Posts by Christopher Lochhead
195 From Category Contenders to Category Kings with Al Ramadan
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On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, we enjoy the first of many visits from Al Ramadan in 2024, as we talk about moving from being a Category Contender to a Category King.
We’ll dig into what is a category contender in what it takes to win the 18-to-36-month epic category battle that every tech startup faces. So if you’re an entrepreneur or marketing leader who wants to go beyond competing to actually create and dominate your own market, you’re in the right place.
Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind.
Al Ramadan on Tech Industry Category Development and Dominance
Christopher and Al discuss the concept of being category contenders, reflecting on past research and their book on category kings.
They emphasize the dominance of one company, earning around 76% of the economics in every tech category, despite skepticism. They outline the three phases of category development: define, develop, and dominate, taking approximately 15 years.
They note outliers like open AI and Google’s swift battles, contrasting with Salesforce’s longstanding dominance. They highlight the importance of category design, likening it to a fast-paced battle where one company wins all, stressing its critical role in the tech industry’s landscape.
Market strategy in a competitive industry
Al and Christopher discuss marketing strategies in a competitive industry, emphasizing the importance of a winner’s mindset and setting the agenda.
They share a scenario where a leader in a crowded field differentiates by framing the problem uniquely, focusing on end-user needs rather than feature sets like competitors. Both highlight the futility of incremental strategies and the significance of capturing mindshare by empathizing with customer problems.
They term this the “Battle Royale” for mindshare, where winning means addressing the core problem effectively, rendering feature comparisons irrelevant. Christopher also stresses the pivotal role of understanding customer problems in securing market dominance.
Category design and understanding customer needs
Al and Christopher discuss category design and understanding customer needs. They highlight the importance of framing the problem uniquely to differentiate in a crowded market.
Christopher shares a scenario where a leader in a competitive field focuses on customer needs while competitors emphasize feature sets. They critique the common focus on technology rather than customer-centric solutions, illustrating with examples from Gartner’s history and Google Plus.
They emphasize that categories are about customers’ problems and opportunities, not just technology, stressing the significance of defining the problem scope to win in category battles.
To hear more from this Al Ramadan and Christopher Lochhead dialogue, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Al Ramadan is a co-founding partner of Play Bigger Advisors and coauthor of the book, Play Bigger. He also co-founded Quokka Sports, which revolutionized the way people experience sport online.
Al then joined Macromedia and Adobe, where he spent almost ten years changing the way people think about great digital experiences. At Adobe, Al led teams that created the Rich Internet Applications category and helped develop the discipline of experience design.
In the early ‘90s he applied data science to Australia’s Americas Cup — an innovation in sports performance analytics. His work in sailing led directly to the idea for Quokka. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.
Links
Connect with Al Ramadan!
Play Bigger | LinkedIn | Category Contenders | The Science Behind Category Design
Don’t forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:
Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One
The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche
A Marketer’s Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy
The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different- 🏴☠️ **NEW!** The B2B Tech Marketer’s Guide To Category Design: How To Engineer Your Market, Find What Makes You Different, And Become A Category Queen
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!
350 The AI Startup Teaching Kids To Build Tech Startups with Hannah Grady Williams and Ted Dintersmith of d’Skills
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On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we bridge the gap between native analogs and native digitals in business by having a dialogue between the VC legend Ted Dintersmith and one of the new legends of her generation, Hannah Grady Williams.
Ted Dintersmith is a VC legend on the East Coast. He’s a former venture capitalist and a founding member of Charles River ventures, where he spent a significant portion of his career investing in and nurturing technology startups. Transitioning his focus toward education, he’s become an influential advocate for innovative educational practices.
Hannah Grady Williams is the legendary founder and CEO of d’Skills. She’s recognized for her innovative approach to shaping education and her efforts to equip the next generation with the tools necessary for success in the modern digital landscape. And, oh yeah, she’s only 25 years old.
Hannah, Ted and Chris discuss the challenges of bridging generational gaps in education as native digital and native analogs. Along with the importance of introducing AI into education to empower students with real world projects. You’ll be shocked at the transformative impact of the skills program on student’s confidence, problem solving abilities, and career prospects.
You’re listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let’s go.
Hannah Grady Williams on Education Reform and Preparing Students for the Workforce
After a quick introduction between the two guests, the conversation starts with Hannah recounting a pivotal moment from her childhood when her dad involved her in a real estate deal at age 12, sparking her interest in applying academic skills to real-world situations.
