Anatomy of a Good Brand, with Mihai Herman
17/03/16 Personal Juju , Uncategorized # , , ,

Anatomy of a Good Brand, with Mihai Herman

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Mihai Herman sat me down for an interview. Mihai is a business coach for creative entrepreneurs – and he lives in Romania. He’s young. He’s ambitious. He’s a firecracker. He’s got a social following of more than 30,000, and he’s a regular contributor for the Huffington Post. And what I like most about Mihai is that he’s looking to learn and improve every chance he gets.

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How to Handle the Haters? What to Do About Negative Online Reviews and Comments.
14/03/16 How to Brand Your Juju , Personal Juju , Uncategorized # , , , , ,

How to Handle the Haters? What to Do About Negative Online Reviews and Comments.

In my last two blog posts, I introduced you to some friends of mine – business owners who were blown away by a brutal online review from a high profile client. And how this review started a downward spiral for my friends that resulted in them losing enthusiasm for their business, then losing actual business, and then sliding into a dangerous sea of inactivity.

 

In the first post, I addressed the inactivity, and what to do when you feel like doing nothing. (You can find it here.)

 

In the second post, I addressed the issue of how my friends allowed someone or something outside of them to define them — and their brand. (You can find it here.)

 

And in today’s post, I want to address something less emotional, and more pragmatic:

 

How do you deal with critics, angry customers, and haters online?

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Do You Suffer from Low Brand-Esteem?
09/02/16 Good Juju and Brands that Have It , How to Brand Your Juju # , , , , , ,

Do You Suffer from Low Brand-Esteem?

Recently I hosted two live webinars where I talked with hundreds of business owners about the 7 common mistakes I see in branding, and a “Flub-Proof” formula for building a great brand. (You can watch a replay here.)

 

In the chat box during the webinars, I saw these comments (or iterations of these comment) again and again:

 

“I don’t have the confidence I need to ask for the business. “

 

“I need to be more courageous in promoting my brand.”

 

“I’m afraid to put myself out there.”

 

Confidence. It’s a loaded word, isn’t it?

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How to Breathe Life into a Paper Doll
01/02/16 How to Brand Your Juju # , , , , ,

How to Breathe Life into a Paper Doll

Shallow and meaningless.

 

Looks great on paper, not so interesting in real life…

 

Just another pretty face.

 

Skin deep.

 

Superficial.

 

Empty. Devoid of character.

 

Arm candy.

 

Does this sound like someone you’d hang out with? Make a connection with? Follow to the ends of the Earth? Is this a person you’d share your money with? Invest in? Believe in? Tell your friends about?

 

Not one bit.

 

But here’s what’s interesting: I meet brands like this every day.

 

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The Dangerously High Price of Poor Strategy
25/01/16 How to Brand Your Juju # , , , ,

The Dangerously High Price of Poor Strategy

If you’ve been around my blog, my website or my Facebook page for long, you’ll know that I’m a stickler for strategy. I love a good plan. I’m wild about doing things for a good reason. And where branding is concerned, I don’t make a move without a sound strategy.

 

But you know what? Oddly enough, this is a very UNCOMMON position in the world of entrepreneurs and small businesses. “Strategy first,” has a bit of a bad rap.

 

And that’s a shame. Because “strategy first” is really the only way to go.

 

Every day I watch people – in and outside the world of branding and marketing – pay for tactics and forego strategy. They’ll buy the tangibles (the things they can see and touch) but they won’t invest in the strategy that makes those tactics successful.

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Old Broad, New Tricks? Oh, yeah.
14/01/16 Personal Juju , Uncategorized # , , ,

Old Broad, New Tricks? Oh, yeah.

I was a sophomore at the University of San Diego when I decided to declare my major as English with an Emphasis on Writing. I knew my dad, who was paying my tuition, wouldn’t be completely thrilled. His idea of “career” and mine were two different things.

 

When I told him about my choice, he said this:

 

“Writing? That’s great honey. Why don’t you come on down to the dealership and learn the Finance Department… just in case you’re not Hemingway?” (My dad had a way with words.)

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What to Do When You’ve Had Enough
07/01/16 Personal Juju # , , , ,

What to Do When You’ve Had Enough

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.

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What’s In a Word? Just About Everything.
24/12/15 Uncategorized # , , , , ,

What’s In a Word? Just About Everything.

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.

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My Favorite Mistake. And How to Make the Most of Yours.
21/12/15 How to Brand Your Juju # , , , ,

My Favorite Mistake. And How to Make the Most of Yours.

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?

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