Part 1 of a 3 part series.
About one month ago I received a call from a Nigeria speakers bureau, inquiring about me addressing a journalists meeting in Lagos, Nigeria. He also mentioned, he had worked with one of my fellow branding peers Martin Lindstrom. Martin is a global branding expert too and author of Buyology and Brandsence, both excellent books.  So I reached out to Martin to inquire about his experience. Martin explained, you will be safe, it will be a memorable experience. He was right on both accounts.

Several weeks went by and the meeting was not booked. Then one week before the event TO, my rep from the speaker bureau, phoned me back up. They want you, please get your Visa and passport in order and they want you to address branding in government.

So the hoop jumping starts. I was actually still in NY city at the time and my lame AT&T phone had no service, so most of my communication was via email. Even though Martin said I’d be safe, traveling to a country with a questionable reputation and that I’d never been to by myself was not an option. Sure, I wanted the opportunity to visit Nigeria, but I also wanted to contain my risk and American Express travel does not offer a travel escort service, but they do offer a companion ticket with the purchase of a business class ticket. So now my goal was who could I get to travel with me and provide some value beyond being my body guard. I called Litewavemedia. They are a local company that produced my speaker video. I contacted Christian, the owner and explained the situation. Christian was booked on a big commercial shoot, but said one of his colleagues would be happy to do it. His name was Andrew, a UT film grad and well rounded, light, sound and video guy. Perfect! The trip planning could begin. Having Andrew with me was one of the smarter investments I’ve made, ever! He not only is a great video dude (taped me speaking and other event highlights), but took lots of still shots and was by my side every minute. His dedication to his craft and my safety was priceless. Thank you Andrew!! In the picture below is Andrew to the right and Paul our guide to the left. Paul works in Imo State government office in investment development. The hospitality he showed us and his friendship were awesome.

Here are a portion of my top lessons from my African adventure. See next couple blogs for more.
1) When you get an opportunity to do business in a country that is new to you, get personal references and get paid upfront.

2) Knowing the time and travel preparation needed for an event of this magnitude, I will not commit to anything with less than 2 weeks advance notice, full payment and contracts signed. Even though I pulled this off, it was a lot crazier than it should have been, unless they are paying me $100,000, which they did not, never again am I doing an event like this with that kind of short notice.  Immunization shots only take two weeks to get in your system.

3) Even though I am a seasoned traveler, I would not travel to Lagos by myself. PERIOD.

4) Tightly enforce contracts and terms and stick with them. I got lax on this and paid consequences that I should have prevented. Specifically — Only when all 100% of funds and contracts are received, will program prep start. I spent too much time chasing down money. There is a clause in my contract that states “Client must get all promo materials approved before printing” or the contract is void. The client published items not consistent with my brand, a very old photo of me and inaccurate bio info. Include in contract all extra requests like press conferences, timing and details. PLUS, specify that your traveling companion must be in the same building as you are and internet fees are covered by client.

5) Always carry an extra few copies of your bio for press conferences and at the event. My agent had provided this bio, intro to the organizing group, but 4 minutes before I was to go on stage the MC had nothing and was asking me for my intro through a screaming crowd of 500 people.

6)Don’t count on the same kind of technology when traveling to emerging countries. My phone did not work and my internet was a daily mess.

This shot is of Neta Nwosu who was the chairman of the event for the Brand Journalists of Nigeria.
She also is an editor with the top newspaper (DailySun) in Lagos.

See next blog posts for remainder of trip.

For more global branding adventures, view:
Making history in Saudi and 5 lessons from the experience.

Guilty as charged. I was listening to Seth Godin, one of my favorite creative-brainys (that is a made up word), on 57 ways to get the world to spread your stuff and suddenly  I needed to go to the little girls’ room. OMG, there were at least 40 minutes left in his Webinar on MarketingProfs,  and even though I have a Pro MarketingProf membership (which is so worth it) and could have replayed it later, I was not willing to put this learning session on hold. I was engaged in every word he was saying.

How did that happen? How do you get people that glued to what you have to say?
Here’s my take on the Seth factor. He’s cool. He’s never boring. He challenges my thinking. He’s nice to listen to, compelling and calm all at the same time. He’s earned the very smart cat badge, a combination of status from credibility builders like his books, speeches and blogging and what others say the big media and fans around globe.

While he did share 57 ideas and some bonuses, here are my top four and what I going to do differently.

1) He does not have guest bloggers.
Why? Because it fuzzes it up.  It is his brand promise to his readers.

