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Make a Memory

I travel a lot. I am usually gone for at least a day or two every week. Sometimes more and sometimes less. Certainly most of my travel during the week is business travel. So many times, business travelers run with their heads down, get their task done, cram in some bad food and go to bed and then repeat the same process the next day. I am certainly guilty of this very thing. However there is simple value in getting away from this behavior and making small memories during your travel.

In the last few weeks, I have gone a little out of the way to eat delicious Buckeye Chocolates from Winan's Chocolates in Ohio, tried to find a famous banana milkshake in freezing cold Lansing, Michigan and discovered simple fun times laughing about random memories in Rural Pennsylvania. During each of these occasions I would explain our simple journey as "making a memory" to the people I was with or even if I was alone.

Making simple memories can make your biz travels less grueling and....- more memorable! Those that travel with you will enjoy your mindset and it will benefit them as well.

Be a Friend - Enhance BizLife

One of my favorite quotes given to me many years ago when a best friend passed away comes from Robert Louis Stevenson:

"A friend is a gift you give yourself."

I have always agreed with this and tried to live it. Much of what I have learned, done and appreciated in life comes from great friends. Those who do not believe in the power of a friend, often have a splinter somewhere in their soul. Too many people shuck their friends and go into a relational recession that leads to an emergency downfall with very little netting to catch them.

I often tell people that in business it is wise to "be a friend." Think about things friends do and attempt to duplicate those behaviors for your customers and associates. The inspiration from this post comes from this article posted on the BBC's website. After you read it, you will think more deeply about friendships and their influence on your life all the way to your wallet?

Be Fresh With your Easy Catch

The photo with this post is awesome (click on it to zoom it)! I was in a sbux today and while waiting for my drink, I noticed this sliver flyer. I had to take one. Not because I need math help (which I do), but because this is excellent simple marketing. The creative and humorous approach towards a seldom exciting message is great. Not many people are able to make tutoring advertisements exciting. What you often see is a flyer of white paper and boring black font with a phone number. The problem with that is that it gets lost on the pushboard that you stuck it on. This on the other hand stood out clearly above all else.

The best part of this is the actual message once the bright green and the BIG "MaTh" gets your attention. The creator of this chose to use an uplifting play on words (love, romance advice, etc) to quickly connect with their audience. This was clearly not rocket science, but very catchy and there is a biz lesson to learn from this.

This is a "Fresh" Easy Catch. If anyone responds to this, it was an easy catch for Amber. She did not have to labor extensively to get the business that will come from this. What kind of easy catch do you have for your advertising or even employee recruiting messages? Make it fresh and avoid your word play being related to the down economy. People are tired of hearing about the down economy - it is a negative correlation. Romance and Love are generally positive and they even make MATH exciting in this example.

This made me smile and teaches a simple lesson!

PS addition - I called Amber to introduce myself and tell her about this post and praise her creativity. Since notifying her, she let me know that the sliver flyer is actually a bookmark! That just makes it better. It has another use for those who keep it. Check this out, Amber did not even know it was in sbux. Effective messages spread!!

Right on!