Darius' Blog

Can't we all just get along?

The answer to this question is undoubtedly, No.

There is no way for all of us to get along.  The biggest reason is because there is limited space, time, and clients.

Think about it.  When I close a deal on a new client, you just lost an opportunity.  When you come out with a superior product, I lose market share.  When the banks tell me there’s no money available for loans, it’s cause you got there first.

You see it is a never ending cycle that we all go through.  We are all plotting, waiting, and researching each other in hopes that we make it to the front of the line first.

The trick is exactly that, to get there first.  If your company really wants to become future-focused here’s a few things you can do:

· Research, research, and research some more – it is important to realize that it’s not just the research; it’s the ‘right’ research.  Which means you must decipher ‘what’ will get your company to next the level.  The ‘what’ is having a superior product, the ‘what’ is delivering services faster, the ‘what’ is having a better brand.  So only focus on areas that will get you closer to the ‘what’.

 

· Experiment – the only way to get to the best final product is to experience.  Your company could give out samples at a college fair and gather feedback or add a ‘bonus’ to current products.  The main thing is to push the products that are well receipted and weed out the ones that aren’t.

 

· Can’t resist offer’s – You have to give your target audience something they can’t resist.  Sometimes the best way to figure what they can’t resist is to ask them.  This can be using discussion forums on your website or interacting via social media.  The key is to listen and respond.  The more ‘real’ connections you have with your audience the more they will tell you how to serve them.  You must do this consistently.

Business doesn’t stop at getting ahead, you have to stay ahead.  Keep recreating what you do and how you operate and spend less time worrying about getting along with other companies.  Trust me; they are spending less and less time thinking about you. 

What else can you do to be future-focused?

My 'Brand' is better than yours!

A brand is a fairly simple concept to understand.

Think about it like this: say we have two collared shirts, one red and one blue. The red one is simple with no designs just a small logo on the front.  The blue is somewhat simple but has a big design on the back with some cool words on the sleeve.  It also has some designs underneath the collar (so if you are ever in the mood of ‘popping’ your collar this will give you some added style).

Now first impressions would lead you to believe that the blue shirt costs more because it takes more to produce it.  And the red shirt only has a little logo on the front.

But what if I told you that the logo on the front of the red shirt is of a guy on horse with a stick in hand? In other words it s Ralph Lauren polo shirt. Would that make a difference?

Of course it does!! Which is why the red shirt is TWICE the price of the blue shirt.

It’s the brand. There so much more value added because of the brand name.

It doesn’t matter if both shirts are made out of the same material or even placed on the same rack.  Once consumers see the polo logo that shirt instantly becomes the better choice if they can afford it.

This is why it’s so vital for companies to consistently work on their ‘brand’, it’s what sells. 

Sure product quality and advertising play a big role but the better your ‘brand’ is; the less work you have to do.

Nike shoes sell themselves, same goes for Ed hard and Ralph Lauren.  They have established an identity in our minds and hearts so we know EXACTLY what we are getting every time, we no longer need reassurance.

And that’s what you have to work to take away – the need for reassurance.

What do you think?

My first negative blog comment!!!

A day ago, I wrote a blog post about business and life being one in the same.  That with both you have to make decisions and live with them.  Point is you hope that the good decisions outweigh the bad.

Hours after writing this, I got a negative blog comment – wait negative is not the word – I got a BRUTAL BASHING.  As I said earlier this week, I love talking about ‘real’ situations because they are exactly that.

Anyway here’s what someone said:

“ this blog is absolutely terrible. your posts that relate everyday mundane details to business make no sense, and you obviously haven't spent too much time in the real world. do us all a favor: go get a real job for 10 years, work your way up to a middle manager, then start blogging again.”

Now I’m not sure if this person is one of those types of people who like to cause chaos but his email address is (hisname)@thisblogsucks.com.

I removed his comment in hopes that no one reading this blog would try to contact him. I’m not looking for any problems nor are this guys intentions the subject of this post.

The important thing to discuss is the difference of opinion.

A year ago I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Notre Dame 2009 Graduation Class.  The second best thing about it (behind actually graduating) was that President Obama was the key note speaker.

