Category: Blog

Spotify Could Go Away Overnight And No One Would Care

1Although Spotify was able to get its foot in the door early, the presence of companies like Apple Music, Amazon Prime, and others means that the historically un-profitable streaming service either needs to find away to differentiate itself from the competition or risk crashing and burning.

 

Op Ed by Kelli Richards

Before Apple Music was ever announced, it had already sparked controversy. Word on the street was that Apple wasn’t just trying to create a killer product — it was going for Spotify’s jugular.

Reports spread quickly of Apple working hard behind the scenes to convince record industry executives to kill the freemium model upon which Spotify has essentially built its audience.

What’s the Difference Between a Coach and a Mentor?

Business - Besprechung in einem BüroWe hear a lot about coaching and mentoring — for good reason. As Zig Ziglar famously said, “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” The words “coaching” and “mentoring” are often treated as if they’re interchangeable, but they’re not.

No matter your stage, both mentors and coaches can be valuable resources. What’s the difference between the two? How do you know which is needed? …

Cynthia Kersey, the Unstoppable Woman

­­Cynthia Kersey IISo few people really take the risk to live their dreams, play full out with passion & commitment, and create true impact and legacy during their time on the planet. Cynthia Kersey is definitely one of those rare individuals. Cynthia is the Chief Humanitarian Officer of the Unstoppable Foundation (https://unstoppablefoundation.org) whose mission is to ensure that every child on the planet receives access to the life-long gift of education. Just read that sentence a few times and stand in awe, right? That’s a mission worth getting out of bed for each morning!

You can imagine how honored I was when Cynthia invited me to be on the Host Committee of Advisors after she & I connected at a weekend learning intensive for coaches led by our mutual friend, Rich Litvin. …

Influencers on a Plane: 3 Ways to Strike Up Great Conversations

3While some entrepreneurs may view hours or days spent in transit as unwelcome downtime, business travel can offer unusual opportunities to create powerful professional connections.

Whether you meet people who end up providing new business opportunities, find great new friends, connect with someone influential, or simply reconnect with established colleagues, with the right mindset, you can improve your business just by striking up a conversation on the road. …

3 Signs It’s Time for a (Professional) Breakup

The truth is that not all relationships–professional or personal–are good investments of your time and energy.

For entrepreneurs especially, partnerships require a lot of energy, focus, and commitment. A certain sense of calm clarity and mutual respect is necessary to make these relationships–and your business–function successfully.

But when partnerships turn toxic, objectivity is compromised, perspective is hard to find, and any mutual or company progress becomes virtually impossible. Instead, a leader is more likely to feel weighed down by professional negativity and anxiety, which can lead to a loss of self-confidence and reduced productivity–and can even bring the business to a grinding halt.

That type of energy is lethal to the success of an entrepreneur. Ask yourself: If a business relationship is toxic and having these effects on your work, is it really worth it? …

Wearable Technology – Where Fashion & Fitness Converge

Screen Shot 2015-08-06 at 12.14.11 PMWe’ve been watching “wearable tech” come on like a force of nature over the last couple of years. It’s the convergence of ever shrinking technology that shows up in everyday lives everywhere  –  on our bodies, in our hands, in our cars  –  and information  –  and fashion. Yes, fashion.

Think of the obvious first, like fashion electronics. Whether it’s FitBit or the Apple Watch that just hit the scene, or Jawbone, or any of these things that are now considered fashion accessories – but they are primarily fitness accessories that give you information in real time about what’s happening with your body and your activity level. …

Why Advisors Are Worth Your Equity (and How to Find a Good One)

ID-10046002In today’s landscape–where startups are sexy–founders can sometimes become hoarders. They might hoard capital because they don’t want to spend it unwisely or give it away foolishly (which makes sense). Or they may tend to hoard equity to keep control of their company.

This can be a big mistake. Handing out equity early to qualified advisors might be one of the smartest things you do. Strategic advisors can provide a wealth of value right from the start. They exist to provide the expertise that your startup needs but doesn’t have the money to acquire.

