Nick Shackelford

BRĒZ

Partner - Head of Retention and Subscription

Structured

Co-Founder - CRO

Commerce Roundtable

I lead the content development and speaker procurement process that allows for the highest quality conversations to be had in an e-commerce centered live event space. From in-person to digital, the focus on content will always remain the most valuable thing we can provide.

Partner - Content and Education Lead

Konstant Kreative

Top 1% of performance focused ad designers and editors from around the world.

Lucyd Media

Partner

GeekOut Events

Geek Out Education is all the elements of events we love combined into one. 
Our only rules, No ego and don't be a jerk.

We speak with each attendee, we hand select the teachers and we work hard to create environments that produce conversation, debate, and ultimately future business growth. We are paid media experts across multiple channels, multiple industries, and

Triple Whale 🐳

Marketing Advisor

Motion (Creative Analytics)

Angel

PostPilot

MarketerHire

Drinkbrez.com Structured.agency Konstantkreative.com Wearelucyd.com

Proven Track Record of Scaling Social Focused Campaigns consistently past 8-figures through Programmatic buying, Influencers, E-mail and Adwords. 

Learning and growing businesses in this ever changing age of customer acquisition.

Knowing that I had more to offer, I applied that same drive to work with established brands as well as brands looking to make that pro jump. 

Let's Connect at 

nick@structured.agency

Did anyone in NY get a chance to see our can? 

Shoot me a few photos if so!

Drinkbrez.com Structured.agency Konstantkreative.com

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San Diego, a few weeks back. I’m hosting a fireside with Gary Vee.

I do the grown-up operator thing. Prepare a doc, talk track, & run of show. Send it to his team. Boxes checked. Timers set. We’re tight.

Morning of, Gary walks in. I hand him the docs. He smiles, “I’m not going to look at it. I’m just going to do my thing.”

I give him the quick brief of who’s in the room, where they’re at, what’s heavy right now. Five minutes later it’s the full Gary show. At one point I just step off stage and let him cook. People loved it. Voted best talk of the week.

Lesson #1: You don’t interview a hurricane. You point where the water should go and get out of their way.

He tells us he has a hard out. Then he pushes past it. Then he takes a swarm of questions. More hands shoot up and, boom, “I’m out,” and he’s gone. Perfect timing.

Lesson #2: Gary on stage is Gary off stage. Same on camera, same off. Consistency = credibility.

Appreciate you, @garyvee. Absolute legend

If you're just starting out in ecom right now / or doing it solo... I’m not gonna lie to you,  it's not easy and it’s gotten harder in a lot of areas.

Yeah the complicated tactics are one thing, but the main thing is you have no relationships, no partnerships, no mentors giving you feedback.

You're just listening to everybody chatting sh-t on the internet.
 
Where do you even go? 
Who do you follow? 
What do you listen to?

Who's going to spend time with you without charging you money you don't have?

Yeah, there are tools now - to find mentors and stuff while you hit people up on different channels. But getting somebody invested enough in you takes money and time from that person.

People will overcomplicate this because at the beginning, you actually have nothing.

Just simplify it as easily as possible before you start listening and consuming all this type of content

Or you're just going to fall into analysis paralysis and have a lot of conflicting information flooding into your workday.

That's where you're going to get stuck.

If you want to continue burning cash testing Meta Ads then be my guest

For this 4th Quarter you should just stick to what is working now:

This playbook is for the big dawgs👇🏼

Scaling Structure

Being Brand Side AND Agency 
Here's How I Recommend going about getting what you want from the agency.... (too a degree)

Same story every time.

If your agency is doing 3+ of these 5 red flags, it's time to have a conversation: 

1. Weekly Reporting Theater

They make you wait for a weekly call to get updates. You can't access data ongoing.

Worse - they use the same cookie-cutter template for every brand regardless of what stage you're at or what you're trying to accomplish.

If the report isn't bespoke to what YOU'RE trying to do right now, they're not paying attention.

2. One-Hour Franken-Meetings

They combine creative strategy conversations and business updates in the same 60-minute call.

This is disrespectful.

Strategy sessions need inspiration and space to think. Updates need focus and clarity.

Grouping them together means neither gets the attention it deserves.

3. Yearly Contracts With No Outs

They lock you into 12 months with no quarterly opt-outs.

Three months is enough time to do real damage (in a good way). If they're not delivering in 90 days, why would the next 9 months be different?

