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While the “experts” continue to debate whether our economy is in a recession, the rest of us working in the real world have already determined that the semantic definition of this crisis is the least of our concerns.  In the following podcast interview, Dale Collie, a former corporate executive and elite U.S. Army Ranger shares the lessons he has learned throughout his life on how to cope with the stress caused by difficult circumstances.  Although focusing primarily on how the business manager of today can effectively lead, inspire, and provide stability to workers during times of economic hardship; this podcast also offers some “big picture” perspectives that anyone can apply in their personal lives as well.  I think you’ll enjoy this podcast. Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.  I’d also like to thank Bill Conerly for conducting this outstanding interview. Thanks…

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University  

When I read the book Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin, it reminded me of one of his previous books I read, Purple Cow.  But was it just the content of the book, or the fact that the book arrived to me several years ago in a milk carton?

The premise of the book Purple Cow, published in 2002, is about being remarkable.  Godin’s point is that in an age where we are deluged with images and messages, these have reduced their overall effectiveness, and to get your message out there, your product or service needs to be different or unique in its own way.  The first example in the book is driving through farm lands and seeing cow after cow and they all look alike, but a cow that is purple will stand out and be remembered, thus remarkable.

So is remarkable something you put on top of a product or service?  Not necessarily.  The book gives examples of how L.L. Bean and Sears Craftsman line of tools are remarkable in their unconditional return policy.  Ikea is remarkable in how they sell low-cost, assemble-yourself furniture that is extremely stylish.  Dr. Bronner’s soap is remarkable in its unique labeling.

My greatest takeaway is that remarkable is not a gimmick.  From the above examples, what makes them remarkable are attributes that have lasted for years.  Gimmicks may drive sales, but not over the long term.  Gimmicks are also not considered sincere.

Another takeaway is that you may already be remarkable.  When many entrepreneurs venture out on their own, their catalyst is often they can do what they do better or in a more unique way from where they previously worked.  They may not have been able to do it, whatever it is, when they worked for someone else and have the conviction to do it themselves.  This was part of my own motivation for starting Dunkirk Systems, LLC.

The book Purple Cow does not over-do it with examples and is an energetic, quick read.  If you are venturing out on your own, or taking a strategic look at your business I recommend reading the book as it will definitely inspire you, and you may get some ideas from it as well.

Mike Maddaloni
Founder and President of Dunkirk Systems
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger

*We consider it a great privilege to share the business-tech perspectives of entrepreneur Mike Maddaloni with the Ashworth University Business Community. Mike’s Internet consulting firm, Dunkirk Systems, is based out of Chicago and has steadily built a reputation for providing superior service to their growing list of satisfied clients. Visit The Hot Iron blog to gain additional insights into Mike’s business life. Thanks Mike!

 
               Thanks to Andrea Z for permission to use this Photo.

We all want to be successful in our careers, but we often don’t reach our potential because we lose confidence in our abilities.  This is why it’s so important to stay inspired, focused, and motivated.  The marketing field is high energy, so you literally can’t afford to get down on yourself.  One way to stay on track is to listen to the success stories of others in the marketing field.  When I observe the hard work others have put in, I realize that I have to put in just as much or even more work to attain new heights of success.  Ok, that was my quick speech.  I just want to make sure you continue believing in your dreams.  Here is an insightful podcast about Consumer-Centric Marketing.  I think we’ve reached the point where this brand of marketing can no longer be simply labeled as a trend.  The consumer-centric perspective largely defines the cultural landscape and drives the marketplace.  Enjoy the podcast.  

Cheryl Syrett
Marketing and Advertising Instructor
School of Business

Photo courtesy of MaraB.

I’ve been watching a business turn around.  I had not expected it to happen; in fact, I had predicted just the opposite.  The previous owner was a friend of mine, and I knew he wasn’t making much money.  When he told me he had a buyer, who was purchasing the inventory AND paying some good will, I said, “Try to sign with a straight face; then cash the check as soon a humanly possible.”

The new owner has struck a balance between great customer service and not wasting time.  When I have a technical question, he’s happy to take however much time I need.  When my question is answered, he’s off to the next issue.  That’s actually rare: the people who love talking to customers often never stop talking, and thus never get much done.

The new owner has also set up an Internet marketing site.  I thought that was a waste of time–it’s a fairly competitive field.  He’s making it work, however.  And the higher volume of business he does thanks to the Internet sales helps his overall profit margin. (more…)

                Thanks to Steffen for permission to use this Photo.

Sure, it’s nice to conduct focus groups, run market tests, and trace storyboards in the office think-tank—but when you can plug directly into the nerve center of a consumer’s brain, are all of those parlor tricks really necessary?  The age of neuro-advertising has been upon us.  With companies like NeuroFocus leading the way, advertisers are investing millions of dollars to get inside your mind and reprogram your “needs”.  If the yellow area of your brain lights up, you get this message.  If the blue area lights up, you get that message.  Let’s say you are quite the sophisticated consumer and both areas light up.  The neuroscientist/advertiser will consult the color wheel and create a customized mixed message for you.  A bright green light will appear.  It will be measured and translated into a metrics report.  And so on.  The Nielsen company, who recently invested quite a lot in NeuroFocus, decided that the SuperBowl would be a fun place to put their newest toys to the test; the goal was to determine which Ads cause the most brain activity in viewers.  The results can be found here.  Before you read them, try to guess which Ads were most effective.  I’m very interested to hear your perspective on this story.  I think it’s time to start wearing aluminum foil helmets on your head.  Protect yourself.  You may have noticed.  There’s no turning back now!

