Buzz, Buzz, Buzz!

I mentioned "The Anatomy of Buzz" by Emanuel Rosen on Tuesday, but thought it deserved it's own post. While Part 1 was necessary to understand how buzz spreads, I really enjoyed Part 2 and 3 the most. That's where the author delved into why certain products are successful in generating buzz and more importantly, how your product can do the same. He addresses the difference between using advertising and creating buzz and how they can work together.

The last chapter, "Buzz workshop" really spurred some creative thinking for me - I think I wrote down 12 new ideas that popped into my head in that one chapter alone.

Let me know if you read it and what you thought.

"The Artist's Way" Wednesday - Part 2

(Sidebar: read last Wednesday's post for background)

Here's another fun activity from the book...

Tool: Time-outs
As surprise enters your life, spontaneity increases. As spontaneity increases, so does the sense of play. Because creativity is really more accurately thought of as intellectual play than work, learning to play is pivotal. Time-outs teach us to play, and playing helps prevent burnout.
So begin. Once a week for at least one hour, take yourself - the part of yourself that you thinkof as your Inner Explorer - on some small festive adventure. Surely there's some place or activity you've always wondered about. Your time-out is your chance to go there or to try your hand at something new, to explore your wonder... Think mystery, not mastery. Time-outs are about awakening our sense of wonder. They are not about self-improvement.

I know you can probably come up with 15 excuses of why you can't do this; you have a pending deadline at work, you're a busy mom, or you have about a trillion errands to run (or all of the above) - but that's who needs it the most!

Get out there! And be sure to share what you did on your time-out!

Learn a lesson from your Birkenstocks

Building off of yesterday's post about changing your direction when necessary - I'd like to share a story I read in the book, "The Anatomy of Buzz" by Emanuel Rosen (I'll post a review on Thursday.)

When Margot Fraser decided to market German-made Birkenstock sandals in this country, she first went to the most natural channel: shoe stores. She found, however, that this channel was unwilling to sell the shoes. Shoe store owners didn't believe that the product would be accepted by Americans. When Fraser displayed Birkenstocks at a shoe trade show, the reaction was so bad that she decided to leave early, despite the fact that the show organizers were going to penalize her for leaving the booth before closing time. "I picked up my stuff and escaped through the fire exit," she recalls, laughing.

So shoe stores were out. Who else would be willing to champion such a strange-looking product?A friend told Fraser about a convention of health food stores that was taking place in San Francisco. Fraser rented a table at the show. "I just talked to people going by: 'You know you ought to try this.' And that's how it started." Owners of health food stores were somehow more receptive to the unconventional sandals, and many of them bought Birkenstocks for their own use. When they got back to their networks, they buzzed to their customers about the magic of these sandals. The word about Birkenstocks initially spread through the networks of health food enthusiasts... The few stores that started to carry the product gradually gave it the validation it needed in the traditional channel.

I think it's a great example of how to access your situation, determine another course to take and do it!

There a quote I heard years ago that has always stuck with me - but for the life of me, I can't find out who said it! I did a search on the quote and it's like it never happened. I swear I'm not making it up! I apologize to whichever famous baseball player I'm not giving credit to. Update: I was flipping through the book, "Marketing Outrageously" by Jon Spoelstra and one of the first pages I turned to had this quote in huge print. Turns out it was major-leaguer Willie Keeler who said it. Ahhhh, now I can rest easy.

"I know where they are, so I hit where they ain't" - Baseball player explaining his strategy on hitting the ball to open spaces in the outfield.

Change your course

Ok, I'll admit it, I feel like I have been in a holding pattern for a little while now... I have a lot of irons in the fire, but it seems like nothing is happening. To make matters worse, it's not just one thing, it's on many fronts. That is supremely frustrating when you put a lot of thought and effort into something, and feel like you're spinning your wheels. I'm not stuck in a creative rut (I do take my own advice from my posts!), it's that I feel like I'm hitting a wall despite creative thinking. That was until Saturday, when I had the time to sit down with a good business book and open my mind to new ideas.

