Christmas Week

At the age of 27, the week of Christmas still gets butterflies fluttering away in my stomach. The excitement surrounded by days off, time spent with family, recipes of days past and much more. When I was young the gifts were priority #1 – what would the jolly ol’ elf leave behind after nibbling on the cookies left out? Ahhhh, those Christmas Eve nights, the crawling time seeming to stop as it got closer to morning.

Today advertising plays up the celebrations and excitement of Christmas with kids tearing open gifts or the magical snowman coming to life.

What Christmas memories do you have that could translate into a new marketing campaign? Your life is easy to relate to, so share it with your customers!

Merry Christmas!

Social Media Trends for 2012

David Armano wrote a blog at the HBR about the upcoming trends for Social Media.  It amazes me where it has gone thus far. Click HERE to read the full article.

What are your thoughts on where Social Media is going in 2012?

David Armano is EVP, Global Innovation & Integration, at Edelman Digital, the interactive arm of global communications firm Edelman. You can follow him on Twitter at @armano.

July Kept me Busy

Hello and where on earth did the time go?  July kept me busy with several postcard projects, logo designs and more.  I’ve started working with a wonderful gallery located in Atlanta, Georgia called Catherine Kelleghan Gallery.  With works for all walks of life, this gallery is stunningly beautiful.

Here is your chance to see for yourself:

What I Wish More People Knew About Me

I’ve seen this topic filter through some of the blogs I read regularly and thought it may be a good way to introduce myself in this relatively new neck of the woods.  I think it is nice to share some of your personality in the social media world in order to showcase your talents and most importantly, yourself.

So here I go.

I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.  Yes, that is true.  I wake up every morning thinking “wouldn’t it be neat if I were a _________________”.  Always churning for something new and exciting, although creative, my list has included photographer, professional blogger, web designer, sculptor, sommelier… it goes on of course.  I am not proficient in any of the topics of choice.  It’s just exciting to think “what if…”  I’m not going to lie, I’m a little jealous of the collegiate generation.  Still holding their future in the decisions and courses they take.

I’m scared of thunderstorms.  Seriously.  Scared.  I’m a fan of a nice summer rain to cool the “fry an egg on it” hot pavement here in the ATL, but a shake your house thunderstorm is a different story.  The lightning, the thunder – gets my heart racing where it seems like it will never slow down.  I’ve always been blessed with this fear, which quadrupled when I attended school in T-Town (T = TORNADO).  Today, I’ve found a companion in my fear – my trusty sidekick and loveable lab mix, Allie.  She hates a rumble of thunder just as much as I do.

I have two furry kids.  Speaking of Allie, she is my eldest furry child.  A lab mix rescue who blessed our lives nearly two years ago, wow how time flies.  She is a wonderfully loving dog who gets a little spooked by the vacuum or storms (see above).  Her favorite things include food, doggie cookies, food, sleeping and – you guessed it – food!

My youngest furry child’s name is Charlie.  She is a spunky Boston Terrier rescue we got as a Christmas gift (thanks Ma!).  Although her start with us was filled with vet visits and illness, she has healed up and grown into a tear of a pup.  Her favorite things include going outside, meeting new people, chewing on the coffee table, playing, playing and playing.

I’m a sucker for a nice glass of wine.  This one is my favorite, because it took me a long time to arrive.  When I was younger, my mom and grandma would sip the likes of Kendal Jackson and Clous du Bois all while I turned my nose in the air.  “Who drinks rotten grapes?”  Oh how the years change us.  Now, I love a good wine tasting – seeking the legs, acidity, tannins.

I’m a sports junkie.  Hello, who is shocked by this?  I grew up in the south!  When it was college time I had two choices (1) UGA or (2) UA.  No orange, ever.  I went with the latter for their public relations program.

Every Saturday during the fall (& bowl season) you can find me tuned into ESPN College Gameday with chips and dip on standby and tailgate food in the oven.

Now that you know more about me, the mind behind the marketing, I’d love to hear more about you.  Link up to the post and share your own “What I Wish More People Knew About Me” posts.

Happy Friday,
Steph

Splash of Color

Today, while roaming the internet I came across this video that is too cool not to share.  This artist, Holton Rower, – SO inspired by splashes of color – creates vibrant works that are so fun!  In all honesty, I’d love to go home and give his technique a whirl, but I’m afraid my carpet (and husband for that matter) would not stand for it.

See how color can just make everything… better!

What is Your “Why”?

While roaming around the internet I stumbled upon a video featuring Simon Sinek in which he speaks about “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”.  Of course it grabbed my attention, and as business folks it should grab your attention too.

While watching the video (yes, I’ll let you get to that momentarily) I jotted down a few notes/key questions that I wanted to share.

  • why is your company in business?
  • think WHY –> then how –> then what (like Apple)
  • people don’t by what you do, they buy WHY you do it
  • do business with people who BELIEVE what you BELIEVE
  • what you do is proof of what you believe

Without further rambling, here is the video.  Do enjoy!

I leave you with a simple question, WHY do you do what you do?