Communities can be defined in a number of ways. Most of us think “city” or “town.” But communities can also be larger or smaller and build around other things–doctors, gardens, pets, hobbies, music, entertainment. Recently I presented to a group wanting to learn how to best reach out into their communities to grow their businesses. […]
Networking in Your Community Read More »
So you think a brochure is just a printed piece that you leave off for people to read or throw away? Wrong–what did it take to create that package? Recently, my client, Greg Farmer of Farmer Business Systems, reminded me just what creating his company brochure meant to him. “If you haven’t really created your
The Brochure Exercise Read More »
Everybody has an idea of what a chamber of commerce is. Whether it is from first-hand experience or urban lore and conjecture, we mostly think of a chamber in one of several ways. I was first introduced to chambers when my dad was a businessman in an Arizona small town. In those days (the 1950s)
What I’ve Learned After 18 Months At A Chamber of Commerce Read More »
Thinking about others isn’t necessarily in our nature. At least human nature. Being selfless–thinking of the other guy first–actually appears elsewhere in nature first. I learned firsthand about selflessness, kindness and unconditional love from the best source. My dog, Lilly. In her short 6 years and from all of her 12 pounds, this Maltese-Poodle mix
Selflessness Defined Read More »
My sister just returned from our aunt’s 90th birthday celebration. All of the cousins and extended family were there to reminisce and reconnect. During the conversation recounting the time she had spent with our family, Pat related something that really struck me. “We all inherit some trait from our family, either genetically or by family
When I was kid whenever we would move, my mom would plant a privet hedge in the front yard of our new home. It was her way of helping establish the new house as our home. The care should took in preparing the soil, choosing the individual plants and then putting them into the soil
This discussion never gets old. Business cards are your best and simplest introduction and have staying power. Take that, technology. While there have been a number of people who have tried variations of dumping the traditional little white card (card-sized CDs, Palm-Pilot bumping, et al), nothing seems to replace the original “calling card. So, beyond
Business Cards, Again Read More »
From the time we are young children, we love playing with trucks. The Big D BBQ Battle was no exception. Geoeffery and I got to play with some pretty big trucks. We needed trucks for lots of things: A rental U-Haul became our dry storage and local hauler of water and supplies. A loaned refrigerator
Inventing An Event: Trucks Read More »
The Big D BBQ Battle presented a unique set of issues for the North Dallas Chamber. Typically we produce events (annual meeting, HR Conference, Real Estate Conference, et al) in existing places. Ballrooms, hotel meeting rooms, convention spaces and the like. But this was different. We actually had to create the space. I mean, really
Inventing an Event: The Venue Read More »
We were all on board for the event early on but it needed a name. And not just any name. It had to: Be timeless (stand the test of time). Reflect the content of the event. Fit with the brand of the North Dallas Chamber. Be able to be translated easily to social media and
Inventing an Event: What’s in a Name? Read More »
