mission

The World Is Calling You. Be Ready

The Idea Execution Blueprint

The best-laid plans are no substitute for and idea that’s done. Just do it! Image by Jeff Daly.

A Lesson From The Most Iconic Advert In The World

The Coca Cola ‘Hilltop’ advert created more than 40 years ago is known as “one of the best-loved and most influential ads in TV history. In a recent collaboration Harvey Gabor one of the original creatives of ‘Hilltop’, worked with Google and Coca Cola to re-imagine a modern day version of the origi

Turn Up The Volume On Your Mission

Whatever your idea, whatever you market, sell or promote, whether it’s a cause, art, products or services, the way you differentiate from your competitors is by turning up the volume on your mission. Products can be similar, but missions are unique You don’t want people to buy your stuff, you want t

9 Elements Of The Perfect Pitch

This image was captured in Marrakech at the largest open air market in Africa. On the day the photo was taken the market was apparently in full swing, complete with everything from average snake charmers, to exceptional orange juicers and trinket traders. The photographer captures how many of the to

The Only Reason You’re In Business

When you don’t answer the phone after the third ring. When the wait staff you hired forget to look people in the eye. When you make it easy for people to sign up and say yes, but penalise them for changing their minds, you are forgetting the only reason your business exists and why it…

The First Question Every Marketer Must Ask

It doesn’t matter if you are solopreneur hacking code in your bedroom, or a challenger brand trying to launch the next big thing. In fact this rule of thumb applies as much to high school kids begging for an extension on their end of semester essay assignment, as it does to Apple pitching us the…

Why You Need A Mission More Than A Website

Nine times out of ten when I consult with clients they are impatient to get to work on the tactical side of spreading their idea. They wonder about what website and social media platforms to use. They worry about design elements and website functionality. Maybe you do too? Of course you want to get

Giving A Damn Is Seriously Underrated

My boys had a sick rat last week. At the vet’s she was weighed and had her chest listened to. The vet sent her home with an antibiotic and instructions. If she didn’t get better very quickly the outlook wasn’t good. At ten the following morning I got a call from the vet nurse. She…

Trust And Excuses

The next time you don’t quite manage to do what you said you’d do, send your apology and stop there. Don’t be tempted to say I’m sorry……and. Excuses actually don’t change how the other person is feeling about being let down by you. Making excuses simply justifies your inaction to you. Excuses don’t

What Is A Brand?

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as, “A Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” Brands are much more to us than designs and symbols that differentiate. There are an infinite number of de

Most People

Most people believe that the day starts at nine and ends at five. That you need the permission of others to start. Most people believe that rules are made by others. That their horizon is a definite line. Most people believe that work must be difficult. That life begins in the two weeks when they…

Only We

Starbucks has been the only coffee chain since the 90’s where you can legally buy a Frappuccino®. Try selling a whipped iced coffee with that name and you’ll be busted by the intellectual property police. You can’t call your customer service centre the Genius Bar® either, that doesn’t mean you can’t

It’s All Been Done Before

This is what I call ‘the pioneer’s lament’. It’s been my personal lament many a day. It goes something like this… You have a great idea. It could be for a product, service, a book, blog post, or a new kind of dog food. You start planning, taking notes, visualising the impact of said thing…

The Story You Tell Is A Choice

The story you tell is a choice. Creating a series of lines in the sand. Symbolic of values that you’re not willing to compromise on. Your brand can’t be all things to everyone. This and that. The brands that stand out, that have soul, that win by being different, choose. They choose to stand for…

You Are Whoever You Believe You Are

While working with people on crafting stories about their brands, businesses, products and services I’ve stumbled across this under-acknowledged fact. Yes it is a fact, with a capital ‘F’ not simply a theory. You are whoever you believe you are Some of the most important stories you tell are the one

Take People Where They Want To Go

The products that sell, made by the companies that succeed wildly have one thing in common. They take people to where they want to go. It’s an elegant business philosophy. The ultimate brand strategy. Neither push nor pull. Just pure magnetism. Understand where your customers want to go, then find w

21 Ways To Nurture Your Ideas

Your mountain is waiting. So… Get on your way. ~ Dr Suess 1. Create an idea saving system. Find tools that work for you, Moleskine or Evernote anyone? 2. Be ready to capture ideas anywhere. J.K. Rowling tells the story of how Harry Potter “fell into her head” on a train journey. 3. Step away…

Embrace Your Singularity : An Anthem To You

The secret of the most successful brands and similarly the most fulfilled people in the world, is that they know what they’ve got and they are not afraid to show it. They embrace their uniqueness and singular ideas, then tell the best story they can to the right people. Do you? That’s how I started…

If : A Love Note To Entrepreneurs

If you’re doing your best work. If you touched one person. If it makes a difference to a handful. If you’re building a legacy, not just an empire. If your values are front and centre. If you’re launching ideas from the heart. If you understand why you’re doing this. If it doesn’t have to matter…