Grooming may not have been the best word description... but that's what it is. Most businesses focus almost all of their attention on today's customers. They invest in advertising, sales teams, promotions, and marketing campaigns designed to generate revenue immediately. While those efforts are important, many companies overlook one of the most valuable opportunities for long-term growth: grooming future customers. The reality is that not everyone who loves your brand today i

For decades, marketers have been obsessed with measuring activity. Clicks Impressions Open rates Cost per lead Website traffic While those metrics still have value, they no longer tell the full story. In my opinion, marketing measurement is undergoing the most significant transformation I've seen in my career. As AI reshapes how consumers discover information and how buyers make decisions, marketers must evolve from measuring activity to measuring influence, trust, and busine

Are you ready for AEO? For more than two decades, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been the foundation of digital marketing. Businesses have invested heavily in optimizing websites, targeting keywords, earning backlinks, and creating valuable content to climb Google's search rankings. But the way people search for information is changing rapidly. Today, millions of users are asking questions directly of AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot

Look around the room; AI sure does know me. I recently spent some time reviewing the 2026 SEMA Market Report, and there were several insights that stood out to me. The first takeaway is simple: the automotive aftermarket remains incredibly resilient. U.S. consumers spent just under $53 billion on vehicle accessories and modifications in 2025, which is a strong indicator that demand remains healthy despite a challenging economic environment. That said, the market is clearly se

Let's talk about international brands wanting to enter the U.S. market. I've been having more conversations lately with manufacturers outside the United States who have built strong, successful brands in their home markets and now see America as the next major opportunity. And on paper, I understand why. The U.S. is one of the largest, most competitive, and most opportunity-rich markets in the world. But here's the reality: success in Europe, Asia, South America, or the Middl

One of the biggest mistakes companies make with product launches is thinking a launch begins the day a product goes live on their website. It doesn't. A product launch starts weeks before the first unit ships. Too many brands quietly upload a new product to their website, make a few social posts, and hope demand shows up. Then they wonder why sales feel slow or why excitement fades after a week. That's not a product launch—that's simply listing a product for sale. The best pr

Marketing teams, leaders, and the Board of Directors all love metrics. Dashboards are filled with colorful charts, trend lines, percentages, and engagement numbers. Weekly meetings often center on reporting these figures, and executives are bombarded with data points intended to show progress. The problem? Many organizations spend more time measuring activity than measuring business impact. While marketing metrics are important, they only have value when they help us understa

For the last few years, I've joked that I'm "always a CEO-maid, never a CEO." Like the bridesmaid who does all the planning but never gets to wear the white dress, I've spent years helping companies build strategies, solve problems, restructure organizations, and drive profitability, often performing many of the responsibilities typically associated with a CEO without ever officially carrying the title or responsibility. Throughout more than 27 years in the automotive afterma

Most people think business growth is about having a better product. They're wrong. I've spent my career studying what separates companies that thrive from those that slowly fade into irrelevance, and I've discovered a simple truth: growth isn't an event, it's a culture. Products can be copied. Prices can be matched. Technology eventually becomes a commodity. But leadership, execution, and the ability to inspire people to move in the same direction are competitive advantages t

The Business Story of Mike Timmons Most people think business growth is about having a better product. They're wrong. I've spent my career studying what separates companies that thrive from those that slowly fade into irrelevance, and I've discovered a simple truth: growth isn't an event, it's a culture. Products can be copied. Prices can be matched. Technology eventually becomes a commodity. But leadership, execution, and the ability to inspire people to move in the same di

Selling a product as a loss leader is one of the oldest and most misunderstood strategies in business. At its core, it challenges the instinct to maximize margin on every individual item and instead focuses on maximizing profitability across the entire customer transaction. When executed correctly, it transforms a single product sale into a platform for higher-margin opportunities. In today's competitive markets, where differentiation is increasingly difficult, this strategy

New product development (NPD) is one of the most critical processes for any organization seeking long-term growth and relevance. While innovation often conjures images of engineers and designers working behind the scenes, the reality is that successful product development requires a much broader, cross-functional effort. In particular, sales and marketing teams, as well as the quality department. These departments play a pivotal role in shaping products that not only meet int