Meet David: The Mind
Behind the Message

Hello! I’m David Schafer. CMO, brand strategist and speaker. Currently, I help companies grow—but my story didn’t start in business. It began in a guitar workshop, building instruments for Eddie Van Halen, George Thorogood, Lita Ford, and a few other 'hair-metal' icons. I loved it. I was making cool stuff for cool people, working with my hands, and even earned a few patents on my designs.

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That experience shaped the way I see marketing.

When I switched careers to advertising, I discovered a different kind of creativity. I learned to write, brainstorm, and ‘put my feet on the desk’ to spitball wild ideas. There was a bit of rock-and-roll in advertising—just like guitar building—and it felt like a perfect fit.

As I rose through the ranks, I became known as a strong presenter and the “idea guy.” I’d pitch campaigns to execs at Dell or Adobe, and everyone would be half-listening, checking emails—until I mentioned my guitar-building past. Suddenly, heads popped up. Eyes focused. The entire room shifted.

That simple story lit up their brains.

Music and guitars might seem unrelated to branding hotels or selling dog food, but in those meetings, it made all the difference. It proved I could think creatively and work with precision. It gave my ideas an edge. It opened doors and led to promotions.

I’m sharing this to show how the right story can give people exactly what they’re looking for. In my case, it wasn’t about nostalgia; it demonstrated a mindset for creativity, detail, and fresh thinking—qualities executives rely on when they’re choosing a partner to solve big challenges.

By sharing stories that meets your buyers’ deeper needs, you give them a reason to lean in and think, ‘Yes, this is the person who can help me move forward.'

That’s the power of a well-timed story. It can open doors you never thought possible.