giganova marketing

If the thinking cap fits…

michelle — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:18:52 +0000

: If the thinking cap fits you can navigate your dreams!

I consider myself a very lucky bunny – I recently spent a whole day in a workshop with Dr Edward de Bono at the Mind and its Potential Master Class. I was looking forward to the experience the whole week like a kid on an overdose of Fanta Orange!

I put on my hat of many colours, only to be reminded that I can only wear one hat at once. The man created creativity and I was not to be disappointed. Although it was obvious that King Creative had given this Master Class more times than I had washed my hair, it was still fascinating to be in the same room as a man who has influenced the thinking of so many world class corporations and individuals. They even use the six hats at LG’s* school which explains why he can usually out think me.

One of the many things I took home with me, besides a cool bright orange goodie bag, was the fact that countless ground breaking ideas start with what is often considered to be an “impossible” idea or PO (provocative operation) as de Bono calls it.

PO means that nothing is too incredible, unattainable or absurd – it means that the thought that pops into your head as a starting point when brainstorming ideas may be worthy of more than an embarrased laugh and a dash for a strong cuppa. In fact a PO ‘idea’ may be the start of something very beautiful.

So next time you make a seemingly crazy suggestion, stand by your PO. You never know where you PO may go!

Have an absurdly creative week!

Michelle

* LG = my son, the Little Genius

Homework

michelle — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:43:42 +0000

My son HATES homework. He is sitting in front of me now, making noises from another realm, bemoaning his lowly status as a schoolboy needing to complete some vague mathematical equation that in my day would have required at least an abacus!

Although I know just how he feels, I won’t admit to him that I too have ‘homework’ that I abhor. Invoicing send shivers down my spine, keeping track of expenses only results in a growing pile of paper that could rival that Tower in Pisa and don’t even mention BAS time – at least that I have decided to outsource!

Despite my ‘hidden’ empathy, I still urge him on like a jockey riding a tiring racehorse (minus the whip, I promise). Although I am faced with daily angst, heavy breathing (I kid you not) and, at times, tears trawling their way down his face, I know he has a great sense of satisfaction having completed the dreaded task.

In business we too are faced with the dreaded homework each day. We can choose to let the piles pile high until they tumble to their proverbial deaths or we can ‘just do it’ (apologies Nike – or not).

What did you put off today? Grab it, shake it, mould it or create it – whatever is required to get it off your desk and in the ‘done’ basket. You’ll be so glad you did.

Sleeping in one’s own bed is underrated

michelle — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 07:39:17 +0000

I spent the last week in hospital. Not that I am looking for any major sympathy, but my goodness – you don’t know real pain until the mega morphine doses readily injected into your IV feel like a tickle on your baby toe!

Sleeping in one's own bed is underrated!

I’m out now, a few kilos lighter (sorry Tony Ferguson – can’t attribute this to you!) and about to pen a letter. Yup, a good old fashioned letter, to Katrina the nurse who was my Lady in Lace (hint: rhymes with saving grace).

An eight hour stint in Emergency and much to my horror I landed up in the PUBLIC hospital. THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL! Should I repeat it for good measure? With my HCF card winking at me from the corner of my wallet I was very tempted to cry ‘PRIVATE’.

What a major bowl-over heart-smacking surprise. The nurses were amazing, the food (when I finally was allowed to sample the faire) teased my nostrils with delight, attention to detail would have made Dr Sheldon Cooper* cry with joy and the view of the helipad, well… it was a view!

After five days my specialist kindly suggested a stint in the Private to recuperate. Mistake number one – believe the hype. Mistake number two – say ‘yes’. Gone was the cheery first name greeting, gone was the care, pride and obvious commitment to making me whole again. I was just a number which equated to room 610 with a credit card. Good news – I recuperated quickly.

The message that blasted me clearly in my medicine induced haze was that:

1) not all brands are created equal

2) don’t be sucked into the hype – it may just be good packaging

3) it’s the small things that make the differenceSleeping in one’s own bed is underrated!

4) a smile is worth a thousand private rooms

5) dedication to the art is a necessity.

Here’s to your health and mine and a hefty dose of realism.

