You know how I spent last week's email going on and on about Lenten devotionals and how there were so many of them this year and the marketing lessons we can learn from them? Well...I'm excited to introduce to you... . . . ...not another Lenten devotional. 😂 (Sorry, couldn't help it.) I DO want to talk about Lent though and ask a favor. You know how you just sometimes get a random idea and instead of just thinking "Huh, interesting thought" like a normal person, you go crazy and create a...
11 days ago • 2 min read
This year, I feel like EVERYONE, from big to small ministries, was offering a Lent devotional. Beginning in late January, I was bombarded with emails about them. There were ones with certain themes, those meant for very specific audiences like those grieving or singles, and every format possible: books, video series, audio series, and in-person events.I almost bought several different ones. But after my Advent mishap, I ended up buying......none of them. (I actually still don't know what I'm...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Yes, it's Tuesday. I'm sending this today in the hopes that you were off yesterday and enjoyed a long weekend! Okay, so did you make your Ash Wednesday marketing plan yet? If not, go read last week's newsletter first. Once you know the type of person you're trying to reach, the next step for them, and how to encourage it, you need to do one more thing: You need to send them home with a flyer with next steps. Yes, an actual physical flyer. Why? Because you can't scroll past a flyer that's been...
24 days ago • 1 min read
"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man." - Luke 22 Not exactly the best marketing pitch for following Jesus, huh? But what if it was? Notice what Jesus does here in the Sermon on the Plain, which we heard during the Gospel readings yesterday — He's super blunt. He's not sugarcoating it. He tells it exactly like it is, that He is specifically speaking to people who are hated, excluded, insulted,...
25 days ago • 3 min read
I saw the phone light up with a call out of the corner of my eye. My heart stopped when I saw the caller id — my daughter's preschool. Where she currently was. Smashing the accept button, I answered the phone, already moving towards the door with Mama Bear mode activated. "Is this Mrs. Ricci?" I heard the secretary ask. "Yes," I replied. "Everything's okay," she said quickly. Instantly, my heart calmed. "Everything's okay?" I repeated as I stopped in my tracks. "Yes! I just wanted to talk...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
As far as the eye can see...people are packed in. Most stand in line, shuffling forward every 15 seconds, some even braving the cold as the line goes out the door. They're tired from a long day at work and chauffeuring the kids around, but they're still there. They wouldn't dream of missing it. All for a 5-second interaction. No, it's not a celebrity sighting or the release of the newest iPhone — it's to get a smear of dirt on their heads. Ash Wednesday is in less than a month, the exact...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Nope, you're not crazy. It's Wednesday, not Monday. This is just a quick off-schedule email this afternoon to remind you of the free webinar I'm hosting tomorrow, February 6 at 4 pm ET: "5 Ways Jesus Used Marketing (That You Can Use to Grow Your Business or Ministry)." Because you're already on my email list, you can RSVP just by clicking here (and yes, I'll send the replay to those who register!). Register for Tomorrow's Webinar Plus, there's a fun bonus surprise on the confirmation page...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Last month, in reading the daily readings, I read what I think to be one of the saddest and yet most relatable lines in the Bible: "They were astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened." (emphasis mine) This passage from Mark 6 recounts the Walking on the Water, which takes place directly after the Feeding of the 5,000. (I love how Thomas in The Chosen cries out, "How is this the second most incredible thing I've seen today?!")...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
FREE WEBINAR: 5 Ways Jesus Used Marketing (That Every Catholic Business Needs to Know) Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 4 pm ET Want to grow your business in 2025? Here are the 5 essential things you need to know — and bonus, Jesus did all of these to grow the early Church too! REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR Yes, I'll send out the replay to all who register! Perhaps you approach marketing as a chore, something you have to do on top of all the other hats you wear. It can sometimes seem like it's in the...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read