Keir Whitaker | Blog

The ICP Mistake I See Most Agencies Make

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Many of the agency founders and owners I speak to are preoccupied with defining their “Ideal Customer Profile” (ICP).

They want to nail down the demographics, the firmographics, the revenue bands. They assume that getting this right will sharpen their marketing, improve their sales conversations, and make their agency feel less like it’s for everyone and no one at the same time.

And some do the work. They go from “we work with ecommerce brands” to something like “we work with ambitious sustainable DTC brands doing £1–3m a year.” But nothing else changes. The offer is the same. The messaging is the same. The agency doing the work is the same. The only thing that’s really changed is the H1 on the homepage.

The problem isn’t that ICP doesn’t matter. It’s that many agencies are building a filter before they need one.

Don’t Filter Prematurely

A commercial ICP, the kind that tells you to only work with “A B2C, seed-funded, founder-led Shopify brand with £2–5m in revenue, a team of 8–12, a sustainability focus, who are based in London and eyeing Series A”, is a great tool for managing abundance. It makes sense when you have more inbound than you can handle and need a way to qualify quickly. But most growing agencies aren’t drowning in leads. They’re still building momentum.

Filtering aggressively at that stage doesn’t actually make things easier. It just means turning away work you could learn from, before you have enough evidence to know what good actually looks like for your business.

P is For Person

There’s an earlier, more useful version of ICP work that most agencies overlook. Instead of defining who you work with demographically, you build a psychographic picture of the person you’re writing to, thinking for, and solving problems for. Not a revenue band but a mindset. Not a company size but a situation.

For a Shopify agency, that might look like:

A founder who built their store themselves and knows it well, but has hit the ceiling of what they can do alone. They’re not looking to be educated, they want someone who can see what they can’t see anymore.
An operator who’s been burned by an agency before. They’re sceptical, they ask good questions, and they need to trust you before they’ll commit. Not the easiest first conversation, but often the best long-term client.
A brand doing decent numbers but quietly aware that their store looks like it was built in 2019. They haven’t prioritised it because everything still works, but they know it’s starting to cost them.

None of these tell you who to filter out. But each one is a person you can write to, think for, and build content around. When you have someone that specific in mind, your marketing gets sharper. Your positioning gets clearer. You start describing problems better than your clients can themselves, and that’s what actually makes you stand out.

Earn the Filter Through Observation

The demographic and firmographic detail, revenue bands, team size, platform, geography, becomes useful eventually. But it has to be earned through experience, not declared in a workshop.

Pay attention to the clients that energise you, who are straightforward to work with, who don’t haggle over invoices. Look for patterns in business stage, founder mindset, and urgency. Over time, those patterns tell you who you’re really for, and that’s when tightening your filter starts to make sense.

So yes, your ICP matters. Just not the one you think. Less Ideal Customer Profile, more Ideal Customer Person.

Let's Stop the Marketing Guilt

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When it comes to marketing their businesses, clients often tell me they know exactly what they should be doing. The problem? It sounds exactly like every other agency or app company in the ecosystem. You know the drill—a blog article a week, 12 LinkedIn posts a month, regular email newsletters, new channels to explore. The list never ends.

And then there’s the smiley LinkedIn thought leader who wants to sell you a course about segmentation and funnels that will change your world — all for the princely sum of $499 (paid in four equal installments). Because clearly what you need is another framework to feel guilty about not implementing.

But here’s the trap. It’s easy to look at what other businesses are doing and assume you should be doing it too. What’s much harder is figuring out what actually deserves your time and limited resources in your business. That’s where I come in.

So What Actually Matters?

Before we talk tactics, we need to be clear on what the business is trying to do. Where are you focused? What kind of growth are you building toward? What does your positioning actually support?

Without that foundation, every marketing idea feels equally urgent. With it, the decisions get much easier.

I’ll help you work out:

What deserves focus
What can go in the backlog
What you can stop doing altogether

Without this clarity, marketing turns into a constant low-level guilt. You always feel behind on something, even when the business is actually doing well.

Making It Happen

Once you have direction (which we can review when needed), our attention turns to actually doing the work.

This is where a lot of marketing falls down. Not because people are lazy, but because plans are vague, unrealistic, or disconnected from how the business actually operates day to day.

Good marketing execution is practical. It fits around client work. It respects your time and resources. And it prioritises boring regularity over sporadic bursts of enthusiasm.

It’s about doing something regularly over nothing consistently.

How I Help

When I help a business with their marketing, we begin by getting clear on what’s actually worth doing — and what isn’t.

This usually means:

Stepping back from the list of “shoulds”
Getting clear on where the business is focused and what kind of growth you’re building toward
Deciding where marketing can realistically make an impact
Narrowing the focus to a small number of meaningful activities
Turning those choices into clear, doable, repeatable steps

From there, it’s about follow-through. Making progress, adjusting as you go and avoiding the trap of endlessly rethinking the plan instead of acting on it.

When marketing has clear direction and consistent delivery, it stops feeling like a side project you’re constantly neglecting. You know what you’re working on. You know why it matters. And you can see progress over time, even when things aren’t perfect.

If this sounds familiar, working out what deserves your attention and helping you act on it is one of the ways I help.

My Take on Positioning & Messaging

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

People I work with don’t struggle to do great work. They struggle to explain what they do in a way that makes it obvious to the right people.

Their business has evolved. The projects have changed. The value they offer has shifted. But the words they use to describe it are still from an earlier version of the business — and that gap creates friction everywhere.

You can usually hear it when they talk about what they do. They start confidently, then qualify or correct themselves. The explanation mostly works in conversation, but it doesn’t quite land on the website or in a pitch. It’s rarely a confidence issue. It’s usually a positioning one.

Positioning

Let’s be honest — ask ten people “what is positioning?” and you’ll likely get ten different answers. Here’s my take. To me, it’s not:

A clever tagline
A punchy headline
A brand exercise full of adjectives

For me, positioning is about the business being clear on:

Who the business exists to serve
The problem the business is set up to solve
Why it’s the right business to solve that problem for that customer

When your positioning doesn’t represent your business, things quietly get harder. Conversations take longer, the right people hesitate, and you’re left explaining things your messaging should already make clear.

