Times may be tough for many of you right now. But, in the immortal words of singer Shawn Mullins, "Everything is gonna be alright." I don’t just mean that as a platitude. Mullins’ career itself shows one path for how you can get through this.

The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud looks at Shawn Mullins’ one big hit, the lessons we can learn from it, and other lesson we’ve all learned along the way.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

Thinks Out Loud Episode 305: A Lullaby for Business in Troubled Times Headlines and Show Notes

Free Downloads

We have a couple of free downloads for you to help you navigate the current situation, which you can find right here:

* A Brief Introduction to Thinks Out Loud. As a bonus, we’ve also included this PDF document that highlights some of our core episodes to help you dig into what the show is about. We think it will help you capture the show’s essence while you’re working your way through the 300-plus episodes published so far. Download it here.

* Digital & E-commerce Maturity Matrix. As a bonus, here’s a PDF that can help you assess your company’s digital maturity. You can use this to better understand where your company excels and where its opportunities lie. And, of course, we’re here to help if you need it. The Digital & E-commerce Maturity Matrix rates your company’s effectiveness — Ad Hoc, Aware, Striving, Driving — in 6 key areas in digital today, including:

* Customer Focus

* Strategy

* Technology

* Operations

* Culture

* Data

Show Notes and Links

As always, here are the "regular" show notes, detailing links and news related to this week’s episode.

* Shawn Mullins – Wikipedia

* Shawn Mullins Tour Dates, Concert Tickets, & Live Streams

* Shawn Mullins – Lullaby – YouTube

* How to Build a Digital Company (Thinks Out Loud 302) Tim Peter & Associates

Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft -- The Frightful Five as we like to call 'em -- can be scary. But they're not evil. And they're often worth working with to reach customers you can't reach on your own. But, you want to be sure you won't get your head eaten at the end of it. How can you do that? The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud looks into it for you. Give a listen and see how you can connect with customers directly.

Apple and Google and Facebook and Amazon and Microsoft are known as the "Frightful Five." Why? Because, they are huge. They are gatekeepers. And, they’re relentlessly focused on gaining market share. That’s not just "frightful;" it’s downright terrifying.

Also they’re coming for your customers. Even worse, your customers want them to. Because the Frightful Five is also all about making customers happy. Most people — the ones who don’t have to compete with them — love these guys.

Given all these realities, are you completely screwed? Are you destined to lose to the Frightful Five?

Of course not. You can compete. You can connect with customers directly. And you can win.

The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud looks why you’re not destined to lose to the Frightful Five and explores what you must do to compete — and win — in a world dominated by giants.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

Thinks Out Loud Episode 303: Are You Destined to Lose to the Frightful Five? Headlines and Show Notes

Free Downloads

I’d mentioned during the show that we have a free download for you, which you can find right here:

* A Brief Introduction to Thinks Out Loud. As mentioned in the show, we’ve included this PDF document that highlights some of our core episodes to help you dig into what the show is about. We think it will help you capture the show’s essence while you’re working your way through the 300-plus episodes published so far. Download it here.

* Digital & E-commerce Maturity Matrix. As a bonus, here’s a PDF that can help you assess your company’s digital maturity. You can use this to better understand where your company excels and where its opportunities lie. And, of course, we’re here to help if you need it. The Digital & E-commerce Maturity Matrix rates your company’s effectiveness — Ad Hoc, Aware, Striving, Driving — in 6 key areas in digital today, including:

* Customer Focus

* Strategy

* Technology

* Operations

* Culture

* Data

Show Notes and Links

As always, here are the "regular" show notes, detailing links and news related to this week’s episode.