Like I said, I have been hitting this proverbial wall, backing up and going forward again (I am persistent!) But something occurred to me on Saturday and was reinforced on Sunday in a conversation with my sister. It was simply this: when you hit a wall, change your direction. That is not to say, pack up your bags and go home, rather; gather yourself and keep moving. Even if you don't alter your course all that much, you won't feel like there is only one option out there.

Whew... I feel better now. What do I owe you for my therapy session?

Q&A: Stuck in a rut

What do you do when you're stuck in a creative rut?

There are 2 options...
1. Power through it.

• Put on some good tunes. Pick something that isn't too distracting, but puts you in a good mood.
• Change your scenery. Gather your stuff and pick a different spot. Whether it's a another room, another house or another town - get going! A fresh environment can lead to fresh ideas!
• Enlist the help of others. Pick the brain of a friend or co-worker (Chester always has great ideas!) It won't take a lot of time; a word or two might trigger different thinking and give you an alternate perspective.

2. Leave it alone.
If I've tried all the tips above, and I'm still coming up dry - I just put it away for another time. Usually, I'll wake up days or weeks (hopefully not months!) later with the perfect solution.

What do you do to combat a creative dryspell?

Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.

While cruising the aisles of the grocery store today, I thought about how it's the little things that make me happy. Besides finding tiny votives that smell like cake batter on aisle 9, these are a few of my favorite things: (and, no, it's not when the dog bites)

- a bouquet of tulips in spring colors
- an unexpected lunch date with Kevin during the work week
- finding something that I was willing to pay full price for, half price!
- luscious lip balm
- a big hug from my 3-year-old nephew
- stationery that I look forward to writing on
- a crisp, sunny day that I get to spend outside
- getting a gift that I know someone put thought into
- a really good pedicure
- fun flip-flops (to show off that pedicure)

What small pleasures do you relish?

"The Artist's Way" Wednesday - Part 1

I was rereading parts of "The Artist's Way at Work" last night and I remembered how helpful I found the exercises to be in unlocking creativity in business. I really recommend doing the 12 week program, but I'll share a different exercise every Wednesday to get you going!

Tool: Imaginary Lives
"If you had five other lives, what would you really enjoy being?... Don't be sensible here! The point of these lives is for you to have a good time in them, a better time than you might be having in your life as it's currently constituted."

I'll share my other outlandish career choices in the comments section. No pressure for you to share yours (unless you want to!) but I'd love to hear what you learned about your inner career coach!

This book brings the bestseller, "The Artist's Way", into the workplace by using the same tools to achieve creativity and fulfillment not only in your work, but in all areas of your life. I have to admit that I did not do the 12 week regimen back-to-back, as they suggest, but I still culled a lot of great lessons from doing it sporadically.

Don't ask permission... just do it.

I learned something interesting from my dog last night. This is the aforementioned "Naughty Golden Retriever" who is so nice to let us live in his house. The past couple of months have been an ongoing struggle of whether he gets to sleep on our bed or not (I like to say it's a struggle, when really - he wins every time.) He has this whole routine down - he beats us upstairs, takes his position with his head resting ever-so-sweetly on the bed, and gets progressively more adamant by the minute. That's when my dear husband folds like a cheap deck chair and let's him up. Lately, it's gotten even worse. He doesn't even bother with the routine now - he slyly adjourns to our bedroom when we're not looking and lets himself up. We don't know this until we walk into our bedroom and see him spread out over the entire bed, without one trace of remorse. (Pictured here)

It got me thinking, who needs permission? I think that when we are faced with the option of doing something out-of-the-norm, we hesitate for fear of overstepping our bounds... "Is that too pushy?", "Am I allowed to do that?"

I recently read an article about bestselling author, Karen Salmansohn that quoted her as saying, "The biggest risk I have taken was probably going up to Madonna at a restaurant with my books and showing them to her. I put down my first book, How to Make Your Man Behave, and she said, 'I own this book. You wrote this?' I said, 'Yes, I'm writing books to empower women.' She grabbed my arm and said, 'God bless you.' " Salmansohn said that everything she's gotten was because she did something she wasn't supposed to... she wasn't "supposed to" interrupt Madonna, but she did, and got blessed by Madonna!

