November 30, 2010

Context is King

My friend Mark Gallagher gave me a project. During one of our long deep and very helpful conversations he said that I should imagine a triangle with three equal sides.

Side one
At which can you be 

the best in the world?
Side two
Where can you make 

the most money?
Side three
What are you most passionate about?


As my career evolves and perhaps it's an age thing, I seek more purpose and meaning and I hope you do as well. But this is where we get into trouble. And mostly (in my opinion) because we measure against others – it gives us perceived context.

Passion is essential in my mind but without the other two it doesn't amount to much. Money will be difficult without identifying your most valuable skills.

But Mark's triangle was in this order for a reason so it's up to each of us to figure it out for ourselves - our context. It's an interesting quandary. Many a dreamer has gone penniless and many who chase only the dollar get in to much trouble as well.

You Got Mail

I received a client request last week that simply said “where do we start?” and without much hesitation, I sent back a clear list of instructions before we were to meet.

• Find a quiet place to think.
• Make a list of what you want to do with the project.
• List all your professional attributes.
• List only those attributes you are good at and want to continue doing.
• Then let's grab a coffee and chat about next steps.


It sounds like a lot of work for a simple request but it is essential context. Before I can help, I must first decipher what he wants to accomplish and more importantly what he will actually do to accomplish it. Where we start is just that and needs to be flushed out before we can build a scalable and sustainable solution.

I looked at the list again and realized it was time for me to do the exercise. And on the heels of Mark's triangle project, I had forgotten the power of think time. My colleague has completed his list so I look forward to learning all about it.

Do you help others with the very things you need to do?

The context of my prospect's situation may be vastly different than yours but have a look at the list and pick it apart. The solutions reside in the context.

It is interesting that we want to get better but wait for the skies to shower us with confetti and opportunity to arrive on our doorstep?

We find context from reading, learning, asking, searching, then looking inside.

What is in your triangle?

knealemann | email


image credit: getty

November 27, 2010

Work Doesn’t Happen At Work

Billions spent annually on workspaces and meetings.

Companies want employees at their desk working from a certain time to a certain time. It’s the model, after all. Creativity is crammed between endless meetings, emails and hallway chatter. But how much of it is meaningful?

The notion of an office is changing faster than many organizations can grapple with it.
How often have you heard yourself say “I go in early so I can get stuff done”?

Sad isn’t it?

Jason Fried is the co-founder and president of 37signals out of Chicago which has created collaborative tools such as Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack and Ta-Da List.

Fried also co-authored a book entitled Rework which covers new concepts about work and creation. Here is Jason discussing the changing workspace and creativity at TEDxMidwest this past October.


knealemann | email


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image credit: TED

November 26, 2010

Do You Have a Jenny?

Service vs. Servitude

Jenny’s town has a population of about 2500. It’s half an hour from the city. She helps support her family with her job at the full service hardware store chain.

The company sends out direct mail pieces about four times each year and I saw something that caught my eye. I often caution clients on the effectiveness of direct mail.

I'm not against it per se but when a new client is already using direct mail or an existing client is thinking about it, I think it’s imperative that I outline realistic results.

The thin line between a great deal and junk mail

A successful direct mail campaign may bring you 5-10% return. It remains a hugely popular (and potentially expensive) medium but we have to remember realistic results.

As with many companies, this direct mail piece was part of an overall cross media campaign that included television, radio and online components. I had not seen or heard any of those before seeing their 20 page flyer featuring dozens of sale items.

Part of the gig

I skim through all direct mail that comes to my house because there are potential prospects and possible ideas for clients. But I rarely buy anything because direct mail is a passive medium. It attempts to create need where there isn’t any there, or as in my case, there is a serendipity between the recipient and an item featured in the piece.

I was interested to see if they had the item I was looking for on sale. And perhaps for the first time in recent memory, they did. I had an hour window in my schedule the next day so I dropped by the store between meetings. I found the item I wanted and with flyer in one hand and the item in the other I took it to the cash.

Then I met Jenny

She looked at me and as if we had known each other our entire lives said “Sorry dude, that sale starts tomorrow.” I had clearly not read the fine print so I turned around to return the item to the shelf. Jenny stopped me and said “Hang on, come back here.” Both quips may sound flippant but it was all in the way she carried herself and her friendly tone that made it alright.