Getting positioning right isn’t just about words. It affects where you focus, how you price, and what marketing actually makes sense. When you’re not clear on who you serve and what problem you solve, every business decision becomes harder than it needs to be.

Messaging

If positioning is about how the business sees itself, messaging is how that shows up in the real world.

It’s the words you use on your website, in sales conversations, in proposals, and in emails. Good messaging does a lot of the heavy lifting explaining for you. Bad messaging leaves you filling in the gaps as best you can.

When positioning isn’t clear, messaging ends up vague or overcomplicated. When positioning is clear, messaging becomes much easier. You’re no longer trying to persuade or perform. You’re just describing the business in a way that matches reality.

How I Help

When I help with positioning and messaging, we’re not just writing taglines. We’re getting clear on who the business serves, what it stands for, and how to talk about it consistently. The work starts by looking honestly at what the business is today.

That usually means:

Clarifying who you really serve
Unpacking how you currently describe your work, and how it needs to change
Looking at where the business creates the most value, and where clients actually need help
Shaping a clearer, simpler way of talking about it

The aim isn’t clever language. It’s being able to explain what you do without caveats, without wincing, and without feeling like you’re oversimplifying.

When your positioning is right, your messaging starts doing its job. Conversations are clearer, the right customers recognise themselves, and things feel less complicated.

If this is something you’re wrestling with, positioning and messaging sits at the heart of how I help businesses get clearer on their story—and everything that flows from it.

Never Have I Ever

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Louise did it again. Not content with hosting her first “Never Have I Ever” online last year she’s now delving into the IRL space with “Never Have I Ever Live Business Edition (Exeter)”.

She’s kindly asked me back to join the panel so I’ll be heading down to Exeter on Tuesday 20th January 2026 for an evening of chat about the good, the bad, and the absolute ugly of running a small business.

So, if you’re up for some honest conversation with business owners who get it, and a cosy after-work drinks vibe, this is the event to uplift you on a cold — and let’s face it probably wet — January evening.

What We’ll Talk About

Topics such as pricing woes, lessons learnt, difficult clients, and wondering if you’ve made a huge mistake. Not sanitised. Not theoretical.
Real examples of how we’ve handled situations.
The reassurance that there’s no right way to do this.
Ideas and new perspectives for you to try.
Your own Never Have I Ever moments. Ask the question you’ve been sitting on, in a small and supportive group setting with people who’ve been there.

Your Host

Louise Gregson-Williams
Left her secure civil service job overnight (no side-hustle) to launch LEAP Thirtytwo, helping B2B businesses go from nowhere to noticed. Almost four years in and still learning.

Your Panelists

Rosie Hawkins
Director of RedHawk Events, designing events that create lasting impact. With 18+ years of business ups, downs, and everything in between.

Keir Whitaker (Me!)
Marketing and business strategist juggling multiple hats, supporting soloists and Shopify Partners while running Craft+Work. Proof that running your own business rarely looks like the textbook.

Plus a guest panellist (TBA).

Your Ticket Includes

Portal Pizza and conversation on arrival
A 90-minute candid conversation with the panellists and other attendees
An understanding, relaxed atmosphere with a genuine “let’s chat about it” vibe
A genuinely nice way to spend a January evening at Topsham Brewery

NB: Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be available to purchase from the bar.

Who’s It For?

Small business owners, founders, and consultants looking for uplifting and honest conversations about running a business.

Tickets

Early bird: £12 (book before 9 January)
Standard: £15

Buy Your Ticket

What was De:Brief?

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Some of the best ideas start with a “what if” — a throwaway thought shared over a coffee that somehow ends up turning into a reality. De:brief 2019 was no different.

At the end of 2018, I moved on from Shopify. It was an amazing journey, but after almost seven years, I felt the need for a change. I knew I wanted to continue to earn my living in the ecosystem and in early 2019 I started to work with Shopify focused agencies and app companies — many of which I had the pleasure of collaborating with during my time at Shopify.

The Shopify Economy Panel at De:brief 2019

Through our work together I gained a whole new perspective of the ecosystem. With Unite on the horizon, I wondered what a gathering after the conference could look like — if for nothing else than to bring those working at the forefront of the ecosystem together in something resembling a formal setting to discuss the big announcements and the impact they would have on our businesses.

It’s Good to Talk

I spun the idea by long-time collaborator Cat Hunter and after she agreed to lend her well-honed event production skills to the mix, De:brief 2019 was born.

150+ Partners Attended

It was to take the form of a community-focused half-day event featuring panels that would discuss and dissect everything from themes and frontend to the app economy and beyond.

De:brief — The Definition of Community

A venue was found, baristas sourced and deposits paid — it was happening. Events don’t seem real until the first ticket is sold, so we must say a big thank you to Craig Cooper who took the plunge and became our inaugural ticket purchaser!

Amazingly, another 149 of you joined Craig (with many more on our waiting list) and helped us put on an event that exceeded all our expectations.

2020 — The Event that Almost Was

We had every intention of hosting De:brief 2020 in the same intimate setting and at the beginning of 2020 reached out to previous attendees and Patrons to see if there was interest again. To our delight there was, and by early March we’d sold out and secured enough support to host a — if not bigger — better De:brief post-Unite 2020.

As we all know, things changed rapidly in March 2020, and not long after Shopify announced they would be hosting Unite as a remote event — and then not at all — we decided that we would follow suit. De:brief 2020 was not to be.

Today

Events are still very much part of my world. And in 2023, the aforementioned Craig and I launched Craft+Work — a small-scale, highly curated gathering for Shopify Partners and the soloists, founders, and builders who orbit the ecosystem. What started as a side experiment has quickly become one of the highlights of my year.

What is Craft+Work?

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In September 2024, we took Craft+Work on the road to NYC and Toronto. We asked participants, “What is Craft+Work?” Here’s what they said.

Video: Craig Cooper

Behind The Scenes of BT

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been lucky to call Marc Thiele a friend for many years. As well as enjoying many a cold drink together, we’ve collaborated on more than a few projects—including him being the main photographer for most of the big Shopify events I helped run.

