Distillations

Many small business owners think they need to scale to compete with larger companies. They imagine growing bigger, serving more customers, and automating processes will lead to success. But what if scaling your business leads you down the wrong path? What if the best path...
The newly redesigned WordPress.com Learn Hub is the culmination of years of hard work by several talented teams inside the brand; I’m proud to have played a role in its execution. The hub now features a clean, intuitive design, more user-friendly videos, and a wealth...
Yes, branding is important for your small business, too. No matter how many times I tell small business owners that “branding is like the air in your lungs, essential for your survival,” they still think of it as something they’ll do later, once they are...
In my experience of working with hundreds of brands over the last 15+ years, there are three things businesses get wrong when it comes to brand building. And these are businesses of all sizes, not simply small businesses. The No. 1 thing businesses get wrong...
In a recent blog, I wrote about the need for small business owners to eat the frog, tackling their most important challenges early and often. Doing so helps better ensure their long-term survival, but it requires attentiveness to what kills small businesses and, more specifically,...
Your top priority as a small business owner: eat the frog. The most important task for a small business owner is to solve the biggest issue impacting your brand at a given time. Yes, there will be many challenges your businesses face at once, but...
As a consultant, your personal brand matters a lot. And a key component of your brand is your worldview. This is not simply a buzzword; it’s a guiding principle that influences your approach to business. Let’s break down what a worldview is, why you need...
Social psychology teaches us that panhandlers asking for specific amounts of money are typically far more likely to receive a handout. A specific ask conveys an effort to complete a clear-cut task, which makes it easier for normally apathetic passersby to assist in what they...
How innovation and unique branding give small businesses an unfair advantage I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing brands over the last fifteen years, many of which weren’t even around when I was born. I can still remember sitting at the large conference room...
Demystifying the power of branding “What is branding, anyway?” That’s one of the most-asked questions I get from small business owners. “A brand refers to the unique, intangible, and often indiscernible, association prospects and customers have regarding your products and services,” I say to them....