Reflections from My Learning Journey

(Written on the plane from Dubai to Atlanta on Sunday, May 31st, 2015)

We now have one hour left in our almost 16-hour flight back home. The time was quite manageable because I had a plan: watch Downton Abbey until dinner, take a Benadryl at dinner, sleep for 7 hours, wake up, watch a movie, write in journal/read until breakfast, nap until landing. I’m getting the hang of these long flights now. The movie I watched was The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and I reminisced on the scenes and culture I had just experienced a few days before in Jaipur, Rajasthan -- India’s Pink City. Still in disbelief that I had actually seen those places with my own eyes.

During what I’m calling my Learning Journey to India, I was intentional about living each moment; experiencing each detail—from the frustrating Indian way of doing business, intense heat, dusty haze, chaotic traffic, roaming livestock, deplorable waste management system, pushy hawkers and sales people; to the endearing hotel and tour staff, rich colorful variety of saris, palatial opulence, incredible ancient craftsmanship, beautiful children, and delicious food. Every moment—be in it. I constantly convinced myself not to dismiss my irritation with the dynamics of my global consulting project to think about upcoming fun times touring with me sister; not to rush through to the grounds of the ancient palace to be back in the air conditioned car; not to miss the details of the craft mart wishing ahead to the elephant ride; not to miss the sights in the streets fumbling to see if my phone had wi-fi (which it usually didn’t). Just be in the moment, I reminded myself, because you won’t be here much longer. This time tomorrow you will be somewhere else, experiencing something else new.

And, I’m still in awe of those new experiences—all of them. India is like no place I’ve ever seen. As many have said before, it is a total assault on your senses. And I appreciate what my senses have sensed. That my hands touched and fed an elephant named Laylah, and felt the semi-precious stones in the walls of ancient palaces. That my arms hugged excited young Indian girls wanting to take pictures with my straw hat, and gave goodbye hugs to our sweet, endearing tour staff Nidhi, Ashish, Deepak, and Satya. That my feet walked the marble flooring of the Taj Mahal, and walked in forts where Indian kings once ruled. That my ears heard the intrusive, incessant honking of autos and bikes on chaotic city streets, and the voices of the most beautiful children, I dare say, in the world. That my taste buds reveled in every serving of masala, biryani, dosa, pani-pani, upma, uttapam, parantha, kulfi, and of course, fresh mango. That my soul felt the frustration at the unbalanced distribution of wealth, and felt the joy and laughter shared between my sister Jessica and me during a trip of a lifetime.

When preparing to leave, I was neither anxious to come back (though I was pining for central air conditioning by then), nor wishing to stay longer. I was content with whatever stage of the journey I was in; and ready for whatever step comes next. Now that I’m back, if I didn’t have the pictures and the memories to chronicle it, I would think that I had dreamt it all. As my birthday season approaches, it is no secret that my annual month-long celebration of life has begun; this year it began a few weeks early. What a gift to myself—to live these moments; all of them fully—the challenges and the joys. My gift to you—I’ll join you in doing the same.

Namaste,

Kimberlee

Here is a link to the online photo album.  

Run the slideshow with captions to follow along the journey.

What is Your Single Knowledge Statement?

The late great Richard Feynman is a Nobel Peace Prize winning physicist. In his famous Lectures on Physics, he presented this interesting thought “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?”

Seed magazine posed a similar question to a number of leading thinkers asking for a single statement of knowledge gained from their work aimed at changing everyone’s thinking about the world. The respondents gave poignant answers about physics, cultural evolution, and sustaining the biosphere (read article here).

This has greatly intrigued me. We’ve all gained a wealth of lessons working in our varying fields as businesspersons, writers, teachers, economists, pastors, administrators, medical providers, psychologists, computer engineers, and such. Lessons which are valuable to the next generations. So, I pose this question to you:

If you had to boil those lessons into ONE single statement to pass on to others, summarizing the most vital lesson you’ve drawn from your work, what would be your one Single Knowledge Statement?

Think about it and share it here. I’m working on mine…

Nice Try!

