Let’s Build Safer Communities

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Last Saturday night, I was assaulted by three men after helping to break up a four-on-one fight outside of Lil Woody’s restaurant on Capitol Hill. This resulted in a black eye, severe swelling, a concussion, and a broken cheek bone (I’m booked for surgery next Thursday to correct it). However, this is not the message I wish to share.

Instead, I wish to shed light on the value of health and safety. It’s unbelievable how quickly life can shift and we can’t afford to lose sight of what’s important. I risked my health to do what I thought was right. I don’t regret that for a second. I do, however, regret the sad and violent state of our local communities. My experience has only brought about recent memories of similar, if not more violent, occurrences from my friends and family. My point being, I’m not the only one.

Contrary to popular belief, I do not seek revenge. I refuse to contribute to the statistic of 18-30 year-old minority males who exhibit violent behavior that resulted in my current condition. My sense of justice is not “an eye for an eye,” but rather, lesson learned and action taken. I’m asking for your assistance in taking said action.

It’s time to step up and affect change in our increasingly dangerous backyards. House by house, neighborhood by neighborhood, let’s all take strides to build safer communities. It’s not worth risking our collective health and safety to sit in silence. Please help me in sharing this message.

Take care and be safe.

The Most Interesting Man, Lily Adams, & A Gecko Walk Into A Bar…

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…So they order a round of Mexican lagers, check in on Facebook using their 10GB family data plans, and discuss saving 15% or more on car insurance.

Given the ambiguity of this article’s title, it would seem quite difficult to predict the situation between the three characters. However, if you’ve watched TV or been on the internet lately, you could’ve nailed it on your first guess. That’s because marketers have successfully tapped in to a fundamental aspect of social engagement: personality.

With the rise of social media and inevitable content overload, it’s easy for brands and products to get lost in the fray. Connecting with consumers may be as easy as it’s ever been, but building a relationship beyond the superficial “like” or “follow” is still tricky. Finding profitable, new customers while pleasing loyal fans takes creative thinking. In one of the biggest marketing trends I’ve seen, this creative thinking takes a human-oriented approach.

Successful brand and marketing managers know that building strong, valuable relationships with consumers requires being a human being. It’s difficult to relate to a bottle of beer or a smartphone feature. And very few of us get excited about insuring our vehicles [sorry broker friends]. This is where personality marketing comes into play.

Dos Equis grabs your attention with humor, curiosity, and aspiration. How many “I don’t normally do X” scenarios have you heard or created? We believe that the Most Interesting Man in The World is, in fact, the most interesting man in the world. And we drink Dos Equis because we want to be the most interesting, too! Or, because we want our beer to be an extension of our curious and humorous selves. Chances are, you’re not drinking Dos Equis just for the taste.

AT&T recently launched a campaign to promote its new family plans with a different kind of spokesperson. Lily Adams is sharp and witty, yet sweet and approachable. We see her interact with a variety of characters throughout the campaign, to whom many of us can relate. Whether she’s whispering so she does not disturb a sleeping baby or exchanging basketball accolades with Grant Hill, we listen and remember. 10 gigs to share with unlimited talk and text never sounded so sweet.

And who can forgot everyone’s favorite insurance-purveying gecko: The Geico Gecko? Geico recognized the American infatuation with foreign accents and animals as an opportunity to reach us on a personal level. We can’t help but love the personification of animals. The Gecko’s accent [even with its changes] is memorable and perfect for comical impersonations. His subtle, animated mannerisms are adorable. And just like that, something as dull and, perhaps, gloomy as insurance becomes fun and engaging. That took way less than 15 minutes.

When it’s all said and done, humans are sympathetic creatures looking to relate to one another. Products and services, otherwise mundane and inanimate objects outside of their function, need some spice and flavor to capture our attention [and wallets]. Brands with personality help us justify our purchases and add to our own personal expression. Brands without personality fade into the content abyss. The stickiest of brands are the ones that we can relate to, appreciate, and be proud of; all of which are feelings typically associated with human-to-human relationships, rather than B2C relationships.

When the bill comes, we, the consumers, pay the price. But a valuable brand relationship is worth every penny.

No Falls, New Shoes, And A Change in Perspective

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Over the weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer with the Special Olympics of Washington [SOWA]. Little did I know at the time, it would be one of the most impactful experiences I’ve felt.

Three months ago, my friend, Cary, invited me to join her and coworkers at Cobalt Mortgage in volunteering for SOWA. At the time, I thought it would be a fun and rewarding experience. As we arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McCord on a beautiful Saturday and learned our roles in the Post-Race Staging area on the track, my beliefs were confirmed. Our duties included cheering on athletes as they approached the finish line, escorting them to the cool-down tent, and providing water, before taking them to their award ceremonies.

