Philosophy
Why did I choose a career in marketing?
Because it’s where creative thinking has the most reach.
Marketing and advertising are among the strongest forces shaping our culture and the way we think.
I’m most drawn to experiential marketing: giving people a moment worth remembering, so the brand stays with them long after. I think that’s also the best way to stand out.
This site is no exception, so I built a game for it.
My approach
At any given moment, up to 95% of a category’s buyers aren’t ready to purchase, according to the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. Yet the median B2B brand puts about 70% of its budget toward converting the 5% who are “in the market”, far more than marketers themselves say they should.
I’d rather reach the other 95%. That includes the people who already follow a brand and like what it does. I do it with a concept I call a “Brand Offering.”
A Brand Offering is something a brand makes outside its main product line, like a guide, a tool, a newsletter, an event, etc. It keeps people engaged over months or years. It’s usually free but still good enough to be worth paying for. It isn’t a lead magnet or an ad campaign. I measure it by how long people stay engaged.
The goal is to earn a place in an audience’s life before they need a product/service, so they remember the brand when the time comes.
Mentors
Chris Grindem
Senior Vice President
Doner Advertising
1978 – 1993
Executive Director, JWT Retail Group
JWT
1993 – 2000
Director, Marketing Services
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
2003 – 2006
Executive Director, Marketing
Michigan State University
2007 – 2010
Executive Director
The Utmost Group
2011 – 2026
Chris has been my marketing mentor since 2021.
Chris was my business professor at College for Creative Studies in Detroit. I enrolled at CCS planning to work in video games, but meeting Chris changed my focus. It was the first time I started seeing business as an art. I realized I wanted to be great at marketing, and Chris helped me pursue that path. Almost everything I know about brand strategy and communications, I learned from him.
“I have watched Young grow from a student into a dependable professional. He pushed me to sharpen my agency’s positioning, built our website, and launched all of our social media, each on his own initiative. What I value most is that I trust him to keep his word. When he commits to something, he gets it done.”
Chris Grindem, from his letter of recommendation
Don Hart
President
MOVE Communications
1984 – 2026
I met Don in 2024 when he hired me to work for his company.
Working alongside Don taught me how an agency operates and what it takes to earn and keep a client’s trust. Don has sharpened how I communicate and build relationships with clients and colleagues. Above all, Don has been a constant motivator, pushing me to be more disciplined, more prepared, and proactive in my work.
“Young is a strategic thinker, a thoughtful team member, and an inventive creative. He applies a customer-centric point of view with an understanding of what it takes to develop creative that generates interest. You’ll be pleased with a decision to bring Young on to your team.”
Don Hart, from his letter of recommendation
The Denslows Market
From 2011 to 2015, I spent my summers working at my grandparents’ party store. I worked the deli and the register, stocked shelves, cleaned, and did whatever else needed doing. At the time, I was just earning money for video games, but looking back, those summers gave me a strong work ethic. I still remember my grandparents’ reminder whenever I stood around with nothing to do: “There’s always something that needs to get done.”
