When you’re trying to grow your business, it’s your job, 24/7, to capture attention, and when you have it, to make a meaningful connection. You do this by being clear about what you do, who you do it for and why your product or service is useful. And, by getting others to care about who you really are and what you actually do. You can make this info-gathering easier by … [Read more...]
Big Thinking for Small Business
If you want to get noticed in a noisy world, your message needs to be better, not louder. And, it needs to be delivered with polish and panache. Your budget may have limitations, but your imagination doesn't, so just because you own a small business doesn’t mean you're off the hook for big thinking. Or, big execution. Need a tangible? Your website. Thinking like a big … [Read more...]
Brand journalism 101: Tell a Better Story
If you want your company to succeed at brand journalism (aka corporate media gone social), you better know how to tell a good story. Otherwise, be prepared to take a lot of heat from its critics who would be elated to escort "brand journalism" out of 2013 STAT. Brands, of course, love it, because it enables them to bypass the media and take their message directly to the … [Read more...]
Are you ready to kick butt in 2013?
Right now, the idea of kicking butt in 2013 is probably the last thing on your mind. But come January 2, when that alarm clock goes off, you're going to feel a lot better about facing the New Year with a blueprint for success. With that in mind, the best thing you can do for yourself in that first week is to keep your schedule light. Unless a face-to-face meeting is … [Read more...]
Ready, Set, GOals!
People with goals succeed because they know where they're going. —Earl Nightingale I don't typically start my day off on a mathematical note, but a date of 12/12/12 is hard to ignore. Add into the mix, the approaching season of resolutions and goal-setting, and suddenly 3, 6 & 9—all divisors of 12 and standard monthly intervals—popped into my head. From there it was an … [Read more...]
Transforming social media into social meetings
If you're like me, leading an online lifestyle has become second nature. So much so, that conversations about the downside of social networking rarely crop up (the topics of cyber bullying and "too much information" notwithstanding). Hanging out online is part of our daily routines, just as brushing our teeth and getting to the gym. Other than my eyes and fingers, which could … [Read more...]
holiday challenge: keeping your head in the game
While other people were out giving the economy a boost on Black Friday, I was hiding behind my Kindle, avoiding my holiday to-do list—something that never seemed daunting when I was a stay-at-home mom, even with five kids. It wasn’t until I went back to work, years later, that I fully comprehended the rigor of pulling off Christmas while working a fulltime job. And, doing both … [Read more...]
It’s a thankless job (but it doesn’t have to be)
Penning a blog post about gratitude on Thanksgiving Eve is far from original, however it’s a topic that most of us can benefit from exploring each and every day. Especially in relation to that so-called Daily Grind, a part of our life oft void of gratitude for anything other than a paycheck. Or, a Facebook “like.” Whether you’re running your own business or coughing up … [Read more...]
Professional Envy: the dirty little secret within us
Admit it: as much as you value social media, professionally and personally, every so often you get a twinge of angst while sifting through your peers’ posts—the latest client conquest, dinner with an industry celeb, a headline-making accolade… You know what I’m talking about: The posts that you publicly “like,” but privately loathe, and that send you spiraling into a heightened … [Read more...]