I have worked on both large and small marketing and branding strategy projects. As one would expect, the larger ones, by nature of their size, require lots of time and energy. Not always. Here's some lessons I've learned about managing projects, clients and expectations. I am not sure if this is an anomaly, or something that others have experienced, but on more than one occasion, I’ve had small clients who were paying smaller fees but who were more demanding than the larger clients. I found...

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What happens when a group of people get together on the web? They create a “swarm” that collectively moves the world! When consumers get miffed, long gone are the days of writing letters or picketing outside corporate headquarters. Today’s generation goes online and makes their miff known, quite directly. Greenpeace went after Nestle on their Facebook page and let the company know in no uncertain terms that they would not support the use of Palm Oil in their Kit Kat bar.  They then posted...

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"Do not panic. This is not the revolution. But you should pay attention and find your Place on Facebook. Your business or place may not be in Facebook Places, and that means someone else can define you in this giant network of mobile users. Facebook's making a play for geo-location dominance. It's not revolutionary because others are already here. But Facebook has a large and growing audience, and that means more people will start using this and you need to think about how that affects your...

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5 convincing reasons rituals can put you on a winning track. Rituals are one of the most important tools you can use to achieve balance, mental toughness and your goals. Repetition of habits creates an awareness of your values and what's most meaningful. Disciplined patterns of thinking and acting can enhance your ability to respond to pressure, recover from mental and physical depletion and concentrate on your goals. In Jame E. Loehr's New York Times bestselling book, Stress for Success, Jim...

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For all the workaholics who believe the only way to create success is to work really hard for it, this may be a challenging idea for you. It simply goes against the grain of conventional wisdom – people who don’t work hard will achieve very little in life. At first glance, you're probably thinking how can one achieve more and work less? It seems counter-intuitive, and it goes against the grain of conventional wisdom-people who don't work hard, achieve very little in life. All...

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None of the above will change your business or your destiny.  Sure these things will help move your butt along and provide some superficial joy, but the only thing that can really make some serious stuff happen is YOU. And if you are like most humans, this action or radical change will come only after YOU feel enough pain (in your check book, on your happy meter) or you experience "in-your-face fear "about something (a big uncertainty that scars the crap out of YOU) before you initiate any...

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In December 2009, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced his new company, Square, will allow merchants and individuals to accept secure payment from credit (and other) cards using a mobile phone. The idea is to accept payment through your cell phone in 10 seconds. Basically, it’s a little square dongle that plugs into your smartphone and allows you to swipe credit cards. Square may be exactly what you need for your growing business.  Not only is it convenient and portable, but the startup costs...

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What makes your business different from others offering the same services? If you can’t answer that question than what are you doing? New business owners need to clearly and quickly point out what is so special about the way they are doing business. If you don’t know, your customers sure the heck aren’t gonna know -- which means they aren’t spending money with you. We are in the age of going green. Any company worth their salt is considering their impact on the triple bottom line and consumers...

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