How to deal with different personality types
25 April, 2021
Every day we deal with different personalities in different environments. You have your home dynamic and then your work. People can spend as much as a third of their lives at work, so learning how to deal with different personalities is a type of skill set everyone should have. I was reminded of the challenges different personalities can have during a meeting.
Today they're 16 different personalities that are recognized. Personalities can be fluid, and many o...
Strengthening our brains for learning
26 July, 2020
Learning is a lifelong process focused on personal development. In my last article, I talked about "Adaptability, and it's importance for individual growth". In 1963 Leon C. Meggison paraphrased Darwin's Origin of Species, and wrote: "It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives, but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself....
Adaptability and it’s importance for growth
04 July, 2020
The importance of organizations and its employees to be adaptive to progress cannot be understated. Just refer to Sears, JC Penney, and Blockbuster or extinct positions like elevator operators, ice delivery, and switchboard operators. It is undeniable that progress and change will always happen. A bright future seems to lie in flexibility and the ability to reinvent yourself or evolve, so you have options. Think of yourself as a collection of skills and not precis...
This belief often fails when communicating to employees
05 April, 2020
There is a business myth that if you communicate through email, newsletters, memos, texts, or intranet sites, you'll get your message out to your employees, and they will be supported. These numerous channels let employees know what a business wants and needs. This works sometimes, but if you're honest, in most cases, it fails when dealing with new initiatives, processes, projects, or changes.
It's easy to think that collectively sending out communications frequ...
Embracing simplicity: How writing less is more
14 September, 2019
People’s attention spans are very short. The computer age maybe at fault, but this has always been the case since the caveman days. Imagine cave drawings with a bunch of words. Would they have had the same impact today? The purpose of writing is to deliver a clear message, so your reader knows what you're trying to communicate. How do you embrace simplistic writing? Here’s how:
Visuals
Why say something when you can show something? The term “a picture is w...
Planning Your Branding Initiative
18 December, 2016
No matter what size a company, whether creating a new brand or rebranding an existing one it can be one the toughest projects a company can go through. The stakes are very high and implementing this initiative successfully is incredibly important. Breaking down all of the objectives that encompass branding is key to keeping your head above the water. There are many cross-functional teams that will be part of the project, and it is the marketing and creative departme...
Building and Executing an Effective Social Media Strategy
02 November, 2016
Executing and having a good social media strategy can be difficult due to the time required to cultivate it. Like everything else, you get what you put into it. But how can you devise a plan that can be effective? First, you have to figure out what you want to get out of it. Then, establish your objectives and goals so you can react when your campaigns are not meeting expectations.
Will your social pages be an informative vehicle for your company or a way to buil...
Free Marketing Tools to Maximize Your Strategies
26 September, 2016
Today marketing department budgets and resources can run thin. The requirements for branding, social media, PR, trade shows, product launches, collateral, promos, and websites, can all be daunting. The list is just too long to mention them all. If you are a marketing professional, you know far too well, how difficult it can be to get things done. Marketers have more systems and more data to go through than most companies' infrastructures can handle. Luckily as marke...
How to Build Your Brand Identity
06 February, 2013
What is your company message and are you recognized for it?
Over the last few months, I have written two articles about branding. The first article was titled, “How to Define Your Brand Identity.” The second was “How to Choose Corporate Colors to Effectively Communicate Your Brand.” These articles show you how to deal with your visual identity, but your identity is much more than just visual. Every day, we dress ourselves, and we decide what colors and ac...
5 Tips How to Get Your Commercial Art Selected
02 January, 2013
Commercial art can be a difficult experience for most true artists. In most cases, you have to set aside logic, taste, and quality. Like it or not, commercial art pays the bills so you need to be open to new ideas when designing.
Example of Logo Concepts
I find that if you follow these tips it can lead you to create something you can be proud of:
Do your homework and ensure that you have reasons for any design you create. Everyone has a reason...
How to Define Your Brand Identity
30 October, 2012
Branding is the face and outward expression of a company’s identity. It is the name and visual appearance, which ensures consumer recognition and individuality. There is no right way or wrong way in regards to branding. It is subjective and should constantly be evolving as you or your business does. That said, there are still fundamental aspects everyone should try to adhere to. A brand identity should include a name, logo and other visual elements such as images ...
