Advice on marketing & advertising.

How can you tell if promotional merch is worth wearing?

Judge promotional clothing by its material quality rather than brand affinity — genuinely high-quality items (like a comfortable hoodie or tee) get worn regularly even without an emotional connection to the brand, while cheap giveaway tees end up ignored until you run out of clean clothes.

Should you use the same trimmer on your face and your pubic area?

Tommy suggests it's better to use a premium dedicated product like the Manscaped trimmer for sensitive areas rather than using the same shaver for both face and groin, noting the Manscaped tool is designed to prevent nicking in sensitive regions.

How do you approach a big idea without being crushed by fear of failure?

Lead brainstorming with the question 'what if it does work?' rather than starting from risk and downside, since beginning with infinite possibility produces more inspired, effective ideation than starting from fear of reputational or financial risk.

How do I know if a compact mattress-in-a-box is good quality?

Don't assume a mattress that compresses into a small box is inferior; according to Josh, Sleep Republic's compact packaging actually comes with a higher-quality product, including dense pocket springs and solid edge support.

How should a small business find its brand voice when writing website copy?

Don't outsource your voice to someone else — start writing as yourself first, then have someone review it, rather than trying to imitate another brand's tone.

Why is it worth using a specialist accountant/trust structure for a small business?

Josh explains that as a business grows from a simple ABN/sole trader setup, it's worth layering in structures like trusts and partnerships with professional advice, as their accountants at RBK caught costly issues (like an unlodged tax return and carried losses) that would have been expensive if missed.

How do you keep an overwhelming group chat manageable during a big production?

Expect to fall behind on individual chats; prioritise speaking out loud over reading every comment, and read comments only when they're important rather than scanning constantly while trying to talk.

How should a brand approach content creation and social media?

Content must stay relevant and meaningful to the brand's core DNA and mission rather than chasing generic trends or memes; every post should reflect the brand's positioning and tone of voice consistently.

What should you wear if you struggle to decide on formal outfits?

Get one semi-formal suit you can always rely on and wear repeatedly rather than stressing over new outfit choices each time.

How should creators decide whether to sell products or promote business during a crisis?

It's fine to sell products or services during a crisis if it means keeping employees on and the business running, but using the crisis purely to profiteer (e.g., marking up essential goods or exploiting fear in marketing) crosses a line.

How can a busy freelancer/entrepreneur free up time for creative work?

Gemma recommends delegating incoming requests (e.g., forwarding or CC'ing a manager on Instagram/blog-related messages) so administrative tasks are handled by someone else, freeing up personal time for higher-value creative work.

Is it okay to call someone out publicly for their actions or affiliations?

If you're willing to call someone out, be ready to be called out yourself and be ready to be wrong — owning mistakes and having the conversation transparently is more powerful than being unwilling to engage.

How should radio hosts/producers handle mentioning brands or businesses in stories to avoid advertiser conflicts?

Avoid naming specific brands when telling potentially negative stories (e.g., finding something wrong in food) — instruct callers and hosts to say generic terms like "a burger place" instead of the actual brand name.

How can a sponsorship integration feel natural rather than forced on air?

Have the on-air talent genuinely experience the sponsor's product or location (e.g., staying overnight at a home-and-land display) so that references to it later arise naturally from real memories rather than scripted reads.

How can a brand without big sponsorship dollars start commercial partnerships?

Experiment with small or 'micro' advertisers to build case studies and proof points before pursuing larger sponsors, treating early paid partnerships as experiments to learn what works rather than needing a fully proven model upfront.

How do you build a strong personal brand beyond your day-to-day project or title?

Don't limit public sharing to just your most visible current project; actively share the fuller range of your interests, work, and character so people see the 'red thread' connecting your past and present pursuits.

Is it necessary to move overseas (e.g. to the US) to build a global brand?

No — you can run and scale an international brand from Australia by adjusting working hours to match global time zones and scheduling regular international trips rather than relocating permanently.

How should a business handle unhappy customers in support interactions?

