Brian Kurtz, P. O. Box 12, Westport, CT (2026)

06/15/2026

Focusing solely on a post-mortem legacy can feel hollow.💡

Your "living legacy"—how you're remembered and celebrated today—matters more.

It's about keeping on keeping on until your story's done.

In 2019, I wrote “The View From Above Ground” about life and legacy.

A few months later, I had my own near-death experience when I suffered a stroke.

I'm grateful to be alive.

And it inspired a follow up post, “The view from below ground.”

And since then, I've been thinking about the difference between our living legacy and what we leave behind after death.

Losing one of my mentors Gordon Grossman a year after and hearing about my Filipino assistant Macy’s grandfather passing shortly after that has kept mortality on my mind.

It’s not morbid… but something worth contemplating without becoming depressed…because we all have a 100% certainty of dying.

And it’s about purpose.

These losses reminded me of the Mexican tradition of *Día de Mu***os* (”The Day of the Dead”) and the movie *Coco,* which beautifully explores family, remembrance, and leaving a mark on the world…and it’s a celebration of those we’ve lost, not a day mourning.

It stresses that there never a “final death” until someone is no longer remembered.

When my book *Overdeliver* launched in April of 2019 followed by my stroke the very next day, the lessons from *Coco* regarding family and legacy were only emphasized..

I didn’t have any massive epiphanies after my stroke—but the lessons I took from the movie brought me clarity.

One message stood out:

The love and support of family trumps everything else.

I dedicated *Overdeliver* to my wife and kids with the words:

*“No one can do anything in life without a loving and supportive family.”*

I reflect on all those who helped me along the way through some of the toughest “marketing wars.”

It wasn’t a solo journey… and my story wouldn’t be complete without honoring the greats in direct marketing on whose shoulders I stand.

In that hospital bed, knowing I’d make it, I thought about the legacy I’m actively creating—not just what I’d leave behind but what I’m building now.

The *Overdeliver* resource page [(www.OverdeliverBook.com)](http://www.OverdeliverBook.com) is a meaningful part of that legacy, a tribute to mentors who profoundly shaped me.

Now gone but honored in the bonuses (and none of these folks will experience a “final death” today):

Dick Benson

Fred Catona

Wilt Chamberlain

Winston Churchill

Marty Edelston

Gordon Grossman

Gary Halbert

Claude Hopkins

Mel Martin

David Ogilvy

Joe Sugarman

Jim Rutz

Gene Schwartz

Jerry Weintraub

Lester Wunderman

…and Macy’s Papa (who is represented by Macy with this post)

And many mentors still creating their living legacy:

Jay Abraham

Gary Bencivenga

Eric Betuel

Bob Bly

Bill Bonner

Todd Brown

Bob Burg

David Deutsch

Mark Ford

Denny Hatch

Dean Jackson

Arthur Johnson

Dan Kennedy

Harlan Kilstein

Nicholas Kusmich

Parris Lampropoulos

Perry Marshall

Ken McCarthy

Eben Pagan

Greg Renker

Ed Sheeran

Yanik Silver

“Coco” teaches us that no one is truly gone as long as they’re remembered—it’s a beautiful thought and not a sad one.

And for those of us still “above ground,” it reminds us to create, give, and remember with intention every day.

Let’s celebrate the lives that shaped us.

I encourage you to honor your mentors in your own way every day.

They’ll feel it, wherever they are.

And together, we’ll carry their legacy forward.🌱

06/10/2026

🎙️ **How to Unlock Marketing Leverage for Business Growth with Rich Schefren and Brian Kurtz**

In this short but powerful clip of the *Timeless Marketing Podcast*, Rich Schefren, the visionary behind Strategic Profits, shares golden insights on leveraging marketing strategies to scale your business.

From tapping into interactive video to humanizing outbound calls, Rich uncovers techniques that can ignite sales and attract high-value leads without breaking the bank.

Learn how simple tweaks in approach can create monumental shifts in business momentum.

🌟 What can you learn from the full episode? Here’s what Rich and I dive into:

🎥 How to use interactive video to skyrocket sales and engagement.

