How to get rich.

Jack Canfield was featured in the phenomenally successful video/book called The Secret. Jack is best known as the co-creator of the Chicken Soup For The Soul book series.

Jack is a successful business man.

Jack is rich.

The above short video shows Jack giving tips on how to get rich. Simple, smart advice on one of the most popular and challenging subjects out there. There is a lot to learn from this short clip that can be applied to all aspects of our lives. 

Decide.
Research. 
Follow.
Learn.
Emulate.


Enjoy.
Get rich!

Mr. Potato Head. A real stud spud.

During the 1950's, an inventor named George Lerner had a vision:

Transform vegetables into toys for kids.

Crazy?

Yes!

The idea was simple. Create plastic body parts like ears, nose, mouth, etc... and let kids insert them into a potato or other vegetables. Simple. Fun. Creative. Different. All the characteristics of a great idea. However, Mr. Lerner struggled with the idea at first and settled for selling the idea he now called - Mr. Potato Head, to a cereal company for $5000. The cereal company would use the idea as a promotional giveaway to customers buying cereal.

End of story?

No.

Mr. Lerner believed in his idea so much, he continued searching for toy companies who would like his idea and found a small toy company in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, called Hasbro. The toy manufacturer liked the idea. Mr. Lerner purchased his idea back from the cereal company for $7000.

In 1952, Mr. Potato Head made history as the first toy ever advertised on TV. The toy came with 28 facial features and a Styrofoam shape. The idea finally got the exposure it deserved and the result?

$4,000,000 in sales in just a few months. That's 4 million dollars in 1952 in a few months!!!

In 1953, Mr. Potato Head got married to Mrs. Potato Head. The family eventually grew to include a brother (Spud) and a sister (Yam). In 1964, Mr. Potato Head's body was converted to the plastic shape it is today.


This has been one steady, stud spud.


The lesson here in this great story is obvious. NEVER NEVER NEVER give up on ideas that you believe in. You just might have the next Mr. Potato Head on your hands. Congrats and thanks to George Lerner for his creativity and tenacity.

Creative genius x 6.

The above video shows the 6 commercials selected for the 2010 EMMY award. The winner was chosen in August.

Can you pick the winner?

Every one of these ads consists of creative genius, the necessary ingredient to win an EMMY these days. As the first ad says - "doing something differently leads to something exceptional."

Enjoy.

Have you ever noticed?

"Have you ever noticed that when someone is about to lose something, that certain something takes on brand new value?" 

- Zig Ziglar / Motivational Speaker, Business Coach


There is a reason we have the cliche' - you don't appreciate something until it's gone.

We must learn to appreciate what we have, every hour of every day of every month of every year. This gratitude will make you a better person in life and at work. Be grateful for your clients, for all the work those clients bring you and always give 110% effort. Always.

Why we do what we do.

Google's decision not to sell their technology, Lance Armstrong's decision to fight cancer and continue to race and  every decision we make has great impact on the future. 

Why do we make the choices we make?

Tony Robbins digs into the WHY in the video above. 22 minutes long and well worth the time investment. You will find out how one simple event on Thanksgiving made such an impact on Tony as a child, that he started a campaign to feed hungry people that continues today.

Inspiration at it's finest.

Hiring criteria. A sense of wonder.

IT from Nic Askew on Vimeo.


This artful short film by Nic Askew touches upon the value of hiring people with a sense of wonder. 

Sometimes people who see the world differently and are extremely curious are not valued and can be a threat to the status quo. We now know that it's time for the status quo to go. 

Great film about a great company to work for. Inspiring and insightful.

What's old is new.

Advertising has a rich history. 

The volume of great design and great messaging is endless. One thing that remains constant is that which is old can always be new again. What worked then, works now. This includes design. Fashion is cyclical, so is advertising design.

The fun, nostalgic facebook ad above is a nice reminder of the timeless capacity of advertising. Don't be afraid to look back to move a new idea forward.

Back to basics.

When a successful team starts losing, they often go back to the basics to re-group and re-capture their successful groove.

The basics are often overlooked.

Below is a simple, informative, back to basics video regarding Google Ad Words. The best thing about this marketing tool is it's simplicity. Any teaching concept can utilize this simple approach and reach millions of people through video on the internet and help potential clients understand what you have to offer them.


Take a peek and re-work for your work.

social netWORKing.

There continues to be a lot of discussion on how to best utilize social networking. 

Seth Godin, a true leader in all things marketing, speaks about the sense and non-sense of social marketing. Well worth a listen.

Help others.
Others help you.

We get it.

Check out the check out.

Check this out.

The opportunity to market new ideas, in new ways, is all around us.

Sometimes all it takes is looking at a high volume space of activity, like the check out area of a store, and determining a new approach on how to showcase products to customers. The check out line is a great opportunity to engage people in the process of purchasing.

The cd rack (shown above), attached easily to the side of the check out conveyor belt is strategic marketing at it's finest and simplest form. The design of the rack is minimal, which is the biggest part of it's success. The product (cd's) takes up the majority of the space, which makes it easy for customers to look at, pick up and purchase!

Whoever gets credit for this idea deserves a raise.

When it comes to successful marketing, location, location, location (and design).