You want to do something? Just do it. (I hate Nike for commercializing that line) What are you waiting for?

The Name Game

I was recently asked about how I came up with the names for the businesses, so I thought I'd share what I've learned...

When I started the soap biz 7 years ago, I arrived at the trade show with sales materials that boasted our name, "Good Clean Fun". Unfortunately, within 20 minutes of setting up I found out that the name had already been trademarked by another bath products company for one of their lines. They had faxed me a demand letter and approached me in the booth to give me the bad news. I collected myself quickly, apologized for my mistake and told them that I would drop the name immediately. Luckily, I had not sold any products under that name, or they would have the rights to that money. It was a rookie mistake, but I was happy to learn the lesson early, before it cost me a lot more.

Two days later, as we were standing in that booth, my sister noticed that the first thing that people said when they walked in was, "What fun!" (I'm not exaggerating, it was like clock-work) Not wanting to learn a lesson twice, Kevin and I made a trip to the US Patent and Trademark Office (don't be too impressed, it was 45 minutes from our house) to make sure we were in the clear. Later on, we trademarked the shape of the soap, thanks to a particularly (and might I dare say, unusually) creative trademark attorney.

• Be broad but specific! I know it's a paradox, but try to find a name that tells what you do, and leaves you enough room to expand later on.
• Create intrigue. I can't tell you how many times I have been asked what "What Fun!" does. Starting that dialogue can lead to interesting things.
• Do a search Before you get attached to a name, use a search engine, domain name registrar and uspto.gov to check if someone else is using that name.
• Protect your name. Even if you don't think you're going to have a web site, register the name (and combinations like it) so you have the option, and no one else does.

Have you learned any lessons about choosing a name?

Channel your silliness

Because it's a Saturday and the day after St. Patrick's Day (I don't know what that means, but it sounds good) I thought it would be okay to be a little silly today. I was reading "A Whack on the Side of the Head" and one of the tips for spurring creativity is to "Try using humor to put you or your group in a creative state of mind", so here goes...

XIII ways to annoy people and amuse yourself

I. Speak only in a robot voice
II. Fill out all forms using Roman numerals.
III. Mail a large letter using one cent stamps.
IV. Specify that your drive-thru order is "to go"
V. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.
VI. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and copy them to your boss.
VII. Stare at people through the tines of your fork and pretend that they are in jail.
VIII. Give a play-by-play account of a person's every action in a nasal Howard Cossell voice.
IX. Learn Morse code and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeeep, Bip, Bip, Beeeep"
X. Follow a few paces behind someone and spray everything they touch with Lysol.
XI. Pay your electric bill in pennies.
XII. Practice making fax and modem noises in public.
XIII. Go to the Dollar Store and keep asking how much things cost.

Have any to add to the list?

Setting Goals

I've been thinking a lot lately about the goals we set for ourselves. Most of the time, it's concrete goals with a number attached like, "I want to do $50,000 in new business this year" or "I want to save enough money to take my dream trip next summer". These goals are important, but what I find even more helpful is creating Emotional Goals - what you want to achieve for yourself, whether it's through your business or personal life.

For example, when we started Itsy Bitsy & Bold last year, Heather and I wrote down what each of us wanted out of the business. We had to think very specifically about what we wanted to put into it and what we wanted to get out of it. Since we both had our own businesses prior to this, we took what we had learned from each and defined what was important to us, as well as what we didn't want.

After my experiences with the soap, I knew I didn't want something that was manual labor-intensive (Shocker - I can be taught!) Our goals were: to create a business that we could later expand on, focus on creativity and great design, and put something out there that had a positive impact on kids. By being clear on what we did and didn't want we were able to form a business that hopefully meets our needs on a personal level and achieves the goals we set for ourselves.

