Seasoned Business Leaders: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

As a seasoned business leader, the old adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” has been replaying as a reminder in my mind over and over again for the last year. Sometimes when you’ve been doing a certain thing for a long time, you might become insulated from innovation by doing things the way you first learned them. You might even forget the best practices you learned at the beginning in favor of doing what works at the moment in your business. At this point, reminders for seasoned business leaders can be helpful to continue to grow.

So this week I’m sharing here some reminders for business leaders who may need a refresher on the must-dos and must-haves when things are rockin’. And even before they’re rockin’. These apply whether you are a start-up or veteran. I was reminded this week of what I don’t know when I launched a new business of sorts, and finally brought it to life.

Seasoned Business Leader Turned Start-Up (again)

As most of those who know me know, my son is in college in Central Florida. After his freshman year and countless visits to Florida, more for my sake than his, I had an idea. Buy a place in Florida. I’m there all the time to see my son, and when I’m not there I could rent it out to others who would enjoy the beach as much as my family does.

So, I did countless hours of research. Ran numbers backwards and forwards. Consulted my business advisor. Then, did more research. Then, I contacted several owners of rental properties and local small business owners in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Next, I refinanced the house. In addition, I had to take out another significant loan to get this idea off the ground.

As I last blogged, this is not my first rodeo. But, I am here to tell you old dogs do forget the new tricks. As a seasoned business owner, I was reminded in the course of this new project, just how much these business basics matter.

Business Leader Basics to Remember

1. Finances

Make sure you have extra in the budget for unexpected expenses during start-up. Money isn’t made in the first and sometimes second year of business. Remember that. Another thing going through my head these last few months is that real estate is a long term investment, as most businesses are. Seasoned business leaders know to endure the short term pains for the long-term gain.

2. Time

Remember that time is your inventory. Don’t go down rabbit holes. Overthinking and questioning yourself aren’t necessary. Stay focused on what matters. Make decisions and then move on. Most of all, be efficient in all you do.

3. Support Network

Partner with the experts. I don’t know construction. Or anything about the short-term rental space. Nor do know much about HOAs, (but I do now) so I found and made friends with the BEST in these categories. I am so grateful for them and their expertise. Also, my family and friends were there when I needed to vent, cry, scream or say queue #5.

4. Front Porch Marketing Team

If you have two businesses, make sure each of the business teams are in support of the other. The Front Porch team kept the Porch rockin’ while I was bobbing and weaving in and out so I could get Calming Corner (our new beach space) up and running. Seasoned business leaders build teams they can count on in crunch times.

5. Saying Uncle

Yes, you can have too much on your plate. So ask for grace. Be nice to yourself. Realize you do have physical and mental limitations.

6. Good Enough

Our first renters were to arrive at 4 p.m. on the 1^st of April. There was cleaning to be done. Some pictures were not hung, etc. But the place was beautiful. It was time to finish the cleaning and save the rest for the next time she was vacant. Good enough is sometimes perfection.

“The Calming Corner” is Up and Running

I am proud to say that as we are building this rental business, we are also supporting other local businesses. The new couch is manufactured in Florida by a Florida-based company. The patio furniture is manufactured in Volusia County and the business is owned and operated by a local husband and wife duo. And our boutique vacation rental company, Florida Vacay Rentals, is owned by a local female rock star who is also my “Florida Anchor.” And I am honored to call her my friend.

So here is my shameless plug for Calming Corner, our new Front Porch view! Please note, NEW photography coming soon, because there are all new floors, paint and furniture. And there is a fabulous remodeled master bath. Shorehom by the Sea, Unit 54, also has a new bedroom pocket door, a new pantry, a new washer dryer closet and more.

Oh, and, as of April 6, it has a brand new air-conditioner, that was not in the budget … sigh.

3 Lessons I Learned Working for Amazon

For as long as I can remember life has always been fast-paced. Going to school was always about keeping up and trying to stay ahead 24/7. Sports were always about learning while on the go. Even life, in general, was always about how little time we had to accomplish the tasks at hand, and once again I was able to experience this lifestyle working for Amazon, a company that only knows one speed, fast pace.

One of the biggest adjustments coming into the job of working for Amazon was how much responsibility you get right off the bat. With little time to adjust, I was thrown into my job and expected to keep up like the rest of our company. Just like life, I was expected to take the little I knew and find a way to succeed.

