• Successful Blog – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Blog One Day
  Blog Notes
  (tags: blogging seo)
• Success Begins Today
  Blogging Spark
  (tags: Networking Marketing)
• Let Your Blog Posts Marinate (4 Steps to Forming Great Ideas) at LifeDev
  Writers Block
  (tags: writing lifehacks creativity)

Wal-Mart is the discount store down the street with smiling faces and great prices. Or is it really something different? The “low prices every day” policy is good for shoppers… or is it? When a new Wal-Mart comes into town what really happens to other businesses? A great way to find the answers to these questions is to pick up a copy of “The Wal-Mart Effect,” by Charles Fishman.

In this objective look at the worlds largest retailer you’ll discover fascinating things about the products on the shelves and the stories behind them. You’ll discover the rags to riches fame of a twelve year old girl and her dad with a unique product called makin bacon. You’ll find out how huge companies have been driven to bankruptcy with Wal-Mart’s always low prices.

A great way to experience this book is to download the audio version on your iPod or other portable audio player and listen while walking around a Wal-Mart store. This book is so eye opening that you will find it hard to pause the audio. From the strategic placement of products on end caps to the remarkable story of Chilean salmon, this book will keep your attention.

Your next visit to a Wal-Mart will be so different. You’ll discover the winners and losers in this multi national corporate battle to have their companies products included on Wal-Mart’s shelves. You’ll see that $99 lawn mower and $2.99 sprinkler that cost many Americans their jobs. You’ll suddenly notice the small quality differences in the national brand jeans selling for $13.95 and wonder what the next quality cut might be.

This is a fascinating and somewhat troubling adventure. You’ll never look at Sam Walton’s company the same again. If you are a business owner this is a must read, because this retailer from the little town of Bentonville Arkansas is changing the way the world does business.

I found a great tip for audio book listeners from Dwayne Melancon over at Genuine Curiosity. It seems Dwayne was stuck in the middle seat on a recent airline flight from Washington D.C. and he could not use his laptop. He decided to experiment with the audio settings on his iPod and discovered the following…

• Here is a tip for getting even more out of your audio books on your iPod (all of the models since the Mini, except the Shuffle):
  • You can change the speed of playback to “Faster” for audio books, and it will cut about 1/3 off the time that it takes to listen to the book. The iPod will adjust the pitch to make it sound mostly normal, too.
  • You can do this by clicking the center button a few times while the audio book is playing and you’ll see an option to set the playback to Slow, Normal, or Faster.

This is a great tip for those audio books that just seem to plod along or when you want to pick up the pace and walk faster. I tested this on my iPod mini and this is really cool for power walking. The quicker pace of the audio naturally helps you pick up your pace. Power walking burns more calories and you’ll definitely notice a difference in calories burned if you use an advanced pedometer with this feature.

Thanks Dwayne for the great idea… my fitness program just got a new boost!

I spent the weekend discovering the world of Podcasting. It was an amazing journey fraught with pitfalls and frustration. Podcasting is not as easy as it sounds. Creating the audio vocal track is only the beginning. To create something that sounds professional you’ll need to mix the audio track with intro music and add noise reduction. Then you need to upload it, create a XML feed and publish the link where people can find it. There are a few software packages that make this task much easier.

If you have a Mac, the garage band software that is included in the iLife suite is setup to make this task easy. Unfortunately on my Mac-Mini you can’t just plug a microphone in and start recording. The Mac is setup for line-level input so you’ll need to purchase a USB microphone or amplify a standard microphone. This was a frustrating little “gotcha” that kept me from using my Mac on my first Podcast experience.

Next I tried my Windows XP computer. I plugged my Sony microphone into the PC and tested the recording. It worked great and I was on my way. I went online and looked for PC based podcasting programs. The most popular was a program called Propaganda which is available for free testing (full featured but with unacceptable company name audio overlays on the final output). The test went well and I decided to purchase the full version.

