My Favorite Books of 2015

January 5, 2016 by Leave a Comment

My Favorite Books of 2015

Another year has come and gone, but not before I read my way through some inspiring and thought-proving books. Did these books top 2014’s list? I don’t know, but they’re just as awesome. I delved into creativity, a biography, leadership, and marketing. I took away a lot reading these, and I’m positive you will too. Without further ado, here are my favorite books of 2015.

1) Powers of Two (Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs) by Joshua Wolf Shenk. The most fascinating book I’ve read on creativity. I, like most people, tend to think of creativity as something that a person does in solitude with their own special gifts. This book dispels that myth.
It looks deep into what makes someone truly creative, and how someone’s best work is always done as part of a team. Many famous pairs are analyzed in this book. As a Beatles fan, I found the look into John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s partnership eye-opening; and I’ve read a ton about them. Dozens of famous creative pairs are dissected; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Vincent and Theo Van Gogh, are just a few.
This book made me evaluate how my best work came to be. I realize my best work happened because there was a strong partnership involved, even when the act of creating something might have been done singularly, the partner was in the back of my mind, motivating me, inspiring me to do my best work. It gave me a fresh perspective on the influence of my partners and my influence on them.
If you read only one book from this list, this is my choice. Powers of Two (Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs) is an amazing work.
2) Big Magic (Creative Living Beyond Fear) by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert beautifully discusses what creativity and artistry are about, which is letting go of fear and getting over your ego and allowing what’s inside you to come out. She stresses the need to do the work. Inspiration doesn’t come like a flash of lightening, it comes to those who show up to work, every day. Therefore, creativity is a result of the habit of doing the work that needs to be done.
Gilbert also talks about letting curiosity take you where it wants to go. If you are curious about a topic, follow that curiosity. You never know where it will take you and what might come out of it. Also, the Muse has a way of helping you create things if you realize that it’s not you that’s the creator.
This book came at just the right time for me. It made me see myself as the artist I am. In recent years I seemed to have lost that notion of myself. This book got my creative juices percolating again. I’m seeing, hearing, and thinking creatively. Highly recommended.
3) Rising Strong by Brené Brown. I was inspired by her previous book, Daring Greatly, and eagerly awaited the arrival of this one in 2015. It does not disappoint. It’s kind of the next step, if you will, to Daring Greatly. If you are brave and vulnerable you’re going to get knocked down, without question. Rising Strong helps you to bounce back when that happens.
The first step is to know that you’re having a breakdown, let down, or what ever you want to call it. Then you need to figure out why you’re feeling and reacting the the way you are. Once that happens you can work through it, feel your emotions, and learn to be comfortable with discomfort. It’s not easy work, but this book equips you with the necessary tools to be able to rise strong. You may want to start with Daring Greatly if you haven’t read it, although it’s not necessary to enjoy this book.
4) Heaven and Hell (My Life in The Eagles 1974 – 2001) by Don Felder with Wendy Holden. Having enjoyed the work of The Eagles I was very interested to read this account of life in one of music’s biggest bands. What was most inspiring were the stories of Felder’s youth, and his life before he joined The Eagles. He grew up in Gainsville, Florida and came from very humble beginnings. He literally grew up in a shack his father built. Life was tough and the relationship with his father was strained, especially after he took to music.
What is interesting is how rich his musical experience was in Gainsville. He played with and became friends with Stephen Stills, the Allman Brothers, and Bernie Leadon. Leadon convinced him to move to LA and got him his gig with The Eagles, He even taught Tom Petty guitar. Like many rock and rollers there are the stories of the glamorous and not so glamorous gigs and the struggle get to the next level and make ends meet. That is until he joined The Eagles.
Once in The Eagles his life turned upside down. They became one of the biggest bands of all-time and they were constantly touring or recording to cash in on their success. What was surprising is how dysfunctional the band was even before he joined. There is a shocking amount of tension, fighting and drug use throughout and as Don Henley and Glenn Frey began to believe that they were The Eagles, things became even more strained. Things took a turned ugly when they started asking for a larger cut of the money and Felder questioned it. The ultimate betrayal was Felder’s being kicked out of The Eagles.
It’s sad to read this tale being such a fan of The Eagles’ music and I’m glad I can listen to the music with pleasure. What I most took away from the book were the lessons about Felder’s early years and how devoted he was to his craft. When you’re good doors open up to you and when you wish for fame and fortune it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
5) Joyworks by Michael Cudahy. I was first introudced to this book a few years ago through Michael Cudahy’s Ten Golden Rules on How to Run an Organization, which comes from this book. This book is as relevant today as when it was first published in 2002. It provides an inside look at the founding of Marquette Electronics and its rise as a multi-million dollar business.
