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Entrepreneurial OOMPH

Entrepreneurial OOMPH with Debra Pearlman

Most companies can describe what they do. Far fewer can describe the moment a customer first recognises themselves in it. That gap is where brand narrative usually goes wrong, and it is where this conversation with Debra Pearlman started.

Two frames from the episode, stacked: above, the Entrepreneurial OOMPH! title card with host Debra Pearlman; below, John Elbing on camera in front of a bright abstract painting

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Most companies can describe what they do. Far fewer can describe the moment a customer first recognises themselves in it. That gap is where brand narrative usually goes wrong, and it is where this conversation with Debra Pearlman started.

Her show is about mindset and growth, so we stayed at the practical end. Not what a story is, but what changes on Monday morning once you accept that the story is not yours to tell.

What we covered

  • Starting from customer recognition

  • Trust before promotion

  • One story across every channel

  • Using AI without losing the thread

  • Connection before conversion

The commercial case is plain. A company that describes itself is asking to be believed. A company that describes its customer’s situation accurately has already been believed, and the price conversation gets shorter. None of that needs a bigger budget. It needs knowing your customer well enough to stop leading with yourself.

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People building their story together