What happens when design is the bottleneck? You came up with a great business idea, maybe even raised some capital for it, and then decided to hire an outside design agency, like ours at The MisFits, to build your brand identity. You had good momentum at first, but you can’t agree on the right design yet. Now what. This is a frustrating challenge f…

When I first took the leap into entrepreneurship full-time, back in 2018, one of the first books I recommended was Allan Dib's, The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd. In the book, Allan gives a step by step process for creating a marketing plan that converts warm prospects into paying customers.…

How do you drive traffic to your website? I know this is a question that I’ve been pondering lately as we continue to grow the MisFits and think of ways to help our clients. One way is through Killer Creative, badass videos, and other forms of content that catch your perfect customers' attention, leading them down a rabbit hole that eventually conv…

The moment you start to get comfortable and complacent, you’re already dead; you just don’t realize it yet. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kgBy IRONBOUND Media, IRON Mike Steadman

If you’re afraid to invest in your brand, in the words of Logan Roy from the HBO show Succession, You are not serious people. I’m all about staying lean, driving sales, and maximizing profitability. I’m a bootstrapper and proud of it. Truth be told, you can start a business these days with a Google Doc, a menu of products and services, and a hit li…

Drew and I chop it up with fellow veterans and video storyteller extraordinaire Sean Bell, Founder of Loud Media, which helps brands tell epic stories through video content. On the show, Sean shares how he thinks about storytelling, why he’s so passionate about video, Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.do…

I share what a local bar and barbershop taught me about brand loyalty. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg Checkout our new website: www.IRONBOUNDMedia.comBy IRONBOUND Media, IRON Mike Steadman

I discuss IRONBOUND Media’s rebrand and category expansion to serve ‘Underdogs & Misfits’ (Challenger brands led by Veterans, Black women, and anyone else use to being one of one). Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3…

Do you ever come across a founder with an idea that makes you think to yourself, “damn, I really think they’re onto something here.” That’s how I feel about today’s podcast guest, Shante Frazier, Founder of WellCapped, a data-driven beauty company that provides online wig rentals through a monthly subscription. I’m not a venture capitalist yet, but…

Today on Dog Whistle Branding, my boy Drew O’Brien, from the design company “We Make Cool Shit,” chop it up with Legendary designer and studio owner, Dan Janssen, Owner/Creative Director of Lincoln Design Co., a Portland-based branding and design studio that represents the gold standard for modern designers, whose clients include Nike, Hot Wheels, …

In this episode of Dog Whistle Branding, I discuss the problem with focusing on marketing when you should be focusing on sales. Trust me, this problem is more common than you think. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/…

In this episode of DWB, I reflect on my goal for the new year goal of acquiring 10,000 True Fans, as opposed to 1,000 as recommended by Kevin Kelly in his essay, “1000 True Fans. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gm…

In this episode of DWB, I discuss why “painstorming” is the new brand storming. Before we jump into the show, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the link in the show notes and also Download the official Dog Whistle Branding playbook at ironboundmedia.com Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhis…

Today on DWB, I share my thought process for creating an authority machine at IRONBOUND Media, a process for sharing thoughts and ideas in a systematic way that positions us as an authority on brand building. I share a framework I came up and hopefully, you can apply it in your own business. Before we jump into the show, make sure you subscribe to …

Today on DWB, I’m joined by Navy Veteran and retired Firefighter, Luke Schneider, Founder & CEO of Fire Department Coffee, a veteran-owned and firefighter-run coffee company that is dedicated to roasting high-quality coffee while giving back to first responders and other heroes in need. Inspired by the vital role that coffee plays in helping firefi…

Almost a year ago, I had an opportunity to teach a branding workshop to the Founders Institute, The World’s Largest Pre-Seed Accelerator. After the workshop, one of the participants reached me on Linkedin, asking for advice and to keep me updated on his journey. The founder, Blake Berman, was in early stages of launching a San-Diego based premium s…

Today on DWB, I share what stop drinking alcohol taught me about competitive alternatives and pricing. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kgBy IRONBOUND Media, IRON Mike Steadman

Today on DWB, I’m going to teach you how to close your perfect customer, by taking all the risks off the table and giving them a brand guarantee. Visit our website to Download your free copy of the Dog Whistle Branding Playbook here: https://ironboundmedia.com/ Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistl…

