Blog

John Moore of Brand Autopsy posted a great article by Rick Nobles called Congratulations – Someone Hates Your Brand! A few excerpts: “Having someone hate you lets you know you’re doing a good job of branding.” “When you put a stake in the ground and say ‘this is who I am,’ you are also saying ‘this is who I’m not.’ Identity is all about creating parameters, drawing lines among…

“Don’t tell ’em what you did, tell ’em what you learned.” Ok then. Here’s what I learned in 2005: * * * * BE the change you want to see in the world. Be brilliant at the basics. Be the first one. Be the only one. Be unforgettable. Be interesting. Be a sleeper. Be that guy. Be the world’s experton yourself. Be better than yesterday, but not as good…

I stayed at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center last weekend for a wedding. As soon as I checked in, I noticed the employee nametags had something noticeably different on them: another name. (Sorry the pic is tough to see…not an easy shot) “Why does your nametag say ‘The Boss’ on it?” I asked Jonathan. “Oh, Bruce is my favorite! See, we all have a different musician underneath…

It’s been a long, exciting, stressful, fun, memorable, interesting and exhausting year. And when I look back at everything from the new book to speaking in Switzerland to the nametag tattoo, it’s sure been a productive one too! Last night I spent a few hours on one last project for 2005. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while now, so I’m glad I finally got around…

I never could have asked for a better gift! Thanks SO much to MACO, namely my friend Janet Kelley, who supplies me with the most adhesively strong, boldest color and highest quality nametags in the world. Take THAT, Avery. I think 6000 nametags should last me at least through the summer. LET ME ASK YA THIS… What favorite product do you use every day? * * * * Scott…

A few weeks ago I posted a free ebook called 66 Priceless Pieces of Business Advice I Couldn’t Live Without. It’s been downloaded almost 2000 times since then, and the feedback has been awesome. People are still emailing with their best pieces of advice. Anyway, since it’s a quote book, I thought this week’s podcast would include some of the stories and originations behind those quotations. Hope everyone is…

You get a LOT of emails. Maybe even a few hundred per week. And while you do your best to read, reply and consider each of the messages as they come in, there is no doubt you’ve forgotten or missed a few over the past year. So, here’s a great exercise called “The Year In Email, 2005.” Go to your Inbox. Sort all of your emails according to the…

This is very exciting. My new buttons just came in the mail from purebuttons.com! (Check out their site if you haven’t already.) Anyway, I enclosed a button in each of my 2005 Holiday cards. And while I was mailing them yesterday, I starting thinking about the magnitude of such a small item… Let’s say you wore a pin like this to a meeting, conference, trade show, sales call, walking…

Last weekend I spent a few days in Cincy to see some old college friends. On Saturday my friend Phil and I passed this building on the way to lunch. “Wow, five floors of books! We HAVE to go there!” I said. So, after lunch we entered into quite possibly the greatest bookstore known to man: The Ohio Book Store. Cincinnati’s oldest, since 1941. According to owner Jim Fallon,…

Although I’ve been to hundreds of Starbucks in my life, last weekend’s visit was the single most unique and memorable experience I’ve ever had. It happened at the Louisville, KY store. (972 Baxter Avenue, to be exact.) When my friend Laine and I arrived at the counter, one of the employees asked, “Do you know you’re still wearing a nametag?” “Yep, I always wear it to make people friendlier…