How to Adjust to a Fast-Paced Environment

Luckily I’ve had some great lessons about how to adjust to fast-paced environments, and I used these to help me succeed.

1. Stay as organized as possible. It is so easy to become overwhelmed with all the components of your job. It is important to find a system that helps you excel when you organize for the day. Take the time to keep all your ducks in a row, it helps you so much in the long run. Also, don’t be afraid to take extra time to get this right, slow and steady wins the race even in a fast-paced environment.
2. Be as flexible and adaptable as possible. This one I cannot stress enough, because it is easy to just stick to the things you know. Whether that is knowledge or process, it is easy to not want to adapt to new things and change. At Amazon, there were so many processes, in the beginning, I refused to learn because I didn’t want to change my method. When I finally decided to give them a try my entire workday changed for the better. Sometimes a little change can be beneficial, so embrace it!
3. Use all the tools given to you. This practice backpacks on being flexible and adaptable, and is so important. One of the first things I failed to do when I started at Amazon was use all of the different tools that were provided to me. Doing this made my work more difficult and made my day seem like it was so slow. When I decided to utilize my tools I was finally keeping pace and enjoying the process at work.

Working for Amazon Forced Me Out of My Comfort Zone

Amazon was truly an eye-opening experience for me as it forced me out of my comfort zone. It made me realize that working doesn’t have to be this thing you can’t stand every day. Instead by using different tactics and finding ways to work more efficiently, I was able to conquer my days and feel like I won. I think the biggest takeaway from working at Amazon was that when you decide to get past the working part and truly apply yourself, any job can be enjoyable.

Remote work happens and has before 2020. Newsflash!

The pandemic made it essential. Corporate offices closed. ODL. Now what are we going to do?

Many were unsettled.

Front Porch Marketing didn’t miss a beat.

Going back to 2011 when our company was founded, I was inspired by a business leader who started her business on a virtual model years prior. They still are rocking remote work and a “galactic headquarters.” F yer I. Successful companies have been using this model for years and years.

Companies functioned virtually decades before 2020. Really? Yes, friends, yes, they did.

Many questions were asked in 2020:
• Team engagement. How can we function as a team without our myriad of useless meetings?
• New business development. How would I do new biz development if not meeting one-on-one? Talk to your business partners. Existing clients, associations, affiliations, time to find new connections via LinkedIn.
• Meetings. We must be in person and spend an hour at least pontificating all the thing. Nope. No, you do not.
• Client relationships. How can we nurture them if they aren’t in person? Pick up the phone.

5 key reasons, and there are more, remote work works

• It is more efficient. Less time spent commuting, more working.
• Remote work is flexible. Choose the hours you work. Throw in a load of laundry between emails. It is important to remember, however, you don’t always have to be “on.” Walk away from the computer light, Carol Ann.
• Enhances the work horizon. Our team is all over North Texas and Colorado and and and which means we can benefit from being a part of many communities and have access to top talent anywhere.
• Business development happens. Less disruptions, more focus. Biz dev doesn’t have to be face to face. Utilize your resources. Resourceful people find new ways to make shit happen so their businesses thrive.
• Saves money. Eliminates the unnecessary things. I pay my mortgage only, not rent for an office and its utilities too. Only one cleaning service. Less tax burden.

How we work impacts everything from our satisfaction to the broader economy. Speaking of broader economy, we are seeing wide reaching benefits from the pandemic. More small business owners are open to working with agencies that aren’t in their own backyards.

I will save the story of the business referral someone gave to a rocking business owner in California that recently led to our newest client relationship.

We aren’t “remaking work.” Remote work is how we have worked for 10 years. We focus on doing great work with people we love for people we love while taking care of our loves.

Princess Rock Brianna Slay steps onto the porch to share her ideas on marketing, Porch culture, and a fun fact!

The biggest misconception about marketing today?

It is easy to market.

Best advice to give someone struggling with brand identity creation?

Keep it simple. (KISS) baby steps.

One of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?

With my new experience as an intern along with being a student, I’ve learned to always be prepared, involved, and aware.

What is good marketing?

Good marketing is a message that’s clear and concise.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?

I would travel to Ireland to visit my cultural roots and enjoy the green scenery!

If you could have dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?

I would love to have dinner with Jesus because he could answer life’s biggest questions, as well as making the food delicious!

