Marketing Eye

Expert Marketing Blog - Page 66

Does a tattoo in the workplace effect your chances of promotion?

Today I was asked the question, "what inspires you to come up with blogs?"

The answer is simple: "things that happen in every day life often inspire me."

If the truth be told, the blogs have been few and far between of late because inspiration is being cluttered with real life work, legals and end of financial year in Australia.

Jackson, a talented young guy on a 3-month internship with Marketing Eye asked the question and then followed with, "what do you think of tattoos?"

I had to think - not much. I don't have one myself, but many people do. They don't offend me, nor do I think that it would affect my decision in hiring someone or giving them a promotion, but this is not the case with all organizations it seems.
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Scary, exciting, adventurous, alive

Hopping on another plane and all I can think about is the future. You know that thing that is going to happen, but hasn't quite happened yet?

The road as an entrepreneur is hard enough, without having to be a woman on top of that, nearing the ripe age of 40 years. I am without doubt in the most uncomfortable position I have ever been in in my entire life - and you know what - it's exciting.
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Before and After Website Design - start from scratch or work with what you have?

I met a guy at the bar at Treetops Restaurant on Peachtree Road in Atlanta a few months ago. He had a hint of an Australian accent and in no time at all was talking to me about how we both derived from Australia and were embarking on business expansion.

Quite a smart man, he was fascinating in so many ways; his knowledge of the world, people, psychology, business and his story on how he had grown up and started doing what he does today. I would imagine him to be a highly successful businessman who commands the attention of everyone in the room.
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Beware of the backdoor slammer

This morning I was a little shocked. Someone who I had never had a conversation with, who is an indirect competitor of my business, said something that was defamatory about my character.

12-months ago, I would have fallen in a heap, so devastated by someone actively going around (in this case internationally) to deliberately try and ensure that an opinion was made of me that is not only incorrect, but is made to ensure that others have the same opinion.

It's never nice to hear something being said about yourself, but after years of growing thicker skin, it now takes a bit more to stop me in my tracks. I now "get" that not everyone is going to like you, nor are they all going to think you are good looking, interesting, smart or that your business is anything to write home about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Where this becomes grey is what they do with that opinion.
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You Know When You Just…..Know?

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‘Every risk is worth taking as long as it’s for a good cause and contributes to a good life’ Sir Richard Branson

It’s been a while since my last post when I decided to ditch my un-planned plan of travelling, chilling out, having some ‘me time’ (as the self help books would put it) and taking a breath. Let me tell you; I’ve been taking a lot of deep breaths in the last couple of months (into a paper bag at times) and it’s not that I haven’t thought about posting it’s just, well, I haven’t quite known how to articulate what’s been going on.
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Why a tiger mom isn't going to work in the office

The once applauded "Tiger Mom" has taken a fall from grace in the past few years, receiving criticism from psychologists around the world.

It's a parenting style that is all too familiar for anyone over the age of 40 years, and still exists in some countries that continue to support this method of parenting.

For those who are not familiar, the Tiger Mom has come under scrutiny and criticism, due to her stricter parenting styles and the authoritative voice of the parent. It promotes conformity over creativity and the child does as they are told.
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When reality hits, it hits hard

Why do people say that things happen in three’s and then when you have passed that magic number, and it keeps happening, your whole being takes a dive and you have to crawl back to where you were before it all happened in the first place?

The world is a tough place. There are so many obstacles that are put in front of us, that sometimes, we want to stop and take a deep breath and it takes every ounce of will to start back up again.

I don’t profess to know the answers, nor will I ever. It is not possible to know it all and for that matter, to have it all.

2013 has been a monumental year in so many ways. Things have happened in five’s and six’s and while many things have been good, even great, it’s not all positive.

Today, I arrived at the airport. I woke up at 3am in the morning, jet lagged and in desperate need of some sleep. I stayed awake, responded to a few emails and then I prepared myself for the day ahead.
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Does entrepreneurship change people for the better?

Stuck on a plane somewhere between Chicago and Los Angeles, I pulled out a magazine I had bought at the airport. It's one of my favorites and is always full of stories that inspire, educate and enlighten me on topics that are interesting.

Inc Magazine is an entrepreneurial stable. It is one of the most popular magazines in the world for entrepreneurs and people who run businesses. One of my good friends Kevin Daum, a guy that I met way back in 2002 in Sydney, Australia, is a New Yorker who submits regular articles to Inc Magazine that are read by thousands of people.

As I read the article, "I thought I knew you - Entrepreneurship changes people - and not always for the better", I reflected on my own experiences.

Has entrepreneurship changed me? Is it for the better?
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Are all business women crazy?

"All women are crazy and all men are stupid," said a well-known author when I recently met them at Atlanta's St Regis Hotel for a cocktail.

How true. I know many women will throw their arms up in the air at this one and it is a gross generalisation - but if you think about it, it actually is closer to the truth than most women entrepreneurs would like to admit.

