The Problem With Thinking Outside The Box

August 21, 2013 By 2 Comments

Want to know how to turn your pretty good brand into something really special? You need to shake it up, think outside the box. At least that’s what everyone says. But what if everyone is wrong? What if everything you needed to be spectacular was right inside your very own box?

The problem with thinking outside the box is the whole going outside business. We tend to think we can cherry pick parcels of genius from the ether.  The truth is, when we reach out and away, we move away from the very things that could set us apart. In an effort to expand our brand appeal we actually dilute its  potency.

Of course, we find inspiration outside of ourselves, however, [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bold Branding, Connecting with your Audience Tagged With: , , , , ,

Is Your Brand Stuck in Neutral?

August 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you are like most entrepreneurs, you have a fire in your belly to do great things. You want to impact the world in a big way and build a successful business. The only problem is, you’re not quite sure how you’re going to do it.

You probably started your business just trying to get clients in the door. You went to networking events, built relationships and eventually started getting referrals. Now, however, just as you’ve passed the stage of getting your business up and running…things have stalled. No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to generate the momentum you need to kick your brand to the next level. What’s happening? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bold Branding, Finding your support, Success Strategies Tagged With: , ,

Why Pretty Always Wins

August 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

“And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”

Genesis 12:14-16

Since the dawn of time, beautiful people have had an advantage. The gods have favored them with good looks and the rest of us mere mortals shower them with gifts, love and money for simply winning big in the gene pool. This chick got Pharaoh to cough up some serious loot just because she had small pores and shiny hair. It’s just not fair!

Well, fair or not, it is so. There are definitely advantages to being beautiful and they’re not just superficial. Did you know  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Brand Building, Importance of Image Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is Your Brand Talkin’ To Me?

August 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I recently visited a marketing website with a welcome video on the home page. Naturally, I clicked on it and was excited to hear what this particular guru had to say. However, what happened next really disappointed me. It wasn’t that the content was uninteresting or even that the person talking wasn’t engaging, it was that the star of the video was not looking at me! Instead, the video was shot in profile and done interview-style which made it seem like some sort of documentary.

Now I’m sure it’s suppose to look more modern and maybe there’s even research to prove how effective it is to shoot video in this way. However, the effect it had on me was to make me feel left out. It was like I was eavesdropping on someone else’s conversation. You know who I want the expert to be addressing?… Me. I want to feel like they are speaking directly to me, empathizing with my pain and offering the exact solution I am desperate to find.

Whether you are using video or not, your audience should feel like [Read more…]

Filed Under: Client Attraction, Connecting with your Audience, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

How to Attract Better Clients

July 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Don’t you wish you had a practice full of wonderfully juicy clients? You know the kind of the clients who get you? The kind of clients who VALUE your services? The kind of clients who are willing to shell out the big bucks for your high-end programs?

We all love it when those ideal clients find their way to our door, but that’s not always the case. You may find yourself attracting clients that just don’t ring your bell. Maybe the services they are looking for are not your favorite ones to offer. Or they are the kind of clients that complain about your prices. Or maybe they are just fine clients, but there’s something about their energy that leaves you feeling a little drained after each session.

Do you recognize any of those scenarios? Do they happen more often than you’d care to admit? Working with so-so clients can make you feel pretty frustrated. What’s wrong with them? Why don’t they see if they just got on board, they’d start to see the results you know you can deliver? Well, here’s a news flash… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Client Attraction, Connecting with your Audience, Entrepreneurial Success

How To Keep Your Brand Sizzling This Summer

July 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

For many entrepreneurs, summer can be a slow time. Many of our clients and potential customers travel during the warmer months which makes it harder to generate business. It’s easy to get discouraged when the numbers aren’t coming in, but there are some things you can do to keep your brand sizzling this summer. 

Yes, it’s true, a lot of traditional networking opportunities vanish in the warmer months. Many clubs and organizations shut down completely, but that doesn’t’ mean there are no opportunities to make connections. You just have to go where other people normally go in the summer. Now I’m not about to encourage you to pull up your beach blanket and try to hard sell your neighbor, however if you are warm and authentic in your approach, you can expand your brand foot print in some unexpected ways. 

Here are a few tips to maximize your networking potential this summer: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Brand Building, Brand Management, Success Strategies Tagged With: , , ,

Is Your Brand Having a Failing Year?

July 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

“The crops were planted, tended, and harvested – now the ground lies fallow, awaiting the new planting. Did the year fail? I think not. What may appear as the darkest night,  is merely the Winter season – the time of renewal and rebirth that precedes the new planting – the beginning of the next great cycle.”

Just because the thermometer outside reads 90 degrees doesn’t mean your business is smoking hot. As business owners we get excited when clients start coming in and our programs start filling up. The all-nighters, the tedious hours of setting up systems and the clients who failed to convert seem like a distant memory. But what about those moments when you are looking at a frozen tundra of entrepreneurship in what should be summer? How can you keep the faith something will manifest for you when all you see is dirt? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Brand Building, Business Building Strategies, Overcoming challenges Tagged With: , ,

Is Your Brand a Firecracker or a Dud?

July 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Happy 4th of July! I’m sure many of you are heading off tonight to watch a fireworks display. I love fireworks. It always reminds me of being home in Wisconsin with my family. We would watch from the roof of our car and try to guess what would come next, a giant plume or a quirky swirl.  We were always delighted and amazed, unless of course, it was a dud.

The dreaded dud was a huge let down. You would watch the sky waiting for the next big thrill, only to be accosted by a deafening boom. Not only was it disappointing, it also scared the bejeebees out of me as a kid. It took a while before I could watch the rest of the show because I was worried the same thing would happen again. My fireworks trust was eroded.

Not a huge deal on the 4th of July, in fact, it’s bound to happen at some point. However, being a dud with your brand is a big deal. The last thing you want to do is disappoint your audience! And you certainly don’t want to do anything to cause them to lose trust in you. Of course, no one is perfect and mistakes are a natural part of any endeavor, but your brand show better have more thrills than spills if you want to be successful.

Here are a few tips to light up the sky with your brand: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Authentic Branding, Bold Branding, Brand Building, Image Management, Uncategorized

The Value of Backroad Branding

June 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Summer is finally here, yeah!! Time for back yard barbecues, dips in the pool and road trips. I LOVE road trips. I love the adventure of jumping in the car to go off exploring.  Actually, one of my favorite things to do is to surprise my kids with mystery destinations. I try to take them to unique places we wouldn’t normally go to.

Our mystery trips don’t necessarily take us to famous locations. More often than not we end up exploring not too far off nooks and crannies of  our region. When you are busy living your life you don’t always have time to get to know the little gems right in your own back yard. Last year, we found a specialty German bakery, yum. (I find the mystery tours go over better if good food is involved.)

When we think about traveling, we usually imagine heading to far-off, exotic locales. Surely, there is better than here. However, I have found here has a lot to offer. You just have to look around and take the time to explore the landscape. Ironically, the same is true for our brands.

We are always looking, looking, looking for [Read more…]

Filed Under: Authentic Branding Tagged With: , , ,

The Brand Wisdom of Men

June 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

This past Father’s Day as I thought about all the most important men in my life, I couldn’t help but feel blessed. I have had the great fortune to know, love and be loved by some pretty incredible fathers. The lessons I have learned from these guys have been profound and I try to incorporate them into my personal brand and life on a regular basis.

Here is some of the wisdom I’ve gleaned from my male heroes: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Life Lessons
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