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 How to brand without bragging by Lisa Wirthman Lisa is a freelance journalist covering women, business, policy and social good
Be Authentic We all have stereotyped images of success, such as the consummate professional or the charismatic entrepreneur. But your personal brand should represent your own unique qualities – not what you think other people want to see. It’s easier to sell yourself when you’re being yourself, so be authentic about who you are. Focus on your strengths and stick to your own style of communication, whether it’s writing a weekly blog post for customers or sitting down with a manager to share your successes. Reminding people who need your services about how you can make their jobs easier is a positive message they’ll be happy to hear. Stick to the Facts Focus on facts and not interpretation, writes marketing strategist and author Dorie Clark in Harvard Business Review. It’s hard to argue with the facts if you say that you have a decade of experience in your field, a passion for what you do, or a certain number of social media followers, says Clark. But calling yourself a guru, an expert, or a ninja is another story, she adds. Don’t invite criticism by trying to characterize your skillset. Do stick to the facts by describing what you have done -- and what you can do -- to help others. Providing relevant examples is a great way to drive those points home. Share the Credit When sharing your accomplishments, don’t be shy about sharing the credit with those who deserve it as well. A willingness to promote others indicates confidence in your own abilities. “In my experience, glad-handing self-aggrandizement is rarely an effective technique,” says entrepreneur and author Seth Godin in an interview with the New York Times. “What works instead is a combination of relentlessly giving away credit and generously taking responsibility,” he advises. Rather than focusing on entitlement, this approach focuses on your engagement with your work, he explains. Or in in other words: “Successfully tooting your own horn is more about the horn than the tooting,” Godin says.
 Big Leaps Forward 4 unique people taking big leaps forward in being visible and sharing their services. Marketing Packet
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What happened in web design? Find out what happened in web design in 2016.
 The Newest Generation of Design Mobile design 2016 was a landmark, transitional year in web design. The industry standard moved to mobile, responsive, design to read well on all devices—whether you access a website on a phone, computer, or iPad, all of the design elements shrink and expand. Stackable sections Because we are a mobile industry it's often easier to read information on a scrolling one-page website than clicking through tabs and pages. As a result, design leans more towards stackable sections, including pictures, illustrations and small amounts of content. Make it easy and accessible As a whole, our lives move faster and faster—we review and receive more information than ever before, needing less with easy access. The challenges that brings to design in general is our need to compact and minimize content, while making our 'call to actions' easily accessible. Overall, our audience has less time and patience to click and search websites—'Making it easy and accessible' is the #1 directive in design. The big questions The primary questions that need to be easily answered in print and on the web, are:
Simple, scrolling, one-page websites Take a whirl through the websites of folks who braved the newest generation of design in 2016.     Individuals and businesses             Landmark Day in History The Women's March on January 21, 2017, was a landmark day in our history. It was a worldwide protest to advocate legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including women's rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, the natural environment, LGBTQ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, and workers' rights. THE PRINTER HAS CANCELLED THIS OFFER AS OF 04/04/17 Free Art Print on Metal Many marched, everyone felt deeply, we all took notice on an intimate level to honor our voices. To commemorate and honor the day, I'm pooling 3 online-resources to offer a free 8" x 10", glossy print on metal—suitable for hanging, out of the box. Combined Resources
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Enjoy!
 Charisma is not about you, but about |
| Edward, an advertising executive, strode into the room, smiled with sparkling eyes, shook my hand firmly and said, “It’s wonderful to meet you Jean!” I knew I was going to enjoy working with Edward. How could I not? Talking with his co-workers, I realized everyone loved working with Edward. In short, he had charisma. As a presentation coach, I often work with CEOs who seek to protect greater executive presence and charisma. They wonder if it is something they can even learn. The good news: Although charisma comes more naturally to some people, everyone can work on a few simple yet profound skills to enhance their charisma. | Whether you have an important presentation, a meeting in which you need to motivate others, or a social event in which you need to make a good impression, these skills will not only increase your confidence, they will also help you achieve your desired results. Some people think of charisma as a superficial quality, a slick veneer on confident person. Yes, confidence is an important part of charisma. As consultants and author Alan Weise says, “The first sale is to yourself.” But a charismatic person also knows it’s about more than yourself. Charisma involves tapping into the best of you to bring out the best in others. A charismatic person communicates both strength and warmth. When you are charismatic, people feel good about themselves when they are with you. So what can you do to immediately raise your “charisma quotient”? |
| If you are distracted, you are not charismatic. And if you think you can fake it, think again. You can tell when someone is not really listening to you. How does it feel? Listening is not just waiting for your turn to talk. Real listening happens when you are fully focused on the person speaking. When you become a better listener,others will think you are wonderful—because you make them feel valued. | I recently worked with David, an accomplished businessman who had a very challenging childhood. He fondly remembers his favorite casework from the child-welfare agency. “The way she listened to me had more impact on my current success than anything else in my life,” he told me. “She made me realize my thoughts and feelings had value.” By listening to others, you have the ability to change lives. |