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?

Observant, Trustworthy, Collaborative.

What is your favorite thing about FPM?

I love FPM’s fast-paced workability. The FPM Team can take a client’s vision and quickly make it a reality.

Tell me about a major milestone in your life?

A major milestone in my life was traveling internationally for the first time. It was the summer into my sophomore year, and I stayed with a host family for three weeks. I learned how to communicate with others who don’t speak my native language.

How would you describe the culture at FPM?

FPM’s culture is very optimistic, and they keep an open mindset when working with clients. They are always positive when talking to clients about updates. The team is enthusiastic in their manner, and they give solid opinions that are backed with facts. They never make their clients feel pressured.

Fun Fact?

I’m going to Southern Methodist University in the fall. Go ponies!

Thanks for tuning in to another Rocker Spotlight featuring Princess Rock Brianna Slay!

Teamwork is essential in so many aspects of our lives today. How many team hats are you wearing right now?

My kids’ closet shelves are scattered with different hats, jerseys and socks, for instance. I love all our different teams, whether its academic, spiritual, work, sport. We even call our family a team.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie

Big agency life perk is the opportunity to join brands and marketing teams spanning different sizes, categories and geography. Joining new teams to reach goals is one of our favorite things. We are energized and inspired regularly by the talented, dedicated teams we partner with to achieve defined objectives.

Did you know that our Chief Rocker blares Boys of Fall by Kenny Chesney every day in her car during football season? The lyrics resonate with her for many reasons and because of the quotes by some of the greats at the end. Above all, her favorite quote is from Joe Namath: Life is a team game. It is the big game.

Effective teamwork is simultaneously simple and challenging.

We’ve rounded up nine factors that we link to team success. The folks that live and nurture these factors seem to achieve their targets effectively and consistently.

Nine factors of successful teams:

1. Clear and Defined Goals
2. Clear and Assigned Roles
3. Be and Stayed Organized
4. Respectful Interactions
5. Constantly Communicate
6. Equal Contributions
7. Support Each Other
8. Produce Quality Outputs
9. Have FUN!

My family invests a lot of time in sports, we are a football, basketball, soccer and baseball loving crew. Therefore, team sports organically have all these components – how convenient for parenting two preteen boys! Do your teams hit all the notes?

Teamwork rocks!

Without a defined marketing strategy, a company runs the risk of chasing marketing tactics that might not work. It’s tempting to chase every trend or try to do #allthethings. But it’s far better to focus on executing a few things right than to try to do everything and accomplishing nothing.

Take a step back and give some serious thought towards your marketing strategy.

Strategy First

The terms strategy and tactics are frequently used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. A company’s strategy will define the marketing tactics they should use, not the other way around.

At the core of every marketing strategy are five things: goals, a value proposition, target audience, competition and your marketing messages.

Goals
Choose goals that are SMART, or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Having SMART goals keeps you and your team accountable.

Here are some examples of SMART goals:

• Grow e-newsletter list to 50,000 subscribers by the end of the year.
• Increase website traffic by 50% with SEO and content efforts.
• Convert and capture at least 1,000 leads over the next three months.

Value Proposition
What value does your product or service bring to your customers? How is your company different from your competitors?

Target Markets
“Everyone” is not a target. Think about the annual income of your target customer, where they hang out online, age or stage of life, what industries they work in, education level, and their motivations for buying your product.

For B2B customers, this may look slightly different. What is the annual revenue of your target client? Who makes the purchasing decisions for the product or service that you sell?

Competition Identify and know the competition. Run a competitive analysis and/or create a competitive profile matrix. Know what your company is doing that is both different and better than the competition. Define your competitive advantage.

Marketing Messages
Your marketing messages should be tailored to all your target markets. A message directed at a CTO of a Fortune 500 company will look different than a message for the CMO of a tech startup. Adjust your messaging accordingly.

Tactics Second

Now we get to play in my sandbox, marketing tactics. Here are a few tactics to consider:

Social Media
I’m surprised by how many businesses are still wary of using social media to promote their organizations. If you don’t think that your target customer is on social media, check out these stats from the Pew Research Center:

• 69% of U.S. adults use Facebook. And its not just for kids anymore – among Americans 65 and older, almost half use Facebook.
• 73% of U.S. adults use YouTube. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world behind Google.
• A quarter of U.S. adults use LinkedIn. The growing network is a great place for B2B marketing leads, growing thought leadership, and finding your next employee.

