When I was a lad, fresh out of college and working my first job in the hustle and bustle of New York City, it was an exciting time. Everything was new…not all “good new”…given the fact that I wouldn’t have a month off from Christmas until the end of January anymore. 🙁 But new ...

Today’s topic is one that I’ve had decades to think about…which based on the subject line, means this will be a shorter blog post. I can hear many of you applauding already. 🙂 That is, I get some “complaints” each week that my Sunday posts are too long. Not to worry…I have thick skin. ...

Two years ago, I wrote a blog post to celebrate my mom’s 97th birthday. And sadly, a month later, she passed away (in her sleep, peacefully). Those of you who have been part of my online family for a while know about my mom, an expert in direct response marketing (and the concepts covered ...

Growing up in the world of direct mail in the 1980’s, I had many role models. Most were personal mentors; but many were companies (led by amazing leaders who became mentors) who I paid close attention to and watched everything they did. We just lost one of those marketing leaders…and he deserves a lot ...

Basking in the afterglow of my daughter’s wedding, a quote came to mind…one that seems to come up all the time in my mind…so why not immediately after one of the most amazing experiences of my life? “Marketing isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” I am not trying to diminish the experience when I ...

In October of 2019, after suffering a near fatal stroke earlier in that year, I got back on the horse and did a series of speeches and presentations to continue to fulfill my obligation to teach what I know…and I am so glad I am still here to do it. I called it my ...

The recent Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp ended with a crescendo…with the last call being all about how Gene Schwartz “created” his copy. We showed a portion of a presentation Gene gave in the 1990’s…where he spoke his classic line: “Copy is not written. Copy is assembled” And assemble he did. From “assembling” an environment suited to do ...

If you are someone who only seeks fame and the roar of the crowd, this blog post is not for you. However, if you are someone who gets total satisfaction from being the world’s best at what you do–whether anyone sees you do it or knows you are doing it–please read on. In marketing, ...

When I joined my first mastermind group in 2009, it was called “The $25,000 Group” …which seemed odd at the time (i.e. naming a group by its price tag). But looking back, it was Genius. In 2010, there were far fewer high-priced masterminds…$25,000 was at the highest end…and its founder (my good friend and ...

Death is part of life…but you know that already. 🙁 But how do you/we make sure the people who pass are always remembered? Well…by documenting the remembrance. I’ve written numerous times over the years about my favorite children’s movie (that is really for adults…I love when that happens) …called Coco. The premise of the ...

There is good news and bad news about being someone’s “partner” in business. Being with someone in a business marriage that is symbiotic, where both parties benefit from that marriage, with little sniping and even less “trying to get the advantage” every step of the way, is always blissful. However, most people only “talk ...

When I launched Titans Marketing in 2015, a very creative friend of mine suggested that I call my new company, Dinosaurs and Cowboys. This set off a chain reaction of random branding strategies …and despite not naming my company that way, it’s been a fun ride using the comparison throughout the nine years Titans Marketing has been roaming ...

I’m a podcast junkie. And until very recently I let everyone else do the podcast building and I just sat back as a guest on over 200 of them, spreading my “marketing and copywriting propaganda.” Then I looked up the definition of propaganda: prop·a·gan·da /ˌpräpəˈɡandə/ noun information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, ...

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 ...

Dan Kennedy has gotten it right…unless you’re not Dan Kennedy. What he has gotten right: How to create maximum impact and influence by practicing one word. Scarcity. Become a scarce resource, produce value, and you will never be at a loss for clients. That’s the short version. Dan has 10 more ways to do ...

A beginner’s mentality is a mindset that will serve you well throughout your lifetime. That means having this mindset when you are actually a beginner; and retaining it even more when you achieve mastery. I might be taking a little poetic license here—excuse me if I do (and feel free to correct me)—but I ...

While speaking with legendary copywriter, teacher and coach, John Carlton 10 years ago, he said something that has stayed with me…and it has resurfaced again today…and it is as timely as ever. If you have ever had the privilege to chat with John, you know conversation usually turns into a “rant” (or series of rants) …and ...

In the middle of the pandemic in 2020, I wrote a post that debunked the importance of email open rates…but 2020 was a long time ago. 🙂 I’m not reversing my thesis…just revising it a little bit…in the wake of what’s coming down the pike on February 1st. I encourage you to read the ...

I got into a fascinating email thread with a “graduate” from the most recent Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp regarding a follow up “9-word Dean Jackson style email” I sent him with the subject line: Are you still fascinated with Gene Schwartz and game changing marketing OK…I know it’s 11 words. 🙂 I was trying to interest him in ...

I appeared on a podcast three years ago and the first question was a doozy. Shortly after that, I had a discussion with marketing superstar Todd Brown on that same question. And just this week, during a Titans Xcelerator call, the topic came up again. The universe is telling me that I need to ...