So when he asked me to join him for his Behind the Scenes interview series, I happily agreed — despite my inherent camera shyness.

We covered a lot, but a few themes stood out:

Feedback matters — Giving it, hearing it, and actually using it. Growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Websites still matter — They’re still a core touchpoint people judge you by, especially for events.
The social media shift — A decade on, the landscape’s changed. Know what’s useful and ignore the rest.
Craft+Work — Why I started it, who it’s for, and what we’re trying to build.

It’s a genuine conversation between two people who’ve been around the block together. If you’re curious how I think about events, marketing, and community, it’s worth a watch.

You can read Marc’s take over on the beyond tellerrand blog.

Hijack the Hype

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve been in the UK lately, you’ll know it’s been near-impossible to escape the Oasis mania that’s gripped the nation. If you haven’t — don’t worry — the boys are venturing overseas soon, so your turn’s coming.

I was there the first time round. I remember buying Supersonic on CD single after watching them make their UK TV debut on The Word — Channel 4’s legendary late-night ‘yoof’ culture show — back in ‘94 (31 years ago — madness).

Oasis Merch by Adidas

Fast-forward to today, and the once warring siblings are everywhere (again) — even Adidas stores have been taken over by Oasis-branded merch. You’ll be pleased (or perhaps relieved) to hear I didn’t drop 40 of the King’s pounds on a bucket hat — though a track jacket briefly tempted me. But given their somewhat figure-hugging cut, I decided to forgo the opportunity.

But anyway — the reason I’m banging on about this isn’t (just) to reminisce. It’s because Lidl — yes, Lidl, the discount supermarket chain more commonly associated with its own-brand dupes than Britpop couture — pulled off one of the smartest bits of opportunistic marketing I’ve seen in ages.

The Lidl by Lidl Jacket

While Berghaus teamed up officially with Liam for a timely reissue, Lidl decided to hijack the hype and dropped their own version: the Lidl by Lidl jacket.

It’s brilliant on so many levels — a nod to one of Oasis’s songs, tongue-in-cheek, totally on-brand, and a great way to turn someone else’s spotlight into attention for their brand. Even Rolling Stone covered it.

Say what you like about our kid, but he knows how to wear a parka. And clearly, so does Lidl’s marketing team.

Have you ever “hijacked the hype”? If so, let me know, I’d love to hear.

Consistency Beats Complexity

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When it comes to marketing, getting started is often the most challenging part of the journey.

Why? Because marketing is so often the thing that gets pushed to the bottom of the list, especially when you’re a soloist or founder and you’re the one responsible for doing it.

Client work always takes priority. Revenue-generating tasks shout the loudest. And frankly, sometimes you’re just too tired to think about writing a LinkedIn post or planning a new campaign.

Then, when you do carve out a bit of time for marketing, the advice you find is completely overwhelming. You’re handed 50-page strategy decks, complex funnels, and content calendars that would take a whole department to implement.

So what do you do when it’s just you, your laptop, and a couple of spare hours a week between client work and calls?

You strip it back. Focus on a handful of simple, doable things you can actually stick with — because when it’s just you, consistency beats complexity every time.

Things like:

Sending a short update to your existing clients once a month, sharing what you’re working on
Emailing your previous customers to let them know what’s new or how you could help them now
Sharing a simple offer or short case study every week to showcase what you do and who you do it for
Posting a weekly quick tip, a lesson from your own work, or a perspective that speaks directly to customers you want to connect with.

These aren’t big, flashy marketing moves. They’re the quiet, steady actions that keep you visible, build trust, and show people that you’re still alive, doing good work and open for business.

If you’re a soloist or founder (especially if you’re working in the Shopify Partner ecosystem) and would like some help figuring out where to start, what to do, and how to stay consistent with your marketing, maybe I can help.

Maybe You Need a Co-Pilot

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Too many soloists and founders try to do everything on their own (trust me, I know): strategy, marketing, hiring, pricing, partnerships, ops, growth, and the million tiny decisions in between.

It’s tiring, stressful, and easy to get sidetracked and lose focus with everything going on. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Since starting my own consulting business over six years ago, I’ve quietly been working one-on-one with soloists, founders, and senior leaders within the Shopify Partner (and adjacent) ecosystem — helping them navigate tricky decisions, find focus, and keep things moving without burning out.

It’s the work I love most: being a trusted partner for smart, thoughtful people building great things in the Shopify world. That’s why I’ve finally given this one-to-one coaching and advisory work a proper name (yes, it’s just called 1–1 Coaching & Advisory — I know, I can probably do better, but better to ship the thing than procrastinate, right?!) and put all the details in my new services section.

How it Works

It’s not a one-size-fits-all framework or a big-ticket consulting package. It’s a mix of advice, mentoring, coaching, and hands-on support — whatever’s most useful at the time — from someone who’s been in the trenches for over 13 years, both at Shopify and running his own business in the ecosystem. Here’s how it works:

Kickoff Deep Dive — We start with a short survey and a longer working session to really dig into your business, challenges, and goals. We’ll get clear on where you’re at and what needs to happen next.
Working Sessions — We’ll meet twice a month for focused 60-minute calls (more if needed). These are all about tackling roadblocks, bouncing ideas around, and keeping you on track.
Anytime Access — Got a question, idea, or mini-crisis between sessions? Message me anytime via WhatsApp, Slack, or email. I’m here to help as things come up — not just during our calls.

How I Help

If you’re wondering what kind of support you’d actually get, here are a few recent examples of things I’ve helped clients work through:

Figure out their marketing and who they’re really talking to
Create blog articles, LinkedIn posts, and newsletters that speak to their customers
Review their pricing strategies to make things easier to understand
Create simple processes to keep existing clients up to date on new offers
Set up tracking and reporting so they know what’s working and what’s not
Identify partnerships and collaborations that make sense

If you work in the Shopify Partner ecosystem and this sounds like something you’d benefit from then get in touch and let’s see if we’re a good fit.