Now if you don’t know there was a lot of controversy surrounding the school about President Obama speaking (this is a touchy subject which I will not go much further on).

While President Obama was giving his speech a few individuals stood up and yelled out offensive comments.  What was amazing was how Obama handled the situation.  He said that he was not going to shy away from subjects just because they were ‘sensitive’.

Back to the blog bashing, one must wonder what part of what I wrote provoked this type of reaction? Was my concept that far off? And what is a ‘real’ job?

Why do we constrain ourselves to believe that one must work on a job for years before they know anything?

This comment isn’t just a bashing on my blog; it represents a ‘corporate perception’ that many of us have.  Furthermore it is because of individuals like this that people don’t pursue their passions.  They fear that they NEED years of experience before they are QUALIFIED to do something on their own.  As if there resume must have a glorified list of achievements/work experiences to prove themselves.  

I ask you, is experience the only measure of knowledge? Should I shut down Tha Proof is in the Pudding and work for a few years, then revisit the blog world?  

Truth is I blog because I enjoy it and I attempt to relate daily life to simple concepts that are easy to remember.   But maybe this isn’t enough, you tell me.

Business and Life are one in the same?

Whether you realize it or not, business and life are one in the same.

You make decisions and live with the consequences.  Regardless of whether these consequences are good or bad you must learn from them and become a wiser person/company.

The important part is the LEARNING.  Things happen every day and in many cases you didn’t see them coming.  You had no idea a client was going to pull out of a deal because your competition undercut you in pricing.  You couldn’t prepare for the fact that your loved one decided to do something with their life that you didn’t approve of.

Whatever it is and no matter how hard it is to deal with, life and business must go on.  Instead of stressing yourself when a client pulls out, your energy would be BETTER spent in finding a new client. When loved ones make different decisions, pray for them.   

Truth is, we ALL are going to make bad decisions and good decisions.  We can only hope that the good outweigh the bad.  And just like people say life is too short to waste it, business is too valuable to lose it.

Become smarter from what you do or what you don’t do to MAKE better decisions.  And for the rare cases when you do make BAD decisions, don’t let them lead to other bad ones.

I remember reading this but I can’t reference the author but he said “Life is a course.  One that is extremely difficult with a time limit. The trick is to learn the process of the course so that the difficulty becomes minimal.”

Do this for business too. I’m not sure about you but I want life and business to be great!

What do you think? And how should we all proceed?  

Brush your business teeth

Remember back in the day when your parents first taught you how to brush your teeth?  I’m not sure what you’re exact experience was but I’m sure a common principle is the longer you brush, the better.

Factor in using the best brand of toothpaste, occasional flossing mixed with mouthwash and you have a grade A model.

Now let’s evaluate this concept further.  People brush their teeth every single day and in some cases twice a day (once in the morning and once at night).

The real enthusiasts frequent the dentist and use Crest Whitening Stripes for maximum tooth care.

 Teeth are so important that you can get fake ones or an entire mouth full of dentures (which can be removable).

What If CEO’s took care of their companies like teeth?

Every day or twice a day they cleaned, scrubbed, flossed, and purified their business.   Treat your organization like your teeth by watching the amount of sweets you eat or useless employees you hire. Cleanse your company daily and constantly think of innovative ways to better your business.

If stuff goes wrong, change your product or work twice as hard.  And if all else fails go see the dentist or hire a consultant.  Do what you need to do to ensure that your business is clean and healthy.

Now go out there and brush those business teeth.

Can I get an Amen?

Who are you?

I love talking about real situations because they are exactly that ‘real’.

Now I am in no way shape or form trying to brag about this but I have 8,000 + friend requests on Facebook.  I feel terrible that I have allowed my friend request number to get this high so I am in the process of correcting this.  I apologize to all those who have friend requested me months ago and haven’t received a confirmation.

A few days ago, I was chugging away at the list and receive an interesting comment on my wall.

He said “Who are u? I didn’t friend request u but somehow u accepted?

Now the problem isn’t that we obvious don’t know each other, the real issue is that he has the audacity to write this on my wall rather than sending a message. 