As I’m evaluating the guest bloggers on Oddpodz,and I have been thinking about this for a while, he has an excellent point. Plus, guest posts are  a lot of work. And unless they are highly read and  driving traffic, which unfortunately my guest bloggers have not been, the ROI is just not there. So starting next week, the guest bloggers section will be laid to rest. The posts will be archived  and remain on the site, but no new guest bloggers.

2) He blogs everyday.
That’s heavy. and scare the crap out of me to commit to that.

I said he challenged me. OK, then. I love to write. I do interesting stuff every single day. And even if I’m sick or staying in my cave, I think about really interesting things that I know others can benefit from.  If I can’t pump out at least a paragraph a day, then shame on me.

3) He does not tweet.
That’s a side-line of the next takeaway for me. The actual big idea is: he consciously decides that he will not do everything, Tweeting is an activity like golf or collecting fish bones. He knows he does not have the bandwidth to do it well and right, so he’s not going there. I respect that.

I think all to often we put pressure on ourselves to do stuff that’s not really required or in our “do it freakin well zone”.  For me this means not doing stuff that does not deliver happiness, money or peace in your soul. Personally, I like to tweet, it’s a good outlet for my inner soundbite, snarky side.

4) Try. Fail. Repeat.
That’s not a new one for me. But felt it was important for this list. Thank you Seth.

Love your thoughts on any of this.

Check out this Book review – “Tribes” by Seth Godin.

It’s the new year and a good time to evaluate your brand. Join me and my friend Lisa Malloy, a business coach and host of “The Entrepreneur Corner” as we discuss: What branding is, Do you need it? and How do you do it?

Specific issues will include:
1. What does Branding your business mean?
2. Why is it so important?
3. Should your brand look identical on all of your marketing materials, i.e. website, blog, newsletters?
4. Examples of company branding?
5. How does one know if they have branded their business correctly?
6. At what stage in your business should you consider branding your business?
7. Is it expense to create your own brand?
8. Should you pay to have someone create your brand or should you create it on your own?

The 30 minute show can be accessed via http://webtalkradio.net/shows/the-entrepreneur-corner/ on the afternoon of January 10th.

Be sure to view the other part of this blog, here.

Also, check out: Is publicity worth the time and expense for a small business?

I sometimes twitch my eyes, baseballs and golf balls scare me, my spelling totally sucks and that I once lead a company down a toilet and lost a ton of money.

I recently opened a big speech with 5 pieces of self-deprecating information.

Crazy?
Nope. Self-deprecation and being honest about your list of imperfections can actually help build trust and credibility. It does not matter if you speak on stage, like me or not. You can use this strategy in a new biz presentations, recruiting a business partners and or team member.

Here’s how it worked.
1) It showed my audience that I’m willing to break rules and I’m not perfect. Prior to my flaw dump, the sponsor read my bio which is filled with great milestones. As I entered the stage, I threw out the question, “What’s up with all these speaker intros, as preachers of truth and messengers of real world best practices, and then all you here is half their story?”

2) This common ground served as a trust builder. Many in the group had some of the same flaws as I did. We connected.

3) This off the wall content added instant humor, which is often the key to message transfer with an audience, especially at 7:30 AM.

4) I flipped the most dramatic flaw (the business in the toilet one) into PROOF that, bouncing back is reachable, no matter how low your situation is and because of that unfortunate experience, I am 330% smarter. The audience knew my program content and knowledge was not academic BS, but true, authentic battlefield insight.

I was amazed at how many people came up to me afterwards and thanked my for my honesty and courage.

So what so wrong with you? And how can you make it work for you too?

This week I was working in the Bahamas, The Atlantis, Cove Resort to be exact. I am so fortunate to do what I love, get compensated and be in place where the word paradise associated with a destination is an extreme understatement.

The experience was one of my best ever. The accommodations were incredible, service divine and even the beach cats were over the top gracious and welcoming. This beach cat parked next to me as  I was chilling in the sand, sipping on a nice glass of wine, while writing this blog. Didn’t beg for anything, just hung out with me.

I addressed SITEglobal (Society of international travel executives). This conference was their foundation event where they mix fundraising, (which this even raised over $80,000 for research) education and power networking. SITE enables organizations to achieve optimum performance through inspirational experiences and productivity incentives.

My roll was the keynote speaker, as their event theme was “A Brand New Day”.

The incentive travel industry has been hit hard these past few years not only by the recession but, from the negative perceptions of high-profile industry bailouts and economic woes. And to make matters even rougher, the media reports about the increase in crime from pirates to drug cartels to terrorism have had a grueling impact on corporate incentive travel sector.