* Peloton CEO on Apple launching workouts: ‘A legitimization of fitness content’

If we live in the future — and we do — your company must also live in the future. But what does that look like in practice? How can you get there? What do you need to do to improve? All good questions. Fortunately, we have some answers for you. The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud looks at how to build a digital company, one that will last for years to come, so that you and your business can live in the future too.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

Thinks Out Loud Episode 302: How to Build a Digital Company Headlines and Show Notes

Free Downloads

I’d mentioned during the show that we have a free download for you, which you can find right here:

* Digital & E-commerce Maturity Matrix. As promised in the show notes, here’s a PDF that can help you assess your company’s digital maturity. You can use this to better understand where your company excels and where its opportunities lie. And, of course, we’re here to help if you need it. The Digital & E-commerce Maturity Matrix rates your company’s effectiveness — Ad Hoc, Aware, Striving, Driving — in 6 key areas in digital today, including:

* Customer Focus

* Strategy

* Technology

* Operations

* Culture

* Data

* A Brief Introduction to Thinks Out Loud. As a bonus, we’ve also included this PDF document that highlights some of our core episodes to help you dig into what the show is about. We think it will help you capture the show’s essence while you’re working your way through the 300-plus episodes published so far. Download it here.

Show Notes and Links

As always, here are the "regular" show notes, detailing links and news related to this week’s episode.

* How We Get to Brand 2030 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 301)

* Looking to the Future (Thinks Out Loud Episode 300!)

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If we live in the future — and we do — your company must also live in the future. But what does that look like in practice? How can you get there? What do you need to do to improve?…

How We Get to Brand 2030 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 301)

The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago. The second best time is today. Well, today is "ten years ago" for 2030. If you want customers to connect with your brand in ten year’s time, now is when you need to plant that tree. The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud looks at what your business might look like in 2030 and what you can do to make sure you make it there. In other words, how we get to Brand 2030.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

How We Get to Brand 2030 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 301) — Headlines and Show Notes:

Free Downloads

I’d mentioned in the show that we have a free download for you, which you can find right here:

* A Brief Introduction to Thinks Out Loud. This PDF document highlights some of our core episodes to help you dig into what the show is about and let you capture its essence while you’re working your way through the 300-plus episodes published so far. Download it here.

Show Notes and Links

As always, here are the "regular" show notes, detailing links and news related to this week’s episode.

* What Won’t Change: The Trends Shaping Digital Next Year (Thinks Out Loud Episode 232)

* Fortune 500 2010: Fortune 1000 Companies 1-100 – FORTUNE on CNNMoney.com

* Ranked: The Most Valuable Brands in the World in 2020

* BrandZ Global Top 100 Most Valuable Brands 2020

* The 2020 World’s Most Valuable Brands

* 100 Fastest-Growing Companies | Fortune

* Fortune 500 list of companies 2020 | Fortune

* Alphabet | Fortune

* Facebook | Fortune

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At the beginning of the year, I knew Thinks Out Loud would celebrate its 300th episode sometime in August. What I didn’t know was that the world would fall apart in the meantime. So, instead of looking back, it makes more sense to celebrate this show — to celebrate you and your support — by looking to the future. Not just of the show. But for ways to make sure you’re able to help us celebrate our 400th show. And our 500th. And many more to come.

That’s why this week’s episode of Thinks Out Loud is focused around looking to the future. And how you can do the same for your business.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

Looking to the Future (Thinks Out Loud Episode 300!) — Headlines and Show Notes:

Free Downloads

I’d mentioned in the show that there were a couple of free downloads for you. The team thought it would be easier to link to them separately, instead of you having to parse through all the links. So, here you go:

* "Five Eyes" Product/Service Matrix. Use this simple matrix to map your business offerings across their real time/any time and fixed place/any place attributes. Here’s how you can put this to work:

* Map your existing offerings to see if time and place matter

* Ask, "how can I make those matter less? What is needed to make those more virtual?"

* Can you offer subscriptions?

* Can you offer flexibility? Gift certificates, gift registries, etc.

* Can you deliver some part of the product or service completely virtually?

* Offer classes online?

* Package portions of the product or service into downloadable elements

* Improve delivery or pickup

* A Brief Introduction to Thinks Out Loud. This PDF document highlights some of our core episodes to help you dig into what the show is about and let you capture its essence while you’re working your way through the 300 episodes published so far.

Show Notes and Links

As always, here are the "regular" show notes, detailing links and news related to this week’s episode.

* Facebook launches support for paid online events | TechCrunch

* What Connects TikTok and the Hub and Spoke Model of Digital? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 299)

* How To Run Your Business As If Google Didn’t Exist (Thinks Out Loud Episode 298)

* Four Questions Your Business Needs to Ask Right Now (Thinks Out Loud Episode 297)

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The "Hub and Spoke Model" has been around for a long time, dating to the Cretaceous Period of digital marketing. In case you’re wondering, that’s a long, long, long time ago. TikTok dates to just a few weeks ago. (OK, it really started in 2012, but most people hadn’t heard of it until relatively recently.) Now everyone’s heard of it due to President Trump pushing for its sale to a US-based company. Possible candidates include Microsoft and Twitter.