Michelle

* From Big Bang Theory for those of you who have not yet lived. Knock, knock, knock, Penny

Deleting is an art form

michelle — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 01:56:28 +0000

Deletion can cause pain

This weekend I helped coordinate a writing retreat. Nineteen eager writers drove the two hours (or three in the afternoon traffic) to Bowral to unpeel their vulnerability. They wrote, rewrote, sacrificed, broke down and rebuilt again. It was a spiritual experience, not just because we were staying in a convent, but watching the participants slowly surrendering to the process was tender and humbling. Now before you jump to conclusions about my writing prowess, I was not facilitating the retreat. That I left to my friend and author, Joanne Fedler.

To say she was magnificent would be a lie – she was more than that. The participants hung on her every word, they could taste her success, her passion and her enthusiasm and they wanted it too. The one session that caused the skin to crawl, the tears to flow and the wails to reverberate through the deep stone halls was that on ‘deletion’. Creating is easy – writing reams is child’s play. Ask someone to then do the nasty with a black texta and the light goes out behind one’s eyes. Deleting is a discipline, it’s an art form, as is painting or sculpture. We fear deletion as we fear losing our iPhones!

In business, deletion is our friend. It is deletion that ensures that our sales pitches are concise and to the point. It is deletion that means that our presentations are crisp and don’t leave your audience hiding their sleepy dribble as it drips from the corner of their mouths. Embrace the space, delete with joy and generosity. Simple, concise, to the point.

With short, precise words and wishes to you all .

Michelle

To commit to a great writing retreat visit www.joannefedler.com

Crisp sheets to you too

michelle — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:30:06 +0000

It rained today. Not something that is unusual on a Sunday afternoon in August. I should have seen it coming – the black clouds, winds sweeping in with a couple of seagulls battling to stay horizontal. Yup, should have seen the signs. But, I did nothing. Not a thing about the crisp, clean, sweet smelling sheets on the revolving line.

So it goes without saying that I shouldn’t have been surprised when the crisp, clean, sweet smelling sheets became wet, soggy smelling lumps clinging for life as the wind whipped them like bad egg whites.

My apartment now looks like a laundry and the heater is on an environmentally unfriendly maximum whoosh.

My evening with the first showing of Underbelly Razor could have been so different. It’s the same with business. One day your proverbial line is swinging merrily in the sea breeze only to be knocked sideways by an unexpected (or not) thunderstorm. It’s the plans that you have in place that help you weather that storm and come up smelling crisp and clean.

Wishing you clean sheets for the rest of the week and beyond.

Michelle

Wise boy

michelle — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:40:00 +0000

Sitting here guiltily contemplating my empty blog space. The American debt crisis couldn’t have come at a ‘better’ time as nine year old LG calmly comments that, “Obama should have better budgeting skills “. Wise boy. My son is giving Barak Obama a run for his money.

Budgeting is probably one of the most challenging aspects of owning a small business. And while I am tempted to throw money at the problem and outsource, I believe that sound fiscal discipline (shock horror) is an education best conquered early on.

Call me naive, but I thinks it’s pretty simple, in fact even a nine year old can understand the concept – only spend what you can pay back. Leave the printing of money to Hasbro and only buy what you need. That nuclear warhead shining brightly on the shelves of Aldi will not help you achieve your short term goals of market domination and the latest iPhone 4 (although mighty fine) may not be the best option if you’re tightening your business belt.

Best bet of the week is not at Randwick – slim down, cut back and pass “go”, albeit in a less shiny Mercedes. You may only collect $100 this time, but at least you’ll be able to afford to get out of jail free. Oh and Mr Obama, take the LG’s advice or next time you may just get an A.

Food = love, so more food = more love

michelle — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:03:06 +0000

A few hours ago I put a link up on my blog to the UNICEF East Africa appeal. There are thousands of charities out there, all pledging to save the world, its trees, its children and its refugees. So, why UNICEF and why now?

I am African. I was born in Zimbabwe, raised in South Africa. I then became one of the many deserters who couldn’t reconcile their futures in a country where violence is as rife as the common cold. But, one of the many things I remember about Africa, besides the crickets lulling me into a gentle slumber, the amazing life force of its people and the love of music of all sorts is the heartbreaking famine in Ethiopia. When my parents said, “There are starving children in Ethiopia who are dying for that last carrot”, they weren’t joking.

