US Business News

US BUSINESS NEWS

Future-Proofing Creative: Fall Off The Wall’s Women-Led Transformation in Culture and Ownership

US Business News Staff US Business News Staff on July 28, 2025

By: Rovie Erlandez

Alison and Laice didn’t just step into leadership roles, they’ve redefined them. With decades of combined experience in TV, digital, and integrated production, the duo has brought a new energy to the agency, fusing strategic thinking with creativity. Their leadership is thoughtful yet bold, rooted in a shared belief that agencies thrive when their people are empowered, their culture is nurtured, and their work speaks for itself, rather than being driven by egos.

Over the past year, this vision has materialized: Fall Off The Wall has officially transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), placing the company’s future in the hands of its team. With recent industry recognition highlighting Alison and Laice as two of the sector’s most exciting female leaders, it’s clear that this marks more than just a milestone—it reflects an ongoing shift.

A Year of External Recognition and Results

Future-Proofing Creative: Fall Off The Wall’s Women-Led Transformation in Culture and Ownership

Photo Courtesy: Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35

Since taking on joint leadership roles in 2024, Alison and Laice have infused FOTW with renewed energy, profitability, and direction. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Laice Jackson was included on Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35 list, recognizing young women making a significant impact in business. Meanwhile, Alison Rattary-Clarke earned a place on Campaign’s 40 Over 40, celebrating senior industry professionals who continue to break boundaries in later stages of their careers.

Future-Proofing Creative: Fall Off The Wall’s Women-Led Transformation in Culture and Ownership

Photo Courtesy: Campaign’s 40 Over 40

Together, these recognitions reflect a powerful message: two women at different stages of their careers, united in vision, reshaping what modern agency leadership can look like.

Transitioning to Employee Ownership

One of the most significant developments has been guiding FOTW through its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust. While the original founders remain on the board, ownership has shifted to the people who shape the work daily…the employees.

Similar to the U.S. ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) model, an EOT doesn’t involve individual stock holdings, but it does provide a way for shared success. The trust ensures that profits and performance directly benefit the team, and importantly, it helps safeguard the agency’s independence in an industry that is consolidating.

Marking the first anniversary of the EOT structure, the team is already seeing positive cultural changes: stronger collaboration, higher motivation, and a deeper sense of personal investment that transcends typical agency hierarchies.

Building a Culture That Collaborates

Culture isn’t just a buzzword at FOTW—it’s a strategic focus. Under Alison and Laice’s direction, the agency won the Breakthrough Culture Award, a recognition of their deliberate efforts to make the studio a place where creativity, safety, and collaboration can flourish.

From studio rituals to leadership accessibility, the agency has created a space where every team member is encouraged to bring their whole self to the table. That cultural ethos is reinforced through regular 90-day planning cycles, which create space for team-wide reflection, goal-setting, and momentum-building.

This approach, a blend of pragmatism and vision—gives the agency its competitive edge: always focused, never complacent.

Community Beyond the Walls

Leadership for Alison and Laice extends beyond FOTW’s doors. The duo also co-founded the FOTW Female MD Roundtable, a growing quarterly forum for independent female agency leaders to gather, connect, and have candid conversations about the challenges and realities of leadership.

The goal is to support and strengthen the network of women-led agencies, offering solidarity in an industry where female leadership can still be a challenge.

What’s Next for FOTW?

With profitability rising, a clear culture established, and employee ownership firmly in place, Fall Off The Wall is far from finished in its evolution.

Fall Off The Wall (FOTW), a UK-based creative production agency, is embracing its 90-day cycle rhythm, a pace that strikes a balance between operational rigor and creative freedom. This iterative mindset of learning, building, and refining is a philosophy that will likely shape FOTW’s future.

With a leadership duo that blends vision with empathy, a talented team behind every project, and an employee-owned structure designed to elevate all voices, FOTW is setting the pace. As the agency looks to expand its presence in the U.S., it is actively exploring opportunities to support both established and emerging brands and agencies—bringing its signature blend of agility and storytelling to new markets.

The Media Isn’t Ignoring You, You’re Just too Boring to Care About

US Business News Staff US Business News Staff on July 28, 2025

By: Kate Sarmiento

It’s not your product. It’s your pitch.

Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth no founder wants to hear: being “great” doesn’t ensure you press. You could be sitting on a game-changing product, a wild origin story, and a team powered by caffeine and good intentions, but if the angle’s off, the media won’t bite.

And no, it’s not because reporters “just don’t get it.” It’s because your story doesn’t give them a reason to care.

