Brand Authentically

I recently attended a panel event in which they were discussing branding. And the term "brand authentically" came to mind.  They did a great job talking about how important branding is--and in essence, is a way of setting a standard for your business.  It helps set the expectation of what your clients and customers should receive from you or your business. 

During the conversation, someone in the audience pointed out that they had an experience in which the outward appearance of the business was great, but the product or service received --not so great.  Which again made me think of the term, brand authentically. 

 It is my hope and belief that only a small percentage of businesses set out to scam people or do sub-par work.  Everyone else really wants to offer good products and services.  But sometimes, you can oversell what you do. Your intentions may be pure, but inadvertently, you may set yourself up for failure by setting expectations too high. 

Authentic branding is realistically assessing what you can achieve or offer considering resources, time and skills available to you. Remember, you want to do the best you can do. The only one you are truly in competition with is yourself. Maybe you are the best in the world at what you do. If so, great! Go on with your bad self and get that money! But if you have the slightest doubt that you are not, then set realistic goals and expectations so that you and your customers can walk away with an enjoyable experience. You can always work towards your goal of being the greatest. 

People can tell when you are over exaggerating. So, surprise them by slightly underselling. Let them be surprised in a good way with what they receive from you. In my opinion, that is the fastest way to get good word of mouth advertising, and your brand will authentically reflect you. 

#branding #marketing #CorporateImage

Why Are We Acting Like the Confederate South Did Not Lose The Civil War?

 

Bing Image: Black Infantry Soldiers

The South lost the Civil War.  And we, in America damn well better start acting like they did. I am highly disappointed in the way the current Attorney General Merrick Garland is handling his duties and am wondering why so many people thought he would be such a great pick.  Yet, this article is not about him.

Let's establish a few things.

1. Many Blacks were here, and prospering prior to slavery.
2. We fought in the Civil War against slavery, and won.
3. The Fourteenth Amendment acknowledges our full citizenship.

And in my opinion, Blacks are not only citizens of the United States, but are also sovereign, and indigenous to this land!  You see it.  Everybody sees it.  And, we all know it's true.

I think the problem with America is denial.

• Denial of all things.
• Denial of things that were done.
• Denial of things that actually need to be done.
• Denial of things desired to do.

And for the 'greatest' nation on earth, that is a sad commentary, and stifling… just like being in some parts of the south. The good news is, the remedy is so simple and easy.  The branches of government actually need to uphold the spirit of all laws.

The Legislative Branch needs to ensure laws are beneficial for all people.  The Judicial Branch needs to ensure that the laws are equally and equitably applied.  And, the Executive Branch needs to faithfully execute the duties of the Presidency and represent the nation well.

It's not cute pretending that injustices don't exist, nor letting inequities happen to black and brown people.  We need to make sure that when representatives are violating the offices and positions they hold, they can be removed swiftly, by the people through an established method of "Recall".  It was a great surprise to me to find out that some states don't even have a method of recalling those people sent to Washington to represent them. If the Constitution was written by and for the people, and we vote for the folks we send to Washington, D.C., then we should be able to call those people back, including Judges--Supreme or other.  If that capability is not addressed Constitution or any of its Amendments, then we need to fix it.

Lastly, as much as we, as Americans, like to travel to other places--we really need to get our immigration policies right.    Boom. That's my rant for today.  Peace .  We outside.

#NationChallenges #CivilWar #HealingInAmerica 

I was Commenting on LinkedIn About How to Handle Rejection, But I Ran Out of Space

It's hard to 'not' take rejection personal, particularly when you've put time and effort into the job, project or activity that involves others. So I had to make the acknowledgement that my time in that space was over; and that I needed to move on. I had to encourage myself and reinforce the facts that I still had value. Especially when people still call and ask for help or advice, or instructions about how to do something.

I think people have to pay close attention to everything going on around them so that they can pick up on small wins, even when it looks like everything is falling apart. That self-evaluation or internal review really helped me. A few of my Takeaways and suggestions:

1. Consider a rejection an opportunity to review and reflect. You still have your skills, knowledge, and abilities-- you just need to

Democrats and News Organizations are Slack in Reporting Outcomes from Republican Shenanigans

 

I understand that there is a lot going on, however I'm highly disappointed in the news media and Democrats not following up on the shenanigans of conservatives and the Republican party.  It makes me wonder if they really want to win the election this time around in November.

Over and over and over again we've heard about different scandals the Republican party has been involved with—like receiving political contributions through the National Rifle Association (NRA) from foreign donors.  What ever happened to that report?  I’ve been watching the news, but I’ve not seen the big finale or conclusion to that incident.  Are they still investigating?  Did they find out all who were receiving the funds?  How much was it?  I’ll bet if it were the other way around, you would still be hearing from Republicans to this day…no matter what the outcome was.

I just want to say for me, it is not okay.  Somebody needs to start closing the loop.  I think it emboldens the perpetrator when there seems to be no outcry to their offense.  So, taking the time to do a thorough follow up will both inform the public and if warranted cause a public outcry and awareness to what was done; and hopefully justice will be served.

Some politicians think they are above the law and should corrected quickly.  They are public servants.  It was a mistake to let them vote for increases in their own wages and benefits way back when, and it is a mistake to not correct them now.  They are getting out of hand.

Resource: Google Search for  NRA GOP Money Scheme