Ah … summer approaches with new business happenings and the sounds of the beach in our ears. We love this time of year on the Porch. The days are long, the sound of little Porch Rockers fills the air and we feel a summer six pack is in order!

Friends, are you ready for summer?

Pull up a chair, will you?

Our Summer Six Pack of New Business Happenings:

I recently read a book entitled “Make Waves” that enlightened me to the perspective that an individual has the power to be a wave maker and spark change in the corporate world and their every day life.

Author Patti Johnson explains that people can make small “waves,” or changes, in their daily life that slowly disrupt the status quo. She breaks the book up into four easy to read sections that teach you how to think and act like a Wave Maker, and then introduces you to inspirational Wave Makers (including our very own Chief Rocker, Julie Porter).

I highlighted some of the key lessons I learned below, and I promise that by the end of the book you will be ready to get up and go chase your dreams.

• Finding your wave and accomplishing your goals always begins with asking questions of yourself. When you come home at the end of the day, how do you finish the statement, “If only I could…”? The answer is your wave. Any passion or inspiration, no matter how small, can start a wave of change that can impact more people than you ever imagined.
• According to Patti, every successful wave has these three qualities: impact, purpose, and credibility. Since a wave’s “goal is to make your organization, community, or market better with tangible results,” it makes sense that a Wave Maker must be knowledgeable about the subject and passionate about the results. So ask yourself, will my wave create “undeniable impact? Does it have a bigger purpose that engages others? And lastly, is my wave built upon knowledge and credibility?”
• After you have identified your wave, you must apply the most important chapter in the book, which addresses how to think like a Wave Maker. Just as every wave has certain qualities necessary to succeed, Patti notes that every successful Wave Maker she interviewed had very similar traits and thought processes. Going back to how important it is to always ask questions and be curious, Patti notes that Wave Makers typically “see the unseen, think progress not perfection, and most importantly ask ‘what can I do’ before they take action.”
• It’s important to note that being a creative and innovative thinker doesn’t necessarily come naturally. The most important thing is to foster your curiosity, because constantly asking , “why is it done that way?” or “what if…?” can lead you to a solution to a problem that you didn’t even realize existed before.

If learning how to become a disrupter and Wave Maker lights a fire inside you, then I highly suggest reading “Make Waves” in its entirety. I truly think this book is relevant and helpful for everyone; but I think it is particularly good reading for recent college graduates entering the corporate world, or those who may feel stuck or in a rut at their current job.

Always remember, “those crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Spring has sprung and Q1 2017 branding and marketing is about to come to end, friends! We love the feel of the sun on our shoulders, all the blooming going on around us, and the hopeful smile that the season puts on our faces! We are happy and excited about, well, everything!

Here is what we have to share:

We’re Having a Contest!

As you know, we are celebrating our sixth year in business with our own version of “Pick Six.” Well this month, in celebration of spring and our giving spirit, we are taking the Pick Six to you, our clients and friends! Be among the first six to reply “Please Rock My World” and you will receive six free social media posts for your business on one social media platform of your choice!

• Six Winners
• Six Free Rockin’ Social Media Posts
• Six Expert Rockers posting
• Six Days in April
• Winners will be contacted on April 6th!

Front Porch Marketing Q1 2017 Branding & Marketing Review

April is the absolute perfect time to review your Q1 branding and marketing efforts. Are you meeting your goals? If not, it’s time to quickly re-collaborate for Q2. Here is a refresher on metrics vs. analytics. Call us if you need to take an objective look at your results.

SEO and PPC Benefits

When it comes to boosting traffic to your website, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) are hugely beneficial. Need further convincing? Call us. We would love to chat about it. We are currently rockin’ it for our new clients OLLI at UNT and Women’s Business Council Southwest and loving every minute of it!

Fresh Branding and Marketing Initiatives

Spring into your next marketing initiative with a fresh brand look and feel. Why not update your marketing material creative and messaging? We are proud to partner with new client Owens Machine and Tool Company to do just that for a recent trade show.

Texas CEOs Rock!

