My name is Mark. I like to help people build businesses they believe in. My favorite people to work with are makers — coders, crafters, designers, artists, foodies — people who would rather make a horn than toot one. I offer them a major marketing jolt, awakening them to aspects of their communication that are holding them back and not letting people fully appreciate and connect with their story.
How?
Through an unscripted, truth-seeking, semi-confrontational 58 minute phone call about their current online customer experience. It’s my own version of Gordon Ramsey's Restaurant Nightmares, minus the personal insults and f-bombs. I ask a lot of questions about their websites. Why this? Why that? Why why why. My focus is on provocative questions versus off-the-shelf answers. The goal: identify areas of dissonance, where the dream doesn’t match the reality. The language, the visuals, the user experience...what does it all add up to? What’s interfering with a deeper connection with the audience? In the end, I want people to feel like a bucket of ice water was dumped on them: surprised, maybe annoyed, then awake and energized about the future of their business.
Who’s this for?
Anyone making something awesome who has doubts about how they’re communicating with the world. A creative shop/blog owner, an iPhone app developer, a start-up food cart...any small business owner wanting to be authentic and true to themselves, and at the same time break through the clutter and grow.
Note: If I don't think what someone is making is awesome, it's my responsibility to recommend that they work on their craft before receiving any marketing input from me.
How much does it cost?
$58. Satisfaction guaranteed. If you’re not happy with your experience, I will offer you a full or partial refund, or perhaps more minutes. Let’s talk about it.
Why me?
I’m not the horn-tooting type, but it’s a fair question. You can review my professional background on LinkedIn. A superficial summary:
- While at Jelly Helm Studio, we sold out 2011 Portland Timbers season tickets
- While at Wieden+Kennedy, I worked with big brands like Nike, Target, and Coca-Cola (don’t drink it!)
- My wife is a self-made Etsy superstar and has kept me close to the crafter’s journey
- Graduate of W+K 12
- MBA from Harvard Business School
- Communication Studies degree from UCLA
What do people say about me?
Some really nice things.
Why 58 minutes?
There’s a lot of marketing advice out there. Blogs, consultants, books. I certainly have my favorites. But sometimes too much advice — strategies, frameworks, analysis — can bog down the brain. I think a lot of people might benefit from less information and more of a good-hearted slap in the face. Something quick and hard to forget. The clock is ticking, so cutting to the truth beats being polite.
Plus I have a wonderful full-time job at Jelly Helm Studio and I’m a husband and the daddy of two little boys. So I’m pretty busy. For me this is another fun, flexible way to serve the world and what I see as my purpose.
What now?
- Step 1: Email me three things: your websites (shop, blog, Facebook, etc.), what originally excited you about starting your business, and what specific challenges you're facing.
- Step 2: If it seems like a good fit, we coordinate a time to talk and I send you a link for payment. (If I don’t think I’ll be valuable to you, I’ll let you know, and why.)
- Step 3: We get on the phone for 58 minutes.
- Step 4: I ask you how I did.
What if I want more help after the 58 minutes?
If you think you’d benefit from 58 more minutes with me, let me know what you have in mind.
If, as a result of our conversation, you want to hire a designer to work on your website or logo or something, I can recommend people I know and trust who might be a good fit.
If you’re a newbie to Etsy or looking for more advice on how to grow a start-up creative business, I might suggest you speak with my wife, Allisa. Like I said, she’s an Etsy pro, as well as a gifted teacher. She’s actually about to publish a terrific little book about finding success and fulfillment in the handmade world which I look forward to sharing.