Stoicism is fashionable again. Its language appears in business books, podcasts, athletic training, military culture, leadership seminars, and the daily routines of people trying to remain composed in an unstable world. Marcus Aurelius has become an unlikely modern celebrity. Epictetus is quoted by executives and coaches. The Stoic distinction between what is within our control…
When I started my digital commerce business sixteen years ago, professional education often meant getting on an airplane. I regularly attended trade shows and conferences. One of the most valuable was Internet Retailer in Chicago, which became an annual trip for me. I also attended events focused on operations and fulfillment, including the Operations and…
Over the years, I have worked with roughly a dozen paid-search agencies, along with several independent consultants. Some were capable. Some were diligent. A few were genuinely helpful. Most knew the advertising platforms better than the average business owner ever will. But nearly all of them faced the same structural problem: They did not know…
Google, Microsoft, and Amazon all make digital advertising look increasingly simple. Choose a goal. Set a budget. Supply products, keywords, or creative assets. Then let the algorithm find customers. From a distance, the three platforms appear to be variations of the same system. They all sell access to demand. They all promise better performance through…