We made through another month. I hope you were able to start your "Things I Want to Try" list. And, I hope you were able to try at least one new thing; even if the one thing didn't turn out to be what you originally intended. That was the case with me, and I celebrate what I accomplished.

Also, congrats to Pat D. who tried a new healthier eating regimen and attitude. She has successfully lost a few inches and, hopefully, a few stressors.

NICE TRY EVERYONE!! 

What Have You Tried So Far?

We are approaching the middle of the month and I confess that I haven't made much progress on the things I said I wanted to try from my last post. However, I have added something else to my list of "Things I Want to Try" -- Try being a better blogger and increase my blogging frequency.

The benefits of blogging continue to be proven time and time again for businesses of all sizes. I even took an online class to refresh my knowledge of and gain new best practices on blogging for the occasional blogger or even the novice. Here are a few:

- Produce content that has value.

The bottom line is that a blog is a value-creation tool for your readers or customers. Give them content that is useful.

- Keep your blog layout uncluttered and functional.

Don't over-complicate the layout. Two-column blogs are the most common with a header and sidebar. In addition to branding information, leverage the header with navigation buttons like "Contact Us" or "How to Subscribe".

- Always address commenters by first name.

When responding to a comment, keep the personal touch by using the person's first name.

- Don't start blogging if you can't blog regularly.

The worst thing you can do is start blogging and fail to maintain it.

(I'm telling on myself now. If you look back at the dates of my blog posts, you can see that I am guilty of that; but I'm changing that THIS MONTH.)

So, while I've not yet done what I initially said I was going to try; I am succeeding at trying something new. What have you tried this month?

________________

Want to take the online course "How to Blog Effectively for Business" with professors Ann Handley and Mark Collier? Check out the video below.

How to Blog Effectively for Business (GF101)

Commit to Try

I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.
Nikki Giovanni





(I sent this message to the Executive Committee of my college alumnae association and wanted to share it here, as well.)

As we begin the second month of this new year I hope you have already logged many things into your journal of “Things to be Thankful For”. This month, I encourage you to take some time to create another journal—a “Things I Want to Try” journal. We all have them—things we’ve always wanted to do, or try to do, but haven’t quite gotten to them yet. Let’s commit to starting at least one of those things in February—start learning a new language, volunteer to work on a political campaign, write a page of a book, take one dance lesson, sign up for one cooking class... I know we are all SUPER busy, so just commit to try.


What is your one thing you will try in February?


Here are 2 of mine:
- actively participate in the fundraising efforts for my upcoming 20-year class Reunion
- practice with Spanish language audio 20-mins 1x/week

Four Singing Penguins...

Today is the fourth day of Christmas. According to the popular English Christmas carol "Twelve Days of Christmas", the gift recipient would be receiving four colly birds. [Yes, colly birds, not calling birds, as is commonly sung]. Colly birds are European blackbirds (or crows), which were a delicacy in Medieval times. Not so today. Can you imagine someone offering you a gift of crows? So, I am giving myself permission to re-write the verse--instead of colly birds... singing penguins (smile).

As we approach a new year I am also giving myself permission to re-write other things that need to be changed, or at least updated--like the way I prioritize, reviewing our client base, updating my skill set, refreshing my perspective on down-time.

Give yourself permission to re-write some things in the new year too. Consider these as a start:
- review your business practices to ensure they are serving your company efficiently
- revisit your existing commitments and if they are the best use of your time and resources
- refresh your ways of communication (ex. practice active listening, or allow yourself a "cooling off" period before responding verbally or via email to situation, or work toward conveying your ideas more clearly)
- re-visit your time budget to allow time to volunteer or serve as a mentor

Go ahead, re-write your own lyrics, sing a new song. All together now... four singing penguins, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.

We Appreciate You!

The team at KAI Strategic Marketing Group is truly thankful for our relationship with you. What an incredible journey we’ve had together—full of positive change and growth experiences. We expect even more growth this upcoming year as we make more
positive changes.

Beginning in 2012 KAI will no longer be providing strategic marketing services to small and mid-sized companies. We will begin shifting our target to corporate marketing management and implementation. We will, however, continue to provide valuable informational marketing resources through our online presence; so please stay connected to us.

