Episode 125: Embrace the Marketing Shift for the New Renaissance with David Muntner – Transcript
Rennie Gabriel 00:09
Hi folks, welcome to Episode 125 of the Wealth On Any income Podcast. This is where we talk about money tips, techniques, attitudes, information and provide inspiration around your business and your money. I'm your host, Rennie Gabriel. In past episodes, we spoke about how to understand the numbers from your business, how to measure the level of pleasure based on where you spend your money, how to track your money in 5 to 10 seconds, what determines how close you are to Complete Financial Choice®, and how to run your business without being in your business. Last week, we had as our guest, Elaina Zucker, the president of a management training and consulting firm for Fortune 500 corporations. Today we have as our guest, David Muntner. David is a visionary leader and founder of Renaissance Messaging. He fell into marketing, because it's the one area of business that allows him to tap into his endless supply of curiosity. He's written marketing messages for over 100 top leaders and influencers, in fields from law to witchcraft, to science, to finance, and to cryptocurrency. In 2020, he had a vision to form a collective of curiosity-driven Renaissance men and women to offer radically different and more effective marketing strategies based on truth and authenticity. David has been a sculptor, a writer, a personal trainer, and a marketer, and currently enjoys writing and playing music on a wide range of instruments. David, welcome to the Wealth On Any Income Podcast.
David Muntner 01:58
Rennie, so happy to be here. Thank you for the invitation. I am stoked.
Rennie Gabriel 02:03
Great, well, we're going to get right to it with some questions. So, got an idea of what you do, and a little bit of why. Can you expand on on why you're doing what you're doing?
David Muntner 02:16
Yes, I do it. It's funny, whenever I ask somebody, How are you? I'm always like, how are you? Who are you? Why are you? I may not ask myself that question enough. The why behind Renaissance Messaging is first and foremost, I found myself in copywriting. I was writing marketing messaging for a lot of different individuals. And, you know, develop the skillset and reputation and also fell out of love of the writing process itself. And then that was when I was able to basically connect and partner with a lot of other writers, copywriters in particular, who were world-class and loved it more than I did, and they were actually more talented at it than I was. And through that, realize that like, it's not just about a sales page. Like you can have the right words, and that's important for like an email or sales page or something like that. However, it's not enough necessarily for a business to grow. A lot of times, there's a strategy at the forefront. And then there's the other set of deliverables such as the design and development, and like the email strategy itself, or the social media. And so slowly, but steadily or not so steadily, Renaissance Messaging was more than just a copywriting company. And I would say, at our most robust, like, in the past year, there were 60 team members, and so it kind of moved and expanded very rapidly. And that's cool. And one of the things within truth and authenticity, those pieces, I co-created a course with a dear friend and mentor Yannick Silver, called Evolved Expression. And it was all about copywriting, from a place of authenticity, as opposed to, you know, deception, which is, it's almost like you're trained to, there's a lot of training around polishing turds out there. And, you know, I like polishing turds as much as the next person, but it's really good to just, you know, create something awesome from the start. And then to make sure that you're effectively positioning or promoting the best parts in the same way that if you were selling a home or something, you want a professional photographer to come in and have the best angles, and it's not actually lying about it, it's just they have the right view, so that you can, you know, present the home in a way that it deserves to be presented. Yeah, I mean, I like the idea of with clients in particular, working very closely and having a team of supporters that really champions and believes in the person and the product, and so we have a maybe more comprehensive vetting process before working with with any individual. But it's really because you have a team of supporters onboard to help you from the start to kind of the end of let's say, a funnel for promotion. So that's something that's exciting to me. And then at the same time, the concept behind the Renaissance Messaging is, you know, being a renaissance person, much like Leonardo da Vinci. And the idea that like, we don't have to stop it, let's say you're good at painting. But then, human potential has no cap. So it's like there's sculpting. And there's creating devices for science. And there's even like, I was told that Leonardo da Vinci at one point was the first person to create a jam session, where it was just a lot of people improv jamming. And so I like to share that Renaissance Messaging, it's a pack of lone wolves. But a lot of Renaissance individuals. And really, like marketers, in general, are individuals that have almost tried too many things, or experimented with too many things. And then you're like, What do I do with all this information or insight? And so it's like a really good channel to apply, an endless supply of creativity. And so that's really what got me started with Renaissance Messaging.
Rennie Gabriel 05:54
Perfect. And, and I love the expression, polish, you know, it's more than about polishing a turd because it is such a great fit when it comes to the messaging, you know, the people who are completely inauthentic. You know, they've got great polish on a turd.
David Muntner 06:12
Yes, yes. The one other piece just to share is, I found that it's the only way I could live with myself when it comes to being a musician as well, is that, you know, like marketing is almost a skillset, you could apply anywhere. And, you know, the dream is that, you know, in a way, I get to apply the marketing machine to my music career as well, but then also to support other artists, and individuals that may not have the same guidance around marketing, but have such a valid and powerful, you know, I don't want to say product, but I have something to share with the world. And so it's, you know, kind of being like an amplifier in a way.
