entrepreneurs
256 posts
It’s All Been Done Before
This is what I call ‘the pioneer’s lament’. It’s been my personal lament many a day. It goes something like this… You have a great idea. It could be for a product, service, a book, blog post, or a new kind of dog food. You start planning, taking notes, visualising the impact of said thing…
Even The Big Guys Are Guessing
A couple of days ago Cadbury did their first product launch on Google+. The launch was an experiment, their best guess and they went with it. Even they don’t know for sure what will work and what won’t. Yes, they pay people to help them with the process of being more sure, but they never…
The Story You Tell Is A Choice
The story you tell is a choice. Creating a series of lines in the sand. Symbolic of values that you’re not willing to compromise on. Your brand can’t be all things to everyone. This and that. The brands that stand out, that have soul, that win by being different, choose. They choose to stand for…
The Apple Store, Belonging And Love
What’s the one thing you never find at an Apple Store? That thing you probably found in your hotel room when you checked in. The poorly expressed intention to customers, that guarantees they will never come back. Oh, and it’s most likely laminated and taped up in several places. Ah yes….. a list of
You Are Whoever You Believe You Are
While working with people on crafting stories about their brands, businesses, products and services I’ve stumbled across this under-acknowledged fact. Yes it is a fact, with a capital ‘F’ not simply a theory. You are whoever you believe you are Some of the most important stories you tell are the one
21 Ways To Nurture Your Ideas
Your mountain is waiting. So… Get on your way. ~ Dr Suess 1. Create an idea saving system. Find tools that work for you, Moleskine or Evernote anyone? 2. Be ready to capture ideas anywhere. J.K. Rowling tells the story of how Harry Potter “fell into her head” on a train journey. 3. Step away…
Change How People Feel Not What They Do
Every marketing decision you make should be prefaced with this question; “How will it make her feel?” Of course you want people to do, but you need them to feel first. When people feel they act. The feeling is what leads to the doing. Think about the websites and cafes you love to visit, the…
If Only
If only there were 26 hours in each day. If only they understood. If only the competition didn’t compete. If only there was more space. If only the economy wasn’t in such a mess. If only chocolate didn’t taste so good. If only the gym wasn’t so far away. If only they hadn’t launched first.…
Knowing For Sure
What you often want is a guarantee. The sure fire thing. The one that cannot fail. You will ask, how will I know for sure? What’s definitely going to stick? You will question if you are putting the cart before the horse, then try to work out how ‘most people in your shoes’, put horses…
The One Thing To Remember About Website Traffic
Of course you want more ‘traffic’ to your website. After all; MORE EYEBALLS = MORE AWARENESS MORE AWARENESS = MORE AUTHORITY MORE AUTHORITY = MORE SUCCESS MORE SUCCESS = MORE CHOICES Behind that ‘traffic’, every statistic, every blip on your analytics, every search term that brought them there. Behi
If : A Love Note To Entrepreneurs
If you’re doing your best work. If you touched one person. If it makes a difference to a handful. If you’re building a legacy, not just an empire. If your values are front and centre. If you’re launching ideas from the heart. If you understand why you’re doing this. If it doesn’t have to matter…
Why You Should Never Work For Coffee
If you’re a knowledgeable, skilled and gifted freelancer, solopreneur, designer, consultant, coach or someone with something valuable to share, I guarantee that you will get asked this question. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee, then we can, [insert information seeker’s agenda here]?” Don’t get me wro
How Do You Differentiate Yourself?
Life’s too short to sell things you don’t believe in. ~ Patrick Dixon Often the real value of the work you do isn’t what gets delivered in the package, during the session or in the ebook. In order to differentiate you need to really understand the effect of what you do, sell, offer or deliver…
Why A Better Business Story Matters
Santoso and Dian live within a kilometer of each other in the once sleepy town of Ubud, in Bali. Both men are master wood carvers and work for hours every day hunched on the floor of their tiny workshops. Happily for them Ubud is now the thriving arts center of the island and thousands of…
Uncertainty Book, Interview With Jonathan Fields
Fear of failure is not something that’s imagined, it’s real. In many ways it’s what drives us and ultimately prevents us from doing our best work. Uncertainty is a signpost that what you’re doing matters. ~ Jonathan Fields Jonathan Fields is on a mission to empower us to embrace fear and turn it int
The Secret To Building Ideas That Fly
Every single successful idea is born from tapping into just one thing. It’s the secret to the success of entrepreneurs the world over, from Derek Sivers to Richard Branson, Seth Godin to Jack Canfield. You know what it is, but sometimes you get so caught up in creating momentum around your idea, tha