Our Chief Rocker heard a refreshing and uplifting outlook on the Texas economy for 2017 and 2018 recently at the 2017 Vistage Executive Summit by Alex Chausovksy, senior analyst, ITR Economics. Also at the Vistage Summit, Roy Spence, co-founder and chairman, GSD&M, shared key insights and lessons from legendary, purpose-inspired leaders he’s worked with over the years. He presented actionable ideas to inform making decisions that support your Core Purpose. Decisions that build a business—and a life—of success.

As Always …

We are grateful for so many things – a Q1 2017 branding and marketing jam, our rockin’ team, amazing clients, faithful advocates, collaborative partners and truly great friends. Thank you for the many referrals! Keep them coming!

Follow us! Join our blog nation here, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!

Customer experience is a daily topic on the Porch. Those who know me are probably like “smh” that I would say I learned about customer experience from Disney Princesses ‘cuz mama be like, Hey, Cinderella, what’s the story all about … you know, the Suzy Bogguss song?!?! No? Well, Google it …

Did you know Millennials ranked Disney number one in the latest Brand Intimacy Report***?

***Survey was not by the Porter family nor was the Porter family surveyed for this report.

Why did they rank Disney number one you ask? Millennials tend toward “escapism and the need for respite” during this point in their lives. Disney delivers. The Disney brand rocks it with Millennials, children, teens, parents, grandparents and everyone in between.

My latest experience at Disney World brings me back to why the most powerful brands are the ones that have mastered customer experience, among other things.

Three customer experience takeaways from Disney:

1. Hire people who love their jobs and continually give them reasons to love it. They have to love it. There are people of all ages touching Disney Princesses and their hair and clothing for hours on end. Random lils asking questions about the Princess’ movie or last episode of their Disney Junior show. Upon each interaction, there were smiles and dialogue about the show and questions about whether they liked the outcome of that episode or if they knew what Belle’s favorite book was. My favorite answer, “Yes, princess, your hair is the same color as mine.” Swoon.
2. Consistently deliver on the brand at every touch point. When you call the front desk or housekeeping or the restaurant at a Disney property, you always hear, “Welcome home.” If you ask, “Are you open tomorrow?” You will most certainly not hear, “We are off tomorrow. Sorry.” Take note friends.
3. Words your team speaks matter. You are called your highness or majesty. Your children are called princess or prince or your highness every time you turn around. How can you not love being at Disney?

Customers and clients are the new royalty. The quality of customer experience you must offer to compete in your market and win is of the utmost importance — now more than ever.

Dream big marketer. Be A Champion.

Disney, you got me hook, line and slipper.

Marketing mistakes happen. Heck, mistakes period happen. Seems the older I get the more I make them. I blame it on my kids age.

Many of the business owners and marketing leaders we have talked with so far this year have said Q1 2017 projections are even more positive than anticipated. Fan – freakin’ – tastic!!

Avoid these three marketing mistakes this quarter:

1. Chasing the new, shiny object(s). Wait. What was I blogging about … With all the artificial intelligence news, virtual reality hype, etc., don’t forget the foundation – the 2017 marketing plan with strategies, goals and tactics. Don’t get me wrong, keeping your eye on the latest and greatest is a must, but don’t let what brought you here and all that you planned to do fall by the wayside.
2. Lack of communication with your team. We get it. You are being pulled in a million directions, and it sometimes can be a challenge to make sure your team knows what is going on in all parts of your business. Your team can help and want to do so. If you can’t keep up with your regular team meetings, calls or emails, ask someone to step up in your stead. Your team and marketing partners will thank you and your business will also reap the benefits of continued internal communication.
3. Give everyone a say in marketing decisions. When it comes to marketing and branding, opinions are like … sorry, started to quote my friends Salt-N-Pepa. You don’t need to pass marketing ideas around to each and every business partner, team member, family member (spouses included) and friend. Trust your team. You know, the people you pay to own and create your marketing plan, initiatives and assets.

I will leave you with those thoughts. May your Q1 2017 continue to rock. Oh, and happy freakin’ birthday week to me (shameless birthday brat plug).

