Naden's Corner

Guy Kawasaki’s Ten Entrepreneurial Secrets

2009-07-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Are you an entrepreneur who is trying to establish and differentiate your business?

Or maybe you are a corporate executive looking to grow your business and cultivate motivated, successful employees?

In either scenario, you should drop everything NOW and read this fabulous article from Guy Kawasaki, author, consultant, and venture capitalist.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2258

Significant keys:
· Powerpoint: No more than 10 slides when making your pitch to VCs.

· Niche: Kawasaki has a unique approach to finding your personal value or your business’ value.

· Mission statements are dead: He says: “Define yourself by what you want to mean to consumers.”

This is good reading.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

Photo Source: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

Panera Bread: Escape from Grease Burgers

2009-07-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

The family and I recently had a pleasant experience at Panera Bread. Easily forgotten compared to Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, and Quiznos, Panera Bread could easily establish itself with a healthy, hearty menus of sandwiches, salads, and soups.

This chain, established in 1993 as the former Au Bon Pain Co., sits itself apart from the litany of ‘fast-food’ joints in the following ways:
· Healthy: a 2008 Health magazine study named Panera Bread America’s healthy fast food restaurant.
· Convenient: There are only a couple of Panera Bread location in my market (Austin, Texas), but there are over 1,266 throughout the US and Canada. A big win: Free Wi-fi makes Panera more of a hang-out place compared to like-minded competitors.
· Store layout: At the location I visited, the majority of the seating is purposely ‘away’ from the order, pick-up and drink stations. The usual commotion around those activities are a restaurant is pleasantly irrelevant at Panera Bread.

One area of concern: Despite the nice atmosphere and tasty food, I thought the portion size could have been a bit more generous.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Until next time,

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

US Soccer Plays at an Elite Level

2009-06-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

A silent few probably saw some of the best soccer played by a US team in a long time on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, the second half brought out a ferocious Brazilian side that was not to be denied the Confederations Cup for the 2nd year in a row.

The US lost 3-2 to the creative and ultra-talented Brazilians, but they displayed a team-first, cohesive effort that the US rarely displays on the international level.

Kudos to Bob Bradley and team for their:
Athleticism: They looked like the fitter team for most of the night, yet the Brazilians played smarter and more opportunistic soccer, especially in the 2nd stanza.

Execution: The Americans converted on their chances in the 1st half, but the 2nd half was devoid of scoring opportunities. Conversely, Brazil weaved through the US defense for many 2nd half chances.

Communication: To succeed against the Brazilians, a team must communicate relentlessly. The defense looked solid and tight, but Brazil got into a rhythm that wore the US side down as the night grow longer.

So I ask you?

Why do you or don’t you watch soccer, the world’s most popular sport? Let’s get a discussion going.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

Remember: You are the Message

2009-05-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am chewing through Roger Ailes' classic, 'You are the Message'. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's concerned about making an impact with their communication at work or home. Isn't that pretty much everyone?

Most importantly, I've learned the importance of being like able. This isn't being a 'Yes man'. You can have all the pedigree, experience, and skills in the world, but if you don't possess character, trust, and integrity your message will lose its appeal.

Ailes cites numerous examples of seasoned execs who fail to motivate, inspire, and drive results from the troops because they lack the like ability factor.

Pick up your copy of 'You are the Message' today.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

LaCoste: A Brand on the Rebound

2009-05-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

Moms are special. I truly believe that the job of 'Mom' is the toughest in the world. To celebrate the 'Mom' in our household, I bought my wife a nice shirt from the Lacoste store in the Domain shopping complex in Austin, Texas.

This wasn't such a remarkable event (except for the smile on my wife's face), yet my interaction with the friendly manager on duty, Mario, was extraordinary.

Mario and I started conversing about the Lacoste brand. I remember the Izod-Lacoste brand being 'front and center' in the mid-80s. Mario had me captivated as he told about his meetings with the Lacoste CEO in France, the rise and fall of the Lacoste brand, and their current path back to prominence. It appears that Lacoste is taking a very measured, cautious approach to growth -- something Starbucks should have embodied years ago. Lacoste won't fail because its supply outstrips its demand.