A few years ago, I met an inspiring young female officer, Haley Marie McClain Hill, who was building an apparel line specifically for female warriors. She was still in the early days of launching her venture, while also preparing to transition out of the military. From the moment I met her, I knew that given her background as an Air Force Officer, …

Today on DWB, I’m joined by Army Veteran Neil Whitney, CEO of Plankk, a tech company helping today's fitness brands turn their following into revenue with custom fitness & wellness apps. Prior to becoming CEO of Plankk, Neil founded and exited, Menud’s, which provided personalized & curated meal plans, allowing users to shop for a week's worth of g…

I get hit up by countless veteran entrepreneurs seeking advice on their entrepreneurial journey. Some take my advice and run with it, others not so much. All I try to do is point people in the right direction. Today’s guest, Dominique Wright reached out to me over two years ago, in order to discuss her idea for an app serving collegiate athletes. W…

I know it’s been a while since I’ve been on the Mic, but make no mistake, I’ve been work hard behind the scenes on all things IRONBOUND and DWB. I launched a new series FRAGO Friday, which I drop each week via our newsletter. I got a fellowship to the Fund For New Leadership, a social impact fellowship supporting change makers across the country, a…

Today on DWB, I discuss why you need to build a damn email list. In case you haven’t noticed, Social Media is rented and if you want to own your audience, you better start building the last. Visit our website to Download your free copy of the Dog Whistle Branding Playbook here: https://ironboundmedia.com/ Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Bra…

When it comes to creating content, implementing a new marketing strategy, or wanting to try something new in general, the biggest hindrance business owners have is perfectionism. Rather than trying to be perfect and hit a home run out of the gate, I want to challenge you to start ugly, which I discuss in today’s show. Be sure to subscribe to the Do…

Who already has a reason to know, like, and trust you? Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kgBy IRONBOUND Media, IRON Mike Steadman

Today on DWB, I’m joined by fellow Naval Academy grad turned culinary entrepreneur, Jordan Foley, Founder, CEO, and Head Chef at Let’s Chow, a nonprofit Nonprofit providing vocational training in the culinary arts for veterans & military spouses using food trucks. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhi…

Everyone who has worked with or heard me speak at workshop knows my favorite question to ask when it comes to building a Dog Whistle Brand, Who's Your Perfect Customer? If you’re having trouble answering this question, what if instead, you asked yourself, How does my perfect customer self-identify? Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand News…

One of my frustrations for the longest time in the veteran space was a lack of agency. That’s one of the reasons’ I wrote the book Black Veteran Entrepreneur, and also why I’m excited about today’s guest Ruben Ayala, An Army Veteran, Green Beret, and Co-Founder of Triple Nikel, a veteran-owned streetwear brand promoting unity and honoring veterans …

You know how much I love to geek out on Category Design, and most of the time, I find myself focusing on creating new types of markets, not new kinds of humans. Which is why on today’s show, I’m excited to chop it up with Mason Hamlett, CEO of Woobies Inc, a veteran-owned shoe company serving the protectorate class, you know, the kind of guys and g…

Everyone knows that Veterans love Swag, there’s a reason you constantly see us wearing hoodies and T-shirts of the brands we love. Here in Newark, I’m constantly rocking my IRONBOUND Boxing hoodie, not only to bring more visibility to the IRONBOUND brand, but also to symbolize that I’m part of the team and a movement. Apparel is a hard business mod…

Today on DWB, Bill and I are joined by Navy Veteran and former Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman, Fred Soule, Founder of Sgt Suds which provides high-quality,all-natural, honest Soap and hygiene items for dudes, and in their own words "Keeping privates clean." After connecting with Fred and his brand on social media, I wrote him a tentative b…

Today on DWB, I’m joined by Liz Giorgi, Co-Founder and CEO of Soona Studios, the world’s first virtual content studio, helping e-commerce merchants sell more online. For early-stage e-commerce brands, organizing photo shoots can be a pain in the ass, between selecting a location, having the right equipment, and moving products. What I like about So…

In this episode of DWB, I’m joined by West Point Grad, Army Veteran and Lions Pride Alumni, Paul Reily, Founder of Midstrong, an online fitness company helping busy men and women in midlife, make food, fitness, and function the priority that powers the best years of life. I met Paul a few years ago through the Lions Pride and instantly became a fan…