As I told them, no business is ever immune to these uncontrollable circumstances. However, when things get tough, the tough Brand-up! And that was my message.

The audience was a balance of independent destination companies, visitor and convention bureaus to multi-national travel and destination service brands. All faced challenges ranging from more demanding price-conscious buyers, learning and leveraging new technologies and social media, to how to best stand out in a competitive environment of many excellent choices.

Highlights from my program included:

• Branding is the art and science of being an offering of choice.
• This is accomplished by accumulating positive impression in the minds of your market.
• Anything (product, person, company, service, team, destination etc.) that competes is an opportunity to brand.
• As soon as you start doing business you have a brand.
• Marketing is the process. The brand is the end result.
• Strategic moves and smart tactical actions can make your brand more desirable.
• No risk. No brand.
• Requirements for successful brand.

-New mindset about selling, loyalty, social media and control
-Metaphors (in story, names and processes) are huge opportunities to differentiate
-Frequency in messaging (all touch points) is as important as the message

For a copy of the SITE BRAND-UP!! download here.

To listen to the song BRAND-UP! or share click below.

Have a question? Post it here or go to Oddpodz Linkedin group and post it there.

I want to personally thank Neal Shiller from International Speakers Bureau for bringing me this opportunity, Carol Girouard of  Pinnacle meetings, events and incentives who was the education chair and all of the wonderful sponsors and members of SITE.

Over heard -
At the Sea bar in the Atlantis, Cove Resort
“Traveling with my family, I’ll have two shots of Patron”

At one of the evening dinners
“Bahamas hospitality is so genuine, every one smiles, they connect and look into your eyes and sincerely are grateful that you selected their beautiful island for your business or pleasure”

After my presentation
“My brand is a nightmare and your talk was a wake up call to changing that, thanks!”

That all depends on whether you’ve given much thought to and taken action on  your personal brand.

I interviewed my buddy and fellow personal branding expert, Dan Schawbel, for his insight on the this powerful business subject. Dan believes a strong personal can attract both business and career opportunities like no other magnetic force. Click the image below to watch the interview.

Read on for Dan’s added thoughts on the topic of personal branding.

The Importance of Personal Branding: How to Stand Out in Today’s Opportunity Market
Stay relevant or stay unnoticed. You need to be relevant to be desirable in the marketplace, and you should prepare yourself for the careers of the 21st century. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 60% of all new jobs in the 21st century will require skills that only 20% of current employees possess. You need a sense for what skills are important in your chosen industry, and which ones might be significant in the future.

Find your niche– you have to specialize. Being a generalist will help you adapt to new jobs because the market changes all the time, but specializing will make you more desirable to hiring managers. In fact, 71% of hiring managers are looking to fill “specialized positions” while 61% of job seekers considered themselves to have “broad skill sets”. Companies are looking to hire experts in their fields to solve real business problems. Become an expert in an in-demand field and you will have leverage over the recruitment process, make more money, and securing a stable position. Once you’ve chosen your field of specialization, you can become an expert by getting a second or advanced degree. Schools like DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management offer specialized bachelor’s and master’s degree programs focused on high-growth career fields. You should do some research online to find flexible and affordable opportunities to dial in your personal brand niche.

The competition is relentless. The economy has created a tough job market for most individuals, especially inexperienced college graduates. There are currently 2 million unemployed college graduates, and companies are hiring 22% fewer graduates. Our country is becoming more educated with about 40% of Americans having college degrees. Having a college degree is extremely important for building a foundation for future success—a general bachelor’s degree is a great entry point, but having advanced or second degrees is a way to make yourself stand out and advance your personal brand.

Interpersonal skills are becoming more valuable. A brand requires a personality if it’s going to be distinctive. Your personal brand needs to be personable and attract positive attention. Organizations are starting to place a higher value on interpersonal skills (communication, teamwork, organization) and cultural fit, instead of technical skills and experience. A new survey by Right Management shows that 31% of companies feel that organizational culture and motivation fit is important, while only 12% are for technical skills, and 11% are for relevant experience.

Perception (how we present ourselves) is king. It’s the little things that count, whether you’re in an interview, or interacting with people online. A CareerBuilder survey states that 67% of hiring managers say that failure to make eye contact would make them less likely to hire a job candidate and 38% said lack of smile. People will judge you on small things that make a big difference.

For more on Dan and  a copy of his new personal branding magazine visit his website too. http://danschawbel.com/

Dan is the author of the #1 international bestselling career book, Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future (Kaplan Publishing). Me 2.0 made the New York Times summer reading list for job seekers, was one of three social networking books recommended by Shape Magazine, was the #1 career book of 2009 by The New York Post, is a #1 bestseller in Japan, and is also being translated into Chinese, Korean, and French. Recently, Dan was named to the prestigious Inc Magazine 30 Under 30 list.

