Latest posts
Creating an “Umbrella” Brand: Brand Mistake No. 10
“Master brand” is a term used frequently in professional services. A master brand allows a firm to present itself under a single moniker, one visual identity, one value proposition, and one tagline. Either no sub-brands exist or those that do are properly subservient...
Lessons from a Life in Marketing Leadership
This past week I said, “Happy retirement!” to the best manager and leader with whom I have ever had the pleasure to work, Nancy Pechloff at Andersen. I refer to my time working with her as my “karate kid” days. The things she taught me have become such a part of who I...
We Suck Less
Imagine being a CMO or agency partner proposing this tagline and positioning statement to a managing partner or group of practice leaders: “We Suck Less.” How do you think that idea would fly in the boardroom? Would...
You Have Odd Personality Strengths
This past week Gallup gave me an opportunity to download the details of the StrengthsFinder™ test I took several years ago. When I originally completed the test while reading Now, Discover Your Strengths, the test only offered insights into my Top 5 of 34 strengths. I...
The Best Marketing Job in the World
On the latest Rattle and Pedal podcast, Jason Mlicki and I wrapped up a series on “Stupid Sh*t Marketing Should NOT Do” and how professionals could move from checking boxes off that list to, instead, checking boxes off of my list of “Smart Sh*t Marketing Should Do.”...
Your Most Common Misperception
Whether working with a client or hiring a new marketing team member, there is a single question that tells me most of what I need to know to help a client or hire a team member. Before you read any further, write down the answer to these questions: 1. What is the most...
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
“This game’s very simple. You block, you tackle, you win. If you don’t, you lose.” —Andy Easton Every Fall at the start of football season, my teammates and I would recount the prior season's team strengths and playoff performance. Inevitably the conversation would...
Does Your Team Have the Right Learning Mindset?
There is a lethal mindset at work in most American companies, schools, teams, and families. Left unaddressed, it allows bad bosses, teachers, and parents to kill more potential than the plague ever did. I call it the Training Mindset— a belief that someone else is...
Virtuous Leadership in Professional Services
“Dr. Martin Luther King dreamed of the day when a man would be judged ‘not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character.’” “What is the ‘content of character’? It is virtue, or, more precisely, the set of classical human virtues--above all,...
How to Get Strategic Marketing Done in a Professional Services Firm
I received an email from a talented, self-described Young Turk marketer named Cannon. He was frustrated, exhausted, and struggling to overcome several onerous Sales and Marketing impediments at his firm. He wanted to know how to get strategic Marketing done in a...
Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk
The BS of PS leads to one common and inevitable outcome in all professional services firms--a lot of TALKING. Firms talk about culture. Firms talk about cross-selling. Firms talk about brand. Firms talk about innovation. Firms talk about rewards. Firms talk about...
6. Am I Clear on Who I am Being Called to Become? 10 Questions Prudent Firms Ask Themselves
Question six takes us out of the firm’s mindset and into our own mind and asks us the powerful question: Am I clear on who I am being called to become? Can I become that person in this firm? This is the first and most important question a prudent leader asks him or...
LISTEN to the Only Podcast Addressing “The BS of PS”
Rattle and Pedal, hosted by Jeff McKay and Jason Mlicki, offers divergent thinking on growing professional services firms. Be prepared for an unorthodox exchange on life in professional services.
Your Co-hosts
Jeff McKay
Founder and CEO
Prudent Pedal
Jason Mlicki
Principal
Rattleback
Latest episodes
- Building a Leaner, Smarter Marketing Organization for the AI Era with Bri Jones
How do you build a marketing team for the AI era? Stitch VP of Marketing Bri Jones shares how a lean team, business context, generalists, and smart AI investments are reshaping marketing. The post Building a Leaner, Smarter Marketing Organization for the AI Era with Bri Jones appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- The Future of the Marketing Organization: What Should Firms Build Now?
What should the marketing organization of 2030 look like? Jeff and Jason launch a research series exploring how AI, talent, client experience, and strategy will reshape marketing. The post The Future of the Marketing Organization: What Should Firms Build Now? appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Why Every Professional Services Firm Needs a Better Story with Stephen Steers
Why do some firms stand out while others blend into the crowd? Stephen Steers joins us to explore how storytelling builds trust, differentiates firms, and drives business growth. The post Why Every Professional Services Firm Needs a Better Story with Stephen Steers appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Selling Belief with Mat Zucker from Prophet
In an AI-driven world, expertise alone isn’t enough. Jeff, Jason, and Mat Zucker explore why professional services firms must move beyond trust to build buyer belief and win more business. The post Selling Belief with Mat Zucker from Prophet appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.
- Demystifying Case Studies: Why Most Firms Get Them Wrong
Most professional services case studies fail to influence buyers. Jeff and Jason explore the biggest myths and explain how to create stories that build trust, reinforce positioning, and win business. The post Demystifying Case Studies: Why Most Firms Get Them Wrong appeared first on Rattle and Pedal.