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Everybody has an agenda. Even if we say we don’t, that’s still an agenda. But there’s no reason to feel guilty about that. If we want something, there’s no shame in making some noise, letting whoever has it know that we want it, and respectfully reminding them why we deserve it. When we start our phone calls or emails with, “Everybody has an agenda, and here’s mine,” we still…

Not unlike travel agencies, record stores, post offices, encyclopedias, newspapers, movie rentals, yellow pages, television, bill paying, book publishing, photography, pornography, video games, terrestrial radio, real estate and journalism, there’s no reason to think your industry won’t be completely flipped on its head too. But if you help the industry make contact with the future, if you skate to the where the puck is going to be, you might…

1. Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours? We’ve created a culture of complete honesty, friendship and leading with love. We’re never unkind, my door is never closed and I have never walked in the office in a bad mood. That’s deeply unfair to my colleagues. We do whatever it takes to make each other as happy as possible. There’s…

The draw of social media is automatic listenership. Which makes sense, considering people are lonely and want to be listened to. And when they can scratch that itch for free, instantly and everywhere, it’s hard to resist. But the number of followers, friends and subscribers you have doesn’t necessarily mean people are listening. This calls for a heroic dose of humility. Do people actually care about your feelings, or…

Prolific Interactive is a Brooklyn agency that loves crazy, creative minds with an interest in mobile strategy, design and development.  I sat down with their Co-Founder and CEO, Bobby Emamian and posed three crucial questions about belonging:  1.Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours?  At the root of our culture, we solve problems together. We go to battle together. And we all bring…

True service isn’t about labor and time, it’s about intention and attention. It’s not about bastardizing caring into a technique, it’s about broadcasting the willingness to and the consistency with which you do care. When the restaurant has an hour wait, takes down my cell phone number on their iPad, encourages me to walk around the neighborhood and promises to send me a text message five minutes before my…

If you want to get people hooked, give them a greater sense of occasion. Turn a routine arrival, subscription, payment or membership into a happening, a big deal and amoment worth remembering. When you practice yoga at Bikram Los Angeles, new students get their name written on a huge chalkboard in the lobby to commemorate their first class. With you order speakers from Noogi, their trademark wooden shipping containers…

Generation is a branding and communications firm that works exclusively with clients in the non-profit sector. Their trademark thought process revolves around culturally and politically engaged human beings who don’t need foosball to be creative.  I sat down with president Tom Sternal and posed three crucial questions about belonging: 1.     Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours? We’re informal, small…

Treat them like adults. That’s the simplest, cheapest and smartest way to deal with people. Evernote gives their employees unlimited vacation time and a thousand dollar spending stipend to boot. Because they know that trust is cheaper than control. Don’t make attendance a form of punishment. Commerce Bank allows their employees to kill any stupid rule that stands in the way of pleasing customers. Because they know service is…

Huge is a full-service digital agency that transforms brands and grows businesses. I sat down with president Shirley Au and posed three crucial questions on belonging: 1. Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours? We try really hard to have a flat organization. We don’t tolerate big egos in the workplace. For a lot of people, it’s attractive that…