
Photo by Davide Baraldi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-an-ipad-11813187/
Your Company Isn’t Apple, or Amazon, or Google
Let’s get something straight:
You are not Apple.
You are not Amazon.
You are not Google.
And you don’t need to be.
The problem is, too many companies try to act like they are. They copy the branding. They mimic the tone. They throw out buzzwords like “innovation” and “scale” as if that magically puts them in the same league.
Photo by Essow K: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-high-rise-buildings-936722/
What The Newsroom (HBO) Can Teach You About the Truth
A Lot, As It Turns Out
Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom is a show about journalism, but it might as well be a lesson in how to cut through noise and deliver real truth—something marketing and media both struggle with today.
In a world where clickbait headlines, AI-generated content, and engagement-farming rule, The Newsroom reminds us that truth matters—and it’s worth fighting for.
Image © Home Box Office, Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.
The Marketing Industrial Complex
Modern marketing has a dirty secret: it’s built to extract as much money from you as possible before you see any results.
Agencies, platforms, “experts,” and tools all promise the world—strategy, scale, brand love, hockey-stick growth—but what you often get is a confusing invoice, a bloated tech stack, and no real pipeline.
Welcome to the Marketing Industrial Complex.
Photo by SHVETS production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/empty-shopping-cart-on-yellow-background-7195232/
Is Reddit the Next Big B2B Platform?
Every few years, marketers get obsessed with a new platform. Right now, some are hyping up Reddit as the next big thing for B2B marketing—claiming that its engaged communities and organic discussions make it a goldmine for leads.
Nice theory. The reality? Reddit isn’t built for B2B marketing, and most brands will struggle to make it work.
Image © Reddit – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.