Strategic Counsel by ForthRight Business

Insights can be a huge competitive advantage for your business or brand. When you first understand how you can make the lives of your customers better, you can then sell them your products and services as ways to deliver the emotional impact. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear Brett Townsend, SVP of Strategy at Quester. He’s also the Co-Author of the new book, Insights on the Brink: Revitalizing the M...

Differences between generations aren’t anything new. But, this generation entering the workforce - mainly Gen Zers - seems to be throwing all of us for a loop. We’ve heard a lot about struggles with communication, motivation, and accountability. What’s going on here?! We wanted you to learn from an expert on all things generational differences, so we welcomed on Mark Beal, Assistant Professor of P...

Building a team is a crucial step as your business matures. And your team can be a huge help in strengthening your branding and marketing efforts. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear Victoria Hajjar, Founder of Ugli Ventures. They help transform your business from ugly to beautiful and give you the tools to grow. Make sure to check out the full episode here

It’s a unique time for company culture. From dilemmas about flexible work schedules to generational gaps, leaders are throwing up their hands trying to figure out how to motivate without micromanaging. It might just take an unconventional culture to thrive. We wanted you to learn from a thought leader who’s built just that, so we welcomed on Gui Costin, the Founder & CEO of Dakota and Author of Th...

It can be difficult to keep up with the marketing and branding landscape - it’s always changing. Wouldn’t it be helpful to hear from top CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) on the matter? That’s what our guest, Mitch Duckler, did in his new book, The Future-Ready Brand. Mitch is the Founder and Managing Director of FullSurge, a brand and marketing strategy consulting firm that helps clients accelerate...

Now that we’ve covered the first two, it’s time for the third principle of Vigilant Leadership: Enabling the Action Plan! Note how we said “enabling,” not “doing.” That means we’ll also be talking about letting go of control. Enabling the action plan means assigning the right people to the right roles, creating foundational operating principles for success, building capability and setting expectat...

Cold emailing is one of the toughest things to do well. So many companies and marketers get lazy and resort to automation WITHOUT personalization - totally losing the human touch a well-crafted email deserves. In this Quick Hit, you'll learn how to craft cold emails that convert from Laura Robison. She’s the Founder of GainKite, an email marketing consultancy. Check out the full episode here

Every time we turn around lately, we’re having discussions about accountability - with our clients, in our coaching sessions, and now on this podcast! A lack of accountability can be one of the biggest downfalls of an organization - it erodes trust and culture, causes even top performers to suffer, and leads to an overall lack of focus and delivery of business goals. In this episode, we’ll reveal...

The best leaders are mentally strong. How do they get that way? Our guest, Scott Mautz, believes there are 6 mental muscles that equate to mental strength. And we have to keep working out those muscles - just like we do physical muscles at the gym. Scott’s latest book, The Mentally Strong Leader, explores why mental strength is THE leadership superpower of our times. Catch the full episode here

Are Google Ads dead? The answer may surprise you. Digital ads - along with other performance marketing vehicles - can feel like a black box. Even for the most skilled at managing these campaigns, it can be difficult to predict the behavior of the algorithms.  However, new capabilities like AI (Artificial Intelligence) are making us smarter, more efficient, and ultimately helping us produce better...

One of the best ways to grow your business more efficiently and productively? A strong brand. In this Quick Hit, we share what can happen once you have that established: you can capture attention without having to overpay for it & generate a powerful word-of-mouth engine. Check out the full episode here

Last time we spoke about Vigilant Leadership, we covered the first principle, The Landscape Reality Check. This time, we’re diving into the second principle, Strategies for Getting Unstuck: “What Must Be True” Action Planning. That is, how to action against the goals you established in The Landscape Reality Check. This involves looking at some common goals, setting up accountability checks, having...

The misconception you can keep your head down, do work, and be noticed is simply not a thing. We’ve all heard it: “No one is going to manage your career for you.” And it’s so true! In this Quick Hit, we share how growing your credibility comes down to becoming a student of strategy and cultivating your personal brand. Hear the rest of the tips in the full episode here

Traditionally, being a spokesperson meant you were the person fronted for interviews with media. This is still the case, but the definition has broadened as the media channels have broadened. They are approached differently as the conversation is usually one-way, but should be intentionally curated all the same. How do you become a credible voice for your business when communicating across channel...

Nonprofits, listen up: brand can be your secret weapon. So, how do you capture attention with brand? In this Quick Hit, we reveal how it comes down to inspiring people to care & cultivating culture. Make sure to catch the full episode here

If you have listened to us before, you know Vigilant Leadership is a style of leadership we uphold as being the best for creating highly effective teams. Vigilant Leadership is an elite level of leadership that draws upon a hyperawareness of what moves a business towards success, while avoiding common pitfalls that get in the way - all while leading from a place of consistent, intentional action....

Being a creative agency is always an adventure. There are so many challenges, but it can be some of the most rewarding work you’ll ever do. What are some of the biggest challenges today’s creative agencies face? Execution falls flat, and “brand” continues to be hard to explain and internalize. In this Quick Hit, we reveal what to do about these challenges. Check out the full episode here

There are many things that can distract even the very best leaders. Those include the lack of prioritization, leaning too far into empathy, the inability to give timely & direct feedback, and the desire to be liked over being respected. In these scenarios, it’s essential to maintain focus and strong strategic oversight. In this episode, we take our 40+ years of combined experience paired with the...

When we say “brand,” we mean more than your logo, colors, and fonts. We’re talking about the experience you’re creating and how it’s going to connect emotionally with your client, customer, or consumer. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear Ron Novak. Ron is a Founding Partner and Principal at Drawing Dept, a full-service architectural firm that pursues a diverse range of work. Catch the full episode her...

Humor in marketing is great in theory. But, it’s not great for every brand. If you’re using humor in your marketing, it needs to be strategically on-brand for who you are (brand story) and how you communicate (brand character). We wanted you to learn from a super creative screenwriter turned copywriter who knows all aspects of humor, so we welcomed on Emily McGregor, the Founder & CEO of PenguinCa...

Podcasting has grown a TON as a business-building tool over the past couple decades. But what does it take to start - and continue - an awesome podcast for your business or personal brand? In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear our podcast producer: Max Branstetter! Max is the Founder & Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting, the Host of the Wild Business Growth podcast, and writes the Podcasting to the Max ne...

Do you have a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management)? CRM tools have become a bit diluted over the years. But, a true CRM system can drive leads for your business like no other. We wanted you to learn from a bright mind who knows exactly how to make your CRM effective, so we welcomed on Jason Kramer, the Founder & CEO of Cultivize. They’re your CRM guru for sales, marketing, and agency team...

Too often, design becomes a purely creative exercise. This is a HUGE missed opportunity. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear Paul Stonick, Founder of KICK Consultancy & Former Vice President of SCADpro - a collaborative design studio connecting current and future art and design professionals with business leaders to solve real-world challenges. He’s also a founding cohort member of Punks & Pinstripes,...

The misconception you can keep your head down, do work, and be noticed is simply not a thing. We’ve all heard it: “No one is going to manage your career for you.” And it’s so true! Growing your credibility comes down to building advocates at all levels, becoming a craftsman of your trade, becoming a student of strategy, and cultivating your personal brand. Let’s make that credibility blossom. And...

It helps to view social media through a marketing lens - whether you’re using it for your business or your personal brand. When you take this approach, it requires intention, a narrative, and a strategy. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear AJ Kumar, The Digital Maestro at The Limitless Company. Catch the full episode here