Cudahy writes with great humor and I found it hard to put down. It doesn’t leave out the trials and mistakes along the way either. There are plenty of costly errors, but Cudahy looks at the lessons learned from each. He believed in treating his employees like family, and he took care of them like that. Just some examples he mentions include building a child care facility at their office, frequent employee celebrations and talent shows, generous rewards and pay, and treating employees fairly. He even eliminated time clocks at the company because he trusted the employees and reasoned that they would work harder and with more pride knowing they were trusted (he was right). The company cafeteria also offered another perk – beer and wine.
He writes sadly of how after he sold the company to GE, the company culture of Marquette Electronics was destroyed and many of the employees left shortly after the take over. I got a sense that this eats at him still. Overall, this is a fascinating look at how you can run a company by treating employees and customers decently and still make a profit. This is a must read for anyone in business and marketing.
6) Leaders Eat Last (Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t) by Simon Sinek. This book runs a similar path to Michael Cudahy’s book, with with many more examples. Simon makes the case for real leadership and how there are essentially no great leaders today. He discusses military leadership and leadership in companies that do things differently than most.
Sinek shows how when the economy changed employees became expendable, shifting what it meant to work for a company like our fathers and grandfathers knew. Companies not longer take care of their employees. Though it’s not the world we live in today, it is possible, as Sinek shows, to operate quite successfully by returning to old time values. Again, he draws on military references in showing how we can incorporate leadership principals into our own workplaces to make them places where employees feel safe and where we can work together trusting that our boss has our back, as we have his.
I love everything Simon Sinek stands for. This book is brilliant. A must read.
7) It’s Your Ship (Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy) by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. I originally heard Captain Abrashoff on Wisconsin Public Radio a couple of yeas ago and was impressed enough to buy a copy of his book. It took me a while to get to it, but it was worth the wait. It contains a treasure trove of ideas on how to win the hearts and minds of those you lead.
Abrashoff provides real-life examples of leadership, demonstrated by his run as commander of the USS Benfold. He took over a ship with low morale and a low re-enlistment rate. During his tenure the ship became the highest ranked in the Navy’s fleet; morale and re-enlistments soared.
What struck me is how he didn’t try to radically change things, even though there was so much that needed changing. He worked within the bureaucracy and red tape to make incremental changes. Even the commander of a Navy ship has to know when to push the boundaries and when to conform. It’s a good lesson in picking the right battles.
Captain Abrashoff didn’t shake things up to make a ruckus, but enjoyed small wins, over and over, to where he built up credibility so he had leverage to push the envelope at times. One key aspect of his leadership, is giving the men and women on the ship control to make their own decisions. He told the crew, “It’s your ship.” The crew, with the control to make their own decisions, proved him right by doing the right thing. And if mistakes were made, it was a learning opportunity. Ideal reading for anyone in a leadership role.
8) Everybody Writes by Ann Handley. Something that is so easy to read shouldn’t be this helpful, should it? But, that’s exactly what this book is. Ann Handley gives practical writing advice in 74 easily digestible chapters. I found something useful in nearly every chapter. This isn’t a boring book about grammar rules. Sure, there’s some grammar discussed, but this book is about content, and we all know the importance of content in today’s world. So, not matter what type of content your’re writing whether its blog posts, annual reports, web copy, eBooks, or some other marketing copy, there’s something for you here; even if you think you’re a pretty good writer.
It was immediately noticeable that, even before I finished this book, my writing was stronger, more concise, and my word choices were smarter. My writing was impacted by reading this book and I will read this annually. If you want to take your writing up a notch, go out and buy this Everybody Writes.
9) Brandscaping by Andrew Davis. I resisted reading this book because of the awful title. It sounds like there’s hot wax and painful hair removal involved, but I heard so many great things about it, and about Andrew Davis, that I gave in and bought it. I’m glad I did because this book is brilliant.
This isn’t your typical marketing book. Davis really does break new ground with Brandscaping, and that’s saying a lot. He believes it’s vitally important for brands to ask “what if” questions. These “what if” questions make you think about marketing and branding completely differently. It could open up a world of possibilities previously off limits. It’s not enough to think about “what if” questions, but to be brave enough to implement them.
This book is a guide on how to innovate and find partners where you may not have realized they existed. It’s packed with examples on companies that have successfully brandscaped, proving that it works, not just in theory, but in the real world. If you’re a marketer this is a must read.
Did you read any of these? What were your favorite books of 2015? What are you looking forward to reading in 2016?
Filed Under: Books, Creativity, Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,

