It's Business. It's Personal.

If you’ve spent any time around me in a boardroom or mid-conversation about growth, you know I believe one thing deeply: Business is personal. Not transactional. Not automated. Personal. I work with numerous business owners and managers across different industries. 

Some run multi-generational companies. Others are scaling fast and trying to manage growth without losing control. Different pressures. Different personalities. Same truth. The businesses that win are the ones that make it personal. 

 It’s Not Just Marketing. It’s About Meaning. 

Marketing is not an event or a campaign; it is an essential piece of your business. We can talk strategy, positioning, and ROI all day. But beneath that, we’re talking about legacy and the responsibility they carry. That’s personal. 

When you understand that, you stop selling services. You start building partnerships. 

You are the Brand 

Business owners often underestimate how much they matter to their marketing. People don’t just buy products. They buy stories. Trust. Connection. Why you started. What you believe. Why you care. That’s not fluff. That’s differentiation. And in a crowded market, differentiation is oxygen. 

AI, automation, and efficiency tools are everywhere. I like them. I use them. But you can automate distribution. You cannot automate connection. The businesses that thrive won’t be the loudest; they’ll be the most human. 

Actions Speak

How you treat staff. How you answer the phone. How you handle complaints. That is your brand. Culture leaks into the marketplace whether you plan for it or not. 

When I meet an owner, I ask: “Why did you start this?” The answer is almost never money. It’s family. Freedom. Pride. Impact. It's especially interesting when you pose the same question to their team. Then you find out what it means to work there far beyond the paycheck. People rarely do business with logos; they do business with people. 

And that will always be personal. ___________________________________________________________

Vulnerability

Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, has been studying a topic most of us have trouble discussing which is vulnerability. It appears in many forms; imposer syndrome, feeling inadequate, feeling like a fake, or not knowing the answer.

We all have moments when we feel emotionally weakened. Dr. Brown explains how it affects our whole life while being authentic can help those same areas.


__________________________________________________________________

Feeling Vulnerable

Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, has been studying a topic most of us have trouble discussing which is vulnerability. It appears in many forms; imposer syndrome, feeling inadequate, feeling like a fake, or not knowing the answer.

We all have moments when we feel emotionally weakened. Dr. Brown explains how it affects our whole life while being authentic can help those same areas.


__________________________________________________________________

Do You Ever Feel Vulnerable?

Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston has been studying a topic most of us have trouble discussing - vulnerability. It appears in many forms; imposer syndrome, feeling inadequate, feeling like a fake, not knowing the answer, etc.

We all have moments when we feel emotionally weakened.

Dr. Brown explains how it affects all aspects of our lives while being authentic can help those same areas.


__________________________________________________________________

Being a Vulnerable Leader

You may have seen this and it's worth seeing again. Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston and she has devoted much of her work in the past decade on vulnerability and how authenticity can help us in business and in life.

She explains in her funny and fascinating TEDx Houston talk.


__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

Brené Brown | TEDxHouston

Data with a Soul

We’ve gotten very good at navigating a busy life. There are deadlines and bills, meetings and projects, phone calls and deliverables. Yet we aren’t near as good at sharing ourselves from a deeply personal level.

Think of everyone you know and make a list of the people who could call you at 3am and you would get your coat and meet them and lend a hand. Now think about how many people you know who would tell you the absolute truth. Is the list getting smaller?

Touchy Feely Not Allowed?

Right or wrong, we know most don't think we can run successful enterprise through true openness and emotional expression but that’s how we are wired. So therein lies our global conundrum. Few corporations will let you admit you aren’t sure about a decision. Even fewer will allow you to share your personal interests, fears, dreams and desires.

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston and she has devoted much of her work in the past decade on vulnerability and how authenticity can help us in business and in life.

Dr. Brown explains in this video of her TEDx Houston talk.


Kneale Mann

visual credit: TEDxHouston

Friends - Colleagues - Storytellers

We all love stories. Stories are about real life people, imaginary characters, creative freedom and all the other delicious things our minds may conjure.

More Than Opposable Thumbs

Stories connect us and separate us from the rest of the creatures that roam this blue sphere. Years from now, you will not still be remarking about that new shirt you bought last week or the presentation you have to work on or the email that went unanswered.

But you may remark on someone you met, someone who helped you or changed your life. You may comment on how you changed someone’s focus or assisted in helping their business or life.

How Long Has It Been?

In the last week, I reconnected with someone I admire and like very much. We hadn’t spoken in four years. It was one of those situations where you just pick up where you left off; life gets busy but that all washes away. He is in a completely different industry now and is applying all his experience and ideas to a group that needed a fresh pair of eyes. He is a storyteller, a connector and it’s thrilling to see how he is applying all that to his latest project.