📞 The power of personalized outbound calls to transform lead generation.

🎯 Innovative tactics to build targeted audiences without overspending.

📈 Leveraging marketing tactics, channels and strategies for unstoppable business growth.

👀 **Watch the full episode here:**

👉 https://www.briankurtz.net/revolutionizing-your-sales-strategy-with-rich-schefren/

06/05/2026

**🎙 Navigating Uncertainty with Strategic Agility with Perry Marshall and Brian Kurtz**

How do you adapt your business strategies when the unexpected strikes? 🤔

In this clip from the *Timeless Marketing Podcast*, renowned strategist Perry Marshall discusses the power of staying flexible in unpredictable times.

Perry shares why trust, exceeding expectations, and evolving quickly are not just buzzwords—they’re survival tools for businesses navigating the post-pandemic world. 🚀

Learn how to shift from a reactive stance to a proactive, offensive strategy that positions your business for long-term success.

🎧 What’s in the full episode?

🤝 Importance of building trust and exceed expectations to strengthen business relationships.

⚡ The difference between transactional deals and integrated partnerships.

🛠️ Practical advice for tailoring your business model to thrive in any market conditions.

🌍 Adapting to global challenges with agility and resilience.

**👀 Watch the full episode here:**

👉 https://www.briankurtz.net/the-ultimate-guide-to-survival-in-a-rapidly-shifting-market-with-perry-marshall/

06/01/2026

Can giving away too many bonuses actually cheapen your product or your reputation? 🤔

I recently shared a blog about an exchange I had with the greatest living copywriter, Gary Bencivenga.

Someone from my online family replied with a surprising confession:

***Hey Brian,***

***Loved this Email and I think I like you even more now.***

***The way you showed your own character through a simple exchange with Gary Bencivenga, was just astonishing to me.***

***I was thinking about buying the Overdeliver book but had my doubts.***

***Why would he give away so much value?***

***Is his book so bad he needs to sell me through the bonuses?***

***Is he just giving me “leftover” products to sell his book?***

***Now that has changed.***

***I can’t believe someone with your kind of character and copywriting/marketing skills would even think of tricking people.***

***Your Overdeliver book just went to #1 of my ‘going to buy’ list.***

***P.S. 11 BONUSES?!? This goes beyond salting the oats, instead you are making me lick salt crystals that vaguely resemble oats!***

I appreciated how he sized me up and came around… but deciding not to buy the book right away? That I had to address. So I needed to respond:

***I’m glad I got you to like me. 🙂***

***I hadn’t thought through the idea that the incredible bonuses I “overdelivered” with my book could cheapen the book’s value…but it’s a conclusion you could make.***

***I plan to reprint your email in an upcoming blog post (I won’t mention your name) to talk extensively about the power of bonuses and “ethical bribes” …why they work so well…and the “counter argument” you expressed here.***

***“Over-bonusing” can hurt you too…I guess.***

***Thanks so much for your email…and giving me a wonderful idea to write about.***

***And of course I’m relieved that you saw that the bonuses at OverdeliverBook.com were not simply “leftover products to sell my book.”***

***In fact, they are tributes to my mentors…and much more.***

***Hopefully you went from “to buy” to “buy”…hey it’s only $20 after all and I make nothing on the sale. 🙂***

***Appreciatively,***

***Brian***

He replied saying my message made his day and bought the book because the value was too good to ignore.

So the questions now:

☑️ When do too many bonuses become overkill?

☑️ Can they cheapen your offer… or worse, your reputation?

Direct mail guru **Dick Benson** gave two of his **“31 Rules of Thumb”** to this idea alone. And remember, he was doing this before the Internet.

**📌** 12: “Dollar for dollar, premiums are better incentives than cash discounts”

**📌** 17: “Two premiums are frequently better than one”

If the free stuff feels more valuable than the product, selling the product gets a whole lot easier.

Human behavior hasn’t changed. People still crave value, relevance, and a little charm.

Overdelivery, done right, is strategy with heart.

