Blogging weekly keeps clients coming to my door. I invest a minimum of 10 hours a week into writing. I say invest because that’s exactly what it is—an investment in the future of my business. I’d love to tell you writing is a breeze, but I won’t blow sunshine and daydreams up your arse. Writing…
Why should I pick you over my other options? That’s all I really want to know before I give you money. Put my worries to rest with one good reason. Notice I didn’t say two, three, or ten reasons. Decide where you’re going to hang your hat as a business. You can be serviceable everywhere…
I ran another agency for thirteen years before starting Special Sauce. We won awards, made the Inc. 5000 list, and had multiple seven-figure years. We also struggled with inconsistent cash flow, stressed employees, and a dangerously top-heavy client list where 50% of our revenue was from one company. It felt like we were always fighting…
Do you wake up and start fighting fires and addressing client emails? I feel you. I did the same thing for 13 years. I was always available. When a client emailed, I was back in their inbox within seconds. I’d drop whatever I was doing to address their needs. I had intentions of working on…
I’m passionate about this subject because I’ve seen countless companies get caught up in the jargon, structure, and formalities of building a marketing plan and never actually get to marketing. My KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) methodology spits in the face of traditional plans. If you jump on board with my approach, you’ll be adding…
We have an eCommerce client enjoying 400% revenue growth this year. Facebook ads, email marketing, and conversion optimization played a part in that success, but these tactics are worthless without product-market fit. The thing that really moved the needle in this company’s success was cutting 80% of what they sell and refocusing the remaining 20%…
I’m going to share an important lesson about exploiting a competitive advantage, but first, you need to read this true story… “Mike,” Patti said. “You’re going to cut off your fingers.” “No, it’ll be fine, Patti. You just need to know what you’re doing. There are all kinds of safety features on new saws.” Patti and…
Running a client-based business can be a rollercoaster. One minute you’re riding high on that big project you just won. The next, you’re dog cussing your chosen profession and questioning why you ever agreed to work with that unreasonable client where it’s Never Enough. Don’t point fingers at the client who hired you. That dumpster…
Branding jargon is a curse that plagues businesses around the world. It’s hard for me to wade through the bullshit that branding firms and marketing agencies spew out to sound smart—and I’ve been in branding for 16 years. But not all branding terminology is for posturing and show. Take the concept of a brand promise…
We often obsess over fonts, photography, forms, and SEO and forget the most important function of a website… Your website exists to move someone from awareness to purchase. This is true for billion-dollar brands, freelancers, SaaS websites, eCommerce websites, home builder websites, CPG websites, nonprofit websites, and almost every other website on the planet. The…
