How long does it take you to fill in this blank: “I am not ________ enough.”
Or this one: “My business is not __________ enough.”
I’m guessing it took less than a second.
How long does it take you to fill in this blank: “I am not ________ enough.”
Or this one: “My business is not __________ enough.”
I’m guessing it took less than a second.
I have a single, driving goal in life: to experience joy.
I’ve discovered, through decades of trial and error, that there are certain practices that lead me to that end goal.
I’ve also found that when I lose sight of the end goal, I become burdened by the practices.
Are you burdened by a practice?
New Year’s Eve. The day of reckoning. The day that we so often celebrate in groups, while obsessing about ourselves. You know what I mean: What did I achieve last year? Did I make enough money? Did I lose enough weight? Who will I be next year? Will I still be carrying on with this silly habit? How can I make myself better?
I’ll admit, I get stuck in this trap like everyone else.
But years ago, one of my closest friends, Scooby, taught me a New Year’s Eve tradition that has made the last day of the year something entirely different for me. This tradition has changed me, and changed the way I look at the 364 days that just passed. Maybe it will change you, too.
You’ve just finished that course, quit your day job, or opened your new business, and you’ve decided to take the expert position. You know you need to sell yourself as someone who has the goods. As the real deal. As all that, and a bag of chips.
And then the nagging voices in your head begin:
How can I be an expert? I’ve only just begun.
There are tons of people out there already doing this.
Why would anyone listen to me?
I’m not educated enough.
When people find out I’m a fraud, it will all be over.
OK… enough.
As of late, I’ve been overcome by the power of words.
The current political environment and the division of our country are driven by words.
The holiday shopping season and the frenzy that ensues is created with words.
The rise of the sale of Internet products: words.
The coaching and consulting that has become so prevalent in our society: more words.
Performance reviews, TED Talks, sales pages, op eds, podcasts, elevator speeches, LinkedIn profiles, Tweets, emails, stand-up comedy, and angry rants in the comment section of news blogs: all words.
Most of us have told our children at some point or another that words are just words. “Sticks and stones” and all of that.
But I’m of a different mindset.
I’ve always been moved by the power of the perfectly precise word. Or the carelessly chosen one.
When was the last time you said, “Ooops,” or “Oh, sh&*!” after hitting send? The last time you sent out a letter with a glaring error? Spelled someone’s name wrong? Made a promise you didn’t properly research? Ticked someone off with the way you worded something? Sent something to the wrong person?
If you wear a marketing hat long enough, you’re bound to make some marketing blunders. It happens to the best of us. The real question is: How did you handle it?
I was nearly 40 years old the last time my older brother said, “I’m telling Mom on you.” Here’s how it went down…
Think about your favorite three brands. Just close your eyes, and allow your top three brands to pop into your head.
There are, undoubtedly, a host of reasons you’re attracted to these brands. But whether you realize it or not, one of the things you’re likely most attracted to are their personalities.
I meet a lot of small business owners who believe that logos, colors and fonts drive brands.
When we first begin to “brand,” these are the things we focus on. I hear entrepreneurs say, “I just hired a designer to do my brand,” or “I just branded my website.”
This approach leaves a tremendous amount of unfinished business on the table. And one of the juiciest pieces it overlooks is brand personality.
I challenge my clients to answer this question: If your brand was a person, who would it be?
Tell me if you’ve ever felt like this: you begin a new project and it’s an absolute rush. You see it unfold before your eyes and each day you awake, powered by possibility and anticipation. You are rocking it.
And then, the beginning becomes the middle, and your daily activities turn from novel to commonplace. Your rush has become a push. And it’s tough to hang. The thrill has gone, my friend, and you’re left cleaning up the party residue.
It’s the day after the big launch. The week after the trade show. The month after the honeymoon. The year after you opened the new business…
Online marketing tools are incredibly dynamic and alluring. Especially for small business owners who recognize potential in every new trick. Each day I see a shiny new tactic – a new platform – for yelling an offer out into the world. I watch business owners jump from one new thing to the next, always in search of the one gadget or secret weapon that will take them to the next level.
But I know a secret. It’s one that most people don’t like to hear. But it’s the truth.
If you want to develop a business model and a brand that make money over the long haul, you have to eat a frog.
