Magic Mike Path To Success

It’s hot out there and along with the high temps come the steamy summer box-office hits. This year Magic Mike XXL takes the cake, beef-cake that is. You have to be living under a rock not to know this sexy sequel is in theaters now. The pictures have been EVERYWHERE. (Hey, I’m not complaining!)

Now whether or not a male-stripper romp is your cup of tea, one thing you have to admit is those fellas are r-i-p-p-e-d. No one, not even Magic Mike himself gets washboard abs without extreme dedication and sacrifice.

We often overlook the hard work actors put into these roles when the final product is so campy. We only see them at press junkets and premiere parties and we think they have it sooo good.

The truth is, they do have it good. They’re living large, making a LOT of money, staying at the best hotels and rubbing shoulders with other smart, beautiful and creative people. However, success didn’t just fall into their laps, they made their own magic.

I read an interview in People Magazine recently with Channing Tatum and he talked about some of the challenges he had to overcome on his journey to Hollywood fame. In high school, he struggled with ADHD and dyslexia which made academics harder for him than most. He went to college, but ended up dropping out when he started getting modeling opportunities.

What Channing did however, that was wicked smart was he leaned into his strengths and KEPT TRYING.

“I was playing the lottery left and right, I just accidentally kept running into a winning ticket.”–People Magazine

Of course he kept running into a winning ticket! He kept putting himself in positions where he had the greatest chance of having his assets noticed and appreciated. One opportunity led to the next and eventually his momentum started snow-balling.

As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to look at industry leaders and envy their successes, but there’s no need. YOU can have massive wealth and recognition as well. It won’t be Easy-Street, but if you’re smart and persistent, you can make your own luck.

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”–Seneca

Here are few tips to help get you center stage: [Read more…]

Is Your Brand Image Damaging Your Credibility?

At an event I attended recently for my daughter, I was chatting with another parent who is an administrator at a prominent local hospital. Between discussing braces, soccer and upcoming summer plans, we actually got around to talking about non-kid topics. I asked how work was going and he mentioned that he was swamped because in addition to seeing patients, he also was in the process of trying to fill an open position on his staff. When I asked him how it was going, his answer verified something I know to be true… IMAGE MATTERS.

This man told me how they had searched and searched for a qualified candidate and he was excited, but also nervous about someone they found that might be great. The candidate had a really good resume and the appropriate experience, but the problem was “she looked pretty disheveled.” Even though he liked her, he was worried the rest of his staff would not go for it based on her appearance. He went on to tell me that he knew the candidate was a busy mom and as a dad he gets how hectic it can be, but this was a reflection of the candidate’s judgement about the way she presented herself for the interview.

Even though this dad was someone I knew through our kids, I am quite certain he didn’t know I am a brand strategist and image consultant. We were just having a friendly conversation while we waited for our kids. So it wasn’t a case of him trying to come up with some common ground or something I’d be interested in hearing about. It was just the first thing that popped into his mind when I asked him about work.

The point is, people notice your appearance and how you present yourself absolutely effects their impression of you. The example I just shared is a real life situation where someone might lose out on a great opportunity solely because of their personal image. Do you think she will ever know that’s why she didn’t get the job? I doubt it and that’s why I’m revisiting the importance of image with you today. I want to remind you that people are watching, your image matters and it should be a priority when thinking about your personal brand.

Before we go any further, I want to say I AM that busy mom, no I’m not applying for a job in health care, but I am the mom who goes to the gym at 5am and then stops at grocery store afterwards to pick up milk for breakfast in my yoga pants. I do not look perfect all the time as many of you know first-hand. So I want to be clear that I am not implying you try to look perfect 24/7. However, if you are showing up as the ambassador of your brand, you would be very wise to put some thought and effort into your brand image.

I will never forget the first time I [Read more…]

How to Lose a $40,000 Deal in 10 Seconds.

How awesome would it be to have a client walk in your door ready to lay out $40,000 for your product or service?Now imagine how bad it would feel to lose that same client within seconds. That’s exactly what happened to several car salesmen last weekend.

Our family is in the market for a new car. We’ve had the same mini-van for the past 9 years. Even though I’m a little nostalgic about getting rid of the car we brought our babies home in, I’m pretty psyched to be getting something that doesn’t have gummy bears lodged in the seats.

For me, part of the fun of getting a new car is doing the research. I love watching the sleek marketing videos, imaging what it would be like to zip down the road in one of those shiny new rides.  My kids are a little bit older now, so maybe we can get away with something besides a mini-van. Maybe…

Whatever we end up with, I want to be wowed. If it’s a mini-van, I want it to be decked-out so I don’t feel so much like Mommy-from-the-Block. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mom. I just wish there was a way to look slightly more cool driving back and forth to soccer practice.

I also want to be wowed by the actual experience of buying the car. It’s not something you do everyday, so I want it to feel special. With our short list in hand, we went off to do some test driving.

It would be an understatement to say we are motivated buyers at this point. We’ve probably waited a good 6 months longer than we should have to get this project going. The old girl has served us well, but her time has come. I am ready and excited for an upgrade.

As we head out the door, [Read more…]

Are You a Progressive Thinker?

I cannot express how much I am sick of winter. One of the things I hate about the cold weather is the slick roads. And wouldn’t you know it, I got hit last week by someone who slid in the snow into my car.

Luckily, no one was in the car at the time, but there was quite a bit of damage to the fender. I was not looking forward to dealing with the insurance companies, but alas, it had to be done.