It has truly been an honor to serve you and work with you, and we wish you all the best as you continue to thrive. The future is going to be awesome for all of us!

Christmas and New Year’s Campaign Checklist

With Christmas being just a few days away we wanted to give you a final quick checklist for your holiday campaigns:

• Create and post messages to your social media accounts that not only promote your products/services, but spread well-wishes to your clients
• Send Christmas cards by Monday, Dec 20th or Happy New Year cards by Monday, Dec 27th to selected valued customers
• Send a Happy New Year email blast to your entire database on Wednesday, Dec. 29th
• Give a small token to your vendors whom you can't live without - mail carrier, print shop specialist, coffeeshop barista by Friday, Dec. 24th
• Make a donation to a charity in the name of your clients and send a notice telling them what you did. It's a very meaningful gift that you can give anytime.

Marketing Quick Tip
If you are running a holiday sale or special promotion, in addition to adding it to your social media sites, be sure to add a short, descriptive "buzz" sentence about it to your company email signature, voicemail message, and invoices.

And, remember, to take a breath and enjoy the special moments that the holidays bring.

It's Time to Deck the Halls (re-visited)

(This is re-post from last year. The tips are still fresh and valuable.)

Well, as Halloween comes and goes, stores are already putting out Christmas decorations. Yes, it's hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner. And, if you haven't already started planning your holiday marketing campaign, now is the time.


But, before you run out and deck the halls with marketing messages remember: holiday campaigns must be integrated with your overall marketing strategy. They must have clear goals, objectives, target audience, and must stay consistent with your overall brand promise. A focused plan can help your company generate sales, increase awareness about your product/service, and show appreciation to your existing customers, employees and partners.


If your campaign will rely on heavy email-marketing, the right time to start will depend on what product or service you are offering, to whom, and when they are likely to buy it. Restaurants may want to begin now in promoting holiday parties and gift cards, while last-minute gift retailers should wait until the beginning of December. Internet marketing expert Paula Skaper encourages that your email campaigns allow enough time for readers to receive the promotion, respond and receive delivery of their products/services on time for Christmas (click here for full article).

In her article 10 Tips for Designing Your Holiday Email Campaign, Karen Scharf further suggests to segment your merchandise and mailing lists to make shopping easier, such as Gifts for Men, Gifts for Children, etc. Or if you are a service-based company, segment by market--Specials for Retailers, Specials for B2B Companies. "There is so much competition for the in basket at this time of year, don't waste your customers' time with promotions that are irrelevant to their shopping habits."

Because I'm big on the personal touch, consider investing in a small postage budget and mail a gift card or coupon to selected loyal clients and customers. It's a good way to say "thank you" and generate business.

Bottom line: start planning now for happy holidays. Waiting until Thanksgiving will be a little late and will have you and your team scrambling at the last minute--and there is nothing happy about that.

Click here for more holiday marketing tips.

On the Personal Side: Commit NOT to Over-Commit

(On The Personal Side are rare personal entries by the owner of this business journal blog. We hope the insights here have value for your life.)

Well, this week marks two months since my surgery that I was so excited about having. What was supposed to be a 5-day recovery turned out to be a 2-month ordeal of complications and after-effects (some very serious). So much so that one of my doctor friends said that if I had gone through this 20 years ago, I would not have made it. While I didn’t know the medical implications, I did know that the combination of infection, fibroids tumors breaking down, dehydration, menstruation, vomiting, and excruciating pain was horrible.

So, I am certainly grateful for the miracles of modern medicine, but I know that it was the effectual prayers of the righteous that truly availed much on my behalf (James 5:16b). Now, my infection is cleared, blood pressure is great, hemoglobin levels are good, food is staying down, and pain is manageable—all opposites of where I was 3 weeks ago. I continue to work on my stamina. I still get tired easily, especially while talking. So, thank you for your patience with me if I’ve not yet responded to your caring phone calls. I do check all of my messages and soooo appreciate them. I also check my email and respond to those a little quicker. I love, love, love, love, love all of you so much.