4 Rules for Effective Communication

August 18, 2015 by 1 Comment
4 Rules for Effective Communication
I recently saw a posting for a Marketing Specialist position at Whole Foods. I clicked through to learn more and was left scratching my head because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. The listing described a job I had back in college – a stocker.
I give Whole Foods credit for wanting to give the lowly stocker a more respectable title. I understand. I was one. You can’t get lower on the grocery store totem pole.
Even though I was a stocker I knew my role was important. Being on 3rd shift, I ended up doing more than stocking shelves. I manned the cash registers, managed the store on weekends, and worked in every department. So, although I was a stocker, I did a lot more than that, but I wouldn’t say I was a marketing specialist.
Will this job posting help Whole Foods acquire the talent they are looking for? I doubt it. If I was looking for a job to stock shelves I wouldn’t read that job posting. I’d see Marketing Specialist and move on.
On the reverse side, I was a little ticked that Whole Foods wasted my time. It’ll make me think twice before I click through any of their other job postings.
How many potentially great candidates ignore Whole Foods because there is no way to tell a real job posting from one of their “distorted” postings?
I don’t want to pick on Whole Foods, there are other companies that don’t communicate well. From what I know about Whole Foods, I can tell their heart is in the right place.
The lesson here is simple – don’t over-complicate communication. So, how do you avoid your message being ignored?
Here are 4 rules for effective communication.
1) Keep things simple. Simple beats complicated every time. Simple is easy to remember and sticks with people. Avoid jargon. Communicate as if you are trying to explain it to a six year old.
2) Be direct. Don’t let anyone doubt what you mean. Don’t leave gray area. Avoid ambiguity. Get to the point.
3) Say what you mean. What message do you want to convey? Don’t dance around the subject – get it out. Don’t leave your communication open for interpretation.
4) Use the correct words. The right words can inspire, motivate, and educate. Words have power. Choose them wisely so your audience can take action.
In the Whole Foods example the listing could have been changed to read: “We need to hire someone to stock our shelves. It’s not glamorous, but we pay a good wage and we treat our employees well, better than most stockers at other grocery stores. In fact, to us you’re a marketing rock star because you will be responsible for making sure our customers have an awesome experience every time they walk through our doors.”
The next time you need to get your message across remember the 4 rules for effective communication. It will ensure you’re understood.
Have you seen examples of over-complicated messaging? What rules do you follow for effective communication?
Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,

Three Resume Tips You Need To Use

May 13, 2015 by 1 Comment

Three Resume Tips You Need To Use

Any job hunter will tell you that their resume needs updating. I’m no different. I don’t think I’ve ever been happy with it. One issue I have with my resume is that it doesn’t seem to represent who I am. It doesn’t sound like me or have my personality and it often ends up looking like a job description. I am more than a list of job responsibilities.

