I recently heard an example of great branding on the radio. It was for a local auto repair shop that specializes in repairing European motors. The announcer got on and pointed out how they were different from their competitors who had lower prices, but less experienced technicians and also from their competitors who offered fancy chairs and lattes while you wait, but who had prices to match these extra luxuries. Their niche was a fair price and a good job for the regular guy.
You may think that everyone thinks of themselves as the regular guy, but that’s not true. I for one would be willing to spend a little extra money to sit in a nice clean room, with a comfortable chair sipping a frothy drink while someone worked on my car. And there are people who always want or need the lowest possible price. What this auto shop did so well was effectively target their ideal client. They did not try to appeal to each end of the spectrum and everything in between. As a result, they did not waste time and money reaching out to the wrong audience. [Read more…]
As I’m sitting here on my sofa after much celebrating, visiting, baking, eating, and gift giving I am feeling fat, happy, relaxed and exhausted. It has been a wonderful time for our family and I feel incredibly blessed. I also feel super tired. When I asked my friends what they were doing for their holiday vacation, many were heading to the slopes for some family ski time. While the idea of heading to the slopes with my crew seems like fun in theory, the reality is I just don’t have the energy. I could rally to do something more ambitious, but I know that would be a mistake. I know it’s important for me and my family to rest and regroup no matter what everyone else is doing.
During this busy holiday season it is easy to start feeling stressed and tired. We are running around here and there shopping, going to parties, wrapping presents and sending out cards to our friends and family. Although it is a joyous season, it is easy to get overwhelmed. There are just so many things to do and places to go. Inspite of the hustle and bustle though, I don’t actually find the activity to be the thing that wears me out the most. Instead it is all the decision making that goes into the preparation for the season that really feels taxing. If someone just handed me a pre-made list of everything I need to buy and do before Christmas I could go on autopilot and get it done, but that’s not how things work.
I recently heard this term and I love it. “Regret Minimization” It doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes along the way, it means trying to make the best decisions to minimize regret. It’s a little more forgiving than living without regret which I think is impossible if you are human, or at least if you are Heather Poduska, because I put my foot in my mouth more often than I’d care to think about.