This experience led her to question the traditional education system’s effectiveness in preparing students for modern careers, especially in the age of AI. She and Christopher discuss the shortcomings of current education models, emphasizing the importance of practical skills over rote memorization.
Both share a vision of revolutionizing education by shifting focus from test scores to impact portfolios, where students showcase real-world projects demonstrating their skills. They aim to equip students with digital and AI skills through hands-on projects, enabling them to make tangible contributions to businesses. Ultimately, they envision a million students graduating high school with impact portfolios, ready for the demands of the modern workforce.
Ted Dintersmith on the Disconnect between Traditional School Education and Skill Development
Christopher and Ted discuss the stark difference between traditional education and teaching skills relevant to the modern workforce, particularly in the context of AI. They note the reluctance of many educational institutions to embrace AI tools, preferring to view them as potential cheating aids rather than productivity enhancers.
Ted highlights the disconnect between traditional schooling and the demands of the job market, where college graduates often lack marketable skills and face uncertain career prospects. He emphasizes the need for parents to recognize the evolving nature of jobs and the importance of equipping students with adaptable skills. They see initiatives like Hannah’s d’Skills as offering a path for students to create their own fulfilling careers, distinct from the outdated model of relying solely on degrees and conventional career paths.
Education Priorities and Student Motivation
Adding more on the topic of issues concerning traditional education, Ted also emphasizes that education’s central issue isn’t test scores or learning loss but rather the erosion of student motivation and purpose.
He highlights the success of programs like d’Skills in engaging students, enabling them to pursue meaningful projects they find important. These initiatives contrast starkly with traditional schooling, where students often lack enthusiasm and see little relevance in their coursework.
Ted underscores the importance of empowering students to engage in real-world projects that matter to them, a stark departure from the test-focused education system. Christopher contrasts the enthusiasm and results of students involved in programs like d’Skills with those in traditional education, noting the marked difference in attitude and approach.
To hear more from Hannah Grady Williams and Ted Dintersmith on the current state of education and how to improve upon it, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Hannah Grady Williams is the founder/CEO of d’Skills. d’Skills is a one-of-a-kind digital training community that teaches young people entrepreneurship, AI skills and how to create a revenue producing business in 10 weeks.
Links
Connect with Hannah and d’Skills!
d’Skills | LinkedIn | Twitter/X
Connect with Ted Dintersmith!
Website | What School Could Be | LinkedIn
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!
194 How Important Is Framing, Naming, and Claiming A Problem? | Pirates Perspective
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Today is a fun conversation with my fellow Pirates Eddie Yoon and Katrina Kirsch, as we talk about the importance of Framing, Naming and Claiming a problem, to create a different solution for your business.
From time to time, we drop these video discussions that three of us have in Category Pirates, and this one I thought you might also enjoy. If you do enjoy this kind of content, you can check us out at CategoryPirates.com And subscribe to the Category Pirates newsletter.
Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind.
The Importance of Naming, Framing, and Claiming in Business
When asked by Kristina on what “problem” does category design “Name, Frame, and Claim”, Christopher responds that category design solves the fundamental challenge of defining and owning a distinct market space. It asserts that successful companies excel in three areas: creating legendary business models, products/services, and categories. He emphasizes that a company must recognize category design as a crucial third of its success.
Eddie reinforces this, highlighting the importance of capturing a significant portion of the market share by framing, naming, and claiming a category. He argues that failing to do so results in competing for a smaller market share, which is familiar but less lucrative.
Ultimately, effective category design enables a company to articulate its unique value proposition clearly, ensuring it stands out to customers, investors, and employees.
The Value of being an “Exponential Different” in Business
The next part of the conversation delves into the concept of being an “exponential difference” in business, emphasizing the contrast between incremental improvements and exponential innovations.
Christopher reflects on his career, realizing that focusing on exponential changes often leads to friction within companies geared towards incremental progress. He highlights the importance of recognizing when to contribute to exponential shifts and when to step back, as pushing too hard on exponential change can disrupt the organization.
This understanding prompts a shift in perspective, reframing what was once seen as a career obstacle into a strategic advantage. Overall, it underscores the necessity of balancing incremental improvements with exponential innovations for sustainable growth and success in business.
