Marshal D. Carper

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About Marshal D. Carper
I write books about martial arts and about marketing. As a kid, I never really fit in, and I used to think that was my greatest weakness. Now, as an author, content marketing consultant, and business owner, I realize that not fitting in is actually my greatest strength. As a result, most of my work has an underdog theme that celebrates going against the grain and doing something different.
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Blog postThis site is in full-on archive mode. Follow my new blog and my new podcasts at Marsh.al.5 years ago Read more
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Blog postI am taking this blog into archive mode. With my efforts split between fight publishing and marketing consulting, it is making less and less sense to try and centralize those conversations into a singular platform. In the future, I will be relaunching my personal .com. This blog will still exist, but it will be dormant. In the meantime, please connect with me on LinkedIn for the most up-to-date6 years ago Read more
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Blog postI've been busy, and not just the usual busy of juggling work and training with my personal life and my not-so-secret love for video games. I've been my favorite kind of busy: busy building, busy creating, busy putting things together that make me excited to write and share. You will be hearing a lot more about these projects soon, but I wanted to give you a preview. The Cauliflower6 years ago Read more
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Blog postI love books. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love taking them apart and figuring out how they work. And I love to experiment with their potential to engage readers in new and interesting ways. Mastering the Crucifix is the follow up to Artechoke Media's 3-D Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, an instructional that we released for free to demonstrate our vision for what jiu-jitsu books could and7 years ago Read more
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Blog postLast week, I wrote about how freelancers could benefit from re-framing the way they think about their relationships with clients. This week, we look at the other end of the relationship: clients. The motivations to hire a freelancer vary on a case by case basis, but usually a client chooses to hire a freelancer for one of the following reasons: The client needs to supplement an existing7 years ago Read more
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Blog postFreelancing has been my life for the last eight years. My unwavering passion for all things writing—a career path not exactly known for fulltime, long-term employment—collided with an economic trend toward hiring contract workers and temporary employees, one of the many job-related challenges facing my generation. For me, it’s worked out, and I’ve come to enjoy the freelance lifestyle. I7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI talk to a lot of business owners about social media marketing. It comes up just as often in casual settings as it does in formal meetings because business owners have been hearing for years that social media can change the way they do business. Gurus and experts and marketing executives have portrayed social media as a magic bullet for generating interest in the products or services that you7 years ago Read more
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Blog postData is powerful. It drives the scientific process. It helps us cut through the amorphousness of anecdotal insights so that we can base judgments and decisions on concrete, verifiable information. At the same time though, data can be manipulated. So for as much as we look to data to tell us the real story about a study, or in our case a marketing effort, we should have the presence of mind to7 years ago Read more
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Blog postLate in 2010, I received a message from Jon Vacura. He had read the Cauliflower Chronicles and wanted to share some of his own story with me. That story inspired me, and recently, my wife reminded me of his story. She had never forgotten it because her birthday coincided with a key but tragic event in Jon's life. I published a blog for Victory Belt about it. Since that blog is now gone, here is7 years ago Read more
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Blog postA few weeks ago, I asked my followers on Twitter and Facebook to send me their questions about writing. One of these questions inspired last week's exploration of revision. This week, I wanted to address another question that I received: Anytime I run a workshop or give a seminar or participate in a guest lecture, I know that fielding a variation of this question is inevitable. I secretly wish7 years ago Read more
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Blog postLast week, I wrote a post about how revision should make-up the majority of your writing process because when you have a piece of writing in front of you, rather than a blank page, making improvements and changes is generally easier than drafting a piece of perfect prose on the first try. When it comes to revision, one of the challenges is identifying what is important. What do you keep? What7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI don't really mean that what you do is wrong, but sometimes I have to say eye-catching things like that to get your attention. What I really mean is that some parts of your writing process could probably be improved based on my experience of working with writers and aspiring writers. When writers struggle to be productive, the culprit is usually the way they divide their time across the7 years ago Read more