Shit changes. Clients change. Teams change.

4. The Bait and Switch

The person who closed you never touches your account again.

You DON'T want the closer working on your account at all.

You want them to identify what your business needs, match you with specialists, then get out of the way.

But if they disappear completely and you never hear from leadership? Red flag.

5. No Clear Owner

You're dealing with 5 different people and none of them own your success.

Someone needs to own your account end-to-end. Not just execute tasks, but actually give a shit about whether you win.

If nobody's accountable, nobody cares.

Brands spend $10K-50K/month with agencies that check these boxes.

Stop paying for theater. Start demanding results.

Agency Redflags

Sales and Marketing at CBF Labels

I'm passionate about sharing content & ideas on sales + marketing to help you level up your professional knowledge.

Outside my main role, I've been helping Ecommerce SaaS and AI companies with distribution and promotion.

If you’re looking to advertise to my audience, please send me a message so we can chat further. Thanks!

Jamie Dimond

99% of people get a degree, get a job, then stop learning.

High performers ensure after-hours learning is a habit. They're obsessed with learning and becoming 1% better each day.

I used to waste my lunch breaks while working in finance binge-watching Youtube. My people leader at the time suggested I make a change.

He gave me Ted Talks to watch instead. Later on he assigned me books to read like Carol Dweck "Mindset."

Over the next 2 years I got promoted constantly. 

All the learning changed how I viewed the world. It help me develop EQ instead of IQ. 

Bizarrely, the learning journey also helped me heal from mental illness. 

You don't learn once then earn for the rest of your career. No. Use self-learning to upgrade your career and explode your value.

Am I missing anything?

Credit: Tim Denning ( go follow him )

One day, you’ll look back and realize…

You did it.

👉You stopped waiting for the perfect time.
👉You stopped asking for permission.
👉You got tired of "maybe someday".
And you finally bet on yourself.

It wasn’t luck. It was courage.
You chose the hard thing.

AND 

It worked.

The truth? Most people never start because they fear failure.
But the real regret isn’t failing.
It’s never finding out what could’ve happened if you tried.

Keep going.
Your future self is already proud of you.

Image Credit: Dearme2_ on Twitter/X

Working with smart people is great.
But it is not enough.

Because intelligence can solve problems.
But humility and kindness build cultures where problems don’t have to exist in the first place.

Here’s why it matters so much 👇

Kind and humble people:

They make collaboration effortless.
You don’t waste energy defending ideas or egos. 
You build together - faster, cleaner, and with more trust.

They create psychological safety.
When people feel respected, they speak up, share bold ideas, 
and admit mistakes early. 
That’s how teams innovate and grow.

They inspire long-term loyalty.
People don’t leave companies - they leave toxic dynamics. 
Working with grounded, genuine teammates keeps great talent around.

 Ways to practice kindness and humility at work:

Listen more than you talk.
You don’t need to have the loudest voice to have the strongest impact. 
Listening builds connection and earns respect.

Give credit - generously.
Acknowledging others’ work doesn’t diminish your own. 
It multiplies the trust and energy in your team.

Keep learning.
The moment you think you’ve “arrived,” you stop growing. 
Stay curious, stay open, and never let success make you unapproachable.

Kind people build strong teams.
Strong teams create big results.

Credit: Chase Dimond

Most people think social media managers just “post content.”

A nice graphic here, a caption there… and somehow, followers appear.

If only it were that simple.

The truth?
Social media managers are the Swiss army knives of modern marketing.

Behind every single post, there’s:
🧭 Strategy – understanding who you’re talking to and why.
✍️ Copywriting – turning thoughts into emotions that move people.
🎨 Design – making ideas visual, memorable, and on-brand.
📊 Analytics – reading the data, not just the comments.
📢 Ads – amplifying what works (and killing what doesn’t).
💬 Community – replying, engaging, connecting human to human.

It’s not just about pressing “publish.”

It’s about building trust, consistency, and brand recall one post at a time.

So the next time someone says “you just post memes all day,” smile, sip your coffee, and remember:
you’re not just managing social media.
You’re managing perception, connection, and growth.

👉 To every social media manager out there keep the brand alive, one post at a time.

