Moonshot: Hypersonic Business Growth Strategies for Culture, Marketing & Operations
Perhaps co-authors James Philip Arbuckle and Kane Carpenter can appreciate the reference to the old Saturday Night Live Point/Counterpoint skit in which Jane Curtin and Dan Ackroyd offer a satirical take on the one-on-one debate format and Ackroyd responds to his adversary with the infamous line about her character that still may not be ready for prime time.
They can appreciate that trip down memory lane — with tongue, of course, in cheek — because their serious and highly entertaining business book, Moonshot: Hypersonic Business Growth Strategies for Culture, Marketing & Operations (Allentown Publishing, LLC), follows a similar but profoundly unique format of two business experts debating a variety of salient points in their aptly described “Tactical Field Guide for Today’s Business Leader.”
Two Perspectives Are Better Than One
Their opinions are not so much adversarial as they are complementary, with Arbuckle, the serial entrepreneur, and Carpenter, the marketing and growth consultant, taking the training wheels off a variety of topics that every company, regardless of size, and every business leader must consider in order to thrive. “We are two people who are completely different in almost every way, shape and form,” they write. “But when it comes to business, we think very much alike.” The authors naturally focus on the Big Picture but in the process look for every competitive edge. “We’re always trying to find that spot on the chart where the smallest input generates the maximum output.”
As the subtitle indicates, the book is divided into three core areas with which every company has to come to terms: culture and nurturing human capital; marketing, everything from social media to monolithic marketing theory; and operations, including strategy, customer service and cash flow, among other subjects.
“Don’t Fake the Funk”
In today’s world, companies are finding it harder than ever to build culture and camaraderie through Zoom. But such is the current environment of staff working from home and never meeting teammates in person. That scenario puts more pressure on hiring the right people that fit not only job descriptions but company culture and values. And as Arbuckle suggests, “be slow to hire, fast to fire,” if need be.
And be true to the culture you want to create — or as they put it, “Don’t fake the funk just to get people on the dance floor. You’ll look like an over-served wedding guest at 2:00 a.m.” Companies, they argue, spend so much time trying to emulate other companies that they forget their own identity, what they stand for and what they want to become. Their advice covers far-ranging topics, from hiring to maintaining to managing up and down and generating productivity. When it comes to operations, the authors stress focusing on core competencies and not getting “distracted by new shiny objects,” as Carpenter says.
And don’t shortchange your customers or think you are smarter than they are. As Arbuckle says, only half-kiddingly, “The chip bag seems less full, there’s a little less cheese on the pizza and the package says, ‘made with mostly real chicken!’” The discussion continues with thoughts on process, service, sales and building loyalty. The duo tackles marketing head-on, getting into capturing leads, gaining new customers, the cost of a new client, the three “phases” of marketing and making sense of social.
Bold Strategy in a Changing World
Arbuckle and Carpenter have succeeded in delivering a fluid, informative and enjoyable treatise on key practices and theories that every business leader should consider, if not implement. They have the expertise — and come from different experiences to offer diverse insights to help companies get their arms around a topic. And their timing couldn’t be better.
“The ground is shifting beneath our feet, technology and AI are changing everything around us, and the world has never been more competitive. So we see no choice other than to be bold and strategic if we plan to grow at the rates we want to.”
James Philip Arbuckle is a serial entrepreneur, startup investor, philanthropist, music producer and business thought leader who has built several multimillion-dollar businesses over the past two decades. He is the founder and chairman of Heavy Hitter Holdings. However, James is no ordinary entrepreneur. Raised in a working-class neighborhood in Downriver, Michigan, James grew up with a natural street hustle and an aggressive outlook on business and life. James’s ambition led him, while still in his teens, to start several companies selling a variety of goods. Ever ambitious, James became one of the youngest recipients of the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification in the state of Michigan. Today, Heavy Hitter Holdings is home to more than a dozen brands spanning recruiting and executive search, market research, human capital consulting, digital marketing, CPG products, music, digital media and publishing, and startup investing.
Kane Carpenter is a marketer, growth consultant, and managing director at Daggerfinn, a boutique employer branding, growth strategies, and organizational development consultancy that lives at the intersection of marketing, workplace culture, and technology. Kane is also a Forbes contributor, serves as the host of the Marketing Unlocked series on Careerology, and shares his thoughts on marketing and finance through his Substack, No Brand Left Behind. He holds an MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business. Visit kanecarpenter.com.
