“Leadership that is not deeply rooted in a foundation of truth is leadership destined to fail.” – Mike Myatt of Innovation Excellence.

As a leader, you are only as good as your word and how you live out that word. The most successful business leaders of our time have built their personal brand through honesty, making the right decisions and perhaps most importantly – admitting when they have it wrong. Success, in my opinion, is dependent on a leader’s moral compass.

A recent Forbes’ article had this to say about leadership, “True leaders don’t have the luxury of blaming others. Instead, they own every failure and work tirelessly to fix problems no matter the source.”

A good leader…

• is selfless.
• brings people together.
• owns failure.
• makes sacrifices.
• pursues the greater good, often at their own expense.

As we are inundated with news of the latest scandal caused by 45, it is imperative that we remember what a leader truly embodies.

My top blogs of 2017 were incredibly personal and a bit painful to write. I narrowed last year’s blogs down to the top 5. In each of these my passion and commitment to small business is evident, as is the sacrifice and growth that comes along to it. So, take a gander and if you would be so kind…let me know what you would like me to write on in 2018.

Why you should quit your job
I got a bit of blowback on this one, apparently I shouldn’t be encouraging people to quit their job (they hate) to do something they love. I started 8THIRTYFOUR when I was in my mid (okay late) 20s and my age played a major factor in the beginning. As we age we become more risk adverse and this was something I most definitely didn’t contemplate at the time. Your happiness is more important than your age, so make the leap, be happy.

It sure is lonely
I wrote this blog when I was dealing with employee issues and I was at my wits end. I was frustrated, felt abused, disrespected and hurt – the outpouring of support that resulted from this blog, seriously restored my faith in humanity. It was obvious I wasn’t the only one experiencing these feelings.

❤️

Motivation in loss
This blog still gets me choked up. Losing Murphy, was and is one of the hardest life moments I have had to overcome. He was with me during my divorce, bankruptcy, move, multiple jobs, the start of 8THIRTYFOUR and more. He was my constant companion and he loved me when it felt like no one else did. Finding the lesson in the loss was difficult, but this blog and the responses from it…made all the difference.

Dress to impress
Let’s be honest, we are all judged by our appearance and in the professional world you can’t afford to be lazy about it. I was inspired to write this after we passed a dress code policy at 8THIRTYFOUR. I want my employees to be comfortable but first impressions are everything. Adding some wardrobe staples to your closet will make all the difference…and stop using the excuse you can’t afford it – I showcase multiple affordable options.

How to give a memorable interview
For anyone entering the workforce or those that are looking for a refresher/tips, this blog hits all of the key points while also being wildly entertaining…ok, mildly entertaining. After our second or third intern interview, my managing director and myself looked at each other and said “what just happened?” How could simple etiquette not be applied to all human interaction, much less an interview?

I really, really, really want to get your feedback on the Small Biz Musings blog. As much as I entertain myself with my own writing…I hope it gives you some worthwhile information and tips.

Feel free to email me directly, kim@834design.com.

Strategies are hard.

Where the hell do you even start? Whether you are the one responsible for creating a marketing plan or you are working with an agency, you need to understand the components.

The following outline is what I start with when crafting a strategy and then I customize based on the client, industry and overall goals. This will give you a starting point, and you can then add and subtract from there.

Marketing Plan Overview:
This is just a paragraph or two of what is included in the plan. What are the components and sections that are outlined in the strategy.

Goals & Objectives:
It is imperative that you map out measurable goals, break it out into internal and external goals. Below are some examples:

• Increase leads through website by 10 a month.
• Map out internal processes to streamline the customer service experience.

You will also want to outline how you plan to measure each of these goals. Obviously with the website lead generation, it will be how many forms are filled out, calls made, traffic on page, etc. For the internal processes, you can set a timeline of when each section will be completed.

