My Daily Emails

I send daily emails. As in Every. Single. Day. 

Why? To help you move forward — day by day, with:

• Bite-sized insights
• Fresh ideas 
• Simple, productive actions. 

This gives you 365 steps forward a year!

Join my growing group of smart readers committed to making things people are compelled to buy. Opt out at any time.

Snacking with Your Future Self

Our third self — that part of us that dreams and aspires — has a weird relationship with treats. We want the indulgence. We crave the satisfaction. But we also

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The Powerful Psychology of Slanted Text

A simple font formatting change could dramatically affect how urgently people want your product. A fascinating study of five controlled experiments across three universities revealed something unexpected: italicized fonts increase

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Christmas Dreams to Consumer Need

Remember the Sears “Wish Book”? Growing up in a small town, the arrival of that Christmas catalog opened a portal to possibilities. Local stores had modest toy selections, but that

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Pour-Overs and the Birth of Need

A product’s greatest value lies in who we become through using it. I’ve seen this demonstrated at a local coffee shop where the barista uses a matte black Fellow kettle

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Is Your USP a POS? (Puffery of Sameness)

“Advanced Technology Inside!” “Maximum Strength!” “Used by Professionals!” If your unique selling proposition could be claimed by any competitor, it isn’t unique. It’s what I call a POS – Puffery

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The Illuminating Economics of Lights

List member Heather responded to Tuesday’s “Two Pens” email with an illuminating observation: “Another functional item where value varies broadly is home lighting: from the cheapest desk lamp, to the

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