Rennie Gabriel 06:55
Fabulous. Now, as you know, I donate 100% of the profits from the work I do to various veteran and animal charities. And so it's important for my guests to talk about the causes or the issues or charities that they support. So tell me about yours. I know it has to do with Haiti.
David Muntner 07:15
Yes. So an organization that I partnered with for a while is an organization called Hope to Haiti. In particular, they provide shelter, food, water, clothing to thousands of, you know, would-be orphans in Haiti. And the founder, Scott, who is a dear friend who had passed away a few years ago, founded this organization, and, like, so many lives have been saved. And one of the things that Scott had shared is that in most charities and organizations, there's always some percentage of money donated, that, you know, goes to overhead costs, or whatever else. And with Scott, it's literally all the money, more or less goes to these children and, you know, supporting initiatives. And so that's been near and dear to my heart. And yeah, and truthfully, like, I can be more involved in the impact front. And so even a question like that, or reminder, reinforcement is actually healthy because it's like 2023, taking off the year, and let's say impact front, there's always more that I personally can do. So thank you for the reminder as well.
Rennie Gabriel 08:29
You're welcome for the reminder. And so, you know, tell me about the kind of clients you typically work with. Now, I realize with 60 team members, there's a wide variety of areas of support. But typically, who are you looking to work with?
David Muntner 08:50
There, I'd say there are a few categories for our specialty. And one, let's say is the the business startup or big, beautiful idea, and/or product that's been figured out, but that the messaging is not a match, and to where, you know, it's fun to almost create the brand from the ground up. You know, without necessarily expectation or someone coming and be like, Oh, it has to be this. So starting from that seed being planted to really create the most beautiful tree. You know, that's, that's a fun place for an organization. The other is when you already have a product that's been tested, it's converting whatever else. And there it's more about optimizing the messaging or adding a level of authenticity or feeling like there's no longer alignment in the brand or messaging itself. And so it's more of a like, you know, refinement. So, you know, I know that's a bit general, but those are the two places where I feel we can add the most value it's in, you know, from starting from, in a way starting from scratch, and really creating the system and it's more of a long-term partnership, but those are really fun. If we really believe in the product and the impact that can be created. Or it's in optimizing the funnel, and when it comes to optimizing the funnel, and you know, or realigning the funnel, specifically, it's like the needs include, you know, either some form of sales, page messaging, even just a strategy around social media or sharing a message. For some organizations we offer a brand Bible. And it's more of like, Hey, this is alignment based on our, I call it the Inquisition, for a particular brand or organization, taking it from there. And so, you know, specifically, we've worked within so many different industries, to where I don't really wish to pigeonhole this, other than to say, you know, that, at least you're comfortable investing in yourself when it comes to marketing. And also, you know, that marketing is, it's never really a great idea to have a sprint in marketing. But more so that, you know, the expectation is you have individuals that are going to work hard on your behalf, and you value the time of, you know, all these experts content coming in on your behalf. And you know, that sometimes will take time to create long lasting results. And so I guess it's a little cryptic, but if this resonates, then obviously, if you're listening, then you would be more of a contender, let's say.
Rennie Gabriel 11:20
Do you have any? I mean, there's some other questions I was going to get to, but I'll ask them a little bit out of order. And give me an example of . . .
David Muntner 11:30
A master of chaos is . . .
Rennie Gabriel 11:33
Oh, gosh, I can't, I think it was Eisenhower who said something about plans are important and irrelevant.
David Muntner 11:39
Yes, absolutely.
Rennie Gabriel 11:41
So do you have a case study or an example of a business? Or which one comes to mind that started wherever and where did they . . .
David Muntner 11:50
Yeah, yeah. Well, I'd say, you know, one, in particular would be a coach that was helping with relationships. And for them, it was more of a specific optimization of a funnel. And it's, you know, if we're getting really specific, it was within Facebook ads, really just optimizing that so they converted at a higher level. But in that process, it kind of opened up the doors of like, okay, well, we need to refine this messaging. And it's actually not as aligned as it could be with the value that's there. And so it was almost like the result was like, optimizing Facebook ads. But the actual work included refining and realigning the brand itself. And that's when the right people were more interested.
Rennie Gabriel 11:50
Hmm. Got it. So, yeah, so when he got clearer on that messaging, that's when the business... okay - alright. And so now, what I was going to ask you is, what would you say, whether business or personal, was your biggest failure?
