Those of you who are copywriters—or are familiar with the copywriter’s mindset—would probably agree that the brain it takes to write creatively (and get people to pull out their credit cards) is not wired to run a large company. There are exceptions…and I am not belittling every copywriter by saying none are equipped to be a ...

It never fails that on almost every Titans Xcelerator call, which takes place anywhere from two to four times a month, when someone is on a hot seat about their business, someone suggests, “You should write a book.”While you know I don’t like the word “should,” I believe it’s something everyone could consider as part of their ...

When I wrote “There are no unique names, only unique lists” two weeks ago, I told you a little bit about the man I consider the “king of the list industry” who most of you have never heard of…a friend and a mentor…who handled the role as emperor with humility, quiet confidence and a philosophy like ...

“Live your life like everyone is rooting for you.” -Sean Stephenson #Sean365 It’s spring…and you know what that means…it’s time for baseball (in the U.S.). There’s also the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this year…proof that baseball has become more global…and you can be from any country to appreciate this post. Those of you who ...

“I love getting old… because I get so smart” -Marty Edelston I’ve said it before and I need to say it again: Too many of my mentors are dead. And still dying. Funny/not funny how that continues to happen 🙁 I had a lot of friends early in my career who made fun of ...

If your InBox looks like mine, you would think the wheel has just been invented…or at least the iPhone. It’s “artificial intelligence (AI) all day, every day” in my email –Open.ai, ChatGPT, Jasper et al.—and I have to say it’s pretty exciting stuff. The possibilities are endless and we are just scratching the surface. Besides observing ...

I couldn’t outrun the gazelles…so I just outworked them. -Martin “Marty” Edelston (February 14, 1929-October 2, 2013) A novice says, “I’ve already heard that;” a master says, “Ah…thank you for the reminder.” -Sean Stephenson (May 5, 1979-August 28, 2019)(Sean Stephenson #Sean365) Those of you who have been part of my online family for any ...

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer…and keep them all well fed” -Brian Kurtz, March 30, 1981 I can’t say whether I actually said those words on 3/30/81 (my first day working in direct marketing and the day Ronald Reagan was shot outside The Washington Hilton) …but I can safely say that it is ...

With the release of Steven Spielberg’s newest film, The Fabelmans, I recalled a presentation I made at the first Copywriter Club event in 2018 (they have done many since) …where I tried to equate Spielberg’s career to how copywriters should look at their own careers. And marketers too. I remember the speech being a bit disjointed…as many of ...

“Over lunch, a colleague’s young nephew asked me how we tweeted before the Internet. Pneumatic mail tubes and a lot of stationery, kid”     -Lester Wunderman on Twitter 3/25/12 Almost exactly four years ago to the day, we lost one of the pioneers of direct marketing, Lester Wunderman. I wanted to remember him again…with some ...

As I am completing my “kinda/sorta sabbatical,” I went through my Sunday blog posts over the last three years thinking that I would resend the one that got the highest open rate. A “greatest hit” if you will. Then I recalled the post I wrote, “Open rates are overrated,” which is based on the intelligent ramblings ...

What if I told you I had a video of Socrates, Alexander the Great and Gene Schwartz on stage, presenting live? I bet you would watch it, right? Sadly, those three guys are no longer with us (although I really tried to secure them for this week’s blog post). 🙂 Instead, I got three ...

Multiple unlocked and unguarded entry points aren’t the best practice for high security prisons, schools (a relatively new phenomenon) or the warehouse at Sotheby’s. But in marketing and copywriting, multiple entry points can be your gateway to the most advanced education…and sales and profit too. However, these unlocked and unguarded entries must be used ...

“As soon as I meet someone I admire, I begin modeling what I admire about him or her most.“ -Sean Stephenson #Sean365 Sean Stephenson is a special person in my life…and I use the present tense when I talk about him even though he is no longer with us. That’s because he lives on through ...

The end of the year is a reminder—if you work for a company or just someone else—that you may be anticipating a bonus (or at least an Amazon gift card) 🙂 And this post is for everyone, whether you are waiting for year-end bonuses, giving them out, or not interested in bonuses right now. ...

I’ve begun shedding the label of “Director of Sales Prevention” (somewhat) in the process of selling memberships into my Titans Xcelerator virtual (and very affordable) mastermind this month…and while I have signed up many new members (you know who you are and congratulations!), I’ve also gotten some old (and new) objections for not joining. I am ...

I was asked to participate in a book project from a young entrepreneur/author who is exploring what it takes to become a millionaire…why some people never get there…why some people seem to make millions in their sleep…and juxtaposing millionaires with those who stay “stuck in the middle class.” First, it is not necessarily one ...

Because we are just past Thanksgiving in the U.S., and heading into peak holiday time globally, I want to do a flip on “Christmas cards in July” and talk about a July “incident” that I was made aware of this past June 27th–which is appropriate to talk about anytime during the year, including Christmas season. That’s why this ...

Three years ago, on Thanksgiving (it feels like 10 years after what we experienced in 2020 and 2021), I was sitting at my dining room table with over 20 relatives of all ages. Note: If you are outside the U.S., I promise some payoff with this post despite you not celebrating this very American ...

When I wrote “Email is a contact sport,” earlier this year, and just re-read it as I was preparing to teach the current “Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp” about “states of awareness” and “levels of sophistication,” I came up with three more examples of marketing, contributing and connecting as contact sports (in addition to email). Simply put, creating lifetime value ...