High Heel Business

Is Beauty only Skin Deep?

2012-01-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images Why is it that we focus so much on the external view of ourselves and those around us? Is it that our attraction to what we see prompts us to continuously be examining those around us, or is it some sort of innate law of attraction? Yesterday the USA today reported about how Cameron Diaz, at age 39 showed up to the Paris Couture Week looking young and

More Than Just a Great Shoe - Minna Parikka Shoe Designer and Modern Day Girl Who Get's It!

2012-01-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

It's January (Yeah), and I'm doing all the things you do in January to get yourself organized for the year. I'm writing down my goals, I'm organizing the office, and excited as all can be - I'm opening up a new calendar. Last fall I purchased a desk calendar in anticipation of the new year on a shopping trip to San Francisco with two of my girlfriends. This calendar - A shoe of the day calendar.

There is a Shoe in my Kitchen

2011-12-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

There is a beautiful shoe in my kitchen, not to be confused with "there is a whole in my bucket" but then again, maybe there is. Gary Dahl and Dori Fitch of my Blytheco, LLC marketing team knew the way to my heart by getting me the perfect Christmas gift. Not only is it a shoe, but it holds a bottle of wine. Who could ask for more! This along with a few other gifts from my friends at Blytheco

Poem Return

2011-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

My promise was to continue to write poetry everyday, and it has been challenging. I find that I'm figuring out ways for myself to be distracted from this mission and then feeling guilty about it. I can only give as much poetry as my creativity is willing to give me at this time. So I will continue to post them as they come, to share them with those of you who find comfort in reading what I

30 Days at Actual Size

2011-12-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

I have, for the past 30 days been without my comfort zone of high heeled shoes. I got in an accident and have been unable to wear the heels I would normally trot around in so proudly. It isn't just how the shoes have made me feel, but the fact that they have become a part of my persona. People know my by my shoes and the love I have for them. This week I had to go to a conference, and I was

Taking Time Away, to be Away

2011-10-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

This week, I had the pleasure of traveling to Estes Park, CO to a leadership retreat. I used to be a co-facilitator of these events with my good friend Ed Kless. What I didn't have was great Internet access, so I was unable to post my poem per day as originally planned. What I did gain was valuable insight by taking a few days to remove myself from the Blog, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook feeds.

Are you Empty or Full? Maybe None of the Above!

2011-09-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Why do we look at things in terms of extremes? "Are you either empty or full?", is a very either or way of thinking. Do we ever hit the point where we are satisfied? I think it is there that we find balance, if only briefly, in our worlds, but that balance isn't necessarily what we should be searching for. It is however part of the process. If we don't take time to enjoy the moments when we are

Resilience

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a situation in which you couldn't see how you were going to recover? If you find yourself there, are you the kind of person who is unable to find a resolution? What skills do you use during this time? Being resilient to me, whether it is in business or in life, (let's face it - for most of us our business is our life) is one of the strongest traits you can bring to the

Is Your Business Like an Old Bitter Woman?

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are times in our lives when we allow ourselves to become somewhat adjusted to our routine, and it becomes just that, a repeated way of looking and doing things. If you have ever been through a traumatic event, you may have felt that getting back to a routine was important and wanted. If you allow yourself to get to set in at any point in your life, tragedy or not, if you can't break out of

The 1st of Many

2011-09-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

If you read my last post you would know that I have vowed to write and post one poem per day from now until Valentines day for my step father who passed away on Valentines day, Raymond Valentine Hardin. Ray and I connected at first over music, and then once I learned about his passion for poetry and writing, I asked if he would give me assignments, like his students that he taught poetry to. Long

Finding Oneself in Balance

2011-09-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

In an ever changing environment we are all on the path to find out what we are meant to become. A poem I wrote several years ago maybe states it more clearly: _______________________ As we learn:Dreams are a mystical experimentation on what our life could be like. As we drift in and out of every rounded corner of our minds we sift through all the could-have-been’s and realize what we are. We

The Feeling of Being Inspired

2011-07-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had that feeling? That feeling like you are all set out to conquer the world and make something amazing happen? I haven't read all of The Secret, but from what I understand of the subject - when you are harnessing positive energy, others like you will surround you. The same can be true for negative energy and thoughts. Basically, birds of a feather flock together. Just as I am

Renewal

2011-07-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

It's no secret, I've completely abandon this blog over the past several months. It seems that I have allowed my work time to overflow and I've filled the void by writing articles for the Blytheco, LLC blog, think.blytheco.com. In preparation for #SageSummit, Sage's annual conference for partners and customers, I've been named an official blogger for the show. While I took that seriously, I didn't

