Brett McDowell of Centennial BANK on how going through a rebrand can change internal culture.

Like a weighted elbow to a stubborn muscle knot, Challengers know where to focus their energy to achieve maximum results. Whether it’s a before-purchase social post, a point-of-sale poster or a memorable thank you email, knowing how to get (and stay) in touch with your customers is the key to building brand loyalty that lasts.

There! On the sidewalk! It’s a scooter… it’s a nuisance… it’s a Bird, and it’s the hottest transportation solution since Uber. Bird is a Santa Monica transportation startup that’s currently flying high with a $400 million valuation and thousands of users from California to DC.

We sat down with Michael Portman of Birds Barbershop to talk about how the experience of a haircut could transform his business model and disrupt the industry.

What does your company exist to do? No, not the product you sell. What does your company stand for? If you can’t answer that question definitively, it’s time to think about your purpose.

This is the age of programmatic banner ads and pre-roll video that split the attention of the viewer between the content they came to consume and the brand advertising they didn’t. So how do you win when you can’t guarantee the average adult’s attention for more than 8 seconds? You go short. Really short. 6 seconds, short.

Another installment in the Empowered Challenger interview series featuring Kristen Groos Richmond, Co-Founder of Revolution Foods, talking about finding a niche in a forgotten industry.

Another installment in the Empowered Challenger interview series featuring Jerome Hiquet, founder of Tough Mudder, talking about weeding out the masses through trial by fire (literally).

Unless you’re fat, happy and alone at the top of your category, you’re likely battling giants of some kind. You’re a challenger. You’re forced to turn constraints into opportunities by outthinking the competition.

SEO can make or break your visibility online—visibility which is imperative for every brand, challenger or industry leader. So what happens if your smaller brand just doesn’t have the beef of your larger competitors to magically appear first in search results?