Brimming with Possibility and Positivity
Published in Marketing
Today is just one of those days. I woke up every hour from midnight, ready to get up and pack my bags for yet another trip.
Sometimes we're in conflict between our marketing professional selves and our personal or professional buyer selves. I'm in conflict now as I try to get my home back together after a hail storm pummeled our roof, fence and who knows what.
My conflict is seeing how repair services are marketed to us and how as a buyer I perceive their efforts to meet my needs . Yes, I see the hail storm as an opportunity for them. They have services and products in need, a well-defined target audience, and a high rate of anticipated purchase for their product. For excitement, they face multiple competitors in a race to a sale.
This could be a chance to see multiple marketing styles and find out what works best on me. It's a good test because all contenders start out the same. No company has an inside track or perceived advantage. I was not already in the market, had not contacted any suppliers, no former suppliers have claimed me, and my insurance company offered only vague guidelines, no company recommendations. So how did they do?
My conflict is seeing how repair services are marketed to us and how as a buyer I perceive their efforts to meet my needs . Yes, I see the hail storm as an opportunity for them. They have services and products in need, a well-defined target audience, and a high rate of anticipated purchase for their product. For excitement, they face multiple competitors in a race to a sale.
This could be a chance to see multiple marketing styles and find out what works best on me. It's a good test because all contenders start out the same. No company has an inside track or perceived advantage. I was not already in the market, had not contacted any suppliers, no former suppliers have claimed me, and my insurance company offered only vague guidelines, no company recommendations. So how did they do?
Every year I speak with and help other entrepreneurs market and grow their businesses.
Some are able to achieve their desired success. They have a solid business plan in place, the right attitude, make the proper investments, are able to delicate and know when to enlist help.
Others have every good intention, but wander aimlessly with no plan or a plan that changes from day to day. They rely on luck rather than hard work and a more strategic approach.
Then of course, there are the dreamers who do nothing more than dream and talk about their aspirations. They often talk about what the could have done or will do, without taking the first step to put their plan into action.
Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of grit and determination, bravery and thicker skin than you might have first thought. There will be people that want to see you succeed, but just as many that secretly (or not so secretly) want to see you fail.
For an entrepreneur, that's all part of the journey. They are often motivated as much by proving doubters wrong as they are proving to themselves that their ideas and instincts were right. They value the reward of building something for themselves over the risks and long hours that are required.
Some are able to achieve their desired success. They have a solid business plan in place, the right attitude, make the proper investments, are able to delicate and know when to enlist help.
Others have every good intention, but wander aimlessly with no plan or a plan that changes from day to day. They rely on luck rather than hard work and a more strategic approach.
Then of course, there are the dreamers who do nothing more than dream and talk about their aspirations. They often talk about what the could have done or will do, without taking the first step to put their plan into action.
Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of grit and determination, bravery and thicker skin than you might have first thought. There will be people that want to see you succeed, but just as many that secretly (or not so secretly) want to see you fail.
For an entrepreneur, that's all part of the journey. They are often motivated as much by proving doubters wrong as they are proving to themselves that their ideas and instincts were right. They value the reward of building something for themselves over the risks and long hours that are required.
As I moved up in my corporate career, I sought out mentors. It is amazing what I learned that helped me grow, improve and maneuver sticky situations. As a business owner I enjoy mentoring young business men and women and seeing them grow in their career with me, above and beyond what I can offer them.
I had a call today where another business owner told me she spoke with a woman who worked for me. My former employee and she said I had helped her build her confidence enough to apply and interview for a job she had really wanted. Guess what, she got the job.
Being a mentee and being mentored is all well and good, but what do you do when you are at the top of the business? You can't look to someone up-the-ladder for guidance. This is when your enlist a coach.
I had a call today where another business owner told me she spoke with a woman who worked for me. My former employee and she said I had helped her build her confidence enough to apply and interview for a job she had really wanted. Guess what, she got the job.
Being a mentee and being mentored is all well and good, but what do you do when you are at the top of the business? You can't look to someone up-the-ladder for guidance. This is when your enlist a coach.
It's week three of the Girl Scout cookies sales season. It's hard to miss these little girls, decked out in sashes and aprons outside of your local supermarket, drug store or restaurant. What you may not see is all that goes on behind the scenes of this truly entrepreneurial experience.
My daughter is a third generation Girl Scout. The tradition of selling Girl Scout cookies dates back to 1917 (for the organization, not my three generations) and cookie sales has been many girls' first experience in business, sales, marketing and entrepreneurship. Few organizations have stood the test of time like Girls Scout cookie sales.
Here are the amazing skills each girl learns as part of being a Girl Scout...
My daughter is a third generation Girl Scout. The tradition of selling Girl Scout cookies dates back to 1917 (for the organization, not my three generations) and cookie sales has been many girls' first experience in business, sales, marketing and entrepreneurship. Few organizations have stood the test of time like Girls Scout cookie sales.
Here are the amazing skills each girl learns as part of being a Girl Scout...
With over 6 billion people in this world it appears that originality is dead. It seems impossible to even come up with a new idea that has not been thought of before? Not only are business concepts being copied, music is being 'sampled' from great songs of the past. Is it possible to set ourselves apart and is that important?