Marketing as a Soloist

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A quote from Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, founder and creative director at Among Equals, in a recent interview on Creative Boom, really stuck with me:

Is there anything harder than promoting yourself? I still struggle with it. I know I should post more on LinkedIn, but there’s that voice saying, “Who cares?”. I know I should share more opinions, but then I think, “Does the industry really need another lukewarm take on AI?” But I’m pushing myself. I wish I’d seen more women represented when I started out, so I try. I find it far easier to promote Among Equals than myself – championing the work, the team, and our clients.

I couldn’t agree more. She goes on to say:

But I’m also the biggest extrovert on the planet. I love being around people, speaking at events, doing podcasts, judging (work, not people). So I’m doing more of that. I just try to make sure what I say is useful – no one needs more noise.

While I would never describe myself as the “biggest extrovert on the planet”, I do relate to a lot of what she says.

I am on LinkedIn, but I find the rhythm of posting regularly and in the “right” format difficult to maintain. It feels like you have to follow a certain template to get “engagement” and accompany every post with a contemplative selfie in a trendy hotel lobby. Kind of like this guy (image courtesy of ChatGPT)!

Maybe I should embrace it. But if not LinkedIn, then what? How do we share our work and expertise and show up online without burning out or feeling fake?

As someone running a solo business, I often feel like I’m not doing enough to promote what I do. There’s no company name to hide behind, and using “we” when it’s just me feels disingenuous. I can come up with loads of good ideas for clients (their words, not mine), yet I still find it hard to talk about myself online — even though I have plenty to say in person.

So yes, self-promotion still feels awkward — even after all these years. But here’s something I often remind my clients (and need to remind myself of, too) — a lot of what we’re already doing is marketing.

Thoughtfully replying to emails. Sharing a client win. Updating our websites. Speaking at an event. Guesting on a podcast. Offering a clear opinion in a meeting. It all builds a picture. It all counts. Maybe it’s time we gave ourselves a bit of credit.

Let me know how you’re feeling about your marketing. And if you need a hand, cough, cough, hit reply and let’s talk — I promise I’m way better working for you than I am for me!

Hidden Delighters

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Years ago, back in my web design days, I went to a talk about “delighters”. You know the thing — those little design touches that on first sighting make you go, “Ooh, that’s nice”. Moments of surprise. Tiny bits of, well, delight.

You don’t see as many of them these days. What could ever top the first time you pulled down to refresh a page (Twitterrific if memory serves) or the sweet parallax scroll on the Silverback App site back in 2008?

I was reminded of that talk while reading a recent post by Nick Parter. He shared a hidden delighter from early Paynter jackets.

If you don’t know them, Paynter makes limited-edition jackets and shirts — designed in London, made in Portugal, and yes, very nice. I had one once, but outgrew it (middle age comes at you fast). Also, they’re on Shopify.

Anyway back to the point. Each jacket came with two care labels. On the back were the the usual washing and drying instructions, but on the front you’d find a care label for yourself. You might not agree with every suggestion (Coco Pops?!), but it was clever, memorable, and widely shared. They even turned it into a screenprint. The label was quietly retired in 2020, but people still talk about it — like I am now.

It made me think — how often are we building small, delightful moments into our marketing, onboarding, or products? Got a good example? I’d love to hear it.

Unhappy Developers

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Shopify app developer Mat de Souza recently published the results of a LinkedIn poll focused on the Shopify partner ecosystem. He received over 400 responses, and whilst I won’t publish the entire list, a few caught my eye.

Q: Do you trust Shopify not to compete directly with partners in the future?
A: 17.5% Yes / 82.5% No

Q: Should Shopify allow more transparency on app store ranking factors?
A: 83% Yes / 17% No

Q: Have recent changes in Shopify made it harder to grow as a partner?
A: 67% Yes / 33% No

Q: Do you believe Shopify gives unfair visibility to certain apps?
A: 84% Yes / 16% No

Q: Is Shopify moving away from being “partner-first”?
A: 72% Yes / 28% No

It all sounds a bit bleak, doesn’t it? While these results highlight growing concerns among Shopify app developers, they also reinforce the importance of building a strong brand, strengthening customer relationships, and diversifying growth strategies beyond the app store.

Lately, I’ve been working with app-focused clients on precisely that, including:

Refreshing the design, copy, and style of their app store listing images
Creating a simple, segmented newsletter for current customers to highlight features they have (and those they don’t)
Developing an event engagement strategy to maximise upcoming conferences and meetups

There’s always room to adapt and thrive—sometimes, it just takes a shift in approach. Perhaps I can help you? Get in touch and let’s find a time to chat.

Investing in Yourself

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When you work for yourself (either as a soloist or founder with a team), it’s easy to push self-improvement to “when things calm down.” My reality is that they never do. There’s always another email to answer, another client request, another bit of admin that suddenly feels more pressing.

Lately, I’ve been rethinking how I approach “personal development”. Instead of seeing it as a luxury or something to do “when I have time”, I’m treating it like regular maintenance — small, manageable changes that, over time, will hopefully have a significant impact.

Here are five things I’ve been trying:

Time blocking — I’m setting aside time on my calendar for intentional learning, for example, playing with ChatGPT or Claude, getting to grips with Riverside, and improving my Figma skills.
Improved my setup — After far too long, I’ve upgraded my desk chair, invested in better lighting, and even bought some bookends to keep my ever-growing “to read” pile in check.
Daylight — I realised I could go days without stepping outside, especially in winter when it’s dark at both ends of the workday. Now, I make a point of taking a daily walk—not just for exercise, but for a much-needed dose of daylight. (Though, living in the UK, this is often weather-permitting!)
New perspectives — Over the 18 months, I’ve been trying to step outside my usual bubble of authors, podcasts, and events. Last year, my highlight event was on behavioural science, and my favourite book was on hospitality! Both have helped me with my day-to-day work.
Investing £££ in training — Beyond events, I recently invested in coaching training and joined Ellen’s Authority Club as part of the first cohort. Both experiences were invaluable in their own ways.

None of this is groundbreaking, but I’ve noticed that when I prioritise these things, I feel like I am making progress. How do you invest in yourself? Hit reply and let me know — I’m always up for new ideas.

The Power of a Thoughtful Reply

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes, it takes a frustrating customer experience to realise you might be making the same mistakes in your own business.

