The Rebar Story
Why Did a CPA Become a Marketing Coach?
I get asked that question a lot, and it never fails to make me grin. Accounting and marketing are seen as opposite ends of a spectrum. Left brain vs. right brain, analytical vs. creative, tie vs. turtleneck. The question seems to imply that I escaped my accounting box and have to work to blend in, lest I am caught and sent back and forced to wear the green visor.
Of course, these stereotypes are never completely accurate. A good CPA needs to know more about business than just "the numbers". Successful marketing requires more than just pure creativity. This is even more true in the world of small business, where owners wear many hats in addition to their marketing and accounting ones.
I have always admired entrepreneurs. I admire their courage and creativity. Helping these folks achieve their dreams has always been the best part of my job, whether it was as a CPA, software developer, or marketing coach.
My grandfather was a great influence in my life. He had several businesses, none of them terribly successful, mostly due to the Great Depression. One of my favorite stories about my grandfather is about the time he wanted to paint his only oil delivery truck a different color on each side. This would give the impression that he had two trucks, depending upon which side of the road you passed him. This is a great example of the creativity and resourcefulness of entrepreneurs and is why I love working with them.
During my career consulting with small businesses, I noticed a disturbing trend. I saw many businesses start up and enjoy some early success. Then they seemed to plateau. They had enough work to keep their employees busy. They were making "decent money". However, they never seemed able to break through to that next level.
Another disturbing trend I noticed is that these same companies had two or three customers that accounted for 50% or more of their total revenue. I had the misfortune to witness more than one of these companies having to layoff a majority of their employees and some were even forced to close after losing one key customer.
Because I worked directly with the owners of these businesses, I saw the terrible toll these situations took on them. They became frustrated, overwhelmed, and sometimes personally embarrassed when they could not grow their business to the level they desired. Their business seemed to swallow them up. They started their business to help them achieve a better life, but their lives were taken over by their business. These were good people and I wanted to find a way to help them.
Having always been a "systems guy", I noticed these companies lacked a systematic approach to attracting new customers. Marketing seemed to be treated as a necessary evil, or worse, just ignored by small business owners. Marketing activities appeared to be mostly haphazard and were often ignored until a crisis arose.
I began to look for a way that could help bring a systematic approach to small business owners. During my research, I discovered John Jantsch's work and his Duct Tape Marketing system. John seemed to share many of my beliefs about small business marketing and the importance of systems. The more I learned, the more I liked John's system, so I decided to quit my day job to become a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach.
I became a marketing coach because I believe in the power of the small business. Small business owners create better lives for themselves, their employees, customers, community. My hope is that I will be able to help more people realize their dreams of owning a successful business.
As a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach, I provide simple, affordable and effective ways for small business owners to consistently attract more of their ideal customers so they can build the business (and life) they always dreamed of having.
