I remember standing next to US Army (ret) General “Stormin’ Norman” Schwarzkopf, the leader of the US invasion of Iraqi during Desert Shield, before his address to a crowd of McDonald’s agency people back in 1993. He was a big barrel-chested guy and he held command even in a suit and tie. He was jovial, full of life, and seemed … Read More
Five Company Killers You Never Saw Coming
“As a business owner, entrepreneur, or company leader, I have my proverbial thumb on the pulse of my company. I know when it’s doing well and when it’s not.” I remember when I used to think like that. Then there was the company that was rocking along making good money, with happy employees and a great list of clients that … Read More
2500 Swings
I love baseball season. If you’re like me, you tend to name the seasons by the sports they bring—Fall is Football, Winter is Basketball—and Spring is Baseball. (and Summer is for offseason workouts!) As a baseball guy, I have the pleasure of knowing the great Will Clark, Major League Baseball first baseman and slugger for the Giants, Rangers, Cardinals, and … Read More
Junk Floats
![Floating trash [cropped]](http://thedaygroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Floating-trash-cropped-846x635.png)
My friend Brad recently described his business situation to me over a cup of coffee. He said that just 18 months ago, things were really good. He was making very good money, and his company was highly profitable. He had lots of employees, and new business seemed to just happen on its own. His products and services were in high … Read More
Did You Waste Your Money?
You were all-in with that sponsorship. They splashed your company brand all over the cover, put your banners on display, and gave you credit on the radio and online. You even got to address the audience at the podium, and you had a table front-and-center for you and your guests. You were going to be a household name to your … Read More
A BRAND new look
For my twin daughters’ birthday, Sue and I promised we would redecorate each of the girls’ rooms. They were turning 16, and although their rooms were both quite cute and fairly well done, it was time for an update. “My room just doesn’t represent who I am. It’s un-inspiring,” they would say. And so, a few trips to the paint … Read More
Marketing Trends for 2016
Yea, believe it or not 2016 is here, and the reality is that many of us have only just begun to plan our marketing and advertising for this year. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t seem to make those decisions in October! Have no fear. While some opportunities have ended, others are still available to us. For … Read More
The Secret to Productivity – Part 3
Learning how to slow down and think it through is counter-intuitive for the American worker. In the advertising business, we have to be creative, which is impossible without slowing down and thinking it through. Yes, we’re naturally talented at coming up with ideas and exercising creativity, but truly good creative (we use that word as a noun in our biz) … Read More
The Secret to Productivity- Part 2
Last time we talked about one of the biggest secrets to being more productive: slowing down. When we take the time to slow down and think through our task, relationship, or our life in general, we become problem solvers, idea generators, and creativity factories. When we don’t, we’re just taskmasters, using more energy than we create and growing more tired … Read More
The Secret to Productivity – Part 1
Like most of us in the communications business, you’re probably moving at the speed of life, knocking out your to-do list and moving to the next project. I can hear John Wayne in one of my favorite old movies The Cowboys: “Saddle up, boys, we’re burning daylight.” It seems there’s never enough time in the day to get it all … Read More