Take, for example, my recent search for a venue for this year’s Craft+Work events. I contacted around ten venues in London. Five replied. Of those, only three responded as if they’d read my short requirements brief, and just one consistently followed up beyond their initial reply. Long story short, they are getting the business.

This experience got me thinking about how I could improve my own email practices. Here are three things I’m considering:

Creating more useful text expanders (I use aText) to speed up responses without sacrificing personalisation.
Create a short PDF outlining my key services and offers to send with enquiries if I am pushed for time “right now”.
Set and communicate follow-up expectations and follow up without feeling bad about it.

It’s a good reminder to check all the other little touch points in my business. Next up will be my newsletter auto-responsder.

Why I Work With Shopify Partners

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

If we’ve met before or you’ve heard about me through someone I’ve worked with, you’ll know I focus on helping Shopify-focused soloists and founders.

But why? Simply put, it’s where I have the most experience and can make the biggest impact.

Let me explain:

13+ Years in the Shopify Ecosystem — Seven years on the Shopify Partners team (that’s me up there hosting Shopify Pursuit in 2018) and six years running my own consultancy.
Firsthand Growth Experience — I saw Shopify grow from under 100 people to over 6,000, giving me deep insights into how successful businesses scale.
A Strong Shopify Network — I’ve built meaningful relationships across the ecosystem, connecting clients with valuable partners, tools, and resources.
I Get Soloists & Founders — Running a business alone isn’t easy. I understand the challenges of time management, growth, and marketing because I live them too.
Worked With Dozens of Shopify-Focused Businesses — Agencies, app companies, and service providers—you name it, I’ve helped them refine their positioning, marketing, and business development strategy.
Insider + Outsider Perspective — I’ve been inside Shopify and out on my own, which gives me a rare understanding of both the corporate and independent sides of the ecosystem.
Lessons From Wins & Failures — I’ve had my share of both, and each one informs the way I help clients make smarter, faster decisions.
Beyond Shopify — I also work with designers, marketers, consultants, and e-commerce businesses, giving me insights into what works across industries.

Here’s what you get when we work together:

Practical, Actionable Advice — No vague strategies or theory. I focus on what you can actually implement and see results from.
A Fresh Perspective — You’re deep in your business. I bring an outside view that helps spot opportunities and challenges you might not see.
Content & Marketing Strategy That Works — Whether it’s refining your messaging, building an email strategy, or improving your outreach, I help businesses create content that attracts the right customers.
Coaching, Accountability & Execution — I don’t just give advice. I help you implement, stay on track, and adjust as needed.
Straight-Talking, No Fluff — You’ll get honest insights, clear direction, and practical next steps. No jargon, no buzzwords—just real, useful advice that moves your business forward.
Flexibility & Adaptability — Every business is different. I tailor my approach to your needs, whether it’s high-level strategy, hands-on support, or something in between.
An Extra Set of Hands (When You Need It) — Sometimes you need more than just advice. I can roll up my sleeves and help with execution too.

If this resonates with you, even if you’re not in the Shopiofy Partner space, book a free consultation and let’s see how I can help.

The Client

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I think teamwork.com pretty much got the attention of every creative agency with these ads! I also chuckeld at the monday.com ad that rolled before I watched one of them.

Part One

Part Two

View the full playlist on YouTube.

Minitel

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A great article on Minitel — a system which was light years ahead of the game. Another case of being too early, perhaps?

In an influential 1978 report to President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, titled The Computerization of Society, government researchers Simon Nora and Alain Minc argued that the solution to France’s telecom woes lay in “telematics”—a combination of telecommunications and informatics. They outlined a plan for digitizing the telephone network, adding a layer of interactive teletext video technology, and providing entrepreneurs with an open platform for innovation.

The UK had it’s own version too called Prestel.

History of the Apple Lisa

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A great documentary by The Verge for anoyone interested in the history of Apple, particularly the Mac!

What’s it about?

Sabotage, hired goons, and a landfill in Utah: this is a story about the life, death, and afterlife of Apple’s most pioneering flop, the Lisa computer. How it inspired generations of computers to follow; how Steve Jobs championed it, then turned against it; and how an outsider gave it another chance…before Apple closed the door on the Lisa forever.

You can also view on YouTube.

Craft+Work London Retrospective

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

On Friday, 31 May 2024, Craft+Work returned to the citizenM, Tower Hill, for its second full-day edition.

50 people comprising soloists, founders, and leaders working in the Shopify Partner ecosystem came together to listen, share and learn from each other. Here’s what people thought of our time together.

Event Merchandise

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s be honest; the quality of event “merch” is of varying quality.

I’ve probably been responsible for my fair share of unmemorable giveaways over the years, but looking back, the “merch” I was most proud of was produced during the early days of the Shopify Partner program.

I was reminded of one of our most impactful “campaigns” this weekend when looking for a charger. Tucked at the bottom of the box was a small stack of the “Design is at the heart of everything we do” coasters we created back in 2013 (maybe 2014 — the memory fades).

These letterpressed beauties were designed by Jen Mussari and printed by Holstee (who also kindly hosted a memorable event for us in Brooklyn, complete with a grilled cheese sandwich truck courtesy of Harley!).

Our goal was to create something that would:

Be cherished and not just left at the event
Make the recipient think of Shopify Partners every time they looked at it
Be photographed and shared online

I think we hit the nail on the head.

We followed this up with a tee-shirt design by Mike Kus. If you’ve been around the Partner ecosystem for a while, you may well remember it. Amazingly, I still occasionally see people in these at Shopify events!

Let me know your favourite piece of “merch” — either something you’ve been given or something you created.

Tenets for Better Work

Tue, 07 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I do enjoy a good list, especially when it comes to how we approach our craft.

Sir John Hegarty (centre) co-founded BBH with Nigel Bogle (l) and John Bartle (r) in Soho, London in 1982

The following is from Sir John Hegarty (if you bought 501’s in the 80’s you’ve seen his work) and featured in issue 15 of his excellent “The Business of Creativity” newsletter.

In the course of my career, I’ve discovered ten rules for creative business (I’m aware that the list below contains eleven, but the last one is a bonus). Whenever I’ve adhered to them, work has soared, and things have often turned out better than expected. I hope they help you with whatever you’re trying to get done this week.

