The One-Word Litmus Test for Hiring a Creative

Three Reasons People Keep Using AI That Nobody Is Talking About

Three Reasons People Keep Using AI That Nobody Is Talking About Every time a new technology arrives, there is a gap between the reasons people say they use it and the reasons they actually use it. When the internet arrived, the pitch was information access, communication, and commerce. What actually drove adoption at the ground […]

The Crowd Is Booing AI. Here’s Why That’s Your Opportunity.

It is May 2026, and commencement season is producing a pattern that is hard to ignore.

Your Why Is Simpler Than You Think. That’s the Point.

Your Why Is Simpler Than You Think. That’s the Point. This is the third and final episode in a three-part series on the origins of Vibe, Tribe & Why®, Brand Shepherd’s proprietary brand-building framework. Part 1 covered Tribe. Part 2 covered Vibe. This one covers Why, and it’s the piece that connects the other two. […]

Clarity Before Growth: Brand Shepherd on the Elsplend Realities Podcast

Clarity Before Growth Most brand problems are not strategy problems. They are clarity problems. Dan Crask, founder of Brand Shepherd and creator of the Vibe, Tribe & Why® framework, joined the Elsplend Realities Podcast to talk about what actually has to be in place before a brand is ready to grow. The conversation covers why […]

Vibe: Why Your Brand’s Presence Is More Than a Logo

Vibe: Why Your Brand’s Presence Is More Than a Logo This is the second episode in a three-part series on the origins of Vibe, Tribe & Why®, Brand Shepherd’s proprietary brand building framework. If you haven’t heard Part 1 yet, start there. It covers Tribe, and there’s a reason Tribe comes first in the process […]

Tribe: Why “Everyone Is Welcome” Is the Worst Thing You Can Say About Your Brand

Tribe: Why “Everyone Is Welcome” Is the Worst Thing You Can Say About Your Brand This is the first of three episodes digging into the background of Vibe, Tribe & Why®, Brand Shepherd’s proprietary brand-building framework. Each part has a history. Each part continues to evolve. This episode is about Tribe. And the place to […]

Is This the WordPress Killer We’ve Been Waiting For?

Is This the WordPress Killer We’ve Been Waiting For? By Dan Crask • Founder, Brand Shepherd For decades, people have been predicting the end of WordPress. It hasn’t happened yet. But something was announced this past week that made me stop scrolling and actually pay attention. WordPress turns twenty-four this year. It powers around 60% […]

Blind Spots and Soft Spots in Brand Building

Blind Spots and Soft Spots in Brand Building There are things people expect when they start working with Brand Shepherd. They expect to dig into brand identity. They expect to talk about what makes them different. They expect to come out the other side with clearer messaging and a stronger sense of who they are […]

3 Things Brand Shepherd Does for Every Ag Brand

3 Things Brand Shepherd Does for Every Ag Brand It’s the late 80s. A 13-year-old kid in a small northern Illinois town climbs onto a bus in the wee hours of the morning, headed for a cornfield. For several weeks, that bus runs the same route, depositing a crew of teenagers into fields owned by […]