Changing It Up

By Chrissie VanWormer

Sometimes we get complacent. You know what I mean. You’ve got a good business, good clients, good cash flow and all is well with the world. That was my 2011. I was content for the first time in a while and had a bit of time to have some fun. I wasn’t thrilled with parts of what I was doing but I was finally making some decent money. Then…BAM…2012 came in like a lion. Let me just back up and say that I had set my intention for 2012 to really change it up. I put it out to the universe that I wanted to grow personally, grow my business, and finally find my life’s purpose. But I forgot to ask it the change would come with grace and ease. That was my mistake!

Shortly after the beginning of the year, we were notified that a very large account was being pulled back and away in another direction. My heart sank. My stomach sank. I felt a little sick, a slight bit depressed and maybe a tad bit angry if I will let myself admit that. We worked hard for that client and went above and beyond at all times. The change had nothing to do with what we did or didn’t do. It just happened. Life happened.

I needed time to think.

About two days later, as I sat eating a lunch time salad, I had an epiphany. The feeling came in like a lightning bolt and I was suddenly 100% aware that the change was nothing but good. Good for me, good for our business, maybe even good for the world. Well, I probably shouldn’t go that far but I’ll tell you one thing…the whole experience made me re-think and re-direct my thought processes. I had been buried in minutia for two years which didn’t make me happy but the money was good so I kept at it. We had been handed the opportunity to change it up.

The excellent part of all of this is that we are really being forced to think out of the box relative to finding new clients and a new direction. We’re even re-branding our business and becoming more of who we want to be as a business and individuals. A very wise friend of mine regularly says, “Whoa, wait a minute, let’s back up and look at that again.” I’ve never been keen on looking backward but I have to admit, hindsight really is 20/20. We’re looking at where we’ve been, looking at where we want to go and finding the path to get there. Is it scary? Darn right it is but it’s exhilarating. And anything that’s new and unfamiliar is a bit scary but growth doesn’t come from stagnation. Growth comes from shaking it up, moving out of the familiar, and changing it up.

Geeking Out With Media

By Michael Massey

Television is finally making programming fun again. I have waited for years in hopes that broadcast and cable would figure out a way to 1) develop a portable application and 2) reward the watcher for tuning in. I’m excited to share a few of my favorites:

I tested Hulu Plus since acquiring my IPad 2 several months ago but I had to abandon it for two reasons. Delivery on high speed Internet was ok at best and there were limited shows and movies. So, it is now hello HBOgo and goodbye bad TV. It's my new favorite indulgence and it's FREE to use as an HBO subscriber. They've also provided links to Facebook and Twitter so you can let your social stream know what you're doing every hour of every day.

Next up is Get Glue. Watch your favorite show, become a fan, get a sticker, friend other fans. Pretty low impact but it reaches out beyond your usual core social group. Connect and invite your Facebook and twitter followers and you can create your own fan base.

Lastly, there is Viggle for the iPad which is similar to Shazam. During any TV broadcast, log onto the app,click checkin and your device will 'listen' for the program and check you in. Each check in delivers points and makes offers to watch a trailer or a teaser for more points. Points can then be redeemed for personal products and gift cards. Great opportunity for a multi channel retail business to offer new product, sampling and redemption. Tie into your social stream to connect and comment.

These day the media business moves with lightening speed. It’s jump on the train or get left behind!

Frustration, The Mother of Invention

By Michael Massey

Frustration is truly the mother of invention. Humans are pretty good about being inventive when the frustration level becomes too much. And wit is just that kind of frustration that was the impetus for designing and launching the Your Ad Here media calculator which is now available as a mobile app on the Android Marketplace. Here’s the story on how it all started.

We are media strategists. It’s what we love. We couple it with creativity to achieve results for clients by placing billboards, digital, broadcast TV, cable and radio. In order to make that happen, we also have to be number crunchers. My business partner Chrissie and our employee Chris will tell anyone that I personally hate all the spreadsheets and formulas involved in getting the best placements for our clients. And in our business, these spreadsheets can be very, very confusing since each type of media uses a unique benchmark for qualitative results.

To plan outdoor (billboards, etc.), we use the DEC count. For digital placements we use Cost Per Thousand (CPM) or Cost Per Click (CPC). In television it’s all about CPP (cost per point). For radio we’re using Cume rating or average quarter hour (AQH). For print publications it’s about number of subscribers. Even thinking about all of this makes my head spin.

To make it worse, we’ve had no central place for formulas. Oh sure, we could use an online media calculator or scratch it out on a piece of paper, but there was never any portability and certainly no ease of use. Beyond that there was nothing for both buyers and sellers to use seamlessly. Frustrating.