Be an optimist — You have to believe that you are going to have an impact and make the world a better place. Energy and enthusiasm are contagious.
Remove the headphones — The world is full of inspiration. Listen.
Mix with the best — Great thinkers congregate, learn from each other and get inspired.
Read shit — Read good things in the hope it will rub off. Also, read outside your discipline to give yourself an unexpected advantage.
Respect your ego — Ego is “I”, your sense of belief, your opinion. Don’t allow this to become “hubris”. This is when your self-importance is too high.
Respect, don’t revere — Admire ideas, not people. The former don’t let you down.
Constantly question — Children are restless and constantly questioning. This is how their knowledge expands. Don’t be afraid to ask the unusual question. It will expand your knowledge.
Embrace juxtaposition — It will dramatise your message and encourage your audience to question ‘why?’.
Never exclude — Creativity is an expression of self. Make sure you have as many different people in the room as possible.
Be inspired by beauty — Everyday beauty is all around you – just look for it. It will lift your creative spirit.
There are no rules!

What was Work With Shop?

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

As well as helping clients through business consulting and coaching and events I often have a “side project” or two on the go. Here’s the back story to two closely related ideas.

Work With Shop

After leaving Shopify at the end of 2018, I had the idea of launching a Shopify-specific job board. The ecosystem was buzzing, and finding good people was challenging — a vibrant, cost-effective job board was surely the answer. I had the contacts and a good network — it was a no-brainer!

The idea percolated and together with my good friend Kieran (confusing, I know), we decided to do this under the banner of a new company called Default Ventures. We were all set to launch in June 2020, but the world had other plans. The company morphed, as did the world, and it never came to be.

Fast forward a couple of years and the world was in a better place and I still had the itch to build the board — this time solo. I ended up launching an MVP in late 2022. The timing couldn’t have been much worse as global economies, and therefore recruitment took a nosedive. Nevertheless, many learnings were had, and I finally got to play with Kirby CMS, which was a bonus. I ultimately closed down the project in 2023.

As part of the project’s marketing campaign, I interviewed a bunch of Shopify agency owners and app developers. Those interviews live on and can be found on the Craft+Work blog.

We Worked at Shop

Not long after launching Work With Shop in the summer of 2022, Shopify announced a round of layoffs. I wanted to help. Losing a job unexpectedly is never easy — regardless of the generous package offered. I repurposed the code from Work With Shop, registered weworkedatshop.com, and hooked up a form to allow those affected to post a short profile.

The We Worked at Shop Homepage

The site took off, companies got in touch with open positions, which were duly added to a new page, and folks found new positions.

In due course, the traffic died, or so I thought. A year or so later, a new profile popped up in my inbox, then another, and then more. It turned out that another round of layoffs had taken place at Shopify. The influx was getting too much for my hand-cranked system, so I took the opportunity to automate the process and spent a day or two rebuilding the site.

Hopefully, the site once again benefitted people searching for new roles. After a few months, traffic had died down and I decided to close the site (for now)!

Ultimately the site, and its monetization plan, didn’t work out. I’m still very glad to have tried. I learned a lot, not least the importance of gauging the demand for a product or service. Would I do it all again? Almost certainly.

Publishing Prices Online

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

One topic that comes up a lot during my coaching sessions is whether or not to publish prices online — particularly for those who offer consulting, advisory and expert services.

Let’s have a look at three pros and three cons.

3 Pros

Transparent pricing builds trust and shows confidence in the value we are offering
Having set prices saves the overhead of having to create a custom proposal for every potential client
Showcasing pricing will help a potential buyer understand the initial investment required and potentially reduce “tire kicker” enquiries

3 Cons

Your “competitors” know your rates
You might lose potential clients who don’t fit neatly into the offers you create
You’re leaving “money on the table” as some clients are willing/able to invest more in your services

There are many more, of course. A happy medium I often see is:

One-off fixed fee service with price — e.g. audit, consultancy call, or coaching session
Productised service with price — e.g. a set number of sessions, a workshop and recommendations report, or a monthly highly scoped retainer
Custom offer with “book a discovery call to discuss.”

This has the benefit of showcasing the “ballpark” you play in, allows a lightweight fixed-cost way for a new client to work with you, and leaves the door open to offer more bespoke solutions and pricing.

What do you think? Do you publish prices online? What’s worked, what’s not?

The Power of Pause

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In a world where many of us feel the need to have an instant reaction to something, witnessing someone take a moment to absorb the situation, consider what’s been said, and only then respond is an unusually powerful behaviour.

A pause gives everyone time to think. It allows the previously silent to contribute and gives the “loudest voice in the room” the space to be quiet. Pausing can also allow a situation to resolve itself without intervention.

Pausing is especially potent for new leaders. When moving into a leadership role for the first time, there’s often a strong urge to impress and make an immediate impact. This can be particularly challenging if the new leader has been promoted from an individual contributor role and is now working with former peers. The change for both parties can lead to friction, and many new leaders rush to establish new boundaries quickly.

However, rapid decision-making is not always a strength; in fact, I’d argue it’s the opposite. Pausing has numerous benefits that can lead to better outcomes:

Clarity — Taking a moment to pause can help leaders see the situation more clearly and consider all relevant factors.
Consequences — Pausing gives leaders the opportunity to consider the potential outcomes of their choices.
Information — Pausing allows leaders to gather relevant data, seek advice from subject matter experts, and conduct thorough research.
Emotion — By pausing, leaders can better manage their emotions and avoid making impulsive choices driven solely by the heat of the moment.
Alternatives — Pausing allows leaders to explore different approaches, weigh the pros and cons, and select the most appropriate course of action.
Consultation — Pausing gives leaders the chance to consult with others, gather diverse perspectives, and encourage collaboration.
Alignment — Pausing provides leaders with the time to evaluate whether the decision aligns with the organisation's core values and long-term vision.
Risk — Taking a pause allows leaders to assess potential risks associated with the decision.
Confidence — Pausing to analyse the situation and carefully considering the decision can boost a leader's confidence.