As I walked up to the cash I then noticed the banner at the bottom that read - 'Sale this Friday only'. I handed it to Jenny. She said “hang on, that’s wrong, the sale is on this weekend and all next week.” She then asked to take my copy and replaced it with hers as she wanted to tell her manager about the error. She could have simply told me the sale wasn’t on yet and went on with her day. No, Jenny took ownership and pride in her store and her customer.

One more try

I returned the next day to a packed store. Customers were holding onto the flyer as they weaved through the crowd to find their deals. I walked up and found the item again and walked up to the cash. As luck would have it, I got Jenny again.

I thanked her for her help the day before and she said “Do you know how many people I meet on daily basis?” then she paused and said “Oh you’re the guy who brought in the wrong flyer! I told my manager and he called head office.”

You can't fake this stuff

During my two minutes at the cash, three employees asked Jenny for the location of an item and she helped an elderly woman put her purchase in her cart. This was just as much Jenny’s store as anyone else’s and she navigated it with poise and passion. She genuinely liked working there and she got herself another return customer.

Take a long hard look at your marketing budget and decipher what activities help grow your business. Then take another look around to see if Jenny has your back. Your people are your biggest marketing asset ...or deficit.

Will your company will pass the test?

knealemann | email


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November 25, 2010

34 Reasons to be Thankful

Today and Every Day

I am a proud Canadian. I live in the most multicultural country on earth which means there is never a shortage of places to find great food and learn customs from all over the world.

We have clean drinking water, safe roads, universal health care and an abundance of natural resources.

There are about 33 million of us spread over the second largest land mass in the world but despite some suspicions we do not all speak French or live in igloos and it is not winter eleven months of the year.

What is true is that innovation, ideas and creativity are plentiful in Canada.

It is a wonderful place to live.

Canadian Thanksgiving was on October 11th this year. Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. And since over half of the visitors to this space are from the U.S., I thought I would mention some of what I am thankful for every day.

• My family
• Great friends
• A sense of humour
• Learning daily
• Creativity
• Better understanding of me
• Abilities yet to be fully developed
• Incredible people I have met through various social networking channels
• Chocolate
• Opportunity to help others
• Conceptual thinking
• Humility
• You
• Options for my career path
• Wisdom of Mom
• Fascinating clients
• Passion for writing
• Help when I least expect it from the most surprising of places
• Tireless mentors
• Feedback
• An inquisitive mind
• Health
• Choice to quest a fulfilling career
• Freedom
• Four brothers from other mothers
• Ice cream
• Passion
• Appetite for more
• Childlikeness of Dad
• Fabulous colleagues
• People on my side
• Curiosity
• Appreciation for now

What are your reasons to be thankful?

knealemann | email


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November 23, 2010

The Allure of Twitter

Patience is a virtue not a business plan but often people get onto the social web and expect instant results. For some reason, the online world can be a tempting mistress for hard work. She can give clues that one more tweet or blog and all those nice things others are saying will turn into revenue.

What is often forgotten is that the online world is the real world in one person increments. Those connections, followers and friends are actually real people hoping they can make a connection too.

Twitter is an interesting and rapidly growing channel that is an exciting place to find similar people along specific thought silos void of geographic constraints. But it is not a bottle of diet pills. There are no short cuts.

Business is conducted constantly on this and many other social networking channels with people who have taken the time to get to know each other.

Nice to meet them.

If someone invites you to a backyard barbecue and they are the only one you know at the party, it’s clear you wouldn't show up with a box of business cards. So it is essential to let others get to know you.

Be genuinely curious about them.

We read words such as authentic and trust all the time with reference to channels such as Twitter but the only way you can truly define those for your own experience is to put in the time. If I don’t know you, how can I trust you and why would I buy from you?

We reside on both sides of the counter. 

We are all providers and customers. Give thought to how you want others to approach you before you approach them. If you don’t want spam, then don’t spam. If you don’t want someone to go directly to the sale or talk about themselves, reciprocate.

If you do the work and remain yourself, you can build relationships that you would never have elsewhere. Twitter is the conduit. It is the people that make it a living entity. Respect and decorum go a long way.

If your goal is to simply get to know people, then be patient and let them get to know you. If you want Twitter to help build your business, it requires just as much work and time as building any other relationship.