Lessons: Be interested in the passions of others - you never know what interesting stories and experience you'll hear. And don't forget about the greatness of Moms everywhere.

Good luck to Lacoste!

Happy Mother's Day

Dan Naden

Until next time,

Naden's Corner

Chick-Fil-A: Not your typical fast food experience

2009-03-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

My family and I visited the local Chick-Fil-A last weekend. I thought the visit was to be your routine, expected fast food stop: noisy, smelly, unfriendly, and impersonal.

Within two minutes of walking through the Chick-Fil-A doors, however, I knew this was to be a different time.

The wait staff behind the counter seemed genuinely interested to see us and take our order on a partly-cloudy Sunday afternoon. I’ve been to many fast food joints where the wait staff is either half-asleep or angry at the world.

Upon completion of our order, I was told by a friendly young lady, “grab a seat; we will bring your food to your table.” Huh? Did I hear that right? A fast food place was bringing food to my table?

The place was buzzing on this Sunday afternoon. It looked like many others had the same idea. My family and I settled into a cozy booth next to the window and watched the many other families enjoying themselves.

Within a few minutes, the same friendly young lady (her name was Reagan) brought our food to the table. What service!! During the course of our meal, she returned to our table at least 4 times to check in and say, “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

After a thoroughly enjoyable meal, I thanked this young lady for her hospitality. She responded with a phrase you just don’t hear too much anymore: “My pleasure.” Talk about refreshing.

This lady and the rest of the Chick-Fil-A staff could have been chosen to be grumpy, rude, and distant. It was special to see that they had taken the opposite approach. They were thrilled to serve the many guests with a smile. Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonald’s beware; there’s a new sheriff in town that really puts people first.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

HP’s Customer Service Scores Big

2009-03-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve owned a HP Laptop for a few years now. Outside of a few minor glitches, the laptop has worked like a charm; it’s been a true joy to create, solve problems, communicate, and analyze with my laptop’s assistance.

The other day, however, I thought this utopia was about to come crashing down. The left-hinge on my laptop had become seriously dislodged to the point where closing the laptop was not an option.

Losing my laptop for weeks at a time to be fixed was not something that I looked forward to for one second – not to mention the dollars that would come out of my wallet. This was going to be beyond a minor inconvenience. I browsed the HP site looking for a customer support phone number when I stumbled upon details on the very issue that plagued me – broken left hinge.

It turns out that a broken left hinge has been a MASSIVE problem for owners of my particular model of HP laptop. This was such a big issue that HP was offering free fixes for anyone affected. Are you serious?

I called the tech support number that was provided and spoke with a very nice, apologetic gentleman about this issue. Yes, it was true; this fix was to be resolved at no charge to the consumer. (Note: Never tear down someone from tech support; they’ve been beaten down relentlessly; give them a break and show some respect.)

Within 48 hours, I had received my shipment box from HP. I quickly packed my computer up and sent it back to HP. As I heard the FedEx truck speed away from my house, my expectations were that I would not see my computer again for at least 2 weeks.

Surprise! My computer arrived back at home in 3 days; and my issue was fixed.

Talk about exceeding my expectations. I’ll raise a big cheer for HP for turning a potentially huge catastrophe into something that I’ll tell my friends about for quite a long time.

Have you had a remarkable or 'not so remarkable' customer service experience? Share it with us.

Until next time,

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

Made to Stick: Read it and be changed

2009-02-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

A single businessman sits alone in a hotel bar when a beautiful woman approaches and offers him a drink. The two share conversation, laughs, and a few stories and then everything vanishes. This is the last thing the businessman remembers before….

He groggily wakes up in a bathtub fills with ice. Immediately in front of him next to the tub are a cell phone and a note. The note says in scribbled, bright red ink: ‘Don’t Move. Use this phone to call 911!’

The confused, disoriented businessman dials 911 explains the bathtub, note, and cellphone and asks the operator to help her make sense of all of this madness. The operator says: “Are you in a bathtub filled with ice? Is there a tube coming out of your back?” The businessman looks behind him to notice a cylinder protruding out of his back. A knifing pain shoots through this body. “Yes, there is a tube,” the businessman responds.

