Psych Insights for Modern Marketers - The 3G Edition

A fabulous wrap-up show for the podcast.  Dealing with the good and awful aspects of using – or avoiding – humor in your marketing efforts.  Plus, a deep dive into what makes someone funny... with a mini-course on helping even unfunny marketers find a groove that can open up entirely new ways to nurture real relationships with clients and customers.  This is a nearly complete seminar on being a cr...

The guys reveal the genesis of their transformations and journeys to becoming who they are today... ... and it's riveting stuff. John's story goes back to his grandfather, who was an entrepreneur who got crushed by the Great Depression... yet somehow instilled the core sense of working for yourself into his grandkids (without even meeting them). Kevin's adventures leading to Copy Chief (and then a...

Very fun episode here – Kevin received a large, mysterious and very lumpy envelope in the mail... and wanted to open it live on the podcast to see what wonders were inside.  Very interesting insights from the three professionals, with John's long history in direct mail marketing, Kevin learning about copy from old school guys raised on mail, and Daniel having no idea that direct mail still existed...

The guys explore the roles of controversy in swaying public opinion, how deepfakes will demolish trust in society, and how data collection will affect things in the near future. Yet not all is dystopian doom: Yes, astroturf movements, strategic manipulation, and the perceived lack of privacy online threaten society's core... ... but by looking ahead – particularly how forward-thinking people are r...

John wants you to know how his teen years spent in rock bands transformed his shy ass into an adventure-seeking gonzo writer... and why this kind of experience is so critical for long successful careers in business. What's more, the guys go deep on: Defining "success" with personal goals, and skipping the nonsense of external standards Why it's important to understand how much conversational fluen...

Deep dive here into the unregulated (and still ill-defined) world of mentors and students,and how that fits into your career and business growth.  Including: All the different models of mentorship (paid vs free, formal vs informal, offered vs stalking) Why top mentors know they're training future competition, and don't care The hazy but crucial difference between teaching and mentoring (and why on...

The guys go deep on trust, the main factor behind any longevity in a brand's lifespan. And boy, has the landscape for that kind of trust changed. Old school brands still rely on consistency in quality and message... and also offer stark (and gruesome) examples of how to blow up even decades-old reliability with a single blunder. Yet, modern influencers on social media seem to thrive on "influence...

It's a show about writing killer bullets, using the show as an example. The guys go over nearly every submission in detail, giving brilliant insight to technique, structure and Effectiveness. You will discover: The critical difference between blind and revelatory bullets... how to make a short, punchy, and riveting bullet sing like a lyric from a rock song... the dangerous trap of allowing zombie...

Never shy about trying new things, the guys invited hundreds of fans to tune into the Zoom call and ask questions (a vast mob showed up, loaded for bear)... ... covering topics like how to get good enough for a legendary reputation, why practice sucks so much, how to deal with lawyers whose job is to just say "no" to everything, and the best sneaky ways to beat dangerously evil competition. Plus:...

Do you have "dream clients" you'd like to work with? Every top writer and consultant has that list, though they may keep it secret. The guys spill their client bucket lists here, and there are surprises. Then they tackle a familiar subject to every creative who ever lived: How to balance your gut instincts against data-driven decisions. (It will haunt your entire career, and there actually is a we...

First off, no, John isn't dead, despite what some authoritative voices online are saying. We'd know if he was, cuz he wouldn't be appearing on the podcast, now, would he. (Still, we're looking into creating "Deep Fake JC" just in case.) The show dives into the emotional states of both writers and prospects that coats every great ad (from murderous rage and peak love goo-goo eyes). And why, when wr...

So, how do you get show notes written – with the deadline hovering like a gore soaked banshee (cuz there's now 18 shows in the can and the launch is happening, like, tomorrow) – with three top copywriters in the mix? Answer: You procrastinate, think up wild notions about tricking other writers to do the work, try AI, toss the AI notes cuz it's half hallucination… procrastinate some more… endlessly...