Since I’m on the job hunt again I’ve been looking through Wayne Breitbarth‘s insightful book, “The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success.” Be sure you check out his book. I’ve also gone through some notes I took when I saw Joe Konop of One Great Resume last year. If you’re looking for someone who knows how to present yourself in the best light, contact Joe.

Here are a three resume tips you need to use to show off your true self.
1) You need to market yourself. Joe’s had a 20 year career in marketing, so when he mentioned that you need to market yourself like a product, it made a lot of sense to me, being a marketer myself. You need to show why you are the best product (person) on the market. You need to show what you’ve done before, but more importantly, what you can do for a new employer. The potential employer needs to feel like they’re making a great decision to bring you on board. You need to quickly and accurately tell people who you are, what you’ve done, and what you can do for them. Think of preparing a tagline. What would your tagline be?
2) Showcase your strengths. Tell the story and give context around what you are really good at. Don’t downplay or diminish your talents. Joe explained that if you say, “I wrote the newsletter” that doesn’t convey as much information as “I wrote a weekly newsletter that was 14-15 pages of original content that talked about new initiatives, company news, and new products, which was distributed to 20,000 people.” See how different those two descriptions are? Think of yourself in broader terms. What is the full scope of your strengths? Because you perform a job so often, you often forget how interesting, complex, and important the work you do is. What was the impact and reach of your work?
3) Talk about what makes you unique. Joe talked about a client who said they were fluent in Chinese but they didn’t list it anywhere on their resume. That’s a unique selling proposition. Flaunt it, use it to tell the world that you are unique!
What seems odd or different to you could be exactly what somebody else thinks is special. It reminded me of a time when I submitted a job application and filled out the “Hobbies” section by writing that I liked “collecting Beatles records, and watching the Simpsons.” When I went in for an interview the manager said, “Right off the bat, I have to say you scored points with me because I love watching the Simpsons too.” You never know what will make you stand out from the crowd.
These three resume tips have made me see myself differently. I need to make sure my resume matches who I am, what I’ve done at my previous jobs, and what I can do for other organizations. If I can do that, I’ll be able to market myself more effectively.
Constantly keep track of your work. Write down what you did, why you did it, and what impact it had. It’s so much easier to go through your notes than it is to try and remember what you did when you need to look for that new job. Facts become fuzzy and you may forget important details. Keep working on that resume, even if you’re happy with your current job. It might just be the factor in getting a raise or a promotion. As long as we keep working a resume is never done.
Do these tips make you think differently about yourself? How do you present your true self?
Filed Under: Life Lessons, Marketing Tagged With: ,

My Favorite Books of 2014

December 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

My Favorite Books of 2014After reading so many wonderful books in 2013, I wasn’t sure how 2014 was going to be able to compete, but compete it did. 2014 provided a treasure trove of insight, information, and realizations. There are some stellar pieces of work out there.