“I am sorry sir, but you’ve been drugged and a kidney has been removed from your body; I’ll have 911 on the scene immediately. Don’t move – just stay in the tub. This is the 10th call I’ve received like this in the past month.”

Have you heard this one before? This urban legend has been bouncing around for decades. First of all, this is not truth, but the power of its vivid imagery and ability to captivate is real.

The takeaway: Use stories to convince, persuade, and inform. Don’t just rely on statistics, disconnected anecdotes, or a laundry list of suggestions to be remembered.

Want more real-world examples of how to make ideas stick? Check out ‘Made to Stick’ by Dan and Chip Heath.

I just read it and it comes highly recommended.

Until next time,
Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

The Simplest Toy Instructions Ever

2009-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

I am all about simplicity. Simplicity in form AND function. Simplicity that's profound is even more captivating.

This simplicity is ever more rewarding when it comes in the form of instructions.

With Christmas still somewhat fresh in our minds, we may have come face-to-face with toy or digital electronics instructions. Collective groan emanates from the audiences; headaches appear.

We've all seen this scenario on TV or in the movies. Young kid excitedly opens up a toy only to realize that the fun won't commence until the toy is put together. The parent enters the scene and begins to construct the point of the child's affection.

Unfortunately, the toy's instructions are excruitangly painful and overdone. The focus of the instructions are on text, not clean, concise imagery and pictures. The parent works well into the night on the toy while the child sullenly falls asleep.

It wasn't this way in our household this past Christmas. We open the 'MULA Bead Roller Coaster' from IKEA, the brilliant store with marvelous products at every turn. I've marveled at the directness and understandability of the instructions.

Within minutes, our little boy was connecting with his new toy. Toy product manufacturers take note: keep it simple and you'll get more 'free' advertising like this!!

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

(Image credited to Ikea -- thanks.)

Be real and authentic with your voice

2008-12-22T12:29:00.001-08:00

OK, I stepped outside the box on this final ‘non-verbal’ tip. This tip is verbal, but extremely essential as you work towards effective communication.

We’ve all been there a thousand times.

You are mired in a company meeting or small group session and you mindlessly listen to someone opine about the new ‘can’t miss’ strategy for success.

The big problem: these talks are usually presented without flair, vocal intonation, and variety. I am not recommending that you tell those treasured jokes you’ve been holding onto for ages, but I am instructing that you ‘break out of corporate speak’ and provide memorable, remarkable information for your audience.

The people in the audience don’t want monotone. They desire stories and a voice tone that ebbs and flows like the rising tide.

Be real. Be authentic. Get your message across with an energy, variety, and believability that will have your audience saying: ‘I really liked that presentation. It was simple to follow and easy to remember’.

When you are constructing a talk for a large/small group session, answer this question:
How will my audience best be persuaded, informed, or motivated by what I communicate? Typically, you’ll find ‘the answer’ evolves around being confident, colorful, and engaging in all that you say and do.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Show them you care through your posture

2008-12-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so you’ve fully digested non-verbal communication step #1, eye contact. Now, it is time for #2.

Posture.

When talking to a group (whether in a small or large setting), it is essential that you ‘own’ the stage.

Much of this ‘ownership’ emanates from your ability to non-verbally communicate confidence, poise, and transparency.

Watch the great speakers and you’ll see no fear, doubt, and a posture that magnetizes. The shoulders are back, the body is relaxed, and there’s a slight lean towards the audience – the exact group you are trying to influence, persuade, or inform.

These learnings don’t just have to be put in place for large group presentations. In small one-on-one (seated) meetings, follow this posture prescription:

1. Don’t slump in your chair. It makes you look tired, disinterested, and unprofessional.
2. Uncross your arms and legs to communicate an open, connected message.
3. Keep your body facing the person(s) to whom you are speaking. Slightly turning your body away from the audience tells them that you aren’t important and you’ve rather be doing something else.

Owning the stage and sending off the right non-verbal message through your posture takes practice, yet its mastery will help you build better relationships, and tell a more convincing message.