What are your thoughts?

knealemann | email



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November 22, 2010

Learning From Kids

I had the privilege of attending TEDxMcGill in Montreal over the weekend. The team of organizers did a first-class job. Visit the site, watch for videos of the presentations, enjoy and learn. The theme of the day was curiosity and one TEDTalk they featured was with brilliant phenom Adora Svitak.

Watch, learn, think and be blown away.



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November 20, 2010

Don’t Listen to Them

Opinions are great, but...

We enjoy receiving validation and positive feedback, that's clear. No one likes someone who is overly negative. Keep that in mind next time someone says; “wha’dya think?”

We often seek the opinion of others simply to confirm our own.

We enjoy acceptance. Having happy customers is a good thing. Support of friends and family is important to us.

But when we begin to measure our success, or worse, our importance by the number of friends, followers, subscribers or connections we have on the social web, we can quickly lose touch with reality.

Our need to belong.

But when does that need become an obsession? Do we believe those who say they don’t pay attention to what others say about them? Can we do the same?

The outcast at school or the frustrated idea guy who has run up against the wall of executives who “don’t understand”, feel the same way. It sucks when we're not accepted. Those who walk among us with skin like a cobra fascinate me. The rest of us do care what people think despite our weak protests to the contrary.

Imagine if it was really that easy to be a renegade with blinders to others and blaze our own path. Let’s go for it.
Who cares what they say, we’re not gonna listen to them!


This is not about being arrogant. Leadership does actually require a team. We won't walk on people and we are certainly not better than anyone else. We are simply going to stop asking for approval on our ideas and start leading the charge toward what drives us. And in that world, numbers are obsolete.

We are simply following Dr. Seuss’ timeless advice; “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

Sound like a plan? You in?

knealemann | email



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November 19, 2010

Buying Social Media

And then we got greedy

Forty years ago, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network or the Arpanet - the precursor to the Internet. And that brief blip in our evolution shrunk the world.

"We did radio last fall and it didn’t work."

Four decades later and there is no shortage of chatter about how the online space will do this and won’t do that. And many understand this activity is an augmentation of communication channels which will continue to evolve. The important ingredient is that you need time to decipher how it all applies to your situation.

“We bought television this time, we're sure it will help revenue."

Even large companies with global footprints are gingerly stick handling the social web to engage with customers and prospects while giving their organizations the best image possible. We are all bumping into each other and trying things. We will improve and advance but there is no end game.

There are some brazen advocates of diving in the digital deep end and going for it while others hope to mitigate the conversation by simply not participating in it.

I read a tweet the other day that claimed "every" large brand is in the social channels. I'm not sure who has the massive "every company on the planet" database but even if that were true (it is not), would they use the channels the same?

“We do direct mail. We did it last year. It seemed to work.”

Many still view social media as advertising channels that we can buy like we can with mainstream channels which is shortsighted. There are no quick fixes in any medium.

It happens more often than you may suspect that someone will utter the naive phrase “we’re gonna try it” in relation to picking a medium. We will make mistakes, that's the human thing we must endure. Experimentation is important but not to be confused with taking a blind stab in the dark.

"Our customers aren't on Facebook."

My suggestion is to identify expectations and commitment before taking any choices out for a test drive. Mainstream channels are alive and well and social media are simply opportunities to enhance the effort. But organizations are not campaigns.

Can we buy social media?

knealemann | email



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November 17, 2010

Do You Know Why?

How and What Come Next.

On any given day, like you, my mind is filled with ideas. Each is fighting for prominence in my consciousness. Sound familiar? But after attending The Art of Management this week, those ideas seem a bit more organized.

Malcolm Gladwell, Simon Sinek, Mitch Joel, Nilofer Merchant and Michael Eisner all presented brilliantly. Unfortunately I had to leave before Mr. Gladwell but I have seen him speak and present before and do so
if you ever get the chance.

And I can't forget the entertaining host Ron Tite who kept it all together and shared several excellent presenations throughout the day.

You can read the Twitter stream here - #TAOM

Michael told engaging stories about his years at Paramount and Disney and dovetailed them into all the projects he’s working on now. As always, Mitch shared many examples of how the adoption of digital and social media continue to enhance our experience, our commerce and our lives. He also shared a shaving trick, ask him about it if you get the chance. Nilofer discussed that the future will not be created, it will be co-created with true collaboration.

