The Positionless Marketer
Balancing BJG Creations, Optimove takeaways, and the job search ahead
Hello, how are you?
Welcome back to my newsletter. I appreciate all of the support I received after the more personal and emotional letter the other week. I hope you enjoy this week’s update!
Getting back on track after this summer’s setback wasn’t easy, but I finally feel clear-headed and confident about the path I’m on.
Where I’m At Professionally
I’ve had the opportunity to meet with my clients in person and resume working with them. Thank you to my clients for their understanding during such an uncertain time, I’m lucky to work with such caring and supportive individuals. I’m back to giving each client my best and finding new ways to bring value to their companies.
Since I’ve been home, I made a major career decision as well. I found myself at a fork in the road with two paths:
Path A: Continue growing BJG Creations (my marketing agency) full-time
Path B: Find a full-time startup job and continue working on BJG Creations
After a lot of reflection, I decided to go with the latter option.
There are two main reasons behind my decision. First, I believe the skills I’ll gain from working at a startup will directly complement what I do now. I’ll have the chance to learn from a successful founder, collaborate with a team, and grow in ways that will strengthen my ability to lead BJG Creations in the future. When I eventually return to it full-time, I’ll do so with more experience and perspective.
Second, startups have always fascinated me. If I don’t take the leap now, I might not have the same freedom or flexibility to explore this kind of opportunity again.
I hope to land a job soon and I’m working with the Praxis team to help make it happen. I’ll keep you posted!
Optimove – My Israeli Internship
I didn’t speak about the internship part of the Onward program in my last newsletter because I wanted to cover my experience with Israeli culture and the evacuation. I’d like to share now what I learned and how one week at such an amazing place helped me more than I could’ve imagined.
First and foremost, I learned the importance of a well-nurtured culture. As soon as I stepped off the elevator onto the 34th floor, I could feel it. I was energized - more excited for a desk job than ever. At first, I chalked it up to first-day adrenaline, but I quickly noticed that every employee came to work with that same energy. Optimove has built a culture I strive to emulate at my company one day.
Second, I saw firsthand the importance of a solid onboarding system. Less than two hours into my first day, I had a personal work computer, was set up at my desk, and knew how to work the coffee machine. Their system was dialed. I understood what was expected of me, what the company was about, why they were successful, and what their core values were. The efficiency of onboarding felt flawless.
I loved my internship. There’s no better way to say it. The marketing team was fantastic and the camaraderie was real. We ate lunch together every day, shared countless laughs, and grew a company that each and every employee truly believed in.
The last thing I’ll mention - because I could go on forever - is their ideology of going “positionless.” The first thing I did after onboarding was watch a talk by Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel on “positionless marketing.”
In short, Optimove is breaking down traditional assembly-line marketing roles where it doesn’t make sense. Using AI, they're enabling marketers to do it all - from creating content to analyzing performance. A positionless marketer takes a campaign from A to Z.
That hit home. Because that’s me. I am the concept, creation, and delivery system at BJG Creations. I’ve been a positionless marketer this whole time - I just didn’t have the word for it until then.
Thank you to Rony, Optimove’s CMO, for showing me what success looks like and how to run an effective team while having fun.
Thank you to Chen, my internship supervisor, for showing me the ropes and welcoming me to the Optimove world.
Thank you to Pini, for building Optimove and giving so many people the honor of working for you. I’m sad we didn’t get to meet in person because my trip was cut short, but you truly inspired me.
And thank you to the rest of the marketing team for making me feel so welcome! I hope to keep in touch with you all.
My Reading & Podcasts
While I was away - longer than expected - I read a lot and listened to even more. Here’s this week’s extended list:
The Slight Edge – Jeff Olson
I wish I had read this book sooner. It completely changed how I view my future and the path I’ll take to achieve success. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who feels unsure of where to start or how to improve their life overall.
“You already know how to do everything it takes to become an outrageous success.” – p.9
“You can’t know happiness unless you feel sadness.” – p.225
“Greatness is always in the moment of the decision.” – p.133
Do Hard Things – Steve Magness
This book changed my perspective on what it means to be tough. It helped me envision the traits of a strong leader and how I want to shift my mindset around toughness moving forward. The title made me think it would be purely motivational, but Magness is a smart coach who brought depth, research, and much more than just inspiration.
“No one wins the race in the first half of an endurance contest.” – p.17
“Whether discomfort comes in the form of anxiety, fear, pain, uncertainty, or fatigue, navigating through it is what toughness is all about.” – p.15
“What does a child who was taught to follow the rules unquestioningly out of fear do when a parent isn’t there to dictate his behavior?” – p.11
The Go-Giver – Bob Burg & John David Mann
When I say this, know that I don’t say it lightly - this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s a short read, but it’s packed with more life lessons than you can fully take in on the first go. I’ll be reading it again - and probably again after that.
“A genuinely sound business principle will apply anywhere in life.” – p.78
“Compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch.” – p.43
“Every giving can happen only because it is also a receiving.” – p.103
Podcasts
The Diary of a CEO
Jimmy Carr (Comedian)
Carr discusses how embracing discomfort and stripping down expectations led him to unexpected joy and success - a refreshing take on finding happiness beyond fame
Rory Sutherland (British Adman)
Sutherland dives into behavioral economics, showing how small psychological tweaks can yield outsized results - great food for thought for marketers and founders.
Evan Spiegel (Snapchat CEO)
Spiegel shares behind-the-scenes about how Snapchat’s early culture shaped its identity, retention strategies, and creative product development.
Daniel Priestley (Entrepreneur)
Priestley outlines key routines and rituals that differentiate successful entrepreneurs from the rest - and how to develop them early.
Arthur Brooks (Harvard Professor & Author)
Brooks explores how to create meaning during uncertain times, emphasizing values-driven decision-making over external validation.
Adam Alter (NYU Professor & Author)
Alter explains how technology hijacks attention and offers practical strategies to reclaim focus - especially relevant to busy founders and creatives.
Robert Waldinger (Psychiatrist & Psychoanalyst)
Waldinger, from the Harvard study of adult development, shares findings on long-term happiness - spoiler: close relationships and emotional resilience matter most.
Brian Chesky (Airbnb CEO)
Chesky opens up about Airbnb’s near collapse in the early days, how they overcame massive adversity, and the mindset that can pull you back from failure.
Modern Wisdom
Rory Sutherland (British Adman)
A deeper dive into behavioral quirks, with entertaining examples and how to leverage them in marketing and innovation.
Jimmy Carr (Comedian)
A rare appearance of Carr on Modern Wisdom, where he discusses taking comedic risks and how vulnerability shaped his career.
Alex Hormozi (Entrepreneur)
Hormozi breaks down uncomfortable but necessary truths about growth, aligning mindset and hustle to drive results
Mark Manson (Self-Help Author)
A deep dive into authenticity, setting boundaries, emotional regulation, trusting relationships, and battling the paradox of choice
The Jeff Fenster Show
Alex Smereczniak, co-founder of Franzy, shares how he’s using AI to make franchise ownership more transparent and accessible.
David Tal, former CEO of Verse.io, dives into what it takes to build high-performing startups.
Presto Caffery, entrepreneur, speaker, and performance coach, shares the hard truths about discipline.
Thank you for spending this time with me this week. Reach out - I’d love to hear what you’re up to!