Category: Opinion

12:09pm Monday
Saint Paul

I’m not going to make you wait for the answer.

Marketing is the highest ROI activity you can do in business.

A business’ customers only have so much money.

They only have so many hours in a day.

And their market only has so many buyers.

So if that business relies on space advertising, aka brand advertising, to put their name in front of prospects…

And fail to give them a reason to buy from that business…

12:37pm Friday
Saint Paul

Do you write fast?

I remember a story about Stan Lee the comic book writer. I think Ben Settle told this story.

And Stan said, “if I want to buy something, I can always just write more.”

As a freelance writer, that can be a challenge.

10:54am Friday
Saint Paul

Two months ago I got an urge to write advice for my two young children.

Something they might not understand today, but that would be available to them when they are ready.

So I fired up a Google Doc and started writing.

9:47am Wednesday, April 3
Saint Paul

Is there a song dedicated to YOU on Spotify?

I just finished reading an article from the New York Times Magazine about a musician, Matt Farley, who records hundreds of songs each year.

Songs about cities. Songs about poop. Songs about… you?

1:37pm Tuesday, April 2
Saint Paul

Hey *|FNAME|*,

There’s a shrinking middle class in the United States.

From 1971 to 2021—a span of 50 years—the middle class has dropped from roughly 61% of the population to roughly 50% of the population.

The lowest income group, meanwhile, expanded from 25% to 29%.

And the highest?

High-earners also expanded, from 14% to 21% of the US population.

So, while there is still a decent-sized middle class, it is trending downward.

Now, I’ve sold—via sales copy—at all levels. Here are my experiences:

12:07pm Monday, April 1
Saint Paul

Happy April Fools Day!

My kids started our day by taping the kitchen sprayer to the “on” position. And when I went to make coffee…

Here are three news items—can you tell which story below is false?

2:16pm Friday, March 29
Saint Paul

I just finished watching a YouTube video about a vintage Soviet camera lens. (The Helios 40, if you’re curious.)

That was after a handful of other videos on camera lenses.

Which was after reading an article on the baseball and the invention of the curveball.

Which was after a client meeting.

And then I added all these things to a running Google Doc mis-titled, “Things I’ve Read,” right above an article on the great teacup pig scam of 2016.