On November 22nd 60 years ago, everything changed.It was the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated…and it rocked the world.While I was alive at the time (I was 5 years old) I didn’t really comprehend it…all I knew was that every adult was glued to the TV for days…and a lot of people were ...

I attended a football game 20 years ago where I ended up in the middle of a fight in the stands.I didn’t start it…read on so you’ll learn why I couldn’t have started it in this lifetime (or multiple lifetimes) …but it illustrates the ultimate lesson about why misplaced hero worship rarely (if ever) pays out.Not ...

If you can make one heap of all your winningsAnd risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breathe a word about your loss……Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it. This is from a poem called If— by Rudyard Kipling…but it might as well have been titled ...

In 2016 I wrote a post titled, “Masterminding at the Pentagon…or anywhere” …and in it, I included an article I was interviewed for from Forbes.com, titled, “Here’s The Most Valuable Business Lesson This Marketing Legend Shared With Troops At The Pentagon.” Outside of the lesson coming from a “marketing legend in his own mind” (I am far from a ...

Stops four and five of my “marketing-by-walking-around-tour” over the past month were as illuminating as the first three…and if you missed my post from last week, “Friends with benefits,” which describes my adventures in Dallas, Nashville and Sundance (three distinct and unique experiences) click here.Note: This is not an ongoing series or travelogue…no cliffhangers…and you ...

If you are a CEO, president, owner (or in any senior position of your company)—or even if you’re not—I maintain that having your “boots on the ground” is part of your “job” …no matter how much you delegate to others.From Wikipedia:The origin of the term [“management by walking around”] has been traced to executives ...

In January of 2017, when I made a deal for the exclusive publishing rights to Breakthrough Advertising, Gene Schwartz’s timeless masterpiece on copywriting, marketing and human behavior (which was first published in 1966), I had no idea what was in store over these last 6 years. I knew that the “industry” would be enthusiastic ...

There are many ways to become a master in all you do.One way is to be a “mastermind junkie” and go to where the wisdom is…like I am doing for the next two weeks…a “3-city tour”:From Nashville (for copywriting wisdom) …to Dallas (for online marketing wisdom) …to Phoenix (for entrepreneurial wisdom).Being a lifelong learner ...

“Recovery” is a powerful but sometimes off-putting word.Powerful when we talk about recovering from an accident, a setback, something negative…that we turn into a positive.Off-putting when we refer to recovery as something that is necessary to do…a “should” …especially when we are not doing it.One of the clicks on my dial (you can read more ...

My post from a few weeks ago, which concluded that “everything is a business” (from rock bands to sports teams) took on more profound meaning during my trip this past week to Dallas, Texas…to witness a beatdown of my New York Jets by the Dallas Cowboys (those are football teams for those of you ...

During my 40 years working and playing in the world of direct response marketing, there are two guys who I can almost always trace as the source (culprits?) of how each of us got into this wacky business. They are each the “first domino” for more marketers practicing today than anyone else. And they ...

Whenever someone refers to the ten commandments, I picture Charlton Heston (as Moses) receiving two stone tablets…I know, religion is not Hollywood…but for me it keeps “the ten” top of mind. But wait…there’s more. 🙂 One of the stories/lessons in my book Overdeliver (in chapter six on “Creative & Copy”), is a tribute (which ...

I attended my sixth Bruce Springsteen concert this past week (my first was in 1977 during my freshman year of college). And while Bruce’s music has been the soundtrack of my life (I even went to college in New Jersey), “only” attending six concerts made me feel like a slacker—almost a “Springsteen Virgin” –when ...

I looked up “the dog days of summer” on The Google and there are dates assigned to this period each year (specifically, July 3rd through August 11th). The expression has little to do with dogs and more to do with astronomy (who knew?) and here’s a short video just in case you want more ...

A friend of mine once told me that your true, lasting, and most reliable business colleagues can be judged by one thing: Do they have your back when you are on your back? I wasn’t on my back when I left my beloved Boardroom in 2015…my future was bright…but I was technically “unemployed.” I ...

Dan Sullivan, the top coach for entrepreneurs in the world, is also one of the most quotable people in the world. One of my favorites, which is a credo for all entrepreneurs: “I want it because I want it” This quote came to life in real time after I hit send on my blog ...

Avoid anyone who touts that they’re “unlucky.” -Sean Stephenson #Sean365 “I’m an introvert so I have trouble making connections and building my business” -Too many introverts When I received the quote above from Sean Stephenson (a quote from Sean is a treat in my Inbox every day), it made me think long and hard ...

I spent most of last week in Cleveland, Ohio, attending Dan Kennedy’s “Back from the Dead Tour” … which is now officially over…since it was a one-stop tour.I know most of you know who Dan is…a true icon/guru in direct response marketing…and I’ve written about him often in past posts.Here is one about lessons ...

I learned about “levels of excellence” by watching ultimate mediocrity…through the experience of my dad being the men’s varsity tennis coach at New York University (NYU) for over 20 years.While NYU is an academically sound place to go to college, varsity sports are just not a “thing” there (for the most part).The fact that the campus is in ...

Those of you who follow me through these weekly posts know that I consider myself a “serial direct marketer.”What does that mean?It means that I am obsessed with “measurable marketing” (i.e., marketing that must always pay out) …and with every and any medium utilized, I demand an acceptable ROI (Return on Investment) from all ...