How Not To Name A Startup Or Anything

A brand name is more than a word. It is the beginning of a conversation. ~ Lexicon Everyone can agree that there’s nothing really objectionable about calling your business ‘Bargain World’. It’s an innocuous name and most people won’t hate it. And that’s the problem. If you’re going to name your business, non-profit, product or…

Read More

Acknowledging The Fear

“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” Marianne Williamson People are scared. Especially people with big ideas and vision, who are doing great work. They are scared of doing the wrong thing, of making a misstep. Scared of being invisible and…

Read More

People Want What They Never Asked For

Everybody’s obsessed with finding a niche when what they should be doing is expressing a worldview. ~ Amy Hoy Have you ever been to a chocolate cafe? There’s a new one in town and we went to see what all the fuss is about. I’m not talking about a big franchise operation here— I’m talking…

Read More

What Is An Idea Worth?

“A single idea, the sudden flash of a thought, may be worth a million dollars.” Robert Collier If you’re here and reading this article you probably make your living, (or want to) by selling your art. You market your creative genius and your ideas. So what do you think one of your ideas is worth?…

Read More

Ruby Slippers

Every single idea becomes what you can communicate. Dorothy’s ruby slippers were magical. They sparkled, they shone and everyone including the wicked witches with all her power coveted them without knowing exactly how they worked and why. Naturally you want to explain to everyone how to tap their heels together three times. But maybe all…

Read More

Your Mission Statement …

  Your mission statement… … is true. … tells people what you do. … is personal and relevant. … talks about what happens today. … looks at what change is achieved because you exist. … stems from real values and reflects what you stand for. … is easily understood by everyone who works for you.…

Read More

Different Enough

“If you’re trying to please everyone, then you’re not going to make anything that is honestly yours in the long run.” Viggo Mortensen Every cafe tells the same story (or tries to anyway); ‘we serve the best coffee.’ Every non- profit tells us how our money will make an impact and every box of detergent…

Read More

Taking Control Of Your Personal Brand

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr Seuss And dead or alive you know that you are going to be ‘Googled’. You may not be able to control what others say about you but you can take steps to tell your own…

Read More

What’s The Most Important Marketing Question In The World?

“The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.” George Eliot Head down to your nearest Borders bookstore (while there still is one) and you’ll find hundreds of titles that all aim to help you answer this question. If Borders had asked the very same question and acted upon the answer they probably wouldn’t be…

Read More

What Worldview Are You Marketing To?

“No matter how brilliantly an idea is stated, we will not really be moved unless we have already half thought of it ourselves.” – Mignon McLaughlin Sometimes our ideas spread because their time has come. Maybe because we’ve worked out who we need to be talking to and what some of those people are ready…

Read More