how to lose friendsand infuriate people

That’s his playbook, not yours.

Here’s What You Can Do Instead →

The situation

Rude ruined relations

Sorry.

For over two hundred years, Canada and the United States didn’t just share a border. They shared everything. Trade, culture, friendship, the longest undefended border in the world. Two countries that figured out how to be neighbours, and meant it. It wasn’t perfect. But it worked. Remarkably well, actually.

Then came one man. Loud, reckless, and apparently unbothered by two centuries of goodwill. In a matter of months, tariffs replaced handshakes. Threats replaced diplomacy. A friendship that generations had carefully built was being dismantled by someone who had never valued it to begin with.

But here’s what he forgot. He speaks for a government. He doesn’t speak for you. You didn’t buy it. You didn’t ask for the chaos. You have a choice, and choosing to show up, do good work, and treat your neighbours with decency is the most American thing you can do right now.

That’s where I come in. I’m your fellow Canadian. And we should definitely talk.

An RCMP constable and a U.S. State Trooper at the Portland-Montreal pipeline ceremony.
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable and a U.S. State Trooper stand beside each other during an official ceremony commemorating the joining of the pipeline of an oil tanker terminal in Portland, Maine with refineries in Montreal, Quebec. Library and Archives Canada

Three things you can do right now

01
Maple syrup poured over pancakes with fruit
Eat more maple syrup.

It’s better than whatever you’re putting on your pancakes. Trust me. Canada’s been making it for centuries and we’ve gotten quite good at it.

02
Canadian flag over the Rocky Mountains
Visit Canada this summer.

We have mountains, lakes, poutine, and absolutely zero trade war energy. You’ll love it here. The door is open. It always has been.

03
Uba, your fellow Canadian
Work with me.

Senior creative and strategic thinking in brand strategy, design, and development. Ready to help your business grow. A good neighbour. Great work.

See what I do →

Who am I

A fellow Canadian

At the City of Toronto podium

Helped several fellow US founders build their brand.

If I could do one thing for a living, I’d invent brands. I’ve been obsessed with brand building since I started my career in advertising over two decades ago.

I’ve lived across three continents, working for consumer giants in India, banks in Nigeria, and startups in Silicon Valley.

In the past few years, I’ve worked almost exclusively with US startups and companies, helping them with marketing and brand building.

And when a project needs more hands, I’ve got a small circle of fellow Canadians ready to jump in: designers, developers, and strategists I trust.

How can I help?

No overhead. No time zone hassles. Just good work from good neighbours.

If I could do one thing for a living, I’d invent brands. I’ve been obsessed with brand building since I started in advertising over two decades ago. From naming to rebrands, from personal brands to mega commercial ones, brand strategy is the work I love most. I share a lot of it with founders on my YouTube channel, @BrandBroccoli.

I’ve been a founder’s marketer for most of my career. I know most founders don’t have a marketing problem, they have a clarity problem. My marketing strategy is relentless reduction: one market, one message, one or two channels. AI has levelled the field on execution, so best practices won’t set you apart anymore. Clarity, creativity, and courage will. I’ll bring the first two. The third is on you.

Having worked in UX, product strategy and product management, I can ensure all the stakeholders are aligned and build a product that users want. This is where all my wide experience comes together.

Testimonials

What fellow founders say about me

“Great contractor. Hard working; good communicator; excellent marketer. Thanks, Devesh.”

Adam Rose
Rose Law Firm

“Devesh had an amazing process that helped us identify our JTBD. Great copywriter and wonderful marketer.”

Wes Bush
Product Led Growth

“Every other marketing specialist started selling me solutions — SEO, FB ads, Google ads — straight away. Devesh was the only one who helped me find my real problem and rethink the value I offer my niche. He’s saved me a ton of time, and the new version of my site is already getting great feedback. One of the few people who actually care.”

Auon Raza
Stealth ecom startup

“Devesh is a true pro! Not only does he have real skills, he actually cares about helping us progress forward. I have come to rely on Devesh to advise us when there are difficult decisions to make. He is extremely thorough and always brings fresh and valuable insight to each and every problem we present to him.”

Carletus Willis
Bened Life

“Devesh gives high-level guidance but also dives into the nitty-gritty — and he’ll tactfully tell you when something is a bad idea. That saved us from basic errors more than once.”

Stephen Taylor
The Coin

“Devesh has been incredibly helpful with us better understanding the landscape of digital marketing and business strategy. He is great at communicating the bigger picture insights while providing actionable steps towards marketing and business goals. I would highly recommend working with Devesh. In addition to that, he is a very kind and thoughtful person as well.”

Ling Ly Tan
LINGGO