My name is Sean A Cooper. Welcome to my portfolio (a mix of work, concepts, and ad-art)
Communications
Press releases
Case studies
Brand story
Campaigns
Messaging
Web copy
Taglines
Content
Scripts
Emails
Briefs
Blogs
Posts
Ads
Brand strategy
Growth hacking
UX & UI content
Strategic narrative
Behavioral insights
Qualitative interviews
Product management
Conceptual advertising
Experience optimization
Sean stewards the soul of Flow. He architected the brand strategy. He distills the brand strategy through creative writing and concepts. Sean holds me accountable to the brand promise with an unwavering commitment to consistency.
—Rich Prashad, founder
Objective: positioning and formulating messaging that differentiates Appstem from the competition, redoing its website, and revamping the content.
Process:
Insight: Even though the company had worked with many household name companies, it mentions its accomplishments only as a side note on the website.
Strategy: Leverage borrowed credibility to signal quality and expertise.
Message: If it’s good enough for Tesla, it’s good enough for me.
Creative Expression: Minimalist and efficient design ethos. Messaging and visuals stripped to essentials, large product imagery, concise copy, highlighting depth of expertise, esoteric experience, and onshore quality (leading with evidence: real projects for world-class brands).
Example: Instead of vague website copy and stock visuals, the new homepage opens with clean product showcases. The design balances Appstem’s understated style with the impact of its most recognizable achievements.
Process:
Deliverables:
Result: Instead of chasing clients, Appstem attracts leads to the top of the funnel and builds credibility on autopilot.
Website
Brand guide
Developed a brand for an AI productivity assistant (startup) that reduces noise and increases focus by managing the user’s administrative tasks (e.g., email triage, time-blocking, note-taking, meeting preparation, etc.).
In order to tailor the brand messaging for a target persona, I interviewed potential customers and users of competing products to gain a glimpse into their experience. I then synthesized the customer insights with the founder’s vision into a succinct framework that included detailed customer profiles and a brand guide for consistent future communications.
The name, messaging, customer profile, and communication guide have been referenced by founders, collaborators, and users as being clear and “on-point”. As a result, I was tasked with creating content for the company’s website (as well as managing the design and development process).
The full case study with the deliverables (including customer research, positioning, messaging, brand guide, and more) can be found here.
Brand guide
Website
Overview: Mindspeller is a neuromarketing (neuroscience+marketing) platform for testing and validating marketing concepts (telling you what people really think).
“People don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.” — David Ogilvy
Already providing enterprise solutions to multinational corporations, local municipalities, and large consumer brands, the company was developing a SaaS product, targeting marketing and advertising agencies.
Objective: Develop brand strategy, messaging, and content that clearly communicate the company’s value proposition.
Process: Conducted over a dozen discovery sessions with the founders, interviewed consumers, developed the core messaging, tested an MVP, and created frameworks to convey the company’s positioning and maintain consistency across channels.
Content: When the company pitched to Simply Juice, I was tasked with creating a case study for Coca-Cola (Simply Juice’s parent company), showcasing how Mindspeller can provide insights to guide Simply’s branding decisions.
The case study can be found here.
The challenge:
A fintech startup needed to rename and rebrand itself to compete with the larger brand names.
The solution:
1) Created a catchy brand name (originally DigiDough, but the client preferred DigiDoe, for simplicity).
2) Formulated a succinct message that captures the essence of the brand.
3) Developed content that targets merchants—addressing their needs and fears—and separate content targeting consumers’ wants and concerns.
The problem:
Isabel Fay, a women’s hygiene brand, had decreasing click-through and conversion rates.
The insights:
1) The message on the label was not communicating the company’s unique value proposition.
2) The font on the label was too small and unnoticeable for people who were searching and comparing products.
The solution:
1) Reframed the messaging to highlight the company’s differentiation and unique value proposition.
2) Redesigned the label so that the messaging would be clearly visible on the shelf and in search.
As part of a large brand development project, I named and created brand identity, positioning, messaging, visual direction, and content for a loft event space equipped with projection mapping capabilities.
The goal was to appeal to the venue’s core audience: wedding planners and corporate event organizers, while using the venue’s competitive advantage—immersive projection mapping.
I pitched the name LoftStory, which captured both the character of the space and the types of events it could host—stylish weddings and polished corporate off-sites.
Once the client approved the name, I created the brand guidelines and a creative brief (What – the product, Who – the patron, Why – the unique positioning) to steer the design of the logo and visual identity. With the brand foundations in place, I tailored the website and social content to appeal and connect with the target customer.
To bring the brand to life and generate high-quality marketing assets, we planned and produced a sample event. It served a dual purpose: showcasing LoftStory’s immersive capabilities and delivering real, strategic marketing value.
While the event was a marketing expense, I ensured it was also a channel for targeted exposure by designing, writing, and sending personalized invitations to event planners, content producers, prospective clients, creative collaborators, and adjacent industry professionals (stylists, designers, photographers, etc.).
The theme: An Evening in Marrakesh.
To fully demonstrate LoftStory’s immersive storytelling capabilities, we designed every detail to reinforce the Marrakesh concept—from themed invitations, brochures, custom-mapped projection backdrop, to Mediterranean-style farm tables, a hookah lounge, live music, a DJ, and a belly dancer. The bar featured an exotic cocktail menu, and the multi-course Moroccan dinner was served by staff in themed uniforms. Even the event tickets were designed in alignment with brand guidelines and event concept, balancing LoftStory’s brand equity with the event’s authenticity.
AI chatbots are proliferating, but many lack the human touch. To truly connect, businesses can focus on understanding rather than just efficiency. By prioritizing empathy and genuine helpfulness, companies can create AI interactions that build rapport, shape brand perception and pass the “Caring test.”
B2B
Challenge: Flour Bakery, a popular Boston-area bakery chain with 11 locations, was using a white-label loyalty and mobile app platform that was being shut down.
Solution: Appstem partnered with Flour Bakery to build a custom mobile app, integrate it with the existing POS payment system, and consolidate operations in custom middleware, resulting in reduced costs and increased control, enabling Flour Bakery to express its unique brand voice and gather data to optimize the customer experience.
Result: The custom app achieved a 4.9-star rating with nearly 10,000 reviews, drives a significant portion of Flour Bakery’s sales, and provides valuable customer insights.
Flour Bakery, a growing Boston-based bakery chain with a devoted following and a growth trajectory, faced major challenges with the white-label tech stack it used for its app.
The main challenge was that the bakery ran two parallel, yet separate payment systems that didn’t communicate with one another:
This dual-system setup not only created a disjointed customer experience but also led to doubling payment processing fees and complicated accounting and data tracking across multiple systems.
After undergoing a website and visual rebrand, Flour Bakery’s newfound aesthetic was undermined by LevelUp’s inflexible white-label solution. In addition to limited control over brand customization, other white-label restraints included:
White-label solutions serve their purpose in the early stages, but as companies mature and their needs become more sophisticated, the limitations of shared platforms become barriers to growth.
In 2021, LevelUp announced its acquisition by Grubhub and the sunsetting of its white-label mobile app product. While LevelUp allowed Flour Bakery an extended migration period, circumstances created an urgent need for a new solution.
Seeing necessity as an opportunity to tailor the mobile experience to their brand and customer needs, Flour Bakery turned to Appstem, a lean development team with a proven track record of building custom mobile apps for restaurant chains like KFC.
The relationship grew out of trust and rapport. Appstem provided Flour Bakery the guidance and advisory support it required, laying the foundation for a lasting collaboration.
“We provided some strategic advice, some direction, and some scoping. And yeah, we kind of held our hand out first and just said, hey, we’ll help you through this process however you need us to.” —Steve Funk (digital product consultant)
After the decision to migrate was made, Appstem collaborated with Flour Bakery’s marketing and digital team—headed by the systems and technology manager and visual marketing director—to create a roadmap and timeline for the development of an ideal mobile app experience based on the bakery’s specific goals and requirements.
The solution needed to maintain existing loyalty program data, integrate with the point-of-sale system, and provide a seamless mobile ordering experience. The three approaches Flour Bakery considered were:
While a custom app requires a large upfront investment (compared to a white-label), consolidating everything on one platform would have eliminated double processing fees and created operational efficiencies that would justify the cost of creating a custom app. More importantly, Flour Bakery would finally have complete control over its customer experience and access to the data it needed to grow.
Appstem developed the Flour Bakery mobile app using React Native, a popular hybrid mobile app framework used to build one codebase that runs on both iOS and Android platforms.
The use of React Native made the development and maintenance of the app more efficient since the team didn’t need to manage separate native codebases and had access to a robust ecosystem of third-party libraries and components.
Using React Native, Appstem was able to deliver a cross-platform mobile solution that felt native to each platform in a cost-effective and timely manner.
One of the key challenges Appstem faced was a tight timeline, as Flour Bakery’s existing LevelUp platform was set to shut down in a matter of months. Flour Bakery was already using Toast as its POS processor, but Toast didn’t yet have a publicly available API for custom app development. Rather than wait or compromise, Appstem collaborated directly with Toast’s team to build an integration with their new PCI-compliant payment API, becoming one of the first development partners to do so.