One day we sat in a brainstorm session discussing this challenge. There had to be a way. Somebody must have thought of something to overcome this challenge. We tapped our pencils, scribbled notes scratched our head then suddenly, I think we heard the angels sing. The concept of the Your Ad Here Media Calculator was born that day.

The really nice thing about the calculator is that there is absolutely no need to be a media math wiz. You can download the $1.29 app to your Android device (the Itunes version coming soon) and you're in business. The screens prompt you to enter your starting data to get your final media number whether it’s Cost Per Point, Cost Per Thousand, Gross Impressions, Reach, or Frequency. Everything you need is there at your fingertips. And if you’re not quite sure you understand the terms I’m throwing around, you should really have a copy of our book, Your Ad Here: De-mystifying the Business of Media and Advertising. And we’re going to make it easy for you. We are offering both the book and the media calculator for $16.24. That’s a great discount. But please hurry; the offer expires on February 28, 2012.

Somebody…please make it stop

By Chrissie VanWormer

For the last couple of years it seems like life is moving too quickly. There is so much going on on so many different levels and it has honestly been stressing me out. I’ve mentioned this in previous blog posts but lately I’ve been finding peace even though it’s my busiest time of year. I’m juggling multiple projects with multiple clients while at the same time researching for the next book project. So why am I suddenly so much more peaceful? It’s simple…I turned off my email.

Now you may be reading this and wondering how the heck can she conduct business without email?

Over the summer months, the constant tune of incoming emails became a major source of stress. One evening as I was sitting on my couch with a friend, I heard the mails hitting the server and I sighed. She looked at me and said, “You know what I do, Chrissie? I only check my email twice a day. You should try it.” Well, she is not self-employed so I thought, “How nice for you…” But the next morning, after plowing my way through over thirty emails that had come in after I shut my office door the night before, I realized how unimportant most of these communications were. (Between you and me, I wish someone would outlaw the “Reply All” button!) That day I made a decision to try the concept of checking my email twice a day. I sent a note to one of the prime offenders and asked them to only send emails to my box that were necessary for me to do my job. The request was respected and I was shocked at how many less emails I was receiving. I could finally let my breath out and it felt so good.

I’ve been talking with my business partner about this for a while now because he, too, is very conscientious about keeping our clients happy. He is careful to answer emails promptly and keeps himself open to instant messages all day. However, he constantly complains that he can’t get his work done and feels that he has no time to pursue other interests. Well, he just finished reading The Four Hour Work Week where the author talks about time saving ways to complete the work that needs to be done to have more time for an actual life. This very wise author offered the same suggestion; only check your email twice a day. So Michael committed himself to trying it. He sent out a communication to our clients explaining what he is doing and the flurry of mail quickly stopped. It’s been a very, very (did I say very?) good change. We have gotten so much done, and better yet, the communication is clear and concise. We’re both happier and the funny part of that is, our clients are happier as well.

So give it a try. Shut it down. No one is going to lose a kidney if they have to wait a couple of hours for an answer. And if it’s urgent, they can always make a phone call. Our phones are charged and they’re always on.

New Beginnings

I came across a survey this week that claims the majority of people under the age of 45 will make a New Year’s resolution. For those over 45; not so much. Maybe that’s because they are thinking that this is my life, this is who am and there's no need to change.

Well, being one that falls into the (cough) over 45 age group, I can honestly say that I'm finally feeling comfortable in my own skin. However, I continually struggle with wanting to live life more fully. I want more travel, more out of the routine experiences, more fun. That’s tough to do, though, when you own a business and support a family. So instead of the same old tired resolutions that have been made time and again, I think it’s more appropriate to publicly share some goals that will hold me accountable to my family, to my business partner and to myself.

1) I will find that all important work/family/fun balance.
2) I will travel at least four times a year.
3) I will plan and strategize. I’m the first to admit that I'm not a planner and tend to follow the shiny pennies that constantly take me off my path. (These are my business partner’s words!) 2012 will be a year of hyper focus, concentrating on activities that get us to our goals.
4) I will play without feeling guilty.
5) I will work on accepting that feelings are not necessarily facts.
6) I will accept that all human beings are unique and that I cannot expect them to change. I can only change the way I deal with them.
7) I will focus my energy on the things I enjoy.
8) I will not get frustrated with my “passionate frustration” because I understand that great things happen when you know ' there has to be a better way'.
9) I will drive creativity by learning how to let it flow over and around me.
10) I will accept and be proud of all accomplishments no matter how small.