David Muntner 12:46
You know, it's funny, because I, there's such a long list. So one thing in particular, a business partner of mine, a very intelligent individual, you know, scientist and one of my first forays into entrepreneurship, had a product that was like one of, I would, literally world-defining, like, when it comes to satellites, colliding with other satellites - that degree. We worked together, and it was great. And at the same time, that was before, I fully, let's say, understood the power and potency of marketing. And so it was like trying to start a match that's covered in water, basically. And you're just you're like, Wait, my wrist hurts, and that my hands are tired and what's going on. And so even when we would quasi-connect with the right people, nothing ever stuck, when in fact, the product was world-class and world-changing. And you know, that basically a year and a half or so of time invested in that, and not necessarily seeing results. There was kind of a marketing epiphany. And that was almost like what started before I even got into copywriting just basically having that like utter failure of like, wait, the product is so good, why isn't anyone understanding it? And there was just such a degree of complexity to the product itself. And there wasn't, let's say, the care and time taken to simplify the message so it was a no brainer. Because basically, with marketing, it's like a glorious, you know, either national game or international game of telephone, right? And you need to make sure that that initial message is just so clear, so that it can pass the telephone test, you know, where it's like three individuals passing it, it's still the same potency of message. And we didn't have that. So that was one thing specifically related to marketing. I think another one, just for the music side of things is that I was a drummer in a band for many, many years. So I'm still the drummer in a band. We don't play out super often. However, you know, I'm also a singer, and was basically just really shy. And, you know, I felt like I didn't get the support that would have empowered me to, let's say, step up my game as a singer, professionally, and in reality, that's all a bunch of baloney. Like I think the failure there is that I didn't step into my power early enough, you know, as a performer and singer. It kind of took 10 years of let's say, slight inauthenticity as a musician of being a, I like to share, I was a backseat drummer in the band, because I wrote songs like a backseat driver, but I felt more comfortable behind the drum kit. And so now, learning from that lesson, you know, kind of doubling down on my solo career as a musician. And obviously, there's a much higher degree of alignment there - and fulfillment. You know, the music industry is kind of an odd industry that I wouldn't necessarily recommend anyone going through unless you had no choice, which is like my case where just the passion is so strong, it's like, I don't really have a choice. So that would be another failure lesson. I have one more. Can I share one more?
Rennie Gabriel 15:37
No, no, no, because we're running out of time. And I want to know what's a . . .
David Muntner 15:43
You can have a 24-hour podcast about Dave's failures if you want.
Rennie Gabriel 15:48
Yeah, we could do them in segments of 15-minutes each, yeah. But I want to have a way for people to get a hold of you, if they're interested and want to know more. And I know there's something that you provided to me, I think it was on Spotify, let me take a look.
David Muntner 16:05
So, yeah. I there's a free, there's actually a modified free gift. So one free gift, and just is music, because it's essentially free on either Spotify or anywhere else. And if you're curious about an entrepreneur who's also doubling down on music, Davey Harris is a place to go because that music is free, and I worked really hard on it. And not that that matters, but I think that you'll receive something from listening to it. That's the intention of these songs in particular, that they're, they act they serve as a catalyst in your life. The other thing, which may be more applicable to some of those who are listening right now would be a free messaging session for myself or a team member. And with this, there's normally a price tag associated with this particular service. But we would be acting as marketing consultants and doing an audit of let's say, a sales page, or a funnel or something along these lines. And I would say the first five people that reach out to david@renaissancemessaging.com, myself or a team member will reply and and we will get you scheduled in for your complimentary marketing consultation. And the intention is that you get thousands of dollars in value for this consultation. That's really our intention and promise here. And so we're looking under the cover or under the hood of the car, for unseen, to share that we're detectives of low hanging fruit. And we look to find it somewhere.
Rennie Gabriel 17:31
Perfect, David, thank you. Thank you so much. And I'll be sure to put the links in the show notes so people can just click on them, and they can get right there.
David Muntner 17:40
Great.
Rennie Gabriel 17:41
Well, thank you for being on the show. David. Thank you.
David Muntner 17:46
You're very welcome. Thanks for the invitation. This is fun, you know, you're a very interesting, fabulous person. And it's like energy speaks louder than words a lot of times and so you just you give off a good energy to where that's even a gift for me just being on this podcast.
Rennie Gabriel 18:02
Oh, thank you so much. And for anyone else who's listening if you'd like to know how books, movies and Society programs you to be poor, and what the cure is, then log on to wealthonanyincome.com/TEDx. You'll get to hear my TEDx talk and can request a free 27-Page Roadmap to Complete Financial Choice® and Philanthropy, and receive a weekly email with tips, techniques, or inspiration around your business or your money. And if you'd like to see how you can increase your wealth, and donate to the causes that touch your heart, please check out our affordable program Wealth with Purpose, also on the Wealth On Any Income website. To my listeners, thank you for tuning in. You can listen to the Wealth On Any Income Podcast on your favorite platform. And please rate, review and subscribe. And until next week, be prosperous. Bye bye for now.