• Think long-term Try to figure out what you want in the end... is it a stepping-stone to something else? Is it something that you can do on the side?
• Ask questions Ask yourself why you want a certain goal. Isolating your reasoning will help you get to the heart of the matter.
• Be specific Paint a picture of what you want and be as detailed as possible.
• Put it in writing I am a huge fan of writing things down. I take it a step further and post in on my desk where I can see it daily.
• Don't be afraid of change Things happen, goals change - reviewing your list and making alterations is just as important as writing them down the first time.

When was the last time you reviewed your goals?

Patience is a virtue, and one that I have not mastered.

I'm back and feeling a little overwhelmed, but excited. I thought the trip was successful and well worth our time, as we got to check out interesting products, see what was missing, and mull over the direction we want to take. Like I said before I left, we were bombarded with about a million ideas, so now comes the hard part; making sense of it all! It's hard for me not to go and act on all the things we talked about, but instead- research, weigh our options, and see if it fits into our plan. On that note, thanks to my sister for passing this quote along!

"Beware of undertaking too much at the start. Be content with quite a little. Allow for accidents. Allow for human nature, especially your own." - Arnold Barnett

My favorite part of the trade shows was meeting the creators of small companies who were doing really creative things. It's funny how that works, but I'm always drawn to smaller companies; they are more likely to take risks and do things a little differently. And I like knowing the person and the story behind the product.

Successful brainstorming

I'm headed out for a 2-day whirlwind tour of a couple of trade shows in NYC. We're going to look for some new vendors, check in on what our competition is doing, and see if we can spot some interesting trends. But what I'm really looking forward to doing is brainstorming with my sister/partner-in-crime. I know that in a very short amount of time about a million ideas are going to come to us - the fun part is being open to all the possibilities.

Here are some tips for a successful brainstorming session.

• Create an atmosphere where no idea is shot down. Picking apart ideas is for later - use this time to engage in a creative free-for-all.
• Take good notes. Write down everything - you never know what can spark other ideas later.
• Don't fall in love with one idea. If you come up with something great, try to push it out of your mind and keep working. Something even better might be right around the corner.

I'm looking forward to coming back and hashing out what's good for now, what's good for later, and what's not good at all. Do you have any tips to add about brainstorming?

I'll be back on Wednesday...

Two CD's you probably don't have

Kevin and I accidentally found Graham Colton Band about a year ago. We went to see another band play in Baltimore and Graham Colton opened for them. Turns out the opening act was better than the band we went to see. I've been hooked on Drive ever since. Good lyrics and really catchy tunes make this a CD you can listen to over and over again.

The other CD that I'm obsessed with is Goodtimenation by Gavin Creel. Gavin is a friend of mine, so I'm a little biased I admit, but I'd love this CD even if he wasn't. He's a supremely talented singer (Tony-nominated), incredible performer and one of the coolest guys you ever want to meet. Plus, he's out there doing it, so you have to support him. It's one of those CD's that just makes you feel good. Go to www.gavincreel.com to check it out.

Q&A: Homework

Question: Do you find it difficult to work from home?

I get this question a lot - most people think that they couldn't work from home because they wouldn't get anything done. It's the opposite for me - working from home is sometimes difficult because I can never really turn it off. When my husband, Kevin, comes home, he can leave work at work (for the most part), but it's a little harder for me. If I have a large order to get out, or some big deadline looming, I don't really have a choice. This was especially hard in the beginning, but I've learned to balance it. I try not to work at night (e-mail doesn't count, right?) or on the weekends. I remember early on someone telling me to "close the office door at night"... I felt like saying, "You obviously have never had your own business." You have to make hay while the sun shines, (insert other corny euphemisms to your liking) so don't beat yourself up - just do your best.

A couple of tips..

• Try to keep certain hours if you can. Following a schedule will keep you in check and won't make you feel like you're working 24/7.
• Make it a point to get out - whether it's to do some market research, scour mags at the bookstore, or meet with other entrepreneurs - you need to get out of the house every now and then!
• Everyone says, "Get dressed in the morning". I say, "Do whatever works for you!" If I feel like staying in my pajamas because I feel most productive earlier in the day, so be it. None of my clients know that I'm wearing my green pajamas pants with orange tigers as I'm taking their order, nor do they care. Well, maybe they know now.