I am starting light duty this week with the expectation that I will be strong enough to return to normal duty the 1st week of November… But, a word about that “returning to normal duty”--I learned something during this journey back to health.

While my healing process has been a painful and draining one, it’s not been all bad. I’ve seen many good movies, read good books, experienced my husband as a good caretaker, enjoyed my dog, seen my parents twice (to help take care of me, my good caretaker husband, and my dog), re-discovered my love for old-fashioned letter writing, and learned Il bel far niente--the beauty of doing nothing (as taken from the lesson learned in Italy by Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love—one of the good books I read.)

There were so many days that all I could do was stare at the sky that I began to appreciate the value of doing so—(I mean doing so when I am not in excruciating pain and on heavy, street-value drugs). That’s something I rarely ever allow myself to do. Between working 14+ hour days with various large and small clients; and maintaining a house, healthy marriage, and an over-active dog, taking/making downtime was a luxury I couldn’t afford. So, during the last 2 months, in between doses of medicine and all the after-effects that I mentioned, I had a few days that I felt well enough to do nothing but read a few pages of a book without the weight of all my other responsibilities, and I liked it.

Excited about my new Il bel far niente discovery, I sent my friend Melanie a text message to tell her. She kindly noted that I actually wasn’t doing nothing, because I was reading the book and texting her. So, OK, maybe doing nothing is a stretch, but the art of doing less-things-than-I-normally-do is what I am seeking. Or, as my other friend Kay said, “maybe just try to do two things, instead of your normal 20.”

I think that is doable. Strangely, it helps that right now two things is about all I can manage; but I do expect to gradually restore my stamina back to a normal level and I want to be intentional about not restoring my activity to a normal level. I confess it was a bit much, even for me. I also confess that, while it sounds noble to lighten my load, I know it won’t be easy. It means making some hard and sometimes unpopular choices. But I’ve got to do it—for my health, for my sanity, and for my longevity.

So, I’m making a commitment NOT TO OVER-COMMIT, and I’m asking all of you to help hold me accountable. What do you need to commit to?

New Season, New Look

In honor of our favorite season, we are springing forward with a new logo. This new look dones a natural color palette, and organic feel, which parallels our strategic and creative process. Our marketing process is flexible and natural, which helps us develop unique marketing tactics for our clients that fit together into a unified, organic whole.

Let us know what you think...

News from the KAI Team

Committed to its mission of pursuing excellence, thinking bigger, reaching father and being more, KAI has great news to share:

New public relations intern Laura Allen is a graduating senior, English major from Spelman College. A native of New York, Laura is interested in a full-time career in public relations.

New project manager Art Bower has extensive experience in marketing communications, strategic planning and marketing program integration. He has led account service departments at multi-national advertising agencies, served as president of the American Advertising Federation-Houston, and been a media spokesperson.

Our president Kimberlee Scott has been selected to join a team focused on a new initiative with Grady Health System that will work to increase the awareness of eight neighborhood health centers in the community. Kimberlee will use her skills in needs assessment, public relations and community outreach to help reach specific measurable goals of the 1-year+ grant-funded initiative.

Let us know what's new with you...

The Personal Touch

Here at KAI, we believe that the personal touch is one of the most important factors in strategic marketing. We encourage our clients to develop genuine relationships with their customers. This month, we want to focus on relationship wellness and explore ways that you can maintain healthy relationships with your clients, business partners and target audiences in ways that will make you noticeable and favorable.

Personal gestures do not have to be elaborate and extraordinary feats. In fact, the simplest ideas are usually the most effective and genuine ways to improve relationships with those who interact with your business. For example, periodic phone calls and face to face visits will surely stand out in this technology-driven era. E-mail is certainly a wonderful tool to use but never underestimate the power of your voice and your presence.

Another great way to maintain healthy relationships is to consider your clients, business partners and target audiences around holiday seasons. Though it is tempting to only consider this option during the fourth quarter with your annual holiday campaigns, you will certainly make a lasting impression if you consider other holidays like Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Also, sending a card or a small gift to one of your business partners on their business anniversary will certainly improve rapport.

