While Feelin’ My Self is yet to be mastered and published, I’m actively involved investing in next steps.
Active & Ongoing, Applicable & Expanding Community Involvement
I’M CONTINUING TO INVEST IN FOUNDATIONAL NEXT STEPS & WELCOME YOU TO EXPLORE WITH ME
The Shine Bright School (individual work) + Corporate Training founded by Monique Melton: educator, published author, content creator, international speaker, and host of the Shine Brighter Together podcast
Straightforward and stress free way to book a workshop or presentation - Marie Beecham a powerful speaker, writer, and host of the Know Better, Do Better podcast
Licensed Therapist + Boundary Expert Speaker | LET’S WORK TOGETHER - Nedra Glover Tawwab, bestselling author of Drama Free and Set Boundaries, Find Peace
Author, educator, and influencer speaker | BOOKING INFO - Blair Imani, creator of the viral web series Smarter in Seconds, best-selling author of Read This to Get Smarter, and co-owner of Fempower Beauty
Short Audio Storybook in the works
FEELIN’ MY SELF: MY EXPANDING TOOLKIT TO FOSTER MARKETING WITHOUT MANIPULATION
One step at a time, and I’m here for it. We>Me.
Holistic Marketing = synthesizing high level factual observations into incremental brand storytelling tactics from the inside, out. -alex NO.EL miller
This project completes all three pieces (sound+visual+audiobook) from 3 years of this moondog project with a single 67min40sec immersive short story audiobook listen: https://we.tl/t-EIknX3VJmZ -> unmastered demo w/ downloadable pdf version. eta launch late summer/early fall 2024.
book style:
It’s very zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. With corporate marketing / branding / capitalism as the “art of Maintenence” and my music + visual art as the “zen”
storytelling philosophy:
experiential, emotive marketing -> capitalism psychological manipulation & philosophy textbook style of a flow. (I’ll be adding the related resources + infographics in an appendix with publishing)
PREFACE | NOVEMBER, 2022
DISCOVER YOUR INNER HOLISTIC MARKETER FROM THE INSIDE, OUT.
I noted a tangible and prickly sensation.
What only added to this very apparent discomfort was that I was unable to actually articulate what it was, let alone be able to speak to it.
All I knew for certain was that this “off” feeling was identical to that I’ve been experiencing within the marketing world, continued education space, media trends and my personal mental health journey. It felt as if I had no choice but to lean into it. I was finally connecting the dots.
My self pushed me to, for the first time in my life, put pen to paper. To unpack the one thing that has ever felt truly certain to me. My Core. To learn. To grow.
WHAT I AM CONSTRUCTING
A holistic approach to marketing, inclusive of self-regulation techniques, interactive case study thought-starters and digestible business opportunities that stick at scale.
MY BELIEF
The vast majority of our world’s “shoulds” are operating from a results-oriented state of urgency: if I (insert action item on your goal list), I will be successful.
If I can convince a customer to buy my company’s product over the competition, I will be successful.
If I can sway politically polarizing family members, I will be successful.
If I outperform my coworkers, I will prove my worth. I can afford a nice place to live. I might decide to make a family.
I will be successful.
What happened to me was I got all-consumed by the thirst for success for as long as I can remember, initiating with the firm belief my well-being depended on what my parents praised me for. What my teachers rewarded me with in the form of grades. What my religious upbringing assured me would grant me eternal happiness after death. What my heroes, my most inspiring leaders, spanning from historical figures to trusted mentors, offered up as the key to successful sales (everything is sales psychology - more on that in my book). Understandably, I did everything I could to “set myself up for success” so that one day, when I die, I can live in eternal peace. I directed all of my energy towards predictable praise, reward, eternal peace and keys to success. My whole life I was openly learning from the past and planning for my future. I put all of my authentic energy, my impressionable ability to feel, into efforts to feel happy.
IF I CAN PUSH MY SELF, MY BEING, MY BODY HARD ENOUGH ON THESE EXTERNAL FORCES, I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
Successful people are happy. Happy people buy products. Happy people go to the gym five days a week. To quote Elle Woods, “happy people just don't kill their husbands, they just don't.” Unhappy people buy products to try and feel happy. I remember a TED Talk on “what makes a good life,” resonating with the concept of fostering a happy, conflict-free environment. What’s the point of life? To be happy. Ask your family. Ask your friends. Ask your coworkers. Ask your self.
