What Every Leader Needs to Remember by John Maxwell

 

I was reading John Maxwell's, "Relationships 101" this morning when I came across this very insightful quote called "Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership."

As we begin the new year, I dedicate these "pearls of wisdom" to all the branding, marketing and facilities folks we support, as they gear up for another year of "pushing the limits" and "making it happen."

The Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered --- love them anyways

If you do good, people will accuse you of self ulterior motives --- do good anyways

If you are successful, you’ll win false friends and true enemies --- succeed anyways

The good you do today, will perhaps be forgotten tomorrow ---do good anyways

Honest and frankness make you vulnerable ---- be honest and frank anyways

The biggest man and the biggest idea can be shot down by the smallest man with the smallest mind ----think big anyways.

People favor underdogs but follow only hot dogs ---- fight for a few underdogs anyway

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight ----build anyways

People really need help but may attack if you help them ---help them anyways

Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth----give the world the best you have anyway.

If better is possible, then good is not enough.

 

 photo: All rights reserved by footinfootin

5 Reasons to Brand your next Office Decor Project with Matrix Frames

Considering branding your corporate environment? Why not use Matrix Frames to bring your walls to life? There is a lot more to matrix frames than their incredibly brilliant and bold presence.

Here are 5 reasons why our corporate clients love them:

1. Versatility: They can be mounted on walls, suspended from ceilings, displayed as an art piece or self-standing like a room divider. Want to make more of an impact? They can be backlit with UL Certified LED Lighting and their frames can be produced in different depths.

2. Changeability: The fabric graphics with its silicone edging can be quickly and efficiently removed and changed without disturbing the already mounted frame.

3. Customizable: Frames can be built to the exact detail of your specifications with a variety of depths to choose from.

4. Cost-Efficient: Regardless of size, the frames and its lightweight graphic fabric ship in a compact box. They are easy to assemble and install onsite, dramatically reducing shipping cost and installation costs.  

5. Eco-Friendly: They are made of recyclable aluminum. As a light-box, it uses energy efficient, long lasting  UL Certified LED Lighting. Because of the smaller shipping configuration, your carbon footprint is drastically reduced.

Looking for something different, bold and sleek for your next corporate office décor project? Want to “wow” your audience? Need flexibility, efficiency and to be economically responsible? Matrix frames may just fit the bill.

Seven Deadly Social Media Sins to Avoid

Ever cringe when you see a post on a social media website that makes you perceive that person in a negative manner? Want to make sure that doesn't happen to you? In this brave new world of social media its "every man for himself" when it comes to proper etiquette.  Because your brand identity and reputation are so intertwined in social media land, it's helpful to be aware of the possible pitfalls. Scott Straton in his recent book, Unmarketing: Stop Marketing, Start Engaging, exposes the seven deadly social media sins to avoid.

These include:
Greed: It's not about you, it's about providing useful content. Use social media as a conversational tool to build lasting relationships focused on the specific needs of your target market.
Gluttony: It’s not about the quantity, but quality of your followers.
Sloth: Show your commitment to your readers by consistently posting and by responding in a timely manner. This way you will earn their trust  and develop deeper relationships.
Envy: Be transparent and genuine in support of other causes and interests.
Wrath: Think before you post. Remember, it takes a thousand tweets to build a reputation and just one to change it all.
Lust: Be yourself but be your best behaved self. For example, after a few glasses of wine going on facebook or tweeting may not be your wisest choice.
Pride: Don’t just talk about yourself, make others feel proud about themselves too.

Bottom line: Stop “pushing” your agenda and allow others to shine and succeed by supporting them with useful and informative content.

Remember: Customers will buy from those they like, know, and trust. Avoid these seven sins and social media will become a way establish yourself first a giver and a trusted advisor.

Can Steve Jobs' Principles Drive You?

Find yourself wanting to read and keep up but you can't find the time? My solution - I joined a business book summary service. As a result, I am exposed to a lot of great information in bites of time I can manage. Of course, if the book captivates me, I buy the book but that doesn't happen often. I have to be completely taken and rocked by the the content. And that's exactly what happened when I came about a book about one of the most outstanding human beings alive today, Steve Jobs! It is such a “mind opener” and “stretcher”, I could not resist recommending it. Awesome food for thought, especially if you are grappling with the reinvention of yourself or your brand in these choppy "New Economy" waters. Know anyone who isn’t? The book is titled, "The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success," written by Carmin Gallo.