Do some research on national and personal holidays and observances that relate to your clients and target audience, and build ideas from there. When others know that you have their business in mind, they will certainly keep yours in mind. This can only lead to a prosperous and healthy business relationship!

Just Say "NO"!

As January draws to a close, most businesses have begun diving into their strategic marketing plan. While these new plans can bring much excitement and motivation to move quickly, it is important to consider your approach carefully. A big part of keeping yourself and your businesses healthy, is knowing when to say “no” to requests and projects that you know you will not be able to handle.

Saying “no” can certainly be a difficult task, especially when we truly desire to do the task. However, proper assessment of your company’s resources and the task being asked of you will make you more confident about your decision if you have to say no. Here are a few strategic tips to ensure the process goes smoothly:

1.) Think of what you can do first. Although you may not able to take on the full project, there may be a smaller set of tasks that you can assist with.

2.) Be firm. Whether you have to say no to all or some of the project, stand solid on your answer. Let your clients know that you have thoroughly considered all of your company's time and resources, but you will not be able to committ at this time.

3.) Direct clients toward additional resources to help them accomplish their goals. This will help continue to position you as their problem solver.

4.) Follow up. Make a note to check on their progress within a few weeks. Reiterate that you care about their success and that they can still depend on you.

Let's face it, no one wants to send business away, but sometimes it could actually be better for your bottom line. And, while it may be a temporary inconvenience for your clients, in the end they will appreciate your honesty and desire to see them succeed. They should not hesitate to request your services the next time.

New Ideas for the New Year

With 2010 less than two weeks away, many companies are shifting their focus to plans on how they can be bigger and better for the next year. This may involve the introduction of new ideas, new products, new services and most importantly, new brands. During all of the exciting planning sessions filled with innovative ideas that you have probably had in mind for awhile, don’t forget to inform your customers and target audience of your changes.

Imagine getting ready to order your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant only to find that it is not there anymore. Or even worse, if you were to walk into your favorite store and everything has been rearranged. You would probably feel frustrated and a little out of the loop. Basically, people are not excited over changes unless they are informed about the change and how it benefits them. This idea certainly carries over into the business world. The reputation that your company has with the public should be one of the most treasured relationships of your business. Informing them of company changes is essential to your marketing strategy. If implemented correctly, your customers and target audience will feel that they are of great value to your company, which they should be.

If changes are ongoing, be sure to update them on progress through newsletters and blogs. If there is a major change, press releases are great ways to communicate the details and show how the changes will benefit customers just as much as they benefit the business. Often times, companies may choose to remove a product or service to make room for improvements. Make sure that that customers are aware of this removal while simultaneously informing them about how great the new products and services may benefit them.

Before you begin to inform customers about changes, make sure you have done some reflecting and solid assessing of the past year. Business strategist, Rick Meekins offers four great suggestions on how to approach the New Year:

1. Start with thinking about what you are thankful for.
2. Look at what you planned to accomplish last year versus what happened last year. This will help you to be able to make a good assessment.
3. Use the results as a baseline to start planning. Spend the next month or so collecting and writing down thoughts and ideas for the next year such as; where you’d like to speak, who you'd like to meet, new services or partnerships, etc.
4. Next, do a business assessment. This will include a SWOT analysis, a competitive analysis and a gap analysis. You need to know where your business sits and what changes or additions you must make.

Adhering to these suggestions will help you gain the confidence and motivation you need to discuss your new plans with business partners and customers alike. To read more on Rick Meekin’s New Year suggestions, be sure to visit his blog at:

http://www.aepiphanni.com/Stroke_of_Brilliance/Stroke_of_Brilliance_1109.aspx

So as you enter the New Year, be sure to spend the right amount of time on yourself, your business, and continue keep your customers informed. After all they are the ones that help to drive your business and your brand!

Give your small business a gift for the new year!

Purchase a marketing service package from our new KAI Express Menu for Small Businesses, starting as low as $225, for a limited time only.

Call us today to schedule your Discovery Session, and click here to see your menu choices!