This integration allowed Flour Bakery to:
Since the rewards and loyalty programs were being sunsetted along with LevelUp, Appstem merged the custom mobile app with Flour Bakery’s existing Paytronix loyalty platform, developing a custom solution to integrate Paytronix’s API with Toast, which powers Flour Bakery’s app.
The requirements for migration:
In addition to the migration of the app and the other major changes, Appstem had incorporated much-needed features and enhancements, including:
To simplify and streamline interactions between the components, Appstem built custom middleware to aggregate data and provide a single point of entry. It handles data flowing to the different systems, records the responses from those systems, normalizes the data, and sends it back to the application, the web server, website, and other users.
A proactive approach to problem-solving is embedded in Appstem’s culture and DNA. It starts with understanding the client’s needs and their customer experience, figuring out the appropriate approach, and customizing solutions that answer the underlying need and exceed expectations. This type of mindset requires agility, the willingness to learn, and sometimes—as with Toast’s API—doing something for the first time and making it work.
The mobile app has become a critical component of Flour Bakery’s business, driving sales and enhancing customer engagement. The application and custom middleware Appstem developed help streamline operations, reduce costs, and deliver an exceptional experience for Flour Bakery’s loyal customers.
Flour Bakery’s customers are praising the improved user experience and convenience. The app maintains a nearly flawless 4.9-star rating on the App Store, with over 9,000 reviews and counting.
By investing in a custom solution, Flour Bakery didn’t just solve its immediate problem—it created a foundation for sustainable growth that puts it in complete control of the customer experience.
The new app has enabled Flour Bakery to:
Since the initial stages of the collaboration with Appstem, Flour Bakery has received a level of attention it wasn’t accustomed to while using LevelUp. Instead of waiting for a multi-user white-label platform to prioritize their requests, they work directly with Appstem to iterate based on customer feedback.
Every month, Flour Bakery’s project manager and Appstem’s team meet to discuss the current and future state of the app. They gather customer and staff feedback and decide on the upgrades, changes, or refinements the Appstem team will be working on next month.
A simple system and a single point of contact make it easier to add features, implement changes, and optimize the app. But it’s the personal relationships that help Flour Bakery propel growth. Tickets are prioritized, and requests don’t decay in the queue thanks to the people who strive to nurture and maintain these relationships.
In Appstem, Flour Bakery gained more than a vendor; it found a partner that proactively comes up with ways to level the ground and set the groundwork for the bakery to expand its footprint.
Overview: EvolutionIQ has introduced an innovative AI-powered claims guidance system designed to help examiners and adjusters identify the right claim at the right time, increase the number of people who go back to work, and make claims management more efficient.
Challenge
Workers World Insurance had difficulty accurately predicting claim trajectories, understanding bodily injuries and effectively managing complex claims. These traditional processes often resulted in delayed return-to-work (RTW) outcomes, and could not assign complex claims to expert teams quickly or accurately.
EvolutionIQ was engaged to streamline and optimize Workers World’s claims processes.
Solution
EvolutionIQ’s AI-powered claims guidance system predicts claim trajectories, understands bodily injuries, and streamlines the claims process using next-generation machine learning and natural language processing.
Results
Workers World’s claims management had significantly improved after using EvolutionIQ’s system. The total number of RTWs in claims blocks, for instance, surpassed the outcomes of legacy processes across disability, workers’ compensation, and general liability lines. EvolutionIQ’s AI was able to predict claim trajectories earlier than historical methods, leading to faster RTWs. The process was quicker and more accurate for both carriers and claimants.
EvolutionIQ’s AI-based claims guidance system was successfully integrated into Workers World’s claims management process, and the results were transformative. Not only has it enabled the insurer to understand bodily injuries better, predict claim trajectories, and expedite return to work, but it has also helped save the lives of injured and disabled workers, which resulted in significant cost reductions for the insurance carrier.
The ability to handle claims more efficiently and manage them externally created substantial value for both Workers World and its stakeholders.
Please answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge. With these details at hand, we’ll do some preliminary research and reach out to you to schedule a discovery call. After the call, our project manager will send a follow-up email with the next steps, a quick summary, and an outline for your confirmation. The first draft will be ready within a few days, and the final case study within a week (with additional time for feedback/iteration).
Name, position/affiliation, and contact info.
Please confirm the benefits and business outcomes that you are looking to highlight:
Thank you!
Synaps Analytics quantifies the ROI of social, environmental, and stakeholder initiatives by measuring their impact on financial performance.
Alternatives phrasing:
Provide data-driven insights for purpose-driven, conscious companies to maximize their positive impact.
Purpose-driven companies (including B Corps, ESG companies, and family-owned businesses with legacy goals) led by technically-minded leaders (engineers, scientists, doctors, software developers) who:
Technical leaders excel at measuring code performance but struggle to measure People Performance. Even if they’re aware of an issue, they can’t prove it with numbers until the damage shows up in quarterly reports.
Synaps measures leadership impact in the same way you would measure quarterly revenue—with real data and financial returns. Our Early Warning System tracks 20+ factors —from employee engagement to trust in management—to diagnose cultural and behavioral risks that undermine execution.
Using the Harvard Flourishing Index and validated psychological frameworks, our system turns workplace signals into hard numbers and flags issues, like disengagement or misaligned teams, early enough to be fixed without extensive damage.
When engagement drops and communication falters, we know productivity will follow and can predict turnover before it happens.
While competitors measure culture after the fact, we predict impact in advance and translate fuzzy concepts like “employee wellbeing” into concrete ROI.
By turning insights into metrics, companies can defend investing in people and pinpoint the changes that will deliver impact.
Within three months, clients receive a comprehensive impact measurement report that shows their current ROI across all stakeholder groups, along with a five-year forecast.
(Optional: Plan and implementation.)
LinkedIn/Social
Subject: Organizational transformation executive.
Objective: Position as a thought leader in the military organizational transformation niche.
Method: Summarize the testimonials, distill the sentiment, and evolve into a conversational blog.
After two decades of transforming defense systems, I’ve witnessed countless technology implementations crash and burn. Not because the tech was flawed, but because someone forgot the most critical component: humans.
The most dangerous words in any transformation project: “The users will adapt.”
No, they won’t.
Most initiatives die because we focus on systems instead of the humans who use them. We obsess over features while ignoring how work actually flows through an organization.
This is backwards.
When transforming archaic military systems, the setup and people matter more than the tech stack. I call this “functional empathy”—truly understanding how individuals interact with processes before attempting to change them.
Military workflows aren’t just procedures; they’re cultural artifacts. They carry institutional knowledge built over decades. Disrupting them without understanding their purpose is organizational malpractice.
The most successful transformations I’ve led started by mapping how information flows between teams. We identified connection points where modernization could enhance–not replace–human judgment.
Instead of just digitizing existing processes, we asked: Why does this process exist? Who depends on its outputs? What decisions does it inform?
The military operates in high-stakes environments where system failures can have catastrophic consequences. Change requires not just technical skill but psychological safety.
Teams need to know their expertise is valued, even as we introduce new tools to make their work more efficient.
Digital transformation isn’t something you do TO an organization. It’s something you do WITH it.
When we champion functional empathy—truly understanding how work happens before trying to change it—we don’t just build better systems, we build better organizations.
#DigitalTransformation #ChangeManagement #DOD #Leadership #OrganizationalChange
Hey Max,
I’m Sean, your voice in YouTube search.
I’ve enjoyed learning about you. Perhaps the next discovery will be in person (Zoom or room). More discovery=more ideas.
Our goals are aligned. Both of us want to get you viral. My objective is to try as many ways to make that happen.
To do so, I’m going to test concepts that stretch the boundaries. Feel free to let me know when the boundaries were reached or breached.
The content below revolves around Max’s story—building multiple 8-figure businesses and obsessively tracking what moves the needle, while keeping work simple and fun (for him and the people working with him).
The content ideas are built on Max’s core principles: ruthless time optimization, integrity through alignment, and the belief that things don’t need to take time—they just need to be thoughtfully done and deliver results.
Each concept leverages Max as the philosophical child of:
Hooks
Title
The Minute Miser: How I Save 21 Minutes/Day (And Why It Changed Everything)
Why It Works: “Minutes Miser” is a unique and ownable brand phrase. 21 minutes is specific and believable. Promises both method and transformation. Creates intrigue around extreme behavior.
Rationale
Minute Hacker: In the video, Max can share a few stories and personal anecdotes about:
That’s Mr. Miser for you: “Minute Miser” is memorable, shareable, meme-able. It creates instant brand recognition (and people might start using this phrase).
Math = Credibility: Showing compound time calculations makes the abstract concrete.
Philosophy Foundation: Establishes Max’s core operating system. All future content can reference this framework. Creates a consistent worldview that viewers can adopt.
Actionable Immediately: Viewers can start today. High implementation rate = high satisfaction = loyalty. People might engage with Max in comments, sharing stories of their own saved minutes.
Controversy Bait: Some will say, “Enjoy life, stop optimizing everything.” Creates debate. Both sides engage. Max can address criticism in follow-up content.
