A Curran Christmas: A Heartwarming New Book Release

Books

I never had the chance to meet my father-in-law, Doug Curran. He passed away before I met his third oldest daughter, who I’m lucky enough to now call my wife. But through his legacy, I’ve come to appreciate his many talents. Doug was a gifted musician (a former member of The Lettermen) and a wordsmith with a deep love for Christmas and a knack for capturing its magic in his writing.

While sifting through Doug’s collection of over 1,600 files—a mix of duplicates, drafts, and gems—we discovered a treasure trove of Christmas-themed poems, songs, and stories. Inspired by his love for the season, we decided to compile his holiday writings into a book to share with family, friends, and anyone who cherishes the Christmas spirit.

“A Curran Christmas” is a delightful collection that includes:

  • Poems like Hate to See This Christmas Go and I’m a Snowflake
  • Songs and lullabies such as A Christmas Lullaby and It’s Christmas Time!
  • Short stories, including the heartwarming Christmas Ever After, where Doug playfully pleads to extend the Christmas spirit long after the holiday fades.

At the heart of the book is A Christmas Manifesto, an imaginative yet earnest invitation to keep the joy of Christmas alive well beyond the season—a sentiment that feels especially timely today.

We’re thrilled to announce that “A Curran Christmas” is now available on Amazon Kindle and in paperback. It’s the perfect addition to your holiday traditions or a thoughtful gift for loved ones.

Table of Contents

Poems

  • Hate to See This Christmas Go
  • Home for Christmas
  • I Have Stood on Snowy Roads
  • I’m a Snowflake
  • Twas the Week After Christmas
  • When I Walk in Snow

Songs and Lullaby’s

  • A Christmas Lullaby
  • Christmas Wishes
  • It’s Christmas Time!
  • Little Child
  • On Christmas Eve
  • The Christmas Star
  • The New Star

Short Stories

  • Christmas Ever After
  • Old Man Snowman
  • The Fake Christmas Tree
  • Santa’s Extra Elves and Their Fabulous Freaky Names

This collection celebrates the wonder, nostalgia, and joy of Christmas—just as Doug would have wanted. We hope it brings warmth to your home and inspires you to keep the holiday spirit alive, no matter the time of year.

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SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Explained

Framework

The SWOT Framework
The SWOT analysis framework was developed in the 1960s by Albert Humphrey, a business consultant at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI). Initially part of a research project designed to help businesses identify growth and improvement strategies, the SWOT framework evaluates a company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This 2×2 matrix helps businesses assess both internal and external factors that influence success. It is commonly used in strategic planning, project assessments, and competitive analysis to support informed decision-making.

  • Internal Factors: Strengths and Weaknesses
  • External Factors: Opportunities and Threats

The Strengths of SWOT
SWOT analysis is valuable because it provides a structured way to assess a company’s current position and strategic possibilities. By understanding both internal and external factors, businesses can leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and mitigate threats. This leads to more comprehensive planning and a balanced approach to growth and risk.

The Weaknesses of SWOT
While SWOT is a widely-used tool, it does have limitations:

  • Subjectivity: SWOT analyses can be subjective, as they typically rely only on employees perspectives and opinions that may vary.
  • Lack of Prioritization: SWOT doesn’t prioritize factors, so it may not clarify which issues or opportunities are most critical.
  • Static Snapshot: SWOT captures a moment in time and may not account for rapidly changing market conditions.

SWOT Component Examples
Strengths:

  • Strong brand reputation
  • High customer loyalty
  • Skilled workforce

Weaknesses

  • Limited digital presence
  • High operating costs
  • Outdated technology

Opportunities

  • Expansion into new markets
  • Emerging consumer trends (e.g., eco-friendly products)
  • Partnerships with influencers or other brands

Threats

  • Increased competition
  • Regulatory changes
  • Economic downturns impacting consumer spending

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Selling the Same Thing Differently: Lessons from Mad Men and Claude Hopkins

Case Study, Paid Advertising

In the first episode of Mad Men, we’re introduced to Don Draper and his advertising team as they tackle a tough challenge for their cigarette client, Lucky Strike. Reader’s Digest has recently published an article warning about the dangers of smoking, and the ad team must find a way to make Lucky Strike stand out in a now scrutinized market. Draper’s solution is simple but effective: he suggests they emphasize that Lucky Strike cigarettes are “toasted,” a term that subtly implies quality and care in production. The twist? Every cigarette brand uses the same process—but no one else has claimed it in their messaging. By being the first to spotlight this common quality, Lucky Strike gains an edge in the consumer’s mind.

