Experience changes how you see things.
Curiosity determines what you do with it.
More than three decades in marketing, branding, and business development have taught me that experience is only part of the equation. Curiosity, perspective, and a genuine interest in understanding what makes people care are what turn that experience into something meaningful.
Throughout my career, I've learned that the most meaningful opportunities rarely begin with an obvious answer. They begin with curiosity, a willingness to challenge assumptions, and a genuine interest in understanding what makes people and businesses tick.
Schmidt & Co. grew out of that perspective. A consultancy built on the belief that strong brands and successful businesses aren't developed in isolation. They're shaped by listening, connecting ideas, recognizing opportunities, and finding the right story to move a business and its audience forward.
Different industries.
Common questions.
My journey has taken me into industries that, on the surface, have very little in common. Automotive and motorsports, restaurants and hospitality, franchising, consumer products, destinations…even all the way to construction.
But I've always been drawn to the same questions.
Why does someone choose one brand over another? What makes a product desirable beyond what it actually does? How do identity, aspiration, emotion, and experience influence the decisions people make?
Most importantly, how do we build something people will truly care about?
Those questions have shaped the way I approach every business challenge. Because understanding what people buy is useful. Understanding why they want it in the first place is where the real opportunity begins.
The approach behind the work.
There's no universal formula for building a successful brand or business. But there are a few principles that have guided my thinking throughout my career.
Listen deeply
Understand the business, the people behind it, and the audience it hopes to reach. The most valuable insights often come from what isn't immediately obvious.
Challenge assumptions
Question the conventional thinking. Sometimes the greatest opportunity comes from looking at a familiar problem from an entirely different perspective.
Connect the dots
Recognize relationships between consumer behavior, business challenges, and opportunities that others might see as unrelated.
Find the why
Look beyond what a product does to understand what makes someone want it, choose it, and ultimately care about it. That begins the process of finding the connection that matters.
A different kind of
working relationship.
I work as a strategic partner, trusted advisor, and creative collaborator, bringing experience, perspective, and a fresh point of view to businesses and agencies that want more than a short-term fix.
