Advice Entrepreneurs Would Give Their Younger Selves

Here's a really great article posted by Scott Gerber at Mashable: The advice 13 entrepreneurs would give their younger selves.

"While inexperience can have certain benefits (like fearlessness and confidence), a seasoned businessperson with no regrets is incredibly hard to find. With that in mind, I asked 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what they would tell their younger selves when first starting out."

Managing Up

I have been very fortunate in having some great supervisors in my relatively short career.  One thing that has plagued all of them is the bottleneck of an approval process.

There certainly needs to be a proofreading process, don't get me wrong, but it's necessary to reevaluate the process when that begins to inhibit creativity and prevent the team meeting deadlines.

It's tough to manage your responsibilities and workload, those of the junior employees on your team.  Now, many people also manage their supervisor who may miss timelines and goals and set entire projects behind schedule.

For that reason, it's imperative that all professionals learn the skillful art of managing up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Entrepreneurial Skills Applicable to Marketing

Being a startup entrepreneur isn't really my cup of tea... I do love freelancing, which I suppose is a kind of startup, but I have only myself and my family to support, not a whole team.  Recently, Mashable posted an interesting article detailing the 11 traits every startup employee should have. Not surprisingly, many of the traits they listed are also applicable for marketing professionals. 

Read the entire list here.

Staying Organized

People often ask me how I stay as organized as I do with the different projects I manage, our family schedule and everything in our extended families- which I will be the first to admit has been more challenging as of late. I suppose that wedding planning will do that to a person.

My answer is always the same - calendars! Believe me, I have many.  The wall calendar in our kitchen, the wall calendar in my office, my iCal that syncs between my computer and my Franklin Covey planner.

What is my favorite calendar? Hands down, my Franklin Covey planner. I swear by mine, it's a little black book that zips up to hold all my appointments, important notes and keeps me sane. I love being able to jot down quick reminders or take comprehensive notes in a client meetings. It's small enough for me to carry with me to work and back every day, or to bring on vacation, yet innocuous enough that it doesn't draw much attention in public settings.  Another bonus, it fits on any table, even those in coffee shops.

Lately I've also started syncing my iCal with my husbands so that we can keep major scheduling straight, but even that can be tough at times. But even with all the technology Apple has to offer, I will still never give up my planner!

Happy Anniversary!

Well, little blog, it's your first anniversary.  When I started you a year ago I wasn't exactly sure what I would do in this space, but I knew I wanted a place to store my thoughts and comment on marketing, public relations and social media - the trends, lessons and experiences I came across in my personal and professional life.

I also knew I needed to write as much as possible since my job as a marker is primarily focused on communicating clearly and concisely.

Here's to another fun year ahead!

You Have to Say No

I am very fortunate to work with a very talented group of people who are teaching me the value of no.  The value of no is having the resources to say YES to the really cool stuff.  This applies in life personally and professionally.

No is essential

If you believe that you must keep your promises, overdeliver and treat every commitment as though it's an opportunity for a transformation, the only way you can do this is to turn down most opportunities.

No I can't meet with you, no I can't sell it to you at this price, no I can't do this job justice, no I can't come to your party, no I can't help you. I'm sorry, but no, I can't. Not if I want to do the very things that people value my work for.

No is the foundation that we can build our yes on.

Set a Date

Good advice from Seth Godin: Set a Date

If you haven't announced a date, you're not serious.

Pick a date. It can be far in the future. Too far, and we'll all know that you're merely stalling. A real date, a date we can live with and a date you can deliver on.

If your project can't pass this incredibly simple test, it's not a project.

Deliver whatever it is you say you're working on on the date you said you would, regardless of what external factors interfere. Deliver it even if you don't think it's perfect. You picked the date.

And as a professional, the career-making habit is this: once you set a date, never miss a date.

Something to Consider

It's no secret I really love Seth Godin's microblog and here's another one of his posts I liked so well I'm reposting:

They're your words, choose them

You've seen the signs:

ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIT CARDS.

NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS.

BATHROOMS FOR PATRONS ONLY.

Guess what? There's no legal requirement that signs have to make you sound like a harsh jerk in order to carry weight or to inform the public.

To keep our prices as low as possible, we only accept cash. The good news is that there's an ATM next door.

Careful! We'd like to watch your stuff for you, but we're busy making coffee.

Our spotlessly clean restrooms are for our beloved customers only, so come on in and buy something! Also, there's a public bathroom in the library down the street.