This approach echoes Claude Hopkins’ famous campaign for Schlitz beer. At the time, all brewers followed a similar process to ensure purity and quality, but none highlighted it in their advertising. Hopkins recognized the opportunity and crafted a campaign that described Schlitz’s filtration process, showcasing it as a unique commitment to purity. By the time competitors tried to replicate the message, Schlitz had already secured its place as the “pure” beer in consumers’ minds.

Both Mad Men and Claude Hopkins demonstrate the power of the “first claim in advertisig” —sometimes, being the first to say something ordinary can make it extraordinary.

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Best FREE Marketing Conferences to Attend

General

Not long ago, attending an industry conference meant being there in person—virtual attendance wasn’t even a consideration. But Covid changed that, accelerating the shift to virtual conferences. It not only pushed us to refine virtual event technology but also proved how valuable and network-driven virtual conferences can be.

What’s even better is the rise of high-quality marketing conferences that are entirely free or offer a freemium option for consuming valuable content.

Here are some of the best free marketing conferences that are worth your time and won’t impact your budget.

  1. Full-Funnel Summit
    https://events.goldcast.io/splash/0048b66b-b18e-4ce2-8895-dd45f4cf3302
    March 2024
    About: Designed for B2B companies with high ACV and a complex sales cycle.
  2. DEMAND CONF
    https://demandconf.skale.so/
    2024
    About: Designed for Heads of Demand Gen, VPs of Marketing, and Heads of Growth in SaaS companies.
  3. Martech
    https://martech.org/conference/
    Spring: April 2024
    Fall: September 2024
    About: MarTech is for senior marketing, technology, and digital executives and experts at the intersection of marketing, technology, and customer experience. If you’re looking to connect the dots between technical possibilities and strategic opportunities in the reshaping of modern marketing, this conference is for you.
  4. SMX Advanced
    https://searchengineland.com/smx/advanced
    June 2024
    About: SMX  is designed especially for seasoned professionals in the search marketing industry eager to stay a step ahead of the competition. If you’re responsible for organic, paid, social, email, mobile, local, ecommerce… if you regularly work with Google Ads, Google Analytics, Bing, Microsoft, Amazon, WordPress, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram… if you are obsessed with algorithm updates, ad types, generative AI, ROI, and everything in between… this is the event for you.
  5. DEMAND 2024
    https://thedemandevent.com/
    October 2024
    About: Be a part of the #1 learning resource for demand gen marketers.
  6. MeasureSummit
    https://measuresummit.com/
    October 2024
    Well worth the early bird price to have 24/7 access to the recorded sessions About: The Largest Virtual Event Dedicated to Leveraging Measurement, Data, and Analytics for Business Growth.
  7. SMX Next
    https://searchengineland.com/smx/next
    November 13-14, 2024
    About: SMX is designed especially for seasoned professionals in the search marketing industry eager to stay a step ahead of the competition. If you’re responsible for organic, paid, social, email, mobile, local, ecommerce… if you regularly work with Google Ads, Google Analytics, Bing, Microsoft, Amazon, WordPress, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram… if you are obsessed with algorithm updates, ad types, generative AI, ROI, and everything in between… this is the event for you.
  8. Adobe Summit
    https://summit.adobe.com/na/
    March 18-20, 2025
    About: Learn from global innovators across industries, connect with other leaders, and get inspired by new and upcoming developments in generative AI, personalization at scale, and more. If you can’t attend the live event in Las Vegas, join us online from anywhere.
  9. Tableau Conference
    https://www.salesforce.com/tableau-conference/
    April 15-17, 2025
    About: Grab a dashboard and join the DataFam at the industry’s leading analytics conference. If you love data — and you want to discover what’s next for AI.

What am I missing?

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Not This But That

General

There’s a quote I love from Bryan Duncan that says, “If there’s one thing you can count on, tbings are gonna change.” This rings especially true in marketing and business, where change is constant and often dizzying. Here are a few notes capturing this shift—from what we used to say, or some more humorous versions, to what’s now taking over.

  1. Not work/life balance, but work/life flexibility
  2. Not frankenstack or frankendatastack, but martech stack
  3. Not data swamp, but data lake
  4. Not data driven, but data influenced
  5. Not customer, but client
  6. Not single channel or multi-channel, but omni-channel
  7. Not get started for call to action, but try it
  8. Not account based marketing (ABM), but account based strategy
  9. Not tech debt, but data debt
  10. Not pipe, but pike

Similarly, I have been keeping a list of business jargon that gets said in the office and often these phrases are said incorrectly.

  1. Not nip it in the butt, but nip it in the bud
  2. Not coming down the pipe, but coming down the pike
  3. Not a buttload, but a boatload
  4. Not flush it out, but flesh it out
  5. Not I couldn’t care less, but I could care less
  6. Not cuddle, but coddle
  7. Not escape goat, but scapegoat

What am I missing?

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