A couple of months ago, I was looking at a local city guide in Metro Detroit. It's one of those free newspapers, and I'm not going to name it because I don't need cease and desist letters in my mailbox. I think you can figure it out. This article was about the best of Detroit.
This particular article talked a lot about what was great for restaurants that had the best salons and the best cocktails, and so on. But I noticed something really weird that stood out like a sore thumb as soon as I started going through the lists. These are all businesses that were very familiar to me because many were from a marketing website called alignlable, and although that's okay, it just occurred to me that a lot of these people were sole proprietors and self-proclaimed great.
I know self-promotion and I don't mind self-posting, but there comes a point where you have to draw the line. One business in particular was a computer virus company I know firsthand. The owner scolded me a few months back because I would not vouch for his wife as business owner of the year in Metro Detroit. I refused because I had never worked with her and had no idea who she was. This business owner told me he was deeply insulted that I would not vouch for her or acknowledge her as business owner of the year in Metro Detroit. Absurd.
I don't lie for people. I also refuse to be bullied by anyone, regardless of their status. It's okay to disagree and to part ways disgruntled. I am not a cover-up artist.
The Problem With Fabricating Status
When you fabricate status and create false narratives for people you don't know, you create a phony culture. These are people who don't have the credentials to be great and don't deserve to be put on pedestals. I refuse to support this.
When I was in advertising, it was even worse. It was a mad world back then. When I worked in Stamford, Connecticut as an art director, I met some real characters. One agency used to order trophies by the case, like beer. He would engrave employees' names on them and hold shameless ceremonies to hand them out. The employees would laugh, giggle, and sometimes even pop champagne as they congratulated themselves on being the highest paid agency in Stamford. I knew this was nonsense and would just stand there with a plastered smile as they handed out these awards.
I didn't have time to get one there, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm not being bitter, but this was not a Clio award or anything like that. It was not an award from Adweek or Print magazine. It was from a local award engraving company down the street.
What sets us apart is that we look for people with real stories to share—people who bring something new and genuine. It takes courage and a sense of style to approach someone you’ve never met and connect with them. Sometimes it’s intimidating, but that’s part of the excitement. In the end, we meet unique people whose stories are truly worth sharing.
We don’t just use the usual social media job sites and hire the same people every year, only to praise them again and again. That approach is boring and doesn’t make sense to us.
We look for what’s unique and authentic. We discover fascinating cultures and extraordinary people, share their stories, and connect them with an eager audience.
We don't always stick to Detroit; we are actually growing from our humble beginnings, and we're expanding to Texas and New Orleans. Our vision keeps growing as we connect with great businesses and build real culture and community—through church networks, the food industry, home improvement, women-led businesses, and a unique advertising platform that ranks high on Google and leverages people’s strengths. The only source of growth. We are also building connections to increase online visibility and enrich our networks and partners.
We’re dedicated to growth and to helping our partners find real opportunities to expand their markets and sell their services.
Ted Cantu SEO - AI Salescopy - Hot Metro Finds - THE WIN - Birmingham, Michigan
So I decided to learn every role in an ad agency. That meant sales, graphics, copywriting, programming, managing full projects, and handling a client’s long list of demands. None of these roles were easy—I had to spend time learning how to program and create content to make it all work.