The presenter I knew the least about before the event was Simon Sinek.

They tell us that we need to do better PowerPoint presentations. Don’t put a lot of words on the screen, don’t bore people with charts and graphs and tell stories. Agreed! Well, Simon did an hour with three markers and an easel. Try that at your next meeting.

Sinek's message is clear – find the why and you will change your focus, your business and your life.

We aren't too bad at finding the how (objective or strategy). We are even better at finding the what (tactics and execution). We prefer to make stuff over planning how to make stuff. But few of us can aptly articulate the why which is our purpose.

If we can find why we are doing it, what and how become much clearer.

Simon talked about leadership in a simple yet powerful way.

There are only two ways to lead – by force or by inspiration. Strong leaders know why they do what they do and inspire people who believe what they believe.

Do you know your why?

knealemann | email



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image credit: simon sinek - the golden circle

November 15, 2010

Return on What Investment?

Measurement is tricky business.

There seems to be more discussion about ROI in the last few years than in any time in history. Some may point to the economic reality, others may suggest it’s because social media are still as confusing as calculus.

Perhaps the issue for some business owners is that the social web requires sweat equity while the work on other media ends after the creative stage and once it's 'placed' it does the work for you.

How often do you or your manager measure the return on investment of mainstream channels? The issue is often tied to money and time.

We use the phrase “buying media” when discussing the big four traditional channels and things get pear-shaped when someone suggests that a LinkedIn group and a YouTube channel with a couple of videos do not a social media commitment make.

So you figure out your advertising budget and then go shopping.

You try and cut the best deal and cover as many bases as you can. Then you go on with running your business. Media does its job for you (or so you think). You are no longer necessary for the process to see itself through until perhaps a creative freshen or new schedule change need to be examined.

I would caution that hiring the least experienced person in the building or worst yet asking an intern to do it for free may be unwise. Ask yourself if you would trust this person with your next bank deposit before you hand over the keys of your brand to the new kid.

Anyone demanding ROI on social media requires a long honest look at what they are prepared to invest in order to get a measurable return. And we both know that investment is much more than what’s in your wallet.

What says you?

knealemann | email

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November 13, 2010

What is Success?

You could spend the rest of your life reading about the secrets of success and Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey sums it up in a minute and 52 seconds.

The audio and video aren't well synced and it doesn't matter. Watch this several times then see how you can apply it to your life, business, career and relationships.



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image credit: youtube | the actor's studio

November 12, 2010

Management is an Art

Libraries, stores and hard drives have been filled with books and videos and instructional lessons on business management.
.
This is a science that is almost as impossible to master as parenting.

I have had some fabulous mentors in my career who taught me the essence of management from a technical and strategic standpoint as well as the people perspective.

It is not enough to devise an over arching business plan, you need to cover each component in such a process. Those include an organizational map, financial preparation, marketing and media strategy and most importantly a people plan.

People study human resources for years and still don’t master it. Top sales people crash and burn as sales managers. And right brain thinkers shrivel up and rot under the crushing avalanche of meetings and protocol.

It helps to learn from others who have varied experience. That includes an event I have the pleasure of attending this coming Monday (November 15th) in Toronto entitled The Art of Management

It's black belt keynote presenters back to back to back during this one-day event. The impressive list of speakers is; Mitch Joel, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Eisner, Nilofer Merchant and Simon Sinek.

You can get more details on the official site - The Art of Management.

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November 11, 2010

Freedoms Realized

Today is Remembrance Day and it is given due respect around the world with presentations, ceremonies and personal sharing of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us to enjoy our lives today.

Sadly, conflict continues and probably always will but the only way for us to get our minds around it all is to cherish each other's ideas and innovation in business, medicine, science, technology and relationships.

Our lives are busy with workflow and corporate climbing, deadlines and responsibilities, making ends meet and realizing our dreams.

The explosion of the social web has given us access to each other in a way no one could have predicted. There are almost two billion of us connecting online.

They gave us our freedom.

When we talk about the freedoms, we often refer to the ability to realize dreams and have a safe place to live, clean water and our ability to create our own path.

We must remember everyone who put their lives in harm's way every day.