The guys define some of the more misunderstood rumors and memes in the business and copywriting worlds... starting with "momentum", and what veterans mean when they talk about movement being the main step in ANY process or project. You'll never again wonder why you didn't get something important done... cuz you'll now be forever cursed with the knowledge of exactly what is required to charge from...

The guys explore the counter-intuitive power of keeping your biz small, but more intensely engaged.  John shares stories of entrepreneurs who got seduced by scaling their lists, and lost their souls. Kevin goes into the pain of over-hiring while chasing bigger audiences, and the relief of purposely shrinking it all back down to a comfortable, more engaged size. And Daniel nails it down, explaining...

Wherein we lay bare the actual writing process we used to write up notes and blurbs for the podcast, almost in real time. Three top writers, baffled by what to write to bring people into the shows... ... ultimately solved with a quick couple of decisions: A little AI to grease the skids with transcripts of what we talked about earlier, and then John rolling up his sleeves and slamming out some riv...

You know, not everyone likes you. You're always going to have detractors and enemies in various stages of rage (from mild to dangerous). Just a fact of life in the biz world. How you deal with these people – who obviously are under some mental health crisis, or just don't understand who you really are (cuz who could hate such a lovable goof as yourself?) – will define much of your life as a succes...

Even veteran biz owners and experience-hardened writers have a weird relationship with money. Especially when you come across a lot of it, suddenly. It's critical for your career to have a good foundation of values, an ethical philosophy of life, and lots of support from friends, family and network. Yet it's even MORE important for you to understand how money can completely obliterate everything g...

Dialogue isn't just writing out what someone said. Nope, too important to be trusted to stark transcriptions, especially when money's at stake in a sales message. Every writer has trouble with dialogue, at first. It requires some real epiphanies to start writing like Elmore Leonard or Stephen King or even an advice columnist. Yet it's so very crucial to setting up scenes that move the action forwa...

What kind of copywriting gig appeals most to you, anyway? Cuz there's a LOT of different gigs where writing copy is big on the menu. Here, the guys drill deep to lay bare the good vs. bad of every decision you make in your career.  Kevin nails the three paths: The pioneer (that's when you're a true entrepreneur, not working "for" anybody)... the producer (maybe working for someone, but just focuse...

Do you understand how the human body and mind work to either open doors of opportunity for you... or sabotage everything you've ever worked for? Can you influence a prospect by sucker-punching their most vulnerable spots, and then pounce with a solid pitch and close the deal? No, seriously – is this part of your skill set? Cuz that's how top writers sway and capture entire markets. While their sad...

Things got so outrageous and awesome last episode, that the guys decided the subject of storytelling in marketing required another round.  And big bonus: Their first ever guest is the fabulous Laura Belgray, top-tier copywriter and acknowledged direct response Queen Of The Riveting Storyline That Is Also Hilarious. (She's essentially the Dorothy Parker of our time.) And the conversational storylin...

You know what separates professional storytellers from the wannabe's who always lose their audience by the second breath? It's all about knowing how stories work inside a human's brain... from being drawn into the tale and becoming hyper alert to details as the stakes are raised... to ending up exhausted and happily digging for a credit card to ensure you are never without this kind of outrageousl...

High level copywriters aren't born. They're made. Consciously, level-by-level of building on a love of writing, a rigorous study of classic salesmanship, and a deep desire to earn the Big Bucks without ever digging a real ditch. It's never been a brainless way to make a living, and the people who have sold copywriting as a get-rich-quick scheme are lying their ass off to you. (Same with the idiots...

There is, in fact, a Big Idea for this very show: How hooks and big ideas actually work... ... and what the big secret is between merely grabbing attention... and turning your prospect into a cash-in-hand buyer, desperate for you to sell to them. John's always been known as "The Hook King", and oh boy: He dives in deep on how to identify, power-up, and carpet bomb your market with the kind of hook...

Okay, actually empathy is THE major tool all top copywriters rely on the most. It's very different than sympathy too... so the Boys tear these emotional responses down to "toolkit basics", and you'll never look at your own feelings the same way again. It's like a scorched-earth rampage through the human brain, laying out how they've turned hazy (and universally misunderstood) emotional triggers in...