What is the problem in us being ‘friends’ on Facebook even though we may not know each other?

I ask you now; do you truly everyone who is your friend on Facebook.

And to take it further how do you even answer the question who are you? If I respond with my name is that enough?

We all use social media (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc.) for connections.  We look to interact with other people regardless of whether we know or not.  We ‘follow’ people whom we’ve heard have interesting or informational tweets.  We friend request a friend of a friends just cause she has a cute picture.  Point is we all want to be ‘social’. The minute social media rattles or oversteps those boundaries, it loses its value.  

I have also had my twitter account ‘hacked’ and have been receiving some inappropriate messages. 

Since we are all using social media as a ‘tool’ to be social, we need to make sure that we understand its purpose and act accordingly.

I’m blogging mainly because it’s fun but also because I want to learn something from everyone who reads this.  There more I write and you read/respond the better for all of us.  We can all grow together.

Do you agree? Disagree? Why or why not?

Be a business body builder

Think about the difficulty in being a body builder.  You have to train and train and train some more. Then you must combine this with an effective diet. 

Some body builders work years to create a perfect physique to display to the world (yes YEARS).

The discipline a body builder must possess is unreal.

There are no days off, no slacking, and no cutting workouts short.  Healthy eating is an absolute and supplements are necessary.

Now think if the body building concept could be applied to business.

Owners would work and work until their business is close to perfection. They would put their business on a strict regime and strategically train every piece of it.

Business would be healthy and excessively strong.  

So when CEO’s think of business growth they should do what a body builder would do.  Block everything else out and focus on the task at hand.  Never deviate from it, regardless how long it takes to reach perfection.

Afterwards, display your company in front of a panel of judges (potential customers) and get their reaction.  Remember hard work pays off.  Now go out and be a business body builder!

Here’s some humor from Jim Carey on the subject:

 

 

Are you a 3B (Business Body Builder)?

Do you work to live or live to work?

In the classic movie “You, Me, and Dupree” Owen Wilson’s character goes on a job hunt.  He tells a potential boss that he works to live rather than live to work.

As hilarious as this movie was, this statement has real value.

Do you work to live or live to work?

Most people go to their respective jobs and the first thing they notice is the clock. Sadly they have only been at work for 5 minutes and realize that they have the full 8 hours to go before they get off.

To make matters worse they hate their boss and most of the day is spent pretending to do work or surfing the internet.

The lucky people don’t have jobs, they have careers.  There isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done.  Time flies and the only reason they notice what time it is, is when they have a set meeting to go to.

This is type of life style we all should be shooting for.  We have to find something that we would do for free but have the privilege of getting paid to do it.

I realize this is easier said than done but if you ever want to stop suffering at your job, than you must take some radical steps.

Here are a few things you can do:

· Stop lying to yourself – First you have to get out of your own way.  Stop telling yourself that things will eventually get better and start making plans to make them better.  As cliché as it sounds, we truly are the only thing holding us back.

· Read and research – Before you can jump into your passion you have to possess the background knowledge to make it happen.  You should know the ins and outs of what you’re trying to do as well as the obstacles that lie ahead.  Don’t let the fact that you don’t have any money kill the process.  Actually, do the reverse.  The fact that you don’t have any money forces you to make smarter decisions.  So instead of focusing on the negative of not having funds, focus on how you can start on a limited budget.  The sooner you begin the better. 

· Develop perseverance – The definition of perseverance is steady persistence in a course of action without regard to previous failure.  This is most important because the road will be tough. And there will be times when your dreams feel impossible.  Always keep moving forward and stay steady.  In the classic cartoon about the Hare vs. turtle they say “slow and steady wins the race.”

 

· Only rely on yourself – As bad as it sounds, people let you down.  Not everyone, but most people.  For whatever reason we as humans are programmed to ‘block’ others from doing better than us.  I’m not sure why this is, but it’s true.  I think the kids are calling these types of people ‘haters’ these days.  Anyway do what you feel is right.  It’s your passion and your dream so treat it like it’s your ‘own’.