Series Launcher: Built-in content engine. Either a “Minute Miser Monday” series showing single optimizations, or an “Audit my day” series.
Hooks
Title
The One Challenge I Always Fail At And How It Builds Me
Why It Works: Massive vulnerability play. Everyone wants to see successful people struggle. Creates relatability while maintaining authority. The “why that’s important” promises insight, not just confession.
Rationale
Humanizes Success: Breaks the “perfect entrepreneur” facade. Makes Max relatable without diminishing authority. Shows integrity through honest self-assessment.
Psychological Depth: Explores why high-achievers have specific blind spots. Gives permission for viewers to acknowledge their own. Creates emotional connection.
Unique Angle: Everyone shows their wins. Almost nobody genuinely shows recurring failures. Counterintuitive content in the success/business space.
Comment Gold: Community building through shared vulnerability. Can generate thousands of “me too” comments. People will share their own challenge failures.
Philosophy Integration: Can explore the trade-offs of optimization. Maybe some things SHOULD take time. Questions Max’s own assumptions—shows intellectual honesty.
Follow-Up Potential: “I finally beat the challenge” or “Why I’m not trying anymore” both work as sequels. Built-in narrative arc.
Hooks
Title
I Paid $15k to Save 3 Minutes A Day (The Compound Time Hack)
Why it works: Creates cognitive dissonance—seems wasteful until you understand compound time. “3 minutes” feels specific and real. CEOs will immediately calculate their own time value. Plus, the title is a catchy rhyme, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
Rationale
Track the Hack: The content can cover the process of identifying the problem, choosing/paying for the solution, and concluding with the breakdown of the $ invested and “time earned”.
Target Audience Magnet: Ambitious entrepreneurs and CEOs understand opportunity cost but rarely apply it this ruthlessly. This type of content validates and elevates their thinking.
Controversy = Engagement: The ****Comment section can lead to debate. “That’s crazy” vs. “That’s genius”.
Framework Gold: Teaches compound time thinking—a mental process anyone can use. Creates “aha moment” that bonds viewers to Max’s way of thinking.
Authenticity Signal: Max actually did this. It’s not theoretical. Shows he practices what he preaches about “buying his time back”.
Series Potential: Can follow up with “Every $5K+ purchase I’ve made to save time” or “Reviewing time-saving purchases 1 year later.”
Hooks
Title
What Howard Roark Taught Me About Building a Business With Integrity
Why It Works: Intellectual positioning. Ayn Rand is polarizing but respected in founder circles. Literary reference signals depth. “Integrity” is Max’s core theme. Unique angle—business advice from fiction.
Rationale
Intellectual Depth: Most business content is tactical. This is philosophical. Attracts a sophisticated audience. Shows Max thinks deeply, not just hustles.
Integrity Showcase: Authentic brand alignment. Max’s stated core value gets full exploration. Proves he’s not just saying it, he’s built his life around it.
Polarizing = Engaging: Ayn Rand creates instant reactions. Some will love it, some will hate it. Both groups will comment.
Story Integration: Can weave Max’s real business decisions through Roark’s principles. Makes philosophy concrete. Teaching through narrative.
Talent Magnet: Perfect filtering mechanism. High-integrity, principled people will resonate deeply. These are exactly the people Max wants to attract to work with him.
Hooks
Title
I Tracked 1,847 Business Decisions for 5 Years—Here’s What I Learned
Why It Works: 5 years shows commitment. “What I Learned” promises insights extracted from data. Appeals to analytical founders who love self-optimization.
Rationale
Dedication education: It’s rare for people to systematically track all decisions. It shows extreme self-awareness and positions Max as someone who studies himself scientifically.
Mental Models: Can reveal decision-making frameworks extracted from real data, not just theory.
Template Offering: Can share exact journal format, questions to ask, and analysis framework so that viewers can start their own decision journal.
Vulnerability + Authority: Sharing wrong decisions shows humility. Analyzing them shows growth balancing human and strategic qualities.
Hooks
Title
I Will Give $10,000 to Anyone Who Can Shave 15 Minutes From My Daily Routine
Why It Works: Direct challenge format. Real stakes. Forces viewers to watch the entire video looking for inefficiencies. High watch time = algorithm love. Clear call-to-action built in.
Rationale
Engagement Machine: Every comment is someone attempting the challenge. Massive comment volume = algorithmic boost. People will timestamp their suggestions.
Maximum Transparency: Shows Max’s entire system. Demonstrates extreme optimization. Even if no one “wins,” viewers learn Max’s complete framework.
Crowdsourcing Optimization: Max might actually get valuable ideas. Shows humility—willing to learn from his audience. Turns viewers into collaborators, not just consumers.
Win-Win Outcome: If someone wins, Max gets a better system + viral “I paid out” follow-up video. If no one wins, it proves Max’s optimization mastery.
Shareability: Challenge format encourages tagging others. People will share with friends, saying, “Can you figure this out?” Natural viral loop built in.
Authority Builder: Shows confidence in his system. If the internet can’t find waste, Max is validated as THE time optimization expert.
Hooks
Title
I Sold 213,785 Anti-Acne Pillowcases—Here’s What It Taught Me About Selling Anything
(alternative): Pillow Talk—What I Learned From Selling 213,000 pillowcases
Why It Works: “Selling Anything” promises universal lessons, not just niche tactics, bridging a specific story to a broad application.
Rationale
Pillows, what??: The product category is the hook (anti-acne pillowcases are not something you hear every day). Nobody expects profound business lessons from pillowcases. This contrast creates intrigue and shows Max can extract wisdom even from practically anything.
Mind the math: People tend to trust specificity (the more pixels, the clearer the picture). The oddly specific number creates instant credibility and curiosity. It signals real experience, not just theory.
A Pile of Pimple Pillows: Selling hundreds of thousands in a seemingly random category solidifies Max’s entrepreneurial cred.
Sleep on it: Inspires the viewer to look beyond their natural environments for ideas. Shows that “unsexy” products can be massively successful. Gives viewers entrepreneurial validation and permission to build boring businesses.
P.S.: The 213k number is random.
Additional ideas, concepts, and copy:
Mind
Set
Go
By Sean A Cooper
Three things that made my content go viral.
First: I invested in a project no one asked for.
I love digital art and I love Transformers. So I challenged myself to replicate a scene from the Transformers movie that Hollywood spent millions on—for a fraction of the cost.
No brief, no client, no actors or crew.
Just me and my girlfriend in the desert. Her operating the camera, me figuring out how to jump from an invisible Porsche while an imaginary Bumblebee walks beside me.
3 people instead of 70. A week instead of a year. Thousands instead of millions.
Second: I placed my work next to the original.
When I posted the recreation alone, it got 26K likes and 3K shares.
But when I posted the side-by-side comparison, it went viral—over 307K likes to date.
Third: Text overlay.
I added the comparison directly to the video, not in the caption.
Seems like a small detail, but it worked. People are wired to read when they see words. They stop scrolling, and Instagram’s algorithm loves it when they do.
People often ask me: Are you an artist or an entrepreneur?
Honestly, both. I’m an artrepreneur.
When I’m in creation mode, I’m 100% artist, obsessing over every detail, every frame, every texture. I can spend days perfecting a single element because the details are what separates good from great.
But when I step out of the artist’s headspace, I have to think like an entrepreneur. Pricing, positioning, pipeline. marketing, client communication, etc.
Early on, I thought that being talented was the whole game. It’s not.
The truth is that being great at 3D art isn’t enough. You also need to know how to sell, price, and package it in a way that makes people crave it.
As much as you’re passionate about your art, you need to be disciplined about the business side as well. Otherwise, you’re just making cool stuff in your bedroom that nobody sees.
So, yeah, I’m an artist wearing an entrepreneur’s shoes, splitting my time between the canvas and the spreadsheet.
Some days the shoes feel tight. But they’re the only reason the art gets out into the world.
COVID killed my first company (best thing that ever happened to me).
I built Followz, a social media app for solo travelers. It was growing. People loved it.
Then the pandemic hit, and travel stopped overnight. App closed, dream over.
For a minute, I thought that was it. But I just couldn’t stop creating.
So I started a digital marketing studio, doing UX/UI, branding, web design work – anything to pay the bills and stay in motion.
But I kept coming back to 3D art. Late nights after doing client work, weekends, and any free minute I had.
First, I started creating 3D portraits of public figures just to build my portfolio.
People noticed.
That’s when it clicked. I didn’t need to pivot away from what had failed. I needed to pivot toward what I actually loved.
Today, I’m creating hyper-realistic 3D installations and CGI experiences for brands and collectors who want the magical and the “impossible.”
Followz didn’t work out. But it taught me something more valuable than success:
Trust the process. And trust yourself enough to start over and do what you love.
I said no to $15,000. Here’s why.
A few months ago, a client reached out with a rushed order, requesting three CGI mixed-reality pieces for a total of $15,000.
Fast and simple, “something cool for social.”
The moment I read the brief, I knew that taking the job would undermine my standards and send the wrong message. When you say yes to “fast and easy,” you tell people that’s what you do.