Credit: Bind Reka (go follow him)

Once you understand this, you'll never look at logos the same way

Color psychology in marketing leverages the emotional and behavioral impact of colors to influence consumers

shaping perceptions of a brand and driving purchasing decisions

Colors can evoke feelings of trust (blue), energy (red), or health (green), but their meaning can vary by individual experience, culture, and context

Marketers use color strategically in logos, websites, and packaging to build brand recognition, create atmosphere, and promote specific actions, such as impulse buys or calls to action

Credit: Edgar Bitencourt

The future of ads is PERSONAL ✌️ 

US digital ad spend just hit $309.3 billion.


For the very first time in history at that benchmark!

eMarketer compiled all the aggregate market spend for digital ad products across the US at the end of 2024. That's a 15.1% increase since 2023 btw.


But there's a gap still...
 
58% of consumers do NOT trust the ads they get on social.



So what's working?

Ads that feel personal.

Forrester has found that more than 85% of companies that use intent data harvest higher response rates and other benefits. AKA, personalized ads that feel relevant and consumers are willing to share their info to get a more personal experience. The 2024 United States Consumer Trends Index shows that 91% of consumers are willing to share information in exchange for reward.

And that aligned closely with the preference <> ad engagement meta data analysis with 84% of consumers cite they are likely to engage with a personalized offer tailored to their interests.

The more important piece is THIS imo. 91% of consumers say their favorite brand treats them like an individual. That's what personalization has the power to do. Where you don't show up like a "brand". You should up like a friend would in the group chat.


So...


What personalization do people want most?

How consumers stack ranked their top options

👇 

Consumers were willing to swap info for promos:

1) Discounts/coupons (90%)
2) Early/exclusive access to offers (88%)
3) A chance to win something (84%)

Gated content and brand community plays lagged behind at 69% and 67% respectively so the TLDR here is that personalized offers related to immediate shopping value are still the most valuable from a consumer POV.


Digital ad spend is forecast to reach $460.5 billion by 2028 with display advertising forecasted to capture 85.7% of the $90 billion in additional ad spending between 2024 and 2028.

If you're not investing in personalization.

Now is the time...

Credit: Varun Kundra

Managers may have status.

But leaders create true impact.

Here is what impactful leadership is not:

- Neglecting professional development and training
- Not acknowledging and actioning feedback
- Micro-managing every single detail
- Avoiding difficult conversations
- Favouring people over others
- Setting unclear expectations
- Taking all the credit
- Ignoring team input
- Being inaccessible
- Resisting change

Impactful leadership is:

- Listening actively
- Taking full responsibility
- Treating everyone equally
- Being friendly and approachable
- Empowering everyone around you
- Having difficult but necessary talks
- Embracing change and adapting fast
- Accepting feedback and taking action on it
- Celebrating achievements no matter what size
- Providing clear guidance, especially in difficult times

The best leaders focus on:

↳ Setting the example
↳ How they make people feel
↳ Bringing the best out of everyone

It’s far more than a title.

Know a leader who’s changed your life?
Tag them below to show them they are appreciated! ⬇️

♻️ Repost this to support the leaders in your network.
Credit:  Chris Donnelly

Uncomfortable truth.. 

Work is NOT a family

A red flag we don't talk about enough? 

🚩 Companies that say "family" when they really mean "team" 

(Especially the big ones) 

I have worked in cultures like this, and I know how toxic it can be

This is a lesson I learned the hard way, but you don't have to

The "work-family" mindset : 

🚫 Blurs the lines between home and work 
Saying "no" feels like a betrayal and creates burnout
 
🚫 Makes feedback feel personal and targeted
This can drive internal divisions and personal attacks 

🚫 Sets unrealistic expectations 
People don't owe anything to the company except what they're paid for 
 

Work is important, but it's not on par with your family 

No matter how collaborative and supportive your team is 

Here's what a healthy workplace looks like:

● There are clear boundaries 
↳ A real work-life balance is nurtured and encouraged 

● Everyone maintains their perspective 
↳ Work comes first in the office, but life comes first outside

● There is a focus on respect, not "love." 
↳ You don't need to be family to trust and support each other 

Your family loves you unconditionally and is your support system 

Your team respects you and works with you toward shared goals 

P.S. Have you been part of a "work-family" culture? 

Credit: Hamza Rauf Khan

The fastest way to learn anything?

Start before you're ready.

Here's what most people do: 

→ Research for months 
→ Plan every detail 
→ Wait for the "perfect" moment 
→ Never actually begin

Meanwhile, the people who succeed are already figuring it out.

