Creative Warriors

What's possible? We are all living under constraints of some kind during this global pandemic. Entire countries under lockdown. Some states in the US under stay at home orders. Almost everyone forced to work at home. Financial constraints frightening and becoming a problem for many. Making do with whatever supplies and groceries we have in our house. In this episode, I explore what's possible. We look at how constraints can inspire creative solutions. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal c

As we move deeper into this stressful time of waiting out the coronavirus, many of us are working from home or isolating ourselves for safety. I find that when there is uncertainty or chaos abound, that is when it is most important to push forward with whatever it is that makes us Creative Warriors. This is the perfect time to turn your space into one that will keep you on a path of productivity and help ease anxieties. And often that means decluttering. Your home or office should be a tool that you need to do your best out in the world. So, it is important to be mindful about how we relate to our stuff. Each of us has specific blocks that keep us from getting rid of things we don’t need. Whether they are emotional or strategic, we often don’t realize the real reasons behind why we are prone to clutter in certain areas of our homes. The first step is paying attention. From there we can begin to live more clutter-free lives. To dive deeper into the subject of decluttering your space to find freedom and succ

The global coronavirus pandemic has almost everyone nervous. Maybe even more so those of us in our Creative Warriors community who are afraid of the impact this will have on their business. But there is another side. It is possible to use this time to thrive. This is not my first rodeo in the world-changing events arena. I've been through 911, the Great Recession and now this. I have some practical advice for you that I hope you'll take to heart; advice that is meant for the unique experience of being a Creative Warrior. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Mes

Every once in a while a company comes around that raises the standard of what business should be.  Whether it’s carving out a unique identity, or setting a new standard for exceptional customer service, Zappos has become a shining example of how prioritizing service can make you one of the world’s greatest companies. Zappos is a company I’ve always been incredibly intrigued by. Their employees are some of the happiest and supported. Their customers are some of the most loyal. The stories behind some of their interactions and what they’ve led to (like one of my favorites, Operation Red Shoes) are both heartwarming and motivating. This is a company that values humanity. They are a microcosm of the type of world we’d all like to live in full of respect, human connection, and love.  To give us a behind-the-scenes look on how Zappos has mastered the power wow, I’ve brought on two of the company’s THINK team, Kelly Smith and Derrin Hawkins.  Kelly leads Zappos’ THINK team: a group of creative strategists focused

Business owners often fear that price and what they charge for their services and products is going to deter customers. Well, guess what? It should! The impression you create as to approximately what your price range is has a lot to do with attracting your ideal customers and keeping the customers that are going to waste your time away. Find out what stops people from buying and how pricing can help you attract your ideal customers. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having re

For some of us, online transactions are nerve-wracking. For others, live events are where the anxiety lies. Many businesses do perfectly well existing in one space over the other. But as technology and life become more and more integrated, shouldn’t we always be looking at how to exist in a field we’re not playing in? Before getting overwhelmed trying to navigate an unfamiliar industry, it’s important to think about your “why.” What is it that you provide your market? Why are you doing it? How can you expand your purpose to reach people in other audiences different from your own? We can learn a lot from companies like Time Out, who have transformed their iconic printed guide into a bustling market that showcases local chefs and restaurants. Pretty brilliant move, if you ask me. To break down this idea further, I’ve brought on a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and social media, Rich Brooks.  Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Po

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you're not creative because you’re not in a “creative” field. But creativity is, in fact, for everyone and creative thinking is a skill that anybody can develop. Having a creative process can be an inclusive strategy for all individuals and groups in a business to start thinking outside of the box. We often think of being creative as being artistic. While art is creative, creativity is much broader than art. There is actually a science to it that can be applied to how we work and live our lives. There can be many challenges, assumptions, and beliefs, even fears, that limit our thinking. Sometimes all it takes is a few new exercises and processes to open us up to a more expansive mindset. To dive deeper into these non-obvious ways of harnessing creativity, I’ve brought on Kathryn Haydon.   Kathryn P. Haydon is an innovation strategist, keynote speaker, and author who helps teams and individuals activate and maximize their creative thinking so they can do their be

Common business advice is to work ON your business more than IN it. Great advice for making sure you don't get caught up in daily tasks. However, better advice is to work OUTSIDE your business more than ON it. The best thing you can do for your business is to take a look at your business from a different perspective. Especially from the perspective of a consultant from outside your industry and from the perspective of your ideal customers to understand what they need to see, hear and feel to choose your business. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.comand share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! I

I hesitated to discuss the journey to becoming a speaker because it is such a specific subject and, frankly, there’s a lot of content out there on it. However, there remains a lot of valuable information about the speaking industry that is still untapped and whether or not you are pursuing a career in speaking, understanding it can be valuable to all Creative Warriors.   I love being a keynote speaker and I’ve put the work in to pursuing a successful career in it. But my path is unique to my space. There isn’t one way to become a speaker. It can mean different things to different people. Whether it’s the honing in on the craft, building a business model, or simply getting the gigs there are multiple pieces to carving out your unique space in seaking. Often times we assume that the more we can offer, the more opportunities we will get. That’s not necessarily the case.   To dive deeper into understanding the speaking industry, I’ve brought on nationally known speaker, podcaster, and author, Grant Baldwin.  Gran

The process of gaining clarity seems like a never-ending process. But an essential one. We need to constantly learn how to say what needs to be said in our marketing and brand message in a more compelling and concise way. In this episode, I explain the difference between your core message and brand message and the journey of clarity. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review