I can’t deliver impossible depth and hyper-texturized details when an impossible deadline hovers above your head.
I don’t create volume, I build realistic 3D worlds, perfecting every texture, every motion, every frame to create an experience that makes people feel something real in an unreal way.
Michelangelo spent four years painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Highly complex and detailed work takes time. Drake’s piece took a month. Two people, full-time. Every texture built from scratch, every detail refined until the piece gained a soul.
Turning down $15,000 hurts; I run a business after all, but saying yes would’ve hurt even more in the long run.
You can’t mass-produce emotion, and the moment you start treating creative output like inventory, you’re no longer making art, you’re just filling orders.
That’s why I said no. Not to the money (that too), but to becoming average and generic.
Focus, Tomi, focus on one thing.
I can still remember the teacher hammering the importance of focusing into my scattered brain.
Focus good. Distraction bad.
It never felt right.
There are a lot of variations on the spectrum between focus and chaos. I thrive in a place where task-switching (not multi-tasking) isn’t a character flaw, it’s the operating system.
A juggler is not distracted by each ball. He’s in full control of the ones in his hands and the ones in the air.
Creative inspiration comes in batches, and I’m not in control of the schedule. I can only make sure to switch to the relevant task when the muse strikes me.
LG approached me to create something for their new speaker launch. The focus—volume.
How do you show volume visually?
Sound is just vibration. Vibration wrecks things.
I placed a massive LG speaker inside a building and unleashed sound waves reverberating outward, flipping cars like coins from sheer auditory violence.
Fast, spooky, and a bit funny.
To make it more realistic, I placed myself in the video. Watching someone witness chaos makes the chaos real. It’s not just the scene, it’s the human response that sells the illusion.
I spent hours on details — from the building facade to the cars’ shadows and license plates — refining the tiny elements that separate convincing from cartoonish.
Realism hides in those invisible margins. Nail them, and people forget they’re watching something I rendered at 3 a.m. They think they’re witnessing something that just happened in front of their eyes.
Opinions are like email. Free, easy to dispense, and sometimes useful.
A different perspective could be helpful, especially when it’s thoughtful and well-intentioned.
I listen to everything and thank everyone.
But I take each opinion with a grain of salt.
No one has the full vision except me. No one has seen the innovation in my mind. And no one knows the art in my heart.
In Hebrew, a Grain of Salt translates as: בערבון מוגבל, which also stands for “limited liability.”
Opinions are useful, but the decisions are yours. You are the only one liable for them.
3 people will die from AI mistakes this month.
Last month, a teenager died after using Character AI for mental health support.
Gen Z is turning to AI for therapy, medication advice, and crisis intervention. The models aren’t ready. But that’s not stopping anyone.
OpenAI is pushing into hospitals, Google is marketing MedGemini as healthcare-ready, and every YC batch: 20 new health AI startups.
Everyone’s racing. Nobody’s validating.
I spent three years at Scale AI training these models. I know what they can do and what they can’t.
Right now, they can’t safely handle patient triage, they miss drug interactions, fail to recognize heart attack symptoms in women, and hallucinate treatment plans—to name a few issues.
We tested leading AI models on mental health scenarios:
What keeps me up at night is that these aren’t edge cases.
The industry knows this. They just don’t talk about it publicly.
Everyone’s asking the wrong question: “How accurate is your AI model?”
“95% accurate” means nothing in healthcare.
Accurate at what? Diagnostic accuracy? Medication safety? Clinical reasoning? For which specialty? Which patient population? Which demographic?
If you’re measuring healthcare AI with a single accuracy score, you’re deluding yourself.
Real evaluation requires depth:
At L…., we use 500+ metrics. For patient triage alone:
Then we go deeper—by specialty, by demographic, by use case. Every scenario gets its own evaluation framework.
We’re publishing three papers a month showing exactly where models fail. Look at the data, then decide if your product is ready.
The next headline shouldn’t be about another kid whose demise started with trusting AI.
Slow down. Validate. Then scale.
Someone’s life isn’t worth your growth target.
Your P&L won’t show it as a line item, but every person who walks out the door costs you 75-125% of their annual salary!
When you lose someone making $100k, you’re hemorrhaging $75-125k in scattered expenses:
Job postings
Recruitment fees
Interview time
Training cycles
Resume screening
Onboarding
Ramp time
and more.
We treat retention like a soft skill when it’s pure arithmetic. B2B service roles bleed customers when faces keep changing. Institutional knowledge evaporates and momentum dies.
The irony is that we’ll happily write a $90k check to a recruiting firm but balk at a $5k raise for someone already crushing it.
Calculate your turnover cost and compare it to the average salary you’re paying. Then ask yourself: Are you optimizing for the wrong expense?
B2C
Diverse experiences shape us in ways we haven’t even considered.
Gaining a global perspective can do wonders not only for your resume but for your social life as well.
With over 50 years’ experience placing students in international programs, AIFS Abroad invites you to enrich your academic journey with various courses and internships in London.
Join other students who get to develop practical skills, gain valuable experience, nurture lifelong connections, and create lasting memories while enhancing their resumes.
From history, literature, and art to social sciences, business, and politics, courses are curated to meet various academic requirements and personal interests.
Don’t miss out on gaining valuable international experience in one of the world’s oldest and most vibrant cities.
Financial assistance is available through scholarships and grants.
See you in London!
This document is a short guide to the Spinelli Kilcollin brand voice. It’s the north star that ensures that every word speaks with a unified and authentic voice of the Spinelli Kilcollin brand.
Spinelli Kilcollin creates clean and innovative handmade jewelry, blending tactile luxury with architectural simplicity and personal expression. Inspired by fashion, art, and music, its values are authenticity, handcrafted quality, sustainability, and ethical sourcing. The tone is intentional, modern, and authentic—focused on balance and duality—while avoiding trends and clichés. Language is precise and evocative, favoring terms like annulet and interplay, and rejecting flashy or superficial words.
Fashion + art, music, and curiosity.
Everything is interconnected.
Authentic craftsmanship using the finest materials, handmade by skilled LA artisans to create distinctly cool and creative pieces.
The Orion, Luminous Duality: A testament to the beauty found in contrast.
Named for the brilliant constellation, the Orion ring combines the warmth of 18k rose gold with the cool clarity of sterling silver. Two central annulets—one of polished silver and one shimmering with full micro-pavé grey diamonds—are linked by two simple gold connectors.
The design explores a dynamic interplay of texture and tone. Its intentional versatility allows it to be worn stacked on a single finger for a graphic, consolidated statement or across two for a fluid, expressive gesture.
Brief
Product Focus: NodPod specializes in sleep-wellness products, such as weighted sleep masks and blankets. NodPod’s products are designed to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.
Target Audience: Health-conscious (primarily) women in their 20s-40s, who struggle with sleep disorders, anxiety, or stress; who value quality, functionality, and a holistic approach to self-care. The core audience is sleep-deprived people who are willing to invest in products that can enhance their sleep experience and overall well-being.
NodPod’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is an innovative design that allows users to customize the weight and pressure on their eyes and face for a personalized sleeping experience. Unlike traditional sleep masks, Nodpod is designed with adjustable weight distribution and concentration in specific areas, providing stable, gentle, and soothing pressure.
NodPod’s brand voice is “friendly, approachable, authentic, and informative”.
Objectives
Micro: Increasing organic traffic, clickthroughs, and conversions; reducing attrition and customer acquisition costs.
Macro: building brand equity.
A well-executed content strategy can build brand equity, drive engagement, and foster lasting consumer trust. Below are some strategies to test and a few to avoid.
Social strategies to test:
1. Add channels. Maintain a strong Instagram presence and engagement (the current primary channel), while increasing engagement on Facebook, as it offers a relatively high return on ad spend for NodPod’s primary audience.
2. Optimizing targeting.
Using existing data to create look-alike audiences and targeting them with special promotions, driving traffic to the website. Facebook’s targeting capabilities allow for precise audience segmentation based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Effective targeting increases reach and decreases customer acquisition costs.
4. Increase engagement on Pinterest and promote NodPod as a lifestyle inspiration.
Purchasing decisions don’t happen in the store, they happen in the mind at the peak of a customer journey that starts with something that caught her attention and resonated because it was interesting and relatable. She either heard about it from someone or saw it online (most likely on social media). Pinterest is a visual platform, optimal for top-of-the-funnel content for a lifestyle brand.
Content strategies to test:
1. Focusing on visually appealing images and video content, while maintaining a cohesive feed that highlights the brand and the product’s unique features. For example, content that promotes a peaceful and relaxing sleep environment aligns with NodPod’s value proposition.
2. Experimenting with various engaging and unique advertising concepts, showcasing the brand’s authentic voice. For example, a concept that fosters an emotional connection by focusing on something anyone can relate to — a good night’s sleep.
3. Building rapport and authority with useful content, such as blog posts, infographics, and short videos that educate followers about sleep health and provide tips to improve it. Informative continent earns brand awareness even though the brand is only in the background.
5. Borrowing authority: Interviewing authority figures (e.g., Mathew Walker) and discussing the benefits of a good night’s sleep and how NodPod helps achieve that.
