Ed Howie

Listen to the podcast: 

Don’t be a Commodity Ed Howie Keynote Speaker and President of BTYcreative

About Our Guest:

Ed Howie, owner of the marketing firm BTYcreative. He is the founding partner of Gusto! restaurants, and also a certified spin instructor. He’s been in marketing and operational leadership for 25 years with Chick-fil-A and H-E-B Grocery.

Connect with Ed

On PivotMe today, we talk to Ed Howie, the successful owner of the marketing firm BTYcreative. He is the founding partner of Gusto! restaurants, and also a certified spin instructor. He’s been in marketing and operational leadership for 25 years with Chick fil-A and H-E-B Grocery. He has led teams of communication experts for years, he is also a keynote speaker, and rumor has it we might be able to read more of his material in the near future.

He explains his history with alcohol, how it impacted his personal and professional life, and how he intentionally changed his life. In this episode, we discuss how to avoid commoditizing our businesses by going back to the origin story.

Listen in to hear why Ed is tired of owning other people’s storylines and now confidently accepts compliments without downplaying them. You will also learn the importance of living your life to the fullest, knowing you’re more than capable of achieving your dreams. 

Pivotal Questions Asked:

• [4:36] How did you become so passionate about bringing that energy into marketing and the work that you do?
• [13:44] Can you talk to us about how not to be a commodity?
• [24:40] Do you think we spend too much time trying to push a product toward excellence and not transitioning over to building the brand around it?
• [47:46] If you could tell the world one thing, what would it be? 
• [53:07] At the end of your life when you look back, what does success look like? 

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• [4:50] Ed shares his history with alcohol and why he decided to become intentional with his life.
• [8:42] How he shifted from being avoidant and non-confrontational to dealing with conflict head-on.
• [14:22] How to remain distinct and efficient in business by going back to your origin story.
• [17:43] The top reasons why a product might not sell even when it’s great.
• [21:09] Commodity vs. brand – the entrepreneurial mistakes that turn a brand into a commodity.
• [25:00] How to manage how you position yourself as a brand by telling your story.
• [27:47] Understanding how to price your products in a way that you’re not commoditizing your business.
• [34:24] The honesty of owning a compliment rather than downplaying it and the confidence it takes to do it.
• [47:51] Learn to live your life to the fullest and know you’re more capable than you think.
• [53:14] Ed on his desire to impact lives and be grateful for what he has today. 

Quotes:

• “We all have things that we allow to govern ourselves in life for good or for bad.”– Ed [8:03]

• “You can either allow other people to write your story, or you can write and communicate your story.”– Ed [25:12]

Connect with Ed:

• Website: https://edhowie.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ed.howie
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/edhowie/