The other driver’s insurance was Progressive, you know the one on tv with the quirky woman named Flo? Well,when I called, the insurance guy wanted me to go to their service center to get the repairs done. Only problem was the service center was about 40 minutes from my house. I had no intention of driving that far when I could just pop down to the local garage. But Joshua, the polite agent with whom I spoke, assured me if I did go to the Progressive center I would be in and out in 15 minutes with a new rental to use while waiting for the repairs.

Hmmm, now that got me thinking. [Read more…]

Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?

We all know branding is about finding your ideal niche, understanding how to differentiate yourself and communicating your message clearly to engage your audience. However, a HUGE part of branding is the visual image you create to represent your promise of value.

We often think of the image of the brand as the logo or even the colors and fonts on your website. Those are all very, very important. However, if you are solopreneur one of the most important aspects of brand image is your own face!

Your brand may be the face of your business, but as a solopreneur, YOUR face is the face of your brand. @HeatherPoduska (Tweet this)

How you represent yourself personally both online and in the flesh is extremely important. Your audience will [Read more…]

Why Pretty Always Wins

“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…]

Is Your Brand Green?

iStock_000006139774XSmallEvery brand has a unique personality and one of the best ways to express that personality is through the use of color. Every color also has its own personality. Have you ever noticed how differently you feel when looking at various colors? Dark colors can sometimes bring us down just as vibrant colors can infuse us with energy.

There has been a lot of research into the psychology of color and how it impacts human beings. Understanding how you want your brand to impact your audience is essential to choosing the right colors for your business and marketing materials.  In honor of St. Paddy’s Day, here are the common psychological associations with the color green. [Read more…]

“Does Your Brand Feel Pretty?”

Don’t you just love those days when you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror to see your skin has cleared up? Or when you spin around to  notice the past ten weeks of spinning class have finally firmed up your back side? And the best one, your prayer to the hair gods have finally been answered and you are having one of those rare perfect hair days? Doesn’t it just make you feel great? I can just see you now doing a happy dance in your pj’s.

Now let me ask you another question. What do you see when you look in the brand mirror? Does what you see make you feel like grinning from ear to ear, or does it make you feel like you wished you had just pulled the covers over your head and gone back to sleep? If so, ask yourself why are you living with a less than stellar brand image? [Read more…]

Guilt by Association

Whether we like it or not, we are judged by the associations we keep. At first blush this doesn’t seem fair. However, if you think about it for more than a second or two, you can see the logic behind it. For the most part, we choose our associations with the exception of our families. Therefore, your associations are a reflection of YOUR JUDGEMENT and YOUR BRAND. If you are associated with someone who is unethical, you are broadcasting to the world that you have some tolerance for lack of integrity. On the other hand, if you surround yourself with people who are kind, thoughtful and smart, this also reflects on your judgement, in a positive way.

Because your associations so strongly effect your reputation it is critical to choose wisely. Here are a few questions to help you evaluate your current associations and how to better choose future ones.

1. Does this person/business uphold the values I want to nurture?

2. Does this person have a positive attitude?

3. Does this person make me feel inspired to grow?

4. Do I feel good about myself when I spend time with this person/business?

5. Am I proud to say this person is a friend, colleague or business associate?

If you cannot answer yes to most, if not all, of these questions, it may be time to re-evaluate your associations. You are not looking for all of your friends and colleagues to be like Mother Teresa, but you are looking for them to enhance, inspire and reflect your personal brand standards. In turn, be sure YOU are exuding the qualities which would make others feel proud to associate with you.

We all struggle sometimes to know when to forge strong connections with others. If you have any thoughts or experiences you’d like to share that have helped you, I’d love to hear from you. Just make a comment below. Or post it on Facebook.

 

 

 

Is your Brand a Brown Box or a Thoughtful Gift?

Content is king, right? That’s what we are told over and over again. While I believe you need to have quality services and products to offer your clients, I don’t believe great content is a panacea for drawing in and converting eager clients. Substantive content is vital to building a valuable and trustworthy brand, however, it isn’t necessarily what is going to grab the attention of your audience.  What you need to go along with your relevant content is enticing packaging.

There, I’ve said it. You can all start throwing your tomatoes now. I know for many people the idea of glorifying packaging is exactly what they dislike about marketing. They feel it devalues the core of the message or product they are creating and selling. As consumers we sometimes [Read more…]

Baby it’s Cold Outside

Baby it's Cold OutsideAs it is getting colder in New England I realized it is time to buy a new winter jacket. In full disclosure I already have several winter jackets so I don’t actually need another one to keep warm. I do want another jacket, however, because am not completely satisfied with how I feel in the ones I have now. It’s not a question of how they fit, it’s a question of how I feel about myself when I’m in those jackets. I mentioned in a previous post that I recently re-embraced an edgier part of my personal brand, so now I feel like I want to have that edginess come through in my winter jacket.

Why all the fuss about a winter jacket? If you live anywhere where it’s cold in the winter, you know you spend 90% of your time interacting with other people wearing your winter coat. It becomes a very big part of how your personal brand is expressed in your appearance. Putting together a branded outerwear ensemble is a really smart and fun thing to do. All you need is a great coat or jacket in a neutral color and then you can add all the do-dads and colors you want with hats, scarfs, mittens, etc. The possibilities are endless and to change-up the look can also be really cheap and easy. You just need to change up the accessories. If you have a brand color this is a great way to incorporate it. If, for example, you are known for being very holistic and natural you may choose a shade of green for your accessories. Don’t be afraid to play around and have fun with it.

[Read more…]