Thursday

Are You A Warrior or A Worrier?

I saw an ad recently entitled "Are You A Warrior or a Worrier?" Got me thinking.

Entrepreneurs are by definition risk-takers. I remember early in my career, working as a magazine Art Director and assigning freelancers thinking: "Wow! I could never do that. They are so hungry." Yet, a few years later that's exactly where I was, fire in my belly, excited at the new adventures in my career.

The recent economic roller coaster has surely thinned the ranks. Those of us still standing are in a better position to succeed because we're the best! But the question now  is ...

Am I a warrior or a worrier?

Worriers are immobilized. 

They batten the hatches and huddle in. 

They stop spending and seeking.

They dwell on the past.

Warriors are the opposite

They go where they haven't been before and find new resilience within.

They don't spend – they invest in their business.

They value intangible assets like branding and marketing, not just furniture and computers.

They are not afraid to sell themselves and don't take rejection personally.

They seek new opportunities ... which may be very different from the old ones.

They don't watch news broadcasts fostering fear.

They are eternal optimists and they make a contribution.

They know what they don't know. They find coaches and mentors for support.

They understand that missteps are part of the growth process and move on.

They do whatever it takes!

We are the recovery 

The founder of IBM said: "The formula for success is quite simple: double your rate of failure."

It's not up to TARP, TALF, banks, Wall Street or government. It's up to each of us who run a small business –  to lead, operate with integrity and fight the fear. 

It's going to be different and it's going to be better. 

Are you part of the solution? 






Monday

What the Bleep?

Still trying to figure out this one ... 

Where's the logic? Maybe they know something I don't know!

I've been a marketer for a long time but I know things are strange when I get an offer like this one. Oh, I get the usual financial offers: 0% for a year, 20% off and free this and that. But when I get a free airline companion ticket for trying Travel + Leisure, the world's leading travel magazine – I know the entire world is upside down and under water – never mind mortgages. 

If it's the world's leading magazine why do they have to give me a free airline ticket (worth up to $744.) to try two free issues on a $19.99 subscription? Where's the logic?

As an educated consumer, I'm reading the fine print, reading between the lines and holding the paper up to the light. All I can think of is what's the catch? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Now this is a reputable company the gold standard, not some sleazy spammer. Well, financial companies used to be the gold standard – now they are just below coal.

Still, where's the profit? I've heard of lifetime customer value but it's going to take a lot of lifetimes to get the value. And the airlines are running fewer planes and people get bumped just so the airlines can run economically. 

I'm not one to pass up a good deal so will someone, please explain this one to me?