How Low Can You Go?

There are over fifty yoga studios within striking distance of the affluent Eastern suburbs of Sydney and they’ve discovered a tactic to get bums on mats. Many of them now offer two weeks of unlimited Yoga for just $25, which works well…… for a little while anyway. A savvy Yogi can take them up on…

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No Substitute

Late yesterday evening I jumped in my car and did a 35 minute round trip to buy a British made food product that isn’t stocked in most Australian supermarkets. We’ve tried the Aussie versions but there are no substitutes. This is the reason shops selling imported food and drink (at premium prices) exist in Australia.…

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Go All The Way

A local cafe is trying to tap into the ‘ladies who lunch’ market with a three course ‘ladies lunch special’ on Thursdays. Recently I noticed they’d stuck a handwritten note over the top of their sign which read, “men welcome”. Halfway to the edge is just average poorly disguised. Neither this nor that. If you’re…

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What Does It Take To Be In The 1%?

”99% of ”brands” are about as inspiring, interesting, and enlightening as a cup of lukewarm tea. Which is exactly why you shouldn’t be.” -Umair Haque So the good news then is that it’s not that hard to be the 1%! I asked Umair what he thought it took to be in the 1 %. He…

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How Do Your Customers Feel?

When was the last time you stepped into your customers shoes? Sat in your packed restaurant, queued at check in, ordered from your website, read your label, stopped to digest an email you sent, analysed your design brief, slept in your rooms and really experienced what it feels like to do business with you? Every…

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Go Where The Others Won’t Go

Have you ever watched someone learning to ice skate? Perhaps you’ve been there too? When people are starting out, hopelessly uncoordinated and a bit scared they do what all the other fearful learners do, they cling to the sides for dear life. It feels a little safer there in amongst the pack. Not standing out,…

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Selling The Benefits

Tell stories, don’t write descriptions. Speak to hearts, not minds. Paint a picture of the effect. Tap into the senses. Illustrate the impact. Describe the joy, the relief, the pleasure. Give people a reason to care. Show them how you’re different. Then let them know why it matters. Image by Cliff Ravenscraft.

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The Best

The best teacher isn’t always the one who has a class full of students that get the best results. The best designer isn’t always the one who knows the exact amount of white space to leave. The best brand isn’t always the one that makes the most money. The best athlete doesn’t always win. And…

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Create What People Want

When Ken and Nick lamented the passing of old-style pastrami and then decided to do something about it, they probably had a hunch that there were people who felt just like they did. Once they set to work tasting and testing and re-inventing the ultimate American comfort food they knew they were onto something. Their…

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Make More Room For Bravery

When you’re itching to do the thing you really want to do, but don’t, what stops you? The answer is usually fear. Fear has a habit of getting in the way. Fear that people might laugh at you. Fear that your success so far was nothing but luck. Fear that you’ll fail. Fail in whose…

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