So today, I thought I’d share a video from TED curator Chris Anderson who discusses the rise of the web which is driving a phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation. This is about much more than technology.

This is about our visceral desire to connect, share and advance our knowledge. It is a freedom we need to cherish and nurture.


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November 9, 2010

Quick No vs. Long Maybe

What are they telling you? What are you telling them?

I have often asked friends, colleagues and clients whether they prefer a quick response that may not go their way verses a 'maybe' and the perception in most cases that may turn into a long wait which may be a 'yes', may not.

Many sales experts will cite a certain system and number of meetings it takes to make a sale and I challenge that thinking because the onus is not on the customer to buy your services, it's up to you to provide proof that you can solve their need.

Will the ‘quick no’ approach help or hinder your closing percentage?

As one who has shot himself in the foot during the prospect phase, sometimes you can come on too strong or misread the client or leave them unclear on your offering.

Most say they prefer the quick 'no' over the long 'maybe' perhaps because it can be left unresolved and fizzle into a 'no'. If you are in sales, you have experienced the magical disappearing prospect which is always a blast.

Is every 'no' really closer to a 'yes'?

Years ago, I worked with a sales guy who said he had to go out and get some no’s because each one got him closer to the next 'yes'. Perhaps that’s a mathematical comment or possibly it means each pitch improves your game. This guy crushed it on a daily basis so his 'yes to no' ratio was off the chart. Persistence is key.

What do you do when they say 'maybe'?

knealemann | email

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November 7, 2010

Reflecting on Time

Fall Back and Think

The clocks fell back to standard time in many parts of the world today. It’s all part of an energy saving, sunshine increasing plan we call daylight saving time. It was devised by a New Zealand dude named George Vernon Hudson in 1895 who originally proposed a two-hour time shift.

There are all sorts of good reasons we still do it today from economic to environmental but let’s not forget how much we love the long stretch of sunlight from the end of March to the first week of November.

Tick Tock

Time is one commodity we cannot renew. Despite our denial, none of us has an unlimited supply. Yet often we use it like we do. We fill our days with busy tasks and stress as we look toward the weekend for a few stolen hours of rest. Then we fret about work, wish we had more money to buy that item and fight our way toward winning some sort of self-made race.

Projects need to be delivered, meetings must be attended, activities have to organized. Life can be hectic and we miss the important stuff though we seem to have gotten good at giving it lip service.

As we gain an hour today, here are some wise thoughts about time...

Time is the only thief we can't get justice against.
Astrid Alauda

In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.
Kathy Norris

Men talk of killing time while time quietly kills them.
Dion Boucicault

Life happens while you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
Willaim Penn

Time waits for no one.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Life is about the gift not the package it comes in.
Dennis Costea

Time is making fools of us again.
J.K. Rowling

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. Denis Waitely

Cherish your time.

knealemann | email

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November 5, 2010

Zweifel and Rädsla

.

Rädsla was born in Västerbotten, Sweden. She was the third of five children in a middle class family. Her parents worked hard. Her mother was a baker and her father sold chemical supplies. The couple did their best to feed seven mouths and put all five of their children through university.

Though blessed with creative talents and a sharp mind, no one could figure out why Rädsla would work in the factory for next to minimum wage. She always wanted to own her own company and make the decisions. Her strategic mind was suited for the mix of creativity and business acumen and in fact she excelled in those subjects in school.

Settling is not a wise strategy.

Zweifel is the oldest of three boys and grew up in Frankfurt, Germany. His father was an administrator in city politics while his mother owned a dress shop with her sister. His brothers were both lawyers but Zweifel remained shut down and negative to most career suggestions.

There always seemed to be a dark cloud over any seemingly bright idea. It was clear that Zweifel had the skill and fortitude for engineering but couldn’t stop from voicing his distaste for the industry and every company that he worked for during the first decade of his career. Not surprisingly, he was fired from five good jobs within that time period.

All too often we are our own worst enemy.

We expect the world to somehow know our path and if it is littered with naysayers and road blocks, it must be the world teaching us a lesson. We forget that we have control over the paths we discover.

Often we are resemble Zweifel (German for ‘doubt’) and Rädsla (Swedish for ‘fear’).