6. Customer Testimonials: Encourage satisfied customers to share their experience with NodPod’s products on social media. (Incentives work best. Offering a mutually beneficial arrangement works better than asking for reviews. I don’t know about you, but like any Ameba on this planet, I’m more likely to do something if there’s something in it for me.)
7. Collaborating with influencers in the health, wellness and sleep-related space. Sponsorship, affiliate, barter or any other type of arrangement that gets the product to people who use it and share their experience.
Strategies to avoid:
1. Overposting: Posting too frequently can lead to fatigue and decreased engagement. To reach people, content needs to be scheduled according to their behavior. NodPod’s content should drop when it’s most likely to engage with the sleepless—when they’re struggling to stay awake during the day and when they’re struggling to fall asleep at night. (At work vs. in bed.) The time and frequency can be gradually adjusted based on performance.
2. Irrelevant Content: Sharing irrelevant content that doesn’t align with the brand’s values diminishes its value. To maintain and expand a cohesive and reliable brand image, NodPod needs to stay focused on sleep, wellness, and home lifestyle topics and avoid off-brand content inconsistent with the brand’s voice and style.
3. Aggressive Sales Tactics: While driving sales is important, aggressive sales tactics that may come across as pushy or spammy diminish brand value (desperation doesn’t sell). Instead, NodPod could prioritize building relationships and providing value for followers in order to gain their trust and build brand equity.
4. Lack of Engagement: Comments and messages from followers, even the negative ones, shouldn’t be ignored. Prompt responses and engagement with users build customer trust and foster a positive brand impression.
5. Aggressive discounts: Discounts are hard to sustain, and low margins stymie growth. If all the brand is known for is discounts, then that’s the only reason people would buy from it.
Sustainable growth lies beyond short-term sales tactics. Care and content for the sleep-deprived build brand equity and fuel growth.
A well-executed strategy not only drives conversions but positions NodPod as a trusted authority in sleep wellness, turning customers into organic brand advocates. Success depends on balancing innovation, authentic branding, and smart marketing execution while continuously adapting and refining content strategies.
By fostering trust, community, and value-driven engagement across multiple platforms—leveraging visual storytelling, educational content, and strategic partnerships—NodPod can cultivate lasting loyalty. Avoiding pitfalls like over-posting and aggressive sales tactics ensures the brand is more than just a sleep accessory—it becomes an essential part of a wellness-focused lifestyle.
Sleep on it.
Tech
1. Building for Skeptical Users Changes Everything
Public safety agencies don’t readily trust new technology. They’ve seen vendors overpromise and disappear. Our strategy at Peregrine reflects this reality.
We demo with real complexity, not sanitized examples, discuss limitations upfront, and show how things break.
Being honest about constraints is a counterintuitive approach, but it builds more trust than any feature list. In skeptical markets, credibility is your only sustainable competitive advantage.
2. Why Peregrine’s Engineering Team Runs Tabletop Disaster Scenarios
Most companies do fire drills for their infrastructure. We run simulations for California wildfires, missing children, and active shooter scenarios.
Our engineers don’t just write code that “scales”; they write code that works when a 911 dispatcher needs to coordinate seventeen agencies during an evacuation.
We learned this from our customers: in public safety, testing in production isn’t a methodology, it’s a Thursday. We aim to recreate that pressure in controlled settings.
3. Building for Users Who Can’t Tell You What They Need
Law enforcement is notoriously hard to build for. Not because they’re difficult, but because they can’t articulate needs outside their current tooling.
Our approach: spend hundreds of hours in ride-alongs, operations centers, and briefings. Watch where they get frustrated. Note what they do despite the software, not because of it. The best product insights are behavioral, not verbal.
4. The Engineering Decision That Determined Peregrine’s Architecture
Early at Peregrine, we faced a choice: ship fast with simpler architecture or invest in building for scale and security from day one. We chose the longer path.
Government procurement cycles are measured in years, not weeks. Once agencies adopt your software, migration is extraordinarily difficult. We needed to be right the first time, not just fast.
That architectural decision now lets us serve agencies with vastly different security requirements, scale efficiently, and maintain the certifications our customers require. Sometimes slow is strategic.
4. The Privacy-Utility Paradox in Public Safety Technology
There’s a tension in building for the government: our platform makes agencies more effective by connecting information. But connected data creates risk. We’re building tools that, if misused, could enable surveillance.
At Peregrine, we’ve had to think deeply about architecture that enables legitimate use cases while preventing abuse.
Time-based permissions. Audit trails. Granular access controls. We’re trying to thread a needle: maximum utility for legitimate public safety work, minimal potential for mission creep.
Intelligence features are rolling out. Does anyone care?
Apple spent its entire fall product launch hyping Apple Intelligence as a primary reason to upgrade your iPhone. Now that it’s here, people are treating it like a gym membership they swear they’ll use.
What’s the deal? After months of build-up, Apple’s AI features — including a revamped Siri, writing tools, and smart photo search — are finally arriving via iOS updates. Early adopters report that the features work fine, but they’re not exactly game-changing. Siri still struggles with basic requests, and the writing tool feels like a slightly better autocorrect.
Big on AI: Apple pushes AI to justify new hardware sales, but the features don’t require the latest iPhone Pro Max Ultra Whatever. Most work on older models, which is great for Apple users, but awkward for Apple’s “you need to upgrade NOW” marketing strategy.
Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini integration keeps getting smarter, and Microsoft is embedding AI into everything from Excel to your toaster (probably). Apple’s “pretty good” doesn’t cut it.
Bottom line: Apple Intelligence might improve over time, but right now it gives “we have ChatGPT Premium” energy. For a brand that has people camp outside its stores, lagging on AI innovation is an awkward look.
Integrating machine learning into a digital health product presents a unique set of challenges. Balancing real-time object detection feature requirements with resource limitations, technical complexities, and stringent data privacy regulations is a formidable task.
The Challenge
Digital health products require real-time object detection. This means developing an ML model capable of processing video streams rapidly and accurately while safeguarding sensitive patient data.
Solutions
Option 1: Outsourcing the ML Brain
While convenient, outsourcing ML to external AI services like ChatGPT is off-limits for medical data due to stringent HIPAA compliance. The added cost is another detractor.
Option 2: Cloud-based ML
Cloud platforms offer robust ML tools (e.g., AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, Google Vertex AI). However, they come with trade-offs:
Option 3: In-house Brawn
Deploying the ML model on the company’s servers offers better control over data security and potential performance gains through hardware acceleration. But the upgrade demands significant infrastructure investment, specialized skills, and ongoing maintenance.
Option 4: ML with TensorFlow.js — The Web-based Wonder
TensorFlow.js is a JavaScript library that allows you to build and run ML models directly in your web app. This approach offers:
While it might not match the raw power of dedicated hardware, TensorFlow.js is a viable starting point for most mid-sized startups.
The Final Word
Choosing the right approach depends on specific project requirements, resource constraints, and risk tolerance. While specific needs might vary according to circumstances, there are robust, secure, and efficient ML solutions that meet both business and patients’ needs.
SEO
As winter approaches, Jobe Roofing—a commercial and residential roofing company that provides a range of roofing services in Southern California—announced its updated list of red flags and signs that a roof needs urgent attention.
To prevent lasting damage, the company’s roofing professionals identified the telltale signs of leaks, damaged or missing shingles, water pooling, and deteriorating flashing.
Several factors can shorten the lifespan of a roof. The most common causes of roof damage are poor maintenance and weather conditions.
While severe weather is rare in Southern California, roofs experience everyday wear and tear through the process of natural aging and exposure to the elements.
Even mild weather conditions can wear down or cause serious damage to a roof. According to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, hail alone causes more than $1.6 billion worth of damage in an average year to residential roofs in the United States.
Jobe Roofing professionals explain that taking extra precautions to protect the roof during the cold winter months is important to secure its longevity.
Jobe Roofing continues to expand its range of high-quality roofing solutions, from inspection, installation, and insulation to maintenance, repair, and replacement.
The company also partnered with Sultra Sleek Solar Integration to provide customers with custom solar solutions that save on energy costs and contribute to a more sustainable future.
The company’s commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction is evident by its long-standing reputation. As one of the area’s oldest and most trusted roofing specialists, serving the greater Los Angeles area since 1998, Jobe Roofing is a Silver Star Contractor, a distinction reserved for companies that meet the stringent requirements for workmanship, financial stability, and good business practices set by CertainTeed Commercial Roofing.
A company spokesperson mentioned: “We use only premium materials and offer a variety of warranties, ranging up to 50 years, just to give people peace of mind.”
You can find out more by visiting: /JobRoofing
Brief
Target audience: busy founders, CMOs, and marketers of SaaS companies.
Interviewed: VP of marketing in a SaaS enterprise, with experience in a number of software companies.
Key finding: people in marketing positions don’t want to learn SEO, they want to benefit from it, ideally having control over the quality of the content. From a partner, they’re mainly looking for reliability and accountability. They don’t want to be blamed for wasting resources, but desperately need to gain exposure.