We often think of B2B as the opposite of B2C; where B2C is about serving people, B2B is serving a company. However, it is important to keep in mind that B2B is still B2H marketing- that is, Business to Human. I’m thrilled to take some time this week to unpack the nuances of the B2B world and the lessons we can learn from current B2B trends. Whether it’s risk aversion, keeping up with fast-paced short-term behavior, or understanding your buyer, the evolution of B2B marketing is integral to understanding the shifts in modern day sales. Do emotions have a place in the branding for B2B? How can we look at other companies to understand buying behavior? Who do buyers envision as leaders?  To really unpack the B2B mindset I’ve brought on marketing expert, Andrew Gaffney. Andrew is the Editorial Director for G3 Communications, publishers of Demand Gen Report, ABM in Action and Channel Marketer, and producers of the B2B Marketing Exchange. Through targeted events and e-media publications, G3 Communications provides

As the famous quote by Maya Angelou states, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Never is this more important than in your brand message and customer experience. Find out the importance of how you make people feel in every stage of your business. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Leap Year Course Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple

Some of you might know that I moved down to Miami from New York City in order to combine my love for city life, architecture, and a more relaxed pace of living. For me, Miami inspires me in more ways than one. Additionally, I’ve always known that my environment heavily informs my productivity and thus have always strived to create an optimal workspace that promotes both efficiency and creativity. So how can we best design our spaces to spark creativity? There are some tactics that many might already know, like surrounding yourself with certain objects, scents, and sounds. But for many the design ends there. There are, however, many studies that have linked a variety of techniques to robust idea formation, and I’m thrilled to share some of these fascinating tactics with all of you Creative Warriors today. To help me dive deep into designing  the best creative spaces I’ve brought on, architect, author, and educator, Donald Rattner. Donald helps individuals and organizations maximize their creativity by drawi

There are two episodes coming up where I speak to experts about setting up your work environment to inspire creativity, innovation and productivity. In this episode, I add to that conversation a couple tips about considering your health and well-being in your work environment. Equally if not more important in my opinion. Although it's not an either/or. It's all integrated--creativity, productivity, health, well-being. I hope you can apply my suggestions for your optimal life. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Leap Year Course Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your websit

I love discovering new ways of thinking, especially if it means finding creative ways to view my business from a different angle. Especially when things are going well, it can be difficult to see the things that might be holding your business back. The question then becomes, what can we do to see our business with fresh eyes?   Every once in awhile brands should do an internal health check. Not only to clear out what is not working, but also to find new ways of connecting with more clients. As my guests and I often say here on Creative Warriors, business is about human connection and not just the product. But sometimes it takes a bit of thinking outside of the box, or “thinking wildly,” to find the right answers.  To dive deeper into thinking I’ve brought on author and a founding partner of The Clearing, Richard Buchanan.  The Clearing was voted the UK’s best branding consultancy at The Drum’s Network Awards two years running. His work with brands including McLaren, Fitness First, Wimbledon and Ocado has

There are many unique challenges to being an entrepreneur. The fact that there's a fine line, or no line, between ourselves and our business. Therefore, our mindsets can easily get in our way. The fact that we are constantly learning new strategies in business and can't possibly find the time to keep up. We end up running all over the place trying to improve ourselves and apply more action in our businesses. What we need is a healthy, thriving entrepreneur ecosystem.  The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO

Has social media ruined the meaning of engagement? Actually, social media is just the base camp for the type of engagement that is currently available to us. There is nothing wrong with getting ‘likes’ but humans are desperate for more. What do we do with these ‘likes.’ How do we build from there? Whether it’s taking care of employees or courting customers it's time we start striving for a higher level of connection. Whether it’s taking care of employees or courting customers it is imperative to always strive for a higher level of connection. You’ve heard me say it before-  in today’s world the businesses that are the most successful are the ones who consider seeing people as more valuable than serving them. The more personalized the approach, the deeper the engagement. We have the access and technology to deepen engagement, now we need to learn how to use the tools rather than let the tools use us.  To dive deeper into fostering impactful engagement with both customers and employees, I’ve brought on best

Social media has diluted what engagement means. In the real world, engagement means creating real relationships. Not just capturing a "like" or a comment on a post. Engagement means to gain someone's full attention and create a dialogue, a conversation and a relationship. What are you doing in your business to create real engagement with your customers? Listen in to see how important this is and how engagement is next level customer service. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers?

Most entrepreneurs understand how important it is to have a clear purpose. Unfortunately for many, “purpose” has become more of a marketing tool and has lost its authenticity. There are plenty of brands, however, that have been able to keep their purpose clear, instilling pride from their consumers, and, as a result, have a competitive advantage to those that don’t. It’s important to understand the different ways having a purpose can drive a brand beyond being a marketing scheme. Consumers want to do business with companies that align with their personal values. There is nothing wrong with making a profit. The profit’s purpose is to help deliver the brand’s purpose in all facets of business. To dig into this idea further, I’ve brought on author, consultant, and professional speaker, Jeff Fromm. Jeff has keynoted more than 500 events all over the world and helps his consulting clients - including Amazon, Dairy Queen, Wingstop, and Gallo -- on leveraging consumer trends, technology and innovation. He is the

The world around us and our customers are changing all the time. Paying close attention to these changes can make the difference as to whether your business stays relevant or not. Have you ever seen a business close and wonder, "how could they have not seen this coming?" Make your business future proof by learning to pay attention. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review a