Conference avoidance, Your personal brand, SaaS Price hikes & Kibble

Get ready, because this week’s ASOM Pod is coming in hotter than a startup founder realizing their product demo is actually their customers' worst nightmare.

🔥 Jimmy is giving a reality check to all the tech bros at conferences
Let’s talk about the uncomfortable truth no one wants to admit: People avoid you at conferences because they’ve heard it all before. Jimmy’s breaking down how you’re treating potential customers like walking wallets, pitching instead of connecting. News flash: Your "disruptive" AI isn’t the problem; your lack of empathy is. Want to know how to turn that awkward, sidestepping interaction into something real? It’s simple: Ask questions. Listen. Be human.

🏀 Amer is dismantling the "personal brand" hustle
Personal branding isn’t about posting motivational quotes every day. Amer’s here to break it down—without a real reputation, your personal brand is nothing but digital cosplay. Want to stand out? Start by actually being good at what you do first. People buy from people they trust, and trust is built on reputation not clever content or your latest "hustle" meme.

🤖 John is warning you about SaaS price hikes
Here’s a thought: What if the best way to grow isn’t charging more? John’s here to call out the SaaS industry for using price hikes as a lazy growth strategy. Spoiler alert: It’s not going to work for long. Customers are wise to your overpriced software that doesn’t deliver. It’s time to get real and focus on making your product indispensable, or you’re just a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

💸 Bryan is calling out the "kibble" brands in DTC
Are you feeding your customers over-processed, empty marketing fluff disguised as a personalized experience? Bryan’s here to tell you that your brand might be nothing but kibble. Your customers can smell fake from miles away. It’s time to ditch the BS and feed them raw—real value, authentic stories, and a genuine experience. Stop with the “premium” nonsense and start serving something that actually satisfies.

This week’s edition is a cold, hard slap of reality, so take a seat and get ready to hear the truth because the truth hurts, but it might just save your business.

Why does the modern ecommerce marketer suck? - EP40

In this ASOM Pod episode, we’re diving deep into the challenges modern marketers are facing today. Are marketers just copying each other without thinking critically?

Is creativity becoming a lost art, overshadowed by AI tools and agency shortcuts?

We’re unpacking the impact of TikTok on marketing strategies and debating whether CEOs are too focused on short-term wins. We’ll also dive into the big question: Should true marketers be involved in product design? Plus, we’re serving up some practical advice to break out of marketing ruts and why specialization is more important than ever.

Grab your headphones and check out the episode here.

Big thanks to our sponsors at: Omnisend, Nacelle and Workspace 6

Why everyone at the conference was avoiding you: A Tech Bro reality check

Let's talk about the elephant in the expo hall – why everyone was physically avoiding you when they saw your branded lanyard coming their way at the conference…

I watched it happen in real-time last week: Tech bros swarming around potential customers like piranhas circling wounded fish. 

The moment you approached, you could literally see people's eyes dart toward the nearest exit. 

That's not coincidence, that's a trauma response from the last 47 times they got cornered by someone just like you.

Here's the brutal truth: People don't hate tech guys because of your solutions. 

They hate tech bros because you've forgotten how to be human beings first and salespeople second.

You know how it goes down. 

You spot a potential customer, you intercept them between the coffee station and their escape route, and before they can even read your name tag, you're three minutes deep into your 'we're disrupting the industry with our proprietary AI-driven platform' pitch. 

No hello.
No genuine interest.
No actual conversation. 

Just verbal vomit about your features, funding, and how you're 'not like other guys.'

News flash: You are EXACTLY like the other solutions, because you're all doing the same damn thing – pitching instead of connecting.

These conferences aren't speed dating for your product demos. 

They're opportunities to build actual human relationships. 

But you've been so focused on 'crushing your numbers' that you've forgotten how normal people interact.

Want to know why that bran physically backed away when you approached? 

Because his or her brain immediately calculated: 'This interaction will cost me 15 minutes of my life that I'll never get back, it will be painfully one-sided, and this person doesn't actually care about my problems – they just want to set up a demo call next Tuesday at 2pm.'

Here's your new conference strategy:

1. Ask questions. Actual, genuine questions.

2. Listen. Without mentally preparing your pitch while they're talking.

3. Offer value BEFORE asking for anything.

4. Be a goddamn human being.

The saddest part? 

Your product might actually be amazing. 

It might genuinely solve real problems. 

But nobody will ever know because your approach is scaring the very people you need to reach.

