I caught a cab the other day. Actually a TappCar (Edmonton’s response to the terrible taxi cab industry and Uber). They have priced themselves in between the two. I could give you ten reasons why I love them. But there are always issues. I was heading to visit my grandmother in the hospital. “I want […]
I didn’t need more spices. I needed a spice rack. I figured they might have one. Or know where to find one. I walked in and asked a woman who worked there. She apologetically shook her head and told me they didn’t carry any racks and had no idea where I might find one in
It’s happened a number of times to me now. I meet someone or some across a business which provides a product or service that I see as needed and that I might want to recommend. And then they go out of business. Or they stop doing that thing. And it’s often before I’ve really had
I want to offer up the opportunity to participate in a bold experiment. It’s going to ask you to be vulnerable and honest. It’s going to ask you to use a tool that not many people even think of as a tool (indeed, I didn’t until a few days ago when a number of things
The Rant Experiment: Let Off Some Steam, Catalyze Social Change and Grow Your Business Read More
There’s an incredible power in being a ‘hub’ in your community. When people get that you’re genuinely committed to the well being of your community, they will trust you more. While everyone is running around trying to get status, you are gaining stature in the community. Paris Hilton has status. Oprah has stature. And, one
Seven Community Building Lessons in Becoming a Hub Read More
How would you like it if clients loved you so much they drove three or four hours to see you? They will if it feels like it’s a fit. I just got this note from a client of mine, Tim Emerson. And it reminded me of the importance of the slow marketing approach and how
Bryan Welsh is likely not someone you’ve heard of. But if you’ve ever read Mother Earth News, Utne, Natural Home & Garden, The Herb Companion, Grit or The Farm Collector – then you’ve read one of the magazines his company Ogden Publications owns. And, last night, I had the pleasure of seeing him speak at
three marketing lessons from the man behind mother earth news Read More
I invite you to give up trying to change people’s minds. People can be a lot like this child – stubborn. They don’t like being pushed around. Or told they’re wrong. This is the core challenge of marketing I think. Or a core blunder. Or something. Trying to convince people that we are right and
So, over the past week or so you’ve read about why it’s important to have a bigger cause that your business is about, you’ve seen some examples of people who have or are exploring this but now it’s time to look at how you can begin to sort this out for yourself. The first thing
It’s easy to feel alone in the world. But it’s not pleasant. And, the way we market our businesses can actually help heal that. In his book Start With Why, which you should really go and buy from a locally owned bookstore, Simon Sinek shares a familar old story, “Consider the story of two stonemasons,