racers in carts

The Race For Online Publishing Disruption

June 7, 2013 — 2 Comments

What’s your take on the crop of recent online publishing platforms?

It seems there’s a lot going on in the space.

There’s Medium. Learn about it here.

There’s Ghost. Learn about it here.

Last week, the guys at Oak launched Site Leaf.

My friend Jordan has been raving about Anchor.

And then there’s Marquee, Roon, Populr and all these.

One thing is for sure. People do not just want to consume. They also want to produce. If this is true, there is definitely room for niche or style focused publishing platforms to thrive.

Where do you think we’ll land? Will WordPress stay dominant? Tumblr?

The race is on.

photo: shaggy359

In Technology , , , ,
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greensboro nc, skyline at night

Introducing Triad Startups

May 29, 2013 — 2 Comments

It dawned on me a few months ago, I’ve lived in the Triad for 17 years. That’s almost as long as I lived in my hometown.

During my time here, I’ve met a ton of enormously talented entrepreneurs. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since companies like RF Micro, Wrangler, Hanes, Krispy Kreme, The Fresh Market and LabCorp, to name a few, were founded here.

With all this talent and more and more startups cropping up in the area, I thought it would be cool to shine a light on the men and women making an impact in the Triad. Other communities have embraced “the rising tide lifts all ships” mindset. Look at Made in NY or Downtown Durham Startups.

Why can’t we do something like that here? We can.

So, I’m excited to announce Triad Startups (shipped by this smart dude and yours truly).

It’s early, and we’re not sure where it will go, but our hope is to provide a directory of the cool stuff happening in NC’s Triad and tell the stories of the people behind it. This area has a lot to offer.

If you’re a Triad startup or would like to help the project, please add your company to the list and reach out.

photo credit:  Wizum

In Startup Series , , ,
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jimmy johns

Keep Your Promises and Over Deliver

May 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

The saying used to be, “under promise and over deliver.” This may have been true in the past, but to win customers daily, brands need to:

Make good on their promises and over deliver.

You can’t under value (or under promise) anything. The competition for your consumers attention and dollars is too good. The goal should be to make products and services that are great and over deliver on service, engagement, and performance. If your online and offline marketing is in sync, this is way easier. Invest the time and resources to make this happen. The returns will be worth it.

If you can’t over deliver, then don’t deliver at all.

I am all for being first to market and positioned first in consumers’ minds, but don’t do this at the expense of launching something average.

Patience is underrated.

I am not saying you should wait until everything is perfect. That day will never come. Launch as soon as you can do what you say you’re going to do. As you push “go”, find areas you can add WOW! Sometimes these are big things, like Virgin America, and sometimes they are small, like Jimmy John’s ten minutes or less delivery. Examples like these remind us that every interaction our customers have with us is an opportunity to over deliver.

In Marketing , , ,
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work in progress sign with white background and red border

Answering The Question: Hard Work Versus Smart Work

May 9, 2013 — Leave a comment

Hard work versus smart work. It’s an age-old debate. Which one is more important?

The answer is both. Working hard helps you find opportunities and working smart helps you capitalize on them.

Hard Work

Hard work isn’t always breaking rocks in the hot sun or 15 hour days. What makes work hard is that it requires discipline and persistent effort. Hard work is what produces craftsmanship. It takes time to master a skill. The consistency of doing the work helps train your senses to uncover and spot opportunities.

Smart Work

Working smart is usually simple, but not always easy. Smart work requires doing things that are most productive and doing them efficiently. One way to create smart work habits is to ask yourself, “Am I doing this thing because it’s the best way to get the most benefit or am I doing it this way because it’s how I’ve always done it?” Once you’ve learned how to do smart work, taking advantage of opportunities is easier.

Success doesn’t just fall out of the sky and land on people. It is a planned event. The combination of hard work and smart work enables you to see the plan and execute it.

photo credit: blumpy

In Entrepreneurship, Life , ,
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Movie Lessons: Patch Adams Teaches Us To Care More

May 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

What if the maxim for your company was to care more? Customers are looking for someone who feels their pain and their joy. Most organizations don’t give a rip. Isn’t it obvious every time you have to fly a commercial airline or have to call your local cable company? How about the DMV?

In the movie Patch Adams, Robin William’s character  “You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”  In business if we treat people as only customer and prospects, we may win or lose. We treat them as people, and it’s win-win.

If you can’t see the video, click [here].

The problem with caring is it takes an effort. Caring less is easy. When customers are a number or  transaction little energy is needed. You don’t have to think about the big picture or long-term thinking. It’s also risky. When you put your heart out there on the line, people may not care back. And that hurts.

In Movie Lessons ,
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