Post Malone, Luke Combs, and the Problem with “I Got a Guy”

I don’t listen to a lot of modern pop music, but I still listen to the radio. And every once in a while, the radio hands you a business lesson. This week it was a line from Post Malone and Luke Combs, a pop and country crossover getting plenty of airtime: “I got a guy.”

I laughed because that’s marketing.

Everyone’s got a guy. A logo guy. A website guy. A social media guy. A “my nephew makes videos” guy. On the surface, that feels responsible. You’re investing. You’re taking action. But here’s the problem: most businesses hire for execution when they actually need a plan. Execution is easy to buy.

A plan is what prevents waste.

If we’re being honest, you’ve probably hired someone before. They delivered what you asked

for and still nothing really changed. Revenue didn’t shift. The message didn’t tighten. The business didn’t feel clearer. That isn’t always a talent issue. It’s usually a planning issue.

I’ve seen businesses build a website, design a logo, print signage, and start posting online, and each piece tells a different story. The tone changes. The promise changes. The “who this is for” changes. That’s fragmentation, and fragmentation costs money. Small businesses often have to piecemeal. That’s reality. But nickel-and-diming marketing without a plan doesn’t reduce spending. It just spreads the waste out over time and makes it harder to measure what’s working.

If marketing feels expensive, it’s usually because there wasn’t a plan.

A real plan answers a few questions before you spend another dollar: Who are we trying to attract? Why should they trust us? What do we want to be known for? What offer are we actually pushing? What does consistency look like across the website, signage, ads, and content? When those answers aren’t clear, marketing turns into activity. When those answers are clear, marketing turns into momentum.

There’s also a difference between a vendor and a collaborator. A vendor completes tasks. A collaborator protects direction.

A vendor waits for instructions.

A collaborator asks where the business is going and whether the next move supports that direction.

That difference determines whether your marketing becomes a pile of disconnected purchases or a system that compounds over time.

Marketing is often treated like a 100-inch television. Nice to have. Optional when there’s extra cash. Something you buy when everything else is handled. But marketing isn’t a luxury item. It’s infrastructure. Marketing isn’t what you spend after you’re successful. It’s what makes you successful.

The line “I got a guy” works when you need a quick fix. Businesses love quick fixes because quick fixes feel like relief. But growth isn’t a quick fix. It’s alignment, consistency, and intentional direction. You don’t need more people doing random things. You need a plan that connects what you’re already doing so your effort actually produces a return.

I’m not the guy who can resole your boots or fix a broken heart. But when it comes to building a clear marketing plan and turning attention into customers, that’s my lane. If you’re ready to stop hiring “a guy” and start building something steady, let’s talk.

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Written with AI assistance based on the author’s ideas, experience, and editorial direction.

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