| You can’t be curious and judgemental at the same time. Whereas judgment breeds defensiveness, curiosity opens people up to find creative solutions. When you show curiosity about others’ ideas and experiences, you bring out the best in then, in turn demonstrating your charisma. | I recently worked with an engineer, Cynthia, who told me that the departments in her company tended to work in silos and in competition with one another. After our session, she led a meeting to brainstorm ideas for working more collaboratively. Cynthia focused on asking questions and modeling curiosity. “Rather than getting defensive, people began to approach the skills and perspectives of one another,” she recalled. Remember, charisma is not about you, but about how you make others feel about themselves. When you are curious, you create an environment of good communication, where people feel encouraged to share their ideas. And another benefit? You end up with better solutions. |
| Your posture, gait, smile, eyes and even your breathing collectively signal whether or not you are trustworthy. Your non-verbal communication can enhance or destroy charisma. People are hired-wired to decide in milliseconds if you are a potential friend or a threat. | An attorney I worked with, Alice, worried that she’d appear unprofessional if she smiled too often. When she watched herself on video, she said, “Wow, I didn’t realize I looked so unapproachable.” When filmed a second time, smiling, she recognized that instead of looking goofy, like she’d imagined, she appeared open, confident, friendly and, yes, charismatic. |
| Your voice has a huge impact on how you are perceived. A rich and resonant voice captivates people. Speaking in a monotone will put people to sleep—not exactly charismatic! Speak with the same vitality and enthusiasm you have when talking with a good friend over dinner. | Charles, who attended one of my trainings, had mastered this. Not only did he have a rich, pleasing sound to his voice, but he changed his pitch and tempo to keep us engaged. Best of all, he was completely comfortable with “The pause.” We were transfixed. Because he didn’t rush, he not only communicated confidence, hemmed us feel there was no place he would rather be. That is the key to charisma. Use your voice to show your enjoyment of the moment. Be “all in.” As you focus on enhancing your charisma, find your own style. Allow your body and voice to become more expressive. Be present. Take joy in your discovery. Successful people love what they do. Their passion draws people in. We all want to feel more of that. Just like I did with Edward. |
How to come up with exciting business ideas in 3 steps
Jory MacKay
January 18, 2017
Jory MacKay
January 18, 2017
When someone 'says it well,' I like to take notice. Jory MacKay of Crew writes a great blog on how to come up with exciting business ideas. I'll give you a few highlights, but it's well worth reading his whole blog.
Step 1: Find a real need
You might be passionate about your idea, but remember that a business is a transaction.
I need something (or think I need something) and you provide it. Whether that’s a product or service doesn’t really matter. The crux of it is that I’m willing to part with my hard-earned money for the thing that you’ve created.
So it makes sense that at the core of all great business ideas is a need. The greater the need, the more successful the company.
Here’s a few ways to find that need.
I need something (or think I need something) and you provide it. Whether that’s a product or service doesn’t really matter. The crux of it is that I’m willing to part with my hard-earned money for the thing that you’ve created.
So it makes sense that at the core of all great business ideas is a need. The greater the need, the more successful the company.
Here’s a few ways to find that need.
Ask what bothers you. And then find a better way to do it.
Entrepreneurs like to call this scratching your own itch.
Back before they made software, 37Signals—the company behind project management tool Basecamp—was a design firm with a problem. They needed a simple way to communicate with clients about their projects, but there were no good options available.
So they made their own.
Kent Plunkett needed to hire a secretary but had no idea what it should cost. So he built Salary.com, now the world’s largest compensation information database (which he took public in 2007 at a valuation of $175m!)
Back before they made software, 37Signals—the company behind project management tool Basecamp—was a design firm with a problem. They needed a simple way to communicate with clients about their projects, but there were no good options available.
So they made their own.
Kent Plunkett needed to hire a secretary but had no idea what it should cost. So he built Salary.com, now the world’s largest compensation information database (which he took public in 2007 at a valuation of $175m!)
Why is it so important to work on a problem you have? Among other things, it ensures the problem really exists. It sounds obvious to say you should only work on problems that exist. And yet by far the most common mistake startups make is to solve problems no one has.— Paul Graham
The key here is understanding that your itch is contagious. If you're having this problem, it's likely hundreds of thousands of others are in the same boat.
Better yet, you already know your target audience: you.
Better yet, you already know your target audience: you.
Use Beginner's Mind to uncover missed opportunities.
Our past experiences have a funny way of getting in the way of forming new ideas.
We assume that because something happened one way, or didn’t work in the past, that it will do the same in the future.
In his classic 1962 book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, author Thomas Kuhn argued that people who achieve “fundamental inventions of a new paradigm have either been very young or very new to the field whose paradigm they change”.
