The Educated Emotion

With the help of Social Media, we are all surrounded by discussion about the Olympics! The only people talking online about the Olympics more than the United States are Great Britain and Australia. The media has been struggling to keep up with all the news, controversy, and highlights.  Handball Event at 2012 Summer Olympics. Photo by:  los_bandito_anthony   Recently, one of my clients pointed out to me that there are a lot more competitions in the Olympics than he was privy to via his local television networks or newspaper. Out of curiosity, I looked it up and found that there were some 36 competitions with everything from Beach Volleyball to Shooting. It would be nice if there was more time and attention afforded to some of the other sports represented at . There are some really talented and dedicated folks competing. It is inconceivable how much they all sacrifice to participate. It is inspirational to me even before execution or finding out who wins...j...

Friday will be my first day "officially" working in 2014, as I wanted a day to get my household back to normal before I start to push forward with professional goals for the New Year. A few weeks ago, I joined an effort to shed some light on local businesses through Shop Small Saturday, Buy Local Week, and Pinterest's Hometown Pins Competition. In an effort to be globally competitive and create a sustainable earth, sometimes we forget one of our first lessons: take care of home. The holiday season, and the sense of community we experienced, was a great reminder of how much buying power we each have every day. One of my "resolutions" is to patronize businesses that invest in the community I live whenever possible. Before I was an entrepreneur, I was a writer. So, I thought it'd be fitting to focus on my favorite writing spots in my hometown for my submission to Pinterest. Below, are my 2014 Picks for the best places to write in Ann Arbor. http:...

Do you remember when you knew it all? When you had an answer for everything and everyone? If so, you probably recall that you were somewhere between the ages of 13 and 25. By the time you hit your 30's you realize that you know almost nothing - that this universe is much bigger than the human brain. As an adult, each day you are faced with more to learn, to know. As marketing professionals, it is important to make sure that you have knowledge and skill but wisdom to use them effectively. You may be "all tech" but that doesn't mean your customers are. Understanding your audience is as important as understanding your product or service.

Why do you make New Year's resolutions? There is a great chance that you will not meet your goals. Studies show that about 50% of people who make resolutions discard them by June and only 12% achieve them. Why bother? If you can answer this loaded question in a single sentence, perhaps you should not bother. Just because you would like to see an improvement, does not mean you are ready for the change necessary to make that happen. That doesn't make you a bad person or the goal bad, it just might not be the right time. The reason behind each resolution much be bigger than any obstacle you might face in order for it to consistently rise to the top of your priorities. I recently read " The Power to Reinvent Yourself " and the first chapter is dedicated to understanding your 'why?' The author contends that you will only change when your 'why' gets bigger than your circumstances, limitations, excuses, etc. So, it doesn't really matter about the h...