There’s a Pretty Good Chance You’ll See Me Wearing This Sort Of Thing After Our First Meeting. Beard is optional.
Me? Glad You Asked.
I’m the kind of guy you work with when you’re stuck.
I’ll help you get unstuck, find your direction, and chart your path forward. I might even help you rediscover why you got into this business in the first place (you know, ‘cause you liked it?).
I’ll work to unearth your actual brand - it comes from that thing that you do best and want to do more of - and then develop a credible voice for it that will resonate both outwardly with your customers AND inwardly with the people who make up your business.
There’s a good chance I’ll think of things you haven’t thought of and see things you can’t because you’ve been living inside of your business, and the people you need to reach are not in there with you.
I bring perspective. Clarity. Direction. I solve problems you know you have, and sometimes discover ones you’re not aware of - which might be the most important ones. And I’ll help solve them too.
During discovery I’ll identify both your overlooked weaknesses AND your often equally overlooked strengths. I’ll help you clean that up, and suggest ways to communicate the new and improved version better. And I’ll also advise on what needs to be done to make your business stronger, more focused and better-positioned for long-term growth.
And that advice is often not just copywriting and brand creative. You can’t just put a shiny coat of paint over something that’s broken and expect it to work. Remember, your Brand, which is the way people think of you, is the direct result - and reflection - of the internal workings and culture of your business.
It’s not just some separate veneer or public face, and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise and offer you a quick tweak of your logo as a brand fix, they either don’t get branding or just want a quick paycheck.
After the initial work is complete I often to partner with clients over the long term, and serve as a resource as their business grows and adapts. That’s more honest, and better for both of us.
Once the initial internal work is done, I’ll outline a basic brand strategy designed to uniquely position you in the ‘marketplace’. From there I’ll develop a credible voice, narrative and related creative to communicate your newly (re)defined value to the world and, over time, help you maintain a persistent positive public presence.
That way the right people for you will like, understand and trust you for who you really are, and what you really offer. Those people are what we’ll call your Ideal Customers; also known as the people whose call you want to pick up when you see the caller ID.
Because the number one rule is always: “People Do Business With People They Like.”
And that’s Brandphilic™.
A Few Things I’m Not:
I am not a Designer, but I understand design as a means of communication and often create accordingly. I am happy to work with your designer or recommend one to make sure that your visual elements are in-step with your brand messaging.
I am not a Web Developer, but understand web development and it’s importance relative to your brand. I am happy to work with your developers or recommend one to make sure that your website UX and content effectively represent your brand experience.
I am not a Marketer, but I certainly understand marketing, especially as a means of outreach, dissemination of messaging, creative and other communications and, of course, lead generation. I am happy to work with your person or team or recommend one. My job here is to create and guide brand communications that your marketing people distribute and manage.
Bottom Line:
I regard everything you do, every touchpoint - your signage, advertising, store lighting, on-hold message - everything you are as a Communication that influences your audience’s perception of you and thus creates your Brand.
With that in mind, I often partner with, create content for and/or advise people who occupy the roles referenced above to help keep you on-brand and on-message. I am always flexible and recognize that not every business needs everything I offer.
I’m just here to help.
“Larry has been an essential piece of our business development and trajectory. He brings a clarity of thought and language that most seem to lack, frames challenges that we cannot always articulate, provides invaluable advice and persepective, and never fails to deliver the message I can never seem to express myself.”
— Dr. Brian Nathanson, Founder, New England Physical Care
On The Personal Side…
It took me a long time to be at peace with the idea that all of the things that I am influence how I think and what I can do for you. And even longer to actually reveal them to anyone and let folks know that I’m not just a Brand Writer and Strategist.
That just happens to be a place where my experiences and interests intersect with my skills and talents.
So here are some other things to know about me:
On the personal side, I am happily married to a woman who is likely smarter than me (but kind enough to not remind me too often) and the proud father of two truly remarkable daughters.
I am a Roman Catholic who also attends Presbyterian services, talks with the Jehovah’s Witnesses when they come to the door and also reads Buddhist and other texts because I think most religions are simply conduits to the same truth, and you can always learn something new.
Before starting my career, initially, as an advertising copywriter some 20 years ago, I built and later sold a successful pet store, and also have a great deal of experience in all facets - from dishwasher to co-owner - of the restaurant industry. These retail and service industry experiences were incredibly useful as I evolved into a consulting role.
Over the years of helping clients figure it out and do better I began to identify recurring patterns of what worked and eventually created Brandphilic™, a philosophy and proprietary approach to branding based on the simple truth that your brand is the way that people feel about you, and that people do business with people they like.
I’ve since trademarked Brandphilic™ and apply that approach to every brand-related project I work on.
I am the author of Cogh and the Machine, a surreal novel-in-verse about the journey of a young college graduate through the corporate world, and am currently at work on another novel.
I am an experienced photographer and videographer, hold a current FAA Section 107 Commercial Drone License, and provide those services for clients in order to keep imagery on-brand when needed.
I am also a digital artist using my photography as the basis for my work. I am especially influenced by the work of Ed Ruscha and Edward Hopper, and will be launching The Watercolor Project in the near future, where some of my work will be available.
I absolutely love movies - from direction to cinematography to screenwriting - in all forms and from all eras and am tinkering with a screenplay in my spare time. I am also, apparently, a nerd and attend Comic Con (see pic) every year in NYC.
I am (forever) teaching myself guitar, play some piano as well, write poetry and essays on Medium under my name, enjoy PC gaming and surfcasting in the Fall for stripers.
Above all, I’m here to help. To be honest, that’s probably my greatest weakness as a ‘businessman’, as I’m often guilty of giving away ideas and solutions for free. But also my greatest strength, because I’ve made a real difference for a lot of people through my work, which is very fulfilling. Plus it’s always the right thing to do.
I think more businesses should do that. That’s not naïveté; it’s practical advice because what you give comes back to you, often multiplied. By your actions you get to choose what that is, so choose wisely.
Finally, I reside on the North Fork of Long Island which, all things considered, is a pretty nice place to live.
Me and a new friend at Comic Con (NYCC), 2023