Chief Rocker Julie Porter can be followed on Twitter and Instagram and so can her company. Follow Front Porch Marketing on Twitter by clicking here, like us on Facebook by clicking here and follow our LInkedIn company page and Instagram fun.

It’s been a rockin’ year at Front Porch Marketing and for our blog, Off Our Rocker. 

Our team shares their musings, wisdom and counsel about branding, marketing, trends, pop culture, being a working mother and motherhood in general here.

We love to blog for clients, our team members, advocates and ourselves and have decided to countdown and share with you the five most-read blog posts for 2016.

We would love for you to look back and read them again or maybe read them for the first time.

So, we will leave you with these.

Happy almost New Year.

No. 5 Blog

Motivation: 5 Ways to Find It When You’ve Hit a Wall, by Ann Marie Bishop

No. 4

Do Your Actions Speak Louder than Likes?, by Darcey Newsum

No. 3

4 Lessons Learned By Losing, by Vanessa Hickman

No. 2

5 Rockin’ Things About Branding & Marketing Businesses, by Julie Porter

No. 1

Being a Working Mom: Five Things That Saved Me This Summer, by Jacqui Chappell

It will take you one minute to read this so why not do it right now?

Feeling overwhelmed by the busyness of the season or paralyzed by a long “to do” list? Can’t get started on that big project, or haven’t written your 2017 plan? Can’t find the time to read all of the books, articles, emails, and other information you want to know?

Stop what you are doing to take a minute, or five or ten, to set a small goal and get it done, right now!

There is one surefire way to pull yourself out of frustration and procrastination and it’s to quit thinking and start doing – in very small steps. These brief moments of action will force you to make quick and small progress, triggering a sense of accomplishment, reducing the size of that list in your head and training yourself to get things done throughout the day.  Some examples:

• Do one or two things that each take just a few minutes to accomplish at your desk at the start of each day, then tackle the big stuff. A few important calls, one brief key conversation, send a thank-you note, read a favorite blogger, schedule a future important meeting.
• Quit talking about all of that holiday shopping you haven’t done yet, pull out your smartphone and order one gift on your list. A few minutes of this daily and your shopping is done!
• Instead of trying to find a full day to clean out your garage, kitchen, closet, etc. take less than 30 minutes and tackle one drawer or section. You will create a habit of mini projects and the repeated small progress over time will keep you organized.
• No time to read that book or newspaper? Subscribe to one of many summary services available.
  • Summaries.com. Eight-page executive summaries from the latest business books.
  • Nextdraft.com. Quick, entertaining look at the day’s best news stories from Dave Pell.
  • Farnamstreetblog.com. Sunday’s Brain Food newsletter for increasing your knowledge.
• Need a rest or mental break? Set 10 minutes on your smartphone clock for a power nap or to sit quietly to recharge. Or download the Headspace App on your smartphone and start taking 10 minutes anywhere/anytime for a guided meditation that will positively change your brain and your day.
• Take a few moments and make a list of needs and goals as a start to the process of writing your 2017 plan – for yourself, your family or your business. Start small and you will develop good habits for writing down plans which is the first step to successful execution and achieving amazing goals. Even better, take a minute and call us because we have the folks on board that can help you write and rock your plan!

And now that you have taken a minute to read this, set a small goal! Stop what you are doing to order that gift, write a thank-you note, sign-up for a summary service, clean out that one desk drawer, or pick up the phone and make that one important phone call.

So set a small goal and get started. It takes just a minute.

Photo courtesy of @thegemjuicebar

On the porch, we LOVE social media. We are OBSESSED with leveraging and analyzing it to benefit our clients.

Although … I am the mother of a 14-year-old teenager, and I should probably be writing this post about how to lock down your child’s devices … but that is for another day.

Instagram is one of my favorite social media networks at the moment. Not only is it a rockin’ sales driver for our clients, it is also not riddled with advertising and other noise that some social media networks have evolved into.

Here are some of my favorite Instagram accounts today:

• crazysexykris – Inspirational and uplifting.
• liveinthedetails – Emotive.
• the_luxury_list – Luxurious.
• mommasgonecity – Darling dogs and children.

