Last-Minute Shopping? Do It Locally.

Think you might be a lazier, more last-minute holiday shopper than I? Think again, friend. I don’t really know how many shopping days I have left, when you factor in shipping. I certainly don’t know what my 92 year old grandmother might like. (Though I do know it’ll be hard to top the Michael Buble… Read more »

How to Create a Logo

Every designer has his or her own way of designing a logo. This year, I’ve paid particular attention to my own creative process. Partly to see if I could establish a more systematic way of creating, but also to archive the experience from start to finish. Most people only ever see the finished product, but there is so much… Read more »

Words Are Never Enough

While sitting at the Hyatt in Belgrade last month, I had an epiphany. My kuma Katarina, who I was meeting for coffee, walks in. We hug, say hello and she says: “You look good.” That afternoon I had my glasses on (which I never wear out of my home) and so I said “Are you… Read more »

How To Maintain A Work/Life Balance

My work/life balance? It’s a work in progress. I’m still fine tuning it. I’m still striving to achieve it. Most people are, whether it’s being with their spouses, being more nurturing to their kids, or re-aligning your chakras. Here are the multiple facets of how to walk the path where a work/life balance is optimally… Read more »

Causes and Opportunities

Last month, a million campaigns were launched on Facebook by a million different brands and companies. Most were likely following “foolproof” plans for raising brand awareness through comments, “shares” and “likes.” [Yes, I rounded up on those numbers. But probably not all that much.] Out of nowhere, though, came the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It… Read more »

High Frequency

After months of what feels like endless freezing temps, Chicago becomes a madhouse when summer arrives, with Chicagoans soaking up as much sun as possible at beaches and pools. I normally stay away from that crowded scene, but this year I decided I’d give it a try. First things first—I needed a swimsuit. So I… Read more »

5 Easy Steps to Every Sales Call

Here are 5 notable steps to better enhance any inside sales/tele-sales initiatives. These steps have been vital to my lengthy success of picking up the phone and making those calls, and further, making those sales! While these steps are specific to my telephone sales duties, they can, and should, be applied to any sales scenario.… Read more »

Lollapalooza has Great… Sponsors?

Attending festivals is all about having fun, and the last thing you want to feel is that you’re constantly being hounded by sponsors promoting their newest product or services. This year at Lollapalooza, I noticed that sponsors kicked it up a notch, particularly Samsung Galaxy. From free swag to relaxing lounges, Samsung’s Summer Campground got consumers to gravitate towards its… Read more »

Launching the New Blue: Lessons from Our Refresh

Many of you know the saying the shoemaker always goes barefoot. For those who don’t it means when a craftsman does not do for himself what he does for others. I started to feel that way about our brand. While our core philosophy has gone unchanged, the last five years [since our re-brand] have been so… Read more »

Partnerships and Patience

In the last decade or so, few barriers have remained between the sport of soccer and widespread popularity in America. One of those few, though—and possibly the most important—was that the sport still had yet to produce an American poster boy, someone kids would idolize and marketers would court. Until now. Tim Howard is the… Read more »