While I try in earnest to be consistent, without too many overwhelming changes to my personality, I think most people who know me well, would say I am a tad crazy - just like all my other female friends. I won't react quite like I use to when it comes to anything emotional or otherwise, because as you get older, the chances are you can hold it in a little more, but YES I do over-think things and I definitely react irrationally at times when I would prefer to not have reacted at all. 
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What gets you in the door of prospects?

Do you actually know what get's you in the door of a prospect? If you don't, then there is someone who you need to meet. Her name is Caryn Kopp. Seriously, if you run a small business, you need to remember this name because she is dynamite, built in a small package with an enormous explosion just ready to come out at any time. The explosion however, isn't the kind that you need to be afraid of. Instead, its a bundle of energy that opens doors; left, right and center.

I met Caryn Kopp in unusual circumstances - for me at least! In the restroom of the Nascar Center in Charlotte, North Carolina at around 10pm at night.

Apparently, as she later explained, she saw me earlier in the evening and thought I was beautifully dressed (thanks to the great designs of Sass and Bide in Australia). Her immediate reaction was to think that perhaps she didn't wear something that was dressy enough. She noticed the long, blonde hair on the black dress and the risque spikes that turned what is otherwise a pretty dress into one that is there to be noticed. She then looked at the name badge and although, like most of us, she had trouble focusing on the small print, she noticed the spelling of my name on the badge. It's unusual. 

"This is the girl I have to meet at the conference," she thought.

Prior to this, our friend Jim Weldon, had connected the two of us as he thought we would have some synergies with our businesses. The only problem was that Caryn was too busy to schedule a call in the week I was available and it was postponed to the following week.

You never know who you will meet in the bathroom

A lot of good things happen in the bathroom according to Caryn. After all, her business was born out of a gym bathroom some years previously. "Who knows what happens in the men's room!" she says with the same enthusiasm that she has for life, business and creating relationships.
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Stay small or go broke

As a business owner and entrepreneur, there is nothing more apparent than when you sit in a room full of other like-minded individuals, that you are a little different. 

If one of my "normal" friends were sitting there, in that room, they would be terrified. They would have ran out as fast as they can, without looking back. Everyone was talking, almost all at once. They all had their ipads, iphones and pens and paper ready to hear - you are not going to be believe this - JACK DALY. Not that you wouldn't believe that someone would go and see Jack Daly, but because most of the people in the room had seen him speak on sales, not once, not twice, not even three times - but more than 5 or 6 times - BECAUSE he is that good and everyone in that room knows that to build their businesses, they need good management, strong marketing, and SALES. And, when it comes to SALES there is no-one more qualified or better at giving small businesses insight, than Jack Daly.
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5 Minutes With a Green Technology Entrepreneur @ Charleston Airport

Green Technology
Brian Heather is a serial entrepreneur; young, dynamic, good looking and with a real social conscience. Not only is he in the business of sustainable environments, landscaping and water proofing, this 30-year old business man is changing the landscape of green buliding.

It may be a buzz word to many, but let me assure you, being green is more than meets the eye. Brian is a much sought after entrepreneur who has landed himself in the spotlight with his inaugural Ted Talk on June 23 on "The importance of reconnecting our cities to nature" as well as the natural charisma of an entrepreneur who is really going places.

His business, Solterra Systems, is a fully licensed electrical, landscaping and waterproofing company that focuses on integrating environmental technology into buildings.

This can range from green roofsproducing food, through to rain screen siding systems that protect the building from the elements with plants. 

But enough about that, how can we connect our cities to nature. Here's what he had to say:

What can communities be doing more of to connect their cities to nature?

The first step is attaching an ROI to the benefits associated with being in nature for all humans. For example, they estimate that the average American spends 26% of the day being distracted; think text messages, facebook, telephone or advertising. But right now technology is very much a part of what we do. The issue is that there is a loss of productivity in the workplace and people have, in general, very un-balanced live that is enhanced by the fact that technology plays such a huge role in what we do and how we live our lives.
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Are you being heard?

I experienced a frightening moment late last week when a star design intern in our Sydney office acknowledged the exchange we were sharing as the third time we'd ever spoken outside of work.

He's been with Marketing Eye for 4 months.

I work in Marketing Eye's Sydney office - every day, as does he. In fact, he and I sit no more than one meter apart but this close proximity evidently has no bearing on our track record of communication. Sure, we talk all the time about visual communication and client work and then there’s the phone that rings 50 times a day and it's a really busy time for Marketing Eye at the moment as we all step up to bring everything we can - but 3 actual conversations in 4 months?! That's appalling. In fact, I'd go one step further than that and say it's *beep* disgusting.
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Why Adam Scott Is The Number One Sportsman For Sponsors

"He's so hot!" is all that I could say while watching Adam Scott in his 2013 US Masters Tournament play-off as he had a birdie putt on the second sudden-death play-off round to beat Argentina's Angel Cabrera.

Not the most intelligent of comments but I must say, even the guys watching Adam Scott were nodding in agreement. They too could see the beauty in this man - his looks and his golfing prowess!
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