SWOT Analysis:
SWOT Analysis is a tool for examining the current status of a company in a particular marketplace. This is not expected to be timeliness, but to give a snapshot of the company and the market forces at this point in time.

Competitor Analysis:
This may seem redundant year after year, but it is important to revisit ever year. Look at what your major competitors are doing well or not so well in the marketing realm, so look at their website, social media, search rank, blogging, email marketing and more. Learn from what they are doing well and avoid what they are not doing well.

Research:
This section will vary based on your industry. However, if you have done surveys or client interviews in the past, that is a great starting point. You can also indicate in the strategy that surveys are going to be implemented as part of the strategy. By gathering as much intel as you can on your current and past customers, you can effectively plan out tools and tactics within the plan. This section is also where you map out buyer/audience personals. Below is an example, if the client was a home builder or realty company:

• Millennial Couple with Young Kinds, a Dog
  • Clear pricing is important for this group so they can manage budget, although they are often willing to stretch.
  • Space is important for kids to be close and have places to play, desire to entertain family and friends is also important.
  • They research every buying decision online before moving forward. This is often done on a tablet or mobile phone.
  • They are avid watchers of HGTV, especially Fixer Upper as they can relate to Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Messaging:
Clear and consistent messaging is a must for all brands. By maintaining consistence across all communication mediums, you ensure that everyone is receiving the right message. In this section outline your brand attributes, positioning statement, elevator speech, tagline, tone and voice and sample language.

Tactics:
This is the section where you map out how you are going to achieve the goals you mapped out early on in the strategy. Depending on what the research, competitor analysis and other sections reveal this can include, but is not limited to:

• Community engagement
• Digital – SEO/SEM
• Email marketing
• Social media
• Video
• Advertising
• Public relations
• Blogging

The next section is implementation. I recommend breaking this out first quarterly, then monthly, then weekly and finally daily. Be sure everyone on your team knows what they are responsible for and revisit the strategy often in bi-weekly meetings to adjust as needed.

At the end of every year, people lose their minds and make a bunch of resolutions they are never going to keep. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results – it’s time for a different approach.

What if we all learned from the prior year, took note of what was great, what wasn’t and what was a gigantic waste of time? Before you move fully into 2018, reflect on what was great about 2017. It is human nature to dwell on the negative, so we have to force ourselves to find/remember the positive.

If you don’t follow Tim Ferriss, do yourself a favor and do it now. Ferriss suggests doing the following in place of making resolutions.

1. Map out 2017’s pros and cons. For example, a pro for me was my trip to Ireland and a con was losing two of my dogs (sorry to be a bummer). If you take stock in what was great in the past year and what sucked, you will have a much clearer picture of what needs to change in 2018. And no, the answer isn’t less dogs…it is more dogs (obviously).
2. Go through your calendar week by week and take note of the people and activities that had a positive impact on you and the ones that didn’t. Who and what made you feel great? One of my biggest supporters is Sue Tellier of JetCo Solutions, whenever I need a swift kick in the ass, she is the one I call or text. I know for 2018 to be truly great, I need to make more time to connect with Sue and the other powerful women in my life. Something I want to cut back on is eating out, I did that a lot in 2017 and it was impossible to stay on a healthy diet.
3. Now that you have the positive and negatives mapped out by week, schedule out time with the activities and people that make your life better. Rid yourself of the B.S. and fill that time with the great stuff. Is it morning meditation versus a breakfast meeting? Is it hosting friends for dinner at your house versus going out? Whatever it is, get it on the calendar now. The longer you wait, the less likely you’ll stick to it.

Screw the resolutions, you won’t keep them anyways. Try this approach and let me know your thoughts.

The holidays are a great time to sit back and strategize on your business for the coming year. The weeks leading up to Christmas are a great reprieve from email, meetings and conference calls.

So make the most of it and set your goals for 2018. Grab the spiked Eggnog, a cozy blanket, your laptop and lets get to work.