Always acknowledge the customer's concern first so you're on the same team with them, rather than treating them as an adversary, then use your own personality to help resolve the issue.

Should a business focus on competitors when building strategy?

Actively avoid constantly watching competitors; instead look at brands and people that inspire you, because being fixated on 'where the man is' distracts from going 'where the ball's going.'

How should creators handle brand briefs and sponsored content?

Don't follow brand briefs rigidly; pitch your own authentic creative idea instead, since brands that are smart hired you for your voice and audience, and taking that risk tends to produce the content they end up liking best.

How do I know whether to take a brand sponsorship deal?

Evaluate every opportunity by asking how it benefits your community, whether you genuinely enjoy and believe in the product, and how it aligns with you — rather than separating content into strictly 'free' versus 'paid' categories.

How do I get a well-known brand or person to notice my work?

Don't cold-pitch or DM asking to be taken on; instead do visible, high-quality work (e.g., tag the brand in your design) and let people find you — the work should do the asking, and you have to earn the right to make a direct ask.

How do I evaluate whether a candidate's personal brand is genuine?

Go beyond the CV and ask reference checks about how someone actually operates day-to-day (team culture, follow-through, attitude) rather than confirming only the stated achievements.

What's an effective framework for building a personal brand?

Mirror how people get to know each other in real life: first push out content that establishes your values and who you are, then 'edutain' your audience by educating and entertaining them, and finally transition into being seen as a specialist and thought leader for client work.

How do you evaluate whether a show or piece of content has a clear strategy?

Use a P4 model — identify your People (audience), Position (where you sit in the market), Product (what makes your content unique), and Promotion (how you get it out there) — and make sure your team agrees on each element before producing content.

What advice is there for someone inexperienced with dating?

There's no rush — get out there, meet people, don't feel pressure to have sex, and just focus on getting to know someone; you'll know when you've found the right person.

How can you become a better writer by studying others' work?

Josh describes a tip from a direct marketing book: rewrite the best sales letters/writing word-for-word to internalize good writing technique, which he applied by handwriting Seth Godin's book.

Should creators give themselves job titles like 'filmmaker' versus 'videographer'?

Create your own labels deliberately, since doing so is empowering and shapes how others talk about and perceive you; calling yourself a 'filmmaker' rather than 'videographer' can elevate perceived professionalism to clients.

How should creators title their videos to grow an audience?

Prioritize clear, searchable titles that match what people are actually looking for (e.g., 'How to wake up early') over clever or artistic names, since titles that align with search intent attract far more attention.

What's a good natural deodorant recommendation?

Try Mr. Pitts, a natural, wax-like deodorant recommended by Jason Fox, which works well especially combined with merino wool t-shirts.

How do you deal with negative feelings toward friends based on their social media behaviour?

Tommy says you can't control how others feel about you — only your own actions and authenticity — and that spending constant time with anyone would likely surface annoyances, so it's not solely a social media problem.

How can you check your own unconscious bias before reacting to someone?

Before forming or voicing a judgment about someone, pause and ask yourself why you're having that particular thought — interrogating the source of the reaction rather than acting on it immediately.

How should you approach building an online personal brand or audience?

Don't try to engineer who your audience is; instead do the content you're naturally passionate about and, per Austin Kleon, your identity and your audience will reveal themselves over time.

Should I tell people my goals or resolutions before I've achieved them?

Avoid telling people your resolutions/goals in advance, since research suggests announcing them can give your brain a false sense of accomplishment that reduces motivation to follow through.

How should you handle charitable giving if you don't want it to look like a marketing stunt?

Don't tie giving to engagement or publicity — if you have a set amount to give, just give it directly rather than wrapping it in a campaign (e.g. 'like this post and we'll donate X') that benefits your brand's engagement.

How can a social enterprise or charity brand market itself ethically?

Create a genuinely premium product that can compete with top competitors on quality (not just lean on the charitable angle), since people often assume charity-linked products are inferior; margins can be slightly lower but the product must be excellent.