So, basically, if your ideal customer or employee is breathing, it’s time to pick a social media channel or two and start getting social.

Influencers
If you can’t build a huge audience, then buy it: this is the thinking behind influencer marketing. But, the right influencer for your company doesn’t have to necessarily have the biggest following to be effective.

The trick is to find influencers with the right fit, engagement, and reach that feel authentic to your company.

Influencer marketing isn’t just for lifestyle products like makeup or the latest diet fad. Check out how this welding products company created their own influencer program.

Video
More than 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands – more than any other type of content. There are many different types of videos a company could create: demo videos, expert interviews, explainer videos, and list goes on.

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It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of your company. Most entrepreneurs are too busy working “in” their business to work “on” their business. But, don’t you think its time to work on your business?

So, it’s February. Perhaps you are finding it hard to stay committed to your New Years resolutions. Or your year-end business goals are proving harder to accomplish than you anticipated. Or you have put off making that change in your personal life that you know you have to make. Let’s face it, change is hard. 

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” Arnold Bennett

The process of change can cause disruption in your life. This disruption can hit close to home and play with your emotions, bringing about feelings of doubt, uncertainty, and lack of control. It’s natural to want to maintain the status quo, it feels safer. But is it better? 

It is often said that change is the only constant in life. Yet we are evolutionarily predisposed to resist change because of the risk associated with it. Leadership today is all about managing disruption, and disruption is an hourly occurrence. Organizations and people that don’t embrace change are bound to lose ground and stagnate. Change is natural. Embrace it. Welcome it as an opportunity.

“Change is hard because people over-estimate the value of what they have – and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” James Belasco and Ralph Staye

Whether you are undergoing change in the workplace or in your personal life, there are a few constants to bear in mind as you transition:

• Nothing happens without a readiness to change. You and everyone around you must buy in to the change and the reasons for walking the path.
• A support infrastructure is integral. Peer support and pressure drive change, and the emotional and logistical support will keep you afloat.
• Replace old habits with new ones. Replace negative situations with positive ones.
• Continuous introspection is key. Are you on the right path? Change is fluid, be willing to adjust.
• The goal is progress, not perfection. Overcome any setbacks you encounter and re-focus.

“Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change.” Jim Rohm

 

 

 

One of the things that makes marketing rock is the combination of science, art and a whole lot of planning. Clients that come to Front Porch Marketing typically have marketing goals they are trying to achieve. Sometimes they are WOG’s (wildly outrageous goals), sometimes they are motivational or aspirational.

Regardless of the size or type of goal, without a brand strategy and marketing plan, it is just a dream.

You are planning a trip from Dallas, Texas to Taos, New Mexico. You have plugged it into your GPS and you have selected the route with the shortest drive time. You know how long it is going to take to get there and what it is going to cost.

The STRATEGY: (your why) Family of four wants to have a safe trip to Taos, New Mexico, and enjoy time together.

The TACTICS: (your how) Travel by car in 16 hours, spending $200 on gas. You have your plan!

Not so fast.

What tools do you need to be successful? A driver’s license, a car, food, water, lodging and gas. There are a lot of vehicle models just as there are endless marketing tools (branding, social media, radio, TV, direct mail, print, e-mail marketing, e-commerce, in-store POP, affiliations, cross-promotions, customer loyalty, on and on).

The vehicle selection for a road trip is important, as is the selection of your marketing tools. Having a budget upfront can be helpful in determining tool selection. Who doesn’t want to drive a Bugatti Veyron to Taos, but is that the best tool for the goal?

Always tie your tactics and tools back to your goal and strategy. The performance and constant analysis of your tools is the science of marketing. There are tangible metrics and formulas for each tool ranging from frequency, reach, engagement and ROI.

When and how you use your tools is the art.

Ask the tough questions. What else do you need to know to be successful? For the Taos trip you might ask: Are there other destinations you want to visit along the way? What is the weather forecast? What are the traffic patterns? What is the longest stretch of highway between gas stations? Even the most expensive and sophisticated vehicle without fuel is just a heavy piece of metal.

Ask every question that will help or prevent you from achieving your goal. Then ask 10 more and PLAN accordingly.