Well, maybe not yet…

The truth is, being good isn’t good enough anymore. The media doesn’t owe you a feature just because you exist, and frankly, your pitch might be the problem.

If you’ve been hitting “send” on press emails and hearing nothing but the echo of your own optimism, don’t blame the journalist or the Mercury retrograde. There’s a deeper issue at play, and it starts with your angle.

“We’re Great” Is Not a Story. It’s a Statement.

Founders often believe their offering is revolutionary because, well, they built it. And to be fair, it probably is something special. But here’s the reality check: the media doesn’t exist to hand out participation trophies. It exists to serve readers, listeners, and viewers. So unless your story speaks to something bigger, something relatable, timely, emotional, or just plain useful, it won’t land.

A 2024 Muck Rack survey backs this up: the number one reason journalists reject pitches is that they aren’t relevant to their audience. Not because the product was boring. Not because the startup lacked funding. But because the pitch failed to answer the one question every editor is trained to ask, “Why should anyone care right now?”

Spoiler alert: “We just launched” is not the answer.

The Usual Suspects: Where Most Pitches Go to Die

Let’s ditch the clichés and go straight to the root. Most failed pitches have one of these problems:

1. Too Self-Serving

Your pitch isn’t a personal diary entry. Journalists aren’t here to boost your ego; they’re here to tell stories that resonate with their readers. If your pitch reads like a product brochure, it’s headed straight for the trash.

2. Too Safe

If your story is playing it so safe that it could double as corporate wallpaper, it’s not going to leave a mark. Safe doesn’t sell, and it definitely doesn’t get covered.

No edge, no take, no teeth.

If your brand doesn’t have a clear point of view or a bold stance, it’ll blend into the background faster than you can say “disruptive.”

3. Too Vague

“Revolutionizing the future of X” means nothing without context. If your pitch doesn’t offer specifics like real-world stakes, tangible impact, and actual numbers, then you’re not giving the journalist anything to work with.

Think of it this way: if your pitch sounds like it was written by a ChatGPT prompt without a soul, it’s not going to make the cut. (We say this lovingly… and as humans.)

Newsworthiness Isn’t Luck. It’s Framing.

So, what makes a brand actually newsworthy? Here’s what we do for our clients at Don’t Be A Little Pitch:

Create Urgency

Why now? What’s changing? Is there a cultural shift, breaking trend, or seasonal tie-in that makes your story pop in the current media cycle? Reporters chase relevance, not resumes.

Lead with Emotion or Impact

Make people feel something… curiosity, outrage, hope. Stories that stir emotion are significantly more likely to get picked up and shared.

Back It Up with Data

If you grew 90% last quarter, say it. If your product helped reduce customer churn by half, prove it. Numbers give your story authority and make it easier for journalists to pitch internally to their editors.

Use Tension

Make your product part of a bigger conversation, whether that’s the rise of AI, economic uncertainty, climate anxiety, or how Gen Z is changing e-commerce. If you can plug into the cultural narrative, you won’t just sound current… you’ll be current.

Use Contrasts

Highlight a tension: What’s broken in the world that your brand is fixing? Where’s the friction that your product removes? If you can show conflict or contradiction, you’ve got the ingredients of a compelling hook.

Founders are naturally close to their business, and that’s both their superpower and their blind spot. When you’re too deep in the weeds, everything feels like a big deal. But what matters to your internal team doesn’t always translate outside the boardroom.

That’s where strategic storytelling comes in. You need someone who can zoom out, spot the angle that makes your story hit hard, and package it for the people who matter: editors, journalists, producers, and ultimately, your target audience.

Time to Make Your Message Matter

We’ve seen it all: new launches, fresh funding, viral testimonials… and still, crickets from the press. Nine times out of ten, the issue isn’t timing. It’s storytelling.

Your competitors aren’t always getting coverage because they’re better. They’re getting coverage because their messaging cuts through.

At Don’t Be A Little Pitch (DBALP), we don’t just write headlines, we reverse-engineer them. We help you find the angle that makes your brand impossible to ignore. Whether it’s tying your story into a rising trend, sharpening your founder’s perspective, or just cutting the fluff that’s holding your pitch back, we’ve seen what works and what definitely doesn’t.

You don’t need to shout louder. You just need to say something worth hearing.

Tired of being ignored? Let’s make your message land. Visit www.dontbealittlepitch.com today to own your narrative and the spotlight.