It's Time to Deck the Halls

Well, it is still the beginning of Fall, and stores are already putting out Christmas decorations. Yes, it's hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner. And, if you haven't already started planning your holiday marketing campaign, now is the time.


But, before you run out and deck the halls with marketing messages remember: holiday campaigns must be integrated with your overall marketing strategy. They must have clear goals, objectives, target audience, and must stay consistent with your overall brand promise. A focused plan can help your company generate sales, increase awareness about your product/service, and show appreciation to your existing customers, employees and partners.


If your campaign will rely on heavy email-marketing, the right time to start will depend on what product or service you are offering, to whom, and when they are likely to buy it. Restaurants may want to begin now in promoting holiday parties and gift cards, while last-minute gift retailers should wait until the beginning of December. Internet marketing expert Paula Skaper encourages that your email campaigns allow enough time for readers to receive the promotion, respond and receive delivery of their products/serivces on time for Christmas (click here for full article).

In her article 10 Tips for Designing Your Holiday Email Campaign, Karen Scharf further suggests to segment your merchandise and mailing lists to make shopping easier, such as Gifts for Men, Gifts for Children, etc. Or if you are a service-based company, segment by market--Specials for Retailers, Specials for B2B Companies. "There is so much competition for the in basket at this time of year, don't waste your customers' time with promotions that are irrelevant to their shopping habits."

Because I'm big on the personal touch, consider investing in a small postage budget and mail a gift card or coupon to selected loyal clients and customers. It's a good way to say "thank you" and generate business.

Bottom line: start planning now for happy holidays. Waiting until Thanksgiving will be a little late and will have you and your team scrambling at the last minute--and there is nothing happy about that.

Click here for more holiday marketing tips.

New Name, New Services, Same Great Company

KAI Marketing.Advertising.Consulting is now KAI Strategic Marketing Group.

As our company directs its focus toward corporate strategic marketing, we are changing our company name to reflect this direction. But, our committment to excellent, personalized service remains the same.

Click here for full press release: http://www.prlog.org/10364516-kai-strategic-marketing-group-launches-new-name-new-service-and-new-direction.html

What Do You Need to Get Back to?

Well, it seems hard to believe that students have already headed back to school. For many of us, "back to school" also means back to full time hours at the office, back to carpools, back to helping with homework, back to weekly or monthly community/organizational meetings, and back to daily treks as the home taxi service. To be sure, summertime offers many of us a quasi-break from some of the hustle and bustle of regular life, but if you are a business owner, you probably didn't get much of a break at all, leaving you to feel a bit tired and deflated. So, let's look at this season as a time to get back to doing some of the things that keep you motivated - listening to a positive recording once a week, reading 10 minutes of a leadership book every day, committing 1 hour/week to enriching or strengthening your skill sets, spending 1 hour/month with one of your mentors. Staying motivated is a key to staying in business. So, what do you need to get back to?

To Blog or Not to Blog? That is the Question.

Have you been wondering whether or not to blog?

Internet marketer Daniela Koutlis offers the following benefits for creating a business blog:

1. Increases your company's online presence. Search engines scan a blog quicker than a whole website.
2. Increases your credibility with potential clients. The more you write about your products and services, or industry-related subjects, the more you appear to be an expert in your field.
3. Creates a bridge between you and your customers. Customers are able to post comments or opinions about the topics your company has written, thus building an online community.
4. Allows for up-to-date information. You can communicate new information to your community of customers and partners immediately.
5. It's easy to get started. Blogging software is relatively easy to navigate on your own, and if you get stuck, there are many online forums to assist you.

What's the catch? Maintaining the blog can present a challenge to already-busy business owners. Therefore, here are a few tips to help you become a successful blogger:

1. Set an initial blog schedule that you can manage, such as once every other week, then work toward increasing the frequency.
2. Don't feel like you have to write a dissertation. Keep it short and simple, while providing value to your community.
3. Enlist your team members to assist with providing content.

Read the entire article by Daniela Koutlis at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Reasons-to-Create-a-Blog-For-Your-Business!&id=2696273