Want more? Non-verbal tip #3 is right around the corner.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Non-verbal communication: Use it to your advantage

2008-11-28T12:47:00.000-08:00

Talk, talk, talk; all we do is talk, talk.

It is a treasure these days to engage with a true listener. Someone who is really listening and absorbing what you are saying. Not only are you able to truly connect with the person with whom you are speaking, but you’ll retain and remember more of what was actually said.

There’s another hidden bonus. If you listen well, you are also able to spot key non-verbal clues.

Here’s the first of 3 helpful hints to improve your non-verbal communication skills:

Eye contact:
Despite today’s hectic pace, it is essential that you keep eye contact with all of those with whom you are communicating. Nothing communicates trust, warmth, honesty, and interest more than eye contact.

Don’t go overboard. Eye contact should be consistent, yet you should not burn holes in the other person’s eye sockets. Make it natural. You will find that you are able to retain more of what is being communicating when you actually look at the person.

Conversely, if you find the other person not looking at you while you are speaking, consider a change in venue to remove the obvious distractions. Should you have this conversation in a conference room vs. a crowded hallway?

Maybe the person has many other topics on his or her mind. Politely ask the person if there is a better time to have a short conversation. The person will respect you for thinking of them and they’ll probably give you extra attention when the time comes for that special conversation.

Stay tuned for two more important non-verbal communication tips. Tell a friend about Naden’s Corner. When you do talk with them, please look them in the eye.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Use Metaphors to Make it Stick

2008-11-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

We all know that we live in a constantly-changing workplace.
Your job description may vary from week-to-week and from quarter-to-quarter.
You may have one boss today and another boss next month.
Your market’s ‘sweet-spot’ may morph and change within a moment’s notice.

It is expected that you deal and adapt with the changing environment, or you will flounder.

I wanted to direct everyone to a great article on dealing with job survival in today’s changing times.

The stellar part of this article is not just the content, but the approach that the author takes in using the ‘whitewater’ image in describing today’s chaotic times. I believe this metaphor is on target for today’s professional. Dealing with change and uncertainty will truly separate achievement from mediocrity. You can’t constantly fight the current (company reorganization, new boss, new assignments); you must look for the opportunity within all of the tumult.

Tell your story using metaphors to really make an impression and cause your message to stick with your audience. And don’t sweat change; there’s more of it coming.

Job Survival Advice: Don’t Fear the Whitewater
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2085

Until next time,

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

Becoming a better person (or leader) is a process not an event.

2008-11-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Final step: Becoming a better person (or leader) is a process not an event.

We’ve all been there. It is your company’s annual training event. Everyone parades into a room and talks about how our company can become more innovative or better team players. The ideas fly around like wildfire; team members are energized, engaged, and motivated, but then something happens – they leave the ‘training room’ and return to their normal, day-to-day responsibilities. The company’s excitement over innovation or team-building fades like a meteor passing through the night sky.

Don’t fall into this trap on a personal level. You won’t lose 20 pounds overnight. You may not quit smoking on the first try. You can’t become a better public speaker by watching a video. Learning to change behavior is a marathon not a sprint. Develop a long-term, sustainable, on-going plan to change a certain behavior; check in with others on your progress; celebrate the small successes along the way. Before you know it, you’ll be onto your next improvement area.

Don’t forget the book to read: Marshall Goldsmith’s: “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There.”

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Follow up with People to Get Better

2008-10-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Let’s say you are a project manager at work. You missed a few key technical components for a project mid-stream. You’ve heard it from your boss, your colleagues, even your dog. So what do you do?

1. Apologize to the team for your oversight. They’ll like you for it.

2. Tell each team member that you want to improve your understanding of the project’s technical components.

3. Map out a ‘touch point’ plan to ask each team member the following: “How am I doing with improving my technical understanding?”

4. Thank each team member for their generosity in helping you grow in your role. Ask them if there’s anything you can do for them. Try it; it works.

