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When I started CLEAVER back in 2012, I had a very specific image in my head: a butcher's cleaver slamming down through a strip of film. The Initial Roadblocks Back then, I realized that executing this idea could mean investing in resources that just didn't make sense for a new company. The barriers included: A somewhat expensive 3D animation. Hiring a small team. Extensive render times. A budget that was simply out of reach for a startup. So, the idea stayed in my head. We ev

You don't need better lighting. You don't need a more expensive phone or camera. One of the fastest ways to make your videos look better is something most people don't think about. It's where you place yourself in the frame. The difference between a video that feels professional and one that feels slightly off without the viewer knowing why is the framing. Check out my original post here. Start with the Rule of Thirds The rule of thirds is the foundational principle in photog

Most business owners talk about scaling. Fewer actually build the internal infrastructure to make it sustainable. Here's what that actually looks like in practice. Over the past year, our focus at CLEAVER has been on training, specifically figuring out how to match the right editors to the right projects at the right time. It wasn't glamorous work. It was process documentation, checklists, quality control reviews, and a lot of iteration. But it worked. Check my original post

Are you leveraging all of your wins? Most of us are busy running our businesses while also trying to create content. We rarely feel we have time to sit down and come up with elaborate ideas every week. But the obvious shortcut is documenting not inventing. Every small win can become a meaningful post. A productive meeting. A great client conversation. A quick piece of advice you gave someone. These moments show people what you actually do every day and make your content feel

Small changes, made consistently, can completely shift outcomes over time. That same idea applies directly to process improvement. Two recent changes stand out because they are already reshaping how the team thinks, collaborates, and improves. The One Percent Project Improvement Mindset The first change is the one percent project process improvement plan. Every time a video or deliverable is submitted, the editor includes at least one sentence explaining how it is one percent

I remember diving into a big question that used to keep me up at night: what is actually more important, closing sales or generating leads? Back then, I was feeling a bit insecure about my ability to sell, but I started to realize that having a rock-solid lead-gen strategy might actually be more vital than closing every single lead you have. To prove it, I put together a case study on what was working for us with organic video marketing on LinkedIn. At the time, I had only po

Executive Summary (30-Second Read) Freelance copywriter Jessica struggled with a common challenge: chasing low-value projects and competing as a commodity, despite her high-value skill set. Fractional CMO Megan Vaughan led a fundamental repositioning, reframing Jessica from a "writer for hire" to a "strategic revenue growth consultant." This shifted her value proposition from performing tasks to delivering measurable outcomes. The result was an immediate transformation in mar

Executive Summary (60-Second Read) Fractional CMO Holly Davies revitalized a plateaued high-end DTC apparel brand by shifting from a generic agency model to a profit-focused performance framework. By restructuring Meta campaigns to prioritize full-funnel intent and lifestyle-centric creative, the brand moved from a break-even 2x ROAS to a consistent 4–7x ROAS. Key outcomes included a 100% QoQ sales increase and a 21% reduction in CPA, successfully unlocking profitable scalabi

Why We Need Walls to Play When I talk about building a sandbox, I mean creating an environment with specific constraints that allow people to do great creative work. I’ve seen this pattern repeat throughout life, playing in my high school band, directing short films after college, and founding a startup for creative live-streaming. At first glance, “constraints” and “creativity” sound like opposites. But over and over again, the opposite proves true. Boundaries don’t suffocat

Polish doesn’t always equal performance. Authenticity builds trust, and trust is what converts. For Thanksgiving 2019 I swayed fromt the traditional marketing playbook. I didn’t write a white paper. I didn’t pay for a sponsored ad. I stood in front of a green screen, threw up some Turkey stock footage, pretended to be stuffed from a Thanksgiving dinner and whole thing took about twenty minutes to shoot, edit, and upload to LinkedIn. It was just a throwaway "thank you" video t

I learned a valuable business reminder on an ice rink in Chicago this time last year. I decided to join a friend of mine who is another business owner on the ice. Of course, my first 15 minutes I looked like a baby deer trying to get its footing. But eased into it—finding balance, and eventually, I was gliding along with some level of confidence. That day stuck with me because it's how great work happens over time. Rush the launch, skip the groundwork, force the pace... and y

Executive Summary (60-Second Read) The Problem: Matt Kroll, Principal and Founder of Chalmers St. Consulting, was delivering exceptional operational excellence and continuous improvement results for clients but struggled with limited visibility. Traditional marketing (networking, events, occasional text posts) generated few inbound leads, keeping growth referral-dependent and slower than his expertise deserved. The Solution: Matt partnered with CLEAVER for a video strategy.

We are in a time where filming from home has become completely normal. Not long ago, recording a video from your living room or basement might have looked unprofessional. Today, it is expected. People are speaking to their audiences from home offices, kitchen tables, and backyards. It has become part of how we communicate. So if you have been waiting for the right time to create video content, this is it. No perfect lighting. No studio. No expensive equipment required. People

In modern digital marketing, a lot of people use a technique called the “Spray and Pray” method. This is where you create so much generic content, your laptop starts filing HR complaints, and then you fling it all over the internet, hoping something—anything—goes viral. This strategy does, in fact, get attention. But so does streaking through a Rotary Club luncheon, and nobody recommends that as a long-term business plan. Think of “Spray and Pray” as standing in a crowded roo

Executive Summary (60-Second Read) The Problem: Michael Straza, an operations expert, spent years writing insightful LinkedIn articles that generated zero inbound leads. Despite his expertise, his text-based content blended into the noise, failing to build the necessary trust to drive business. The Solution: In June 2023, Mike partnered with CLEAVER Creative to pivot from text to video. He replaced static articles with authentic, face-to-camera storytelling that humanized his

If you know Durham, you know King’s Sandwich Shop. Standing in line there recently, it hit me: We overcomplicate marketing. We build robotic profiles like "Age 35-45" and wonder why our content feels flat. Here is the fix: Stop inventing characters. Pick a real client you love working with. When you create content, write it specifically for them. Your tone becomes natural. Your message hits harder. You attract more people just like them. HubSpot data shows this approach incre

Attracting Engagement: A hand uses a magnet to draw in social media icons and miniature figures, symbolizing the pull of digital influence. Imagine this: You’re scrolling through your feed, half-asleep, and a video pops up. Will you watch it or fling your phone across the room like it personally offended you? That, my friends, is why the first few seconds of your vlog are kind of a big deal. You need an attention getter Something that makes a total stranger who has no clue

Stay remembered. Video helps your message stick long after the play button. In-person networking events aren’t dead and probably never will be. But a quick chat at an event can fade fast if you don’t have a consistent follow-up strategy. Video does this like nothing else. Our Client Matt Kroll’s Real-World Example At a recent Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) event, our client Matt Kroll made a few brief connections—just a couple of quick conversations.

Marketing used to cost thousands. Now, it just takes a good post on LinkedIn. There’s an old saying: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” But when it comes to LinkedIn and social media marketing, it sometimes feels like there is. Businesses today have the ability to put their message in front of potential customers for free , something that was virtually impossible just 20 years ago. And yet, because this opportunity is free, many people underestimate its value. Check

For B2B business, the concept of being "on brand" is important. However, the question arises: Is it truly necessary to maintain it at all times? The pressure to be always "on-brand" can be overwhelming for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and established businesses. But does every moment need to be perfectly on-message? The answer is no. Authenticity matters more than polish. The Myth of Always Being “On” Branding experts often suggest that professionals should live and breathe