In fact, you might find that when you speak clearly and with respect, you not only communicate more effectively, but people are less likely to blame you when something goes wrong.

5 Invaluable Lessons from Bad Bosses

Most articles about bad bosses say that the best thing you can learn from them is how not to manage employees. Can't disagree with that.

Aside from that, there are other things you can learn from a bad boss that you can't learn from a good boss.

Tim Sackett wrote a post about some of them here at TLNT. Here's what he says:

Working at really great companies gives you an opportunity to work in "Utopia"-you get to see how things are supposed to work, how people are supposed to work, how in a perfect world it all fits together.

The reality is we don't work in "Utopia" (at least the majority of us don't). We work in organizations that are less than perfect, and some of us actually work in downright horrible companies. Those who work in horrible companies and survive tend to be better hires—they have battle scars and street smarts."

5 things you can learn

In a New York Times interview with Mark B. Templeton, president and CEO of Citrix, he talks about what he looks for in job candidates.

"I look for scars. You can call it wisdom, you can call it experience, or the things that went wrong in your life. That's where I think knowledge turns into wisdom. A lot of people will have facts and information. I'm looking for wisdom, and wisdom ends up being a measure of scars, and things that went wrong and what you did about them and how they shaped you as a person and your beliefs."

So, here are the five things you can learn from a bad boss:

1. You must do your best work—always. You don't have room for error—ever. You learn to check everything four, five, six, even seven times. You know that the penalty for screwing up is not pleasant. It's the stick versus the carrot, and you learn it quickly.

2. You learn how to be creative. You don't have enough time or information to do your job. You don't ask for help from your boss. You learn to "make do." You learn how to innovate and how to use your investigative skills to gather information any way you can. You learn that 80 percent of the information available is enough.

3. You learn how to protect yourself. You learn how to fly under the radar as much as possible. At the same time, you learn how to play politics, and you realize that you have no one to "watch your back." Your boss will not support you; he or she may join the others ready to have your head if you screw up. Be nice to his or her allies and friends—and walk the other way when you see his or her enemies.

4. You learn how to "read" people and situations. You learn to recognize your boss's moods—the good, bad, and the ugly—and to adjust your behavior accordingly. You learn to do the same in meetings with them. By correctly reading his or her moods, you are less likely to step on a landmine or trigger a temper tantrum. This ability to read situations actually turns out to be an asset in the long term. It will serve you well in your career to be able to read co-workers and situations and know how to work with people.

5. You learn the value of having close working relationships. Many times you form close relationships with your colleagues. You look out for help and commiserate with each other. Because of your shared experience, many of these relationships endure throughout your career. It's like having been a Marine. Semper fi.

Learning in spite of the abuse

OK, before you get all huffy and mutter, "She's crazy," let me say that I am absolutely not recommending that you seek out bad bosses so you can gain this knowledge. But if you happen to find yourself in this situation, understand that it is a personal decision as to whether you stay or go.

Ask yourself, "Are there enough positives and opportunities in this job/company that are worth my staying?" If not, leave.

If yes, tell yourself you are choosing to do this for now, and if you ever decide you can't take it any longer, then you can leave. You need to know yourself well enough to recognize when that time comes. You certainly don't want to stay until they carry you out of your office on a stretcher!

Remember the people who continued to work for Steve Jobs after he verbally abused them? There were many who left—but there were many others who chose to stay because they were learning something in spite of the abuse.

HR might not understand that reasoning, but it was their choice. Apparently it worked for them.

Paul Schoemaker once said, "The school of hard knocks is a great teacher, even if the tuition is very high, precisely because the lessons make such a deep imprint."Jacque Vilet, president of Vilet International, has more than 20 years of experience in international human resources. A version of this article first appeared on TLNT.

Taken from: Ragan.com  

10 Life Lessons to Master in Your 30's

Mark Manson recently posted a blog about the top ten life lessons everyone should focus on in their 30's.  This is probably related to the fact that Manson just broke through the glass ceiling of his 20's and was feeling the urge to settle down, straighten up and get serious about his life.

Despite the fact that I'm still a 18 months away from hitting the big 3-0, the milestone is creeping into the back of my mind every so often.  I especially find myself wondering what I want to do next in my career - is public relations really where I want to be?  Do I want to stay in an agency or go back in-house?  Should I take on more clients or focus on doing the best possible work for the ones I have?

The list goes on and on.  But regardless of what career path you're on, this is great advice that everyone should consider:

http://markmanson.net/10-life-lessons-excel-30s

Enjoy!

