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.

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.

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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.

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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.

Ever talked about something random—like buying new boots—only to see ads for them minutes later?

It’s not your imagination. Your phone is listening.

Not in a “government surveillance van outside your house” way, but in a big tech, hyper-targeted advertising kind of way. And while companies deny it, the evidence says otherwise.

Here’s what’s actually happening, and which apps are the biggest offenders.

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Ted Lasso isn’t just a show about soccer—it’s a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and the power of a positive mindset.

And one of its best lessons? “Be a goldfish.”

In other words, let go of mistakes, don’t dwell on the past, and move forward fast. It’s simple advice, but if you apply it to work, leadership, and life, it changes everything.

Image © Apple Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

Every time a company announces a “strategic restructuring”, we all know what’s coming: people are getting fired.

But instead of saying that, leadership rolls out a carefully worded press release about “realigning business priorities” and “positioning for future growth.”

It’s nonsense. Layoffs are layoffs. Pretending otherwise doesn’t soften the blow—it just makes leadership look dishonest.

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Somewhere along the way, we decided that burnout is a badge of honor. Hustle harder. Sleep less. Outwork the competition.

Sounds cool—until you realize it’s just a great way to be miserable, exhausted, and ultimately worse at your job.

Here’s the truth: Grind culture is a lie. The best work doesn’t come from people running on fumes. It comes from people who know when to push and when to rest.

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If you work in business, leadership, or marketing, you’re already using Peter Drucker’s ideas—whether you know it or not.

Drucker wasn’t just a management consultant. He was the guy who basically invented modern business strategy. Long before the buzzwords, frameworks, and LinkedIn thought leaders, Drucker was writing about what actually makes businesses work.

Here’s why he still matters.

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Art & Copy isn’t just a documentary about advertising—it’s a masterclass in what makes great marketing actually work.

It’s about the golden age of advertising, when agencies weren’t obsessed with data, automation, and conversion rates. Instead, they focused on bold ideas, emotional storytelling, and the power of words and visuals working together.

Here’s what stood out.

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Mad Men made advertising look sexy—whiskey-fueled pitches, sharp suits, big ideas. And while some of that was real, a lot of it was just good TV.

So, what did Mad Men actually get right about the ad world? And where did it take creative liberties? Let’s break it down.

Image © Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

AAA video games spend years in development, cost millions to produce, and are obsessed over by fans who pick apart every detail. Meanwhile, most marketing content looks like it was slapped together in a hurry, dumped into a content calendar, and forgotten.

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Leading a team, a company, or even just a project? Here’s the harsh truth: you’re too close to the problem to see it clearly.

It’s not a personal failing—it’s just how humans work. When you’re deep inside something, whether it’s your company culture, your strategy, or your messaging, you miss what’s obvious to everyone else. That’s why leaders who think they have all the answers are usually the ones making the biggest mistakes.

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Tim Ferriss isn’t a marketer. But if you’re in marketing and you haven’t read The 4-Hour Workweek or watched his podcast clips on YouTube, you’re missing out on some of the best strategy advice out there.

Image © Tim Ferriss – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

Netflix doesn’t just pump out content—it creates cultural moments. Whether it’s a binge-worthy series, a surprise hit, or a viral documentary, Netflix understands one thing better than most marketers: people crave good stories.

Yet, most marketing ideas are as bland as a straight-to-DVD sequel. No hook. No emotion. No reason to care. If you want your content, campaigns, or brand to stand out, stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like a storyteller.

Image © Netflix, Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

Most people don’t know Susan Wojcicki’s name, but they’ve definitely used her work. She’s one of the most influential figures in tech—whether you realize it or not.

Image © Francois G. Durand/Getty Images/File – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

ESPN isn’t just about sports—it’s about timing. The network thrives on capturing the moment, reacting instantly, and delivering analysis while the game is still fresh.

That same approach? It’s exactly what marketers need to master. Because in a world where news cycles move at warp speed and trends die in a day, being right is good, but being first is better.

Here’s what ESPN gets right about timeliness—and what you should steal.

Image © ESPN, Inc. – used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

Everyone has a podcast.

Seriously—your coworker, your neighbor, probably your accountant. There are 5 million podcasts out there, and yet, every week, another brand decides, “You know what we need? A podcast.”

So is podcasting still a goldmine, or did you miss the boat? The answer: It depends.

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If you work in marketing and don’t know Philip Kotler, you’re missing the foundation of everything you do.

Kotler isn’t just some marketing guy—he’s the marketing guy. The one who basically wrote the playbook. The reason your college marketing class had a textbook. The reason “4 Ps of Marketing” (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) is still a thing decades later.

So, why should you care? Because if you understand Kotler, you understand how marketing actually works—not just the latest trends.

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If you work in marketing and don’t know Tom Burrell, it’s time to fix that.

Burrell wasn’t just another ad exec—he changed the game. Before him, advertising treated Black consumers like an afterthought, pushing the same messaging used for white audiences. Burrell saw the problem and built something different. He revolutionized marketing by introducing real cultural nuance into advertising.

Image © Tom Burrell– used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.