Audacity Is a Survival Skill (Especially in B2B)
Let me start with a confession. Every time I say something clever like “don’t build your brand on rented land,” I’m likely quoting someone smarter than me. Someone like Mark Schaefer, for example..
In our latest Bullhorns and Bullseyes episode, Curtis and I sat down with Mark to talk about his newest book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World.
And wow… this wasn’t a “tips and tricks” episode. It was a mindset shift, entirely..
Here’s the big idea:
👉 Merely “competent” marketing is no longer good enough. We must be excellent. We must be human. And we must take chances.
The experts keep warning us that, “AI is coming for your job.” Maybe so, maybe not…but only the parts of your job that are safe, predictable, and repeatable. AI can’t replace the part that’s unique to you as a living, breathing person with lived experiences: the bold, the human, and the emotionally resonant.
Which is exactly why Schaefer makes this case: audacity is no longer optional. It’s essential.
So what does audacious marketing actually look like?
It’s not about gimmicks. It’s not being loud just for the sake of it. It’s not brash for the sake of bravado.
It’s this:
✅ Courage over conformity
✅ Storytelling that evokes something real
✅ Disrupting who tells your story, where it's told, and how it spreads
As Mark put it: “If two-thirds of your sales are happening without you, the best marketing isn’t grabbing the bullhorn to shout from the hills how great you are…it’s handing it to someone else.”
Read that again.
The 20% That AI Can’t Touch
We talked a lot in this episode about the 20%—the part of your work that’s irreplaceably human.
For Mark, that’s his voice. His stories. The humor, the heartbreak, the hard-earned wisdom AI can’t fake. It’s what turns content into connection.
And in B2B? That’s your edge.
The safer your industry feels, the more ripe it is for disruption. Ditch the pandemic of dull. Show me. don’t tell me. Be the story your audience feels, not the spec sheet they scroll past.
One Last Thing…
You don’t need a Super Bowl budget to be audacious. You need guts. You need empathy. And maybe a cowboy hat. (Looking at you, Curtis.)
So here’s your coffee-fueled call to action:
👉 Listen to the episode.
👉 Ask yourself: are we being competent… or compelling?
Because in a world of “meh,” the bold brand wins. And Mark’s got the receipts.
🎧 [Check out the full episode with Mark Schaefer at bullhornsbullseyes.com]
📘 [Grab Audacious at BusinessesGrow.com]