The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months! Edward Payson Powell

A Little Hard Work

By Michael Massey

I grew up in a comfortable middle class home with two working parents. I don't ever remember feeling like the world owed me anything. I understood hard work and the reward that comes from it, except during those questionable ages of 15 – 19 but that’s a story for a different blog.

Lately we've been experiencing what could be perceived as a case of entitlement from several individuals that we do business with. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. One of our clients asked us to gather media coverage maps and to include some additional information for them. It was a request that would take probably about 30 minutes if someone in the office wasn’t familiar with Microsoft Word. This was a simple request and one not out of the ordinary realm of responsibility for any professional in the media business. The push back and transferring of responsibility really surprised us.

My parents taught me from a very early age that life is what you make it and the world owes you nothing. When I first graduated from college, I was quite frustrated with the job hunt. I had a Bachelor’s degree and I expected to be paid what I knew I was worth. But my father's wise words echoed truth when he said, “You have no experience and no one knows you. There won't be any big black limo that rolls out the red carpet for you. If you want something you have to be willing to make sacrifices and work hard for it.” Even then I understood the truth in his words and those words mean just as much at the end of 2011 as they did in 1988.

So here's some sage advice to you red carpet dreamers out there:

Add value to the equation in some way shape or form.
Think things through and do your job.
Respect is a two way street; give and you shall receive
Push beyond your comfort level and do something that scares you.
Be willing to be a resource with no expectations.

A little hard work will ultimately lead to a much easier path. Hard work is appreciated and it is rewarded. Be a resource. You’ll be the first on our list to call when there is money to be spent.

Who Needs Boundaries?

By Chrissie VanWormer

I found myself severely burned out over the summer of 2011. I had been working non-stop for about three years trying to build my business, write a book, expand services, manage clients and the whole myriad of everything else that goes on with keeping a small business running. I have enjoyed the process and the challenges that have gone along with it but over the summer months, I found that suddenly every time the phone would ring, I was startled. Every time another email came in, I felt anxiety. I began to wonder if maybe I was showing symptoms of depression and I became concerned.

My office happens to be in my house and most of my clients know that. Last spring after a particularly long day, I finally closed my office door at 9:30 pm. Normally I would have climbed into my pajamas and hit the sack but I was hungry so I made myself a big salad, poured myself a glass of wine and sat down to relax. When the phone rang, I saw the name on the caller ID and my curiosity made me pick it up. The client on the other end explained his issue and, although I was sympathetic, his issue was not pressing and it could wait until the morning. I told him I would research it for him and send a response first thing the next day. I was surprised when he became agitated and said, “I know your office is in your house, Chrissie. Why can’t you just go in there and do it now.” Honestly, I wanted to hang up on him but business is business and, for me, emotion has no place there. I explained once more that I would take care of the issue in the morning….which I did, and all was well.

When my office phone rang early one Saturday morning this past July, a friend who had stopped in for breakfast looked at me when I jumped up and frowned. “You’re not really going to answer that, are you? It’s Saturday and it’s 7:15 a.m.” I looked at her and replied, “I have to. He never got back to me yesterday and they need the report on Monday morning.” She raised her eye brows and gave me a look. You know the look. The one that says, “Are you out of your mind? How important is it really?” I was aggravated at her and I realized that the aggravation was misplaced. She had a valid point. It was Saturday morning, we had planned to have breakfast then take a walk and I had been looking forward to it for several days. I had already blown her off several times during the week because things came up and I needed to work late. I knew what she was thinking in that moment and I knew she was absolutely right. I had set up a very unhealthy pattern not only for myself but for my clients as well.

So what did I learn from these two exchanges and many more others like them? Well, sometimes I can have a pretty hard head because I want to take good care of the clients I worked so hard to get. But finally, on that sunny July morning, I learned to draw the line; to set some boundaries.

Right after breakfast, before we left to take a walk, I went to my office answering machine and changed the message. I laid out my office hours and related that all business calls would be returned between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It took about two weeks and a couple of agitated moments, but my clients all came around to the fact that everyone needs to have some free time and that I was better off for it.

When my kids were little, I always took time for myself to exercise, to write, to visit with my friends because I understood I was a better mother when I could be fully with them. My clients have come to realize that I provide better service when I can be fully in my work mind. We all need time off and we all need to set boundaries for ourselves.

As small business people, we want to service our clients. We want them to be happy with our services and we want them to refer us on. But if we set a few boundaries and be sure to take a little time for ourselves, we can provide even better service. And we’ll be a lot happier doing it. So, set those boundaries, change your answering machine message and do something that makes you happy. Life is not all about work. Have a little fun and come back to your work refreshed. Believe me when I tell you, it’s totally worth it.