In this concise 7‑minute interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Tim Fitzpatrick, founder of Rialto Marketing, about how service‑based businesses can cut through marketing overload. Tim explains that his firm helps clients create and execute simple, targeted marketing plans that deliver the right message to the right audience. He humorously notes that many marketing agencies fail to market themselves, likening it to a cobbler without shoes, and stresses the importance of treating one’s own business like a client. When asked which chapter of a hypothetical business book is most essential, Tim points to the chapter on marketing fundamentals: defining a target market, crafting compelling messaging, and using a straightforward plan. He then shares three practical leadership habits: start with a brain‑dump list, keep actions simple (quoting Leonardo da Vinci on simplicity), and focus on the next measurable step to avoid overwhelm. Tim also recommends fellow marketer Beth Bogan of AceChat for her work in live‑chat customer service, recounts his first job at a golf driving range where he learned patience, and directs listeners to rialtomarketing.com for resources, a podcast, and a free consult.
Chapters
This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
Yep, thanks for having me, Pete. My name is Tim Fitzpatrick with Rialto Marketing, and we help service businesses simplify marketing so they can grow with less stress. And we do that by helping them create and implement a plan to communicate the right message to the right people. You know, Pete, we find so many people are just battling information overload when it comes to marketing. They're overwhelmed, but it doesn't have to be that way. So, you know, we believe marketing, it shouldn't be difficult. You just need to have the right plan in place.
That's so insightful. Thank you, Tim. And I'm glad that you're here on the show. Question number 2, what is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
Yeah, but you know, marketers are a dime a dozen. You know that they're all over the place. It never ceases to amaze me how many marketing companies do a really bad job at marketing their own company. It's just crazy. It's like the cobbler that has no shoes. So, you know, when I got into the business, a mentor of mine, said to me, hey, you've got to treat your own company like a client. And we've done that, and it has really helped us be consistent and, and walk the walk, you know, and market our business just like we would a client.
And that is really interesting because, yeah, you, you, I, so many times I've worked with companies and agencies who, they, they, you know, have a completely horrible website, or, uh, you know, they haven't updated their materials, and they say we're just too busy. And I'm thinking, well, what about, you know, the new clients who are expecting, you know, is this what you're going to be providing to us, something that's outdated? So it's, it's really important. Question number 3. I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Pete, I'm biased, but it's without marketing, bringing in leads, bringing in clients, you can have the best product or service in the world and none of it matters. So I think it's got to be the chapter on marketing and specifically How do you nail down your target market? How do you create great messaging for that target market? And how do you create and use a simple marketing plan?
Mm, I think that's great. And as a marketer myself, I can totally relate and appreciate that. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
I would say 3 things that I think work in concert with one another. So the first one is success starts with a list. It is— no, I don't care what we're doing, if we start with a list and just brain dump all the things that we feel like we have to do, it becomes so much easier to then create a plan from that. 2, keep things simple. Okay, complexity leads to just a ton of stress, and it doesn't have to be that way. We— it is so easy to make things complex, but I love the quote from Leonardo da Vinci where he said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." So if we can boil things down to the things that we really only need to do, those simple steps, things become much, much easier. The third thing that I would say is take the next measurable step. So it is really easy for us as entrepreneurs to just get bogged down and burdened by all these things that we have to do. And when we can break things down into the smaller steps, all of a sudden that, that overwhelm just starts to melt away. So focus on the next step you need to take to get to where you want to be, and then just keep putting foot— keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I like that a lot. And, and, you know, those— the second and third one, they, they actually complement each other very well because if you do the the next measurable step and you're in those bite-sized pieces. That simplifies things too, doesn't it?
Yes, it does. Absolutely.
That's great. Question number 5. What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
I would say Beth Bogan from AceChat. Super nice lady. And they're doing great work for clients, helping them with customer service and generating leads with live chat right from their website.
Great. That sounds interesting. I look forward to talking to her.
Yes.
Thank you for that referral. And our final question, question number 6, please tell me about your first job.
Yes. So my first job, I worked at a golf driving range. It was, it was kind of an odd driving range. It wasn't your standard flat driving range. So we didn't have a golf cart that drove over the balls to pick them all up. We had this little handheld tool that you'd punch the balls. So we had to walk and pick up all the balls across the driving range with this little handheld tool, and when it got full, you dump it into a bag and you'd go from there. So I hope that doesn't date me because I've never seen one of those since. But, uh, it was, um, it was a fun job, you know. I just kind of did my thing and was able to zone out and just pick up golf balls. And it definitely taught me how to have better patience.
Oh, it's true. And I have to ask, because before we started recording, we talked about being in the San Francisco Bay Area. That wouldn't be the Montclair driving range, would it?
No, it was actually the Crow Canyon Country Club.
Oh, okay.
In San Ramon.
Okay.
And it was a weird deal because the driving range was miles away from the course. You had to drive away from the course to get up to the driving range. And so it was just in this little niche area and you kind of hit into a canyon. And it was, it was an interesting driving range. I had fun. You know, one of my good buddies got me the job and, and we, you know, we had fun, but it was very manual labor.
It sure sounds like it. And then, you know, but you know what, it was a job, right?
It was a job. Yeah, that's exactly right.
Well, Tim, thank you so much for being on the show. How could people find you?
Best place to find me is at our website, which is rialtomarketing.com. That's R-I-A-L-T-O marketing.com. All our social channels are there. You know, we put out tons of marketing content. We've got a podcast. So there's tons of resources there. Take advantage of it. And if you need help pushing through your marketing roadblocks, just schedule a free consult. The buttons— that button is all over the place. So be happy to chat with you for a few minutes.
Perfect. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Thanks for listening. Nice.