1. Before you get started, take a look at what you accomplished in 2017. Focus on the positive, what did you do well? What was the most profitable part of your business? For example, 8THIRTYFOUR grew our digital division while we saw a steady growth in public relations services as well.
2. What didn’t work this past year? Make a note of the issues the business encountered. What did you do to correct it? Do you need to add this to your plan for 2018? This past year we tackled strategic planning, which resulted in some really tough business and staff decisions. What this did, was set us up to hit our revenue goals in 2018.
3. Ok, now that you have taken stock of the past year, it’s time to look ahead. What is outside your control that can affect your business? Just recently the GOP passed their tax plan, what does this mean for your business? Will this impact your revenue? What can you do to offset it?
4. Let’s talk numbers. What are your revenue goals for 2018? Setting this will determine your plan of action, which is the next step.
5. Great, we got numbers…but how are you going to achieve them? Might, I suggest looking at the digital realm? Whatever your business might be, your potential clients are more than likely looking online to find you offer. If lead generation is a goal (isn’t it for everyone), then marketing must be a priority. And yes, it takes money to make money.
6. Good, we all agree – marketing is super important. With your tools and tactics mapped out, you need to create a roadmap or timeline. Pull your leadership team together and set the milestones to reach your goals – break it down by week, month, 90 days.
7. Looks like you are all set for 2018! Wrong. You need a ‘oh shit’ plan, because nothing ever goes according to plan. If you suddenly lose a major client, what will you do? Outline the steps you will take to protect your business.

Now that you are thoroughly buzzed up from your Eggnog…pat yourself on the back for taking this slow time to plan for the coming year. Oh, and call 8THIRTYFOUR so we can launch that lead generation strategy.

2018 is going to kickass.

The holidays, am I right? Just typing that I am exhausted. What is it about them that just mentally exhausts us and makes us ridiculously emotional?

For a lot of us, it’s family dynamics and figuring out how to cope with them or not…might I suggest the latter?

Whatever it is, cut yourself some slack. This time of year is hard. If Christmas cheer isn’t radiating off of you, who cares? The expectations we have for the holidays, sets us up for disappointment.

Might I suggest that instead, pour that glass of wine, turn on Elf and be kind to yourself.

Remember, you are not alone (no one is really that happy).

The use of social media is a hot topic around our office lately. We have a social media policy at 8THIRTYFOUR, it is all of one paragraph and states that employees are expected to engage with our brand, share our content and be good ambassadors. What it fails to get into is the type of content, posts, expectations, etc. to ensure the company brand is protected.

It is important to me that each employee feels free to express their opinions, share their personal stories and utilize social media how they want. However, as a business owner, I also have to manage and protect my brand.

When I rewrite our policy, I will be sure to include the following and I encourage you to do the same.

1. Indicate what is confidential to the company. For example, sharing information on a RFP response, client work, financial information, etc. Make sure an employee understands what content they need to ask approval on before sharing. A good rule of thumb is mirroring the content shared on the company social channels.
2. What are the consequences? It is fascinating to me the stuff people will share online without considering the ramifications. Social media does not happen in a vacuum, something you share with a few hundred friends can easily go viral. Be sure your employees are clear on the repercussions. Firing? Suspension?
3. Encourage an open dialogue. As I said earlier in this blog, we are having this discussion internally. Employees have to feel they can come to you with questions as it relates to social media.
4. Social media is a reflection of your culture. I ask employees to use their best judgment and to remember they are ambassadors of our brand. We are a progressive agency and do not shy away from uncomfortable topics, that being said inform, educate and share. Use the platform to appropriately and stop with the damn selfies.
5. Avoid the illegal. Nothing much to say about this one, except don’t do it. It is necessary for a company to state “don’t use social media for illegal activities.”

A company’s social media policy should educate employees on usage and give examples of what is and isn’t acceptable.

My advice to employees is, anything you put out there to be seen should be intelligent and well-thought out. Too often we use social media as a passive aggressive way to share our opinions. How about writing a blog and then encouraging the discussion to happen there.

