Marketing advice that will sustain and inspire

If you care about marketing you should do yourself two favors.

1. Absorb everything Seth Godin says. 
2. Absorb everything Simon Sinek says. 

One man's opinion. 

I'm attracted to great leaders. As Sinek describes in "Start With Why" great leaders communicate differently than the rest of us. Read it and you will likely embrace what he calls the Golden Circle, which stresses the importance of telling us why you do what you do.

Godin tells us to tell stories, not recite slogans. Stories will spread...the "facts" won't. He emphasizes humility, generosity and clarity as ingredients in great stories. 

Sinek and Godin arrive at similar conclusions from different perspectives. Their ideas are inspiring, refreshing and seemingly within reach because they are rooted in disciplined, clear thinking. 

Marketing can be a struggle. It helps to have a baseline of beliefs that can be a safe place to begin the process of reassessing your strategy. 

Take advantage of the teachings of these great leaders. I have learned more from them than any text book or manager I have worked for in the past. 

Real "hope and change"

My friend Mary sent this email recently to tell me about her good fortune (I have put x's in the place of names that should be kept confidential).

"A while back, you told me to search out "doing something I love". I knew that already, but the future seemed hopeless. By complete good fortune, I got laid off from my despised job in June. I am continuing my counseling work at xxxx in an expanded role, have secured a really great job with xxxx (I do drug screenings at the data center construction site here) and am taking classes in Hospice Life Care at the xxxx). Very grateful to have gotten my foot in the health care door. And, I've never been happier. All of my positions are part-time, so I still have plenty of free time to spend with the grandkids and elderly parents." 

Mary proves that "hope and change" is truly something of value when applied in this manner. Even better, Mary has a story that she can tell to an audience that needs to be inspired.

Your brand is enforced by the stories you tell. I suggested that she find ways to do some public speaking to amplify how she is living her life. There's too much doom and gloom in the world. Don't believe me? Turn on the evening news.

People judge you by the words you use, and the stories you tell. My hope is that this story will inspire you to do something you didn't think was attainable.