20 Years In: From Pure Persuasion to Relentless Testing

After 20 years in marketing, my definition has completely changed.

When I started, I thought marketing was all about persuasion — the right words in the right order. Later, I thought it was about knowing your avatar. Both are true… but incomplete.

Here’s what 20 years has really taught me:

Why you should never trust your gut in marketing.

Why most business owners make the mistake of marketing to themselves.

Why timeless direct response principles outperform “shiny object” tactics every single time.

And why testing isn’t optional — it’s everything.

The biggest lesson? What you think will work usually doesn’t. That’s why we test.