Tony Byrne

Milwaukee

Founder/President at Real Story Group

Pro: Housing | Transit | Renewable Energy | Racial & Generational Justice. Founder, @RealStoryGroup #MarTech analyst. Switched to: @tonybyrne.bsky.social

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Articles

How I Built a Multi-Million Pound Financial Planning Business from Scratch

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Tony Byrne

Lessons from 35 Years of Entrepreneurship and PerseveranceIn 1990, at the age of 32, I left the security of employment to start my own financial planning business — Wealth And Tax Management. Up until that point, I’d worked in a top 10 firm of Chartered Accountants as a personal tax specialist. Walking away from a well-paid role to build something from nothing was terrifying. But I knew I needed more control over my future.
Episode 3: MarTech Selection: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

1 month ago | realstorygroup.com | Tony Byrne

Selecting the best-fit MarTech platform is not an ultimate guarantee of success. But it's a critical pre-condition to getting your team off on the right foot. A savvy MarTech leader will want to do this right, for the benefit of your enterprise....and your career....
AI Is Now a Stack Challenge

1 month ago | realstorygroup.com | Tony Byrne

A lot of excitement around AI for Marketing centers on spiffy new features. I can understand that; after all, whodoesn'tlike new features? And anyway, in many cases those features are just showing up willy-nilly in the platforms you already license. A MarTech leader, however, has to juggle multiple dimensions around AI, including ROI, organizational support, business alignment, governance + privacy, and more. AI is quickly becoming a stack challenge.
Is Bitcoin here to stay or is it a scam?

1 month ago | medium.com | Tony Byrne

Bitcoin is like Marmite (Vegemite). You either love it or hate it. One of the best investors, the billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller, admitted “I don’t own any bitcoin, to be frank, but I should,” during an investor conference in New York in November 2023. Instead, Druckenmiller said that he had been pulled in by the relative stability of gold, which had built an impressive “brand” over his lifetime now matched by bitcoin: “I’m 70-years-old, I own gold,” Druckenmiller said.
How the CDP Marketplace Has Evolved

2 months ago | realstorygroup.com | Tony Byrne FounderTony |Tony Byrne

Recent news from the Customer Data Platform (CDP) market has tended to revolve around mergers & acquisitions and -- of course! -- AI-related enhancements. At Real Story Group we actually don't read too much into either. As my colleague Apoorv pointed out in a recent advisory paper on CDP evolution (ðŸ”’), the CDP market has seen consistently high levels of M&A since its inception. This year is no different.
What's the Best CMS for a News Organization?

2 months ago | realstorygroup.com | Tony Byrne FounderTony |Tony Byrne

Content management technology represents a critical piece of any customer-facing stack, but becomes truly foundational for a media company, where publishing content is not just marketing, but the product itself. Media companies have always risen to the forefront of CMS adoption and have driven significant innovations in this segment, including features like scheduled publishing, collaborative workflows, metadata-driven lists, image carousels, content planning modules, and much more.
Where Is Customer Journey Orchestration Technology Going?

Mar 7, 2025 | realstorygroup.com | Tony Byrne FounderTony |Tony Byrne

Ten years ago, it seemed like customer journey orchestration technology was having a moment. Since then, the technology marketplace for standalone journey orchestration engine (JOE) platforms has receded. What happened, and what does it mean for you, the MarTech leader? JOE technology has roots in the pre-digital era, where many “decisioning” platforms helped inform direct mail and telephony-based customer engagement.
Why You Should Seriously Consider Investing Some of Your Wealth in Private Equity

Jan 27, 2025 | northants-chamber.co.uk | Tony Byrne

Investing in private equity has long been considered the domain of the wealthy and well-connected. However, the landscape of investing is changing and private equity is becoming increasingly accessible to a broader range of investors. While stocks, bonds and property remain popular choices, private equity offers unique opportunities to diversify your portfolio and generate significant returns. Here’s why you should consider allocating some of your wealth to private equity in the UK.
How to Achieve Peace of Mind When Investing

Dec 5, 2024 | northants-chamber.co.uk | Tony Byrne

Investing can feel like a rollercoaster. Markets rise and fall, news headlines spark anxiety and the sheer complexity of financial instruments can leave even seasoned investors uneasy. However, achieving peace of mind while investing isn’t impossible—it just requires a thoughtful approach. Here are some practical strategies to help you cultivate calm and confidence in your investment journey. Before putting your money into any investment, take the time to clarify your financial goals.
The Dos and Don’ts of OEM Aftersales Management with Tony Byrne

Nov 27, 2024 | partful.io | Tony Byrne

In this episode, we’re joined byTony Byrne, an aftersales specialist and leader in the automotive industry. With experience at Synergy, Lotus Cars, and now as the Owner of AutoInsight Solutions, Tony brings invaluable insights into the world of automotive aftersales. We explore OEMs' biggest mistakes when managing aftersales and dealer networks, uncovering the pitfalls that harm efficiency, parts identification, and customer satisfaction.