Story Behind the Strategy I Marketing Insights

A funeral home sponsoring a Community Calendar? I sold that. A divorce attorney sponsoring a wellness segment? That, too. After ten years in broadcast promotions, I challenged myself to invent eight sponsorship pairings even I couldn't justify. Unfortunately, I kept finding ways to pitch them. Sometimes the difference between a brilliant partnership and a terrible idea is the story connecting the sponsor to the audience.

“Build your network before you need it” is great advice—unless you’re reading it after a layoff. One unexpected referral reminded me that building a professional network isn’t about collecting connections. It’s about creating relationships that still matter long after the original reason you met is gone.

I signed up for two webinars this week and attended neither. The recordings are sitting in my inbox, but I missed something they can't reproduce. From a live AI course to conference conversations and a surprise connection at a Cardinals game, some of the best learning happens because other people are there with you.

A contest offering a two-year Chevy Cruze lease was bound to generate plenty of entries. The more important question was what we could learn from them. One Big Data presentation changed how I thought about turning contest participation into actionable marketing insights.

Sending an email doesn't mean the message was received, understood, or confirmed. One event sponsorship taught me why effective workplace communication sometimes requires closing the loop—and why “What questions do you have?” can be more useful than “Do you have any questions?”

Job titles can become part of how we define ourselves. But what happens when the title disappears? The work you keep doing when nobody requires it may be a better clue to your professional identity.

What happens to your professional network when you change industries? After attending my first in-person job fair during this job search, I was reminded that networking isn't just about handing out resumes or finding an immediate opening. It's about practicing your story, making connections and building relationships that can open doors over time.

Some of the most valuable things a media company can sell don't appear on a rate card. After working with legendary broadcasters Dan Palmer and Don Alhart, I learned that longevity creates familiarity—but consistency turns familiarity into trust. And when a brand sponsors something an audience has trusted for decades, it isn't simply buying impressions. It's borrowing that trust.

Turning 40 wasn't the milestone I expected. Looking back over a decade of teaching, marathons, marketing, and personal growth, I realized the moments that shaped my career weren't promotions or job titles—they were the ordinary decisions that quietly changed everything. This career reflection explores why saying yes opened doors, why learning to say no matters just as much, and how those lessons are shaping the next chapter.

Generative AI is already part of the modern workplace. Rather than banning AI, I teach my Business Communication students how to use it responsibly through the AI Sandwich framework—a practical process that begins with original thinking, uses AI for refinement, and ends with human judgment.

What if you treated your personal energy like an investment? Discover how one unexpected family day reshaped my perspective on productivity, joy, and career growth.

Resumes are important. They tell people where you've worked, what you've accomplished, and the skills you've developed. But they're rarely the reason someone remembers you. Lately, I've been reading The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader by Thomas Barta and Patrick Barwise. One idea that has stayed with me is that leadership isn't just about the role you hold—it's about the value you create long before a title catches up. That reminded me of one of the very first marketing propo

When was the last time you saw an amazing PowerPoint? Not just a good presentation - a slide deck that made you think, "Wow. I need to use those colors, animations, and graphics in my next presentation." No? You're not alone. I've certainly taken pictures of presentation slides during conferences and webinars. But if I'm being honest, it usually isn't because the slides were unforgettable. It's because I wanted to turn the information into my own notes before I forgot it. The