With the full version loaded, I was ready to go. I recorded some audio which was full of um’s and ah’s and paused all over the place. I found that I couldn’t just wing it. I needed a script. I tried using some blog posts as the outline and the result was much better. The more I practiced, the more expression I was able to add. One of the big battles was trying to get a consistent vocal level. I found that keeping the microphone close but below my mouth worked pretty well. This reduced the breathing noises that are sometimes picked up in audio recordings.

With the audio recorded, I added some intro music and put all the clips together. I added some clip info and cover art and then published the final podcast on the web. The next step was the creation of a XML file for subscribers and then a listing on feedburner. The final step was a link uploaded to iTunes and Odeo. This whole process took many hours the first time around. There are actually quite a few steps and multiple pieces of software are involved.

The finished product is available on a feed from Feedburner. You can subscribe to the feed and be notified when it is updated. The link on iTunes is in process and hopefully will be available in a day or two. Once I get this process refined I’ll post some detailed instructions on the individual steps.

For now you can subscribe to the link by clicking the icon below. Please let me know what you think.

For a listing of all of our current blog feeds, please check out our feed page.

Why is Starbucks so successful while other coffee brands falter? Why are we so infatuated by Apple products such as the iPod and iMac?  Why do we choose Nike footware over competing products? These are all questions that don’t seem to have a clear answer. I’ve wondered many times why one brand does so much better than others. Why seemingly equal products end up with such different outcomes.

Enter Idea-engineer, Patrick Hanlon and his new book, Primal Branding. Patrick has asked these questions and many others and distilled the results into seven pieces of “primal” code which he believes is the key to brand identity.

The seven pieces of primal code are: the creation story, creed, icons, ritual, sacred words, nonbelievers, and leader.

The creation story aspect is fascinating. It’s the interesting part of the company identity. How did this company come to exist? We all know about the two guys in a garage that started Apple computer, the college students that started Google and the guy who started Ebay in his back bedroom. Creation stories draw us in and give us an attachment to the product. We feel more a part of the company if we know the struggles and passion that it took to get it started.

The creed is the mission statement. All companies have a declaration that tells us what they are all about. It may be honesty or passion or going one step better than the rest. It uniquely identifies the direction and vision of the company or brand. If we can relate to the creed the company may have a customer for life.

The icons may be the actual graphic or logo of the business. It may be the taste of the food or the smell of the gourmet coffee. Icons differentiate the brand and give us instant recognition. We all know the Nike swoosh, the Starbuck’s mermaid, and the startup sound of a windows computer. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are very recognizable icons for Nike.

Almost every shopping experience involves ritual. In Starbucks you order, pickup, add sugar and creme, and then find a seat. The Amazon experience involves viewing the product, adding it to your cart, checking out, and then enjoying the fun of opening the brown box with the large smile on it that the UPS man just delivered. Different businesses, different rituals. Humans are creatures of habit and if a company can turn their ritual into one of your habits they will have a steady customer.

Sacred words are the language of the enlightened. People that know the sophisticated vocabulary of a business develop a close affinity for the product or service. Think about the vocabulary of Starbucks… tall, grande, vente, all provided by a barista behind a bar. Once you learn the language you have a feeling of belonging. You’re a part of the team, someone in the know.

The unbelievers are anyone who doesn’t believe in your product. With Starbuck’s it’s the people at home sipping instant coffee, with Coke it’s the Pepsi drinkers, with Democrats it’s the Republicans. Unbelievers offer contrast and a way to differentiate products and services. This contrast gives people a reason to use your product.

And finally there is the leader. It may be the CEO, the founder, or even a TV personality. Someone who you can relate to. Someone that gives you confidence in the product, that if something were to go wrong, would be there to fix it. If this person can gain your trust, they may have you as a customer for life. Personal connections are powerful.

