It’s 7 p.m. on a Saturday evening in Norman, OK and our crew, four friends in our forties, are on our way to meet our other sorority sisters for dinner on Campus Corner. I yawn. Several times. “Are you gonna make it through the night?” Melissa asks. I nod, stifling another yawn. “Yeah. I just…
Tag: branding
Loaning You The Courage
Pretend I’m your neighbor, but instead of borrowing sugar, you ask for some courage. How much you need? A half a cup? A pint? A barrel? Sure. Just a sec. As a brand strategist and storyteller, I trade in courage. Courage to have the difficult conversations. Courage to let go of what isn’t working for…
How to Win Friends & Influence People for Real
I guess we could just cut to the chase and say, “don’t be a d-bag, don’t be a beyotch,” but of course it goes way beyond that. (Good starting point, though!) When I decided I needed a good ol’ kick in my party pants to get my own personal brand in order so I could…
Life Sucks or Rocks Based On This One Thing
“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” ― Martha Washington The first First Lady is talking about attitude. It’s so easy to be miserable when life isn’t going our way – and happy when things are. But being cool when things get sticky…that’s the real…
Get Happy Week 5: Forget Normal
“You’re so weird, Mom!” My 14-year-old daughter said before taking the jar of moon water and trying it. “What do you think?” I asked. “I like it because it’s cold, not because it’s moon water.” I love her directness except when I don’t. My 17-year-old son, who would not partake of the moon water and…
Are You the Little Brand That Could?
When I was brainstorming ideas for a branding book, the story of the little engine that could kept coming to mind. Every aspect of building the train, creating the journeys, getting passengers and making the tough journey despite the odds all seemed very relevant. I’ve personally witnessed and assisted more than 150 little brands with strategy and campaigns,…
The Swinging Vine Brand Theory
With five back-to-back and two simultaneous releases at Buzz Books this fall and a busy caseload on the branding front, I’ve been thinking about Discoverability and Action. You can’t have one without the other, but what surprises companies and authors the most is just how MUCH action is takes to get traction. I got an…
The difference in persona and brand
per·so·na/pərˈsōnə/ Noun: The aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others. A role or character adopted by an author or an actor. Source: Dictionary.com As a brand strategist and creative director for both businesses and books, and socially-driven for both, I’m fascinated with the interplay between persona and brand. Likely I…
readyaimgrow.com 