I've always been drawn to small businesses. There's something about watching a new storefront open or a passion project turn into something real that genuinely excites me. For years, every time a new business opened in my community I'd have one of two thoughts: "Why didn't I think of that?" or "I have so many ideas for them."
Meanwhile, I was spending 15 years in corporate marketing building plans for brands like Lindt Chocolate, learning what it takes to build a strategy that actually works. I was good at it. I loved it. But I kept thinking about all those small businesses that deserved the same thinking and just didn't have access to it.
Eventually I stopped keeping those ideas to myself and started Fresh Sprout Consulting.
What I actually believe about marketing
Most marketing conversations start with "what should we post?" Mine don't.
Marketing is so much bigger than any one channel. It's the experience of walking through your door. It's a handwritten note in an order. It's your email signature. Every touchpoint is an opportunity, because marketing is the experience, not the tactic.
Before I recommend anything, I start with your customer. Everything else follows from there.