Speaking

Ideas live in service to a problem, and I love making connections that form lasting solutions.

29thFebruary

Lecture

University of Arizona, Eller College of Management

Branding Lecture

 

3rdApril

Conference Presentation

Digital Dive Summit – Atlanta, GA 

Learn from the Best: 7 Case Studies from the Top 200 Most Differentiated Accounting Firm Brands

Based on the newly updated 2024 Remarkabrand Index of Accounting Firm Brands, we’ll be honing in on 7 key case studies from specific firms in the top 200 of the Index. Mike Jones – award-winning brand strategist – will unpack how 7 of the top 200 firms use video, website design, messaging, logo design, and other brand strategies to stand out, as well as how any professional services firm can apply these strategies effectively.

The 2024 Remarkabrand Index captures 40+ updated data points including names, logo, colors, taglines, fonts, website content, search engine ranking, firm size, and social media activity. Nearly 1,500 firms are then scored and ranked according to differentiation of their brands.(All attendees get access to the Remarkabrand 200 – a list of the top firms in the Index.)

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

Register here!

 

8thMay 

Virtual Presentation

Professional Services Marketing Association (PSMA)

Learn from the Best: 7 Case Studies from the Top 200 Most Differentiated Accounting Firm Brands

Based on the newly updated 2024 Remarkabrand Index of Accounting Firm Brands, we’ll be honing in on 7 key case studies from specific firms in the top 200 of the Index. Mike Jones – award-winning brand strategist – will unpack how 7 of the top 200 firms use video, website design, messaging, logo design, and other brand strategies to stand out, as well as how any professional services firm can apply these strategies effectively.

The 2024 Remarkabrand Index captures 40+ updated data points including names, logo, colors, taglines, fonts, website content, search engine ranking, firm size, and social media activity. Nearly 1,500 firms are then scored and ranked according to differentiation of their brands.(All attendees get access to the Remarkabrand 200 – a list of the top firms in the Index.)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Register here!

 

15thMay 

Workshop

AAM Summit 2024 – Orlando, Florida

Learn from the Best: 7 Case Studies from the Top 200 Most Differentiated Accounting Firm Brands

The Remarkabrand Index for Accounting Firms is back! In this session, we’ll be honing in on 7 key case studies from specific firms in the top 200 of the Index. We’ll unpack how 7 of the top 200 firms use video, website design, messaging, logo design, and other brand strategies to stand out, as well as how any firm can apply these strategies effectively. The 2024 Remarkabrand Index captures 40+ updated data points including names, logo, colors, taglines, fonts, website content, search engine ranking, firm size, and social media activity. Nearly 1,500 firms are then scored and ranked according to differentiation of their brands.

10:00 AM

Register here!

 

I have a vast array of soapboxes.

One of my life missions is to help brands resonate with their audiences. Now there are quite a few different aspects to that, but suffice to say that every talk I give is designed to give actionable (and entertaining) advice to leaders who make business happen.

Every Word Counts: Craft Your Compelling Brand Story to Gain Clarity, Consistency, and Customers

Every brand is telling a story, but not every brand is telling the right story. There’s an undeniable temptation to make the brand the hero. In reality, the customer is the hero. The brand should be the guide, taking customers through their struggles to the best possible outcome. In this presentation, we’ll cover why a Brand Story is so necessary for effective brand communication, the fundamental building blocks of a compelling Brand Story, and a proven process for creating one for your brand. Let’s get your authentic Brand Story started!

Relationship Marketing: “Dating” Your Customers for Long-lasting Results

Your customers are human. No one is looking to be treated like a data set, so a good litmus test for inbound best practices is to think of your inbound funnel like the dating process. This session will follow a typical inbound funnel process (Attract, Engage, Convert, Delight) with a relationship in mind. If you’re getting inside your audience’s heads, offering them value (as they perceive value) and following up, you’ll deepen customer relationships (and loyalty). Get relationship marketing advice – book this talk.

6 Commandments for Launching a Startup Brand

This talk is perfect for students or entrepreneurs who are just starting out. I’ll walk the room through the importance of branding and six “commandments” (or practices) to get them started on their own brand. These include important steps like market research, defining purpose and core values, and identifying your minimum viable product. And because I believe in tangible teaching, I also walk everyone through one of Resound’s case studies – allowing them to see branding in action. They’ll learn from the successes and pitfalls our clients have encountered, because mitigating failure starts with good strategy and research. Are you ready for this? Let’s get it on the calendar!