Now, get back to work!

Be a specialist.

No matter what you do, being specific about what you're good at is key. It allows you to focus on that one thing and therefore portrays to your audience that you excel in that area. I have dubbed myself a "creator of innovative goods" and by clearly defining my title, I have made this my specialty.

• List your talents and skills. If someone were to describe you - what adjectives would they use?
• Keep it simple. Even though you're probably good at a number of things, pick the ones you are passionate about.
• Be clear on what you do. Be as specific as possible - you're creating your own niche.
• Promote these skills. However you can, broadcast your new "title".

"You stand in your own light. Make it shine." - taken from a fortune cookie I was lucky enough to get.

Q&A: Biggest challenge

So, I've received some requests to answer the questions I posed the other day to start the ball rolling. I swear, it's not my split personality that's asking. She's in Jamaica right now.

Question: What was the biggest challenge in starting the business?

Hands down, it was manufacturing a product that had not been made before. When I introduced the Soap Rolls at the first trade show, I had no idea what kind of response I would get so making the soaps on my kitchen stove didn't seem like a problem. With an immediate influx of orders and no real down-time in the first year, I was literally making them 24/7 (or as my Mom likes to say, "24 hours times seven days a week") When larger orders that I couldn't possibly make on my stove came in, I quickly realized that the business was extremely limited. I contacted all the soap manufacturers in the U.S. but wasn't being taken seriously. Because of the shape, no one wanted to do something different or they had minimums that were impossible to meet (or so I thought) I found one manufacturer that would do it with a minimum of just 24,000 pieces but they were so terrible that I couldn't reorder from them. The quality of the soap was sub-par and they repeatedly lied, so I had to go back to making them on my stove. I finally found a great manufacturer that had the right machinery and treated me like a human being - hallelujah! When we later took a tour of the manufacturing facilities, it was surreal to see our soap being produced right next to Dove and Dial bars. I knew I was a pipsqueak client to them, but they never treated me that way. We have manufactured over 375,000 pieces with them to date.

Tips:

• Have a method of mass production ready. Or at least know how to go about setting it in motion before you create a product. When you're in a time-crunch, it's not the best time to negotiate and you're more likely to jump at anything.
• Find an industry trade show. Like you would look for a show to sell your wares, look for a place where all your vendors would be.
• Sign a non-disclosure agreement. Put something in writing to protect yourself.
• Don't be loyal! I know this sounds bad, but keep your eyes open for new suppliers all the time. You never know when your vendor will raise your pricing or go out of business. Even if you don't switch suppliers, keep information on other options, just in case.

What were your biggest challenges? How did you overcome them?

Being a "good girl"

If you're anything like me, negotiating deals is not your strong suit. My need to please people + my eagerness to make a deal work = not such a great deal for me... until I read "The Good Girl's Guide to Negotiating" by Elizabeth Austin and Leslie Whitaker. These smart women must somehow know me because they pinpointed every problem I have with negotiations. As a woman, we have "a reservoir of untapped negotiating skills. You're probably a great listener, a keen observer of nonverbal cues, and an expert at putting yourself in another person's shoes." Surprisingly, the book taught me not to be a shark - but rather to use these personality traits to my advantage.

"You don't have to choose between being a good person and getting a good deal. A negotiation is truly successful when both sides feel they've struck an equitable bargain, one that feels good to you the day you make it, and when you look back years later."

Another great thing about the book is that it's not just for business deals and getting raises - it includes chapters on selling your house, buying a car and talking to a doctor.

Let me know what you think of the book!

Q&A: Reading business books

Question:
When do you read biz books, mags, etc? It may sounds silly, but I struggle with reading trade pubs, etc. Although inspirational, I find the time on the weekends, at nite, etc. - when I'm trying to wind down. They often stress me out again. Any suggestions? - Jill

Three suggestions...

