Why Great Marketing Happens When You Stop Watching Your Competition

Hi {{first_name}} ,

Same newsletter, new email platform 😉. Each month, I cut through the marketing noise to bring you real talk from other leaders, what’s actually worth reading, and the occasional hot take that makes you think.

In today’s newsletter:

The best marketing happens when you look outside your bubble for inspiration.

B2B SaaS CRMs don't need to look to other B2B SaaS CRMs for ideas (You know who you are 👀). Just like colors on a canvas pop when paired with complementary colors—colors on the opposite end of the color wheel—marketing moments pop when paired with inspiration from seemingly completely different sources.

It's human nature to want to keep up with the Joneses and make sure you're doing what everybody else in your neighborhood is doing. But when it comes to marketing, some of the most creative and exciting work happens when you take inspiration not from your competitors, but from something completely out of left field.

Look at how the proliferation of millennial pink took over every brand's Instagram feed. Or how somehow everybody decided that ✨ sparkles ✨ mean "AI." When everyone follows the same playbook, no one stands out.

What does it look like to look beyond the competition?

I'm working with an enterprise tech company creating content inspired by Mr. Beast. Not because we're making viral content for the sake of virality, but because his optimization and engagement formula translates perfectly to our target audience.

Another client needed better real estate branding and social. Instead of studying thousands of other agents, I looked at TikTok creators who showcase cities in punchy, exciting ways. Now they have video content that's repeatable, approachable, and showcases local expertise without feeling like every other real estate post.

How can you find your own unexpected source of inspiration?

Here’s where I’ll share what I’ve found worthwhile among the myriad newsletters, podcasts, and open tabs across my devices lately. No fluff, just the good stuff.

⚙️ The Tactical ChatGPT Playbook for Marketers: Comprehensive guide with 12 detailed use cases across PMM, content marketing, growth marketing, and sales, ranging from beginner to advanced complexity

tl;dr: The exact prompts and use cases marketers are using for persona research, product positioning, content localization, paid spend analysis, and sales call preparation

🛠 Turning long-form content into short-form visuals: I’ve been playing around with Gamma to turn my Substacks into visual carousel cards. This is the type of AI I like: It keeps my voice and my writing, just finds ways to break up content into bite-sized, attention-grabbing visuals in ways I haven’t thought of before. Here’s 200 credits to get you started for free!

tl;dr: I don’t want AI to think or write for me. I want AI to coach me, give me feedback, and give me new ways to engage with existing ideas and content. The best use of AI is to challenge your thinking, give you feedback, play devil’s advocate so you can think even more critically than you did before.

A bit of my own writing, recent engagements, client updates, and things I’m doing.

📌 Authenticity? On the internet? Groundbreaking! My favorite content creator right now isn't an influencer. She's a cookie cake baker who accidentally built a business after being laid off from her tech job while seven months pregnant. In a world of perfectly curated feeds and strategic content calendars, NoCo Cookie Cakes reminds us that sometimes the best marketing isn't marketing at all. It's just being human, being real, and sharing what you love.

🚀 Does anyone like their launch strategy? The #1 thing marketing leaders and clients are trying to figure out lately? Not AI, but launches. Between product (un)readiness, unclear messaging, and a crowded landscape, everyone’s rethinking their launch strategy right now. Give me your 2-cents on launches here in this quick survey and I’ll share the aggregated results in an upcoming newsletter.

🎧 Why give 100% to a job that will never give you 100% back? I don’t often get to sit in the guest’s seat on a podcast, but I was honored to join Jen Phillips on her podcast “New Ambition” to discuss building psychological safety as a leader, why authentic storytelling matters more than ever, and how following your energy in a rapidly changing tech landscape is strategic career planning. 

Your marketing team is stretched thin, launches feel chaotic, and you're not sure if your messaging actually resonates. You need strategic leadership but can't justify a full-time hire.

Sound familiar? I work with marketing leaders who need seasoned product marketing expertise on their highest-impact initiatives—bringing enterprise experience with startup speed.

Team Capacity & Capability Building: You know what good marketing looks like, but you're hitting bottlenecks in execution. I step in as an extension of your leadership team to provide strategic reviews, coaching, advisory support, and framework development that scale your team’s impact and make the most of your time.

Perfect for: Marketing teams that need senior-level strategic advising and coaching without long hiring timelines.

Workshops and Keynote Speaking: Who doesn’t love interactive workshops and inspirational keynotes? I bring topics related to marketing and storytelling to your events, off-sites, and experiences.

Perfect for: Marketing teams, sales teams, or leadership groups who want to improve how they communicate stories and complex ideas.

Fractional PMM Leadership: I help get things done, without the overhead of a full-time senior hire. Whether you need messaging frameworks, go-to-market support, or a new product launch strategy, I work alongside your team to execute, not just advise.

Perfect for: CMOs and marketing SVPs who need strategic marketing execution and leadership support, but don't have the bandwidth or budget for senior full-time talent.

Many of you are hiring, and I know a lot of talented PMMs who are looking. So I started a site to connect great talent with great leaders.

Have a role you’re hiring for? Send it my way and I’ll get it on the site!

Jodi