Salespeak: The Front Door B2B Websites Could Be Missing

US Business News Staff US Business News Staff on July 28, 2025

By: Mary Sahagun

Conversion rates are struggling, Sales Development Reps (SDRs) are often overlooked, and many B2B websites still seem to believe trust starts with a form fill. Omer Gotlieb, founder of Salespeak and former GTM lead at Totango, saw it firsthand: modern buyers aren’t just avoiding sales calls; they’re increasingly bypassing traditional sales funnels.

“Buyers aren’t filling out forms, they’re not replying to SDRs, and they’re often not clicking the demo button unless they’ve already made their decision,” Gotlieb says. His solution? An AI-driven sales layer that doesn’t just talk—it listens, adapts, and aims to build trust in real time.

Trust Isn’t a CTA. It’s a Conversation.

According to Salespeak’s AI Readiness Gap report, B2B buyers today complete nearly 70% of their research before ever reaching out. But their journey, now increasingly AI-driven, faces challenges when they land on outdated, generic sites. The report found that almost 30% of critical business information is missing from B2B websites. No pricing. No competitor comparisons. No proof. Just barriers and gated content.

When buyers (or their AI agents) encounter this lack of information, they leave. And they’re unlikely to return.

Salespeak aims to flip that script. By replacing static web elements with a dynamic, intelligent sales interface, it transforms the website from a brochure into what Gotlieb refers to as an “intelligent front door.” One that responds quickly and understands who’s asking and what matters to them.

Forms Are Friction. Answers Build Trust.

The myth of the lead form is that it qualifies intent. In reality, it can slow down progress. Salespeak understands this. Its AI layer doesn’t capture leads—it works to earn them. It engages buyers on their terms, responding to questions like “How does this compare to X?” or “Is this secure enough for my industry?”—immediately, without delay, and without forcing anyone to wait.

And this isn’t just about improving user experience. It’s about setting up the ideal conditions for creating real trust.

Buyers who interact with Salespeak ask more technical, context-based questions, uncover objections earlier, and tend to convert faster. Not because they’re being pushed, but because they’re being heard. It’s not a faster funnel. It’s a different one.

Many Sites Talk. Salespeak Listens.

Legacy chatbots and SDR cadences treat visitors like a database to mine. Salespeak treats them like decision-makers. Trained on a company’s real documentation: product sheets, pricing, case studies, it delivers responses tailored to the person asking, without repeating itself.

It’s not a chatbot. It’s a contextual brain. One that adapts as the conversation unfolds, surfaces relevant proof points, and aligns value to the buyer’s role and use case. Whether you’re a CTO with integration concerns or a CMO comparing pricing tiers, Salespeak meets you where you are.

Trust Is the New Conversion Strategy

Salespeak isn’t just fixing a flawed conversion path; it’s reconsidering what conversion means. CMOs today are investing in content, SEO, and outbound strategies. But when their ideal prospects land on the site, the experience may feel less than satisfying.

Salespeak has been shown to help teams achieve up to a 3.2x increase in qualified demos, suggesting that real-time answers can accelerate buyer decisions more effectively than traditional gated flows. But more important than the metric is the message: when you stop hiding your answers behind forms, buyers are more likely to engage.

Because trust isn’t something you demand. It’s something you demonstrate in real time.

The Future Is Buyer-First (and AI Agent-Ready)

We’re moving towards an era where buyers won’t necessarily visit your site. Their AI agents will. They’ll scrape, scan, and compare—and if your content isn’t structured or responsive, it’s likely they won’t even consider it.

Salespeak is preparing businesses for that future. It’s not just building for today’s buyers, it’s creating infrastructure that communicates effectively with tomorrow’s machines. That means clear signals, AI-readable structure, and conversational fluency that works for both humans and algorithms.

As Gotlieb puts it, “We’re not replacing sales. We’re acknowledging that sales have already changed. The companies that adapt will thrive. The ones that don’t? They may never get the chance to make their pitch.”

A Trust Rebuild, Not a Tech Stack Add-On

Salespeak isn’t another AI widget to plug in. It’s a shift in approach, from extractive to responsive, from qualifying to guiding. In a market saturated with scripts and scarcity, it dares to meet buyers with clarity, intelligence, and respect.

Because the future of B2B isn’t just about speed—it’s about honesty.

And it starts with one simple truth: real trust begins the moment buyers stop filling out forms and start getting real answers.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational purposes only. The claims made regarding the effectiveness of Salespeak are based on the company’s own reported results and industry observations. While the article provides insights into sales strategies and AI technology, individual results may vary. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with professionals before implementing any strategies discussed.