Unique ideas come when you don't know the conventions of an industry.
But what if you’re already experienced in the field that you want to start your business in? (As you probably should be)
One option is to try to enter what Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki calls Beginner’s Mind:
We assume that because something happened one way, or didn’t work in the past, that it will do the same in the future.
In his classic 1962 book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, author Thomas Kuhn argued that people who achieve “fundamental inventions of a new paradigm have either been very young or very new to the field whose paradigm they change”.
Unique ideas come when you don't know the conventions of an industry.
But what if you’re already experienced in the field that you want to start your business in? (As you probably should be)
One option is to try to enter what Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki calls Beginner’s Mind:
"In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few." — Shunryu Suzuki
When coming up with business ideas, it can help to step back into that beginner’s mind—to step back away from the specifics and ask basic questions.
Just like Edwin Land's daughter, ask ‘why not?’
Amazon CTO Werner Vogels calls this Working Backwards—get your face out of the details and the nitty gritty and look at your project with new eyes.
Because you know who else is a beginner? Your customers. Get in their head and you're sure to have the start of a winning idea.
Just like Edwin Land's daughter, ask ‘why not?’
Amazon CTO Werner Vogels calls this Working Backwards—get your face out of the details and the nitty gritty and look at your project with new eyes.
Because you know who else is a beginner? Your customers. Get in their head and you're sure to have the start of a winning idea.
Step 2: Do the research…
*It's totally worth reading the full blog.
New Year—Fresh Start
| The best part about a 365 day calendar is that it starts and stops—there's a beginning and end. Endings are always great places to draw a line in the sand and start fresh—from this day forward. It can be refreshing. | Although I intend to get more organized all year long, it feels like the new year offers more inspiration and opportunity—closets, cupboards, cabinets… |
Accounts and Passwords?!@#
| In our fast-paced lifestyles we all are attempting to organize a pile of account logins and passwords. It can often feel insurmountable and exhausting. As with most daunting tasks, given a few minutes of focus and attention, it's less challenging than we first imagined. | Most of us have considered getting a password program and might have already done some research. More often than not, those logins and passwords are scribbled on pieces of paper, tucked in notebooks, taped to the bottom of a desk drawer… |
Getting Organized Just like the utilities for your home, your 'marketing outfit' comes with a host of accounts that link together and work in unison. Start getting organized by downloading My Marketing Accounts below. Store it on your computer and when you have a few extra minute, start collecting all of your account information in one location.  | 1PasswordI highly recommend using a password program to safely store all of your logins and password in one secure location. I've used 1Password for years—it's secure and syncs with my iPhone, iPad and computer. The beauty is that you only need to remember one password to access all of them.  |
Courage
Taking a step into the unknown is an act of courage.
| Self Reflection I recently heard a story of 3 questions that a mother asked her child at bedtime. The story inspired me and I had to think, “How wonderful to teach your child about self reflection at a young age.” My take-away from the conversation was my own rendition of these questions as a starting point for making positive changes in my life. |  How have I been courageous? How have I been kind to another? How have I loved myself? |
Transitions
The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
| The Space Between Most of the people I work with are in a transitional state of defining what they do in the world--What is their gift and true essence that sets them apart? Through words and pictures, we work together to create their visual identity for print and on the web. It's an organic, shifting process that requires a lot trust and a commitment in the process of discovery. The Courageous Act The courageous act is when people show up to work together saying, "I know what I'm doing is not working, but I'm not sure how to define what I am doing?" The ability to ask for help is the number one characteristic of successful people. Recognizing when we don't know something, combined with our willingness to take a step and ask for help, defines living a creative life. |  |
| Terri Lynn Perry I met a truly courageous person in Terri in late September. She had a successful massage business, shared in a group location. She knew that what she offered was shifting and had already chosen to move to a space of her own. When we met, she was uncertain of how to move forward in defining her business, as well as financially affording a rebranding of her website. And yet…she mustered the bravery to schedule an appointment to meet and talk about it, with me, a complete stranger. Her level of her commitment and bravery was infectious and I was immediately compelled to help find solutions by asking the questions, "What if…?" Traveling an unknown path over several months, interspersed with magic and a strong sense of familiarity and ease between us, we finally launched her new website. Each step of the way required copious amounts of courage, trust and a willingness to step into the unknown. Most notable is that Terri's tagline, A Container for Peace in the Chaos, was unveiled at a time of unrest in our nation—exquisite timing! |  |
 Visit Online |
First Day, First Client
I received this text from Terri on 11/19/16, her first day, first client.
Herein lies my joy…
| I started my first official time with clients today - drew this card this morning before I began. Thought of you - thank you for the beauty and grace you've brought to my life during this momentous transition. |
Author
Debi Bodett is an independent graphic designer for print + web.
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