If you want to join in the discussion, subscribe to Category Pirates and find more Pirates Perspective buried around the beach.
Don’t forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:
- Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One
- The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche
- A Marketer’s Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy
- The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!
349 October 7th Horror To Hope: A Tech Startup For Every Fallen Israeli with Izhar Shay & Ophir Shay, Next October Co-Founders
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On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we are joined by Izhar and Ophir Shay, a father and brother to Israelis who have lost their lives in the Hamas attack. Today, they share how they chose to honor their fallen, in what can only be described as, Different.
Izhar Shay is an entrepreneur – a venture capitalist, very successful in the startup community and startup nation in Israel. And he’s a former Israeli Member of Parliament who served as the Minister of Science and Technology. His son, Ophir Shay, is also an entrepreneur, and he has a background in marketing and customer support. Both men have served honorably in the IDF.
In Israel, it is customary to plant a tree for fallen Israelis taken in war or terrorism. But Izhar and Ophir chose to honor them by starting a startup called Next October, a nonprofit on a mission to create and build a new successful Israeli startup for every person murdered or kidnapped on October 7. It’s an extraordinary vision. How you can take horror and turn it into hope and prosperity.
You’re listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let’s go.
Ophir Shay and Izhar Shay on Coping with Loss and Grief
When asked by Christopher on how they are doing, Ophir expresses optimism amidst difficulty, mentioning progress with connecting companies and families.
Izhar then reflects on the challenge of answering “how are you doing?” following a family tragedy on October 7, losing their youngest son, Yaron, a soldier. Christopher empathizes, sharing his experience of loss and the struggle with such questions.
Izhar details Yaron’s life, highlighting his values as both an Israeli and American citizen. Yaron is remembered as a remarkable individual, cherished by his family, and honored for his service.
Memories of Yaron and His Passions in Life
Izhar and Ophir continue the conversation about Yaron’s life, one that is filled with different passions, be it in music, watching and playing different sports, and tattoos.
Izhar further reflects on Yaron’s passion for sports, spanning across continents and connecting people. He highlights Yaron’s dedication to his favorite teams and how his commitment was recognized even in his funeral.
Christopher reciprocates, sharing his lifelong passion for sports, particularly football and hockey. He recounts a story about NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, emphasizing the joy of being an enthusiastic fan and celebrating one’s passions.
Both agree that sports serve as a unifying force, fostering connections and bonding within families and communities.
On accepting New and Old Communities
Continuing on that line of thought, Christopher shares his experiences of bonding with his nephews over football, and introducing them to different activities, and in effect, different communities. He notes that music and sports communities tend to be more accepting, as while options might differ vastly from person to person, it’s still an avenue to get a conversation started and to have something common to talk about even if it’s the first time you have met the other person.
Ophir agrees with this sentiment, and also adding that at the end of the day, it’s about embracing a new community, or even finally embracing one that you’ve been part of all along. Nothing is stopping anyone from being hardcore fans of their teams, as long as they show mutual respect for others and the teams they support. And isn’t that the point of it all in the end?
To hear more from Izhar Shay and Ophir Shay, and how their startups honor their fallen sons and brothers, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Izhar Shay
Cofounder of Next October.
Former Minister of Science & Technology and MK.
High-Tech Entrepreneur, Venture Capital Investor, Director & Chairman.
Founder, Start-Up Stadium, the largest online community of Israeli entrepreneurs
A former columnist at “Globes”.
Founder of the “High-Tech Ba’Pkakim” podcast and radio show.
Ophir Shay
Cofounder of Next October.
Links
Connect with Izhar Shay and Ophir Shay!
Next October website | IsraelGives.org | Izhar’s Linkedin | Ophir’s LinkedIn
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!
193 Your Biggest Competition Is Thinking You Have Competition
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On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let’s talk about a trap that most budding Category Designers fall for, and that’s thinking about competition.
Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind.
Feature Battle vs Category Battle
Christopher shares a story of a company who consulted with him, regarding a rising competitor in the market. Most companies’ knee-jerk reaction would be to compete; take on the same messaging, and muscle out the competitor while it’s still early.
But in the end, they opted to do the opposite – they did not compete, at least not in the usual sense of it. Rather than doing a Feature Battle to see who has the better additions, messaging, and branding, they focused more on their product. They went the Category Battle route instead, carving out a large portion of the market with their improved category, and leaving the others battling for the remaining scraps.