You can't learn to swim by reading about water.
You can't learn to code without writing messy code. 
You can't learn to sell without making awkward pitches.

The real education happens when you're doing the work.

Every successful person has this in common: 

→ They started with incomplete knowledge 
→ They learned by making mistakes 
→ They adjusted as they went 
→ They got better through repetition

The market is the best teacher. 

Customers are the best feedback. 

Experience is the best education.

Planning has its place, but action has the power.

Your idea doesn't need to be perfect. 
Your plan doesn't need to be bulletproof. 

Your skills don't need to be complete.
You just need to begin.

The road reveals itself as you walk.

Сredit: Noemi Kis✨

Your reputation might open doors, but your character decides which ones stay open. 

Stop being selectively kind. 
The true measure of a leader is found in these 7 actions 👇

1️⃣ Respect everyone, regardless of title or influence.
Treat the intern, the cleaner, and the CEO with the same attention and humanity. Titles fade, but the impression of respect lasts.

2️⃣ Be honest even when it’s uncomfortable or costly.
Integrity often requires walking away from shortcuts and easy wins. The price might be high in the moment, but it compounds into credibility over time.

3️⃣ Offer help without expecting anything in return.
True generosity is when your motive isn’t recognition or reciprocity - it’s the simple belief that doing good adds value to the world.

4️⃣ Keep your promises, especially the small ones.
Following through on the minor commitments - the emails, the deadlines, the callbacks - shows reliability more than grand declarations ever could.

5️⃣ Give credit loudly and sincerely.
When someone else does great work, say so. The most confident leaders amplify others because they’re not afraid to share the spotlight.

6️⃣ Stay kind when you’re under pressure.
How you act when stressed, tired, or frustrated reveals more than how you act when everything is easy. Grace in chaos is a quiet form of strength.

7️⃣ Do what’s right when no one’s watching.
Reputation is built in public, but character is shaped in private. The choices you make alone define the person people trust when it matters.

Because in the long run -
your title fades, your metrics change, your results evolve.

But the way you made people feel?
That’s what your name will stand for.

Most of your audience is not ready to buy.

The goal of marketing is that when they are ready to buy, your brand is top of mind.

Credit: Dmurr68 on Twitter/X

And the award for most creative resume goes to...





Credit: Libby Moyer

Marketing is a humbling profession.

Sometimes the idea you’re certain is going to work doesn’t work. Or the idea you know definitely won’t work for some reason does work. Or the thing that used to work stops working. You need to continuously learn, re-learn, and un-learn.

Credit: mkobach on Twitter/X

After two successful exits (Google & Zynga)

you need THIS "Decision Layer" to win deals 👇



What I call "Layer 3"

Let me explain:


1️⃣ Surface Layer (Table Stakes)
→ Company data
→ Basic tech stack
→ Team structure
→ Recent news
→ Public metrics


But this is where most stop.

Because it's easy to automate this research.

If you want your outreach to land?

You need to hit these layers:


2️⃣ Strategic Layer (The Context)
→ Growth vectors
→ Tech architecture
→ Market position
→ Competition map
→ Customer sentiment
→ Investment areas
→ Product roadmap


And how you really stand out?

Layer 3 "Decision Layer" data:

3️⃣ Decision Layer
→ Stakeholder dynamics
→ Internal processes
→ Budget ownership
→ Success metrics
→ Career motivators
→ Risk tolerance
→ Change appetite



👀 The reality in my experience?

95% of sales teams never reach Layer 3.

Because it requires:

→ Systematic thinking
→ Pattern recognition
→ Deep industry knowledge
→ Cross-functional understanding
→ Technical acumen

Most teams are under pressure to deliver.

And can't create the space / resources to hit layer 3.



But...

Those who master all 3 layers?

They don't just sell. They consult.


That’s how you’re seen as a strategic advisor in your deals.

That’s how you up your ACV and your win rate.

Credit: Jeff Chen

Some years test your patience more than your skills.

And that’s okay👊 
Not every season is about growth charts and wins.

Steve Jobs said it best:
"Some years you win, some years you build character".

Some years are meant to shape you, not scale you.

The comeback always hits harder when the foundation’s solid.

So if this year feels heavy…

It’s not punishment. It’s preparation.

Keep building. The wins will catch up.

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Jamie Dimond

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nick Shackelford's LinkedIn Performance

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