Next time you feel the urge to “dive in”, consider taking a few seconds to pause and see what happens.

Client Relations

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

“Clients” are a regular topic of conversation with my own coaching clients. Topics range from how to attract them, how to build good relationships with them, and ultimately how to deliver meaningful and impactful work for them.

However great a relationship begins, I believe it’s fair to say that both sides of the client/agency relationship can occasionally become frustrating. As hard as we try, we often communicate badly, our ideas and responses get misinterpreted, and we will read the worst into a simple one-line email response. As I often say, “the work is easy, people are hard”.

My good friend Craig Cooper recently shared a website focused on the life and work of Jeremy Bullmore, who is described by the advertising industry bible Campaign as “adland’s greatest philosopher”. There’s plenty of gold in there for any advertising geek, but the section that really caught my eye focuses on people — especially the page devoted to client relations.

The article, actually a transcript of a presentation called “Ten tried and trusted ways of getting the least from your advertising agency”, will have many of you nodding along. It’s also very funny.

Also worth your attention is his memo (above) “Ten tried and trusted ways of pissing off your client”. Whilst point ten might be somewhat outdated (who flies with their client?) the other nine points will, I am sure, resonate.

Bowie on Selfish Work

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I had an early call with Australia today so for practical reasons made use of my old iMac, now resident in my daughter’s room. After a quick desktop tidy, I happened upon a screen grab of a quote which I believe was from one of the many newsletters I subscribe to.

All my big mistakes are when I try to second-guess or please an audience. My work is always stronger when I get very selfish about it.

It’s from David Bowie and is a perhaps timely reminder that sometimes being selfish with our vision, and listening to our inner voice, will produce better results.

Event Marketing 101

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

As the world slowly opens up, it’s not unrealistic to think we might get back to attending events and conferences once again. I’m certainly keen to see how things have changed — if at all. I recently talked with a client who is planning on doing just this. They are doubling down on events in 2022 and asked if I had any advice.

Event Memories

Events were a huge part of the strategy during my time working on the Partnerships team at Shopify. We spoke at, exhibited at, and hosted our own events during my seven years on the team. Needless to say, we learned a lot.

Here in no particular order, are my top 8 tips for IRL event marketing:

Barter
Always be Early
Stand Up
Don’t Waste Your Time
Have the Best Swag
Don’t Ask for Anything
Do You Have a Card?
Use Your Partners (Politely)

Barter

In the early days of attending events for Shopify, my goal was to make a tiny budget go a very long way. To this end, never shy away from seeing what extra you could get thrown into the package. Unless you’re dealing with colossal expo style events, most organisers are always willing to sell “off-menu”, and given that the majority of offerings cost them nothing, it’s a win-win for both parties.

Collateral in the bag, a free workshop during a break, buying and branding the lanyards — the list goes on. Over time event organisers saw the “lunch and learn” sessions we offered as a genuine part of their programming — it took time, but we got there.

Always be Early

If you’re exhibiting, it’s not always a given that the stands are earmarked in advance, especially at smaller grassroots events. So give yourself a competitive advantage by showing up early and speaking to the organisers — you might just get the plum spot next to the auditorium entrance.

Being early will also allow you ample time to find the boxes you had shipped, which were 100% signed for but are nowhere to be found!

Stand Up

I always made a point of speaking to every exhibitor. I wanted to check out their swag, hear their pitch, learn about them. It always shocked me that at least 75% of those working the stands would stay sat down talking to my stomach with one eye on their laptops.

If you have no interest in me (as boring as I may be), why should I have any interest in you or your product? Be friendly, be inquisitive, show interest — it will pay dividends.

Don’t Waste Your Time

When working a stand, it’s important to pace yourself. You certainly don’t want to deliver the same speech 200 times. So to conserve your energy and give yourself some variety, forget about the pitch. Instead, start asking questions.

“Tell me about what you do”, “What brings you here today?”, “Which sessions are you most interested in?” are all great starters. Then, as the conversation flows, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how your product or service can help the person in front of you and when you do share a little more, or the question is reciprocated, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of where to push the conversation to your benefit.

Have the Best Swag

The days of bad swag are hopefully well and truly behind us. Even pre-COVID, the trend was towards more sustainable giveaways — after all, who needs another branded stress ball. Swag isn’t cheap, and there’s nothing more disheartening than seeing your collateral left on the seat or, even worse, discarded in a bin!

In 2014, our goal was to attract more designers to the Shopify platform. There was a perception that Shopify was a rigid platform and that themes were restrictive in terms of how they looked and worked. To dispel this myth, we decided that that year’s campaign would lead with the slogan “Design is at the heart of everything we do”. Whilst our content would focus on beautiful ecommerce design, we needed a hook that would attract folks who would typically shy away from ecommerce to our stand.

Watch on Vimeo

In collaboration with Mike Kus, we came up with what I still believe is the best conference t-shirt I’ve ever seen. Hand drawn and hand-printed on t-shirts made with recycled drinks bottles, our tees were an instant success. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing someone turn up on day two wearing your wares. We followed up the success of this campaign with another custom design focused on the slogan “With you all the way”.

It wasn’t just tees — over the years, we produced a series of hard copy books called Grow and cheat sheets for Liquid — the Shopify theme templating language. Oh, and let’s not forget the letterpresses Liquid coasters!

Don’t Ask for Anything

Measuring the success of event marketing is highly problematic. I had countless conversations justifying the spend and reporting back on the number of emails I “captured”. At least, in my opinion, event marketing is all about awareness building. If you can plant a seed, cement an existing relationship, or educate people who have no interest in your product or service today but might in the future, it’s a win.

However, it’s not easy to convince your paymasters of this approach. In the end, we realised that the actual cost was not being present and that measuring a digital result in an analogue world is often more trouble than it’s worth. To this end, we stopped trying to get email addresses on the stand — sure, if someone wanted a follow-up, we’d happily sign them up, but ultimately it was 100% not the focus. That said, when 100 people signed up for our “free lunch and learn” session, we had a healthy list of interested people to engage with.

Do You Have a Card?