Competition Derangement Syndrome
The apparent simplicity of the concept begs the question: why do most companies fail to adopt it? The answer lies in what could be termed “Competition Derangement Syndrome.” Many companies, instead of pioneering their own unique category to dominate, fall into a pattern of waiting for new categories to emerge before entering the fray.
Alternatively, larger corporations may opt to eliminate competition by acquiring the reigning Category King. However, this strategy essentially involves investing a significant sum to pave the way for the emergence of the next category, which their competitors will inevitably exploit. This cycle repeats itself, with each new category birthing fresh contenders, until the tables turn and the once-acquirer finds itself being acquired. Thus, the cycle perpetuates, underscoring the failure of many companies to break free from the pattern of reactive competition.
Competition vs Consumer
This does not mean that you avoid competing altogether. We are all driven by our will to fight, and business is not so different in that regard. But rather than going down to their level to fight on “equal” grounds, why not make it so that you are always thinking a few steps ahead, rather than slowing down just to match up to them.
And if they seem to be catching up to you at a faster rate, trying to adopt their strategies just means maintaining the status quo. It also sends the wrong message to the consumers, because you are adjusting for the competition, and not for them.
In the end, it’s better to achieve market dominance by consumer trust rather than just having the competitive edge, because there will always be someone that will try to compete. But as long as your consumers know that your product continues to improve for consumer satisfaction, then it will always remain as the Category King.
Bio
Don’t forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:
- Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One
- The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche
- A Marketer’s Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy
- The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!
348 How Young People Can Become AI Entrepreneurs In 10 Weeks with Hannah Grady Williams CEO of d’Skills
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On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we unveil what’s really possible for young people when they’re set up to win as modern entrepreneurs, leveraging new AI technology. And who better to showcase it than the Gen Z whisperer for CEOs and executives, Hannah Grady Williams.
Hannah Grady Williams is back, and she’s here to talk about d’Skills. d’Skills is a one-of-a-kind digital training community that teaches young people entrepreneurship, AI skills, and how to create a revenue producing business in 10 weeks. And the superstars of this conversation are teenage AI entrepreneurs, Rory Straight and Anna Mitchell, two recent graduates of the d’Skills Program.
This episode will definitely challenge and inspire you to think about what’s possible for young people in new and different ways.
You’re listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let’s go.
Hannah Grady Williams on d’Skills and AI
The conversation starts off with Hannah introducing d’Skills and what they do.
Simply put, d’Skills is a hub where high schoolers are coming to learn 21st century skills and technology like ChatGPT and all its uses, and develop their skills further into projects that can make an impact in the market and the business world.
Hannah finds it fascinating how new technology can bridge the gap between young people’s ideas and the business world, and give birth to new products and categories that they can further develop as they learn more skills, or become more adept in their current ones.
Using AI for Business Projects while still in High School
Hannah also talks about a thing that she and d’Skills did over the summer called GPT Challengers Cup, in which they invited high schoolers from around the globe. And from this competition emerged Rory and Anna, who are also joining us on this episode.
It was astounding what ideas and end products that high schoolers were able to develop in the span of 30 days, but in the end, it was Rory & Anna’s project that emerged victorious.
What they ended up building was a Chrome extension that functions as an app that helps people study more efficiently by creating a comprehensive studying schedule based on the tasks you have registered in your to-do list.
Learning a New Skill in 15 Second or Less
Christopher then talks to Anna, who was handling the social media aspect of their team. This info was made more impressive by the simple fact that Anna has not handle social media marketing prior to the competition, and had to learn things through a bit of mentorship, but also doing a lot of research by herself.
“It’s actually funny that you asked that question because right now, I’m actually in a marketing class. And it’s super funny, because with all due respect to my teacher, I’ve learnt nothing in that class; It is like busy work, papers, everything. It’s crazy how much that I learned even like before the two weeks before the actual cup was over, and now that I’m doing it like in my free time, that it’s really not as hard to make it seem.
You don’t have to know all the business lingo and the economic terms. All you have to do is continue to push yourself and try new things and see what works and if it doesn’t work, then you know that doesn’t work and you move on from that.”