I have a passion for marketing so I decided to start my own company entitled A’Dunte’ & Associates.  I now wake up every morning empowered and happy because I finally did it. And if I was able to do it, so can you.

I wish everyone much success.  I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart. Now go out there and be somebody.

Are you dreaming? If so, why should you have to wake up?

 

Stop biting your fingernails

My brother used to have a serious problem with biting his nails.  He used to chop and chop until there was practically no nail left.

To this day I am not sure if was nerves, stress, or sure habit formed from genetics.

Our family thought of many remedies such as putting rubbing alcohol on his nails or enforcing disciplinary action.  I think I remember my mom even offering sweets as a form of encouragement.

But oddly none of these cures worked.

It seemed as if my brothers nails where just SOL.

But then one day the unthinkable happened.  I was hanging out with my brother and for whatever reason he wasn’t biting his nails.  I mean hours went by and the urge didn’t consume him.

All the work and time we put into solution methods and he just stops on his own?

We should have figured this out sooner but we (as humans) are programmed to kick bad habits…. eventually.  We do things in our ‘own’ time regardless of how much encouragement, influence, and push from others.

My brother knew that biting his nails wasn’t the best thing to do but he stopped when he was ready.

Many CEO’s bite their nails (employees) on a daily basis until they realized that they are only damaging their company. They are restricting the growth of every part of their organization and limiting the company’s length of success.

But like most things, no matter how much you tell a CEO to stop ‘biting his nails’, he will continue to do it until he realizes the problem he’s creating.

Once you stop, the magic happens.  Your company will soar to new heights and your business will become healthy.  Your nails (employees) will grow and grow until eventually you have to cut them.  Otherwise you won’t be able to hold a pencil or worse you’ll have to give a few employees raises. (And that’s just terrible)

Do you bite your nails?

Does anybody like scary movies?

My favorite past time has to be watching scary movies.  My mom tells me I’m crazy for watching them all the time but for many reasons I truly love them.

For one thing it’s the suspense. I’m always thinking to myself - What’s going to happen?  Who’s the killer?  Why is the group splitting up? And my personal favorite is the black guy going to survive?

For whatever reason, it’s fun not knowing.  Now let me clarify it’s not fun being chased by a crazed killer but it’s definitely fun to watch people being chased by a crazed killer (not in real life but in a movie).  Millions of people go out to watch every SAW movie and Friday the 13^th hoping to see a bunch of people get tortured and chased.  It’s all excitement.

But like scary movies business’ are chasing the same effect.  Every company wants consumers to get excited about their product. They want people to wait in line and come back for the sequel, trilogy, and every product that comes after. Like most good ideas, this is easier said than done.

So how can companies create a ‘scary movie’ effect for their product?

Here are a few ideas:

· Mystery – Everybody loves mystery.  So create some suspense around your product. The most recent examples of this is Apple’s IPad.  Some people were saying it was going to have this feature and others where saying it was going to have another feature.  Bottom line was NO ONE knew what it was going to contain until the product was released.  Regardless of whether the product was good or not people were anticipating its arrival.  Speaking of Apple they do a great job of creating suspense; I just read an article about the next generation IPhone and like everyone else…. I can’t WAIT for it to get here.

 

· Give consumers just enough – I don’t remember where I heard this but years ago somebody told me the easiest way to get girls interested is to say ‘just enough’.  Always leave them waiting more.  So in other words never give them the full story.  Give them a portion today, a portion tomorrow, and the rest later.  Because once they get the full story (in the words of Jay-Z) they’ll be “On to the next one.”

 

· Provide something ‘unexpected’ – Every time a new SAW comes out, people rush to go see it.  It’s the same plot, same concept, and the same style EVERY time.  But the bonus is we never know how or if it’s going to end.  Who’s going to be the next SAW teacher?  Will this series finally be over?  What kind of sick ‘game’ can they come up with next? These questions not only keep horror fans watching, it keeps us interested.  And keeping customers ‘interested’ is the goal of every business.

 While new scary movies come out every month, they all have the same theme.  Businesses must develop a ‘scary movie’ effect for their products to generate higher sales and loyalty. Give them something to come back for over and over again.  What’s your take on it?