In this episode of the Missing Half Podcast, we explore the Challenger Brand mentality and how it empowers CEOs, owners, and founders of manufacturers and B2B companies to outperform larger competitors. While market incumbents often rely on size, budget, and bureaucracy, challenger brands thrive through agility, niche market focus, and smart partnerships.
We discuss the myths around untouchable incumbents, the three core advantages of challenger brands, and practical steps B2B leaders can take today to drive growth—even in the face of economic headwinds, AI disruption, and shifting market conditions.
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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In this week's episode, Bill speaks directly to manufacturing CEOs, executives, and owners who are frustrated with unclear, ineffective marketing. If you’re feeling like your marketing is a black box full of tools, noise, and little measurable return, this conversation is your blueprint for change.
We explore how smaller, more agile manufacturing companies can use the Challenger Brand Advantage to outflank larger, slower competitors. You’ll learn how to pivot quickly, focus on niche strengths, and make decisive moves that position your company to win. This is your guide to transforming wasted marketing budgets into strategic growth and market leadership.
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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“A strong marketing system can add millions to your valuation.” – Steve Kohnke
This week on the Missing Half podcast, we deliver a crash course on the intersection of marketing and M&A through a compelling compilation of expert insights. Bill weaves together commentary and clips from past guests—exit advisors, private equity operators, and former business owners—who’ve seen firsthand how marketing (or lack thereof) directly influences EBITDA, valuation multiples, and deal structure.

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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If you're a B2B company or manufacturer preparing for an exit or considering a roll-up strategy, this episode is a must-listen. Featuring insights from Rob Waring, Steve Kohnke, Dave Kohl, Adam Koós, and Dan Ellsworth, this commentary-driven episode exposes the often-overlooked marketing blind spots that stall deals or suppress valuations, and what you can do about it.

Struggling to align your marketing with your long-term valuation goals? 50 Marketing helps B2B companies and manufacturers drive growth and build value. https://www.50marketing.com/contact/
What makes a B2B business truly valuable—and sellable? In this week's episode, Bill sits down with Steve Kohnke, Business Strategist, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, and CEO at Denver Business Coach. With a background in neuroscience and change management, and real-world experience in founding and scaling companies, Steve shares expert-level strategies for building businesses that thrive without owner dependence.
Explore the intersection of owner-led sales, operational scalability, marketing as a growth engine, and what buyers really look for during acquisition. Steve discusses the need for business owners to prepare for exit early and to focus on de-risking their business to attract buyers.
Connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenkohnke/Learn more about Denver Business Coach: https://denverbusinesscoach.com/
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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Struggling with brand positioning or channel strategy? Talk to 50 Marketing today: https://www.50marketing.com/contact/
This week, Bill is joined by veteran sales and marketing executive Ron Evans, currently with Rishaba Industries, to uncover what many manufacturers and B2B companies overlook: the critical role of trade marketing in sustainable growth and brand positioning. With 25+ years of experience across companies ranging from $25M startups to $17B global brands, Ron shares practical lessons from the trenches, covering everything from channel management and U.S. market entry to why even private label manufacturers need brand identity.
Ron’s global perspective and strategic lens make this episode a must-listen for manufacturers looking to scale, differentiate, and break into major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Costco.
Connect with Ron on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ron-evans-68aa7210 Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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Ready to ditch guesswork and build a scorecard-driven marketing plan? Book a strategy session with 50 Marketing today. https://www.50marketing.com/contact/
In this week's episode, Bill sits down with Chris Atwell, founder of Mindset-Conquest and a performance leadership coach specializing in manufacturers’ rep agencies. With nearly two decades of experience in sales and leadership across distribution and manufacturing, Chris shares transformative strategies for scaling sales teams, embracing tech, and adopting social selling practices that actually work.
They dive into the evolving world of rep groups, the problems with CRM resistance, how leadership must enforce standards, and why marketing isn't just an afterthought, but a vital part of the revenue engine. This is a must-listen for manufacturers, industrial sales teams, and B2B businesses struggling to modernize their approach.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thechrisatwellConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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Struggling with bloated retainers and slow results? 50 Marketing provides a lean, strategic team that delivers. Contact us today: https://www.50marketing.com/contact/
In this week's episode, Julian Schaaf breaks down what’s broken in the traditional B2B agency model and what manufacturers can do instead. Bill and Julian dig into the inefficiencies of bloated teams, the disconnect between strategists and executors, and how manufacturers can build leaner, more effective marketing operations using fractional and hybrid models. They also cover what’s working in 2025: from SEO and Google Ads to surprising wins in print trade publications.
Julian shares practical insights on building a marketing team when you don’t have a CMO, how to hire freelancers when you don’t know what you’re looking for, and the “player-coach” model that gives companies both strategic direction and execution without the overhead.
Julian Schaaf is the founder of Industrial Growth and previously led strategy at Gorilla 76, one of the top industrial marketing agencies in the U.S. With experience across manufacturing and software, he brings a no-nonsense, results-driven approach to helping midsize industrial companies get real marketing traction.
Connect with Julian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianschaaf/ Julian's post on budget tiers: https://tinyurl.com/2xdt54kk 
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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Need more than one marketer? Our team becomes your marketing department, from strategy to execution. Contact us today: https://www.50marketing.com/contact/
Entrepreneur Dave Kohl joins Missing Half to discuss how B2B marketing, strong culture, and financial discipline drive value in manufacturing M&A. Learn how marketing impacts exit multiples and post-acquisition success through the stories of three private equity exits and Dave's journey from running payroll on a shoestring to leading organizations with hundreds of employees.
Dave is the former president of CWM Environmental, which he led for 23 years before selling to a Goldman Sachs portfolio company. He also co-founded 120Water and owned Armstrong Nutrition Management, both of which were successfully acquired. Today, he works through his firm Rimer Hill LLC to advise and invest in businesses focused on operational and strategic growth.
Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveckohl/ Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/
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🛠️ If you’re a manufacturer with a great product but inconsistent messaging, we can help you tell a better story. Contact us today: https://www.50marketing.com/contact/