I’m fired up for the following episode of DWB, as I get chance to sit down with the one of original Category Pirates and Business Author, Eddie Yoon, a self-described Strategy Yoda, Category Designer, and Author of the book Superconsumers: A Simple, Speedy, and Sustainable Path to Superior Growth.I take pride in being an intellectual capitalist, wh…

I don’t know about you all, but I have an affinity for microbusinesses, typically these are bootstrapped businesses earning less than 100k in revenue, started from a hobby or passion. You can find them at your local farmers market, selling homemade honey, soap, and other CPG products. I serve a lot of these entrepreneurs, whether in my local commun…

Today on DWB, I’m joined by Steve Pratt, founder of The Creativity Business, a firm focused on content strategy for brands and business strategy for the creative industries. Steve is a podcasting OG. Prior to starting the Creativity Business, he co-founded one of the world’s first and leading branded podcast agencies, Pacific Content. For those of …

Today on DWB, Bill and I discuss how to drive leads using the Hub and Spoke Framework. Hubs are networks of impacts, such as trade associations, chambers of commerce, or MBA classrooms, for example, that have access to multiple spokes, which represent your perfect customer. If you can visualize a bicycle wheel, create a list of your perfect custome…

Today on DWB, I catch up with my main man and business coach, Mr. Bill Watkins, to talk about how to prepare and navigate challenging times ahead, through some DEFCON Branding. What the heck is DEFCON Brand Strategy? Find out on today’s how. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order …

Today on DWB, I’m joined by Scott Roslyn, Co-Founder and CEO of We Are Bill, a boutique brand creation & reinvention consultancy based in New York, that connects strategic thinking, thoughtful design, and commercial impact to create new futures for ambitious brands. I invited Scott on the show to talk about his approach to brand strategy and share …

Today on DWB, I’m joined by fellow Naval Academy grad turned serial entrepreneur, Justin Nassiri, Founder & CEO of Executive Presence, which provides a fully managed Linkedin presence for CEO’s and business leaders. I originally came into this interview expecting to talk about Justin’s podcasts and his new company executive presence, which we do ge…

Today on DWB, I sit down with Army Veteran and West Point Graduate Andrew Wolgemuth, Co-Founder & CEO of WOVE, a 21st century online jeweler, bringing the jewelry design experience directly to couples for custom engagement ring creation. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my b…

Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg Checkout April’s book here: https://amzn.to/3x4sJd4By IRONBOUND Media, IRON Mike Steadman

Today on DWB, I’m joined by Marine Veteran and Business Advisor, Doug Minter, Head of Canada’s Black Chamber of Commerce and a serial entrepreneur. Like my own business coach, Bill Watkins, Doug has worked with hundreds if not thousands of entrepreneurs and knows more than a thing or two about branding, and the importance of creating experiences an…

Today on DWB, I chop it up with my fraternity brother and fellow Marine, Andre Truss, a serial entrepreneur based in Jacksonville, NC.Truss talks about his omnipresent social media strategy to stay top of mind with prospects, how he uses teaching to drive his lead generation, and his plans for his new restaurant. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whi…

Today on DWB, I discuss why poor positioning can kill your revenue. If your sales and marketing isn’t working, then your positioning is broken. Luckily, we’re going to discuss how to fix it. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https:/…

Today on DWB, I go over a simple marketing framework called The Hawke Method, coined by Hawke Media CEO Erik Huberman. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg Purchase “The Hawke Method” here: https://amzn.to/3W20A…

Today, we interrupt your regularly scheduled programming, to talk about execution with Bill Watkins, in particular scoreboards, because this is my show and there are no rules in audio. But in all seriousness, at IRONBOUND, we like to teach you how to bridge the gap between brand strategy and execution, and measuring your performance with scoreboard…

On this episode of DWB, I continue our conversation on Category Design, by discussing The Law of Category from the book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Reis and Jack Trout. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to…

On this episode of DWB, I dive into Category Design and why it needs to be an integral part of your brand strategy. Be sure to subscribe to the Dog Whistle Brand Newsletter on Substack here: www.dogwhistlebranding.com Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kgBy IRONBOUND Media, IRON Mike Steadman

Today, on DWB, I’m joined by John Reeves and Henry Russell, Founders of Russell Reeves Capital, a real estate investment firm that specializes in multi-family and apartment syndication, helping their investors create rapid wealth for financial freedom. Both John and Henry attended the Naval Academy together and launched their firm, to help more vet…