GarthBox

It’s a true statement… but only if it helps you. It’s not meant to stop you in your tracks.

If it is, perhaps it’s better to think of it like this: It only gets different.

Different challenges. Different rewards. Different lessons.

That sounds a little more fun, doesn’t it?

If the narrative about progress isn’t working for you… change the narrative.

Stay Positive & It Only Gets More Interesting Is A Great One, Too

At first…

You’ll be afraid.

At first…

You’ll want to bail. Not tell anyone. And you’ll be uncomfortable.

At first…

Then the next action you take will adjust those emotions.

If you lean in again, you’ll feel more confident.

If you try again, you’ll likely try differently and it’ll be more comfortable.

If you give it another go, you’ll put fear in the corner.

That’s all to say, actions dictate the emotions you’ll feel. Not the other way around.

Stay Positive & Take 2. Go.

No, not the social platform X… It’s more of a “insert your software of choice” situation.

A marketing leader I know can’t stand one of their brand content management platforms.

Another project managing leader I know isn’t a fan of their project management tool.

Another person I know in product marketing can’t stand their in-app notification software.

Yet, when you start to evaluate competitive options, there’s elements of them that none of these leaders can stand either.

It’s not so much as a solve one problem and create two others, but it is very much a if it’s not one thing, it’s another.

It makes me wonder if we invested the time in leaning into a process rather than seeking out an alternative solution (which again, will create a different problem), perhaps…just perhaps we can become a fan.

Sure good design plays a role in winning us over, but when there will always be something wrong with a solution, becoming a fan is on us, not them.

Stay Positive & Best To Simply Lean In And Learn

There’s a lot of deals I do that I probably don’t need a contract for and signatures and all the clerical back and forth.

But the process does a lot.

• It’s a fail safe – making sure I don’t forget a step because I move fast.
• It sends a signal – when there’s a formula, it sends the signal that you give a damn about holding up your end of the deal. Accountability is actually sexy.
• It forces you to evaluate the process – if you simply go with the flow and a handshake, you don’t actually create time to discover if there’s a spot to improve the process (and thus, the experience for the recipient)

I’m sure this list could go on and on, but you get the point.

Stay Positive & Don’t Just Trust The Process, Embrace It

There’s a unique kind of heartbreak that happens when you step into a massive venue—a beer garden, an arcade, a stadium—only to find it eerily empty.

The lights are on. The sound system hums. The infrastructure promises an experience. But instead of electric energy, you get the hollow echo of something that should be exciting but isn’t.

Why Empty Spaces Feel So Wrong

• Expectation vs. Reality: Big spaces signal big things—crowds, chaos, an atmosphere that vibrates with life. When they’re empty, the contrast is devastating.
  
• Energy is Contagious: People feed off of people. A packed bar makes the beer taste better. A concert with a full pit feels louder. A game with a roaring crowd feels more intense.
  
• The Fear of Missing Out (Or Not): If a space is meant to be buzzing but isn’t, the immediate thought is: Why isn’t anyone here? And worse—Did I make a mistake by coming?

How to Overcome The Empty Space Dilemma In Marketing & Venue Strategy

1. Shrink the Space: If your venue is oversized for the crowd, close sections off. Don’t let the emptiness stretch. Create density. Funnel people into areas where their energy collides and builds. Use furniture, lighting, and decor to redefine the space so it feels full, not abandoned.
   
2. Focus on Time-Based Energy: Anchor experiences around peak times. If you know a certain window will be slow, create activations—happy hours, small events, surprise-and-delight moments to keep momentum. Control pacing. A bar that trickles customers in over five hours feels dead, but a concentrated two-hour rush makes it feel alive.
   
3. Curate the Vibe: Lighting and sound are psychological weapons. Dim, warm lighting can make a sparse room feel intimate rather than empty.
   Music matters. Don’t let a quiet space feel cavernous—use sound to fill in the gaps.
   Staff energy should match the ideal vibe. A disengaged bartender in an empty bar makes it worse. A lively, interactive staff member helps counteract the void.
   
4. Lean Into Exclusivity: Make small gatherings feel intentional. Frame the intimacy as a VIP experience rather than a failure to fill the room.
   If demand isn’t high, manufacture scarcity. Limited availability creates a sense of urgency instead of disappointment.
   
5. Use Social Proof to Overcome the Void: Show past energy. Big screens looping past events, crowd shots, and experiences help people see the potential of the space rather than its current emptiness. Encourage content creation. The more people document their experience, the more they create the illusion of fullness for future guests.

Empty Spaces Are a Marketing Problem, Not Just a Logistics One

A half-full beer garden is a brand killer. A silent arcade is a tragedy. A lifeless stadium is a betrayal of expectation. People don’t just crave a great product or a great space—they crave the feeling of being somewhere great.

That feeling? It’s your job to create.

Stay Positive & Become A Space Master (We Need You To)

There’s a lot of snow that I’m going to have to snow blow and shovel when I get back from this trip.

The effort required is anticipated. I’m mentally and physically ready.

Could you imagine if I ignored the weather news, social media mentions of it, and texts from friends and family about the snow fall…. how frustrated and ill-prepared I would be when I got home from the trip to realize the effort I’d need to exude?

This post is not just about snow storms, of course.

It’s not even necessarily about being prepared.

Rather, it’s about how important connections and information are. Early and often.

Insert “snow storm” with any project you’re working on. When was the last update you got? Have you prepared for the next step? Got the team organized and ready?

Stay Positive & The “Anticipating” Is On Us

I used to have a boss that rarely ever accepted any of the work I shipped without critiquing it on how it could have been better (even when it was amazing). It hurt in the moment, every time. But by damn did my work reach a whole new level every time I shipped because of it.

I have a friend who, if you know him, is extremely optimistic. Yet, time and time again I hear him telling other people about worst case scenarios. It took me a bit to realize he was doing it to manipulate them to think positively about their experience. When he was the one to be pessimistic, they would get defensive and in being defensive, would actually become optimistic.

In short, we’re pretty easily manipulated.

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, that if you’re really upset about something, maybe…maybe maybe the result of being upset is that you try harder, care more, ship better work, remain more optimistic, and so on.

Stay Positive & Manipulation Seems Less Of A Bad Thing, Doesn’t It?