What Startups Get Right (and Wrong) About Marketing
Lessons from Vesper Marine to now — what the startup world taught me about speed, focus, and knowing when to ignore best practice.
Journal
Thinking on marketing, growth, and building lean businesses.
The Tools I Actually Use Every Day
My real marketing stack as a solo operator in 2026 — what stays, what goes, and what I'd recommend.
You Don't Need a Rebrand. You Need a Message.
Why most businesses jump to visuals before nailing what they actually want to say.
Agencies vs. Fractional vs. In-House
An honest comparison from someone who's been on all three sides of the marketing relationship.
The HubSpot Trap
When your CRM becomes the strategy instead of serving one — and how to avoid the most common implementation mistakes.
ChatGPT Can Write Your Emails. Should It?
Where AI-generated content helps your marketing and where it quietly kills trust.
Stop Posting for the Algorithm
Why consistency beats virality every single time — and what that actually looks like for a small business.
What Does a Fractional Marketing Director Actually Do?
A week in my life across five clients — from strategy sessions to writing emails to arguing about HubSpot.
The Best Marketing I Ever Did Was Listening
Why the first month of any engagement is about shutting up — and how that changes everything.
AI Won't Fix Your Marketing (But It Will Speed It Up)
What AI tools can and can't do for a small business. An honest take from someone who uses them every day.
Your Website Isn't a Brochure
Why most SMB websites talk about themselves instead of their customers — and what to do about it.
Do You Actually Need a Marketing Person?
The honest checklist for knowing when it's time to bring in marketing help — and when it's not worth it yet.