The Value of Values: Craft the Compelling Beliefs that Drive Employee Engagement, Customer Loyalty, and Growth

Yeah, I know. Long title. I was in a competition for the longest talk title…you know I won. This session is all about what your brand needs more than patterns and taglines. You need principles that keep you grounded through the lifetime of your brand – the beliefs that serve as objective guideposts to decision-making. Raise the rallying cry for your team, your customers, and your fans. Your brand values are those things that your business stands for – the thing you’ll fight for no matter what. Everyone in this session will get access to tools that will help them narrow down their business values and a process for gut checking and expanding on what you selected. Let’s talk values! I’m ready when you are.

Get a Personality: Differentiate Your Brand in a Sea of Sameness

Do your customers know what makes your organization different? How about your staff and partners? If you don’t communicate competitive advantage at a brand level, potential customers choose based on a personal connection (or worse…lowest price). In fact, differentiation is one of the hardest aspects of marketing to nail – particularly for small businesses who often boast essentially the same offerings as the big guys. Personality traits (second to values) are the biggest players in brand differentiation. This workshop will help participants flesh them out – to create a human connection with your audience. It’s time to stand apart and be authentic to your organization’s real culture. Schedule a personality workshop.

Brand Naming: The Nine Guidelines to a Great Name

Ah, naming. It’s a huge headache to a lot of people, but it doesn’t have to be! This talk will walk your group through four different kinds of brand names and nine guidelines for a great name. Plus, we’ll walk through the four steps to picking an awesome name (and sticking with it). Participants will learn the meaning of portmanteu, and why you should never put your name to a vote. Learn the right questions to ask during the process, like, “What are core words that have to do with your business services/products/industry. What fields do we deal with? What groups of people do we serve? Who are we targeting? What do we sell? What’s in a name? Guess you’ll have to find out…

Past Gigs

(These are only the most recent. Hit me up if you have questions about other talks.)

Legal Marketing Association

Yes, even law firms have marketing directors! And so of course, there’s an association for them. With my experience helping brand and marketing professional services firms (i.e. lawyers and CPAs), I’ve been invited to several LMA local chapters to present on various marketing and branding topics including relationship marketing, brand story development, and digital content marketing.

Arizona State University

Young entrepreneurs need all the help they can get and so I was invited to present to the ASU Venture Devils program. This lesson on the six commandments for launching a startup brand walked student-led startups through the branding process with a look at successes and failures.

Texas Tech University

Young marketers and business leaders need all the help they can get and so I was invited to present to the Rawls College of Business – STEM MBA program (at Texas Tech University). This lesson on the six commandments for launching a new brand walked graduate and undergrad business school students through the branding process with a look at successes and failures.

PHX Startup Week

At #phxstartupweek 2018 I dug deep into the value of values – exploring why and how startups and early-stage businesses should craft the compelling beliefs that drive employee engagement, customer loyalty, and growth.

WordCamp Phoenix

This session had WordCamp Phoenix 2018 attendees fleshing out their organization’s values and personality traits – the ones that create a human connection.

Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) Summit

In 2020 I was invited to present a workshop on brand building for accounting firms at the annual national conference of AAM – the Association of Accounting Marketing. As a member of AAM for several years, this was a true honor to help marketing directors from across the country strategize for their firms’ brands and how to make them more compelling and effective in their marketing and communications.

Better Business Bureau

With an ever-changing business climate in 2020, the Better Business Bureau serving the Pacific and Southwest developed a series of virtual webinars to help their member businesses in trying times. I was invited to present on Brand Story and how businesses can create a compelling and concise story to pitch their businesses to customers, staff, and partners.

Arizona Commerce Authority

In the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, I was invited by the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to present for their Small Business Bootcamp – a series of virtual workshops and archived resources to help Arizona businesses navigate and get back on track in the midst of an ever-changing world. I presented on how to build an effective brand pitch to customers, investors, and team members. 

City of Scottsdale

This session as part of the City of Scottsdale’s Small Business Success education program centered around the fact that customers are human, focused on inbound marketing in the context of relationships.

Private Branding & Marketing Workshops

Over the past decade, I’ve delivered several dozens of private workshops to a variety of startups, small businesses, enterprise-level organizations, and non-profits. These interactive and practical workshops lead teams through a range of branding and marketing modules to craft their identity, create a robust brand strategy, and master marketing tools to create lasting customer relationships. Contact me for to craft a custom workshop for your team.

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