With that in mind, I targeted the educated decision-maker who fits the aforementioned profile.
A decision-maker’s perspective.
In the competitive landscape of SaaS products, an SEO strategy can be the difference between rapid growth and digital obscurity.
Even if organic reach isn’t your main engine of growth, getting your company website higher in search rankings is vital to connecting with an audience online.
While you might have the next revolutionary software solution on this side of the galaxy, without proper search engine visibility, people won’t know it exists.
But as important as it is, optimizing content for search engines is not the main or only function of a marketer’s job. Founders and CMOs who include an SEO element in their marketing strategy, but don’t have the time to become SEO professionals, delegate.
Below are the main things to consider when developing a SaaS SEO strategy and searching for the right partner.
An SEO strategy that works is strategic (for the lack of a synonym), and there are various strategies to consider. But most generic SEO tactics fail to address the unique challenges SaaS companies face.
Unlike conventional products, SaaS solutions demand continuous customer education and relationship nurturing. The most effective strategies focus on driving targeted traffic and moving prospects through the conversion funnel aimed at SaaS consumers.
Part of the marketer’s responsibility is ensuring that all elements of the marketing strategy align with business objectives. Below are steps to maintain control over the SEO strategy while effectively delegating its implementation.
Establishing clear metrics for success and KPIs to measure progress helps achieve the objectives. Unlike KPIs that measure progress towards business goals, metrics measure performance for specific business activities.
An SEO strategy is a long-term investment that requires rigorous implementation and consistent attention.
While an average decision maker spends 2-5% of their time on SEO, an SEO professional devotes 100% of theirs. The marketer’s job isn’t to compete with, but delegate to, a trusted SEO partner. The main things to look for in an SEO partnership are:
How much does a monthly SEO SaaS strategy implementation cost? I asked AI (ChatGPT).
“Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 per month for a comprehensive SEO service that includes backlinking.” — with love, AI.
Due to the amount of resources and personalization required, anything below that results in automated approaches that generate cold traffic.
SEO success in SaaS isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about demonstrating domain excellence and consistently delivering valuable content to the target audience.
Success isn’t guaranteed, but those who build scalable foundations find their efforts compounding over time, and their websites ascending the ranks of search visibility, bridging their solutions with the optimal audience.
A well-executed SaaS SEO strategy can become the most reliable and cost-effective customer acquisition channel. The right partners can help build a sustainable competitive advantage without draining your attention on SEO duties.
Good luck!
Medical billing is complex, expensive, and unforgiving. A single miscoded claim can trigger weeks of denials, stalled reimbursements, and mounting administrative costs.
Oregon’s 209,000 healthcare providers navigate a payer ecosystem as fickle as Portland’s weather. Some turn to medical billing partners to help them decode Providence Health Plan’s rejection patterns, navigate OHP’s Medicaid quirks, and accommodate the Pacific Northwest’s love of alternative medicine. Local billing demands local expertise.
The optimal billing partner does more than process claims. They prevent denials, accelerate collections, and increase the clean claim rate, freeing up staff to focus on patients instead of paperwork. Key considerations include:
Industry leaders achieve a clean claim rate of 96-98%. Lower rates mean more administrative work, delayed payments, and staff burnout managing resubmissions.
Aging receivables often sit untouched because internal teams lack bandwidth. Strong billing firms typically recover 10–20% of claims previously written off.
Each field has its unique billing quirks. Spine surgery involves procedure bundling and modifier usage, while acupuncture involves coverage restrictions and prior authorization requirements. Industry data suggests that specialty‑aware billing partners improve collections 15–25% on average, compared to generalists.
Integration with Epic, Cerner, Kareo, or therapy‑focused systems like Jane App prevents errors and accelerates claim turnaround.
Percentage-based fees in Oregon range from 3–7% of collections, varying by specialty, volume, and scope of services. Transparent pricing includes all fees without hidden charges for reports or software access.
Real-time dashboards reveal the practice’s financial health, including daily claim status updates, denial analysis, and collection trends. Transparency builds trust and enables informed decisions.
Claim submission speed affects cash flow. Delays compound when practices wait days or weeks for claim processing. Top-tier companies submit claims within 24-48 hours.
Problems arise during billing cycles, and Oregon practices prefer direct access to billing managers who know local payers—not outsourced call centers.
Regional billing knowledge matters, and local references provide authentic insights into service quality. (Check multiple review sources and contact practices with similar specialties).
Provider enrollment errors delay revenue for months. Modern billing companies handle initial credentialing and re-credentialing cycles, preventing costly enrollment mistakes and expediting payer approvals.
Below are 10 medical billing companies’ profiles, chosen for measurable results, positive client outcomes, and Oregon-specific expertise.
MedBillingRCM operates nationwide with deep expertise in Oregon’s payer environment. They deliver medical billing, credentialing, and specialty-specific workflows, with real-time performance dashboards, dedicated account management, and transparent, scalable pricing (starting at Oregon’s market average of 4%).
Maintaining a 99% clean claim rate, they reduce administrative burdens, improve accuracy, and accelerate reimbursement cycles.
Customers report higher reimbursement rates and fewer denials within the first quarter of switching. [An orthopedic surgery center in Beaverton partnered with MedBillingRCM and reduced claim denials by 28% during the first quarter. They recovered $156,000 in previously abandoned accounts receivable through systematic pursuit of aging claims.]
Best for: Practices that need a custom solution covering everything from claim submissions to payment collection with dedicated (human) attention and flexible pricing.
PDXPERT Medical Billing focuses exclusively on alternative healthcare providers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Women-owned, this Portland-based company focuses on the challenges facing chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and naturopathic doctors.
They specialize in Jane App software integration and navigating complex insurance coverage for alternative treatments. Cash-based practices appreciate their patient payment processing, while insurance-based providers value their expertise with limited benefit coverage and prior authorization requirements.
Best for: alternative care providers in Oregon seeking billing partners fluent in wellness-specific EHRs and insurance nuances.
MBA Medical Billing has over 20 years ‘experience supporting healthcare professionals throughout Portland and the Willamette Valley.
Their established relationships with Providence, Moda Health, and Regence help clients cut denials and receive timely reimbursements.
Beyond claim filing, MBA delivers full revenue cycle management services, including workflow consulting, compliance reviews, and practice management support. Long-standing clients highlight their personalized service, institutional knowledge, and responsiveness.
Best for: Portland-area practices that want to establish local trust and long-term partnerships.
Astro Medical Billing provides full-service revenue cycle management—including coding, claims submission, denial management, and reporting. They keep all work in the U.S. for tighter control, security, and responsiveness.
The company is recognized for tailoring workflows to each client and applying deep knowledge of Oregon and Pacific Northwest compliance.
Best for: practices with a preference for local support.
WhiteBird Billing Services offers full-service revenue cycle management aimed at individual physicians and small practices.
WhiteBird Billing Services reduces revenue loss by streamlining claims, handling credentialing and authorizations, and easing administrative load with tech tools like virtual scribes and remote monitoring.
They distinguish themselves with a bold claim: consistently deliver at least a 10% increase in client revenue through more efficient billing practices.
Best for: small and individual practices
Based in Bend but serving statewide, Swift Medical Billing maintains a 4.4-star Google rating and is known for accessibility and responsiveness.
Rural practices value their understanding of small-community dynamics and payer relationships. Clients often highlight that they feel like they’re working with “neighbors” even if they’re located on the other side of the state.
In addition to Oregon, Swift also serves practices in northern California, but they remain firmly rooted in central Oregon.
Best for: small to mid-sized practices across Oregon, especially rural practices.
CBS Medical Billing specializes in compliance-heavy and complex billing scenarios. With a strong focus on regulatory details and claim integrity, their team monitors coding accuracy, procedure documentation, and payer policies, helping specialty practices avoid costly audits.
Practices in compliance-sensitive specialties give CBS strong marks for thorough documentation, regulatory knowledge, and error reduction in complex billing scenarios.
Best for: compliance-heavy practices (e.g., cardiology, behavioral health, surgery).
Right Medical Billing maintains a documented 98.5% claim acceptance rate through systematic coding verification and payer-specific requirement checking. They handle complete revenue cycle management from initial claims to patient statements.
Practices value their proactive patient communication and detailed performance reporting that eases confusion and reduces outstanding Patient A/R.
Best for: practices prioritizing clean claim rates and denial prevention.
Precision Practice Management provides full-spectrum RCM with integrated IT and EHR support for multi‑site healthcare organizations across the U.S., including hospitals, specialty groups, and urgent care centers.
PPM focuses on multi‑platform billing and offers full transparency through department-level reporting and detailed dashboards.
Best for: hospitals and multi-site practice groups.
Fastnet Medical Billing has provided billing solutions since 1994, focusing on maximizing reimbursements while maintaining compliance.
They offer complete billing management with proven reimbursement maximization strategies.
Customers commend Fastnet Medical Billing for delivering efficient and accurate billing that improves reimbursement and supports long-term clinic growth.
Best for: practices searching for a partner with multi-decade Oregon experience.