Without further ado, here are my favorite books of 2014:
80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall. One of the best books I’ve ever read on sales and marketing, period. This is not only an eye-opener, but a shock to the system. Marshall is a visionary and his ideas will change the way you see marketing and life. I’m not kidding when I say this book will literally blow your mind. He doesn’t talk theory, he talks realities, and he’s got real-life examples and proof that what he’s talking about works. If you want to achieve amazing results with your sales and marketing, read this book.
difference by Bernadette Jiwa. This book is a mere 95 pages, but don’t let that fool you. This book contains more wisdom on marketing than books three times the length. It provides some thought-provoking written exercises for you to complete. This book helps you strip away the unnecessary BS to get at the truth of what really matters. It’s a beautifully written work and a sheer delight to read. After reading difference, you’ll see marketing, and your role in it, in a different way.
QR Codes Kill Kittens by Scott Stratten. Stratten has compiled an entire book of terrible uses of QR codes and of inappropriate marketing decisions. Each example leaves you scratching your head and wondering, “what was that company thinking”. It’s a hilarious look at what’s wrong with marketing today, but it’s a great reminder of what not to do. Read it and save a kitten.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. Where his previous book Steal Like an Artist talked about creativity, this book delves into getting your creative work noticed. Kleon lays out how to go about this in 10 steps. Filled with examples from his own career, as well as those of other famous artists, the steps are well thought out, and best of all, do-able. Kleon writes in a way that makes you feel like the mystery behind achieving success has been lifted, which is a gift in itself.
The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun. An inspiring story of how a 24 year-old employed on Wall Street, found his true calling by giving. Braun was in India when he asked a young boy what he wanted more than anything in the world. He answered, “a pencil.” Braun was inspired to leave his job and work on a “purpose” instead. That purpose was the organization he started, Pencils of Promise, which has since built over 200 schools across the world. An inspiring read, and it makes you realize one person can make a difference.
Choose Yourself by James Altucher. A sometimes unconventional approach on how to live the life you want. Altucher is one person who moves to the beat of his own drum. He has wonderful insights on how to achieve what it is you want out of life and he does it with vulnerability, humility, and humor. If you want to take charge of your career, love life, and finances this is essential reading. After reading this you’ll want to get your hands on his other work, his blog, and podcast. He’s just simply one of the most fascinating people you’ll run across.
Body of Work by Pamela Slim. A great book to help you bring all the loose ties of your career together. After reading this and doing the exercises, you’ll have a greater handle on your career so you’re able to tell a compelling story of your work and your accomplishments. If you are transitioning careers or in between jobs, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of this as quickly as possible.
The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success by Wayne Breitbarth. There’s not many more people more knowledgeable about LinkedIn than Breitbarth. If you want to boost your visibility on LinkedIn and give yourself the advantage over everyone else, you’ll want to read this book and implement every Breitbarth suggests. It’s jam packed with helpful tips to get you to standout from the crowd and help you land your next job, win new clients, and make more sales.
Are any of these titles on your list? What were some of your favorites? Is there something you’re looking forward to reading in 2015?
Happy reading!

 

Filed Under: Books, Inspiration, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

The Reason to Explain the Obvious

December 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The Reason to Explain the ObviousHow often have you seen messages like these on packages:
To open, lift flap. (On a cereal box)
Caution. Contents hot. (On a coffee cup)
Harmful if swallowed. (On practically anything that’s not food)
Keep out of reach of children. (On insecticides and household cleaners)
We tend to think, “well, duh.” It seems so obvious, and in these cases this is probably done more for legal reasons than for anything else.
But, as marketers there’s a reason to explain the obvious. It’s to get people to do what you want them to do. What’s obvious to us, is not obvious to the casual observer.
How often do you go to a store (or a website) and have difficulty finding what you’re looking for? Out of frustration you’ll leave. How many others will do the same?
We want someone to lead us to what we want, without making it seem like we’re being led. That’s why marketers need to make things as simple as possible.
The customer needs to feel like they are in the right place, at the right time, looking for exactly what they want. Take them down a path they won’t regret.
You need to address questions as simple as: How do I buy this? Where do I find more information? What hours are you open? What is your address? What does your business do? Seems pretty basic, doesn’t it? Yet, it’s surprising how many times you can’t find this out. Answer the basic questions then go further.
Explain how the product works: This can be done with videos, testimonials, and product reviews.
Provide steps so the customer knows what to expect: If it’s online, show how many steps it takes to complete a transaction and where the customer is in the process. Let them know what information they’ll need to complete a transaction. That way they’re not rummaging through file cabinets looking for paperwork, which takes them away from completing their task.
Communicate with the customer: Provide information about the transaction, as well as contact information of who to reach for certain situations. Follow-up after the transaction to see how the customer is doing.
We all want to be assured that we’re being taken care of and explaining the obvious is a good way to do that. It doesn’t take much more than caring to take care of a customer.
Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,