How do you stay motivated when faced with overwhelming loss? Whether it is a death, personal failure, business failure or other; motivation can seem unattainable – especially when all you want to do is curl up in the fetal position and cry.

This past year, I lost two of my dogs and the pain felt insurmountable. There was an emptiness, crushing sadness…but I own a business and giving into the hurt wasn’t an option. I picked myself up and reminded myself of the following:

1. You have a purpose. Every day your employees, clients and vendors depend on you. Your business and role serve a very important purpose, remind yourself of this every day when you wake up. Take a deep breath and remember why you started your business.
2. Be open about the loss. When I lost Murphy, I wrote a blog about it and shared the pain with those close to me. Interestingly enough when I lost Apollo, I kept it to myself and preferred to suffer alone and I’m still dealing with the repercussions of that approach.
3. Be thankful for what you have. Reflect on the positive – your family, friends, business and for me, my other furkids. As human beings it is our natural reaction to give into the negative and get stuck there – remind yourself each day of the good things.
4. Plan a trip. Pack everyone up and go someplace. A change of environment will do wonders for you.
5. Be inspired by others. Pick up a book on some badass individual and gain perspective. I started reading What Happened by Hillary Clinton – talk about someone who had to overcome obstacle after obstacle.

There is no magic formula for overcoming loss and finding motivation in spite of it. Acknowledging it, allowing others to help and remembering the positive was key for me.

What are your thoughts?

It’s that time of year where we are bombarded with ads, coupons, sales, doorbusters – you name it. If you are a small business you may struggle to stand out, how can you even compete?

If you are a small retailer, it is already hard enough to make a profit, you can slash prices to be competitive with the big box stores.

Don’t worry, there are other ways you can stand out and the great thing? Your customers are loyal.

1. How you treat your customers when they walk through the door is your chance to shine. Greet them, hand them a shopping bag and offer them a refreshment. Spend some money on mimosas and croissants for them to munch on as they shop. These thoughtful touches are what keeps them coming back. By taking the time to get to know every customer that walks through your door, you know their style, likes and favorite products. Be sure to reach out when something arrives in your store you know they will love.
2. Be unique in the products or services you offer. Anyone can go and pick up a dress online that 25 other people they know will have, however if it is a truly unique piece the price because less important. Your customers are those that see the value in what you offer, appreciate the uniqueness and want an enjoyable experience. There is a reason they are not at Wal-Mart fighting over the last TV.
3. Give a little something extra. Drop a personalized note in each of your customer’s bags when they are checking out; let them know how much you appreciate them. Brainstorm how you can add value to their experience, whether it is taking the time to chat with them or giving away a freebie with a purchase.

If you choose to participate in Black Friday, Small Biz Saturday or Cyber Monday, remember why you do what you do and stay true to yourself and your brand.

Share in the comments below what your plans are.

I failed today in setting an example, in leading, in following our core values. I let frustration and stress get the better of me. Want to know the great thing about it? I have another chance to get it right. Tomorrow is a new day.

Owning and running a business is tough and you are going to screw up. Admitting the mess ups and then moving on is the only choice you have.

We are human and we are not perfect and I’m telling you right now, it’s ok. Moving forward means taking the right steps to get past it.

1. Admit your failure. Once you acknowledge it, you can move on.
2. Do better. If you know what you screwed up, don’t make the same mistake again. Get in the right head space and tell yourself tomorrow is another day and another chance to get it right.
3. Fake it. Slap a smile on your face and set an example.
4. Reflect. Take time in the evening to really truly reflect, ask yourself: “What could I have done differently?”
5. Give yourself a break. No one is perfect and owning a business is really hard. There is a loneliness that is impossible to explain and you are going to have bad days and hard days and really, really shitty days.

Be nice to yourself and strive to do better, that is all anyone can ask of you.