The ask was simple: fill out a survey. Easy. Plus, getting to be on the other side of market research for once? Hell yes! I love a good peek into what people are trying to figure out.

So, I did the thing. Got a thank-you. Moved on with my life.

Then, in the shower this morning—you know, that magical place where the hot water seeps into your brain and suddenlyyou have the best ideas? Yep, that place—it hit me.

That survey was still bothering me because... it was all wrong.

Cookie-cutter marketing advice works great—for cookie-cutter businesses. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably not running a one-size-fits-all operation.

Your business is unique.

Your clients are unique.

And yet, the advice we’re often given treats every business like a carbon copy of the next.

Sometimes, it feels like we’re walking into sales calls or posting on social media only to get the side-eye from people who’ve been burned by slimy sales tactics before. Even if you’re committed to ethical selling, you might still feel like the target of someone else’s bad experience.