Who doesn’t want the easy ride? The problem is, unless you’re incredibly lucky, there is no such thing. I had a prospect recently on a Friday who wanted a detailed, strategic marketing proposal – with full pricing – on the following Monday. The request was close to being unreasonable, but I recognized it as a
Melissa Mayer isn’t the only CEO shaking up the culture of her company. Bob Flexon, CEO of Dynergy, started with $5 million in savings when he moved from fancy headquarters to a single open floor in a new building and swapped private offices for cubicles. But that was just a start. “Among other changes, he
Driven people are “yes” people. The employees you can rely on. The clients who are game to take on a new challenge. The friend who will be there no matter what. But life is about balance. Checks and balances. When we say “yes” to one thing, we always have to say “no” to another (even
By the time other shoe retailers began imitating TOMS “one for one” concept, Toms was already expanding its efforts from shoes to eyewear. The company, known for its process of giving away one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold, added the tradition of donating
“It’s not just the things we do at the holidays. It’s the holiday things we do all year.” Not many companies measure success by how much they can give away, but six years ago Toms brought a novel idea to the retail world. They started with giving away a pair
Some brands engage customers. Others go to extremes. Fred Noe, the CEO of Jim Beam knows a lot about his customers. His recent book “Beam Straight Up” includes knowing your customers as one of the five keys to the success and longevity of the Jim Beam brand. The others? Quality, Consistency, Discipline and Focus. But
Most companies I know would love to be the “Nordstrom” of their industry. Everybody knows what that means. But many only have an inkling of the principles behind Nordstrom’s phenomenal customer service. I had my own experience with their legendary service just two weeks ago. While trying on a dress, sixty dollars cash slipped out
I recently wrote about How to Make Your Brand Stand Out from the Chaos through your logo. While your logo is the most obvious way for the world to identify your brand, there’s more you can do to get your brand noticed. Branding is more than graphic design, marketing materials and visual identity. It starts with you.