In this episode of the Missing Half podcast, Bill sat down with Dustin Wallace, Director of Sales and Marketing at Faxon Firearms, a family-owned firearms manufacturer with deep roots in American machining and a modern approach to brand-building.

Dustin shares how Faxon balances a complex omnichannel strategy—managing OEM, D2C, and dealer sales—while keeping customer experience and brand consistency at the core. From building a small but powerful team to prioritizing long-term dealer relationships, this episode explores what it means to align brand, channel strategy, and internal culture in today’s manufacturing landscape.

Main Topics Covered:
▸ Channel Strategy: Why Faxon prioritized dealer relationships over direct-to-consumer profit—even during the pandemic.
▸ Operational Integration: Managing sales, customer service, and marketing under one agile, cross-trained team.
▸ Brand Discipline: Building and maintaining a consistent style guide and voice in an industry that often overlooks branding.
▸ B2B Marketing Insights: Why manufacturers should treat B2B content with the same creative care as D2C campaigns.
▸ Pricing Complexity: How multi-tier pricing, MAP enforcement, and distribution volume affect strategy.
▸ Leadership Philosophy: “We're in it for anniversaries, not honeymoons.” Why showing up still matters.
▸ Practical Advice: What to do when demand dips—hint: it's not just finding new customers.

Connect with Dustin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinkwallace
Learn more about Faxon Firearms: https://faxonfirearms.com
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/
Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/

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“Agencies need to understand your business better than you do."
This week, Bill opens up about his personal journey from a fresh college grad to Chief Marketing Officer, revealing the growing pains and hard-earned lessons of building marketing departments inside mid-market companies. Bill discusses the pitfalls of under-resourced marketing teams, the illusion of "just hiring one more person," and why so many marketing managers, and even VPs, burn out trying to do it all. He shares the real story behind why 50 Marketing was founded and the hybrid marketing team model that’s transforming how B2B and manufacturing companies approach marketing execution.
Learn more about the hybrid model: https://www.50marketing.com/resources/hire-a-marketing-agency/ 
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-woods-i/
Follow 50 Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/company/50-marketing/

Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more insights from industry experts, and let us know your thoughts below!