What do these two have in common? What ties TikTok — and their recent struggles — to the Hub and Spoke model, a digital marketing strategy from the dawn of time? More importantly, what makes this situation relevant for digital marketers now and in the future? That’s the topic of this episode of Thinks Out Loud, where host Tim Peter breaks down the latest in the TikTok situation and shows why Hub and Spoke still works… and always will.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

Relevant Links — What Connects TikTok and the Hub and Spoke Model? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 299)

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TikTok Takeover Update: Twitter Looking for a Way In, Microsoft Facing Staff Backlash | Social Media Today

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Trump tries to ban TikTok in the US, explained in 30 seconds – Business Insider

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TikTok To Sue Trump Administration On President’s Executive Order Ban : NPR

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The big legal questions behind Trump’s TikTok and WeChat bans – The Verge

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Stop Outsourcing Your Sales & Marketing to Gatekeepers Like Google (Thinks Out Loud Episode 257)

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Is It Time for Your Website to Die? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 175)

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Should Facebook Take the Place of Your Brand’s Website?

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How Worried Are You About Google Next Year? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 255)

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4 Huge Trends Every Digital Marketer Needs to Know (Thi...

Google is dominant. Google is the beast your industry’s 800lb. gorillas have nightmares about. They’re incredibly strong. But Google’s strength is incredibly brittle. In theory, Google could fail tomorrow. They’re a one-product company. They the vast majority of their revenues from one product: Advertising. What if they went away tomorrow? How could you run your business if Google didn’t exist?

While that might sound far-fetched, it’s not crazy to think about how to end your dependency on Google. Or Amazon. Or Facebook, Expedia, OpenTable, or whomever else you depend on today. In fact, it’s critical for you to think about how you could run your business if these giants didn’t exist.

How can you do that? How can you run your business as if Google didn’t exist. The latest Thinks Out Loud takes a look for you. Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links — How To Run Your Business As If Google Didn’t Exist (Thinks Out Loud Episode 298)

* Alphabet Inc (GOOG) (GOOGL) Q2 2020 Earnings Call Transcript

* Amazon (AMZN) Q2 2020 Earnings Call Transcript

* Google is paying Apple billions each year – but perhaps not for much longer | TechRadar

* Four Questions Your Business Needs to Ask Right Now (Thinks Out Loud Episode 297)

* Two Key Steps Towards Digital Transformation (Thinks Out Loud Episode 295)

* A Digital Transformation First Step: What You Can Do Right Now (Thinks Out Loud Episode 294)

* Airbnb’s New Strategy: Living Without Google — The Information

* Stop Outsourcing Your Sales & Marketing to Gatekeepers Like Google (Thinks Out Loud Episode 257)

* Why Google Keeps Winning.

Looking to drive results for your business? Click here to learn more.

Headlines and Show Notes

How long do you think the current downturn is going to last? How ready are you if you if it lasts for another 6 months? Another year? Longer?

While there’s no guarantee how long this recession will last, there are actions you can take to make it shorter, at least for your business. And those actions start with four questions your business needs to ask right now.

What are those questions? The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud outlines the four questions your business needs to ask right now — and offers some insights on possible answers too.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

* Google to Keep Employees Home Until Summer 2021 Amid Coronavirus Pandemic – WSJ

* Work From Home Pay Cuts May Be Coming For NYC, SF – Bloomberg

* Millennials vs. boomers: the US generational wealth gap – Business Insider

* Companies are stopping coronavirus-related perks, benefits for employees, customers – Vox

* Parents concerned about children falling behind as COVID-19 keeps schools shuttered: POLL – ABC News

* The Work-From-Home Shift Shocked Companies—Now They’re Learning Its Lessons – WSJ

* Upsides for Some Remote Workers; Lost Pay and Security for Others – The New York Times

* Nearly 16,000 restaurants have closed permanently due to the pandemic, Yelp data shows – ABC News