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Dale Carnegie

So what’s stopping you?

knealemann | email

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November 3, 2010

All of This is Gone

Imagine you woke up tomorrow and there was no Internet, the smartphone had not been invented and there is no email. The only way to contact someone over long distances was with paper, pen and post.

Teleconferencing would not be an option so connecting to similar thinking people around the world would be a challenge. Gone are all the rest of the conveniences and technology you rely on every day.

Would your ability to solve problem, execute ideas or work with others diminish? Could you still accomplish great things without the tools?

knealemann
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November 2, 2010

Make Great Stuff

Horse Meet Cart.

I tried a new Pan Asian restaurant yesterday. The place looks cool, the service was fabulous and the food is outstanding. It got me thinking about the main concerns of business owners which are advancing business and improving that pesky bottom line.

The server said they've been open for five weeks and business is soaring. He added that management knows they need to do some marketing.

He said they know the honeymoon would eventually end but wanted some time to do it right. It's unclear why they are waiting to tell potential customers but I enjoyed the lunch.

They made great stuff. Now what?

In some people’s mind, the crush of social media has evened the playing field and I flatly disagree. The old adage that you can apply lip gloss on the swine has never worked and the social web will only amplify the desperate tactic.

But if you have something good, don't be shy in telling someone about it.

Opening your organization to the scrutiny of online channels is the exact time when trumping out a bad business idea will be amplified – for all the wrong reasons. These channels can help you, but they won’t save a bad idea though many certainly try and use them for that.

Make great stuff. Then share it.

Apple had its share of critics for being a closed environment for decades and the misnomer was they didn’t listen to customers and that is simply not true. The essence of branding is what they say about you to others but in the online world you can monitor those discussions if you invest the time and prepare yourself for their honest opinions. Jobs & Co do just that. Constantly.

Apple makes cool stuff that works and continues to evolve their products in line with customer appetite. Like a Pan Asian restaurant, it is inclusive but may not be for everyone and doesn't compromise for that.

Make great stuff. And keep making it great.

If you wonder if your social media efforts are paying off, have a look at your offering and decipher whether you are giving people the chance to experience great stuff or are you just barking out the deal of the week on the hopes they will re-tweet you.

You must sell the dream before you sell a thing. And most don't dream about bad stuff. The empty pitch will be a short lived endeavor.

Doing well online or offline is not about fooling people with the tools but rather making great stuff people want. And it works best when you listen to them first and they then may listen to you. I think I'll be back to have chat with the restaurant owner.

Do you make great stuff?

knealemann
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November 1, 2010

Movember Is On

Growing a 'stache for an important cause.

November marks the beginning of a fundraising effort in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom and Ireland.

The concept is simple.
The results can be life changing.


One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and it is up to us – not some mystical group called ‘them’ - to lower that through education, prevention and research.

Here's more from the official Movember site.
The Movember Foundation is a non-profit organization that runs the global men's health initiative, Movember.

Each year, Movember, the month formerly known as November, is responsible for the sprouting of thousands of Mo’s (Australian slang for moustache, where the movement began) on men’s faces around the world, raising vital awareness and funds for men’s health - specifically prostate cancer.

Men who grow moustaches for the month of Movember, called Mo Bros, become walking, talking billboards for the cause, raising awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by getting friends and family to donate to their Mo-growing efforts. The rules are simple; register online at Movember.com and start the month of Movember clean-shaven, then grow a moustache for 30 days.

Last year, 255,722 men and women across the globe raised $42 million (CAD) - all through the power of the Mo.

The money raised as a result of Movember is channeled by our beneficiary partners into a number of world class and innovative research, support, education, and awareness initiatives.
This is something that touches all of us and my tiny part is to grow facial hair for the next thirty days. I think I can handle it.

So I will be among the thousands growing a moustache to raise money and awareness for the cause. Tom Selleck is safe but in a former life I actually had one for real!

The MovemberYow team includes captain Allan Isfan along with Bill Love, Ash Soomro, Claudia Petrilli, Harry Sharma, Krunal Sagan, Rebecca Happy, Hedrick Pape,
Rob Moore, Mark Saunders, Rolly Renaud and me.

If you would like to donate to my whisker grow, feel free to click here. Every dime goes directly Prostate Cancer Canada. Or pick someone else or start a team or donate directly. Thanks!

knealemann
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image credit: Movember
 
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