Creativity

We are moving faster every day. The market changes swiftly. Remote work is dominating and the gig economy is alive and well. 

Small- and medium-sized businesses face unique challenges when it comes to managing marketing. Often, small marketing budgets are not spent strategically and therefore get lackluster results. Business owners get burned by one-off "marketing" solutions that promise to be the end-all-be-all answer.

On the other hand, a strategic marketing partner and advisor who acts as a…

Subscribing to a YouTube channel is like joining a neighborhood. It's like saying "yes" to seeing each other regularly and having conversations (in the comments).  

It reminds me so much of a community that I feel like I'm channeling Mr. Rogers when I ask, "Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for tips on storytelling."  

Previously, under a different iteration of my business, I created YouTube videos. I learned a lot. I experimented enough to know there's a knack to really taking on YouTube. It ca…

Spoiler alerts! Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

As a video storyteller myself, I have my favorites in television and film. There are certain shows that feel like friendships to me. When a series I know and love comes to an end, I feel regret because I'll miss seeing my friends!  

Television shows are created, just like the work I do. Basically, it starts with an idea, a strategy session(s) with other people, followed by writing a script and then the visual representation we watch on a screen.  

“If a picture is worth a thousand words
then a story is worth a thousand assurances.”
–  Annette Simmons, The Story Factor

 
Once upon a time a young woman worked as a marketing professional. Her career spanned 15 years before she found herself working for a toxic boss. The boss regularly verbally attacked members of the team. As a result, eventually a full, 22-person department turn over occurred under that person’s leadership (or lack thereof). The woman in marketing decided that if ever there…

When you hear “brand,” what do you think? What conjures up in your mind? I bet it’s something like: brand name, logo, color scheme and maybe fonts and tag lines. But that’s the problem…

Those are just the surface-level (mostly visual) aspects of a brand.

The meaning of a brand – it’s identity and strategy – is what creates a real business advantage.  

After creating a visual representation of their brand, most small business owners stop and switch focus. They may think, “OK, I have my brand n…

I thought owning my own business would be like making a cake. Being the systematic thinker that I am, my mindset was: I just need to find the right ingredients to business, put them together in the right order with the right quantity, the right conditions… and I’ll end up with a cake that everyone wants.

Right?

Not really.

Instead, my solopreneur journey thus far has felt more like a sugar rush with a recipe that wouldn’t rise into what I thought it should be.  

But as the end of 2021 arrive…

If you’re a creative coach or consultant you might be excited to launch your website, workshop, podcast, book or new offer. After you’ve spent a lot of time, effort and energy in creating your beloved product, service or creative project you click “go live” and wait. 

You likely post about it on all of your social media channels and exhale with relief and a sense of accomplishment, only to notice a disappointing response. As the days go by you quit talking about it – it feels so self-serving to…

It’s all too common for me to hear, “ugh, I don’t like marketing myself.” Why is this so common among solopreneurs, consultants or business owners?  

It reminds me of that scene in Jerry Maguire where the newly-solo sports agent is desperately trying to sign a big football star, Cushman. They’re in a hotel room and Cushman sees himself on the jumbotron and says, “I’m sick of me already, I’ve got Cush-lash.” 

Sometimes we as business owners can get tired of touting our own business. Maybe it fe…

Most communication coaches and consultants focus on improving public speaking and leadership skills. They may help you prepare for your next big event presentation or lead your team with confidence in meetings.  

But here’s the problem... You get so consumed with what you say and how you say it that you forget who it’s for.

And let me be clear, public speaking is a very valuable skill. And giving a speech in front of an audience can be very powerful for your brand and business. BUT…   

…havin…

As Shakespeare famously wrote, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This, from Romeo and Juliet, is about the fact that names mean what we make them mean, as they did for the Montagues and Capulets. 

So, what is a brand name anyway? Who decides the strength of a brand -- the consumer or the company founder? And how can you improve the strength of your own brand? 

Let’s break it down.

WHAT IS A BRAND?

As language evolves and perspective widens…