What if 90% of what businesses call "strategy" is actually just expensive to-do lists?

Alex M.H. Smith didn't set out to become a strategist, and definitely didn't take the traditional path to get there. In fact, he started his strategy consultancy before ever reading a single book on the subject. What he did have was curiosity, a knack for pattern-spotting, and a frustration with how often businesses skip over real thinking in favor of surface-level tactics.

In this episode of the Marketing Umbrella Podcast, Alex shares how his outsider perspective led him to discover the universal patterns that drive the world's most successful companies, without ever reading a strategy book. He breaks down why businesses like Tesla, Lush, and Monster thrived without traditional advertising, and how any company can build something so compelling that customers can't help but notice.

Alex also talked about the difference between doing strategy and just calling things strategy. He shares how small agencies, founder-led companies, and even big brands often run on autopilot, making choices without realizing they even had options. He also gets into what makes a company truly compelling, why bravery is underrated, and how being interesting at the core beats clever marketing any day.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:

• Accidental Expertise Beats Academic Theory. Sometimes the best insights come from NOT knowing the "right" way to do things. Fresh eyes can spot patterns that experts miss.
• Strategy Increases Risk, Not Reduces It. The opposite of strategy isn't failure, it's mediocrity. Playing it safe keeps you small; swinging for the fences creates both massive success and massive failure potential.
• Strategy Is One Thing, Not Ten. Real strategy is the single mother insight that determines how you'll create unique value in the market.
• Don't Outsource Clarity. If your business can’t stand on its own without clever messaging, your foundation might be shaky.
• Observe Before You Read. Strategy isn’t invented—it’s discovered. Alex found his path by watching what worked in the real world.
• Simplify the Stack. One core insight should inform all your actions, not the other way around.
• Marketing ≠ Strategy. Ads might attract attention, but strategy determines whether that attention leads anywhere meaningful.

As a closing thought, "Strategy means creating something so wildly different that your competition becomes completely irrelevant.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@umbrellamicroenterprises
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk

Connect with Alex:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-m-h-smith
• Basic Arts: basicarts.org

Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

Gaurav Bhattacharya, known to most as “G,” has spent his life building from the ground up. Raised by a single mom in New Delhi and teaching himself to code at age 10, Gaurav has followed a path shaped by resilience, curiosity, and a deep belief in solving real problems with technology. With over 14 years of experience across product, sales, recruiting, and machine learning, he’s built and sold multiple startups—including Involve.ai, a customer success platform that scaled to over 500 companies and 1.1 million users globally.

Now the CEO of Jeeva.ai, G leads a team on a mission to automate the manual, repetitive work that slows down sales teams. In this episode of the Marketing Umbrella Podcast, we dive into the strategy behind Jeeva’s explosive growth from 0 to $5M ARR in just six months, all without a dollar spent on marketing. Gaurav breaks down how Jeeva uses AI to find and enrich leads, personalize outreach, and handle top-of-funnel execution so reps can focus on what actually moves deals forward.

But this conversation goes deeper than tech. Gaurav shares lessons from bootstrapping, losing momentum, rebuilding from scratch, and why trust, not just innovation, is the backbone of every company he’s built. He talks about the importance of integrity with investors, what makes tools actually stick with users, and his belief that the future belongs to full-stack salespeople empowered by AI.

Whether you're a founder, agency leader, or just trying to scale smarter, this episode is packed with real-world insight from someone who’s building the future of sales in real time.

Key Takeaways:

• AI Should Augment, Not Replace Human Connection. Technology can streamline processes, but trust and relationship-building still require a human touch. People buy from people they trust, not from bots.
• Automate the repetitive. Most time-consuming tasks in sales and marketing can be automated. Freeing up humans for high-impact work is the goal.
• Use tools that fit your workflow. Simplicity drives adoption.
• Build with integrity. The way you treat investors, partners, and teammates matters long-term.
• AI Is a Tool, Not a Strategy. Adopting AI because it’s trendy won’t drive results. Applying it to specific, measurable bottlenecks delivers real ROI.
• Create Value First, Then Earn Attention. Offering real utility up front, whether through free tools, trials, or helpful content, builds credibility faster than ads or cold emails.
• Full-Stack Sales Are Coming. Just like engineering, sales is going full-stack. AI will collapse bloated sales orgs, empowering fewer reps to do more, from prospecting to nurturing.
• The Future Belongs to the AI-Enabled. AI won’t replace your job—but someone who knows how to use it might. Learning how to use automation tools well is quickly becoming a non-negotiable skill.

As a closing thought: “In a world racing toward automation, the advantage goes to those who move fast, stay human, and build with trust.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk

Connect with Gaurav:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhattacharyagaurav/
• Website: https://www.Jeeva.ai/

Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com

The Power of Weird: How Calm Used Quirky PR to Go Mainstream

Before Calm became one of the most recognizable wellness apps in the world, it was a nine-person startup in a tiny San Francisco apartment with a big problem: no one knew it existed. That’s when they brought in Peter Freedman, founder of Thinking of Think, a creative PR and guerrilla marketing firm known for turning offbeat ideas into global attention.

In this episode of the Marketing Umbrella Podcast, we sit down with Peter to unpack the viral campaigns that helped Calm stand out in a crowded market. From an AI-generated Brothers Grimm fairy tale to an eight-hour film of sheep standing in a field, Peter shares how calculated weirdness—and a lot of heart—became Calm’s secret weapon.

Peter also breaks down his 10 Golden Rules of PR and guerrilla marketing, explains why humor builds trust faster than a press release ever could, and makes the case that playing it safe is now the riskiest strategy of all. Whether you're building a brand from scratch or looking to reboot your messaging, this conversation will challenge the way you think about attention, emotion, and what it really takes to stand out today.

Key Takeaways:

• Weird Wins Attention. In a crowded market, quirky, unexpected ideas can be more powerful than polished ones.
• “Weirdness and celebrities” are the two things that still get media attention, but weirdness is cheaper, repeatable, and limitless.
• Rolling Thunder Beats One Big Bang. Consistent, creative content outperforms one-off stunts.
• Emotion Drives Sharing. People share what makes them feel something—especially humor and joy.
• Not All PR Is Created Equal. There are two kinds of PR.
  • Traditional PR: Product-focused, informative, and effective for launches—but risks becoming stale.
  • Quirky/Guerrilla PR: Creative, ongoing, shareable, and ideal for staying top-of-mind post-launch.
• The main barrier is fear, not fit. Brands that embrace this creativity early tend to be perceived as cool, approachable, and human.
• Risk Is Relative. In today’s noisy world, playing it safe is the real gamble.
• Delight Builds Loyalty. People remember how a brand made them feel. Entertainment creates lasting impressions.

Peter reminds us that standout marketing doesn’t always require a big budget, just bold ideas, emotional resonance, and a willingness to break the mold. In a world overloaded with noise, the brands that dare to be different are the ones we remember.

As a closing thought: “The best ideas don’t blend in. They break through. Quirky marketing works because it dares to be memorable in a world that forgets fast.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frintmedia
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-umbrella-podcast/id1564111428
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoiR10nazd9zVIStLkcjk

Connect with Peter:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterfreedman1/
• Website: https://www.think-inc.co.uk/

Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

To learn more about Umbrella and to connect with CEO Itamar Shafir, go to ⁠https://umbrellaus.com