Ryan Rode
Ashworth University    

             Thanks to Nick Dynice for permission to use this Photo.

Fast Company has run an article in which Duncan Watts, a network-theory scientist, puts to test the idea that trends are sparked by a handful of highly connected individuals, or the influentials, as they have become known after the bestsellers The Tipping Point and The Influentials.

“Watts believes[…] a trend’s success depends not on the person who starts it, but on how susceptible the society is overall to the trend–not how persuasive the early adopter is, but whether everyone else is easily persuaded.”

And in fact, when Watts tweaked his model to increase everyone’s odds of being infected, the number of trends skyrocketed.

“If society is ready to embrace a trend, almost anyone can start one–and if it isn’t, then almost no one can,” Watts concludes.

To succeed with a new product, it’s less a matter of finding the perfect hipster to infect and more a matter of gauging the public’s mood. Sure, there’ll always be a first mover in a trend. But since she generally stumbles into that role by chance, she is, in Watts’s terminology, an ‘accidental Influential.’” (more…)

              Thanks to Bev Norton for permission to use this Photo.

Bridal Consulting is a wonderful and exciting business to be involved in.  Prior to getting involved professionally in bridal consulting, I worked for several years in the restaurant/catering business.  I always loved working weddings and was offered a management position and I took it some 18 years ago.  Instantly, I knew that I had figured out what I wanted to do as a career.  I started directing weddings and loved them!  I loved the gratitude from the families and being a part of their special day.  Don’t get me wrong, it is hard work and requires a good team of people, but it’s also very rewarding. 

In addition to my bridal consulting work, I currently assist my husband with his auto broker company and the experience of working with so many different types of people has helped me so much.  I’ve learned many “life lessons” that I believe can be applied to the wedding industry as well.  I proud to say that I have two daughters now, so one I will hope to help them plan their dream weddings!   

In the past 18 years, I have seen many changes in the wedding industry.  The most recent and perhaps surprising change I have seen is the customization of weddings by the families.  To put is simply: Anything goes nowadays.  For example, we all are familiar with the tradition of the bride’s father walking her down the aisle to give her away.  Well, in today’s ceremonies, it seems perfectly acceptable for both parents to walk the bride down—or a sibling even.   

Another example of how tradition has changed relates to the rehearsal dinner.  This is the dinner that occurs the night before the wedding after the ceremony rehearsal.  Traditionally, this dinner has always been very formal and catered, often times taking place in a very nice restaurant.  Not anymore.  These days, it’s become quite fashionable and almost chic for people to have them in their back yard while eating barbeque or Mexican food.  The so-called “formalities” have been largely thrown out the window! 

The most recent wedding I directed and consulted on really surprised me.  I actually knew the groom’s parents from church.  They were a very wealthy and conservative family from the North.  The rehearsal dinner was at their lovely home and only appetizers were served.  During the reception, which turned out to be a huge party like atmosphere, the only pictures the groom wanted taken was of his buddies drinking beer.  Now, I think there’s a time and a place for those types of fun pictures, but those guys might have taken it just a little too far.  All in all, it was a very nice event, but more casual than expected. 

Remember, tradition will always have a special place in a wedding ceremony, but keep your mind open to new ways of doing things.  Most importantly, listen to the bride!

Susan Welborn
Bridal Consulting Instructor
Ashworth University

 
              Thanks to  Cate Furey for permission to use this Photo.

Under the best of circumstances, weddings challenge the maturity and flexibility of everyone involved.  Add to the mix a family situation that is either broken or dysfunctional—or both—and you have all the ingredients of a disaster.  When volatile personalities threaten to disrupt the planning process, it’s important to convince the bride and groom that they are the ones in charge of setting the ground rules for the wedding and reception.  In doing so, they should show as much consideration for different people’s feelings as they can without making themselves crazy in the process.  The key to peace and harmony is for them to be decisive and at the same time diplomatic.  These two personal qualities or life skills will be essential if the bride and groom want to enjoy both the planning phase of their wedding and the actual events of their big day.  The skill of diplomacy utilizes tact and conciliation in stressful situations, and being decisive means having the power to make decisions and move forward.  Let me demonstrate how this works by giving you a real-life example. 

I once worked with a young bride whose parents had been divorced for only six months.  Apparently, her mother had caught her father in an affair.  The dad announced that he intended to bring the same woman—now his bride of one month—to the wedding.  Since this bride had been a client for almost a year, I had lived through the trauma of these events with her.  She was so distraught that she’d reached the point of dreading her own wedding.  When I saw the young woman’s enthusiasm sagging, I knew it was time to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.  I needed to see what I could do to help her salvage the wedding day for her and her husband-to-be.

In reviewing the details of the wedding, we came up with a few tactical revisions to our original plan.  One of the potential emotional “hot spots” was the wedding photo of the bride with her parents.  We decided to take family pictures prior to the ceremony.  This enabled us to keep the mother and father separated in different rooms where they could relax without having to face each other.  The photographer’s assistant would come to get each group as they were needed.  This change immediately made the bride feel better, because neither parent would be standing around making the other uncomfortable while she posed with them individually. (more…)