Info and tips on how to strengthen and maintain your brand in your market space
I get questions every day from clients and people we meet at workshops, asking for a quick answer on making sense of the entire social media world. Should our company be on Facebook? Should we start groups? Who should we invite? What about LinkedIn? How do you use it for recruiting employees and for finding [...]
Read moreA 7-figure check from Denny’s to the network, along with agency fees for a very creative feel-good ad, gave the restaurant chain 60 seconds in America’s most watched football game, and lines out the door for 1 day. During the Super Bowl, they ran a creative ad that, unless you live in a cave, you’ve [...]
Read moreFound an old story I’ve used at marketing workshops in the past, to illustrate a point. In today’s economy, it has never been more relevant, and worth the read: Imagine your business is a 30-year old barbershop in the heart of downtown in a small town. You’ve become “like family” with most of the town, [...]
Read moreHad a phone call with a client on the West Coast this week, talking about opportunities during this awful economy, to develop great habits. I believe two significant market shifts–the emergence of social media, and the economic downturn–have been catalysts, perhaps even creating a tipping point, for the power of building and connecting with authentic [...]
Read moreThere’s a lot of pressure put on leaders. Some of it is market-driven, some of it is people-induced, and parts of it is self-inflicted. Most leaders I’ve advised, been friends with and/or been mentored by all communicated, at some time or another, a genuine heartfelt responsibility to the customers, employees and families they lead. Some [...]
Read moreImagine if, as a CEO, I told you I had a marketing vehicle that would guarantee millions of people receiving your message, and that I could drive a high percentage of them to your website. Now, what if I told you that the distribution system was already in place? Wait, it gets better. What if [...]
Read moreEvery year, for as long as I can remember as a business owner, Thanksgiving would be one of the holidays I looked forward to most. Don’t get me wrong, I have bigger favorites for faith & personal reasons: Chistmas, Easter, wife & kids’ birthdays, etc. But as a business owner, I love Thanksgiving, because it’s [...]
Read moreLeaders are wired & gifted to lead. Managers are wired & gifted to manage. Rarely is the same person wired & gifted to do both. Ever stop to wonder which you really are? Forget your title. Here are a couple indicators of which you might be wired & gifted to do: If you’re a leader, [...]
Read moreA few days ago, I blogged about recognizing whether you’re a leader or a manager. I discovered personally, as well as for several CEO’s and Pastors I’ve advised, that understanding the difference is life-changing AND liberating…to yourself as much as those on your team! If you discovered you’re a leader, then here’s a trap to [...]
Read moreOver the years, from non-profit organizations to large corporations to small 3-person businesses, I’ve witnessed an amazing phenomenon that seems to universally hold true across the board: Internally, you’ll find a direct correlation between the organization’s culture and the quantity & length of their meetings. In general, teams who meet for long period of time, [...]
Read moreEvery week, at least once–sometimes on multiple occasions–leaders are faced with a decision, in front of an open window of opportunity, to jump or stay in the room they’re in. Windows of opportunity open up all the time in life. Great leaders (in business, at home, in communities) have spent painstaking time and energy promoting [...]
Read moreTake 3 minutes to consider this idea, and I bet it’ll change your entire culture in 6 months. Regular staff meetings still seem to be sacred cows in organizations. What I’ve observed over the years, but especially in today’s fast-paced, information overloaded, message over-saturated day we work in, is this: Very few things warrant a [...]
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