Tag Archive for: mindset

Sometimes You Just Have To Be Like Harry Potter

Oct 20, 2013/0 Comments/in Advice, Strategy/by Jeph

In Harry Potter The Prisoner of Azkaban, there’s a scene at the lake where dementors are about to kill Harry, Hermoine and Sirious Black. There are too many dementors for Harry to defend against.

Just when you think all is lost, all of a sudden a Patronus appears from the other side of the lake and staves off the dementors.

Harry believes it’s his father who cast the Patronus charm and saved them.

Some time later in the movie, using Hermione’s time-turner to go back in time, they go back to the lake where supposedly Harry’s father saves them. But what they find is Harry’s father doesn’t show up. So who saved them?

It must have been Harry. But he wasn’t powerful enough, or so he thought.

He didn’t think he had the power to do it, but because he’d already seen himself do it, it wasn’t impossible anymore.

Visualizing, affirming, positive self talk, there are many ways to help yourself do this in your marketing, business and life. Sometimes you must believe in yourself to do the impossible, otherwise how else are you going to achieve your goals? Just like Harry did.

How many major moments in your life would have been much easier if you would have saw yourself doing it perfectly in advance?

https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Harry-Potter-the-patronas.jpg 332 500 Jeph https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/strat-icon-2021-white.png Jeph2013-10-20 17:31:332016-12-18 22:09:06Sometimes You Just Have To Be Like Harry Potter

Business Quote of the Day: Eric Ries on Competitive Advantage

Jun 20, 2013/2 Comments/in Advice, Innovation, Marketing, Measurement, Research, Strategy/by Strategy Lab

Today’s business quote of the day comes from one of the best books I’ve ever read on innovation and entrepreneurship. Even though the quote is widely applicable regardless of the context, I’ll provide you some. Author Eric Ries is discussing businesses and entrepreneurs who spend their time keeping their strengths, discoveries, and prototypes behind a curtain, making tweaks based on speculation and delaying going to market. Ries explicitly states that in today’s business world, this will not give you the competitive advantage you’re looking for. The only way be a market leader is to learn faster than your competition. The best way to do this is to go to market, get feedback, and make rapid improvements.

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Full Quote: “A head start is rarely large enough to matter, and time spent in stealth mode-away from customers-is unlikely to provide a head start. The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else.” – Eric Ries

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Cute! - Downloadable smartphone wallpaper

Five Steps In The Ultimate Customer Service Strategy

May 21, 2013/0 Comments/in Advice, Customer Service, Innovation, Research, Strategy/by Jeph

1. A clear vision of who you are and where you’re going (Westjet)

I don’t care if you’re Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2, if you don’t have a clear vision of who you are and where you are going, you have have no hope in hell of getting anywhere. If you are successful it’s purely out of luck. I love the quote from Alice in Wonderland:

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Deep practice is built on a paradox struggling in certain targeted ways operating at the edges of your ability where you make mistakes makes you smarter

The Paradox of Work

Apr 24, 2013/0 Comments/in Advice, Human Resources, Research, Strategy/by Jeph

If you want something in life you have to work your ass off for it. Anything worth having is worth working for. So to be successful, to get what you want in life, you have to do an unhealthy amount of work for as long as humanly possible. Then you might have a fighting chance.

Whether it be your sports team, your health or your career, it’s difficult to see the results of hard work in the short term. But the only way to guarantee long-term success is to work unbelievably hard in the short-term. Sometimes it’ll feel like an endless upward climb going nowhere.

The harder the squeeze the better the juice.

Here’s the paradox.

When you’re done, when you ship, when it’s all over, no one will recognize the work you put in. No one cares about the amount of hours you’ve put in, the sleepless nights, the psychological battle, nobody cares about it. All we care about is the result.

It’s going to be up to you to determine if the juice is worth the squeeze.

Begin with the end in mind. You must shy away from busy work (this won’t get you anywhere). You can’t just do work for the sake of work and expect to get somewhere.

Doing the difficult work is a recipe for success, but when you get there don’t expect people to be patting you on the back and praising you for how long you’ve been working at it. All they care about is the result.

