The Empowered Challenger

Carey Smith, founder of Big Ass Fans, built his company from the ground up and in 2017, he sold it for $500M. Today, he leads Unorthodox Ventures, where he seeks out talented individuals and small companies to invest in. He tells the story of building Big Ass Fans to $250M in revenue, how customer service shaped his marketing plan, and the value in building a brand, not just a product.

Former ad-guy turned consultant, speaker, and bestselling author David Allison joins Prentice Howe to explore the power of Valuegraphics. He discusses how his company, Valuegraphics, changed the landscape of audience insight and how traditional demograhics don’t truly define an individual. David believes that we, as marketers, can actually leverage values to make business decisions.

I’ve always admired Brian Scudamore - both personally and professionally. A high-school dropout, Brian scaled a junk hauling side-hustle into a $300+ million business empire. His commitment to being an exceptional leader and a dedicated family man is unparalleled. Listen as Brian shares invaluable tips on how challenger brands can transform a business from ordinary to exceptional through consistent hiring practices, excellent customer service and taking time to learn from other industries.

Scott Sonenshein, Professor of Management at Rice University and bestselling author of Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less – And Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined joins Prentice Howe to dispel the mindset that more resources equals more success. He emphasizes the importance of risk-taking to avoid defaulting to traditional methods. Scott explains why he believes that by doing more with what you already have, Challenger Brands can avoid “chasing” and begin “stretching."

Welcome to The Empowered Challenger Podcast! Tune in to hear Prentice Howe interview founders, marketers and thought leaders to explore the tactics that challenger brands leverage to steal market share and topple giants. In this intro episode Prentice explains what it takes to be an empowered challenger, and how to turn limitations into competitive advantages.