Creating a brand that people believe in, means they want to be your customer and no one else’s. They prefer you above all other choices… even when the competition beats you with innovation, price, or other advantages.

Primal Branding is an amazing read. Patrick Hanlon is the founder of Thinktopia an idea task force whose slogan is, “Better Thoughts Through Thinking. He has served as the Creative Director at various advertising agencies

I picked up the audio book, “E-Myth Revisited” the other day. This is a book I wish I would have read years ago. The book is about starting your own business and the mistakes that most entrepreneurs make in the process. It gives some fascinating insights into different business startup methods and how many are destined to fail right from the start.

The book lists three “hats” the budding entrepreneur must wear. They are…

1. Technician
2. Manager
3. Entrepreneur

Author Michael Gerber says that the majority of new business startups are done by “technicians”, people that are good at a certain task such as a mechanic. The technician is the laborer, the one who produces the products or service. The manager ensures that processes and finances run smoothly and regularly. The entrepreneur develops the goals, and steers the company in the direction needed to attain those goals. Of these three dispositions, the entrepreneur is key… without it, the technician will end up overworked and underpaid. As the company grows, the business owner will want to draw away from the technician and manager work and delegate these jobs to others.

As someone who has been a “Technician” all of his life, this insight into the other necessary qualities of business planning has been very eye opening. The book gives many examples of business run from the “technician” perspective. In the past when I used to sell to auto repair shops I was always amazed at the mechanic who would start up a new shop and try to do all of the work himself. He usually had a phone in one hand and a wrench in the other. The difficulty of trying to do everything himself would soon lead to burnout and a quick return from businessman to employee.

In the coming months as we look at putting together a workable business plan the resources provided by this book and the comprehensive e-myth website will prove to be useful tools. For management resources we’ll look no further than our favorite management guru, Rosa Say, and her very informative blog, Talking Story. In the technician area, blogs such as lifehacker and lifehack.org will provide some useful tricks and tips, while fellow blogger Dwayne Melancon always provides real world business experience on his Genuine Curiosity Blog.

If a business startup is in your future be sure to pick up this book or get the audio version

As I’ve been listening to different audio books and putting this program together, one thing has become clear. I need a thesis and a workable project to make this site complete. With a dozen or so audio books under my belt, I’ve come to love the format. I can listen while I’m walking, driving, or just working around the house.

The format does two important things for me.

1. It helps me complete the book. Unlike written books which take uninterrupted time, the audio book format lends itself to multitasking. I can be doing something else while I’m enjoying the material. This is especially helpful while doing something that is naturally boring or unpleasant. Listening while exercising or weight training has proved to be a win-win situation. The book comes alive and the focus on exercise disappears. So many written books lie unfinished because of a lack of uninterrupted time.

2. Immersion in the subject. Being able to listen to a subject while walking, driving, or just sitting is a huge plus for the audio book format. My walks through local business districts have proven to be an amazing experience. The insights that I’ve learned are incredible. Listening to Seth Godin, John Maxwell, or Malcom Gladwell while exploring a new business district has opened my eyes to subtle clues about business success. All of a sudden important stories appear in some businesses while others are truly unremarkable. It truly gives you an important perceptiveness of reality. One that would be very helpful for business owners.

One thing has become clear. I love old towns. The unique business districts with an eclectic mix of entrepreneurial adventures are fascinating. Ever since I was a kid I always dreamed of owning a small business. Having a shop with cool stuff and adventurous customers has always been in the back of my mind. To open a unique restaurant with delicious food and live music has been an unwritten goal for years. Reality has always prevented me from pursuing any of these dreams.

Reality says that most businesses struggle and fail. Walk through any old town and you’ll find that to be true. Yet in every town I’ve been in there are always the standouts. Restaurants with lines out into the street, eclectic antique shops full of curious customers, and the ubiquitous art gallery with the painting you just have to own. What makes some businesses stand out from the others? Why are some a roaring success and others empty? That is the question of my thesis.