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4 Ways to Get Facebook Shares (Part 2 of 2)

Feb 19, 2013/1 Comment/in Marketing, Research, Social Media, Strategy/by Strategy Lab

sshh2FB
As an add-on to my last post entitled “Time to Reconsider What You’re Sharing on Facebook” , here are the four reasons people share Facebook content:

1. To Make Their Life Easier
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Here are two great examples of people posting with the intent of making some aspect of their life easier. Taron needs music for a soundtrack and Laura needs a goalie to play for her team. Each post also has an element of helping others *foreshadowing*…

2. To Build Relationships
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If a nice pic of three great friends doesn’t strengthen their relationship, I don’t know what does. Seriously, though.

3. To Help Others
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A nice music suggestion makes me happy. Thanks Danny.

4. To Craft Their Identity
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We’re constantly posting pictures of things we like (maybe more so on Pinterest and Instagram these days), talking about issues that concern us, and stating our opinions on the absurd amount of people complaining about the weather these days. Originally, Facebook was all about crafting your identity when it was focused around actually listing your favourite bands and movies. Now, the ability to craft your identity lies in individual posts and the pages you like.

Now these are examples of people posting content that achieves these goals. For a business, create and post content that makes people’s lives easier, helps people forge relationships with you and others, is extremely helpful, and helps people craft their identity while identifying with you. And, of course, as illustrated below, make sure these posts fall in line with what people love about you. Discover this and get posting 2-5 times a week!

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Back to Part 1 (Time to consider what you’re sharing on Facebook)…

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Time to Reconsider What You’re Sharing on Facebook (Part 1 of 2)

Feb 19, 2013/1 Comment/in Marketing, Research, Social Media, Strategy, Uncategorized/by Strategy Lab

SSHHFB

Sssshhhh! It’s time to acknowledge that the days of simply asking questions, sharing quips, and doing giveaways on your business’s Facebook page are over.

If you’ve continued to rely on these tactics, I’m sure you’ve noticed plateaus or stagnant engagement.
If you haven’t and things are still rolling smoothly, think of just how much more effective you could be with some smarter posting.
We all know it was Steve Jobs who said, “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”
This is a case of staying hungry and looking for ways to constantly improve but staying intelligent while doing so.
Here’s how:

Screen Shot 2013-02-19 at 12.39.06 PM 1. Discover what people love about you: Perhaps you already know exactly what people love about you. Perhaps you THINK you know what people love about you but it’s time to find out again. Even still, what people love about you in real life might not directly translate to what they like about you on Facebook. If there’s a disconnect, reel them back in to what’s truly great about your product or service by offering this info up in a way that adds value to them.

2. Recognize what people are likely to share: The average post is seen by 16% of those connected to your page. In order to increase this, you’re going to want to focus on the virality of your posts (shoot for 1-2% for post). Virality depends on people sharing your content. Pay close attention to what people have shared from your page in the past and focus on how your posts appear on the News Feed NOT on your own page. The News Feed is where people are most likely to see your post.

Part 2: The Four Main Reasons People Share and Like Facebook Content (via HooteSuite)

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My 2013 Goals

Jan 17, 2013/3 Comments/in Advice, Regina/by Jeph

This will be the biggest year of my life and hopefully yours too. As such I thought it would be helpful to set a couple goals. Do you set goals? You should. I could help you.

1. Win the last game of the season coaching volleyball.

My favorite pass time for the past few years has been coaching volleyball. It’s the best.

2. Read 52 books this year.

Came up several short last year.

3. To have a family dinner once a week.

I have a 15 month old nephew who thinks I’m just the funniest.

4. To help the University of Regina Alumni create something to be proud of.

Already in progress. Will report back.

5. To fall in love with the organizations that want my help. (Ehem, Capital Ford, Regina Police, Regina and District Association for Community Living).

6. Have SIAST ask me to teach more. (I’m teaching a marketing class for the first time ever this semester).

7. To speak in a province or state that I’ve never spoke in before.

Yes I’m still giving out lottery tickets during presentations if you were wondering.

8. To grow Strategy Lab to five of us.

Yeah that’s right, tell yer kids, tell yer wife.

9. Lose 20 pounds.

(I’ve been trying for 7 years but love cooking and wine far too much)

10. To always give credit when do.

A teacher in grade 11 once told our class when ever you receive amazing service you should tell the person or company. They may never know the impact they’re making unless you tell them.

11. To admit being wrong more often.

This is more so for Brandon and Linden. We argue a lot. Good arguing though. I think.

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