How to Choose Corporate Colors to Effectively Communicate Your Brand
21 September, 2012
Corporate color schemes can be one of the essential statements a company can make. One of the key elements to building a strong brand is your color selection. It helps you to stand out from the competition and evokes emotions. Where would Tiffany & Company be if it did not have its unique "Tiffany Blue" color? Its color has been known worldwide as a symbol of style and sophistication. The color is also one of the most underestimated parts of the design for which...
What score would you give Klout?
15 August, 2012
Does Klout really measure influence and should marketers pay attention?
Human nature requires acknowledgement and validity. This cannot be more true and necessary in the business world. Social media has overtaken our lives and your either with the rest of the world or against it. Resisting it is futile. So how does a business measure social media success? Typically, you want to measure your success through the following 5 phases (see chart):
Chart Content: ...
Gursky is the greatest photographer you never heard of
08 July, 2012
Andreas Gursky might be the most influential and successful photographer you never heard of. He has created a new aesthetic where flat, dull, nothingness is magnified. To many, he may appear ordinary but he is far from that. His images can be epic and monumental. The son of a commercial photographer, he was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1955 and grew up in Düsseldorf. Using a large 4x5 format camera, he creates a world where the individual is tiny and insi...
Protecting Your Online Images From Theft
28 May, 2012
What you can and cannot do to protect your art.
Art Thief
The Internet is an infinite galaxy of images, each one flickering for your attention. Everywhere you look these images parade by in countless websites seeking your favor as if they were in a Miss America pageant. The explosion of Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr, Snapchat and endless other image-driven websites are being fed by photography and graphics. Like-minded people and virtual communities pop up...
10 Tips for Hiring a Consultant
18 April, 2012
What you should ask yourself when hiring a consultant
Consultants, if used wisely, can bring on a great impact to your business. Their outside perspective and years of experience can initiate new ideas. I usually hire consultants/agencies for two reasons:
Teach me (those things for which they were hired). Ideally, I will learn how to do something and then hire them to teach me something else. The good consultants will get hired repeatedly. Don’t be afraid ...
Marketing Terms and Definitions
10 April, 2012
A list of frequently asked marketing terms and definitions
Marketing Terms Definitions
I decided to write this article because I am always asked to define many of the basic marketing terms. There is no one word or phrase that captures what marketing is. There are many levels to it and many options for a company to choose from when they develop their marketing plans. I believe marketing is an essential part of any business and anyone in the business field sho...
The Pinterest Phenomenon
25 February, 2012
The hottest alternative social media niche network
Last month, I outlined the best online marketing practices and discussed social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn and YouTube. These sites are the core social media sites every business should be utilizing. This month, I would like to discuss if you should add the new Internet phenomenon called Pinterest to your list. Is this niche consumer social network the next gold rush for businesses?
W...
Diversity Radio Episode 1
14 February, 2012
Episode 1
View this article in larger format
Welcome to my radio station. Helping you learn more about the underground and commercial worlds of music. A diverse radio station for the diverse music lover. Essentially, I will be streaming playlists for your pleasure and hope to introduce you to some great music.
Listen to this playlist I call guitar sounds:
Artist
Song
Album
Ida Maria In the End Fortr...Online Marketing 101
29 January, 2012
Pointers, ideas, and guidance on how you can optimize your online exposure and gain customers
What grade would you give your company? I’d like to share some easy ways you can evaluate your company’s marketing strategies, processes, and structure. In the end, you should have an outlined report that will define how well your company is doing with its online marketing practices.
Marketing has changed dramatically and at a rapid pace. The Internet constantly e...
The Rules of Art
27 December, 2011
What is Art? What does it mean to you? It can mean many things. I believe you can capture its essence with three words, communication, inspiration and emotion. It is an expression or application of a human creative skill with imagination. It can redefine the world, as we know it. This is a tremendous topic to tackle so without getting too philosophical. Art is anything someone wants to call Art and it is beyond the realm of rational thinking. There are no rules and ...