Zach Schaefer

Zach Schaefer Helping business owners scale, automate & exit through marketing intelligence. Founder @ Whiskey River Media | Fractional CMO | AI + Systems Strategist

Our clients are our partners and their success is our success. They include mid-size to publicly traded companies, and span verticals of nutritional supplements, real estate, hospitality, professional services, consumer products, multi-media, and technology based products.

01/09/2026

Alright, quick context — this is F1 Friday.

I still love football.
I still love basketball.

But Formula 1 pulled me in for a different reason.

F1 isn’t just a sport — it’s a global system.
Twenty-four races.
Almost every other week.
Each race about an hour and a half.

What fascinates me isn’t just the racing.

It’s the branding.
The messaging.
The business behind it.

Every team has an identity.
Every driver is a brand.
Every decision is measured — data, performance, margins.

And yes — the athletes are elite.
But what really stands out is how intentional everything is.

Nothing is random.
Nothing is emotional.
Everything is built for long-term performance.

That’s what hooked me.

Every Friday, I’ll share one thing F1 is teaching me —
about systems, strategy, and staying competitive at the highest level.

Welcome to F1 Friday 🏁

01/09/2026

There are 55 documented business models.

But most business owners are operating inside
just four.

Service.
Product.
Subscription.
Hybrid.

The problem isn’t complexity.
It’s clarity.

When founders don’t know their primary business model,
lines blur.
Operations get chaotic.
Marketing feels scattered.

Your core model should be the one driving
the majority of your revenue.

Everything else is support — not strategy.

If your business feels noisy right now,
you’re probably building around too many models
instead of strengthening the one that matters most.

Know the model.
Then build systems around it.

I’ll break down the other 51 business models in a future post.

Instagram didn’t change to help creators.

It changed to reward clarity, consistency, and systems.If you’re a business o...
01/09/2026

Instagram didn’t change to help creators.

It changed to reward clarity, consistency, and systems.
If you’re a business owner—not an influencer—this is good news.

Save this.
Build around it.

And credit where credit’s due → .on.the.web

01/08/2026

Most business owners can tell you what they sell.
Very few can tell you what business model they’re actually running.
That’s a problem.
Brian Tracy talks about clarity and ex*****on in Get It Done — but here’s the miss I see every day:�Founders build tactics before they understand their business model.
Academic research has identified 55 different business model patterns — yet most owners don’t know which one they’re operating inside of.
So they:�• Copy competitors�• Chase trends�• Add offers that don’t scale�• Wonder why growth feels hard
Tomorrow, I’ll break down the most common business models founders should understand — and how to spot yours.
Comment below:�What do you think your business model is?

� LeadershipDevelopment MarketingSystems

01/08/2026

What Problem Do You Solve?

Founders — quick reality check 👇
If I stopped you right now and asked:�“What problem do you solve?”

Could you answer it in one sentence?
Not what you sell.�Not your features.
�The actual problem your customer is hiring you to solve.
Most businesses don’t have a marketing problem.�They have a clarity problem.
If your audience can’t instantly say,�“Yep — this is for me,”�they scroll.

Try this framework:�👉 I help [who] solve [specific problem] so they can [clear outcome].
Drop your sentence in the comments.�If it’s clear, I’ll tell you.�If it’s confusing, I’ll help you fix it.

Hashtags:� BuildInPublic BusinessSystems

01/07/2026

Testing a new AI marketing tool so you don’t have to 👀

I just started using Blaze.ai — an AI-powered marketing assistant designed to help business owners create, schedule, and publish content in their own brand voice.

No hype yet.
No affiliate pitch.
Just real testing.

Over the next couple weeks, I’m putting this tool through real-world use:
• Content creation
• Scheduling
• Brand voice consistency
• Time saved (or wasted)

Then I’ll report back with what actually works — and what doesn’t.

If you’re a business owner tired of juggling 10 tools just to market consistently, this might be worth watching.

Comment “BLAZE” if you want the full breakdown once I’m done testing.






AIEntrepreneur
MarketingStrategy
FounderLife
BuildInPublic

01/07/2026

Vibe Coding is INSANE!

01/06/2026

Why organic social should come before paid ads 👇

We didn’t change the offer.
We didn’t change the audience.
We didn’t increase the budget.

We changed the order.

Month 1:
12 creative assets
$250/day
4–5% CTR

Month 2:
Same pillars — education, UGC, product features
Posted organically first
Waited 24 hours
Boosted only the top performers

Result?
CTR jumped to 13–15%.

Was it perfectly scientific?
No.

But it taught us something important:

Organic social is your testing ground.
It tells you what real humans care about.

Paid ads should amplify signals — not guess.

If your content can’t earn attention organically,
it probably shouldn’t get ad dollars yet.

Follow for real-world marketing lessons—tested, not theoretical.

Okay so now the BIG QUESTION!

Who do you like more, the real me or the AI version? I’ll go with the latter 😂

01/05/2026

It’s not about the money.

01/03/2026

Stop wasting time on email marketing that doesn't convert. These 8 strategies are your shortcut to success! 🚀

01/02/2026

Stop wasting $10K annually on inefficient AI tools. Discover the 5 AI productivity secrets that actually deliver results. 🚀

01/02/2026

These 5 AI productivity tools hacks saved me 20 hours per week! 💡 Ready to supercharge your efficiency? Let’s dive in!

Address

Phoenix, AZ
85254

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Zach Schaefer posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category