Interestingly enough, it does not focus on Steve Jobs' accomplishments but rather on the principles that drove Steve Jobs' innovation and his extraordinary results. It is more like a modern day version of Napoleon Hill’s "Think and Grow Rich" (my favorite book of all time!). It outlines the seven principles that fuels Steve Jobs' passion and hence drives him.

In a nutshell, these are the Steve Jobs' seven principles:

1.    Do What You Love

2.    Put a Dent in the Universe

3.    Kick Start Your Brain

4.    Sell Dreams, Not Products

5.    Say No to 1,000 Things

6.    Create Insanely Great Experiences

7.    Master the Message

Personally, this book took me to the world of possibilities. Exploring all the different angles when connecting the dots.

My most compelling takeaways?

1. Outrageous success depends on contagious passion and a BIG vision.

You have to be brave. Brave enough, to publicly proclaim your vision and not allow others to deter you. A vision, according to Jobs, is about "how you can make the world a better place” and it fuels your passion. Innovation is impossible without passion.

2. Situations should not deter you, because it's not the events in life but the meaning you give them that make all the difference.

Therefore, you have the power to reinvent yourself and make things happen anywhere, anytime. When Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, he could have become bitter, depressed and very justifiably the victim. Instead, he took it to mean that it was time to take his vision and passion elsewhere. So, he went off and proceeded to make a dent in the universe by creating Pixar.

Don’t you think we could use an army of Steve Jobs? Since that technology isn’t here yet, should we consider embracing his seven principles instead?

I love using my imagination, do you? If not, can you humor me for a few moments? The baby boomer in me can’t help going a little bit John Lennon on you.

Here's my attempt:

Imagine… that his principles were actually steps in a program.

Imagine… our country going on a “7-Step Recovery Program” inspired by Steve Jobs but fueled by each and every one of us?

Imagine… all the people, innovating an incredible future and “making a dent in the universe?” It could be worth a try.

 

Any thoughts?

“Don’t let the noise of others drown out your own inner voice.”
                                   -Steve Jobs

Event Marketing Summit 2011 Makes Hyper-local Connection

As the owner of a small boutique agency, I was hesitant about making the investment both of the time and money required to whisk four team members to Chicago and attend the Event Marketing Summit 2011.  Was it worth it? Absolutely! The event exceeded all of our expectations. They were three content and action filled days. We all came back tired but exhilarated, motivated and ready to take it up another notch.

A lot of things happened from the moment our plane landed last Sunday (delayed because of weather) in Chicago and departed last Wednesday night (again, delayed because of weather). For example, my team experienced first hand why they call Chicago “the windy city” (I already knew why since I grew up in Chicago). We also made new friends, and future business collaborators some from Europe and as far as South Africa. Not to mention all the “WoW Me Factor” (WMF) and “Experiential Marketing IQ “ (EMIQ) moments that were abundantly captured throughout the summit (we shared some of them via tweets).

I had my share of WMF and EMIQ moments. However, I didn’t expect to encounter an experience that would have a very profound impact on me. Moments that would shake my emotions and I am certain, change my life. And to think I almost missed it! It was my very last session at the summit. I was debating whether or not to attend it. I was concerned about rush hour traffic, and that we might miss our flight. Not only that, but the intensity of the last four days was beginning to tug at our teams’ energy and focus reserves. We were all huddled in the hallway deliberating our next steps. Should we go or should we stay?  There were a few moments of silent resignation. The silence was interrupted by a loud, enthusiastic shout. “Let’s go for it!” We turned and stared at a very determined team member, Amanda, challenging us to finish the course. That broke the deadlock. We all nodded in agreement and rushed to our pre-appointed workshops. Little did I know what I was about to experience, and the “care bear” I was about to meet.