Odd Fish Finish First
Imagine a big glass tank loaded up with hundreds of squirmy gold fish. Pick the one you want and in seconds
you’ve lost it because they all look alike. Suddenly, behind the coral tree, from within the school of many, emerges a slim, purple and orange fish. He quickly stands out from the group, his distinctiveness apparent. He swims around with a unique confidence and a bold identity, while the others just seem to fade away.

Odd fish are memorable. Odd fish command a premium price.
Odd fish exude added dimensions of value. Odd fish finish first.
In business, understanding this metaphor is the difference between drowning in a sea of sameness and being a great brand. Jack Trout (speaking of smart fish) noted in his bestselling book “Differentiate or Die” that choosing among multiple options is always based on differences, implicit or explicit. Psychologists point out that vividly differentiated characteristics anchored to a product can enhance the public’s memory of it because they have added uniquely to the mind of the consumer. In other words, if you are promoting a product or service, give the consumer a reason to choose it. This concept is so simple, yet many business leaders
struggle with applying it to their brands.The problem starts with defining what distinction truly is and is
not. Distinction is not that you love or care for your customers more than your competition does. It’s not that you are a one-stop shop or even that your product or service is of the highest quality. Those are all vital attributes, but they are also likely touted by 90 percent of the competitive players in your category.

Distinction in branding is something that you do so well and often that it is truly different and has become your asset—so much so that your competition would be unlikely to try to mimic your actions. It’s something that your buyers identify as really unusual and, as a result, award your brand extra space in their info-aged, over-crowded minds.

Developing a platform of distinction requires courage by leadership. Doing things differently can draw out herds of critics, from customers to employers to industry players. That’s to be expected, because new or different requires the adoption of new thinking and it’s human nature to resist it for some time. Have faith and believe in your oddness. Believe in your brand.

Take the test:
How distinct is your brand? Are you an odd fish that stands out or or you simply one of many in a school of fish?
• Visually, does your brand look different than your competitors?
• If you covered up your logo on your brochures and We site with only the content visible, would anyone know it’s your brand?
• Does everyone in your organization know how you’re different?

If you answered “no” to even one of these, you’ve got work to do. As
you explore points of distinction for your brand, ask yourself about:

Your market: What’s relevant to the needs and desires of your customers?
• The competitive landscape:
Are any of your competitors occupying this space (point of difference)?
• Social and world conditions: Are there current events, attitudes or recent wounds from an issue that would prohibit open acceptance of your point of difference?
• Copycat protection: Can someone easily copy or imitate your point of difference?
• Longevity: Will this point of difference be sustainable for a substantial period, get better with age, or quickly become irrelevant and out of style?
• Can the dog hunt? Does this point of difference have the legs to carry the brand? Can it be leveraged by
many communication vehicles?

26 way to Think Like The Odd Fish
• Make up a word for a service
• Use different ingredients
• Sport an odd uniform
• Do it faster
• Save the earth while you are at it
• Add humor
• Package it in the unexpected
• Give something big away
• Offer an unbelievable guarantee
• Gift often
• Be exclusive
• Create a mascot
• Charge a lot more
• Take alternative payments
• Reward loyalty with living gifts
• Get social
• Make a metaphor
• Rearrange it
• Sacrifice something important
• Break the rules
• Always have a deadline
• Conduct an annual poll
• Super-size it
• Get nostalgic
• Exaggerate
• Simplify the process

Consumers are smothered with more than 5,000 brand messages every day. The marketplace is cluttered, with many excellent options offered. If you want to make the buyer’s choice easy and finish first, you’ve got to be truly distinct and communicate those unique attributes at all touch points every day. The services and products space is very competitive. To find your distinct calling, you must look deep inside your organization
and explore all your branding touch points. Think about your processes, your communication and your services. The possibilities are endless.

About the author: Karen Post is an international branding speaker, consultant and business authority. Her expertise focuses on branding, entrepreneurial, social media and women’s business issues. As a recognized branding expert and social media pioneer, she has appeared on Bloomberg radio and TV, CBS’s The Early show, National Public Radio, The New York Times, New York Post, Financial Times and other worldwide media. She is also regular branding analyst for FOX TV in the South Florida market. Karen is the author of the internationally published book, Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds and is active blogger.

