In marketing, roughly 80% of the value comes from thinking.
Yet most marketers spend roughly 80% of their time doing.
That imbalance explains why so many struggle with low margins, inconsistent demand, and work that never quite creates the opportunities they want. The industry rewards activity, speed, and production, so marketers naturally position themselves around execution. Clients often reinforce this by focusing almost entirely on tactics—campaigns, assets, channels, and tools—which trains marketers to talk about work instead of value.
Over time, execution becomes the product. Thinking becomes an afterthought.
That was exactly how I spent the early part of my career.
When Execution Becomes the Job
I focused heavily on tools, technology, and production. I invested countless hours learning software, techniques, and workflows. I worked hard. I improved my skills. On paper, I was doing everything right.
But I struggled to consistently produce work that created real leverage.
I read constantly. I took classes. I followed tutorials. I attended webinars. And yet, despite all that effort, I felt stuck. The opportunities were few. The work was forgettable. My results didn’t match my effort.
The problem wasn’t talent or discipline.
The problem was my approach.
I skipped the thinking.
I moved straight into tactics and execution. I relied on speed, determination, and raw ability. When work showed up, I executed it—whether it made sense or not. And unsurprisingly, the outcomes reflected that.
The Shift That Changed Everything
Everything changed when I met a great man who showed me a different way.
You start by thinking, he taught me.
You research. You define parameters around what is appropriate. You clarify the problem, the audience, the constraints, and the goal. Only then do you develop concepts that tell the right story, in the right way.
Those parameters transformed my work.
What once felt like arts and crafts became deliberate, defensible concepts. I could finally use my high level of skill with tools and technology to execute ideas that mattered. Not just well-made work—but work that made sense.
Once I could explain, justify, and sell every decision, the game changed.
I stopped defending taste and started communicating vision.
I could address objections before they surfaced. I could align stakeholders. I could sell both the idea and the delivery. And because the thinking was strong, the execution finally had leverage.
Here’s the hard truth most marketers avoid:
Execution is a commodity.
The market will only pay so much for work, no matter how good it is. There will always be someone faster, cheaper, or willing to do it for less. Skill is abundant. Tools are accessible. Production is scalable.
Thinking is different.
Thinking is variable. Its value increases as its quality increases—and as its availability decreases. When the thinking behind the work is rare, insightful, and decisive, earning potential rises dramatically.
The equation is simple:
Thinking + Work = Fee
Work has a ceiling.
Thinking does not.
When thinking lacks value or distinction, demand and fees cap out. When thinking is powerful, clear, and hard to replace, clients are willing to pay more—and to keep paying.
The Real Problem Behind Low Margins
For marketers struggling with low margins or inconsistent demand, the issue is rarely the quality of the work itself.
More often, the thinking behind the work isn’t strong or valuable enough to be in demand.
Many talented creatives push pixels, write copy, build campaigns, and ship assets at a high level. Millions can do that.
Very few can think clearly, define the right problems, make strong decisions, and articulate why those decisions matter.
That’s where leverage lives.
Thinking is the only path to significant wins. It’s what creates alignment, confidence, and momentum. It’s what turns execution into an outcome instead of an expense.
Don’t discount it. And don’t underestimate it.
A Better Way Forward
Today, roughly 80% of the value I provide comes from thinking. And that’s where roughly 80% of my time goes.
I still execute. I still write. I still build. But execution is no longer the product—it’s the delivery mechanism for clear, valuable thinking.
When my partners and clients win, I win.
And it starts long before anything gets made.
Call to Action
If you’re doing great work but struggling to command the fees, demand, or influence you want, the issue likely isn’t your execution.
It’s the thinking behind it.
At Propr, I work with founders, executives, and marketing leaders who want clarity before tactics—and leverage before labor.
If that sounds like you, let’s talk.
Start with thinking.
Feed Your Mind
What I’m Reading:
As you may know, I recently read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and I decided to stay with the cemetery theme and am about to finish up Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Now, I have seen the movie a number of times starring Fred Gwynne from The Munsters and know the theme song by The Ramones (featured on one of their later albums, Brain Drain). But I have never read the book until now. My friend Alana gave me the perfect word to describe it: wicked. It truly is a dark, horrible, cursed story. King is the master. But I can’t wait to be done with it.
What I’m Watching:
Still watching Stranger Things with the family. I will admit, I’ve softened my stance on it, and even with a couple of bad episodes, it’s been wonderful watching it all, and the kids and I have a blast with it.
What I’m Listening To:
I love The Velvet Underground, and last weekend my boy Dirk told me to listen to the live compilation called The Complete Matrix Tapes. Which led me to pick up Loaded (the book), which I intend to read after I’m done with King.
A client and friend told me about Have Heart. A 3rd wave MA based hardcore punk band. This album is great. Have Heart: The Things We Carry (which reminds me, there is a book called The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien. A collection of stories about Vietnam. I read it in grad school and recommend it to you)