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like and Viral Marketing

2010-09-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

I just read another article quoting the viral marketing geniuses of Proctor & Gamble and their widely successful Old Spice deodorant campaign. Seems that others are following in their footsteps by attempting some of the types of communication style that created this well known ad campaign. I don't think it was just using Isaiah Mustafa, although one of the recommendations from the article, How

Web Engagement: How to Sell on The Web

2010-09-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

I recently received a tweet leading me to this article on Web Engagement professing that what websites are doing today is giving you more sizzle and less meat . The author Gerry McGovern feels that websites need to develop more content and less campaigning to attract consumers. I honestly beg to differ just slightly with his opinion. Marketing is about engagement and finding new ways to have

Funny Tweet of Last Week - Marketing Process

2010-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tweet From @LinkedMedia last Friday "If U R driving traffic 2 landing page w/"miracle""free""top secret""never seen before" either hire a gd copywriter or unfollow us." I had to laugh because it is rather annoying to watch tweets and posts all day that say the same thing over and over again. In fact, for us marketing professionals it is quite concerning to be lumped in the same category with

This Season's Boots and Pricing on Value

2010-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

When I first started this blog I wrote an article about shoes I would not wear to Insights 2010. This article was actually a real focus on pricing models and how products are priced and the relative VALUE that is associated to a particular product based on the pricing. The boots featured in that article were very high, and had an equally high price tag. How does the price of something make you

Before the Season Ends

2010-09-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Don't forget my article on the best flip flops ever. I found that they are very well priced on Amazon. Just in case you want to get yourself a pair before flip-flop season is officially over. I am still wearing my pair and now considering another pair because they are just so wonderful and comfortable. This pair, shown on the side are going to be my next purchase because they are after all in

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

2010-07-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

I love what Old Spice is doing to increase and change their market share. In fact, The Cycle - PR Weekly US reports that brand change and awareness has contributed to 107% increase in sales. What is interesting about this is that it is not only about the commercials that everyone sees on T.V. but how YouTube has played a part in the successful continuation of the brand and awareness. With over

Have You Been Making a Lasting Impression?

2010-07-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

I have recently been wowed by a new magazine called deliver, a magazine for marketers. I received a FREE version of this magazine, no less, because I am in the business of marketing. What is interesting is that the magazine is dedicated to the somewhat lost art of direct mail. Reading this magazine I'm somewhat convinced now that because there are so many e-mail, twitter, facebook

The Best Flip Flops EVER!!!

2010-07-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Womens Olukai Ohana Sandals Black/Black 7 So I know that usually my blog is focused on business and customer related topics, but I have to side-step back to shoes every once-in-a-while. I recently purchased what I consider to be the best flip-flops I have ever tried on. OluKai "Amo-W" are wonderful, I just might have to purchase them in multiple colors. Thank you Nordstrom's for bringing them

Refreshing Your Own Leadership and Team Dynamics

2010-06-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Recently I've started a bi-monthly training session with the managers that report to me to focus in on leadership qualities and training. Essentially the thought process is to take time away from their daily grind so that they can focus on their own leadership, benefiting those that work with them and for them. Like you can imagine, taking this time together has been very transformative, not

An Interview with Ron Baker, KPI's, Pricing, and Customer Loyalty OH MY!

2010-06-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure of a phone interview with the delightful Ron Baker. For those of you who are not familiar with Baker you should check out the Verasage Institue of which Baker is the founder http://www.verasage.com/ ."Not to think like us, but to think with us" is the quote on the home page. Ron Baker is the author of several books focused on pricing methodologies, measuring what

Love What You Do - Find Your Destiny

2010-05-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

The world has changed the last few years. At least for me, it has. In one of my earlier posts I mention a commencement speech from Steve Jobs at Stanford in which he speaks about one of the best moments from his career was getting fired. I have to say that the same might be true for me. A 14 year Sagie (new term I've coined for former employees of Sage), I was still passionate about the business,

Your New Resume - Your Twitter Contacts - Brand Marketing

2010-05-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Is it conceivable to say that the new Gen Y and Gen X workforce will have a completely different style of finding and applying for work? Imagine the resume in the future, should you include the number of LinkedIn and Twitter contacts that you are affiliated with? When does your network that you bring with you start to be a part of what you bring to a company. If you think about it for many