The Approval Process

I have a healthy respect for the approval process.  As someone who started my marketing career in-house, I made sure all vendor work was approved by myself and my direct boss, the president of the company, prior to approving payment.

What is ridiculous, is the unnecessary approvals that so many clients request on a daily basis.  If you tell me to set up a review or an interview with a third party and one of your colleagues then let me coordinate with the two people who are directly involved.  Everything does not need to go through you.

I understand Mr./Ms. CMO wanting to be kept abreast of the situation so that she's up to speed in case any of the higher-ups ask her a question, but I do not need to run everything by that person.  Not at all.

Sometimes I want to remind clients that I have been in their shoes and that rather than worry about micromanaging me, we're both going to be significantly more productive (and hopefully therefore significantly happier) if you let me do my job and you focus on doing your job.

Playing Along

In an agency, the reality is that there are many clients.  Sure, that's the dirty little secret nobody likes to talk about because we all play along and pretend that you, Mr./Ms. CMO, are the only God I serve.  But the truth is I have three, five, seven, etc. clients and each one has a budget and deadlines and I'm trying to make everyone happy.

Unplanned Career Change

I had the distinct pleasure of speaking on a panel for the Emerging Professionals Committee today at the Irvine Chamber of Commerce.  I spoke along side Chamber President Talia Hart and respected Chamber Member Ed Link.   It was quite an honor.

I was given the task of speaking about how professionals can manage unplanned career change in a way that minimizes the negative effects.  What makes me an authority on this?  I like to think my own personal history with unplanned career change went rather well this past fall.

I had a great PowerPoint presentation and gave five tips:

1. Don't Burn Bridges
2. Update Your Resume
3. Use Your Network
4. Prepare Ahead of Time
5. Keep an Open Mind

The best laid plans often go awry, and we don't often end up where we originally plan.

The Client May Not Be Right...

... But They Are the Client.

Or so the saying goes.  I am quickly learning that the PR part of my job isn't just for the media, it's also for the clients.

Agency Update

It's been a little over a month since I signed on with a Marketing and Public Relations Agency and I thought I'd post a quick update about how things have been serving many Gods compared to being in-house with one brand.

On the upside, I love working on projects rather than ongoing initiatives.  I'm sure that will eventually stop being such a great thing, but for now I am fully believing that variety is the spice of life. 

I also really love having so many brands at my disposal.  The client voices are all different, which means I really get to stretch myself as a professional and utilize all of the tools in my toolbox.  I always did love a good challenge!

I love, love. love my teammates.  I honestly couldn't be happier about the dynamics in the office or the way we all work so well together.  Yes, we all have our individual strengths and weaknesses, but together our synergy is undeniable.

I am really excelling in project management, or so I tell myself.  I have already taken over as the lead project manager for one of our clients, and I really enjoy being on top of everything all the time.  It makes my life much easier when I have to interface with the client directly and I really hate the unknown so this is the perfect solution.

So far, the only downside (and it's pretty big) is that I have NO personal life.  I usually work through my lunch, and I can count the number of times I actually left after 9 hours at the office on 1 hand... which means I am regularly working 9+ hour days.  This week, it's been 10, but who's really counting?  I miss going to the gym during the week, spending quality time with Hunter, and not being so damn stressed.  I was less stressed when I was unemployed than I am now that I am employed - go figure!  

I keep hoping that this is partially just because I'm still new and getting the hang of everything, but a lot of our Account Directors are regularly pulling more than 9 hour days and they've all been there 2 years or longer.  I think it's definitely all about managing your clients well... I certainly think I'm still working that out.  If this week has taught me anything, it's do not schedule multiple deadlines for multiple clients over the span of three days.  It will drive you insane. 

5 Ways Small Businesses Can Boost Their Google Analytics

There has been a lot of talk about how Google's Hummingbird algorithm had changed Google Analytics over the last several months.  I can find a lot of high level conversations between industry gurus, but there hasn't been a whole lot of basic nuts and bolts that is easily understood by laypeople.  In fact, a friend of mine asked me just the other day if I could explain SEO and Google Analytics.

So what does Hummingbird mean to small businesses?  Hopefully not a whole lot if you're engaging in above the table, white hat SEO.  Hummingbird is meant to reward user-friendly, frequently visited websites.  How do you ensure your website meets those criteria?

