Steve Davis
Why Your Marketing Message Isn’t Working (And How Story Can Save It)
Like Oscar Wilde observed, “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.” But when it comes to marketing messages, both matter tremendously – and most businesses are failing at both. Let’s unpack why your marketing likely…
The Precision Paradox: When Technology Trumps Trust
It’s a curious thing, watching sport in the age of technology. Recently, in the fourth cricket Test between Australia and India at the MCG, a moment crystallised everything that’s fascinating and frustrating about our quest for perfect decisions. Indian batter…
The Rise of Artificial Indolence: When AI Becomes an Excuse for Lazy Thinking
As Oscar Wilde once quipped, “I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.” In our rush to embrace AI-generated content, we seem to be channeling Wilde’s self-deprecating wit, but without his…
The Lost Art of Handwritten Notes: When Analogue Beats Digital in Business Communication
In an age where our thumbs dance across glass screens and our inboxes overflow with perfectly formatted templates, there exists a rebellious act of business communication so powerful it borders on the revolutionary: the handwritten note. When Ink Meets Intent:…
The Let Them Theory: A Tale of Two Choices
When Mel Robbins shared what she called the “Let Them Theory” on Instagram in May 2023, something fascinating happened. The post went viral, striking a chord with millions who recognised themselves in her words: “If your friends are not inviting…
Service in Hard Times: A Tale of Two Cities (and Three Queues)
In Port Lincoln, there’s a railway crossing with two contradictory signs – one warning of trains that will never come, the other asking to keep tracks clear. It’s an apt metaphor for the paradoxical situation many Australian small businesses find…
2025 Vision: Why Your Marketing Shouldn’t Sound Like Last Year’s Spam
If you peek into your spam folder (go on, I’ll wait), you’ll find something fascinating. Among the cryptocurrency schemes and miracle cures, there’s a particular species of business communication that seems frozen in time. “Just circling back,” they cheerfully announce,…
From Cricket to Commerce: When Innovation Meets Tradition
In test cricket, as in business, we often mistake tradition for truth. When 19-year-old Sam Konstas stepped onto the hallowed ground of the MCG for Boxing Day Australia-India test match, he didn’t just face the world’s deadliest bowlers – he…
You Will Never ‘Find’ Time (So Stop Looking For It)
As we watch another year slip through our fingers like grains in an hourglass, it’s worth pondering why some business owners seem to accomplish so much while others remain trapped in the hamster wheel of routine. This weekend, spare a…
S05E09 – Make Your Long Story Short, Says Willie Nelson
From Willie Nelson’s masterclass in brevity to the unsettling world of corporate data harvesting, we explore how sometimes the shortest path to persuasion involves knowing when to stop talking (and when to check those privacy settings). Willie Nelson shows us…