Sounds fun and rewarding, right? It wasn’t until the races began that I realized this experience would be so much more. I’d like to take you through two interactions that rendered “fun” and “rewarding” insignificant:

First, I met a SOWA veteran participating in the female 100-meter assisted-walk. As she hustled toward the finish, the competition proved much quicker and passed her by. I greeted her as she crossed the finish line in last place, thinking I’d be met with disappointment. Instead, I was met with a bright smile and multiple high-fives. Before I could utter one encouraging word, she exclaimed, “I didn’t fall! I fall every year, but didn’t this time!” Regardless of her standing in the race, she was a winner.

Next, I met one of the more enthusiastic athletes racing in the male 100 meter dash. He crossed the finish line in 7th place, but seemed to have plenty to celebrate. I raised a hand for a high-five only to receive the most endearing bear hug that nearly drove us both to the ground. After the heartwarming embrace, I asked him how he ran so fast. He pointed to the ground and said, “it’s the shoes.” I peaked down to see a sharp, brand new pair of running shoes, fit for a proud winner.

Throughout the day, I shared high-fives, big smiles, and moments of pure, uninhibited joy. I forgot that most of the athletes were entirely dependent upon loved ones and caregivers to get through each day. I forgot only because they forgot. During those rare and exceptional moments, all that mattered was quite simple:

Finish the race without falling…Strut a new pair of shoes…Share in a moment of pure, uninhibited joy with someone waiting at the finish line.

Perhaps, now, you can understand why “fun” and “rewarding” just don’t cut it. My experience was perspective-changing.

The simplicity of life’s gifts makes them easy to overlook. Our perspectives get clouded with work stress, family drama, relationship issues, and a plethora of disheartening circumstances. Periodically, we need a reset; an experience that changes our perspectives and reminds us to appreciate the little things.

Next time you’re in a race, wear a new pair of shoes; celebrate the fact that you finished; appreciate who you have cheering you on at the finish line. Because winning the race isn’t just about getting first place.

 

Busy Is The New Lazy

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Before we get started, I want to ask you a quick question: how’s work?

By the end of this post, perhaps you’ll understand why I, more often than not, can answer that question right now.

We’ve all engaged in a conversation about work, listening [hopefully] and responding as needed. If you follow the normal protocols, you can walk away having learned something new or discovered new opportunities. However, somewhere along the line, the normal protocols changed on us.

Now, It seems as though you’re lucky if you can pull enough teeth to glean any valuable knowledge from a work conversation. Why is that? “How’s work?” is a question that elicits boastful monologues, drama-ridden gossip, and/or vengeful workplace war stories. We’re given full license to brag, celebrate, vent, and complain! However, we’re no longer taking advantage of this gratuitous opportunity.

Instead, we’re substituting our otherwise engaging response with a single word: busy. Expression can be added, occasionally, with an extended vowel or emphasized syllable: “buuuusy,” for example. Perhaps, a heavy sigh and a head-shake can be included for dramatic effect.

Since when can one word, no matter how dramatic and expressive, articulate the thing we spend most of our hours awake doing? Well, since we got lazy. It’s easy to reduce all of the things we do [or should be doing] at work to a generic answer. This saves time and requires minimal effort. Most importantly, it makes you sound important. That’s why we do it, right? Myself included. What paints a better picture of busyness and importance than not even having the time to fully explain your work?!

This sounds like a solid communications strategy until you realize that every working professional with any semblance of a workload does that exact same thing.

My point is this: as soon as “busy” became en vogue as a work status, its ubiquity across conversations demeaned its true meaning. Being busy is now so subjective and relative that no one knows what that really means.

Today, I’m deeming the word “busy” a cliche. It’s a lazy attempt at sounding important. And, it’s a conversation-killer [a major pet peeve of mine]! Next time someone asks you about work, offer that person a worthy response that facilitates a dialogue. Don’t leave him or her hanging with a vague, meaningless remark that may actually work counter to your intentions. Converse. Share. Learn.

On the flip side, at least you now know how to end a drawn-out exchange with a service provider trying to sell things you don’t need.

I should get going, I’m busy.

Hey, You. How About Some Good Juju?

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In casual conversation, I frequently run into references of “bad juju.”  In most instances the reference is reactionary, conveying the sheer negativity of an unfortunate occurrence. We’ve all made or heard the reference. Frankly, I’m sick of my beloved nickname, Juju, being restricted to connotations of hardship and misfortunate.

I’m here to bring you nothing but Good Juju.

It’s time to change the status quo. I’ve created an ecosystem where bad juju ceases to exist and is replaced by only that which is positive, wishful, and, well…good. The only business in which I choose to engage is positive. My business brings Good Juju.

Good Juju Consulting is a sanctuary where brands discover their Good Juju, enabled by integrated marketing communications that create connections and build relationships. This is what will keep your audience engaged, whether you’re communicating with consumers, employees, key stakeholders, or the greater community. Good Juju stands by one simple truth: communicate value to succeed. Let’s eliminate all of the bad juju that exists in the forecast and proactively uncover some Good Juju.

No, this is not a “Hello, World” blog post. This is more than that. Consider this a, “pleasure to meet you and thanks for stopping by” post. Take a look around. Hang out for a while. Connect with me and let me know your thoughts! And remember, this is only the introduction. Stay tuned for what’s to be written.