1. Write engaging, helpful content that your readers can easily comprehend.  Regular Joes don't speak in tech-talk, they don't understand industry-specific acronyms, and they certainly can't handle pages with solid blocks of text.
2. Make sure your website structure makes sense.  Think about your website from a user's perspective.  What will they search to find each page?  From the landing pages, what questions will they have, and how can you provide clear links to that information? 
3. Links should go to pages, not photos, whenever possible.
4. Draft a strong call to action (CTA) on every page so that prospective clients know what you want them to do and how they should do it.
5. Put articles and white papers about your subject matter on your website.  It's better when you commission these documents yourself so they angle the products and services you want them to, but third party content will serve your purpose.  Customers trust white papers more than any other type of content.  If you position yourself in the same line as "unbiased" professionals, you're more likely to sway the masses.

Gradually and then Suddenly

Every so often, as I have said before, Seth Godin posts something on his blog that perfectly captures my current predicament in life.  He's done it again.

I'm finally catching on to my new job, almost a month after being hired by one of the prestigious Marketing & Public Relations agencies in Orange County.  And although I've been feeling really overwhelmed as I learn a new corporate culture, team, agency mentality, I find myself realizing that if I focus on one day at a time, suddenly things aren't so tough.

Today I gave a presentation with our Agency Principal, Agency Director and Account Director.  They trusted me to draft and present some of the PowerPoint slides.  And it wasn't that scary.  Yes, I obviously had a couple of butterflies since it was my first time, but I had my ducks in a row and I knew what I was doing.  I would never have thought I'd be able to do that a mere 4 weeks into a new job.

Just like Seth says,

"Trust is earned, value is delivered, concepts are learned. Day by day we improve and build an asset, but none of it seems to be paying off. Until one day, quite suddenly, we become the ten-year overnight success."

Talent

Mitch Joel wrote an interesting blog post about talent earlier this month, Let's Face The Cold Hard Truth About Talent.

It's interesting because Mitch argues that the 10,000 hours rule, made famous by Malcom Gladwell's Outliers book, isn't true.

And I think Mitch may be right.

I knew so many girls who practiced water polo just as much as I did, who were just as dedicated, who wanted to be good just as much as I did.  But you know what?  They weren't as good as I was.  How do you account for that?  

It's talent.  I have a gift for athletics, especially sports that require hand-eye coordination and not a whole lot of foot speed on land.  

Blogging for Business

Pop Digital Marketing created a great infographic explaining the blogging to businesses.  They cover everything you need to know about blogging: benefits, best practices, topic development and promotion.

How Many People See Your Content?

Mitch Joel published a really interesting post on his Six Pixels blog, (Almost) No One Is Seeing Your Content.

As a marketer using social media as a platform for dissemination, nearly nothing scares me as much as the idea that my message is lost and never reaches my intended audience.  The unfortunately reality is my fear is most likely a reality.

"We used to tell ourselves a very powerful narrative about how the cream always rises to the top, and the struggle that most brands face when it comes to content marketing and social media is that they struggle to find a true sense of human-ness in the content that they are creating... so many brands actually have great content, but have a sub-par content distribution strategy where the vast majority of the work resides behind their own walled garden."

Mitch makes the rather disappointing observation that despite the money and time brands pour into social media marketing, their messages are filtered by third parties (the platforms themselves) and are often never seen by their fans and followers.  

As a marker that really bursts my bubble.  As an individual it is even more upsetting.  I hated when Facebook decided that it was only going to show certain people in your newsfeed based on who you interacted with most frequently.  The whole reason I am friends with people on Facebook is so I can follow along with their lives as much or as little as I want to.  I now am completely cut off from several of my connections and might not even remember that we're Facebook friends.  I was so much happier when I could control my newsfeed by "show more" and "show less" and specifying what kinds of news I wanted to see, e.g. (relationship status updates, photos, etc.)  The sad part for me, is that the social media platforms are so worried about becoming irrelevant they keep tweaking their algorithms and I worry they are going to end up like Joan Rivers' face... too altered too remotely resemble what they started with, which was what drew the users in the first place.

Time Management Maximizes Efficiency

I have been meaning to write this post for a month and I keep putting it off.  I guess that's partially because I have been following the advice in this post by Mitch Joel on Six Pixels of Separation, How To Run The Best Day Possible.

Mitch says there are five keys to maximizing your efficiency:

1. Focus on your unique ability as much as possible
2. Control your schedule
3. Put your butt where your heart wants to be
4. Be resilient in everything you do
5. Network by being helpful to others first