How to Build a Better Marketing Budget
How can I build a better marketing budget? How much should I spend on my marketing? These are common questions that I hear in marketing planning conversations. There’s not an easy answer to this question. I often say, “Well, it depends.” Let me explain – in general, there are three common ways to approach marketing […]
Change your Perspective
Drastic situations can often help change your perspective. They can help you re-evaluate, and reconsider what is most important at a specific time. I have experienced such a drastic situation most recently and even throughout the pandemic. We all have, right? My Drastic Situation: A Home Emergency What happened: kitchen pipes burst overnight, flooding two […]
New Year Goals
Are your new year goals ready? 2020 is now upon us! Have you had time to reflect on 2019 to celebrate your accomplishments, both personally and professionally? I’ve found a lot of value in looking back, analyzing data, appreciating where you’ve been, and then moving forward to set additional goals for the year. I’ve already […]
Business is a Team Sport
It’s the fourth quarter and basketball season, which made me think that business is a team sport. It’s game time to finish the year strong and put plans in place for 2020. Are you ready to rumble? Back in the ’90s I’m flashing back to my basketball playing days in high school. I played varsity […]
Why I Celebrate Manufacturing
It’s October and along with everything Halloween and Pumpkin Spice, it’s also time to celebrate Manufacturing Month in our great state. Did you know that Wisconsin is among the top ten states for manufacturing? We’re home to 17 major manufacturing companies including Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, Kohler, Menasha Corp., Oshkosh Corp., Quad, Rockwell, and SC Johnson. […]
Hire an Expert: 3 Quick Tips for Small Business
Have you ever come to the realization that you just don’t have the time or expertise to accomplish something and just need to hire an expert? I did recently. The white vinyl siding on our house was dirty – gross me out dirty. Last summer, I tried washing it myself with some cleaning fluid and […]
Business Lessons from Yes Please
I recently listened to Amy Poehler’s Yes Please on a road trip, and I couldn’t help but see parallel business lessons from improv. As an entrepreneur, I say yes please to Taking risks Making sales calls (cold or warm) Constantly stepping out of my comfort zone When networking, I meet new people and do the dance of […]
Celebrating Year 2 in Business
Though I am constantly looking ahead and making plans, I took some time to reflect and celebrate year two in business. Some pretty amazing things happened in the past year, and I have to toot my own horn a bit. Stepping up to Lead In October 2018, I was appointed to the school board to […]
What’s your Why?
I may be a little late to the party, but I took some time to check out Simon Sinek and his TED talk at the urging of my mentor. I worked through the book Find your Why to come up with my why, or mission. This involved reflecting on my life, and coming up with […]
Lessons from the Polar Vortex
When you’re cooped up inside, you have more time to reflect on lessons from the Polar Vortex. Cathy recently recorded a quick one minute video sharing how she not only survived the Polar Vortex at home with her kids for a few days, but also managed to keep important work moving forward. If you marketing […]