Giving More Than What’s Expected

November 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Giving More Than What's ExpectedBack in the days when record albums were issued in vinyl, I used to base my decision to plop down money for the entire album on whether or not I liked the B-side of the single. My thinking was, if the B-side was good the album would be good. If the B-side was good but wasn’t on the album, the album had to be great because they had more material than they could fit on the album.

In both scenarios I was almost certain to go out and buy the album. If the B-side wasn’t that good or felt like a throw-away track I wouldn’t buy the album and figured that the band didn’t have enough good material to make a strong album.

Maybe my logic was a little harsh, but I wasn’t going to let them get any more of my money when they didn’t care about putting out a quality product. And for a 45 that meant two solid songs. Maybe some record labels or artists wanted to save their best material for the A-side of the singles when they didn’t realize that the B-side was an opportunity to give fans, and more importantly potential fans, a reason to love them.
When someone knocks your socks off you’ll brag to your friends about them. Today, people have thousands of friends in their social media contacts. When they share their experiences the ramifications can be huge.
Maybe I’m just jaded, but for me that bar is pretty low. It should be easy to impress, but sadly, that’s rarely the case. The companies that do though, reap the rewards. The ones that don’t won’t last. How to do it? Give more than what’s expected.
Gary Vaynerchuk talks about this a lot. He says the key to success is to care…a lot. Giving more than what’s expected is caring in it’s truest form. People don’t forget experiences, good and bad. Do your best to make it memorable by giving more than what’s expected and you can turn an okay experience into one that’s special.
Have you been impressed with a company that went above and beyond? What did they do that was different? How do you give your customers more?
Filed Under: Customer Service, Life Lessons, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Sales and Marketing Lessons from the Apple Guy

October 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Sales and Marketing Lessons from the Apple GuyOne of the things I love most about fall is apple season. Apples are my favorite fruit and there’s nothing like having a crisp, fresh, delicious apple. Apple season only lasts about two months, so I appreciate it when it comes around.
When I was a kid, every Sunday after church in the fall, my mom would drive us to visit the Apple Guy, as he was affectionately known. His real name was Mr. Patterson.
Here are four Sales and Marketing Lessons I remember from the Apple Guy, that anyone can use:
Have a Beautiful Presentation – When you drove by, it looked like something from a Norman Rockwell painting; his car was off to the side of the road and the apples were lined up by type in baskets. He also had bags of various sizes ready-to-go. Everywhere you looked, there were apples. I remember him as a friendly man; wearing his blue jeans, plaid shirt, and baseball cap. It looked like he just came from the orchard (he did). His display was something that made you want to stop. Do you give your customers a reason to stop?
Be Helpful – He was the apple expert, but he approached customers with friendly, neighborly advice. He’d tell you what each one tasted liked (sweet, tart), if you could use them for baking, when certain types were going to be ready for harvest. McIntosh were my favorite but that wasn’t the first apple of the season. They were usually ready in mid-September. He’d say, “come back in two weeks, I’ll have the macs then.” He’d also offer a replacement. “If you like McIntosh, check out the Paula Red, or the Cortland.” Look at how you can be more helpful to your customers.
Hook ’em with a Great Offer – The Apple Guy knew how to entice his customers. He’d let you try before you buy. Not just one apple, he’d let you try all the different varieties he had. In the above example, he’d hand me both a Paula Red and a Cortland to try, so I could figure out which one I liked best. More often than not we bought more than one type of apple. What better way to get customers to fall in love with your product than to try it. He knew once you took a bite, you were hooked. What do your offers look like? Do they hook your customers?
Over-Deliver – He’d often give us more apples than would fit in the bag. He’d say those apples would be “for the road.” He’d even polish it up before he handed it to you. We always left feeling we got a great deal, and we’d have delicious apples for the week. Do you deliver or over-deliver?
Patterson Orchards is still in operation today. If you’re in the Milwaukee area you should check them out. Instead of a car on the side of the road, they have a small store that’s open each fall at the Orchard. Besides their own apples, they feature other fruits, vegetables, and bakery products from other local and regional businesses. Hand-written signs provide shoppers with information about the products, just like the Apple Guy used to do. It still feels friendly and neighborly.
I’m not sure if the Apple Guy is still around, but his orchard and his lessons in sales and marketing sure are. The lessons may be simple, but they sure are effective. Make sure you utilize them every chance you get.