Seth Godin has opened my eyes to storytelling. In this new millennium, advertising and normal marketing is not enough. There is always somebody willing to sell your product cheaper and get it to your customer faster. Enter Wal-Mart and the other big box retailers. Selling products for less money that most businesses can buy them wholesale. How can a small business compete? The answer is they can’t. They can’t compete if they are telling the same story. If they are just marketing and advertising the same thing as Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart wins every time… even if it’s just a few cents.

Small businesses must sell a different product and tell a different story. A story that Wal-Mart or other mass retailers could never tell. A story so compelling that people are drawn in from far away.

That is my thesis…

Old Town: Developing an Authentic Story in a Wal-Mart World

Some questions that will be answered.

1. What kind of businesses thrive in an old town setting?
2. Who are the customers that come to old town?
3. What story must be told to bring customers in?

As I explore different Old Towns, these questions will be asked and the answers compiled. Is there a pattern for success? Is there a particular business model that works well in this environment? Is there a particular customer base/demographic that is drawn to old town businesses?

As I have walked through diverse old towns such as Temecula, Murrieta, and Fallbrook certain similarities are starting to emerge. Each town is completely unique but particular business models are coming to the forefront. Some stories are working better than others. There are incredible standouts with amazing tales being told.

Come along and join in the adventure.

Later this week we’ll talk about developing a workable project to accompany this thesis.

Designing and developing our own workable Old Town business.

We’ll buy the land, build the building and develop a story. All on paper… but the story will be real. The beams and stucco will exist only in a CAD drawing but the story will be authentic…

if only in our imaginations…

On the side of my Starbucks cup was the word elucubrate. This interesting word means “to produce (a written work) by working long and diligently.” This is a great mission statement word for this blog and others. With a path of over 40 audio books, the listening experience of these books will be captured in words and pictures over the next few years in the pages of this site. This has been an amazing experience so far and one I would like to continue to share with you.

Blogs are very interesting journals and a view into different aspects of life. Some of my favorite sites are definitely elucubrating amazing works of productivity, leadership, and motivation. Take a look at some of the links on this site and become a part of their ongoing stories. Sites like 100 bloggers offers a glimpse into the psyche of a variety of different authors. One of my favorite writers, Seth Godin, elucubrates a continuation of his popular books on his website every day.

For those of you genuinely curious about life, you’ll enjoy the continuing story on Dwayne Melancan’s blog. Dwayne always finds the most interesting tidbits of information as he travels around the world. His post on travelling “Unwrinkled” is a classic. Keven Eikenberry asks questions and the answers are always thought provoking and interesting. His story about the “shoe tree,” will make you think about creativity and possibly challenge you to elucubrate that written work of art that you have promised yourself that you’ll write… someday.

I noticed this morning that popular blogger, Rajesh Setty, has elucubrated a new e-book. Entitled “Personal Branding for Technology Professionals,” this is a great example of helpful professional resources being offered for free on the net. His previous e-book entitled, “When you can’t earn an MBA,” is a great resource for anyone looking into the MBA process.

I would love to hear from anyone willing to elucubrate a comment about this post.

Have a great day!

I found a cool little five minute exercise that lets me synchronize my Ipod with Outlook 2003 on my PC. This is very handy when I’m out walking and I need to make a phone call or look at my calendar. If you have Outlook 2003 and Itunes 6 on your PC you are already to go. Here are the steps.

 1. For Calendar Data: Open the Edit menu in iTunes and choose Preferences. In the Preferences dialog box, click the Calendars tab. Next, select the Synchronize Calendars From Microsoft Outlook checkbox and click OK to confirm your synchronization choices. Your calendar data is now available for syncing with your iPod.

2. For Outlook Contacts: Open the Edit menu in iTunes and select Preferences. Select the iPod tab and the Contacts tab, and then choose Outlook or Outlook Express from the Synchronize Contracts From drop-down menu. Next, choose whether you want to synchronize all of your Outlook contacts or only those contacts from selected groups or distribution lists. Click OK to confirm your choices for synchronizing contacts.

