The Chicago Irish Pub Lesson That Just Made My Consulting Brand 10x Clearer (And Why Your GTM Positioning Is Probably Bleeding Revenue Right Now)

Last week I was in Chicago for a business school luncheon. Great conversations, sharp minds, the usual energy that comes from getting off campus and into the real world.

But the real “aha” hit me walking downtown at dinner time.

My hotel had a perfectly fine upscale bar / restaurant right there in the lobby. They were even comping part of the meal on my room allowance. Logically, it was the easy choice.

Instead, I crossed the street to an Irish pub I’d never been to before. Why did I do this?

The next day, I spent some time thinking about this choice as I was walking to a meeting. There was no reason to do what I did. In fact, I didn’t even remember thinking about the choice. It just felt like the right thing to do.

The answer I found was powerful and profound and something we don’t often spend time thinking of as executives: Brand positioning.

The second I saw the sign and the vibe through the window, I knew exactly what experience I was walking into: hearty food, cold Guinness, friendly service, zero surprises. The generic hotel spot? I had no clear picture. It could be anything… mediocre pasta, loud corporate crowd, forgettable beer. Decision made. I chose certainty. I chose familiarity.

That 30-second gut check on a random Chicago sidewalk is the exact reason most offers don’t even make it to the table.

You’re probably doing the same thing to your prospects right now

You and your business can do a lot of things. You’re smart, experienced, capable across operations, tech, strategy, or whatever your field is. But when a busy VP lands on your site, LinkedIn profile, or pitch deck, are they getting the feel of the Irish pub? Or the cold uncertainty of the hotel lobby bar?

“They seem solid… but what am I actually buying? What does working with them feel like? What exact outcome do I get?”

In a 2026 market where AI-native tools, robotics pilots, and mobility tech are moving at warp speed, that hesitation kills deals. The unfamiliarity stops you from getting in the door. Your prospect doesn’t have time to decode you, they move on to the provider who makes the decision effortless.

Take Action: Define Your Brand Today

If you want to validate and launch into new frontiers, specificity isn’t nice-to-have. It’s the multiplier that turns browsers into buyers.

Here’s the playbook I’m using now to build the familiarity and trust people gravitate toward like an Irish pub:

1. Nail the Exact Experience You Deliver (Your “Irish Pub Promise”)

Stop listing capabilities. Paint the full sensory picture of what it’s like to work with you. For me:

• You get a practitioner who’s been in the trenches of $100M+ mobility deals and turned data silos into 20-30% cost cuts.
• Every session ends with a clear, board-ready action plan. No fluff, no 200-slide decks.
• Zero risky bets. Just measurable ROI or we don’t move forward.

2. Ask Yourself These 5 Positioning Questions (Do This Today)

• Who is my exact customer?
• What is the one transformation they experience?
• What specific pains do I remove that others ignore?
• What proof makes the promise believable in 10 seconds?
• If a prospect could only remember one sentence about me, what must it be?

3. Checklist: Turn Generic into “Obvious Choice” in Under an Hour

• Write your “Irish Pub Promise” in one paragraph (post it in your office). This promise is how you convey what you do, it’s what people should think when they see you.
• Update every piece of content to showcase the specific outcome and how you deliver (not features).
• Create one visual that shows Before → After for your core customer.
• Add a 15-second “What You Get” video to your website (phone selfie style, authenticity wins).
• Test it: Send the revised positioning to 3 warm prospects or trusted mentors and ask, “Does this make the decision easier?”

Social media is the perfect amplifier here. It lets you consistently showcase exactly what it feels like to work with you building that Irish-pub-level recognition one post at a time. Use it to connect, spark conversations, and constantly check your positioning against real feedback.

Ready to make your own brand the obvious choice?

The deeper truth is this: When your positioning becomes crystal clear, everything compounds. Your content cuts through the noise better. Your conversations get to the point faster. You stop wasting time on the wrong opportunities and start attracting the exact people you’re built to serve.

In 2026, the biggest competitive advantage isn’t just what you can do, it’s how unmistakably you communicate the experience people get when they work with you.

Take that checklist and the five questions seriously. Spend the next half hour making your Irish Pub Promise real. Put it in your bio, on your site, and in every important conversation.

You’ll know it’s working when prospects start telling you “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for” before you even pitch them.