The right bonus is a bridge to trust, loyalty, and lifetime value. **🚀**

05/29/2026

The “magalog” and “advertorial” are two offline formats from the late 20th century that helped shape today’s online marketing. I’ll touch on their history, but more importantly, I’ll show you why they still matter… and how their brilliance carries forward. 🚀

**The Magalog**

Disruption in marketing feels like it happens every 15 minutes now. But back in the 1980s, the “magalog” shook up direct mail in a big way. It was such a phenomenon, it even earned a Wikipedia entry:

*A magalog is a promotional copy of a magazine, usually in a 12-page catalog format. The name is a portmanteau of “magazine” and “catalog” and was coined and used by Gary Bencivenga, a direct response copywriter.*

*Magalogs help introduce magazines to new readers, or function as a catalog formatted as a magazine. An alternative use can include catalogs that are presented with content, not just advertising.*

*Magalogs are used in other verticals and have been used successfully to sell dietary supplements, books, information products, and sports equipment. Magalogs vary in size from 8 pages to 64 pages. Results from magalogs are closely measured to determine the ROI of the mailing.*

**The Advertorial**

Just like magalogs, advertorials helped shape today’s online tactics. The online folks have co-opted the term and now call it “native advertising.”

Although Wikipedia says:

*“The concept of internet-based advertorials is linked to native advertising; however, whether the two terms are synonymous is contested”*

Well…it’s not contested by me. 🙂

The format’s origin offers a lesson in ethics… and more beyond that.

Here’s how Wiki defines it:

*An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of editorial content. The term “advertorial” is a blend of the words “advertisement” and “editorial.” Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946.*

*In printed publications, the advertisement is usually written to resemble an objective article and designed to ostensibly look like a legitimate and independent news story.*

*Advertorials, especially those that are not clearly disclosed *** are the subject of controversy in journalism ethics and marketing ethics. Researchers have found that they often mislead readers who are unaware of their origin, co-opting and damaging a publication’s reputation. As many as two thirds of readers confuse advertorials for reporting, according to a 2016 study.*

⚠️ **Advertorials being “clearly disclosed” as advertising are part of the rules of the advertorial game.**

There’s a big difference between tricking a reader (and possibly creating a bait and switch) vs. engaging them with real value.

✅ Done well: ethical and effective.

❌ Done poorly: misleading and risky.

And if you're going to disguise an ad as editorial, you'd better do it right. 👌

05/27/2026

My friend, **Howard Getson**, an AI expert, investment guru and huge sports fan, wrote a post that got me thinking about something we all run into: **levels of excellence** 🧠🏆

He was talking about pro athletes, but it applies to just about everything:

*It should be self-explanatory, but it seems to be a concept many people struggle with.*

*Any given pro player has been the best of the best throughout their journey.*

*They’re the 1% of the 1%.*

*But that is probably true for you too.*

*If you’re reading this article, you’re likely killing it compared to the average Joe [in your own area of expertise which probably has little to do with sports].*

*Many of us are in rooms with phenomenal business owners and operators regularly.*

*When you meet people [who are at the top of the pyramid…Howard’s examples were Peter Diamandis, Ray Dalio and Richard Branson…mine would be **Gene Schwartz, Gary Bencivenga and Dan Sullivan**] it’s easy to focus on the distance between you and them.*

I paired Howard’s famous examples with lesser-known ones of my own to highlight two things:

1. Greatness is relative 🙌
2. And everyone’s ladder looks different 🪜

Howard told the story of Brian Scalabrine, a former NBA player who became the butt of Twitter jokes for supposedly being “not that good.”

Brian’s response?

*“Listen. I may suck for a NBA player.*

*Those guys are pretty good.*

*But I don’t suck compared to you.*

*You suck compared to me.*

*And I’m way closer to Lebron (James) than you are to me.”*

Brutal? Maybe.

Honest? 100%.

And he backed it up. Smoking every challenger who came at him. 💥

I saw the same “levels of excellence” principle growing up watching my dad coach New York University’s (NYU) varsity tennis team for 20+ years.

NYU’s strong academically, but their tennis program faced some hurdles.