If you have an older version of Outlook, check out this article from PCToday for helpful hints. In a short five minute session, My iPod just became a lot more useful.

I downloaded the audio book “The Big Moo” the other day. The book is a compilation of marketing and business authors answering one simple question…

What does it really take to make your organization remarkable?

I decided to listen to this amazing and quick paced tome while walking thru the old town business district of Fallbrook, California. Fallbrook is an unique little town in Northern San Diego County with a history dating back into the 1800′s. The Old Town section is an eclectic mix of old and new with an amazing variety of different businesses. As I started walking it started raining so much of my journey was completed in my car.

As I started listening to Seth Godin read the compilations of the 33 authors in Big Moo, different points would come up and I would stop the iPod and make notes. This is an incredible little book and a remarkable little town… a great mix. As I walked the following ideas came up.

1. Remarkable doesn’t always mean right now.
Fallbrook is in transition. There is definitely a mix of old and new with distinct historical themes throughout. Much of the town was built in the 1940′s, 50′s and 60′s. Each decade is apparent by the architecture and business names. Some of the remarkable businesses in town are old shops made new. Wonderful colors and fonts adorn the front of the shops with unique business plans. Here was a vacuum shop done up in a Victorian motif. The bright purple color made the business stand out from the crowd and the fonts and sayings drew customers in.

What I came away with is being remarkable doesn’t always mean “right now”. As this town was a great example of taking something old and ordinary and transforming it into something extra-ordinary. Remarkable here was Victorian, purple and bold.

2. The secret is bringing a great idea from another market or industry to your market or your industry.
My walk thru town was at lunchtime on a Friday. I was intrigued by the crowds at the center of town. There were hundreds of people out on a weekday. This was so different from my experience in Old Town Temecula just 10 miles away that was empty during the week. What was the draw? As I got closer I noticed a sign that said “Farmers Market,” 10-2 on Fridays.

This was great with a lively and fun atmosphere. Vendors had umbrellas setup on the sidewalks with a mix of fresh produce, art work, and unique clothing all for sale in a large patio setting. The restaurants in the area were doing a booming business. All of the businesses were flooded with people. I came away with the idea of Collaboration. Taking the great ideas and marketing plan of one type of business and meld it into a workable attraction for all local entrepreneurs. In this case there was incredible synergy on a weekday afternoon.

3. Sometimes you find remarkable innovations in the places you least expect
At one end of the main street thru Old Town Fallbrook was a small roadside cafe. From the outside it looked somewhat inviting with a rustic sign and a old western look. Inside it was a restaurant and history museum with memorabilia from decades of Fallbrook life tacked on the walls and ceilings of the place. The innovation of the place was the authenticity of the experience. It felt like you were transported back to the 1940′s with great service, wonderful food, and authentic memorabilia.

So many new businesses have a retro feel but you find that everything inside is a modern copy of an original item. Not so with the Wayside Cafe… all original just like it was in the post war era of this little boomtown.

4. What’s in the trash that needs to see the light of day, needs to be run by a customer or tried out on a playground?
As I entered town I found a small periodical called the “Fallbrook Sourcebook” on a bench that was a great resource for this whole community. It tells the story of the town and gives many insights to the businesses located there. This book needs to be prominently displayed for visitors as they enter town. This would really help since it tells an authentic and timely story of this wonderful town called Fallbrook.

Fallbrook is a town that prides its self in the Arts. Many art galleries line the street and the weekday business can be brisk. This is different that other old towns such as Temecula that have many antique stores which tend to be busy on the weekends. If you make down to San Diego in the future, be sure to put Fallbrook on your list of places to visit.

Be sure to pick up the Big Moo. This is a fascinating book and one that will give you many marketing insights into many types of businesses old and new.