Posts

Featured Post

B2B Strategy: COVID-19 Turns Heads to the Clouds.

Working from home offers many benefits: from overhead cost-cutting to providing improved employee productivity and morale. According to one study , 85 percent of businesses confirm that productivity has increased in their business because of greater flexibility. What's more, 63 percent of those surveyed report at least a 21 percent improvement in productivity because of flexible working.  This flexibility to work from home, not only makes workers happier ( Owl Labs found full-time remote workers reported being happy in their jobs 22 percent more than workers who are never remote), but hopefully healthier . Recent events have added a new caveat: working from home reduces interpersonal contact, mitigating the spread of dire illnesses like the Coronavirus.  It should go as a surprise to no one then, that Software as a Service (SaaS), which allows for individuals to access their necessary software from any internet accessible location, is already a staple

B2B Lessons from the Tao of Instagram

Image
https://www.instagram.com/tao_of_frank/ Recently, I looked into Instagram as a potential venue for marketing and advertising opportunities. (Did he really just say "recently"? Into a decade old network with 1 Billion users ?!) It hasn't been a priority in business-to-business (B2B). I decided to go all in and submerse myself in this "tao" of Instagram. And what I discovered was nothing short of enlightenment. *Cue wind chimes, tribal drums, and sound baths* Admittedly, I wasn't an O.G. of the IG. When I joined a few years ago, I used it as it was intended:  a visual diary, posting photos of my travels, my day, my dinner, my dog, my dog's dinner. It became apparent quickly that observations of everyday life are rarely engaging. No amazing vistas, no celebrity encounters, no street magic, and with no appetite for Tide pods or spoonfuls of cinnamon. But that's OK. At the very least it was consoling to my friends and family and casual acquaint

A screenwriter's take on how to write your book.

Image
A screenwriter's take on how to write your book.

The 3 Job App Requests that Make Good Candidates Jump Ship

Image
Avoid these questions on your online job app that are too personal and risky or risk losing the best candidates out there to another company. I'm finicky, I'll admit it. My coffee has to have just the precise creamer to sweetener ratio or I won't drink it. My content has to have an engaging title and photo, or I won't post it. And if I came upon one of these three requests on a job application, I would jump ship faster than Amazon could say "hasta la vista, baby" to Long Island City - regardless of how much of a great fit I thought it may have been. And so do your top candidates. Before I go any further, I'll state that I do understand why these requests are made. Some are corporate policy, some for legal reasons, but mostly these requests are made to aid the HR department in placing qualified candidates at this or another position. So I'm not balking at companies that make these requests, but simply at the timing of when they do so. Now ther

That Time I Manifested a Glazed Donut

Image
or "Confessions of a Closet Optimist." Yep, I manifested a real donut. And not one of those generic grocery store brands or vending machine ones that crumble once you crack open the cellophane. No, I manifested a fresh, warm, glazed yeasty delicious ring of dough. More about the pastry from thin air in a moment, but first: manifesting business results . A dear friend called a while back and asked if I could help her with her digital marketing. So thrilled with the results, she wanted to return the favor. She told me all about the manifesting. " The Law of Attraction," "The Secret," and the like all have manifestation at their core. In short, the practice of how one could "wish" things true. Her discourse on Manifesting 101 immediately followed including a lesson on how to manifest anything or - anyone - I wanted. "What do you want to manifest?," she asked. "I have what I need," I said, "though I&#

How My High School Reunion Taught Me About Brand Marketing

Image
Shy, skinny, and so nervous around my crushes I'd break out in hives: high school was not a favorite time in my life. I had my group of close friends, but didn't socialize much, spending my nights and most weekends writing. So I had pause when I had the opportunity to attend my high school reunion this month. Would I be recognized, remembered or worse revert back to that shy (albeit no longer skinny) kid? To my surprise, the evening turned out to be one of the most enjoyable in my life to date. How was it possible four unremarkable years could leave such a lasting positive impression? And then it hit me...I had rebranded myself. Much of how I look and act has changed since then - though the writing still accounts for much if not more of my time. I was essentially the same person - just enhanced. But what I've come to realized was that I wasn't enhanced. Shyness was replaced by genuine humility; nervousness by confidence, and that all translated into perceived enha

Are You Working for the Company - or a Monarchy?

Image
Your boss may manage like the Queen or King. But you don't have to overthrow the crown to fix it. Trying to do your job but get blocked by the owner who hired you to do so? Working at a large/public corporation or at an individually-owned operation often present distinct disadvantages. Red tape and pigeon-holed responsibilities are the banes of the larger companies. While smaller, one-person owned companies - while offering a fast track to promotion and increased responsibilities - may involve you working under a business dictatorship. Recently, a friend and I were having lunch to catch up. Like me, she began her career with Fortune 100 companies, then got wooed away by a small company a few years ago whose founder/owner was impressed by her big-name experience. She's done some job hopping to move up the corporate ladder since then. Three months ago, she was excited about the prospects of making strides. Today, she put in her notice. She just couldn't figure out