HAPPINESS IS THE GOAL. RIGHT?
My book debunks this theory, the main reason being that factually, happiness is not a destination. At a core level, happiness is, in fact, an emotion within. It’s personal. And it certainly can’t be forced. So why was I sacrificing my self, my ability to feel, to reach happiness? It’s because I did this in the name of working towards success. In creating successful marketing campaigns. In convincing others to take an action based on what I make them feel. In marketing we say “call to action, or CTA.” Not to be confused with the Chicago Transit Authority.
It’s no groundbreaking claim to state external forces beyond our immediate control are overwhelmingly vast. We live in a world where we are conditioned to “keep the peace,” to execute brand strategies based on how we expect the market to respond, and to plan ahead so we feel safe.
THERE’S THAT CONCEPT AGAIN: TAKING ACTION SO WE CAN FEEL.
As I began progressing through my mental health journey my eyes widened in bewilderment that we as a collective society agreed to enable a forced feeling way of living. That’s why I felt the need to justify everything. That’s why I am pouring myself into marketing. And. My emotion at this moment does exist. If I spend all of my energy at this moment pushing down my activation in efforts to feel happy, there won’t be much energy left over to actually experience the happiness, the creativity, the surprise, the awe, the peace.
This is called a results-oriented state of urgency: if I (insert action item on your goal list), I will be successful.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be relieved to know that despite everything you were taught, what you are feeling at this very moment is correct. What you, reader, are experiencing at this very moment IS. It exists. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to cover it up to feel safe. No action within your control can result in a specific emotion. One way or another, that emotion will find a way out. Simply put, we’re talking about a simple feeling within you that your body already observes on its own. This is not good, this is not bad, this doesn’t make you a certain type of person.
Emotions simply exist and will demand your acknowledgement by any means necessary.
That’s it.
That’s all you have to do. Simply acknowledge what you are feeling holistically at this moment now.
Now, too.
WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT FACTUAL OBSERVATION OF YOUR FEELINGS IS UP TO YOU.
But the first step is unapologetically acknowledging the factual reality that is your emotive state in this moment.
Only you know this.
The kicker is that we can’t control our feelings, and it is for this precise reason that I am connecting the dots between mental health and marketing “shoulds” through my Core Method.
So where does that leave us? If I live in a world where I am conditioned to dismiss all but happy feelings, I effectively prevent myself from actually having the ability to experience any happiness at all. Furthermore, creativity sparks within the realm of happiness, so if I am blocking myself from emoting the full spectrum of feelings I am unable to create. To authentically collaborate. To effectively innovate.
As you probably have already guessed, this results in surface-level interactions and auto-pilot daily decision making. It is from this place that we as marketers decide how to effectively launch a new product or pivot a loyalty campaign.
Ultimately, marketing manifests motives.
Let’s assume this is neither good nor bad. Marketing simply manifests motives to stimulate purchase behavior and grow the business. As a consumer, let’s assume I have full autonomy over my ability to choose. David Mothersboaugh’s charts, which we will be analyzing from Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy, illustrate standard motivation theory for marketing strategy.
Now let’s backtrack a moment and bring to light very common examples. You’ve probably conducted small-talk. It’s awkward but ultimately predictable so therefore my nervous system says it is not an immediate danger. Hands clammy you passively ask your coworker “how’s it going” as you pass them in the hall. Yearning to get home and unwind, you indifferently instruct your team to “just do it” because the CEO asked. You may even devise an entire strategy around what you expect your customers to do in response to a competitor’s new brand positioning campaign.
There’s a 60% chance you fall into the nearly always exhausted category (US adults) - New York Post
For me, I never could truly sleep through the night. I suffered through panic attacks until my body crossed a line into spinal compression spasms. Eventually this caused a tumor to grow on my finger. It’s no coincidence that my spasms aligned with particularly tense personal events. So rather than push it down only to hit rock bottom yet again, I decided this time to dive into the concept of why I had learned self-gaslighting to begin with. I spent time befriending myself and understanding my Core Values. Only from a grounded state can I honestly say I am approaching marketing strategy holistically. From a place that prioritizes my self first. Only from this holistic headspace do I have access to effective strategic innovation, daily satisfaction and inner peace. Core Method explores if, in global eCommerce, we can truly have an honest approach to marketing. My theory is that if we have any chance at all, it starts with being honest with our core selves.
Google Trends reports we are at a peak search period for “happiness” and “self care” keywords, which is further evident by the self-care industry and wellness lifestyle social media trends. The performative advertisements that cause everyone to look awkwardly around the room and blink. The trend of self-awareness. The trend of family fallouts. The trend of layoffs. The trend of binary data analysis fueling confirmation bias.
All of this work we do to learn how to feel is exhausting. “Self care” as marketed to me resonates as: if I do a face mask with a glass of wine I am doing self-care and I will be happy.
That’s quite a few steps to take to conveniently “be happy.”
How am I supposed to market problem-solving products to customers when operating from this energy-suck place on the surface? How on earth am I supposed to submit this homework assignment?
LATELY, I BEGAN SELF-CARE IN THE FORM OF: WHAT IN THIS MOMENT CAN I DO TO PRIORITIZE MYSELF?
That action might be:
I feel my neck has been looking down at my phone for too long. In this moment I’m hesitant about a decision I need to make, annoyed at Ticketmaster, disappointed that I ate a cupcake, nauseated and embarrassed at our country’s never ending cycle of intergenerational trauma, resentful that we live in a world profits in the form of reinforced control from me pushing down the one thing that makes me human, fearful that one day I’ll be alone, frightened that I may have caused hurt to someone else, surprised I didn’t enjoy the last SNL episode, eager to be with my partner, energetic about writing this book, playful with ideas, inquisitive of the world around me, confident in who I am, thankful for my core values and by extension my chosen family, sensitive from wearing my heart on my sleeve, hopeful because I trust my Core Values, and inspired by the art around me. In this moment, what’s best for me right now is to cozy up in the tub and pour some bubbly.
This exemplifies a thoughtful action taken from unapologetic transparency with myself at a core level. No other action is needed from me. I don’t have to purchase anything or do any work at all.
All I need to do is simply exist holistically.
WHAT I’M PROPOSING IS A METHOD OF TECHNIQUES FOR THE MARKETER (YOU) TO:
Fall behind the noise
Open access to your full spectrum of emotions first.
Marketers can not make anyone feel. Nobody has control over their feelings. Emotions simply exist.
Marketers can create stimuli to activate a customer’s nervous system and trigger a purchase behavior.
Learn how you, specifically you, observe the sensation, differentiate your self from the person who adapted to their environment, and act from a place of genuine, kind curiosity.
Only then can we stay true to what few things we know are correct. Only now can you ask holistic questions to identify the Core of your brand’s personality and resonate with an effective growth strategy.
My book explores how to unpack societal “shoulds” from a personal level. Taking this a step further, I then translate this exact concept to specific case studies and marketing strategies we see live in today’s marketplace. Side by side I compare the factual outputs with how it would look using the applied Core Method.
My hope is that The Holistic Marketer (tentative alt titles: Inside, Out Marketer; Core Method Marketing; Holistic Core Method; Lampshades on Fire) activates a flicker from YOUR core, inspiring you to connect your own dots from a place of inner peace, unlocking access to effective innovation.
weather’s gonna weather
I’m beyond excited to see what unfolds next.
Warmly,
ALEX
POST-SCRIPT, MAY 9, 2024
2022 I finished my book, 2024 recorded the audio short storybook and incorporated it with my record, released a few days later. It’s dismantling my internalized white supremacy marketing manipulatOR psyche and guiding my internalized business leader self to get curious about investing in finance classes taught by Black women and trans folks and other leaders (expanding) and ultimately the last image will be of an immediate cta watermelon and… laddering to the long-term strategy of divesting within corporate america and rebuilding trust in humanity by showing up and actually giving a crap.
My intention is for this to bridge together my psychosomatic PTSD nonbinary self + corporate / legal / catholic psychological manipulation + “higher education” in marketing psychoanalysis + active somatic practice + a few years of diversified research methods led to me seeing I already put the pieces together. I
I think I’m ready to publish…ish(?)
And.
I’m safe enough.
Perhaps this stepping stone is worth a shot.
Cheers to smoking the shoulds.
Looking ahead 2024/5 -> My “business plan” is to use this book as my personal "corporate marketing manipulation-undoing toolkit" and to lead my self and other white corporate leaders in my immediate communities to join me in getting curious about actively applying & expanding upon holistic growth resources led by Black women. As long as you and I are living we’ll always have the ability to express autonomy and authentically live committed to growth.