Admittedly “old skool” but the business card is an essential part of your event arsenal. Cover the basics — name, email, company logo etc. For extra impact, include a photo, and you’ll be much easier to remember. Do the swap and marvel at the quality (or lack thereof) in true Patrick Bateman style. Oh, and follow up personally within two days!

Use Your Partners (Politely)

Let’s talk about what I call “friendly leverage”. Selling technology is challenging. There’s always a learning curve, and it could potentially take hours, weeks, even months to truly get to grips with it.

Whilst we did undertake a lot of technical education (thankfully, themes back in 2014 were a little more straightforward than they are today), we put a lot of focus on sharing the stories of Shopify Partners who had taken the leap and gone all-in on a nascent ecommerce platform.

Over the seven years I worked at Shopify, I collaborated with 100+ partners. They shared their journey through stage talks, articles, interviews, and webinars (still an awful term). I always encouraged them to share the good and the bad. Shopify wasn’t, isn’t perfect and hearing an actual perspective always feels more genuine. Never forget your happy customers will always be your best advocates.

The Before and After Positioning Trick

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

When working with clients, particularly app developers, I often talk about creating an effective “frame of reference” for customers to relate to. Sometimes all a potential customer needs is a way to interpret what we’re trying to tell them. In other words, how can we give them a reference point that will, hopefully, generate that ah-ha moment of clarity about how you can help.

We can sling great copy all over our site, but sometimes you just need to hit someone, metaphorically, in the face with something clean and simple. One of the most effective ways to create a “frame of reference” is the before and after example.

Put simply, you highlight how life was “before” your product or service and right next to it showcase the transformation that happens “after” your product or service is used.

Here’s a simple example for a fictitious Shopify app that automates sending orders to multiple vendors.

Before

A team member needs to create individual spreadsheets for each vendor and email them personally at the close of business
The manual process leaves a lot of room for human error, which causes increases in returns
A team member has to consistently work late to ship the order sheets out in time for next day dispatch

After

Each vendor automatically receives their list of automatically generated orders at midnight
Using the app massively reduces the opportunity for human errors to be made
Team members no longer have to work overtime resulting in reduced labour costs and happier employees

You can equally apply this to a service your agency offers. It won’t work for every occasion but is a nice and simple option to keep in the toolbox.

Robert Craven's Elevator Pitch

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Have you ever failed miserably at answering the question “what do you do?” I’ve been there. We fumble through a few buzz words, say “it’s hard to explain,” and quickly change the subject.

Having a clear pitch is essential yet stupidly hard. Robert Craven, Founder of Grow Your Digital Agency Initiative, has an approach I like a lot. He argues that the elevator pitch has four elements:

We work with …
Who has a problem with …
What we do is …
So that …

Easy, right? It’s more complicated than you think. What I like about this approach is that it forces you to be very specific on your target audience, the problem you help with, and the outcomes you generate.

Here’s mine in the first person:

I work with founders, leaders and experts running digital and creative businesses who want to build a better business. I help them define where they are, where they want to go, and help them overcome the challenges that will prevent them from getting there. I do this through 1-1 coaching and advise so that they avoid the pitfalls of entrepreneurship, have clarity on their direction, and increased confidence in their actions.

It, of course, gets more challenging if your business offers more than one skill set. Perhaps it’s OK to have more than one, and you pull out the most appropriate depending on the recipient.

Keynote Countdown Timer

Thu, 10 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever been involved in running an event you may well have come across the issue of finding a reliable countdown timer — the speaker’s aid to see how long they have left in their allocated slot.

Back in 2017, I was involved in producing a series of events called A Day with Shopify, which later turned into Pursuit. We’d struggled to find the perfect countdown timer and so I decided to undertake some research into the various options on the market.

I consulted my good friend Marc and received a couple of app recommendations and eventually settled on using Presentime. It’s a great app and well worth the small fee. The ability to view the remaining time from a secondary device as well as reset the timer remotely without wi-fi are both great features. The only downsides are that you need an iPad, preferably a big one, to make use of it and occasionally the connection dropped causing a few stressful moments.

It got me thinking — surely it would be pretty straightforward to make use of Keynote and create a countdown timer that would be displayed on a laptop or piped to a comfort monitor (nice and big) on the stage.

A couple of hours later I ended up with a deck that:

Displays a second-by-second 30-minute countdown timer
Turns orange at the ten-minute mark
Turns red at the five-minute mark
Calls “Times Up”
Alerts overrun by 1,2,3,4, and 5 minutes

It’s not revolutionary but might be useful to anyone out there running an event. It’s on GitHub — feel free to download a copy for your own use.

Keir Whitaker | Blog

The ICP Mistake I See Most Agencies Make

Don’t Filter Prematurely

P is For Person

Earn the Filter Through Observation

More Content is Not The Answer

The “More Content” Trap

So What Actually Matters?

How I Help

Let's Stop the Marketing Guilt

So What Actually Matters?

Making It Happen

How I Help

My Take on Positioning & Messaging

Positioning

Messaging

How I Help

Never Have I Ever

What We’ll Talk About

Your Host

Your Panelists

Your Ticket Includes

Who’s It For?

Tickets

What was De:Brief?

It’s Good to Talk

2020 — The Event that Almost Was

Today

What is Craft+Work?

Behind The Scenes of BT

Hijack the Hype

Consistency Beats Complexity

Maybe You Need a Co-Pilot

How it Works

How I Help

Marketing as a Soloist

Hidden Delighters

Unhappy Developers

Investing in Yourself

The Power of a Thoughtful Reply

Why I Work With Shopify Partners

The Client

Part One

Part Two

Minitel

History of the Apple Lisa

Craft+Work London Retrospective

Recent Reads August 24

Event Merchandise

Tenets for Better Work

What was Work With Shop?

Work With Shop

We Worked at Shop

Publishing Prices Online

3 Pros

3 Cons

The Power of Pause

Client Relations

Bowie on Selfish Work

Event Marketing 101

Barter

Always be Early

Stand Up

Don’t Waste Your Time

Have the Best Swag

Don’t Ask for Anything

Do You Have a Card?

Use Your Partners (Politely)

The Before and After Positioning Trick

Before

After

Robert Craven's Elevator Pitch

Keynote Countdown Timer