I scurried into to the room and sat down. I started to answer emails on my blackberry, as I waited for the presentation to begin. I was hyper-focused on a particularly urgent email and failed to realize the session had begun. My concentration was broken by the presence of someone talking near me. Startled, I looked up. Office Max’s, Bill Bonner was walking down the center aisle addressing the audience in my proximity. I thought it “different” that he had walked onto the floor. “He must think me rude,” I thought to myself and proceeded to put my blackberry down and focus on his presentation about “Hyper local” events.

He proceeded to explain to us how the average schoolteacher spends $1200.00 of her own money a year on school supplies. This is a great shame considering the average teacher’s starting salary is merely $30,000.00!

OfficeMax decided to do something about this five years ago by creating the “A Day Made Better” Program. This program Bill Bonner explained, singles out Section 1 schools in all of the OfficeMax Store neighborhoods every October and surprises a teacher with $1,000.00 worth of school supplies and a chair. (Section 1 schools have a significant number of the student body enrolled in the school lunch program.) The impact? He proceeded to let us experience reaction of one of the first teacher and classroom surprised via a video. That was the emotional part. The teacher was overwhelmed as were her young students. Excitedly they embraced her with hugs and kisses. They all were so overjoyed with gratitude, for the simple things most of us take for granted!

This presentation pulled at all kinds of emotions within me. I could not hold the tears back. I am not sure exactly why. Perhaps it was because years ago I was a young child with limited resources in an inner-city school. Perhaps it was the fact that the featured teacher and classroom were from Puerto Rico and that tugged at my ancestral roots. No matter how hard I tried, the tears just wouldn’t stay put. They just kept coming. Luckily, Univision Radio’s Luis Alberto Perez, sitting to my right, generously reached over to me and volunteered his cotton hankie. Thanks, Luis!

I was very touched by OfficeMax and Bill Bonner. I could feel the passion and commitment he has for this program. I just love it and am completely overwhelmed when I meet true Corporate “Care Bears,” and Bill is definitely that! I had to let him know how I felt, and the impact the presentation had on me. We really do have to reinforce these authentic and sincere humans beings that champion the silent heroes like the schoolteachers. I can only imagine they get beat up a lot, after all the ROI may not been that measureable though the love is.

Bill did more than give me insights into “Hyper Local Marketing.” He led me to a place that lay dormant within me. A place I had forgotten a long, long, time ago. A place that once ignited the passion that lead me to an urban store front to work as a youth counselor straight out of college. A place that was put on hold when running a fledging business. A place that was completely forgotten until Bill and Office Max shook it back to life.

I went to the Event Marketing Summit 2011 in Chicago to learn what was new and exciting in the of world experiential marketing, to make new contacts, motivate and develop my team. I returned however, like the Santiago in Pablo Coelho’s, The Alchemist, conscious of my personal legend.

How does this translate to Desai? We will “Adopt a Classroom” and use our creativity to make a difference like OfficeMax. We may not have the resources that OfficeMax has but we will challenge ourselves to step up through resourcefulness.

Watch "A Day Made Better" in Action

"A Day Made Better" pic. All rights reserved by momitforward

Achieving Mulitple Goals with One Campaign

Everybody, whether you are a consumer or a marketer, wants to get the most bang for their buck. If your company is involved with large events, from sponsoring to creating the many deliverables, you may be missing opportunities to achieve multiple goals then you originally set out to. Being a part of the creative world, I know this is always a challenge.

 

Learning from the best of the best on how to achieve multiple goals from one campaign, and doing it right, will be an excellent resource for future event support projects here at Desai.

Am I making you jealous? If you are unable to attend this year’s summit, don't worry!! I, as well as the rest of the Desai Team will be right back here blogging to share all the information we learned at the event.

Check out Chevrolet's youtube channel for all of their great commercials! ( I particularly like the GLEE commercial :) ) 
http://bit.ly/ktXMoH

Desai Communications wins Supplier of the Year Award 2011, Category 2

As a departure from our series leading up to the
Event Marketing Summit 2011. I want to share
with you some good news and thank the folks that
made it possible.

Last Thursday, April 28th, 2011, we were awarded the Supplier of the Year 2011, Category 2 (1-10 million annual revenue) by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) at their annual Awards Dinner held at the Aqua Turf Club in Stonington, Ct. It was a great "shot in the arm" for
all of us here at Desai. It is a confirmation that we are moving in the right direction and we are transforming for relevance.