 

Filed Under: Customer Service, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Lessons from INBOUND 2014

September 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Lessons from INBOUND14

With Simon Sinek at INBOUND14.

Last week I joined 10,000 other marketers from around the globe in Boston for INBOUND 2014. It’s the largest conference of its kind for inbound marketers. Not only were there great speakers and the brightest minds sharing their expertise about marketing inside and out, but inspirational leaders as well. I’d like to share some lessons from three of these inspirational keynote speakers.

Simon Sinek – Author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last.
I can’t even begin to say how excited I was that Simon Sinek was speaking at this conference. Since first learning about him a few years ago I have become a huge fan of his work. Do yourself a favor and check out his books and watch his TED Talks. His talk about leadership did not disappoint. A few highlights:
“Leaders take care of the people, people take care of the numbers.”
“It’s not about the metrics, it’s about the tree in the distance.” Meaning we need to have something to strive for. The striving for is the part that brings us together for a common goal. You need a vision.
The sacrifice of being a leader is time and energy.
I was thrilled to be able to sit in on a question and answer session with him after his keynote, and I was lucky enough to meet him during a book signing. When I started telling him a story about my work experience and my own downsizing, he stopped signing my book to look me in the eyes as I spoke. He gave me 100% of his attention. He is a fantastically brilliant, and humble person, and possesses a great sense of humor. It was an honor to hear him speak and meet him.
Malcolm Gladwell – Author of Outliers, The Tipping Point, David and Goliath and others.
He gave a wonder talk on the 3 components needed for transformation.
1) Attitude – Needed for you to change habits of mind. The proper attitude also gives you the courage to be independent.
2) Imagination – You need this in order to re-frame the problem. If you re-frame the problem, the solution is possible.
3) Urgency – Allows you to push yourself harder and faster than you would normally. This gives you speed to the market your competitors can’t match.
Shiza Shahid – Founder of the Malala Fund
She gave a powerful talk on what is needed to change the world. She said, “We are the caretakers of our combined human destiny.”
She also spoke about our power to create change, “You can change what you cannot accept.”
She also gave perhaps one of the most moving lines I’ve heard in a while, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” We don’t need to rely on others; we have the power to make the world a better place.
Those are a few of the highlights; of the many I took with me. My week in Boston was about being inspired, making great friends, and learning some new marketing lessons. What a transformational week. I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish until INBOUND 2015 takes place.
Filed Under: Inspiration, Marketing Tagged With: ,

What I Did at WordCamp Milwaukee 2014

July 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment

What I Did at WordCampWordCamp – the name conjures up an idyllic scene in the deep woods fighting off mosquitoes, making smores, and discussing the attributes and origins of words. Although Idyllic (in beautiful downtown Milwaukee), WordCamp is an event where people gather to learn about WordPress, the open source platform that 20% of the world’s websites run on. 