Stop treating every interaction like it's a sales opportunity with a ticking clock. 

Start treating people like people, not walking wallets.

Because right now, the most valuable tech conference skill isn't your pitch – it's the ability to dodge tech bros like you.

Your Personal Brand Ain’t Worth Any Crap Without a Reputation

Everyone is running around like headless chickens trying to "build their personal brand" because Gary Vee told them to document, not create...

Yeah, cool advice... but y’all missed the fine print.

Gary built content after he spent years stacking wine crates, running an actual business, and making millions when nobody was watching. Do not forget that icebergs are always twice as deep as they are tall…and that depth, and the beauty of it…most overlook.

Most skipped that part and jumped straight to filming walking aggressively down the street yelling "provide value" into your lapel pin mic.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth…

A personal brand without a real reputation is just digital cosplay.

It’s like showing up to a poker game with Monopoly money... looks cute, but no one’s letting you sit at the table. You got to buy in with real money, real cash. 

People don’t buy because your content is clever.

They buy because your name carries weight when you’re not in the room. People want to stop and listen. Be part of your conversation.

Because someone they trust said, “Yeah, that person delivers.” Because they said that person helped me when I thought no one else could.

You think clients care about your carousels and threads?

They care about who actually gets the job done when sh!t hits the fan.

Your personal brand might get you attention...
But your reputation is what gets you paid.

You wanna play the Gary Vee game? Fine. But understand this…
Gary spent a decade earning the right to post like that. You’re trying to skip the line by tweeting motivational nonsense and wondering why no one’s buying. Earn what Gary earned. 

Brand without reputation is just ego with a Canva template.

So here’s your wake-up call...Stop worrying about the aesthetic of your content. Start worrying about whether people would recommend you if you stopped posting tomorrow.

If the answer’s no...You don’t have a personal brand problem. You have a you’re not actually good at what you do problem.

Fix that first.

SaaS Price Hikes Are Not a Growth Strategy

Another day. Another SaaS company deciding that the best way to increase revenue is to jack up prices.

Not improve the product. Not deliver more value. Just charge more and hope no one notices.

Look, I get it. Every business wants to grow. Margins are tight. Investors want bigger returns. But brands are being forced to make smarter spending decisions because costs are rising across the board. That includes your customers.

Marketing tech stacks have ballooned over the years. The revenue impact? Not keeping up. That math doesn’t math. Paying more for the same (or worse) ROI is a losing game, and brands are finally pushing back.

The question SaaS companies should be asking isn’t "How much more can we charge?" but "How can we make sure our product is indispensable?" Because when budgets get scrutinized, the first thing to go is overpriced software that doesn’t pull its weight.

If you’re a SaaS brand banking on price hikes instead of real value creation, you’re playing a dangerous game. You can only squeeze so much before customers start walking away.

Your brand might be the kibble of e-commerce.

Are you feeding your customers marketing-flavored dust?

In the world of DTC, too many brands are serving up the equivalent of dry kibble:

Over-processed, shelf-stable, and dressed in a shiny bag of “growth hacks” and “CX strategy”.

You’ve seen it time and time again. Hell, maybe you even participate in the following:

• 10 emails with the same “we miss you” subject line

• Endless pop-ups before a customer even knows what you sell

• “Premium experience” that feels more like a dropship desert.  

Brands say they’re customer-obsessed, but what they’re really doing is feeding their audience high-heat, low-nutrition content wrapped in “personalization” packaging.

Meanwhile, the smart brands?

They’re feeding raw.

Real value. Real story. Real experience.

They know modern customers sniff out BS like a dog sniffs bad kibble.

So ask yourself: is your brand…

Serving authenticity or artificial flavor? Built on loyalty or lab-made retention tactics? Creating a craving or causing churn?

Because just like dogs deserve food that once had a heartbeat, your customers deserve a brand that feels alive.

Don’t be the dusty pellet in a world full of steak.

Feed real. Sell real. Be raw.

Tip of the Day: Start posting ORGANIC content! Now! By 2030 we will all be paying for social media apps. We are living in a world of free distribution so stop being afraid and start putting yourself and your brand in front of the camera. 

And that’s a wrap on this week’s unfiltered takes! If you’re hooked on our no-BS rants (or just love the chaos), be sure to hit that Subscribe button and let us keep your inbox spicy. 🌶️

And of course, don’t be selfish—share with your friends, coworkers, or anyone who needs a wake-up call from their boring newsletters.

Have an ASOM day ✌️