In Peter Thiel's book, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, he states, “ZERO TO ONE EVERY MOMENT IN BUSINESS happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. And the next Mark Zuckerberg won’t create a social network. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them.”
I believe there is a way to both copy and learn at the same time. Sampling ideas of great entrepreneurs may be one of the biggest things impacting entrepreneurs today.
Here is how it is being done:
In Peter Thiel's book, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, he states, “ZERO TO ONE EVERY MOMENT IN BUSINESS happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. And the next Mark Zuckerberg won’t create a social network. If you are copying these guys, you aren’t learning from them.”
I believe there is a way to both copy and learn at the same time. Sampling ideas of great entrepreneurs may be one of the biggest things impacting entrepreneurs today.
Here is how it is being done:
There are many great things about being an entrepreneur... and a few not so great things. One of the biggest challenges I find is getting away for a real vacation. I'm not talking about the trip where you bring along your laptop take conference calls and try to squeeze in family time. I'm talking about really disconnecting from your business. With my previous business I waited five years to take a full no-computer vacation. No surprise it was great, not only for me, but also for my staff.
It becomes a win-win for everyone when you disconnect. For your employees it shows a level of trust that you are confident enough that they can keep the business running while you are away. You get to finally unwind. As an entrepreneur, even when you are not working , you are working, you just keeping thinking of what you can do next. Vacations that exclude being connected to electronics can really give you time to connect with family and friends.
It becomes a win-win for everyone when you disconnect. For your employees it shows a level of trust that you are confident enough that they can keep the business running while you are away. You get to finally unwind. As an entrepreneur, even when you are not working , you are working, you just keeping thinking of what you can do next. Vacations that exclude being connected to electronics can really give you time to connect with family and friends.
I recently had the privilege of speaking to middle school students on Career Day about entrepreneurship. I was pleasantly surprised by my experience and I left the presentation with a positive feeling about future generations. Amazingly, when the principal ask the school how many knew what they wanted to become, over half raised their hand. I was blown away by the level of self-awareness these kids possessed.
It may sound far-fetched that 11 to 14 year olds know what they want to do ten years from now, but many do. Now, I realize most will change their minds, after all they are kids, and as adults many of us are still changing our minds. But, to have the confidence in your plans to say "Yes, I do know what I want to do." when you're that young is huge.
It may sound far-fetched that 11 to 14 year olds know what they want to do ten years from now, but many do. Now, I realize most will change their minds, after all they are kids, and as adults many of us are still changing our minds. But, to have the confidence in your plans to say "Yes, I do know what I want to do." when you're that young is huge.
This Sunday, I completed my second half-marathon. Not bad considering this fall I was running two businesses, selling one, growing the other, raising two teens and training for a half marathon with a few injuries. It's a lot on a person's plate, but manageable if you train like a Badass.
What comes to your mind when you hear that someone just completed a marathon? Do you think I can do that, I've done that or why would anyone want to do that. Well, that's pretty much the same response I get when I tell people I'm an entrepreneur.
As I spent the last few months training for the Dallas [Half] Marathon, I was reminded by how similar it is to growing my business. Both take self-motivation, dedication, a goal and a plan to reach that goal. They both take a Badass attitude.
No matter if you're training for a foot race or business success, here are 10 things you should do to increase your likelihood of success.
What comes to your mind when you hear that someone just completed a marathon? Do you think I can do that, I've done that or why would anyone want to do that. Well, that's pretty much the same response I get when I tell people I'm an entrepreneur.
As I spent the last few months training for the Dallas [Half] Marathon, I was reminded by how similar it is to growing my business. Both take self-motivation, dedication, a goal and a plan to reach that goal. They both take a Badass attitude.
No matter if you're training for a foot race or business success, here are 10 things you should do to increase your likelihood of success.
I think many of us can list the reasons why we would want to start our own business and leave a job where we work for someone else. The idea of working for yourself offers a different kind of freedom and it's a passion that drives so many of us to become entrepreneurs. But it is an idea that is full of risk, made especially concerning if you're in a good job currently. So if that is the case why would you leave a successful business you own to start a new one?
I ask myself this question, because I recently sold a great business that I grew from the ground up. It was a franchise, but even with that there are no guarantees of success, and many owners did not succeed. But I did. I had a passion for my business and I liked my employees and clients. However, as an entrepreneur, I got restless and wanted to share my success and the lessons that I had learned with others. With many years of marketing experience, both in the corporate and small business world, I knew I could help others be successful by implementing solid marketing strategies. With this idea in mind I launched Marketing Eye Dallas as a licensee of the greater international Marketing Eye firm.
With both the knowledge of being successful and starting from the ground up again, I realize there are some things that never change.
I ask myself this question, because I recently sold a great business that I grew from the ground up. It was a franchise, but even with that there are no guarantees of success, and many owners did not succeed. But I did. I had a passion for my business and I liked my employees and clients. However, as an entrepreneur, I got restless and wanted to share my success and the lessons that I had learned with others. With many years of marketing experience, both in the corporate and small business world, I knew I could help others be successful by implementing solid marketing strategies. With this idea in mind I launched Marketing Eye Dallas as a licensee of the greater international Marketing Eye firm.
With both the knowledge of being successful and starting from the ground up again, I realize there are some things that never change.