Astro Medical Billing provides full-service revenue cycle management—including coding, claims submission, denial management, and reporting. They keep all work in the U.S. for tighter control, security, and responsiveness.
The company is recognized for tailoring workflows to each client and applying deep knowledge of Oregon and Pacific Northwest compliance.
Best for: practices with a preference for local support.
WhiteBird Billing Services offers full-service revenue cycle management aimed at individual physicians and small practices.
WhiteBird Billing Services reduces revenue loss by streamlining claims, handling credentialing and authorizations, and easing administrative load with tech tools like virtual scribes and remote monitoring.
They distinguish themselves with a bold claim: consistently deliver at least a 10% increase in client revenue through more efficient billing practices.
Best for: small and individual practices
Outsourcing billing ultimately gives providers space to focus on what matters most: patient care.
The optimal billing company can transform your practice from revenue-stressed to revenue-confident. They will handle Oregon’s insurance quirks, understand local payer relationships, and know which appeals work with which companies.
Before committing, define your needs, request local references, review contracts, and ask for a revenue analysis—a capable billing partner will audit your current performance and show you how they will improve it.
Good luck!
Concepts
One of the disadvantages of being an international family spanning three continents and four languages is that the older generation loses contact with the younger one.
My parents and wife don’t share a native language, and their communication is limited to a few acquired phrases. My recently divorced and happily dating brother once said that the secret to a good marriage is a wife and mother-in-law who don’t share a language. “Ideally,” he added, ”you’ll be the only translator around.”
Our parents didn’t get around to learning English, but nudged by the reality of potential Anglophone grandchildren, my mom picked up an English course and my dad downloaded Duolingo.
The language learning app is quite a hit in our international clan. I use it to learn Spanish, my wife uses it to learn Portuguese, and now, my dad uses it to learn English, making it the most popular — non-communication app — used by my relatively small family, and one of the few things my wife and father share across thousands of miles.
The broad appeal is not accidental. Duolingo reinvented a whole category and built a multi-million dollar business by changing an old service into an eclectic activity. The vivid colors and gamified experience tap into our innate desire to play, vie for confirmation, and earn affirmation.
Making learning fun makes it as engaging for a thirty-two-year-old lawyer, who wants to explore Brazil, as it does for a septuagenarian who wants to connect with his daughter-in-law and future grandchildren.
Useful products that bring people closer together deservedly grow in popularity, and our Duolingo story continues to expand as the upcoming generation learns to talk to their nana and grandpa.
Steve thought he had an idea that was truly unique: a pet costume rental business. People could browse his website, select a costume for their furry friend, and have it delivered right to their door. It wasn’t much, but at least it was original.
Working tirelessly, he spent hours perfecting his website and sourcing costumes. He went on Doola to set up his LLC, forgetting to set up a bank account, but he received a notification reminding him that without an account, he wouldn’t be able to receive payments. One forehead slap and a few clicks later, he finished setting up his account and launched his website.
Steve spent some time waiting for orders to start pouring in, but they didn’t. Finally, an order was received, but to his surprise, it was not for a pet costume rental order at all. It was a request for the delivery of a human-sized gorilla suit.
At first, he was confused, but quickly realized that he had used a picture of his old gorilla costume on the website, along with the other pet costumes, by mistake.
He felt he should fulfill the order since it was his first. Reluctantly, he got the gorilla costume from the basement, dusted it off, and headed out to make the delivery. As he approached the delivery address, he saw a large house and realized there was a party happening in the back.
He rang the doorbell, and the host, Lilly, answered the door. Seeing Steve holding a gorilla suit in one hand and his phone with the map app in the other, she quickly put two and two together and greeted him with a friendly smile. Inviting him inside, she asked Steve if he needed a room to change.
Perplexed, he politely declined, only to realize that Lilly assumed that the gorilla suit came with the entertainer in it. The picture on Steve’s website indeed features the costume with a human (him) inside it.
Quick-witted and filled with confidence, Steve pretended that she was right and started putting on the costume right in front of her, with an “Of course, I was just waiting to be inside to put it on” look on his face.
Lilly smiled, thanked him again, and left to join her guests in the outside garden. Steve watched her leave, then quickly opened the Doola app and adjusted his business settings and website. A few clicks later, he put on his gorilla gloves and entered the garden.
The guests were shocked at the sight of a six-foot-tall gorilla at first but warmed up to “its” personality. Steve acted the part, guests cheered him on, and he eventually became the life of the party. Lilly even paid him to stick around for longer.
He ended up meeting new people, handing out a lot of cards, earning lavish tips, and having a genuinely good time. When he was leaving the party, Steve realized that maybe his original business idea was not as unconventional and exciting as he thought; however, his new idea checked these and so many other boxes.
Convinced, he decided to pivot from pets to people. Instead of renting delivery costumes, he would “be the costume”. He went back to Doola and adjusted his business for his new venture: a delivery service for human-sized costumes, with the option to add an entertainer in it.
My addiction of choice is ‘special moments’. Moments that surprise, delight, and inspire. Authentic, simple, and pure. One of my daily “moments” experiences is the first sip of a fine cappuccino. Not the common morning coffee, but the actual first sip of a freshly prepared, quality espresso drink. I have a few of those per day, and I enjoy each one as if it was the only one.
My coffee of choice is Blue Bottle. Whenever I want to treat myself, I walk ten blocks, passing other coffeeshops, in pursuit of the perfect cup.
From the clean and simple interior design to the traditional espresso menu, the Blue Bottle experience is about one thing: being the best coffee in town.
My favorite is the classic hot cappuccino. (Is cold espresso with un-frothed milk still a cappuccino?) A good cappuccino experience treats all the senses. The coffee art on the surface, the smell of freshly ground beans, the unmistakable sharp taste, the warmth of the cup, and the sound of steam frothing the milk fuse into an authentic experience. I take a moment to take it all in.
Blue Bottle’s trained baristas consistently craft the perfect cup. Ideal milk/coffee ratio, not as bitter as a macchiato and not as adulterated as a latte, served at the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too tepid—just right.
I bring the cup closer and inhale the aroma and sip from the narrow white strip of milk. I tilt the cup, diving lip first into the foam, sinking deeper into the spume, letting the silky-smooth cream cuddle my upper lip. When I was a kid, I imagined what eating a cloud felt like and cuddling cappuccino foam with my lips was exactly what I imagined it would be. Tilting further, the espresso rushes in from the bottom, the scent of pressed coffee hits the nostrils, and Blue Bottle’s signature aroma hits the taste buds a moment later. The flavors meet and mix to create a distinct bittersweet profile. I let it linger, but not for too long. From the moment it’s served, a cappuccino starts to cool off and lose its essence. The creamy foam starts to flatten and mix with the espresso, slowly morphing the fluffy delight into cold coffee with milk.
In many ways, life moments are like a cappuccino. They tend to diminish in emotional valence over time. It’s never as good as the first sip, and if you don’t take a moment to appreciate it, it will pass you by.
Everyone has a favorite moment of stillness. Mine is the first sip of a Blue Bottle cappuccino.
Preliminary research
Gutted!
A mockumentary-style video series exploring the world of gut health and its impact on mental wellness, featuring interviews with probiotics and other gut flora.
The Mindful Chef
An ad themed as a cooking show hosted by a neurotic chef called Amare, who uses food and nutrition to improve mental wellness.
Gut Feelings
A romantic skit, featuring gut bacteria that influence people’s feelings, causing them to fall in love, only to reveal that both use Amare to improve their gut health.
In a bustling city, where time ticked faster than usual, rumors of a new watch, known as WHOOP, were steadily capturing people’s minds.
Renowned for its uncanny ability to whisper secrets to its wearer, it didn’t tick like ordinary timepieces. Instead, it sang a melodious tune, guiding its wearer through the ebb and flow of daily life, gathering valuable data with every interaction and converting it into precious insight.
Busy executives and aspiring athletes sought the watch’s wisdom, for within its delicate frame lay the power to unlock hidden potential and embrace a life of perfect harmony.
The concepts focus on Scopic’s most salient features, as mentioned by customers and users.
Campaign concepts
The Scopic Scope: See Beyond the Surface
This concept emphasizes Scopic’s ability to provide a deeper understanding of data and analytics beyond what’s available on the surface, using the microscope and telescope analogy.
In different entertaining scenarios, the Scopic Scope helps people uncover hidden opportunities and patterns. (For example, a telescope that gets a close-up of a UFO or a microscope that helps discover a world of trolls hidden on the surface of an apple.)
The message is that Scopic gives users a wider scope of vision, allowing them to see beyond the obvious, identify trends, make data-driven decisions, and gain a competitive edge.
Scope Out the Competition: A campaign that features the average Scopic user (hoodie and all) as the captain of an 18th-century vessel, who, looking through his scope, spots an approaching competing vessel. Zooming in even further, he sees someone who looks very similar to him on a similar ship, also exploring the horizon. The main difference seems to be that the competitor doesn’t have a scope. After surveying the competing vessel, the hero quickly analyzes the situation and creates a plan to outmaneuver the competing vessel.
