Why Surface-Level Strategy Is Junk Food for Your Business

Don't let surface-level execution stall your results.

Lisa Larter

September 10, 2025

Read time: 2 mins

Post Summary

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “surface-level execution,” where you copy the visible tips and tricks you see on social media without understanding the deeper strategy behind them. Just as I learned that simply eating more protein doesn’t work without managing calories, business success—especially with tools like AI—requires going beyond the surface to master the fundamentals. If you want real results, you have to stop chasing the newest “prompts” and start investing in a deep understanding of the strategies that actually move the needle.

A few months ago, I started lifting weights 4-5x a week. I reduced my carb intake, increased my protein levels, and, over a two-month period, gained 7 lbs.

I promise you, I did not gain 7 lbs of muscle.

Here’s what happened.

I fell into the trap of surface-level execution. You know what I mean, right? Someone says eat more protein, and, suddenly, if it’s got protein in it, it goes into your mouth, hungry or not, regardless of the caloric amount of the food.

Then one day, while doomscrolling on Facebook, I watched this guy named Lewis Nevard talk about protein and calories and why it’s important to eat a high amount of protein, while also managing your caloric intake if you want to lose weight.

I started paying closer attention to what I was eating. Call me crazy, but I even started weighing some of my food and calculating what my caloric consumption was so that I could better understand what was fueling my body, and guess what?

I lost 7 lbs over the last two weeks while still allowing myself to eat pizza on Friday night.

What does this have to do with your business?

It’s pretty simple.

The marketing you see on social media is the tip of the iceberg. You’re likely seeing and replicating the surface stuff instead of getting into the details of what the strategy is and understanding how to measure the results that come along with a well-deployed strategy.

I am seeing the same thing when it comes to AI. Everyone is chasing the newest prompt and idea, without understanding the fundamentals.

AI can help you with your marketing in a big way, but if you don’t have a strategy and if you’re not taking time to think about and understand how to use it, like me, you’ll be consuming “calories” that aren’t good for your business.

Avoid surface-level execution. Instead, go deep and learn as much as you can so you (like me) can get the results you most want.

P.S. It’s still not too late to join AI-Driven Marketing Made Easy. Next week is our third module, so you only have two recordings to catch up on. Go below the surface and dive deeper into how AI can amplify your marketing.

Read about each module here.