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Blog postIn recent years, the popularity of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter has grown rapidly. Small businesses and independent artists initially turned to crowdfunding to mitigate the initial financial risk of a new project or product. With crowdfunding, the money could be raised before the project began, eliminating the potentially catastrophe of investing in something that ultimately no one7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI love training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because of the technical depth of the sport. It's mentally and physically challenging while also serving as a creative outlet. No session on the mat is ever the same, and improving in the art is incredibly rewarding. But that's only part of what has kept me on the mat for upwards of 8 years now. Beyond the technical and physical aspects of the sport is the7 years ago Read more
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Blog postThis is Kelly. I met Kelly about four years ago when she started training at Steel City Martial Arts. Now a blue belt, Kelly drives over an hour one-way to the gym three to four times a week. She currently heads our women's program, she is addicted to Groundswell Grappling women's camps, and she frequently travels to compete. Kelly has become one of my biggest supporters. She packs extra7 years ago Read more
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Blog postNot too long ago, I launched my own publishing house, Artechoke Media. To celebrate that launch, I released our first book, Don't Wear Your Gi to the Bar, as a free PDF and encouraged the jiu-jitsu community to download and share it as they please. Well, that book is still free, but I am giving away my newest book as well. 3-D Jiu-Jitsu 3-D Jiu-Jitsu is the pilot project for the Artechoke7 years ago Read more
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Blog postWhile I continue to publish books, the most recent of which are Mastering Triangle Chokes and Don’t Wear Your Gi to the Bar, much of my writing as of late has been for companies and brands. I manage social media properties, I write copy for websites, I develop ads, and I do anything and everything in between. If it has words on it, I write it. Ultimately, I love telling stories, and I got7 years ago Read more
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Blog postRecently, I’ve received a few emails and LinkedIn messages from recent graduates and soon-to-be graduates asking me about how to package themselves for the job market. This challenge is really personal branding in disguise, which is a topic familiar to successful entrepreneurs, authors, and celebrities, making it just as relevant to recent graduates as it is to professionals looking to7 years ago Read more
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Blog postThe challenge of being a writer: Everyone fancies themselves writers. On the rare chance that I am invited to a party, someone inevitably tells me about the novel they have been working on for 15 years or about their niece’s plan to self-publish a series of fan-fiction. While I am supportive of people having creative hobbies—like painting or sculpting or writing—the sentiment that anyone7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI’ve been a freelance writer since I was 19. The benefit of being a freelancer is that you can set your own schedule and work on a variety of projects of your choosing. The challenge of being a freelancer is that you have to set your own schedule and work on a variety of projects of your choosing. To maintain that freedom without sinking into the horrible reality of the over-romanticized7 years ago Read more
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Blog postEarly last week, one of the companion videos for Don't Wear Your Gi to the Bar: And Other Jiu-Jitsu Life Lessons (my newest book) went viral. The video, a tongue-in-cheek montage about eye-gouging vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, racked up 10,000 views in three days, and the numbers are still climbing. Viral content is a powerful way to spread a brand, and having the eye gouge video make the internet8 years ago Read more
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Blog postAs you may have heard, my newest book is out. The print version is for sale on Amazon, and the e-book version is free to download and share. Don't Wear Your Gi to the Bar: And Other Jiu-Jitsu Life Lessons is a departure from the seriousness of jiu-jitsu training that explores the art, in a lighthearted way, that has captured our curiosity and passion. But why is the e-book free? I've gotten8 years ago Read more
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Blog postMy writing mentor, Alan Natali. Mentoring new writers is an important part of my life. It’s a tradition that I take seriously because my mentor, Alan Natali, bestowed it upon me. His mentor, the late Ron Forsythe, had passed the tradition on to him. “Don’t thank me for helping you,” Alan once told me. “Someone did for me what I did for you, so it’s your job to pass it on to someone else8 years ago Read more
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Blog postPublishing is changing. That is not news. The industry has been in disarray for the better part of a decade, or maybe longer depending on how you look at it. As soon as Amazon entered the market, the brick-and-mortar distribution model began to crumble, and then e-books and on-demand printing followed not long after. Borders closed up shop, and Barnes & Noble is uncertain about its future.8 years ago Read more
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Blog postIf you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you have probably noticed me promoting a series called "Artechoke in a Can." Artechoke in a Can is the online version of my weekly no-gi class at Steel City Martial Arts in Pittsburgh, PA. This week's lesson is on arm drags. The content that I am now making public started as an experiment. After a couple of years of teaching a no-gi class once a week, I8 years ago Read more
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Books By Marshal D. Carper
$9.99
Business owners are under constant pressure to compete. Intuitively, they know that differentiation is a competitive advantage. You can’t sell the same product in the same way and expect to unseat the industry leader. Instead, you have to be different. You have to carve a new niche, breaking new ground where you are in the best position to compete.