We are a woman owned and minority-owned company. Many corporations understand the importance of supporting small busineses growth, hence they embrace local and regional organizations such as the GNEMSDC and it's national organization, the National Minority Business Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women's Business Economic National Council (WBENC), in an effort to insure the vitality of the two largest and fastest growing groups within the small business sector, the women and minority businesses.

Big guys helping out little guys is not a new concept. It is part of the American legacy. When Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard were working out of their garage, it was Disney that took a chance on this fledging company.  But it is not a faceless corporation that steps up and helps small businesses become household names like HP. It is the people within those corporations that become our champions and follow their gut and/or their hearts and take a chance on us. And if the stats are right, we don't let them down. Over 70% of all innovation comes from small businesses with
under 12 employees!

As I think back to our 32 year history, I remember Barry Duvall, the banker. I could still see him standing in the middle of our family room/production area. We were in business only a few years. He appreciated our honestly and gave us the financing we needed to outgrow our home/office and move into a building. Or Patty Kaiser, the Xerox Graphics production Manager, that gave us one of our first slide duplicating jobs. She later would come after work and teach me how to spec. printing jobs.

Hence, the most compelling reason for this blog post. To thank the folks that made that difference to Desai Communications and me in the last few years. (I can’t go back any farther, this post is already too long!) These are the folks I would have applauded and thanked on the podium last Thursday night, had I not been speechless.

So a BIG applause to great examples of dedication and love:

Larry Wooten, Pitney Bowes: Thank you for believing in us. Your understanding of the role diverse small businesses have to the health of our nation is clear by the way you continue to forge ahead on our behalf. You are steadfast and unstoppable. You are a great ally and beautiful human being.

Lynette Schenefield, RBS Citizens: You are new to the Supplier Diversity arena, but your vision and drive has allowed you to open doors of opportunities that others take years to accomplish, if at all. Thanks for supporting Desai by introducing us to your marketing, relocation and banking experts.  A very  big thanks for introducing us to Herbie Joliceur and Nya at the Stamford Citizens Bank branch. When our bank of decades let us down, Herbie and Nya showed up with the financing and expertise to help take us to the next level. I will never forget Herbie saying, “Don’t worry Sandra, you have the right banking team behind you now.” We are forever grateful. I was so touched by your story of your volunteer work in New Orleans after Katrina and how it inspired you to get involved in Supplier Diversity. You are one class act!

Jamie Crump, United Rentals: You too are a trailblazer, implementing supplier diversity when you arrived at United Rentals.  Thank you for the awesome opportunity of designing your program's brand and it's tagline. I also want to thank you for spreading the word of our capabilities throughout your media channels. And for reaching to us every time you have a relevant RFP. Your enthusiasm for supplier diversity is contagious!

Richard Bellas, VP Strategic Sourcing, PepsiCo: Thank you for believing in Desai and identifying us as a vendor to develop.

Christopher Knox, former Director, Supplier Diversity PepsiCo: Thank you for reaching out to us when you took the helm of Supplier Diversity a few years back. It was nice to be called in and be asked, "What can I do for you?" And also for starting the ball rolling and bringing greater PepsiCo participation to the Greater New England Minority Supplier Diversity Council (GNEMSDC). And last but not least, for getting us in front of decision makers and advocating on our behalf.

Maria Galeano, Supplier Diversity PepsiCo: A big thank you for your diligent fact finding efforts on our behalf so that we could improve our processes and services. And last but not least, for all the running around and for putting up with me!

Brian Baxendale, SCORE, Norwalk Ct (Retired Division President, Pitney Bowes): Thank you for your patience and great counsel. You are elegant and wise. You have been the guiding force of our transformation.

Lori Chatlos, Ct. Dept. of Labor: You are one of a kind. What passion and dedication to supporting and growing small businesses in Ct. Thank you for your incredible efforts on our behalf to provide us with the funding necessary to develop and train our team to compete in this new economy. You are the closest I have been to an Angel!

Chip Janiszewski, consultant from Central Connecticut State University's Institute of Technology & Business Development (ITBD): Another "gift from the universe" Thank you for confirming that the law of attraction is alive, kicking and dynamic. You gave our management team and me faith and hope that transcends excel sheets and creates miracles. You are always positive and have helped us to recognize the possibilities wading in the pool of impossibilities.

