Tom Ruwitch

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Night Sweats & AI Panic (Until I Realized This)

By Tom Ruwitch

I had a rough night. Woke in a panic. Heart pounding. Eyes darting. Jaw clenched. Adrenalin surging. One thought screaming and echoing, through my brain: “My robot is going to replace me!” My friggin’ GPT-powered robot. His name is “B-9(?). And he’s coming for my job! Just a few months ago, I asked B-9(?) how…

Don’t Hide Your Pitch Behind a Veil

By Tom Ruwitch

Yesterday, I shared a cautionary tale about a podcast guest wannabe who accused me of delivering “thinly veiled sales pitches” on The Story Power Marketing Show. That accusation stung because… …I don’t do THINLY VEILED pitches! I do sales pitches without veils… …and I encourage my guests to do the same. I encourage them to:…

Arrogance Killed the Podcasting Star A Cautionary Tale)

By Tom Ruwitch

Call me picky, but I don’t want to host blowhard, know-it-all jerks on my podcast. That’s why I didn’t didn’t invite “Tim” to be a guest. If you want to build a following of people who know, like, trust, respect, and hire you… …read on. Tim’s story is a cautionary tale about how NOT to…

RecomMONDAYtions ~ 2025.05.12

By Tom Ruwitch

Recommended Viewing The secret to great opportunities? The person you haven’t met yet | Tanya Menon We tend to stick with people who look like us, think like us, and make us feel comfortable. But when it comes to new ideas, big breaks, or fresh opportunities, that comfort zone becomes a trap. Tanya Menon’s TED…

The Mistake That Killed a $10 Million Deal

By Tom Ruwitch

Here’s the sad, true tale of a business owner who lost millions of dollars because he didn’t build an email list. He wanted to sell his software business, and he hired my friend Mark to broker the deal. Mark found an eager prospect who loved everything about the business and was eager to buy it…

Why Sell Your Soul? Do this Instead…

By Tom Ruwitch

In the early 1930s, Robert Johnson was a good guitarist. But he wasn’t great. He wasn’t a stand-out. No one imagined he would be the “King of the Delta Blues.” Johnson was just another nobody, struggling to break through in Mississippi juke joints. Then he disappeared. No one heard from him for months. When he came back,…

Stop Waiting and Hoping – Take Control

By Tom Ruwitch

I met yesterday with an author who’s frustrated because his new Amazon bestseller isn’t generating business. On his website’s front page: A blurb about the book, an image of the cover, and a link to buy on Amazon. With this approach, a lot has to happen for the book to generate business. A website visitor…

Why I Face-Palmed When I Saw This Email Tactic

By Tom Ruwitch

I’ve noticed something interesting about the emails I get from marketing master (and Story Power email subscriber) Dave Dee. They now include this message at the bottom: One more thing… If you found this DEEmail helpful, forward it to a fellow professional or friend who’d appreciate it. It only takes a second. Creating it took…

One RecomMONDAYtion (and Reflections on a Heartbreaking Defeat)

By Tom Ruwitch

On Mondays, I usually send you “RecomMONDAYtions.” Today, I share just one recommendation — for a book I love and encourage you to read. But first, a story to set the stage for the book… Last night, my hockey-lovin’ heart was broken. Shattered, really. The 7th and deciding game of the first-round NHL playoff series. My…

How to Build Rapport, Earn Trust, and Inspire Them to Hire You

By Tom Ruwitch

A quick excerpt from Chapter 4 of my book, Story Power Marketing, to celebrate the big screen’s most amusing life insurance salesman on National Life Insurance Day. I love the scenes in the movie Groundhog Day when Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) pitches insurance to Phil Connors (Bill Murray). “Have you ever heard of single premium life? Because…