According to David Baker at The Australia Institute we throw away $5.2 billion worth of food each year. That’s the Gross Domestic Product of some countries I’ve visited! Being Jewish, I have always been surrounded by food. We believe that food = love, so more food = more love. It makes sense that we have an obligation to shower these children (and their parents) with as much love as we can.

How many emails and letters of request do you get each day from charities desperate for your help – please donate this, please send that? Annoying? Yeh, but not as annoying as a gaggle of malaria-injecting mosquitoes or that nagging thirst after two days without clean water.

Now, I am not going to ‘stand’ here and preach that you must donate your month’s salary to the kids in Somalia, or your savings to save the forests of the Amazon. All I am asking is that you spread the word that the world needs our help and we have the power to make a difference, however small (your monthly salary would of course help!).

Apologies to those who were expecting my usual humorous banter, but I am in the mood to save the world tonight.

Peace, freedom, food, love and clean water to you all

Michelle

PS I am working for two charities who are looking for sponsorship – feel free to be generous if you can. You know how to contact me.

Please help

michelle — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:39:53 +0000

Not all doors are created equal!

michelle — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 01:01:25 +0000

Not all doors are created equal!

Yesterday I sat down to find order in the thousands of bits of paper that comprise my tax return. This can have the effect of turning the most organised and conscientious person into a state of anxious defibrillation. Luckily I was never organised nor conscientious and so I sailed through the job (having outsourced the hard bit!).

Husband was watching the footie, soccer, rugby, whatever, when we heard a subtle click at the bedroom door. The door gremlins had gained control and somehow jammed the lock. Carpetwalker, the cat (who has just come back from an expensive sojourn at the vet), was nowhere to be seen. Where is a good cat burglar when you need one?

It took two grown men, five beers, a hammer, screwdriver of immense proportion and a number of fine expletives to finally open the boudoir door. I was calmly watching the scene of destruction unfold and my mind wandered as I wondered – how disastrous would a proverbial broken lock be on my business?

My computer is my lifeline – it’s my connection with the world, it’s the depository of all things creative and has a few important bits of info hidden within its bits of RAM. Although I love to believe that I am unique, in this instance I am not. When did I last back up my data? When did I last download my calendar and phone numbers. Luckily my external hard drive was close at hand and got a serious workout!
So, what would you do if your lock was broken? Are you the kind of person who insures your possessions after the break in or are you more into comprehensive with all the bells and whistles watertight insurance? Either way (and there are shades of cover in between), there’s no time like a Sunday night to make plans to ensure that your door is always open.

Wishing you a secure castle.
Michelle

Teachings from The Great Providers of Laughter

michelle — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:23:03 +0000

Took the LG to Luna Park for some holiday laughs. Hmm – they were slow in coming. Admittedly, not due to any failure on the side of The Great Providers of Laughter, but due to the fact that my son has inherited my ‘chicken’ genes.

In my heady younger days I was the first to jump in when the going got tipsy turvey – climb the highest mountain, run the longest race, try out anything new, as long as it was accompanied with a hefty dose of adrenaline.

At the end of the day The Great Providers of Laughter send you an email with your ‘Extreme-o-meter’ reading. Ours was a paltry 5/10. Can’t believe I am ‘average’ when it comes to the scream factor! And now my poor son has been painted with the same.

I started wondering what would my marketing ‘extreme-o-meter’ be? How would I score on putting myself ‘out there’ ? I am a diligent tweeter, Facebooker and online networker. I’m writing articles and waving business cards from the top of the ferris wheel as I write. My online networking extreme-o-meter is at an all time high!

Then the merry go round slowed and I realised that I have no idea what @joker looks like or if @clown’s witty comments come from any other place than his backyard brewery. Good old fashioned face to face networking, meeting real people with real names and conversations longer than 140 characters may have been temporarily replaced by an iPhone 4 or a Mac Book. But, they always remain the best place to be.The Vomit Comet or the Rollercoaster from Hell may be a great way to up the extreme-o-meter, but let’s face it, the joy from actually shaking the clown’s hand can’t be beaten!