And to fellow small business owners out there. You have a big responsibility. You are the backbone of this economy. America is counting on all of us to drive us to a better and healthier future. So whether you get the recognition or not, walk proud and know, you are all winners!

Going Green for Corporate Events: How to Walk it like you Talk it!

Hey Peeps!

As a part of our preparation for the much anticipated Event Marketing Summit this May, our Team has gotten to blogging about some of the work shops we will be attending and why we feel they are important – and now it’s my turn! Browsing through the agenda and assigning workshops to team members was quite the process – but I think I came out with some winners!

On Tuesday May 17^th, I will be attending the workshop entitled: “Corporate Events and Meetings: Walking Green vs. ‘Talking’ Green. The instructor for this session is Thom Casadonte, Head of Global Events for Bloomberg.

I think that this workshop will be interesting and beneficial because for the past few years one of the biggest trends has been the “going green” movement. I often stop and think that while I hear a lot of talk about it – what does it really mean to go green? Recycled notebooks? LED lights? There are so many products that claim to be the more eco-friendly choice! What I would like to takeaway from this session is the most basic, standard tips to being eco-friendly when planning a corporate event or meeting so I can reduce some of the noise. I hope Thom can provide me with some solid insight that I can come back and share with my clients.

If you’re attending the event, be sure to follow our team on Twitter! We are looking forward to meeting everyone!

 

@Mandy_DesaiComm (that's me!)

@Renee_DesaiComm

@DesaiComm

 

Photo Credit: Vectorportal.com via Flikr

Event Marketing Summit 2011: Leveraging Social Interactive Platforms

I am really enjoying getting ready for the Event Marketing Summit 2011. The researching and reaching out to the folks presenting has been enjoyable, educational and quite an experience. I have noticed a few things. For example, out of the 40 workshops I counted, there are only 14 women presenting. All three headliners however, are women. I sure hope that is not a trend in experiential marketing!

Another thing I noticed as I researched these highly creative and innovative folks is that they are all "very unique" trailblazers. They walk to the beat of a different drummer and can see way beyond the the horizon. They don't seem to settle and as a consequence succeed in big and very innovative ways. In a time when a lot of us are looking around and shaking our heads trying to figure the road to reinvention, they have already taken multiple plunges into the unknown and eagerly beckon us to join them.

So far, I find one of the most inspirational of this small group, to be Jason Argent of 2K Sports. He is the ultimate in transparency and authenticity (note his tweeter profile pic. above). I have enjoyed reading his tweets and following him around (Jason, I promise, I am not stalking you!).

I have not finished researching all the presenters and doubt I will have time to, but it doesn't seem likely I will find someone as fascinating as Jason.

A few times in my life, I have symbolically stood up naked and bared my truth to a crowded and not necessarily friendly room. Jason however, is brave enough to do that literally, and on the world wide web, you go guy! I think when you are brave enough to be and not worry about what others may think, you attract sincerity and trust.

I am looking forward to Jason's presentation. I  can't wait to better understand what is touted as the "next incarnation" for social media activation.

 

Event Marketing Summit 2011: How to create a sampling army

As we continue to prepare for the Event Marketing Summit 2011, it is my turn to blog and share one of the workshops I plan to attend. I am really interested in attending  a workshop titled, "High Volume Field Marketing: How to Create a National Sampling army and will be presented by Corey Saenz, VP.-Field Marketing for Coca-Cola Co.

It will be interesting to learn from Corey how he evolved from a short-term tactic to create a very successful full-time national sampling field force. In my opinion, one of the main reasons experiential marketing is growing at such an accelerated pace, is the great need for customer-brand engagement. Sampling is as "close and personal" as a brand can get to its customer. Remember the old saying, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it? Corey has figured out the way to not only lead the horse to water but also to drink his Glaceau brand!

What I hope to takeaway from this workshop are insights and strategies on how to mobilize the "sampling troops" for brand success.

I am also looking forward to meeting Corey. From all that I have read about him, he is not only incredibly accomplished in his field but a very down to earth and giving person. (my favorite kind!).