We live in a world obsessed with the before-and-after. Leaders highlight the starting point and the results. Companies showcase the vision and the outcome. Advisors present the problem and the solution. But when you strip a story down to just the setup and the finish line, you remove the part that actually creates connection: the middle. The middle is where the tension lives. It’s where doubts creep in, where obstacles...

The buzz around AI is loud. Every week, a new tool promises to shave hours off your workflow, generate entire strategies, and even write your emails for you. And to be clear, we’re not anti-AI. We use it. We train people on it. We believe it’s a critical part of staying relevant in today’s business environment. But there’s something AI can’t do for you. Something it will never be able...

The Data Deluge In today’s workplace, numbers are everywhere. Dashboards, charts, and KPIs dominate meetings. Every decision is framed in terms of percentages and projections. Data has become the language of credibility, the proof that what we’re saying is valid. But here’s the problem: while data can inform, it rarely inspires. Facts can clarify, but they don’t create belief. Numbers can convince someone of the “what,” but they rarely move...

We live in a business culture obsessed with being “data-driven.” Numbers, metrics, and dashboards dominate meetings. Don’t get me wrong—data is essential. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: data alone doesn’t move people. Facts can inform, but they rarely inspire. If you want to change minds, spark action, or create real influence, you need something deeper. You need a story. At CI2 Advisors, we’ve seen this play out time and again....

I’ve been in enough boardrooms, sales calls, and leadership retreats to notice a consistent pattern. People think influence comes from saying more—more data, more slides, more reasons, more words. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the more we talk, the less we listen. And the less we listen, the less influence we actually have. If you’re struggling to get buy-in from your team, your clients, or your peers, it’s not because...

We live in an era of relentless communication. Notifications buzz our phones, emails fill our inboxes, and LinkedIn posts stream past our eyes like ticker tape. Everyone’s “communicating” all the time—but very few are actually connecting. At CI2 Advisors, I’ve seen firsthand how this glut of surface-level messaging leaves people numb. No matter how clever your campaign, how clean your slide deck, or how polished your pitch, if you’re not...

Why Your Message Isn’t Being Heard These days, people are drowning in communication. From Zoom meetings and email threads to instant messages and AI-generated briefs, the workplace is a flood zone of information. Yet something critical is being lost in the flood: attention. People don’t tune out because they’re lazy—they tune out because nothing about the message feels grounded in their experience. Facts, instructions, and data may be visible, but...

By Stacey Weber In the fast-paced world of product management and product marketing, effective communication is not just a skill—it’s a necessity. Miscommunication can lead to costly mistakes, wasted resources, and missed opportunities. Let’s explore some real-world examples of how communication errors can have significant financial impacts. Imagine a scenario where a product manager is describing a requirement / user story to the design and engineering teams. If the market’s...

By John Geraci In today’s hyperconnected world, the ability to tell a great story is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s the difference between making an impact or getting lost in the noise. If you can’t tell a story that cuts through the clutter, inspires action, and builds real human connection, then you’re already behind. This isn’t hyperbole. It’s reality. We live in an era where information is abundant but...

By Stacey Weber If you follow my blog, you’ve heard all about my beliefs in doing market research. I believe that the best research is done face-to-face with real, authentic conversations between you and your buyers and users – current and potential. These human connections allow us insight into the most important problems that our market is dealing with. When we study the market and specifically look for problems that...