Kyle Frazier

Growing up Essence magazines were a fixture in my house. Watching my mother flip through every monthly issue of Essence—with pages filled with beauty, brilliance, and belonging. For many of us, Essence wasn’t just a brand. It was synonymous with our culture. A safe space in a world that often isn’t.

Table of Contents Toggle I saw it with UPS. One day they were celebrating a historic union win—drivers earning up to $170K. The next, 12,000 jobs cut. A win turned whiplash. As someone who’s led creative teams through corporate pivots and seen the cost of cuts firsthand, here’s what most people miss… Margins were shrinking. Shareholders were demanding fast fixes. And that pressure? It rolled downhill—landing hardest on employees. These aren’t just business decisions—they are brand-defining moments.

The Future of Marketing Isn’t Funnels. It’s Trust. Performance marketing had a good run. It was built to scale in a world where impressions and CTRs defined success. But if you’ve worked in brand or content for the last five years, you’ve likely seen what happens when a brand chases clicks without cultivating a growth community: shallow engagement, fatigued audiences, and declining loyalty. Today’s customer sees right through it. Funnels rely on extraction. A growth community relies on contribution.