The Drunken Master of Sales

The Art of Drunken Boxing

There’s this martial arts style called Xi Quan, or “Drunken Fist.” It looks like complete chaos—stumbling, weaving, off-balance moves that make the fighter seem like they’ve had a few too many at the bar. But here’s the secret: every move, every stagger, is intentional. The chaos is a strategy, a way to lure the opponent into a false sense of control before delivering a perfectly timed strike.

At Inc Tank GTM, we’ve taken this ancient art and rebranded it for the modern world of sales and marketing. We call it Pattern Interruption. Just like the Drunken Master uses erratic movement to disarm an opponent, we use unexpected messaging, unconventional campaigns, and a healthy dose of humor to break through the noise. Our goal is to create those delightful “Wait, what?” moments that pull people in, make them curious, and keep them engaged.

Growing Up in the Storm

I didn’t get here by accident. If you knew what my early life looked like, you might wonder how it’s even possible I show up every day with a positive vibe. I’ve had my share of tough times—circumstances that could have easily become my reason to quit. Life didn’t just hand me lemons; it pelted me with them, hard, and occasionally from a cannon.

But instead of making lemonade, I built a lemonade stand, that holds the promise of turning into a full-scale citrus empire. Well, at least that’s how it feels sometimes. The truth is, a lot of days, I’m just figuring it out as I go. The chaos became my rhythm, and I learned that sometimes the best strategy is to lean into the stumble and turn it into a dance move.

Leaning into My Neuro-Spicy Side

Looking back, I have always been “neuro-spicy,” as I like to call it. My brain works fast, like it’s running three podcasts, two TED Talks, and a rock concert all at the same time. I spin up ideas at warp speed, connecting dots that aren’t even in the same puzzle yet. What might look like random bursts of creativity are actually well-aimed shots at creating engagement and connection—or, sometimes, they’re just random bursts of creativity.

I’d love to say it’s all part of a grand master plan, but honestly, a lot of it comes down to being willing to try, to experiment, and to not be afraid of looking a little silly. I’m learning that showing up as my full, authentic self—quirks, comics, chaos, and all—can be more powerful than trying to fit a mold.

The Business Accelerator: Turning Chaos into Rocket Fuel

When we launched our business, I brought all of this into play. What some might see as chaos, we harnessed as a massive accelerator for our company, our offerings, our platforms, and our partnerships. Everything I was ever told to stop doing has become the very engine of our success:

• Don’t be so loud. I got louder, and it helped us stand out.
• Don’t daydream. My daydreams turned into big ideas and bigger opportunities.
• Don’t talk to everyone. I talked to everyone anyway, and that’s how we built a vast network.
• Don’t write so much. I wrote more, sharing stories and insights that resonated with people.
• Don’t be unscripted. I embraced the unscripted, showing up as my authentic self, and it built trust.
• Stop wearing comic gear. I wore it proudly, letting my personality shine through, and it made me memorable.
• Don’t show your office on Zoom. I showed my real space, and it made real connections.
• Don’t be you. I doubled down on being me—and that made all the difference.

But I’d be lying if I said everyone gets it right away. There have been times when clients have looked at my process with a healthy dose of skepticism. One even admitted that at the start, they were a bit dubious—understandably so. When you see someone like me bouncing between ideas, moving a mile a minute, it can look a bit like manic energy with no clear direction.

Yet, as the pieces started to come together, that same client told me they were blown away by how quickly and effectively everything aligned. They saw how all those seemingly random threads wove into a cohesive, powerful strategy. Hearing that feedback isn’t just gratifying—it’s humbling. It’s a reminder that while my style might not be for everyone, those who see past the initial whirlwind often find real value on the other side.

The Experimentation Factor: Embracing the Hits and Misses

Here’s the truth—when you operate like a Drunken Master, not every punch lands. We experiment a lot at Inc Tank GTM, and while there are more wins than losses, not every idea soars. Some campaigns take off like a SpaceX rocket. Others crash and burn like a pi?ata full of bricks. But hey, we clean up the mess, learn from it, and get ready for the next swing.

And if we get over our skis or a project doesn’t pan out, our philosophy is simple: Our problems are not our clients’ problems. If we miss the mark, we don’t just say “Oops!” and run away. Whether it means comping services, offering discounts, or doing more than was originally asked, we’ll do what it takes to make it right. If an idea doesn’t land, we’ll take another swing at it—on our own dime—to ensure we deliver what we promised.

We live by a code: “If we screw it up, we’ll fix it up.” No hiding behind excuses, no passing the buck. We’re not just in the business of selling ideas; we’re in the business of building trust.

An Invitation to the Neuro-Spicy Tribe

If you’re reading this and you’ve felt out of place—too loud, too different, too much—this is for you. The world might have told you to tone it down, to fit in, to mask who you are. I’m here to tell you to do the opposite. Embrace it. Lean into your weirdness. Your quirks are your superpower.

And if you’re not quite there yet, that’s okay. It took me a long time to get here. I’d love to connect, swap stories, and see if we can find a way to make some of that chaos work for you, too. Because I believe the benefits of being authentically you outweigh the limitations, and when you point your neuro-spicy brain in the right direction, you become unstoppable.

The Goldfish and the Tree

I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

For years, I felt like a fish being handed climbing gear and a pep talk. I kept trying to get a grip on that tree, wondering why it never worked out. Now, I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out—I’m still learning to swim through this whole entrepreneurial ocean. But I do know this: I’m a lot happier as a fish in water than as a fish trying to fake it as a squirrel.

To those who see through the chaos, who understand how it all works together, thank you. Your trust isn’t just appreciated—it’s fuel for the fire. If you’re like me, I hope you find the courage to do the same. Because the world doesn’t need more tree climbers—it needs more swimmers. More chaos-makers. More Drunken Masters who turn unpredictability into their greatest strength. And who knows? Maybe while everyone else is staring up at the tree, we’ll find an ocean of opportunity they never even knew existed.