Working/Broken
Welcome to Working/Broken with Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris. Every episode, we examine a trend, bias, or hot topic affecting business leaders and ask the question: Is it working? Or is it broken?
Much of what is broken in the world impacts our business and our leadership. We can’t fix all that, but we can learn to respond and lead differently. Business leaders have been hard-wired and trained to chase trends, follow conventional wisdom, and find any way possible to simplify the endless list of hard decisions they have to make.
So the ecosystem of “hacks” and “best practices” fills to overflowing, leaving you at a loss for a sorting mechanism: What applies to you? Where have bias or assumptions skewed the gurus? What actually applies to you?
The spectrum of what’s working and what’s broken isn’t fixed. It’s custom. To not just your situation, but you as a leader and what you’re bringing to the table. And while you try to follow the rules given to you, part of the magic of succeeding in leadership is knowing what’s for you and what isn’t.
So come join us. We’re gonna laugh. We’re gonna challenge. We’re gonna wrestle. Together.
______________
Nick Richtsmeier is a catalyst for change in organizations that rely on trust to deliver their services. If your advisory, education, or professional services firm needs to accelerate growth, visit CultureCraft.com to find out how he can craft a growth strategy that’s made for you.
Brad Farris coaches leaders of creative professional firms to become the people they need to be to lead the agency they aspire to grow. Find out more at AnchorAdvisors.com
You can find additional resources at WorkingBroken.com.
If you liked what you heard this week, you could do us a solid and (1) subscribe so we see you here next time, (2) share cause friends don't let friends work broken, and (3) give us that infamous 5 STAR review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you are consuming us today.
Working/Broken
The Strange State of Email Marketing
In this episode of Working Broken, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris take a deep dive into the world of cold emails—why they’re everywhere, why people swear by them, and whether they actually work. Spoiler alert: they’re not fans.
The conversation kicks off with a story about a salesperson convinced that blasting out 50 cold emails a day would bring in business. Months later? One booked meeting. That sets the stage for a bigger discussion about why businesses keep turning to cold outreach, even when it’s painfully ineffective. They explore how digital marketing strategies have changed, why email is still hanging on as a go-to tactic, and the psychological appeal of avoiding rejection through automation.
But the real heart of the episode isn’t just about why cold email doesn’t work—it’s about what does. Nick and Brad reflect on how business used to be done, back before inboxes were flooded with generic pitches. They talk about the power of relationships, trust, and actually taking an interest in potential clients rather than treating them like numbers in a system. The contrast between transactional outreach and genuine engagement is a big theme, and they make a compelling case for why businesses should rethink their approach.
By the end of the episode, they address email marketing's impact on company’s culture in ways that might not be obvious at first. Turns out who we spam and how says a lot about who we are.
Ensure you are fully subscribed through your favorite podcast app so you do not miss a single episode.
Have a business topic you want us to decide if it's working or broken? Have a question about the episode? You can email us at podcast@culturecraft.com.
