Musings of a Marketing Maven

This summer I was too busy balancing work with leisure activities to have time for blogging. Instead I enjoyed yoga, sailing, kayaking, tandem biking, some great books and movies — and socializing with people I care about.
Perhaps it’s a characteristic of Boomer women — we’d rather interact with friends and family in the real world [...]

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The problem with PowerPoint is that it makes it so easy to bore your audience to death. (Been there, done that…)
We all know the seductive ease of creating a new presentation: setting up a dozen slides with titles, and then filling in the slides with endless bullet points.

It’s Too Easy to be Boring
The beauty [...]

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At some point in most consulting engagements, someone will ask, “Is everyone else as screwed up as we are?” The answer, of course, is yes. Most consultants’ business opportunities are created by their clients’ inability to solve (or communicate) vexing problems or challenges.
And now there’s a deceptively simple business book that can help you [...]

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As 2008 nears, I’m resolved to make room for a more balanced life, less cluttered with frenzy and meaningless busyness. Yoga helps, but it’s time to invest in some mental and lifestyle “housekeeping” as well. As a first step toward de-cluttering, I’ve decided to consult some expert coaches.

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Wenger, manufacturer of the venerable Swiss Army knife, now sells a 3-pound multifunction “knife” with 87 tools and over 100 uses. No doubt intended for price-insensitive gadget collectors, it carries a hefty price tag of $1200. It reminds me of the current generation of smart phones.

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The relative success or failure of most projects is determined at the outset, by how well the project is defined and scoped, roles clarified, and expectations set. This is critical if you aim for high-impact results.

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Sometimes I just want to get the best possible audio quality out of my iPhone, and that’s when I pull out some audiophile headphones.
Take a look at these daisy-chained adapters!

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Several years ago IDC presented a segmentation model for mobile device users that included a cluster called “minimalists.” Minimalists routinely use technology-based products for home and work, but want products without complexity or unnecessary features. Minimalists want a phone to be a phone — not a camera, game console or FM radio. They want a [...]

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