A Curran Christmas: A Heartwarming New Book Release

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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Brag-Worthy Audible Stats: A Case for Customer-Centric Metrics

We all have those brands, products, and services we love so much that we naturally become advocates for them. These are the companies that deliver great value, excellent service, and memorable experiences. We don’t share because we have to—we share because we want others to enjoy what we’ve experienced.

For me, Audible is one of those brands. I’ve been a loyal customer since 2004, back when audio books were still niche and long before Amazon realized what an amazing acquisition they would be. For 10+ years I drove 3.5 hours each way over the weekend twice a month to spend time with my three daughters. I churned through a lot of audio books.

Every great company has one or two key metrics that measure customer commitment, usage, and loyalty. For hotels, it’s nights stayed and for airlines, it’s miles flown. For Audible, I would suggest they are hours listened and books completed.

Audible does show total listening time in their app, but here’s the problem: the information isn’t shareable, and it’s not easy for customers to digest or feel proud of. For instance, seeing 4 months, 20 days, 13 hours, and 20 minutes of listening time on my stats page doesn’t evoke any emotion. It’s too abstract, like trying to imagine what a trillion dollars looks like.

What if Audible transformed this into something simpler and more meaningful? An image like the one below could present the data in a way that feels personal, shareable, and impressive. Perhaps, I could even see how this compares to other Audible listeners. Similar to Spotify or Pocket letting you know you are in the 1% of listeners/readers. This easy-to-digest summary is something I would want to brag about and show it off.

Why This Matters
Giving customers a clear, visually engaging way to understand and celebrate their achievements builds loyalty and amplifies word-of-mouth marketing. When customers feel proud of their usage, they’re more likely to share it with others, introducing new audiences to the brand.

Audible, you’re already doing so many things great—now make it easier for us to brag about you.

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SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Explained

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 analysis 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

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 advertising” —sometimes, being the first to say something ordinary can make it extraordinary.

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Best FREE Marketing Conferences to Attend

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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