There was a time when earning attention meant paying for the privilege. Whether it was a full-page ad in the paper, a prime-time TV spot, or a billboard on the right stretch of highway, access was transactional. You paid upfront, with no real signal if anyone cared—only the hope of interruption and a big enough budget to buy the megaphone.
That world’s gone. Today, anyone with a phone can film a video, post it, and sometimes reach 10 million people before the coffee gets cold. Sure, that sort of overnight virality isn’t typical. But the mere fact it’s possible at all is a seismic shift for marketing.
The tools to reach people, at scale, are effectively free. You might reach a million, but even more powerful, you can find the couple hundred people with the precise qualities you care about—without a media buy or approval from anyone. That should mean something to you, especially given how much work we used to put in just to get ten minutes with the right client. Today, that person is probably scrolling LinkedIn waiting to pause on a story worth hearing.
Think about the way people used to buy a car. In 1995, you’d show up at a dealership, blind to fair pricing or a model’s backstory. The power was with the seller, and every question—price, value, reputation—was murky. Today, every shopper shows up armed with research, reviews, and options. This isn’t just about cars. The entire economy has shifted; customers now shop from their couch, day or night, for anything from sneakers to six-figure medical equipment.
The internet turned the information advantage upside down. Buyers now hold the cards. The immediate question: has your marketing strategy kept up? The age of attention is here, and your approach needs to respect a reality where the viewer—not the brand—calls the shots.
In 2012, Celsius was dropped from Costco and hit a wall. On paper, they had a solid product, but with no recognizable lifestyle identity, their push for big retail lacked the ground game. Rather than folding, they pivoted away from mass retail, built their presence in niche fitness spaces, and dove hard into grassroots and influencer communities. For three years, Celsius was visible almost only in gyms, fitness expos, and on emerging platforms like TikTok and Instagram, aligning tightly with the rise of health-conscious consumer culture.
Their lesson: earning brand awareness isn’t a straight shot through retail shelves. It takes proving relevance to your real audience, building trust, and backing it with strategic distribution—first within passionate communities, then scaling up with momentum. If your current strategy hinges on direct sales but your story isn’t landing, Celsius shows how brand-building and grassroots engagement actually unlock scale.
A lot of people talk about losing the fun or spark in their work. That’s normal. Most of us start on fire—whether that’s selling cars, launching the first business, or getting the adrenaline rush of doing something new. Inevitably, there’s a cycle: energy, burnout, reset. It happens. But the privilege of building, connecting, and putting something meaningful into the world can come back, often stronger for having stepped through tough seasons.
There’s never been a period in history when a single person could reach millions for nearly zero cost. We’re living through that now. And it means you don’t have to ask for permission to start earning attention. The only ask is that you turn up, tell the story genuinely, and earn your audience instead of buying it.
Here’s what’s shifted: being entitled to attention is a holdover from the past. Just “putting it out there” isn’t enough. The online audience has infinite options and an endless scroll of competitors. Ads disguised as content will get passed by. Content that delivers value, teaches, or entertains stands a chance. That’s the bar now. Earning attention isn’t magic, but it is the necessary first step to any kind of sustainable internet presence.
Platforms like TikTok changed the rules. Now every major network is in on the attention game. For brands, founders, and teams, learning to build relationships at scale—giving before asking—sets apart those that thrive from those still clinging to transactional campaigns.
If you keep asking “what’s the ROI on this?” pause and look at the fastest-growing brands. Many are winning in less than a decade, using social-first marketing, and outpacing giants. It’s no longer a direct response world; it’s a trust and relevance world.
No amount of marketing can prop up a broken product or operation. You have to get the core business right first—good quality, good service, a real value proposition. One of our friends is currently expanding a fast-casual food concept called Avocado Theory. He’s hands-on with product quality, customer experience, and accountability on both sides of the partnership—reminding us that even the smartest campaigns won’t compensate for gaps inside the business.
That kind of fundamentals-first approach is table stakes. As Avocado Theory grows (which it will), the marketing works because the product lives up to the promise.
Consider the UPS driver who drops by our office. Not only does he manage deliveries, he spotted another local business that could use our help and delivered our card himself. That’s human connection. Opportunities come from genuine relationships—sometimes in places no one expects. The little touches add up, and in a world racing to automate, being helpful and personal pays off.
If you’re aiming to grow faster this year, recognize that the rules have shifted. It’s not about forcing offers in front of people. It’s about discovering the audience, telling a story that matters, and earning trust. The mechanics are out there—testing organic content for signals, amplifying with paid behind proven winners, and removing friction from how people can take the next step.
We’re in the middle of a reach revolution. The only question is whether you’ll build a brand for the scroll era or remain stuck in the broadcast age. Start with the fundamentals. Get the experience and story right. Share it with intention. And when something resonates, amplify it.
No shortcuts. Just consistent, genuine effort. The audience is listening—if you show up with something worth their time.
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