• When I'm stuck in a creative rut during the workday or feel like I'm not being productive, I'll take 30 minutes and read a biz book. That way I don't feel guilty for not working, and it usually jump-starts my brain!
• I try to intersperse business-related books with fun fiction. Sometimes I have the same problem where I feel overwhelmed when reading a particularly intense business book so mixing it up with either leisure mags or chick lit allows me to go back to that book later and get more out of it.
• I only allow myself to read a small portion at a time. That way I don't read so much that I can't process it and use what I've learned. Keep in mind, it's only worth your time if you're really getting something out of it.

Hope that helps! Happy reading!

My own personal new year

On the eve of my birthday, as I do every year, I like to recount the past year... successes, mistakes, high and low points. It's a chance to reflect on where I am and what I want out of the next 365 days. I know that most people do this at the start of the new year, but doing it on my birthday makes it a little more personal. Instead of resolutions, which focus on what not to do, I like to pay attention to what has been working, what I want to accomplish, and where I hope to be this time next year. I think about what I could have done better last year, try to learn from it and move on.

Do you make time to reflect and assess? Is it at a random time or on a milestone?

Bring it on, people!

I've been getting a lot of encouraging e-mails about the blog - which is great - but I'd love to interact on here as well so we can get a dialog going. I'm totally open to questions, comments, and suggestions. Here are some ideas to get it going...

• What was the biggest challenge in starting the business?
• Do you find it difficult to work at home?
• What do you do when you're stuck in a creative rut?
• What's in your 8-track player? (I don't have an IPOD, so I feel like my simple CD player is a dinosaur)
• How do I build a creative support group?

If you want the answers to these, or other mind-blowing questions, feel free to post. Otherwise, I'll have one of my other personalities post a question... and then it will just be sad.

Whole Living

As part of my ongoing quest for creativity, I often pick up magazines that I wouldn't normally read. Getting a peek at something outside your world might spur an idea that you wouldn't have come to otherwise. I was flipping through a gardening magazine once (If you know me, you know what a rarity that is - Kevin has the green thumb, mine is black.) Anyway - it had a blurb about a mango festival which gave me the idea to contact stores in the area about our mango soaps, and it worked! At the very least, you're almost guaranteed to learn something new!

Body + Soul isn't a magazine I subscribe to - but it wasn't a huge stretch. I found this on their web site and thought you might like it...

10 TENETS OF WHOLE LIVING
* Happiness is a choice. You can make that choice today and every day.
* Good health isn't a gift; it's a habit you can cultivate.
* Stay connected to the natural world. It will feed your soul.
* Think more about what you should eat more than what you shouldn't.
* Nurture your spirit. It's the source of your strength.
* A healthy, fit body is not enough - true fitness engages the spirit.
* Laugh at yourself. You're funny.
* Believe in yourself. Your intuition is rarely wrong.
* It's never too late to take the first step toward your aspirations.
* What you pay attention to will thrive.

Work like a Slave

I'm excited to share my first book recommendation, "Rules for Revolutionaries" by Guy Kawasaki. I was in Boston a couple of years ago and had some time to kill so of course I made a beeline for the bookstore (what Starbucks is to coffee addicts is what Barnes & Noble is for geeks like me.) I stumbled upon this book and couldn't put it down all day. Kawasaki was the "chief evangelist at Apple Computer and an iconoclastic corporate tactician who now works with high-tech startups in Silicon Valley." I really enjoy his straight-forward, easy-to-read manner of writing and found this book to be inspirational and fun to read. His 3 steps to success in the marketplace: Create like a God, Command like a King, Work like a Slave. Well... at least I've got the last one mastered.

While I'm at it, I might as well share his other book that I just finished "The Art of the Start", a quick-read about launching any type of business. My favorite part was about creating a Mantra instead of mission statement. Mission statements are out - they all sound the same and they are too long to really remember. Instead, choose a quip that's bold and concise.

Sidebar #1: I just went to look at "R4R" and realized I must have loaned it to someone. If you are reading this and you have my copy, I will find you.
Sidebar #2: I wrote an e-mail to Guy and got a personal response within minutes! How fun is that?