In this week’s episode of YouShouldTalkTo, Kurt Uhlir shares his philosophy about marketing. It’s about trust, curiosity, and partnership. In today’s rapidly changing marketing landscape, it’s easy to get distracted by the latest dashboards, metrics, and buzzwords. But in reality, we need to be thinking about the big picture, rather than who gets credit for every little win.

Kurt Uhlir opens the show with an incredible reality check: most people who call themselves marketers aren’t truly practicing marketing. Too often, professionals default to playing it safe - focusing on surface-level activities or vanity metrics - rather than digging into what really drives customer decisions. So instead of focusing on the brand becoming memorable or stretching their longevity, they get campaigns that sound generic, strategies that lack insight. He says that “95% of people who call themselves marketers are not marketers. At best, they’re salespeople who are scared to make cold calls, and they hide behind dashboards and campaigns.” And I have to agree

True marketing, Uhlir explains, begins with understanding people. Every team member - whether in sales, product, or marketing - should be able to describe a customer’s day in detail. What problems are they solving? What tools do they rely on? What’s on their budget line? This level of empathy transforms a company from simply selling features to solving real-world problems in a meaningful way.

Guest-at-a-Glance

💡 Name: Kurt Uhlir, CMO at ez Home Search

💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn

Key Insights

Marketing Isn’t Just Campaigns - It’s Courage and Strategy

Many professionals wear the “marketer” title but focus only on dashboards and reports instead of driving meaningful results. True marketing takes courage - the kind that steps out from behind vanity metrics to make bold, customer-centered decisions. The best marketers blend creativity with accountability. They’re not afraid of direct outreach, real conversations, or tough questions about impact. It’s easy to get caught up in automation and performance data, but those tools are only valuable when used with intention. Successful marketers understand that their role is to create measurable business outcomes - not just generate clicks. The real pros know how to connect strategy, storytelling, and results to move the business forward.

Innovation Doesn’t Come from Playing It Safe

Hiring based solely on tenure or industry experience often feels like the safest move - but it can lead to stale, predictable marketing. Fresh ideas rarely come from echo chambers. Leaders who embrace diverse perspectives and unconventional thinkers drive the kind of creativity that cuts through the noise. Taking calculated risks doesn’t mean being reckless; it means challenging the assumption that what worked yesterday will work tomorrow. The brands that stand out are those willing to step outside the comfort zone, rethink “how it’s always been done,” and trust their teams to experiment with new approaches.

Long-Term Wins Beat Short-Term Popularity

The best marketers play the long game. While others chase quarterly spikes and vanity metrics, they invest in sustainable strategies that compound over time. Building brand equity, customer loyalty, and trust takes patience - but the rewards are exponentially greater. Short-term gains fade fast; long-term relationships drive growth that lasts.