You don’t just have to be a web developer to get something out of it. Though I’d say two-thirds of everyone attending works in web dev, there are tracks for marketing, blogging and content, design, business, and user and general information. Basically, something for everyone, from the expert to the person just starting out.
WordCamp is a great community more than anything else. It’s a great place to reconnect with friends, meet new people, learn about WordPress, marketing, blogging and tons more, and give back to the community. And, that’s exactly what I did at WordCamp Milwaukee 2014.
Reconnect with friends: One of the first things I did, even before the event, was reconnect with people I met last year to confirm they were attending. Some were, some weren’t. On the morning of the first day I tweeted out to Tom Kepler, a web developer from the Chicago area who I met last year, to find out where he was. Once there, we had a great time catching up and deepening our friendship.
Meet new people: Throughout the day people would introduce themselves. I would too. You’d get to know each other quickly; “I’m a developer at so and so company,” or “I’m a freelance designer.” I introduced myself as a writer or partner at Glass Fish Creative, a business I’m just starting designed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs with their marketing. Many people shared their own stories of going out on their own. It was great to find out what everyone’s take was on freelancing and working for someone else.
There was also a great after-party down the street at the Hilton City Center. It gave us an opportunity to mingle with others we hadn’t had a chance to meet during the day.
Learn about WordPress: Session after session was filled with valuable information. Who knew non-profits could get free website hosting or that there are ways to make using public Wi-Fi safer?
Learning didn’t just happen during sessions; people were sharing ideas in between sessions, during lunch, in the Happiness Bar area (no drinking was involved, it was a room where experts were available to answer your questions about WordPress).
Give back to the community: During one session on non-profits, the speaker commented about a hackathon that took place the day before for a local group called My Sista’s KeepHer that helps young women find their identify through writing workshops. He mentioned that they needed help with content and blog posts. That was right up my alley, so I ended up writing a blog post, some other content, and fixing some SEO issues. In one weekend, they went from not having a website, to having one where they can spread the word and take donations. It felt great to give back and be a small part of that.
As I was leaving Sunday night, I walked out with one of the speakers I saw earlier in the day and told him how much I enjoyed his session. He asked what I was going to implement right away and I told him my brain was a little foggy and couldn’t think of anything right then. He mentioned that he had trouble focusing during the last two sessions of the day as well. That’s WordCamp, there’s so much to take in, in such a short amount of time that it’ll take a while to process it all, but what a great way to spend a weekend.
Are there any events that you’ve planned as part of your summer? How will you, or how did you, spend your time?
Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,

Go Where Your Community Is To Find Your Audience

June 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

Go Where Your Community Is To Find Your Audience

Door County Sunset

I’ve been in Door County the last few days enjoying a quiet getaway with my wife. Since I was four years old, Door County has been a family vacation destination and one of my favorite things to do is visit the different artists and their galleries. 

Over the years, artists have flocked here because of the beautiful scenery. (The sunsets are amazing!) Another reason they’re here is because other artists are here, and so is an audience of art lovers. Door County is an artists’ community. Everyone has a chance for their work to be seen here. That doesn’t mean that every artist who opens up a gallery will be successful, but it does provide more visibility that other cities don’t.

If you want to be discovered, sell your wares, skills, or talents, you need to know where your audience is. Make it easy for them to find you. Don’t give people a treasure map with a bunch of clues. Give them the map where “X” marks the spot. In case you didn’t know, you’re the “X”.
Where are other people doing what you want to do? Find a way to get into that community. Not only will that community help you, but you’ll also be helping them. It takes everyone with a similar mindset to keep a strong community going, whether that’s a physical location or an online community.
It’s easier than ever to find your community. If you aren’t sure where to start go to Meetup.com and find a group that you’re interested in and join them the next time they meet. If there isn’t one in your area, start one.
As much as we say we’re independent, we value belonging to a group that feels what we feel and thinks the way we do. That doesn’t mean they can do exactly what we can do, but it means they “get” what we do.
Because you are unique, it makes it easier for you to stand out in your community than it is to stand out on your own.
The artists in Door County found their community and their audience. You can do the same. Find your community and our audience won’t be far behind.
Let me know how it goes.
Filed Under: Inspiration, Life Lessons, Marketing Tagged With: ,
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