New blog

http://nacrepearl.blogspot.com/

I don't like the title of this blog, so I'm migrating.  I choose Nacre because it's pretty, but more importantly, it's very strong, resilient, and iridescent.

21st Century Marketing for Professional Services

Article from the Society for Marketing Professional Services that I'm reading:
http://www.smps.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Research&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=4948

Font Architect. Indescribable Witchery.

I just received an interesting interview from myfonts.com with Ryoichi Tsunekawa, and architect of display fonts.  Read the interview here: http://www.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/201012.html


I like finding interesting and unusual fonts and wonder how they are designed digitally.  Also, in the course of the interview, Mr. Tsunekawa says, "vernacular letterforms are adorable to me...they have indescribable witchery." 

If the output of Japanese foundries represented on MyFonts is anything to go by, Nagoya must be the number one font city in Japan. Not only has Ray Larabie established his Typodermic foundry here; it is also home to Flat-It, one of our most prolific microfoundries specializing in lively retro and script fonts. Flat-It is run by Ryoichi Tsunekawa, who also created two specialist labels — Prop-A-Ganda and Holiday Type — to celebrate and market letterforms inspired by… well, propaganda and holidays. His taste is eclectic, his skills are remarkable, his production is huge. Meet Ryoichi Tsunekawa, architect of display fonts.

Songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA
End of the Line - Travelling Wilburys

Let It Go Follow-Up

I had posted this in November:

Let It Go

The other morning I had an extreme round of self-doubt...sort of imagining all possible kinds of things that were wrong. It was a really tough hour for me, but I got through it by holding each one of my fears up and really looking at them honestly, before telling myself to "Let it go." Breathing helped, too. When you stop breathing, it's not good.

I just learned that despite letting it go, sometimes your worst imaginings are true.
 
And you still have to let them go.

Inspiration

I always have a notebook on the right hand side on my desk.  So keyboard at 12:00, mouse+funky paper mousepad at 1:00, notebook at 3:00 (I don't do anything at 2:00).  I take notes in my notebook (counter-intuitive, I know), but also use it as a running record of everything.  I don't often go back and look at my notebooks, because it's mostly work assignments, but I really like them.

My most recent notebook is from Staples.  Usually I get the biggest college-ruled notebook I can, but this time, I found that Staples has a product line called Sustainable Earth (eco easy) and this notebook is made from 80% sugarcase plant fiber waste.  I couldn't find 300 page Sustainable Earth notebook, so I bought three 100-pagers, which cost less in the end than the Universal 300-page college-ruled notebook that I usually buy.  The paper is good quality and I am happy that it is made from the waste of sugarcane production.

So the point is, I'm trying to use the notebooks as less of a boring to-do list, and more of a hardcopy source of inspiration.  Getting back to my funky mousepad (http://www.galison.com/Pinwheel-Floral-Memo-Mousepad-P2366C0.aspx), I often write lyrics or quotes on my mousepad where the stay for several weeks until it gets too full or dirty, when I tear the page off.  Now I will tape those pages in my notebook so they contribute to the record.

What is on the page I just tore out and taped in my notebook?

"You owe it to us all to get on with what you're good at." -W.H. Auden

"We imagine that when we are thrown out of our usual ruts, all is lost, but it is only then that what is new and good begins.  While there is life, there is happiness.  There is so much before us.  I say this to you." - Tolstoy


P.S.  Aside from these inspirations, I'm working with Dreamweaver to do some web design (or try) and I'm excited to try to create some beautiful web pages.  I have a lot to learn!

Songs

I just heard Andrew Lipke's cover of Just Like A Woman, which I really hope he will release with an upcoming cd. 
http://www.andrewlipke.com/
Very very wonderful.

Social Media and Marketing, Google Analytics

Today I'm reasearching social media marketing for professional services firms.  Some of the things I have learned about social media marketing for professional services firms is that I need to come up iwth a plan and guidelines to make sure that every post is relevant and well-crafted.  The goals of our social media outlets should be to be a relevant hub for other professoinals and to enhance corporate reputation in our markets.  Content should focus on how our company solves probelsma nd benefits the client and should be focused and specific.

I feel like it's important to explore this arena because I am finding that I am constantly getting most of my information from social media sites....what have other marketing professionals in professional service firms learned utilizing social media strategies?  Similarly, I am finding recommendations for products that are unusual or local through blogs that I enjoy, kind of creating a community, a network, of people who are interesting.  I continually refine and prune this network, and it continually provides me with a steady stream of ideas and information. 

The devices that I have used to capture that information have been facebook, RSSFeeds (FeedDemon), and EverNote (for clipping interesting items/inspiration and availability of access).  I don't know if this blog is going to morph as I learn more about the dynamics of weaving social media/microblogging/networking, etc., but I am interested in learning more about how to mine this network for real opportunities and real connections.  Take my dad's blog for example - if he consistently posts interesting and high quality information, he will be rated higher in search engines and people who appreciate his work should start to follow him, and refer him, and recommend him and his products.  You can find him here: http://jbsmallcabinetshop.blogspot.com/

I don't have a real physical product to market, but professional services.  There's also a line in social media that is sort of screwy for me - I have individual thoughts/opinions/recommendations, but as a professional services marketer, I need to accurately represent an entire firm, which still keeping the information personal.  It can't be so general that it loses meaning.  Also, a facebook page, for example, is managed by an authorized representative, but still accessed by my individual account.  Maybe I have that set up wrong, but it still seems like I should separate individual from corporate.  Or maybe not.  At the end of the day, marketing is about developing relationships and those are essentially individual.

I also added Google Analytics to my company's web pages and am looking forward to mining the data the is returned in the reports.

Genie Pig!

S to me, J

show details 9:16 PM (15 hours ago)



Reasons to get me a genie pig:



•I will take care of it

•I will clean out the cage (in the time I have) mostly once a week

•I will feed it

•I will care for it and not abuse it

•I think that I would be able to handle a genie pig because I take care of dog and fish sometimes

•and I think baby brother would like it to

• And no dog will not eat it dog did not eat the gerbils....

•all I ask from you is to take care of it in weekends when I'm not here

•and we could get the type of bedding that docent make so much dust I know it could cost more and I would be willing to help pay for bedding or food



So please please please whith a cherry on top.........



 is so posed to be a guinea pig but it docent look like one

Wow

Somebody from Denmark and somebody from Croatia looked at my blog.  I wonder why.

Songs on the List

The Boy in the Bubble - Peter Gabriel version
The Cave - Mumford and Sons
Late for the Sky - Jackson Browne
Galang - M.I.A.
I Will Buy You A New Life - ?
Free Girl Now - Tom Petty

Recent Quotes

"You owe it to us all to get on with what you're good at." -W.H. Auden

"We imagine that when we are thrown out of our usual ruts, all is lost, but it is only then that what is new and good begins.  While there is life, there is happiness.  There is so much before us.  I say this to you." -Tolstoy

Songs

It is amazing the the right songs find me at the right time.
I have a list that I'd like to share sometime, but first I have to see what the next week brings.

Cool stuff

I am finding some really neat websites for Christmas stuff:
http://www.gnr8.biz/categories.php

I will post more as they come up.