He flunked Organic Chemistry, bombed his plan to be a doctor, and traded lab coats for liquor bottles — launching a viral wine campaign before he ever knew what “brand strategy” meant. But that failure? It’s what turned Alex Strubbe into the marketing mind who believes authenticity sells better than any ad spend.

At the University of Texas, Alex was chasing expectations — until life slapped him with a D-minus and an identity crisis. He pivoted to business, interned everywhere, and stumbled into marketing through a campaign called “Will You Accept This Wine?” that blew up. But behind the creativity was chaos: burnout, weight gain, and a version of himself he didn’t recognize.

A Birthright trip to the Middle East flipped everything. He came home rebuilt — mentally, physically, spiritually — and launched Strubbe Consultants, a business born at the same time he was. His first clients were broke dreamers, not big brands. No ad budgets, no bullshit. Just story, substance, and trust.

Now, Strubbe helps founders drop the ego, fire the version of themselves they think they need to be, and build from who they actually are. His motto: “The hoodie converts better than the suit.”

Because in business — just like life — pretending doesn’t sell. Honesty does.

#overcomingimpostersyndrome #marketingtipsforstartups #entrepreneurshiptips #consultingservices #podcastforentrepreneurs

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Alex’s Journey to Stubby Consultants
09:17 - Biggest Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses
11:34 - Identifying Your Target Audience
14:33 - Marketing Trends and Changes
19:05 - Keeping Up with Competitors
21:00 - Overcoming Adversity in Business
25:35 - Public Perception of the Kardashians
28:02 - Best Business Advice
29:10 - Finding Stubby Consultants
29:48 - Outro

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