Next time: The Final step. The Process of Becoming a Leader

What Michael Dell and Lance Armstrong can teach us about change

2008-09-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

We marvel at the accomplishments of the finest ‘doers’ of our time. How about Lance Armstrong’s miraculous recovery from cancer to win perhaps the world’s most grueling event – the Tour De France (7 times)? Remember the start of Michael Dell’s brilliant, revolutionary direct to consumer business model for selling computers?

For both of these examples, there certainly was a level of comprehension or understanding that Lance and Michael endured on the way towards their unparallel success. Did Lance settle on just understanding what it would take to be a Tour De France champion – the timing, the nutrition, and the perseverance? Did Michael Dell just ‘relax’ when he drew out the plan to remove the middleman from the computer sales process? No and No.

Both individuals understood, comprehended, and then ACTED. Action is of paramount importance here. If Lance and Michael just thought about their dreams and goals and never acted, think of the dissatisfaction that they would feel.

Think about what you want. Map out a plan to get there and ACT on it.

Next time: Step 3: People Need Follow-up to Get Better

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

How to Change Behavior

2008-09-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

People don’t change because they are too busy. Change is difficult for most people. Whether it be changing a behavior at work, or improving as a husband and friend, people usually repel anything that isn’t ‘business as usual’.

I am reading a fantastic book right now, “What You Get Here, Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith. I couldn’t wait until its conclusion to share with you 4 ‘gems’. This is one of those books where you’ll need a notebook within arm’s length.

Goldsmith is on target when he claims that one of the biggest detractors from changing is ‘being busy’. Yes, we all have enough to do to fill our days. Work, kids, hobbies, and friends – the list is endless. But are you filling your days with that items that matter the most to you?

We must make ‘a change’ top of the list. If you want to learn the guitar, you MUST practice. You must push aside other ‘must dos’ and make guitar playing part of your normal routine. The other ‘busy stuff’ can’t be used as an excuse anymore. You’ve made a commitment to a change in behavior – learn to play the guitar – and you’ve placed it at the top of the list. It is as simple as that.

Stay tuned for Step 2: There is an Big Gulf between Understanding and Doing.

Until next time,

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

Wells Fargo helps give me back some of my day

2008-09-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Something happened on the way to the Wells Fargo ATM the other day. My ATM got smarter.

I would imagine most people withdraw the same amount of cash from their account on a somewhat regular basis. Whatever the amount ($50, $100, $150), you mindlessly move through the prompts until you have cash in hand.

The other day, however, I was frozen in my tracks at the ATM. No, Pamela Anderson didn’t drive by the bank; the user experience remembered me!! I was routinely clicking through the screens (PIN, account type, amount to withdraw, etc.) when I noticed a ‘recent withdrawals’ area on the left-hand portion of the screen.

There, conveniently within reach, was a list of the five most frequent transactions that I’ve made over the near future. They have essentially trimmed 6 clicks on the monitor down to 3.

After logging into with my PIN, I choose one of the ‘frequently used options’, click confirm and my cash is in hand.
Compare this to the old scenario:
--Log in
--Choose withdrawal/deposit
--Choose account
--Choose amount
--Confirm
--Receipt?
--Cash in hand

In today’s busy world, it is refreshing to see a company like Wells Fargo using technology to save time and make our lives easier. Those saved seconds add up to minutes and hours over a long period of time. Switching from Wells Fargo to another bank just got much tougher now.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Fuddrucker’s genius on display in the bathroom

2008-08-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever been to Fuddrucker’s, you know they are famous for tasty burgers and chicken sandwiches in a kid-friendly environment. The casual environment welcomes all comers. There’s no pretense/ego at a Fuddrucker’s. It is nice to dine at a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Being a parent, I notice ‘different’ things now. At a playground, I analyze how safe a slide is for my children. I’ll stare down somewhere who is driving too fast in our neighborhood. At a restaurant, I’ll hope and pray that they have a kid’s menu and coloring book to keep the youngsters occupied.

At a recent trip to Fuddrucker’s, they won me over as a kid-friendly establishment. As I was waiting for my cajun chicken sandwich, I ventured to the bathroom to wash my hands. Upon exiting the bathroom, I glanced down at the door and saw something remarkably brilliant. There, far below the reach of any adult, was a ‘kiddie handle’. My kids weren’t with me on this particular trip, but I would imagine they would have loved the kid-friendly touch. Perhaps I would have never rescued them out of that bathroom!! They would want to keep ‘testing’ the kiddie handle.

