We love contrarians. We love hearing unique view points and so one of our favorite things to ask folks is for them to tell us something they believe that most people in their industry disagree with. Check out some of those responses below.

Dustin Pagliughi

I feel that a lot of people in our industry don’t want to believe in the success rate of using User-Generated and found content. Being in the UGC and found content space since 2004 (the birth year of youtube) I’ve seen many different trends come and go. At first, companies were afraid to use UGC and found content because of the risk. The internet was the wild west back then and people were stealing and using content to their monetary benefit at an alarming rate. This was a huge concern for companies because of building claims against using anything that wasn’t properly cleared. This really turned people off from using this type of content even though the analytics returned showed that content created by real humans, outperformed produced content across the board. While content is still being stolen, we have better ways of verifying each piece so it lowers the risk immensely. Also, the success analytics can no longer be ignored. For example, consumers find UGC 9.8x more impactful than influencer content when making a purchasing decision. The number of positive stats are endless… Read more>>

Alyce Gresham

One belief I hold that differs from many in my industry is that community impact and prioritizing people over profit are far more valuable than viral success or quick monetization. In a world driven by likes, followers, and sales, I’ve learned that building genuine connections and empowering those around me creates a more meaningful and lasting influence. Early in my journey as a thrifter, podcaster, and confidence curator, I focused on trends and algorithms but felt disconnected from my purpose. When I shifted my focus to uplifting my local community through authentic experiences, such as thrift events and candid conversations, I saw the true value of fostering relationships. Read more>>

Michael Gips

In many industries, it’s difficult to be a generalist; consider the disciplines of law, medicine, engineering, and teaching, for instance. Doctors don’t typically practice both oncology and otolaryngology. It’s even more difficult being a generalist across multiple industries–in my case, corporate security (physical and cyber), law, journalism, media training, association management, and high-tech startups. I’m not talking about being a dilettante; I mean having having multiple active practices in different fields that often weave into and reinforce one another. Remember the TV show “Ed” from maybe two decades ago? It was about an attorney who also owned a bowling alley. Characters on the show couldn’t fathom that combination. It creates cognitive dissonance. And many of today’s professionals insist that to really excel, you have to pick one field, a specialty within that field, and probably even a subspecialty. Read more>>

Monique Miller

I believe you don’t need a lot of money to start a successful business. What you truly need is drive, motivation, dedication, and good business sense. Of course, having a way to produce income is essential, but you can absolutely build and grow your business as you go. It’s about working smart, leveraging what you have, and being resourceful. I started with limited resources, but through persistence and continuous learning, I was able to expand. I’m proof that you don’t need deep pockets to make a dream happen. Read more>>