Do I Know You?

A few weeks back, I made a connection on Facebook. We had not met; we had some mutual friends. In the course of a handful of emails, we got on Skype and had a great chat about her business. In the course of the conversation, she came up with some ideas for me. We were oblivious to each other’s existence until a few weeks ago, now we are helping each other. She is an engaging storyteller who is great at making stuff way less complicated.

Can I Help You?

Someone sent me a DM on Twitter a couple of weeks to ask for some advice on their blog. Me? Someone who got in to this space a year ago on the advice (aka a dare) of a few people at a dinner. Two storytellers exchanging thoughts and ideas. What a difference a year makes.

Thanks CC!

Yesterday, CC Chapman wrote from the heart in a piece entitled Reflections Of The Future. CC is a great storyteller who loves to help others and share. Read and be inspired.

The Power of We

We run into old friends, contact complete strangers, connect with new colleagues across the globe and these moments are chances to widen our knowledge and create deeper relationships.

Who are you going to meet this week?

@knealemann

photo credit: thefarside.com

Thank-You!

“It’s often said that life is strange, but compared to what?”
Steve Forbert

That line always struck me as a great equalizer. Perhaps even more poignant right now?

I was always a big fan of Steve. He is a storyteller and I have a lot of time for storytellers. But not those who simply tell stories, but those who share experiences and offer a fresh point of view. And in a sense, perhaps that's our collective responsibility?

I received some interesting emails from my previous post about sharing verses complaining. Some feel social media is the ME medium and not the THEM media.

I disagree, it's about US. But everyone's entitled to their opinion - which is the point.

It’s customary around this time of year to thank our friends who have helped us. I’d like to think we thank them all year. And none of us can possibly thank everyone who help us. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes everyone we meet to enhance our lives.

Thanks for reading my blatherings. I hope you get something out of them. Thanks for all the cool comments and feedback – please continue! And don’t be shy; please share your blog links and stories too. And thanks to “The Geeks”!

It’s been an interesting year, but aren’t they all? All the best to you and those you love. And most of all, here’s to a positive 2009!

The need for integration, friendship, communication and cooperation is requisite.

Happy Holidays and thanks!

km

The Plot Is In The Story

In a world of content, product placement, infomercials, advertorials, and other integrated models,
perhaps it's time to get back to simply telling stories.

Every year, one of the big stories surrounding the Super Bowl is how much it costs to buy a 30 commercial during the game. Last year, the price was $2.7 Million. Think about that. Think about your company. Can you or your company afford over two and a half million dollars for a 30-second event? That doesn’t include production costs so lob a few extra bucks on the tab.

Glorida Goodale writes in a recent blog post that we need to “forget product placement – that's so 20th century. Even product integration is passé. Advertisers these days want to do far more than just place BMWs, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and other luxury items within reach of favorite TV and movie characters. They want to create entire worlds of consumption.”

You may remember receiving a copy of the “banned” 90 second X-Box commercial a few years ago. I received it seven times in a two day period. It was shocking how broadcasters had refused to air this and the community seemed outraged. They were so outraged that the “banned” commercial was shared amongst millions of people. These people watched the “banned” commercial on their computers and portable devices instead of their television screens.

How dare those broadcasters ban such a thing and we all rallied around the floundering Seattle software firm to “fight the man”. It was not a staged or calculated event, nah.

YouTube is consistently in the top five most visited websites on the face of the earth. This space is jammed with material that doesn’t see the traditional light of day. Shocking.

BMW has been the sole underwriter of one of the most wonderful visits in cyberspace – TED.com – and they do it through wickedly cool visuals (not “commercials”) that compliment the content, not interrupt it.

Goodale talks about product plots – another concept that has been going on for years but only now starting to gain traction amongst content providers, producers and companies like BMW, TED, and Microsoft.

What’s important is you must have a story before you dive in the deep end of storytelling. This is not about plunking your product into some backdrop and calling it a plot. Go back to making commercials or another traditional concept route until you can utilize this wonderful integrated option.

Goodale cites this as; “the heady days of brand integration and immersive commercial environments.”

When you are embracing what seems like a new idea, you can’t expect everyone to nod their heads and join in. But that is not enough of a reason to stop.

Mass traditional media has its place and there is audience for it. But we are building swiftly, evolving rapidly, consuming wildly, and multi-platforming constantly. And this is not a specific demographic issue.

Anyone toiling in content generation, marketing, production, advertising or promotion who thinks the “we’ll be right back after this” model will not continue to erode should be prepared to one day utter the phrase;

“What happened!?!”

km