by Joe Garrison | Oct 23, 2025 | Messaging Strategy
The other day, I followed an old client from several years ago on Instagram. They’re a home restoration company. I helped them clarify their message with StoryBrand, wrote a new website, and built their website. By all accounts, they’re doing really well....
by Joe Garrison | Oct 6, 2025 | Messaging Strategy
It’s a paradox many of us face: the more we know, the harder it is to communicate that knowledge effectively. This phenomenon, known as the “Curse of Knowledge,” was coined by authors Chip and Dan Heath in their book, “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas...
by Joe Garrison | Oct 2, 2025 | Brand Strategy, Messaging Strategy
“If you don’t implement AI in your business YESTERDAY, your business will fail, your spouse will leave you, and you will die a slow and painful death.” … Ok, obviously that isn’t true, but it’s what every AI guru on the internet...
by Joe Garrison | Sep 17, 2025 | Brand Strategy, Messaging Strategy
According to research, 80% of the buying process (B2B & B2C) happens BEFORE a prospect talks to a real live person. Here is the crazy part… This research was conducted in TWENTY SEVENTEEN! That was five years before ChatGPT launched. I’m...
by Joe Garrison | Sep 15, 2025 | Messaging Strategy
Imagine This… You and I head out for a hike along the Brule River in Northern Minnesota. The air is crisp, and the water is absolutely raging after a big rain last night. After about thirty minutes, we come to the edge of the river. “Alright. Let’s go to the other...
by Joe Garrison | Sep 8, 2025 | Brand Strategy, Messaging Strategy
I’m usually the last person to use a cultural event and turn it into business advice. Honestly, my go-to response for cultural events is to sh*tpost about them on Twitter or LinkedIn for laughs. This time, I’m taking a different tack, because I want you (us)...
by Joe Garrison | Sep 1, 2025 | Brand Strategy
“I want to sell my business before I retire, so I can leave a legacy when I’m done.” I was sitting in a client’s conference room discussing business and marketing goals. “How much are you hoping to make when selling the company in 5-10...
by Joe Garrison | Aug 28, 2025 | Brand Strategy, Messaging Strategy
In March 1992, at a campaign event, an AIDS activist named Robert Rafsky confronted then-candidate Bill Clinton about the AIDS crisis. Clinton responded directly with the line, “I feel your pain.” If your back hurts lately, and getting out of bed is getting harder,...
by Joe Garrison | Jul 4, 2025 | Brand Strategy
It was 2015, and I was sitting in my Dad’s law office. He was the managing partner at the Indianapolis law firm that his older brother had started forty years earlier. They were a general practice law firm. That means they covered various types of law for their...
by Joe Garrison | Jun 19, 2025 | Brand Strategy, Messaging Strategy
There’s a phrase that goes, “Better isn’t better. Different is better.” The idea is that it is extremely difficult to compete on quality and/or price. Being a little bit better or a little bit cheaper doesn’t make you stand out. It also always ends up in a race to the...