Many probably don’t even recognize this slight nuance. I will definitely remember this ‘slight touch’ and keep them in mind next time the family goes out to dine. Any place that makes my kids feel special is a winner in my book.

Does anyone have any memorable restaurant stories? Share with us.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

How NOT to get your house sold

2008-08-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

I was walking through our neighborhood the other day and saw a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of a house a few blocks away. This is nothing out of the ordinary as houses pop up for sale all of the time.

I was shocked, however, by the realtor signage that was ‘supposedly’ designed to draw in interested buyers.

The sign featured three different numbers (one listed twice) on the 2x4 foot sign.

===================
It looked like this:
For Sale:
Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for hot facts on this home.

Sizzling Home Agency
Sally Jones
xxx-xxx-xxxx

Sizzling Homes
xxx-xxx-xxxx

Sally Jones
xxx-xxx-xxxx
===================

If the goal is to get me to remember a phone number as I drive by, or stop and write a phone number down, I think this home has failed on all counts.

Why not just focus on one number and diminish the noise? Not only did the above sign provide ‘way’ too much information for a small sign, but it did nothing to distinguish the ‘most important’ phone number.

The goal is to convert browser to buyers for this property. Make it as easy (and straightforward) as possible to get an interested consumer in touch about this property.
One phone number is preferable.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

3 Tips to Getting your E-mails Read

2008-07-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

1. Keep it short and sweet. People don't want to read a dissertation. If you need to have a discussion, set a meeting, or make a phone call. It helps to read over the e-mail and see if there are parts you can remove. If in doubt, keep it brief. People are busy.

2. Make the subject line compelling. We get A TON of e-mail these days. People have very short attention spans and you need to really grab their attention to keep them focused. Whether it's an e-mail to a friend, colleague, boss, or prospective client, use language that would give them a compelling hint at why they should invest the time in YOUR e-mail, not the other hundreds that they have waiting in their in-box.

You receive an e-mail from your boss after a team meeting. Which e-mail are you more likely to open based on the subject line?
Good: The most important thing I learned in the meeting was….
Bad: Regarding the meeting we had last week….

3. Make it easy for them to take the next step. What are you trying to accomplish with your e-mail? Are you selling something? Are you informing a friend about golf round, movie night, or party? Venting to a co-worker?

Consider your end goal in mind with each e-mail you send. If you are pushing the recipient to click a link, then make that link the most visually-important element on the page. If you want your boss to consider a project idea for an upcoming meeting, convincingly set the stage for the meeting in the e-mail and then get out of your own way.

Good luck.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

A U2 Concert Video You'll Never Forget

2008-07-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

“All is quiet on New Year’s Day.”
“A world in white gets underway.”

These two phrases are immediately recognized by a large portion of this population. These are lyrics from U2’s classic song, “New Year’s Day”. Don’t they have like 15 songs that could be considered classics?

I had a chance to see and experience U2’s Concert Video at Austin’s Bob Bullock Museum; I highly recommend that you see this show.

Bono’s singing and audience interactions were a thing of legend; you truly felt him reach into your seat with the 3d effects. (Don’t be embarrassed about the overly large glasses.) Bono knows how to engage an audience and is certainly one of the leading music frontmen of all-time. Edge’s guitar playing rang, jangled and jammed throughout the packed Buenos Aires soccer stadium.

The Argentinean crowd throbbed and pulsed their way through the 80-minute set; U2 was visibly floored by the commitment and vocal harmonies of the thousands who saw this event live.

Austinites - Listen up!!
Here’s a link to the ‘colorful’ concert schedule from the museum’s site: http://www.localendar.com/public/tshm (You better hurry; this weekend looks like the last one for the show.) This is definitely a ‘can’t miss’ event.

U2 believes in what they do.
U2 is a true group (not a bunch of individuals).
U2 works hard each night to give its audience the very best.
We can learn from this in our personal and professional lives.