Against city rivals like St. John’s University, who had courts and gave small scholarships, NYU usually lost 9-0. On a good day, maybe 8-1.

I was stunned when “powerhouse” St. John’s traveled to Princeton University, a suburban campus with top-notch facilities and smart, scholarship-backed players, and lost 9-0.

Then Princeton would head south or west to face schools like University of Miami or Stanford University… and get swept themselves.

Those schools, fueled by major scholarships and year-round training weather, were “tennis factories”.

Still, even their best rarely got close to competing with legends like Rafael Nadal or Novac Djokovic.

Excellence has layers. Always has. Always will. And that’s true in every field, not just sports.

There’s always another rung on the ladder, but that doesn’t make your own rung any less meaningful.

Someone is already out there looking at you and thinking, *“Wow... that’s what excellence looks like.”*

And remember that even a small rung on the ladder can always give you a good view 👊

05/25/2026

***There is so much in the marketing world that is not real… which now makes being real a differentiator.* 💡**

That’s what I tell folks from my email list/online family when they write back and ask:

*“Is this really you, Brian?”*

A Bot can automate… but not write like I can when I write from my heart.

Automating everything is overrated.

This isn’t a rant against technology. It’s a reminder not to become a slave to it.

Being human still wins.

Just ask two pros I deeply respect:

👉 **Ryan Levesque** (quiz funnel wizard + customer insight master)

👉 **Kevin Rogers** (copywriter + coach who turns words into connection)

We agree on two simple truths:

1. **Engagement is a two-way street, human to human.**
2. **It pays to reply to every email with more than an autoresponder.**

Both Ryan and Kevin have spoken inside my **Titans Xcelerator Mastermind** and appeared on the **Timeless Marketing Podcast**.

And Ryan said something I’ll never forget:

**Open rates? Too vague.**

**Clicks and conversations? That’s what counts now.** 👇

Some people assume I only do this because my list is small or I have time on my hands.

Not true.

I am not mailing weekly to tens of thousands of people. But my online family has grown into the thousands.

And I’m just as busy as anyone. But I choose to prioritize my inbox, because I’m writing to passionate, marketing-loving humans. Not bots.

Ryan told me he only signs off on emails he writes himself now. I endorse that policy.

I treat every email like a conversation. Every reply is a chance to listen, connect, and build something deeper.

Here’s what it takes:

**Open** all personal emails (except for the ones from a Nigerian prince or the ones letting you know about “the pictures you requested”).

**Read** all those emails… with an eye towards the level of awareness and level of sophistication of the author… about you or what you offer.

**Respond** to every email… with your own personal touch relating to what they told you about themselves… with an intention of getting paid… maybe even with money.

📬 *Your inbox is a goldmine.*

Be human.

Stay curious.

Write back.

👉 **Titans Xcelerator Mastermind**: https://www.briankurtz.net/xl/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10062024

👉 **Open rates are overrated:** https://www.briankurtz.net/open-rates-are-overrated/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10062024

👉 **Titans of Direct Response:** https://titansofdirectresponse.com/

👉 **Titans Mastermind:** https://www.briankurtz.net/mastermind/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10062024

👉 **Overdeliver book:** https://overdeliverbook.com/

👉 **Robin Waite:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlkBubTCoGg

👉 **Breakthrough Advertising book:** https://breakthroughadvertisingbook.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10062024

👉 **The Brilliance Breakthrough:** https://brilliancebreakthroughbook.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10062024

👉 **Breakthrough Advertising Mastery:** https://breakthroughadvertisingbook.com/order-breakthrough-advertising-mastery/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10062024

05/22/2026

You might not follow football 🏈… but you know this feeling:

**A high-profile leader gets fired and the headline reads: “poor performance.”**

But dig deeper, and it’s not just what they did. It’s how they led.

During one of our **Titans Xcelerator** calls, we dug into the firing of Jets coach Robert Saleh back in 2024… and what unfolded was a fascinating discussion about leadership and culture—on and off the field.

In business (just like in football), bad performance gets you fired. Simple as that.

And as someone who’s been a diehard fan of this team forever, I’ve watched every snap, every stumble, every press conference meltdown 😬

So when someone asked me for my take on Saleh’s firing, I had a few thoughts.

Now, I’m not in the team meetings or calling plays. But from where I sat, I believe there were two deeper reasons he was never the right fit… and why the firing made sense.

**Accountability:** He didn’t create a culture to make sure his players (i.e. employees) were accountable for their actions (especially when they fell short). Examples included not creating consequences for players missing mandatory practices, players making mental mistakes on the field, and players exhibiting conduct not conducive to being a valued teammate and/or winning.

**Decisiveness:** Not being decisive on the field (i.e. “his office”), during the most critical moments of a game… specifically, not being able to make quick decisions adequately (i.e. being wrong more than right with those in-game decisions).

This includes decisions made before the moment too. Preparation is part of decisiveness.

To be clear, I’m not saying he’s not a good coach or a solid leader in other contexts.

But when you’re the head coach (or the CEO)… the buck stops with you. And that role requires a different level of leadership.

In my opinion, it was too much too soon for him.

Solid assistant? For sure.

Ready for the crown? Not quite yet.

But like many CEOs and founders who stumble in their first go-around, he’ll be back. And probably stronger for it.

Because here’s the truth: football is still business.

The only difference? Everyone’s watching 👀

Titans Xcelerator:

👉 https://www.briankurtz.net/xl/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10132024

05/20/2026

🛑 Stop reading new things. Start re-reading the best things.

*Nassim Nicholas Taleb*, a Lebanese American essayist and scholar, once dropped a truth bomb we need to hear:

*“Learning is rooted in repetition and convexity, meaning that reading a single text twice is more **profitable** than reading two different things once.”*

When I saw the word "profitable," I knew he wasn't just talking about money. He was talking about deep, lasting proficiency.

For years, we’ve been told:

*Practice makes perfect.*

*Trial and error makes perfect.*

*Research makes perfect.*

*Testing makes perfect.*

**Repetition is a critical component.** Just remember the caveat: *"Done" is always better than perfect.* 🙂

When I was in college, I couldn’t get enough of *The Odd Couple* TV show. Reruns aired at 7:00 and 11:00, and most nights I watched both, with a library break in between.

It never got old. I memorized at least 110 of the 114 episodes.

Years later, I realized that kind of repetition wasn’t a waste. It was a lesson in disguise:

**A lot of a great thing is better than a little of lots of mediocre things.**

*Repetition, done right, is the cornerstone of all education… leading to knowledge… and wisdom.*

I’m also starting to think there’s a gene for “purposeful repetition,” especially after a genius **Titans Xcelerator** member shared this quote:

***“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”***

– Heraclitus. Greek Philosopher

*(Note: According to “Chicago Philosopher,” Perry Marshall, we should all read or share something pre-Gutenberg (the inventor of the printing press) daily. Heraclitus lived in the 6th century B.C., so I’m covered for today.* 😉)

My son did with *Seinfeld* what I did with *The Odd Couple*. Binge-watched reruns. Unlike me, though, I don’t recall much studying happening between episodes.

He could name the entire *Seinfeld* episode and all its side plots from the first minute. I needed five just to place *The Odd Couple*. His repetition gene is stronger than mine.

Don't chase novelty. Stop overwhelming your brain with endless streams of new, mediocre information.

Purposeful repetition is not stagnation, it's the master key to knowledge, wisdom, and lasting profit.

Find that one perfect thing you need to read again this week. What is it?

👉 **Breakthrough Advertising book:** https://breakthroughadvertisingbook.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10202024

👉 **Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp:** https://breakthroughadvertisingbook.com/ba-bootcamp/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10202024

👉 **Breakthrough Advertising Mastery:** https://breakthroughadvertisingbook.com/order-breakthrough-advertising-mastery/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10202024

👉

**Titans Xcelerator:**

https://www.briankurtz.net/xl/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=infusionsoft&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=10202024

Brian Kurtz

06/15/2026

06/10/2026

06/05/2026

06/01/2026

05/29/2026

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