Does your brand need a face lift? Is your brand got a case of the brand blues? The deadline for Oddpodz first annual brand makeover is right around the corner. All entries must be submitted by September 30th. There is no cost to enter and the winning company or individual will receive a complete brand makeover including: a brand strategy, brand identity, touchpoint plan, news release blast and more. See details here.

Karen recently wrote a post about 3 top –female, A-list bloggers who have earned a high-level of traffic and readership. Interestingly, the theme of “truth” is integral to each one of their blogs. I read a few entries by each author and the overarching take away message was that whether in your business or personal life, you need to be authentic. The articles made me think of a few business questions that you should ask yourself and answer truthfully. Really. No fibbing.

We all know the rule, “honesty is the best policy.” And, we’ve all probably fought the truth a time or two in our lives only to learn that the old cliché rings true.  So don’t fight it. Here are four questions to ask yourself in business to set you free and help you avoid business mistakes and work-life misery.

1) Why am I doing this job?
Tell the truth. Is it to impress your friends? Are you living up to someone else’s expectations? Is it to use a degree you spent a lot of time and money earning? Is it for the salary? Is it for the hours? Does it allow you flexibility? Does the compensation allow you to enjoy a capital intensive hobby? Does it allow you to provide for a family? Is it a stepping stone to something better? The reason is not as important as you knowing the real answer. When you know why you are toiling away at your given job, you should be able to maintain a level of satisfaction in your work life. If after answering this question and finding that your reason leaves you wanting to break out of your cubicle and go out on your own, proceed to question two.

2) Why do I want to start my own business?
Is it because you simply hate your job? Is it because you don’t know what else to do? Those aren’t the right reasons. Ideally, you should be starting a business because it is solving a problem, improving some corner of the world, but in either case it should be self-sufficient (non-profit) or turning a profit. Otherwise, keep it as a hobby. The value proposition you put in your business plan should not differ from what is in your heart.

3) Am I tapping into my natural strengths to do my job?
Believe me, if you can tap into what comes naturally to you in your career, do it. You will still encounter challenges and you will have to put in effort to succeed, but it won’t feel like rolling a boulder uphill every day. Don’t fight nature. I tried to, and each time failed miserably. Here’s a case where I had to embrace reality and realize that I couldn’t be anything I wanted to. I have been obsessed with horses since the first time I laid my eyes on one. In fact, it has become part of my identity. On more than one occasion, I have been referred to as “that tall horse girl.” When I was six years old, I wanted to be a jockey. This dream began after watching the Black Stallion, reading International Velvet and watching Triple Crown Races. Unfortunately, I surpassed the height and weight requirements for the job by the fifth grade. Jockeys are typically 5’ to 5’7” and weigh in at 108 to 118 pounds. No amount of hard work or determination could make me that size. Did I give up on horses completely? No. I discovered show jumping. No height or weight restrictions and you get to go fast while clearing obstacles. In this case, the restrictions were physical, but the same thing can happen with other aptitudes. Do you struggle with math and hate rules? Finance and accounting probably aren’t good fits for you. Think about things that you enjoy doing. What aspects of your work do you enjoy? What things do you like to do outside of work? It is possible to focus on using these attributes in your career. If you’re not quite sure what your natural strengths are, you can tap into these resources.

Online tools
Personal SWOT analysis

Schein’s Career analysis

Or, check out this book,

Do What You Are:
Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type

Should you decide, you need to make some significant changes, maybe even a reinvention brand that is better aligned with your authentic you, Oddpodz Reinvention TA-DO list is a very concise action plan to get the process going

4) Why am I taking XYZ initiative?
You’ve seen that everyone and their grandmother is on Twitter, or that Old Spice had success with a viral YouTube video campaign. You decide to dedicate your efforts to a multi-faceted social media strategy. Stop. Why are you doing this? Will you really reach customers with this? Will you be building your online brand presence? Will you be able to measure and track your results to obtain some sort of ROI? Or, are you taking these actions because they worked for so and so? While it is good to keep abreast of the latest marketing tools, make sure that you spend your time and money on the ones that will produce results for you based on your business and its goals.

Can you think of any other questions that are important to answer? Please share.

Monday I’m doing a segment on FOX TV with Russell Rhodes. The subject is tattoos, what do tattoos say about the beholder of them, has the tide turned with regards to acceptance in the professional world, is there a tattoo volume that’s cool and one that’s an over done gross look?

The New York Times cites in Europe they are all the rage even in politically active circles.

What do you think? Trend, tragedy or forever fashion?

If an executive is sporting one does that change how your feel about their leadership?

If a job applicant is covered in them, will you invite them back for a second interview?

If your mother got one, would you need a double martini?