Think of these advisors as business sherpas: people more experienced than you who help you navigate and climb the startup mountain. …

5 Secrets to Building High-Yield Partnerships

5 Secrets to Building High-Yield PartnershipsEvery entrepreneur and business leader needs something — money, information, technology, relationships or whatever. Unless that something is the elixir of life itself, chances are someone else can provide it for you. And when you’re connected to a trusted and tight-knit network, the resources you need are typically only an email or phone call away.

Forming strategic partnerships not only creates a powerful reciprocal network, but also propels you toward your goals, exposes you to new insights and optimizes the time and energy you invest in relationships. And these advantages work both ways.

Showing up at networking events is a good start, but it isn’t enough to develop and strengthen strategic alliances that will connect you with the right resources. To build smarter partnerships, consider these time-tested tips: …

4 Expensive Mistakes Your Startup Could Make — and How to Avoid Them

ID-10098760As a startup owner, chances are that you have little time to yourself. You’re constantly running from task to task trying to do everything you can to keep your head above water and get your startup off the ground. But it’s during busy times like these that crucial mistakes–some that could be highly detrimental to the fate of your business–are most often made.

In business and in life, there are certain dos and don’ts. Here are four common (and costly) don’ts I often see first-time entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them: …

Video Marketing Lessons Small Businesses Can Learn From Big Brands

Video marketing is one of the best tools that businesses have at their disposal today. For starters, a high-quality or clever video has the potential to go viral, which can get your brand in front of the eyes of millions of people in a single afternoon. Video also can be inexpensive and therefore cost effective, provided you know what you’re doing. If your company is ready to start making videos, learn these marketing lessons from the big brands that you can apply to your campaign:

Apple

Apple may be one of the most successful companies now, but it wasn’t always that way. Much of this company’s recent success can be attributed to the high-quality products it makes and to the unique video campaigns it conducts. Apple’s TV spots are brilliant in their simplicity — many of them feature simple music, stark white backgrounds and little more than the product on display. Apple isn’t attempting to distract the viewer with loud music or flashy graphics — instead, it lets the products speak for themselves.

Video camera operatorLay’s Potato Chips

Lay’s has been experimenting with hugely successful videos in the last several years. The company launched a video campaign called “Do Us a Flavor,” which urged people to visit a specific URL to submit ideas for new potato chip flavors. This campaign was successful because it leveraged the power of the Internet and social media to the company’s advantage. By inviting the audience to participate in the campaign, Lay’s was essentially putting the viewers on display.

While the chance to win $1 million dollars certainly didn’t hurt, Lay’s campaign was successful because it embraced emerging technology in a simple yet effective way by letting those who viewed its videos get in on the fun. It also went a long way towards showing customers that their opinions really did matter.

LifeLock

LifeLock is an example of a big brand that knows how to use successful video marketing for the good of its organization. LifeLock, which offers a full line of identity theft protection services, has won numerous Editor’s Choice awards with leading publications, such as PC Magazine, NetNanny and Geeky Reviews.

LifeLock’s video marketing campaigns have succeeded largely because they stick to a few tried-and-true rules. Each TV spot is packed with information, but still manages to only be around two minutes long. Each spot doesn’t try to cover too much, either. They all pick a single buyer persona and focus on the individual needs of that person. For example, one video focuses on the worries of the online shopper and a separate video focuses on someone who may be using public Wi-Fi in a cafe. This is a successful tactic because the company isn’t trying to tell the whole story in any one video, but rather is creating a series of videos that all work together to sell the same product.

When creating your own video campaign, remember these three examples. Making it simple, engaging your audience and keeping it short are easy ways to help your videos find success.

To your best success,

 

Stephen, Guest Blogger for the All Access Group

PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletter https://bit.ly/AAGNewletter

PSS: Listen to an entire library of intimate discussions with industry visionaries https://bit.ly/AllAccessPodcastSeries (Priceless)

Stephen earned his Bachelor of Arts in Film and Video Production at the University Of Toledo College Of Performing Arts in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, he also worked for a big box electronic retailer for three years specializing in high definition audio and video equipment as well as computers and software. He has created almost ten thousand pieces of SEO-driven content for various online clients on topics ranging from the entertainment industry, electronics, computer operating systems and general technology.

 

 

 

 

 

Search Resources

Topic Areas & Guests

Categories

Join our mailing list

For insights on industry trends, and for details on special projects/events. We respect your time and your privacy.


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact