Most businesses don't fail because they lack talent — they fail because they're afraid to take smart risks.

In this episode of Cuttin' Thru, Elliot sits down with Trent Thompson, co-founder of Guide Creative, to unpack what actually happens when brands stop trying to please everyone and start committing to a point of view.

Trent shares his path from startup sales into creative leadership, why Guide intentionally niches into funny, risk-forward creative, and how saying "no" to safe ideas has attracted better clients — not fewer. They dig into the tension between creative instinct and performance data, why testing beats guessing, and how most marketing failures come from misaligned expectations rather than bad execution.

This conversation is for founders, marketers, and creatives who feel stuck playing defense — and are ready to take thoughtful swings, trust the process, and build brands that actually get remembered.

If you want to see how these ideas translate into real marketing decisions and strategy breakdowns, you'll find deeper context on the Marketing With Elliot YouTube channel.

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