– Anna Mitchell
To hear more from Hannah, Rory, and Anna and the importance of skill-building with new technology in the business world, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Hannah Grady Williams is the founder/CEO of d’Skills. d’Skills is a one-of-a-kind digital training community that teaches young people entrepreneurship, AI skills and how to create a revenue producing business in 10 weeks.
Aurora Straight
Hi, I’m Aurora, a STEAM enthusiast from Kansas with a deep passion for innovation and a strong presence in both academics and extracurricular activities. I compete in robotics and debate, channel my energy into basketball, and master precision in fencing. My ambition steers me towards aerospace engineering or a career in the Air Force, reflecting my desire to explore and innovate.
I co-founded ‘Acadium,’ a testament to my commitment to enhancing educational experiences through technology. My victory in the GPT Innovators Cup further underscores my ability to leverage AI for creative solutions. With internships at notable organizations under my belt, I’m honing my skills for real-world challenges.
My journey is more than just personal achievement; it’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and inspiring others to do the same.
Anna Mitchell
Hello, I’m Anna, a high school student and digital art enthusiast turned innovator. My journey is marked by the creation of ‘Acadium,’ a Chrome extension that showcases my flair for digital solutions. Winning the GPT Innovators Cup was a milestone that affirmed my passion for AI-driven creativity. I’ve also contributed to our Community Cafe, enhancing our collective experience in the March sprint.
My hands-on approach to learning is evidenced by internships with leading organizations, including Peachtree Training Group, where I’ve applied my skills to real-world challenges. These experiences have not only honed my technical abilities but also fueled my ambition to innovate within the digital art and technology sphere.
Links
Connect with Hannah and d’Skills!
d’Skills | LinkedIn | Twitter/X
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!
192 Stop Trying to Fit In!
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On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, let’s talk about why it’s time to stop trying to fit in.
Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind.
Everyone Wants to Fit In
There’s an ongoing trend in the business, startup and marketing world of companies trying to fit in. There have been studies that indicate that among the B2B tech space, as many as 70% of the brands are blue.
This urge to fit in seems to stem from a combination of several factors. One of which is that companies are trying to compete in the same market, and they end up adopting marketing trends that seems to be working, which just makes them look like carbon copies of each other.
The second part is the current culture of people seemingly being offended by the simplest things, or if something does not align with their beliefs. So companies try to be as non-offensive as possible, which in turn just make their brand into something bland.
“The overall strategy in people’s marketing, and frankly, in many people’s careers, is to achieve Marriott lobby status. So what’s a Marriott lobby? Marriott lobby is nice; It’s very functional. It’s effective. And it’s bland. It’s forgettable. And nobody ever said, “Wow, that was a fucking legendary Marriott lobby.””
– Christopher Lochhead
The Primordial Need to Fit In
We get it: people have a primordial urge to stay in groups. We are pack animals, after all. Staying in a group is safe, staying in a group is comfortable. And having something in common lets us relate personally to a group, which is why marketing companies aim for those traits to relate to their market.
But at the end of the day, nobody legendary ever fit in. Because when you try to fit in, you become part of that whole, rather than something that defines it. And rather than companies trying to make their own markets and circles, they are being content in staying in the same circle, and competing for an ever-shrinking part of it, as more and more companies try to muscle their way in.
So be legendary, and start being different.
“And then I say fuck that, I’m going to follow my different. I’m going to focus on the things that are most meaningful to me, and most importantly, are going to make the biggest difference.”
– Christopher Lochhead
Bio
Don’t forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:
- Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One
- The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche
- A Marketer’s Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy
- The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!
347 Bouncing Back: Facing and Conquering Life’s Toughest Challenges with Combat Veteran Travis Mills
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We all encounter radical challenges, and we face big choices about how we approach life in the most challenging moments and learn to survive in – maybe even thrive. Today, we are joined by a combat veteran, retired US Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, as he shares his challenges and the choices he has made to get to where he is today.
Travis Mills is a serial entrepreneur, the driving force behind the Travis Mills Foundation, and the author of Bounce Back: A playbook for facing life’s toughest challenges with grace and gusto.
Make sure you listen all the way to the end. You don’t want to miss any of Travis’s unrelenting spirit, wisdom and humor.
You’re listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let’s go.
Travis Mills on his Military Service and Experience
Christopher starts off the conversation by inquiring about Travis’s motivation for joining the military.
Travis recounts feeling directionless after college, and was prompted by family advice to choose a military path for personal growth and benefits. Fascinated by infantry roles, Travis enlisted for a signing bonus.