And, of course, a few of our rockin’ clients’ accounts:

1. ellenhoffmandesigns
2. feizyrugs
3. thegemjuicebar
4. suzandavidsondesigns

I would love to hear what you are lovin’ on Instagram and with whom I can refresh my feed. So share!

Julie Porter is chief rocker at Front Porch Marketing. You can follow her, julie_porter, or her company, itsfrontporch, on Instagram.

A week ago, my Christmas tree inexplicably came crashing to the ground, and with it, 16 years of family ornaments, a new one chosen every year by each of the five members of my family, came crashing down with it. Keepsakes shattered. Memories lost. It was heartbreaking.

But after the glass was swept away, the tree re-decorated, and my attitude re-adjusted, the loss reminded me of some very important things that I sometimes lose sight of in the holiday hustle and bustle:

1. Memories Have a Shelf Life – Strive to Make New Ones. I was surprised to learn that my kids couldn’t remember who chose many of the ornaments and why. Things that are meaningful at one point in time may fade, so embrace change and allow yourself to make new memories.

2. Nothing Is Perfect – Let Go of That Notion. Your holiday is not a magazine spread! Let go of the idea of perfectionism – it’s unattainable. And unimportant.

3. Open Your Eyes! The holidays are happening all around you, don’t spend your time frantically running around. Whittle your to-do list down to only what is truly necessary. Slow down. Say no to things that aren’t important. Open your eyes and enjoy.

4. Be Thoughtful. And Grateful. And full of thanks for everything and everyone around you that enriches your life. This is the time of year to recognize those people and tell them how important they are to you. Do it! It feels great.

5. Don’t Forget – You Need Time for Yourself. Togetherness is wonderful and celebrations are fun; but taking time for yourself ensures that you will remain centered and better able to create a peaceful holiday.

This season, remember what’s important, and ENJOY. Happy holidays, everyone!

She arrives early at Starbucks for our first meeting, is already working on the first item of our Front Porch Marketing orientation “to do” list, and impresses me with how eager, engaged, and talented she is. An SMU undergraduate student majoring in marketing with a minor in advertising, she is ready to learn, ready to work, ready to rock it.

Folks, if you hear someone rambling about all of the flaws they see in the next generation, make a positive choice – don’t listen to them.  In fact, I won’t list any of the negative commentary I read while researching Gen Y, because there is no reason to give it any cred. Here is what you need to know as you consider making our future leaders a part of your business team – They are:

• Energetic
• Tech-savvy
• Intelligent
• Cost-effective
• Bilingual
• Flexible
• Eager
• Civic-minded

Take a quick peek at Wikipedia and you will learn that Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s and are sometimes referred to as the Echo Boomers, because estimates of the number in the U.S. exceed 80 million. Read a bit further, and you will discover that authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, who wrote specifically about this generation in a book titled Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (2000), predicted this group would become “civic-minded” similar to our great G.I. Generation.

Interns Rock!

It doesn’t matter if you work for a Fortune 500 company, manage a nonprofit organization, or own a small business – there is benefit to hiring this generation of interns. In my previous sales management career with a Fortune 250 company, some of our most successful regional sales leaders made the business case for bringing on part-time interns to provide local sales support, and markets where we hired tech-savvy millennials to join tenured teams produced the most amazing sales results.

Nonprofit organizations can also benefit greatly from these hires. With tight budgets, extensive workloads and purposes great but challenging, nonprofits can bring in unpaid interns from high schools and colleges to help out while engaging them in an important cause. A family member of mine runs a foundation for exceptional children specializing in autism therapies, and has numerous interns on board helping to assist these children and their families. It is life changing for these interns and the families in need, and some of these interns have made this their career and purpose following graduation.

For a small business, an intern can make a real difference, and Front Porch Marketing has been rocking it successfully with student interns for several years!  As experts in unlocking the social nature of brands for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and franchisees, we make certain our clients are getting access to experienced marketing and advertising professionals, while utilizing young talent to provide a social media view and analysis when we need it. Rocker Interns on the Porch are part of our culture – it’s just how we rock n’ roll.

We are excited to welcome our Future Rocket, Rachel McMains!

One more fantastic intern on The Porch…ready to rock it.