Until next time..

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

The Future of Advertising: Baseball Style

2008-07-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, under the surprisingly cool Central Texas summer night, I attended the Round Rock Express baseball night. The game was incredibly one-sided with Round Rock smashing the ball all around the beautiful surroundings. The cheers from the Express faithful were frequent throughout the 10-2 victory.

Nyle Maxwell, a local Central Texas car dealer, was a big advertiser on this night. They didn’t just throw their name on the outfield wall and expect results. Instead, they took a chance.

Walking into the stadium, you’ve were surrounded by some finely-shined vehicles from Maxwell’s inventory. You couldn’t miss the vehicles. They were strategically placed right near the fan entrance. SUVs, pickups, mid-size cars all got some prime-time exposure from the passers-by. I saw quite a few glances at the ‘sticker’ and more than a few comments like: “Honey, what do you think about this one?”

As the game progressed, Maxwell continued into strategy to get its name/brand on your mind; Maxwell raffled away 4 cars during the course of the game despite the fact that these cars weren’t ‘gems’. Between innings, the cars (old beat-up conversion vans and pick-ups from the 80s) were driven on the field complete with characters from ‘Saved by the Bell ’ and ‘the Breakfast Club’. Great storytelling -- not just blatant product placement.

The crowd laughed, cheered and had a blast as Maxwell received great exposure and established goodwill by giving away free stuff. And think: they could have just placed a newspaper or TV ad.

Until next time,
Dan Naden

Naden's Corner

How to Stay Competitive in Today’s Economy

2008-06-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

It takes an effort (a Herculean effort sometimes) to stay on top of the changing trends, breakthroughs, and happenings within your industry. This is a must-do, however, if you are to stay relevant as a ‘professional’ and continue to gain responsibilities, promotions, new assignments, and confidence.

One tip that I recommend is the ‘weekend brain dump’. As each week progresses, I run across 10, 15, sometimes 20 articles that I must read. I subscribe to ‘way too many’ Internet newsletters just for this reason. These articles could be interesting news stories, breakthrough trends in marketing, good press for our business, or just something that catches my eye.

I’ve created a folder in Outlook titled ‘PRINT’. When I find an article I like, I place it in the folder for ‘later reading’ rather than get distracted and dedicate 5-10 minutes to read the entire article. By the end of the week, I’ve placed a good number of relevant, timely, inspiring, and educational articles into the folder.

Before I leave for the weekend, I print off each article (Printer-friendly format and double-sided to save paper) for further investigation. When I can grab 5 or 10 minutes on the weekend, I’ll quickly grab an article and dive into the contents.

This technique helps me:

Stay focused at work

Stay up-to-date on my industry

Get fired up for the challenges of the new week

Try it – you just might like it.

Do you have a productivity tip that you'd like to share? Leave me a comment.

Until next time,

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

The Greatest Sport You'll Never Know

2008-06-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

They are some of the most finely conditioned athletes in the world. They glide, stop, sprint, hit, punch, lunge while trying to guide a small black disc past a heavily-padded goaltender.

This is not soccer or lacrosse, but hockey. Hockey's season, which stretches from October to June (isn't a 9-month season a little excessive?) just ended with Detroit snaring Lord Stanley's Cup.

Unless you live in the Northeast or Midwest, you'll hardly grow up following hockey. The NHL, however, has nearly 30 teams in such hockey strongholds (yeah, right) as Columbus, OH, Nashville, TN, and Tampa, FL. I watched most of the Stanley Cup final between Detroit and Pittsburgh yet the regular season did not register. I live in Austin, Texas (not exactly hockeytown, USA), but it is a city with a large number of northern transplants. Hockey's marketing push, however, is silent in this Central Texas town.

I think some regular season games are on NBC and Versus, although the days, times, and teams involved as a mystery to me.

My point is this: Hockey is an exciting, fast-paced and compelling sport, yet no one knows about it. There are a large number of hockey fans in Austin, Texas, but this audience gets ignored when it comes to marketing of the sport. How's hockey going to stay relevant in the next 10-15 years with this silent marketing push?

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner