Just catching up on my podcasts and listened to a great episode, #258 of the Engaging Brand from Anna Farmery.

You can download it here engagingbrand.com show 258 guide to brain fitness

Anna talks with Alvaro Fernandez of SharpBrains, all about his Guide to Brain Fitness.

Anna asks:

• What is brain fitness?
• Why learning is physical
• The importance of learning how to learn.
• How experiences aid learning
• The importance of regulating your emotion
• How social interaction is needed for a healthy brain.
• Do some people have higher natural brain fitness than others?
• The key facets to a maintaining healthy brain

It is worth a listen as Anna, in her usual perceptive style, points out that blogging and podcasting is a very good form of brain boosting behaviour.  One of the discussion points that Alvaro makes is that talking about what you have read and learned and reinforcing the neural pathways is what cements learning – hence gossiping around the water cooler the next morning at work about a tv show is not conducive to brain boosting activity!

However reading a book or attending a seminar and then repeating that knowledge, discussing it, asking yourself questions about it – that is what will help keep the neurons active.  As Anna points out, by blogging and podcasting she is exploring new ideas every day and then imparting that knowledge to others via her blog and podcasts.

Brilliant stuff! So people, not only is blogging a great way to boost your brand or expertise, it is a great way to boost your brain and keep your neurons active and firing.  If ever we needed another reason to keep on blogging!

So I have renewed energy!  I did feel that what I had to say was surely nowhere near as interesting or important as what other more intelligent marketing and creative minds had to say -but you know what?  I’m blogging for me, and if you find it interesting from time to time then welcome aboard!

Søren Kirkegaard statue in Copenhagen, credited to be the father of existentialism

I tweet therefore I am…does anybody else out there think that modern marketing, in particular social media seem almost to perfectly fit into the existentialist philosophy (and I totally paraphrase here) to be true to one’s self?

According to the site all about Philosophy “existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook.”

The word “existence,” comes from the Latin “existere,” meaning “to stand out.” Is it not a marketers role to make the brand or product stand out?  And with the advent of social media channels the message we hear over and over again is that marketing today requires transparency and authenticity.

So as a marketer, it is my job to help the brand find itself, its authentic message and fulfill its responsibility to society.  So much easier as a corporate than as an individual don’t you think!

Yes, a very simplistic view and the exsistentialist movement is much deeper than that…but given my current phase of exploration this just seemed to resonate…plus it is a cool word don’t you think!

I worked out today that my children have a different perspective on motivating thoughts than I do!

We just completed part one of a 36km return bike ride from Lilydale to Warburton. Not an all together taxing ride, just fairly constant.

So we get to within 2km and Miss 11 has like her 3rd major meltdown for the day, not too bad considering! I said come on honey you are just 2km away…you can do it! To which she replied is that supposed to help?

OMG!!! In my book that was 34km down only a smidge more and heck I’ve made it this far what’s a few more? To her it was like we are not there yet, i have to keep pedalling amd my butt hurts, end of story!

Well after singing to her and trying to make her laugh for the 15th time today we finally arrived, crashed into the hotel for a shower and later tonight we will go out hunting for food, and it’s gonna taste good.

So until the return journey tomorrow when the whining starts about sore butts again…I’m proud of my 2 children even if it was a grudging achievement!!

Hot Button Marketing: Push the Emotional Buttons That Get People to Buy by Barry Feig

My rating: 4 of 5 stars A really interesting and succinct look at some of the emotional drivers to purchase and how to tailor your offer or service to meet the needs of your market for greater success.

Great chapter summaries and clearly set out making it a useful reference tool.

Possibly a tool for evil in the wrong hands! A great force for good to help you reach the right people in the right way for their (& your) greater good.

A great companion to Buy-ology (Martin Lindstrom). View all my reviews >>

As fragile as a...

Ever have those days where you wake up and it’s a feeling in your bones…it may just be one of th-ooo-se days?

I woke up today with a sore head and a sore throat – feeling as fragile as an eggshell.

Shower, rouse the kids…my shell took a battering…well have you ever tried to rouse a 14 year old who is on a teenage hormone inflicted altered body clock???  Yeah…bet your eggshell took a battering too!

Finally get everybody out the door…driving down the freeway…my nerves took a battering…get – out – of – my – way!!! Arggggg

Arrive at the office to several minor calamities, none of which I was either equipped or inclined to deal with…that eggshell is not looking really flash about now…just…managing…to…hold…together…

Where did I put my lunch? Oh darn I left it on the bench at home…along with my wallet! OK so beg borrow or steal…yep…small cracks appearing…

OK some positive thinking as I devoured the 5 water crackers and only just out of date cheese I found in the fridge at work and my 6th cup of coffee for the day…I (sing along if you know the words) I will survive, as long as I know how to love I know I’ll be alright…

Feeling the love the afternoon soon reveals the best is yet to come…calamity abounds as the only just out of date cheese turns out to be quite offensive to my fragile eggshell coated stomach…looks like I’m off home…crack…

Arrive in the door after a particularly road rageous drive home…race in to find…oh for goodness sake who left the dog in the house this morning?  Well it was all too much as Rufus bounded on top of me with a face full of mischief and the feathers from my pillows…

I mean how much can an eggshell take…?

“Stop the car….STOP THE CAR!!!!”

I could hardly believe my eyes…as we sat at the lights I happened to glance over to the line of retail shops all jostling for trade and there in the front window were the most be-a-utiful pair of wingtips…

I knew that if I wanted to be taken seriously as a man about town, I really needed to look like a man about town, and to look like a man about town I must have those shoes.

I pressed myself against the window and tried to read the price tag…oh that was 4 times what I earned in a week!

“Hey, Ferdie…got any spare on you…pay you back…you know I’m good for it.” I yelled, knowing the answer before the question had even reached my friend’s ears.

“Marco…stop dreaming those big dreams…what are you a wiseguy? You aint never gonna make enough money to buy the suit to wear with those shoes.” he laughed…”You gonna wear out the leather on those wingtips before you even got enough for the fancy socks to put on your feet to put in those shoes.”

Oh he was on a roll…I had heard enough.

I kept my composure in front of the small audience he had managed to attract with his little diatribe about my financial situation and I vowed that I would prove him wrong, and when I did I would buy 2 pairs of those wingtip shoes and make him eat one of them!

That was my driving force, my motivation.  I would one day walk proudly in my wingtips, with my suit and silk socks and watch as Ferdie, the guy who mocked my ambition, shined my shoes…oh yess sir…money means power, we all know that.

Money means wingtips and everything they stand for…how’s that for emotive branding! Got your own wingtip story? I have.  There is a particular designer I just looooove but cannot justify the expense…one day I shall have my ‘wingtips’…then I’ll know I’ve made ‘it’…And those snooty sales assistants will see what an important person I have become…won’t they?  And then I will be happy…won’t I?? Because things maketh the man…don’t they???  That’s what the advertising told me anyway…

OK so I didn’t post over the weekend because I was being diligently creative.

Those who follow me on twitter will know that my BFF has recently bought a cafe and I am doing the artwork so I spent all weekend creating 4 large canvas works.

I have not done much ‘commercial’ art as such before like this.  Stressful I must say, perhaps it is the fact that it is for my friend so her opinion counts more, I don’t know, but I was shaking by the time we got to the big reveal!

So here they are, about 15 hours of work on 4 canvases of 600 x 1200 – another 2 in this ’series’ and then another 6 possibly with a different theme for another part of the cafe.

The photo’s don’t do full justice, the butterflies are made from pages in a street directory and are dimensional on the page, the flowers are leather and embossed paper.  I have a limited colour palette by the client’s request.  It was fun, stressful and so invigorating all at the same time!

So my post for today…my diligent physical creativity days!

I would love to know what you think!

Butterfly fly away

The happiness we share

Go take a long walk off a short pier…

Well the weekend approaches and I am reminded by this picture of 2 things.

1.  “Go take a long walk off a short pier”, was the taunt I used to say to people who annoyed me when I was in primary school,  I thought I was so smart that the people I was insulting in most cases just didn’t get it! Hee hee hee…I was a bit of a know it all kind of kid, hard to imagine but true!

2.  I am also reminded of an idyllic paradise where long walks and short piers only end in delightful plunges into warm clear waters…ahhhh.  I’m there already.  I can feel myself drifting into a relaxed bliss as my husband and I wade through the warm water, feeling the soft sand shifting under our toes.  Suddenly the silence is broken by the sounds of splashing and laughter as our kids tumble around enjoying the splashing and waves…ahhh happy times…

Then I wake up, hear the kids screaming at each other (not in happy bliss I might add) and realise it was all a peaceful meditation….

Here let me see that photo again…I’m going back in…

I’m here for you baby…

I wanna hold your hand

What on earth was going on?  All these funny fuzzy shapes whizzed past my eyes and people I don’t know are all up in my grill talking in some stupid language that I really don’t comprehend…

Whoa…I yell back…I don’t know what you are saying…Slow down and speak clearly…Do you know where my mother is?

Well obviously they don’t speak my language either cos all they could manage was “oooohhhhh, oops” but at least they backed off.

The one thing I can always rely on came to my aid.  I grabbed hold of her and pleaded with my eyes…don’t go and leave me ever again!

Isn’t being with new customers alot like that experience! They don’t speak your language and you’ve been speaking it for so long you no longer speak theirs.  All funny things are going on they have never seen before that need explaining.

How many customers have you lost because you exposed them too quickly to an unfamiliar and confusing experience forcing them to crave the familiarity and ‘cry’ away from you?

Maybe a pause to remember that as far as dealing with your company goes, they are like babies and you need to reassure them first…I’m here for you baby…

Lonely starfish

The lonely starfish incites the masses…
Part of what I do in the corporate world involves trying to get staff to buy in to the brand message and stay on target with customer experiences.  Sometimes I despair that they don’t get it, don’t believe it the way I do and that I therefore am not doing my job properly.  But every so often I speak to a staff member and manage to change one small part of their behaviour in one small interraction with a customer and I know…I made a difference to that one.

So sometimes I am the lonely starfish marketing and branding to all those grains of sand, as the tide washes over them and they just do what grains of sand do…hold up the land without much interaction.  I implore those grains of sand to band together and sculpt a beautiful experience for their customer…the visitors to the beach…and with a little help they do and voila!

And so the lonely starfish experience of marketing theory comes to pass…the starfish turns to the grains of sand and says, alone you are just grains of sand, doing what you have always done, and doing a great job…thanks.  But when you band together you become so much more and create an experience that delights your customer…the beach babe…you guys pull together and I’ll be right here on the sidelines beaming my little starfish smile with pride…