Scopic Stories: Data-Driven Narratives
A campaign that encourages users to post their success stories (#ScopicStories). The stories should include the bad and the good. The purpose is to encourage an honest conversation, with the added benefit of collecting user feedback.
Brief
CalmingCo is a San Diego-based beverage manufacturer that offers a range of calming tonics and kava-based products.
The company prides itself on being the world’s most effective calming tonic company, and its main unique selling point is its melatonin-free formula.
CalmingCo’s target customers are people who’re looking for ways to relax on the go and calm their minds at will.
The world’s most effective calming tonic
Comic situations where an anthropomorphized Tonic arm-wrestles other roots and elixirs and wins by using its superpower of relaxation (social campaign)
Tonics with a Twist
Showcasing CalmingCo’s use cases by depicting unique and unexpected ways to enjoy the tonics, using an analogy of everyday things that are used in unexpected ways (social campaign).
Tranquil Tonic
A cozy tea house nestled in a serene forest is the home of a sweet old lady who specializes in making handcrafted herbal blends that isolate you from the noise of the world and engulf you in serenity.
Square’s new meaning
A campaign that showcases kids who were bullied for being smart and “square”. The kids persevered and grew up into successful engineers who built Square. (Redefining the meaning of the word “square”.)
Square Off
A series of unexpected rivals squaring off against each other in various comical situations. (E.g., A goat squaring off with LeBron for the title of the Greatest GOAT.)
Square world
When a lab experiment goes awry, two confused scientists find themselves transported into an alternative reality, where everything is square-themed. As they bid to return to their own reality, they navigate through a world of square-shaped architecture, and interactions with square characters who live the square lifestyle.
4 FUN
The Humpty Dumpty Restoration Initiative: (a corporate press release)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eggshell Innovations Announces Strategic Pivot on Project Humpty
[Colchester, England, 2025]
Following our post-fall review and in line with our ongoing commitment to yolk-driven synergies and agile omeletization, Eggshell Innovations, Inc., today announces the strategic sunsetting of the Humpty Dumpty Restoration Initiative™, effective immediately. The decision comes after a robust restoration effort but reflects ongoing fragmentation challenges and shifting sunny-side priorities.
Initiated with the aspirational goal of seamless structural reassembly of the eggshell-based lifeform, the project was designed to leverage state-of-the-art adhesive technologies, cross-sectoral horse-and-manpower collaboration, and an eggs-ponential passion for wholeness.
However, after a comprehensive post-fall analysis, including extensive stakeholder scrambles and cross-yolk data reviews, our leadership team has determined that continued investment in the restoration of Humpty Dumpty’s shell no longer aligns with our core mission to deliver sunny-side-up outcomes to our shareholders.
The initiative produced valuable learnings—advancements in crack mapping, membrane rehydration, shell-bonding strategies, and insights into gravitational and wall-adjacency risks. Yet, Phase IV integration testing confirmed persistent fragmentation, compounded by unresolved existential inquiries (“what is an egg?”). In line with our risk management protocols, we are pivoting away from reassembly efforts and refocusing on long-term shell-fragment recycling initiatives.
We thank all horses, men, and coop-erative partners for their over-easy dedication. Though Humpty remains in pieces, the lessons — and breakfast metaphors — will live on.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer:
This release may contain egg-spectations, estimations, and shell-based speculations that are subject to risks, including but not limited to gravitational variables, wall adjacency incidents, and unplanned omeletization. Actual outcomes could materially differ from those yolked herein.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Eggshell Innovations, Inc.
🍳 🥚
Replace the name, remove the puns, and you get the standard corporate announcement. Same level of ambiguity and BS masking the lack of substance and responsibility avoidance.
P.S. Written with AI and a bit of human.
A Broadway show tune erupted, silencing the humming servers at the FTX headquarters offices. It’s Professor Octie’s showtime. No one seemed to mind that the professor was a talking green octopus, clad in a tailcoat and top hat. They didn’t mind him erupting in sporadic dance routines in the middle of the office, flinging his tentacles around, and knocking off screens and coffee mugs.
His boss, Sam Bankman-Fried, jokingly threatened to take Professor Octie to a restaurant, where they would fry and serve him on a plate.
There was not much love between the two, and when the feds came to arrest his boss for financial crimes on that fateful November day, Professor Octie sneered at his boss when he was led away in cuffs and cried out, “Who’s the slimy creature getting fried now?!”
Morose sniggers could be seen on the faces of the now-unemployed staffers and some of the feds’. Such an entertainer, that Professor Octie.
One word can change the world.
—
Brand messaging (employee wellbeing)
Website copy (crypto)
Naming
Presentation (construction consulting)
Slack campaign concept
TechEd campaign concept
Cup side branding
Give me the word and I’ll show you the road.
—
Strategy
GT.school has two audiences: the customer (usually the parent) and the consumer (the student).
Marketing materials need to target the former, educational content needs to appeal to the latter, and campaigns need to target both.
Company summary
GT School is an online education platform focused on math learning for students in grades 6 to 12. They offer adaptive-learning programs, personalized learning experiences, and after-school acceleration (as well as hosting events). The main purpose of GT School is to help students succeed in math and prepare them for college.
Research
According to various online sources, there are several common challenges and struggles mentioned by 6–10th-grade students having trouble with math:
Mathovation
Math innovation challenge, where parents and kids work together to find creative solutions to everyday math problems.
Math Mates
A series of humorous comic strips and videos that depict the challenges, common misconceptions, and frustrations parents face when helping their kids with math. The campaign aims to connect with parents and motivate them to help their children overcome math challenges using simple tips and tricks.
Math Magic
A campaign that nudges parents to share their own “math magic” moments: instances where they witnessed their child’s progress or a breakthrough in math. The campaign will encourage sharing stories, pictures, or videos using a specific hashtag. This campaign aims to celebrate and motivate parents by showcasing the positive impact they can have on their child’s math journey.
Content concepts
A game of dress-up for your voice
It’s like when you’re a kid, putting on your mother’s clothes and pretending to be a grown-up. Except instead of clothes, it’s voices, and instead of your mother, it’s the entire internet. It’s like playing dress-up, but with less judgment and fewer fashion disasters.
People always tell you to use your inner voice, but they never mention anything about your outside voice. This idea taps into the universal experience of being told to use our “inner voice”.
‘Roid rage meets vocal fry
This concept combines two pop culture references to create a humorous description of VoiceMod’s capabilities by creating a vivid and paradoxical image of a voice that’s both powerful and mellow.
Siri’s sassy cousin needs a job too
This idea focuses on VoiceMod’s ability to go beyond standard AI with unique and customizable voices and personalities.
Brief
CaaStle is a company that offers a fully managed service for retailers to provide Clothing as a Service (CaaS). It differentiates itself by allowing retailers to actively engage with customers, monetize garments, and make data-driven decisions.
Fashionably late
This concept plays with the idea of being fashionably late to events, dressed in outrageous, eye-catching outfits that make a grand entrance. A dress made of inflatable flamingos, a suit covered in disco balls, etc. The concept showcases Caastle’s unique approach to fashion and its ability to create memorable experiences.
The Never-ending Closet
This campaign features a small and stylish shop where customers approach a magical closet and whisper something into the receiver, prompting the door of the closet to open and reveal the unique outfit the customer had in mind. The campaign highlights the endless possibilities clients have with CaaStle.
Sean stewards the soul of Flow. He architected the brand strategy. He distills the brand strategy through creative writing and concepts. Sean holds me accountable to the brand promise with an unwavering commitment to consistency.
—Rich Prashad, Founder
Sean understood the ideas of our team and then transformed them into a short, precise and well-structured product and marketing strategy. Our team enjoyed working with him. We got a superb result.
—Pavel Guzminov
As expected, keeping in mind the great references. I would work with again and also recommend to others.
—Bruno Negoita
When we are lost, we look to you to guide us. Thank you my friend.
—Pirro Cece
Sean helped us achieve clarity. We figured out a more effective business structure, picked a memorable, concise and strong brand name, and got a more defined product launch plan, pricing structure and roadmap.
—Marten Kauksi
SERP Engineers
Sean’s work was highly valuable, since it helped us focus our business strategy and start building our brand. He was very good at asking the right questions at the right time, which made brainstorming sessions highly productive in the majority of the cases. His contribution on business direction and creative thinking was assertive and gave us new ideas related to the name, domain, pricing, messaging and overall business structure.
—Alonso SG
Highly recommended! Sean did an amazing job on this project and went well beyond what I asked. His understanding of market strategy and branding is top notch. He was extremely patient and shared honest feedback, which led to a better concept and design than I originally came to him with.
—Athina Williamson
Sean was amazing to work with. Was extremely flexible and took his time to deliver a great product, while allowing many questions and revisions. I look forward to working with him in the future again!
—Kyle Schnitman
Sean’s expertise in branding and business development brought much-needed clarity to building a sustainable business and brand for our startup. His thoughtful questions and insights helped us design a pricing structure that’s both appealing to our audience and highly profitable for our business. He gave us a crucial reminder as first-time founders to focus on one business, helped craft a name that clearly communicates our product’s value and guided us in creating messaging that resonates with our target audience.
—Georg Aare
