Differentiation. *Bleck* Differentiation has become one of those marketing buzz words we hear too often. So frequently, the term seems to have lost its meaning. Nevertheless, it is a fundamental concept. I prefer the term "remarkability." Doing the things that cause people to [...]
A sponsored link from Starbucks Frappuccino appeared in my Facebook feed this morning. It announces a new Frappuccino flavor, S'mores. I won't debate the choice of flavor. I understand the challenge the Starbucks beverage team has, trying to comp their numbers year over [...]
It's a phenomenon and seems inevitable. The story plays over and over. A small business is built, grows with wild success, and then loses its tarnish. Every big business we consider bad was once a Mom and Pop. When I mean [...]
As we climb the corporate ladder, we catch on that people on the lower rungs do the tactical, heavy work. Further up the ladder, they get to sit at desks and focus on strategy. So, we set our sights on the [...]
As problem solvers our role is to support companies, clients, and customers by solving their business problems. We’re asked to help drive sales, increase traffic, and build community. These challenges, and others, are solved through our ability to combine ideas in [...]
[The garage where Hewlett and Packard started HP, 1939 photo] Founders Bill Hewlett and David Packard had the right idea when they first built their company. They believed if you had passion for what you did - and did it with [...]
On Saturday I had hot wings and a beer at a Hooters restaurant. For those of you not familiar with Hooters... They are a US-based restaurant chain best known for their hot buffalo wings and Hooter Girls - attractive waitresses dressed [...]
I received an email from a friend who works at Starbucks. In the auto-signature of her e-mail was this "Love What You Do" graphic. It is just one element hiring teams use to communicate enthusiasm for working at Starbucks. Potential candidates [...]
Being more innovative requires making better decisions. A friend uses a filter called "Time, Talent, Treasure" to help her make important decisions. She learned this from a co-worker years ago and passed it along to me. And, now I pass it [...]
Happy New Year! It’s resolution season. How do you avoid the let-down of resolutions earnestly created in January that may not last until February? Instead of setting resolutions, I recommend a simple life philosophy that will stick. Comp Yourself. That’s it. [...]