A while back we had a pretty decent blackout in my home town of Adelaide, and it lasted several days for some people. And quite a few of them got all vocal about how terrible that was. I took a few of them to task, suggesting it perhaps wasn’t the end of the world, and [...]
It’s important to remember, that sometimes, if not all the times, making no decision is the same as actually making one. Only with, presumably, a different outcome. I could be all profound and reference the famous quote “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”, (which may or [...]
There’s nothing like trying to get concert tickets to an in-demand show to remind you of what really matters in 'marketing'. When I work with clients, I sit through countless hours of meetings looking at all sorts of things in the marketing mix. We look at everything from the advertising right through to things [...]
In a time when there's all sorts of good causes vying for your attention, and our moola, it's always good to see people doing really cool stuff like Sam from Connie from Love Your Sister. They're out there raising money for Breast Cancer in their own, awesome way. As Sam says, "All this pink about [...]
I don’t subscribe to the ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ ethos. Give me knowledge any day. Just don’t give me certainty. At least not too much of it. Most of the time, at least, I like the idea that I never quite know what’s just around the corner. Certainty can take away so much glorious possibility and [...]
Looking for something to read in 2017? Why not start with Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Don't be fooled by the edgy title, this is a seriously good book and possibly one of the better ones I've ever read in this space. Big call, I know, but I absolutely love [...]
Earlier today I paid a car salesman a commission for not selling me a car. Because it seemed like the right thing to do. Let me explain. Back in the late 90s I was working with a guy by the name of Greg Hobby who said to me, "Sput, principles aren't principles until they cost [...]
There’s been a song going around for a while now called ‘Say Something’. I suppose it’s about a girl and a boy and a relationship, but it’s become somewhat of a brand anthem for me. Not because I’m the least romantic guy in the world, but because it’s such a fundamental mistake I see [...]
One question I get asked almost more than any other, is what the heck is a ‘Swashbuckler’? Well, the traditional definition says it’s “a swaggering swordsman, solider, or adventurer; daredevil.” As you can imagine, I'm less about swords, and more about adventure here. So let’s go with that. And I'm not just talking about [...]
Whenever I speak to business people, start ups or about marketing in general, I almost always come to the point of the presentation where I remind everyone of this one, fundamental truth: people care more about their shit than yours. So much so, I have one particular person who books me to speak, who always [...]
