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“Next-Stepper.”  I had never heard these two words used as a compound phrase to describe someone but that is what my colleague Kim Atkinson called Kristen Katzman back in 2002.  This took place at the rapidly-growing corporate marketing department of the even more rapidly-growing Cold Stone Creamery chain of restaurants. The unique description came a …

Welcoming Kristen Katzman To The Squad (or, The Tale Of The Next Stepper) Read More »

Prior to joining Nucleus Marketing Lab, I was a road warrior, or perhaps “flight path warrior” is more apt. As anyone who relentlessly travels for business can attest, you find coping mechanisms—reasons to get excited about that inevitable next trip. Perhaps it’s racking up those airline rewards or having a kid-free good night’s sleep. In …

Brand Experience Review: Famous Foods Street Eats at Resorts World, Las Vegas Read More »

There is a homeless mission here in my adopted city that provides meals, shelter, clothing and job placement for the homeless. I’m not looking for a Congressional medal or anything, but we’ve tried to support them when we can over the years. Side Note: If you’re looking for a rewarding team-building activity, get your crew …

Perfectly Put: What A Homeless Shelter Can Teach Us About Knowing Your Consumer Read More »

Right or wrong, more than one expert has compared the COVID-19 pandemic to WWII in terms of the global scale of its impact.  So perhaps it was fitting that I took the time to finish reading Ship Of Ghosts.  It’s a fascinating and terrifying account of the USS Houston and what happened to it in 1942, …

Book Review: Ship Of Ghosts Read More »

Brands come in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors.  Just like people.  Some are funny.  Some are wise.  Some are innovative.  Some smell good. And some are really special.  With brand stories that can be quite fascinating. If you’ve watched 2019’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks as the inimitable Fred Rogers, you’ve seen …

Film Review: A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood Read More »

I recently re-discovered a fascinating book that served as a great travel companion a number of years ago.  It is a 1994 book called The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski.  The author skillfully explores the drivers of innovation and invention by examining the history and, well…evolution…of some everyday objects to prove his point.  In this …

Book Review: The Evolution Of Useful Things Read More »

What would a quarantine edition newsletter be without a Tiger King review? Where the heck did this show come from?! Out of nowhere the Netflix-reaching world was collectively binging, and then talking about and creating memes for a limited-series documentary about big cat owners. Now, we’re not talking big cats like Maine Coons (look it …

Train Wreck Review: Tiger King Read More »

I got really into Hampton Sides recently, reading four of his books in 2018. One book called In The Kingdom Of Ice was incredible but just as riveting was Hellhound On His Trail, about the senseless assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the hunt for his killer. The book didn’t pull a lot …

Book Review: Hellhound On His Trail Read More »

I couldn’t help but seize this book immediately when finding out Spade had written a bio. I am a fan. I own Tommy Boy, not in some Netflix queue or on Blu-ray…I own it on VHS. Plus we just have a lot in common. He is snarky. He was always a smaller guy (as was …

Quick Book Review: ‘Almost Interesting’ by David Spade Read More »

I am a huge non-fiction fan and a big memoir fan too. Being also a fan of capitalism, I was interested to read Phil Knight’s book on three levels. Okay four actually if you count that I enjoy reading about sticky brands. I wasn’t disappointed. A few things really stood out so—in lieu of a …

Quick Book Review: ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight Read More »