But when it comes to marketing, the tendency is to fall back on the same old strategies and tactics that everyone else in the space is using. These approaches aren’t necessarily bad, but they tend to position you to compete head-on with more established competitors who have the first-mover advantage and may even be in a position to simply outspend you.
The Innovative Brand gives you a step-by-step process for leveling the playing field. Learn how to build on the foundation of marketing best practices while at the same time creating your own marketing niche, a “side door” that is less crowded by competitors and gives you a more impactful way to connect with your target audiences. This book gives you a blueprint for applying marketing theory in a practical, methodical way, guiding your team through the brainstorming process, through testing, and through execution.
Praise for Marshal D. Carper:
“Marshal has worked directly with me as my communication director and has been invaluable in keeping my priorities and productivity on track for the last several years. He is diligent, has a strong work ethic, and is always able to deliver with speed and accuracy what ever is needed in really connecting my message to our audience. I strongly recommend Marshal as a great partner and an even more outstanding human being.”
-Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen (Dr. A), NYT Bestselling Health Author
“Marshal has a natural instinct for marketing. As a marketing professional myself, I know how hard it is to come up with marketing strategies for a growing business. I’m constantly amazed at the ‘out of the box’ ideas Marshal creates for businesses based on current trends and factual data.”
-Meesha Gerhart, Owner, RedTree Web Design
“Marshal has been a tremendous asset and true partner in getting my company off the ground...There was never a meeting with him where I didn’t have an ‘aha’ moment, or left feeling I had learned something critical to further our connections with potential customers and ultimately boost sales.”
-Angela Lanahan, Owner & Designer, Chocolate Milke
“Marshal has helped us accomplish every goal we have set in front of him. I have learned more about marketing by working with Marshal for the last 6 months than I did in the last 4 years. He really understands how marketing works today.”
-Nelson Puentes, Owner, Inverted Gear
But when it comes to marketing, the tendency is to fall back on the same old strategies and tactics that everyone else in the space is using. These approaches aren’t necessarily bad, but they tend to position you to compete head-on with more established competitors who have the first-mover advantage and may even be in a position to simply outspend you.
The Innovative Brand gives you a step-by-step process for leveling the playing field. Learn how to build on the foundation of marketing best practices while at the same time creating your own marketing niche, a “side door” that is less crowded by competitors and gives you a more impactful way to connect with your target audiences. This book gives you a blueprint for applying marketing theory in a practical, methodical way, guiding your team through the brainstorming process, through testing, and through execution.
Praise for Marshal D. Carper:
“Marshal has worked directly with me as my communication director and has been invaluable in keeping my priorities and productivity on track for the last several years. He is diligent, has a strong work ethic, and is always able to deliver with speed and accuracy what ever is needed in really connecting my message to our audience. I strongly recommend Marshal as a great partner and an even more outstanding human being.”
-Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen (Dr. A), NYT Bestselling Health Author
“Marshal has a natural instinct for marketing. As a marketing professional myself, I know how hard it is to come up with marketing strategies for a growing business. I’m constantly amazed at the ‘out of the box’ ideas Marshal creates for businesses based on current trends and factual data.”
-Meesha Gerhart, Owner, RedTree Web Design
“Marshal has been a tremendous asset and true partner in getting my company off the ground...There was never a meeting with him where I didn’t have an ‘aha’ moment, or left feeling I had learned something critical to further our connections with potential customers and ultimately boost sales.”
-Angela Lanahan, Owner & Designer, Chocolate Milke
“Marshal has helped us accomplish every goal we have set in front of him. I have learned more about marketing by working with Marshal for the last 6 months than I did in the last 4 years. He really understands how marketing works today.”
-Nelson Puentes, Owner, Inverted Gear
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