He breezed through basic training due to his athletic prowess and later engaged in military ground fighting tactics, drawing on his childhood interest in karate. Despite his combat skills, Travis values self-control and notes the discipline instilled by martial arts.
Travis Mills on Mental Toughness
Travis reflects on being featured on a magazine cover for his mental toughness rather than physical appearance. He also appreciates the recognition for his foundation work. Christopher acknowledges the disparity between modeling and true toughness.
Travis also shares instances where he had to assert himself, highlighting his ability to de-escalate conflicts but also assert authority when needed. He explains how his military background balances his jovial persona, noting people’s tendency to underestimate him. He emphasizes the importance of professionalism and corrective measures in his businesses, showcasing his leadership style derived from his military experience.
From Military to Entrepreneurship
Christopher admires Travis’s entrepreneurship and proposes introducing him to Iron Mike Stedman, a fellow Marine and entrepreneur. Stedman’s mission involves helping inner-city kids through boxing and assisting veteran entrepreneurs with their businesses.
Travis expresses his belief in pursuing dreams and betting on oneself, citing personal experiences in entrepreneurship. Despite facing challenges, Travis advocates for seizing opportunities and embracing failure as a motivator. He shares his ventures in house flipping and marina ownership, emphasizing the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive people and taking calculated risks.
Travis’s resilience and clarity of purpose derived from his military background inform his entrepreneurial journey.
To hear more from Travis Mills and his journey and challenges from being in the military to being an entrepreneur, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Born and raised in Vassar, Michigan, United States Army Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne is a recalibrated veteran, motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees. In addition to being the founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, Travis also serves as the President of the Board of Directors.
Travis has achieved his vision for the Foundation by bringing together a talented array of experts who masterfully accomplish the Foundation’s mission. Per Travis’s lead, the team at the Foundation are not only respected colleagues, they are family.
Links
Connect with Travis Mills!
Travis Mills Foundation | Instagram
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!
191 Gemini Can Testify It’s A Bland Rebrand!
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Today on Lochhead on Marketing, we talk about the good way and the bad way to rebrand. And wat better to use as an example than the recent Gemini AI rebrand by Google.
Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind.
The Good Reason to “Rebrand”
Before we proceed with the main topic at hand, let’s first have a good example of when to “rebrand”.
There’s a company called Chirp that sells foam rollers, which is used by athletes for training their muscles and easing soreness. But after some time, a new category was invented that was adjacent to their market, the percussion massager / gun.
Rather than just create their own version of percussion gun, Chirp went ahead and combined their foam rollers into this new category, essentially making a new category, the rolling percussive massager, for themselves.
The Bad Reason to “Rebrand”: Google’s Gemini
So why did we tell you that story? Because Google is doing the exact opposite of that, always going for the “Compete in the market” model rather than making their own market. And it could be seen with their latest endeavor in AI, Bard now rebranded as Gemini.
So, why did Google make this move? While we can’t say for certain, we can infer their motives. Essentially, they directly challenged ChatGPT and came up short. Now, they’re revamping Bard to give it a “fresh start.” While that might be their goal, most marketing experts would tell you that it simply looks like Google is backing away from the competition and trying to repurpose their AI to make the best of the situation.
That in itself is a problem, but there’s also the fact that Google doesn’t really do anything different than the reigning Category King of the market. This has been true with their forays in podcasts, social media, and their other services that are now defunct. They’re competing, instead of creating, which is what most companies do, and they’re fucked.
When to do a “Rebrand”
With that said, the best time to do a rebrand is if either you’re introducing a brand-new category as your main product, or revolutionizing one of your current ones by making a new category.
Rather than chasing after the tail of the Category Leader and competing for the remaining small chunk of the market, why not try doing something different? Because otherwise, you’ll just get your ass handed to you, just like what happened with Google Plus, Google Podcasts, and now, the unfortunate Google Gemini.
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Don’t forget to grab a copy (or gift!) of one of our best-selling books:
- Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One
- The Category Design Toolkit: Beyond Marketing: 15 Frameworks For Creating & Dominating Your Niche
- A Marketer’s Guide To Category Design: How To Escape The “Better” Trap, Dam The Demand, And Launch A Lightning Strike Strategy
- The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, And Move The World From Where It Is To Somewhere Different
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!
