Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Party or Bad Sales Pitch?
I think it is completely ridiculous when people invite you to a "party" which turns out to be a big old sales pitch for their business; and they use the term "Holiday Party" as a disguise. Seriously, not the best way to gain new business or new friends. Whatever you decide to throw or not throw this year, make sure you are clear on what the event is ... although it is the season to be merry, you will watch your friends and potential clients merrily waltz out the door if you pull this stunt.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tips for Avoiding the 3500 Calorie Thanksgiving Day Meal
I have been doing personal training with Monique Hollowell, CEO of Lafemme Mobile Gym and I recently learned that the average Thanksgiving Day meal comes in at 3500 calories and you have to do 7 -9 workouts to burn that off. Yuck. I am honestly not going to be following the tips below and will probably opt-in for the workouts, but I want to share the information she passed on to me. According to fitness expert Monique Hollowell, there are seven easy tips you can follow to cut down on the calorie mass and still enjoy your holiday meal without tearing your hair out over what your scale is telling you the next morning.
1. Turkey Stuffing = Calorie No-No. Stuff the turkey with a great mix of quinoa and vegetables vs. dressing.
2. Natural = Naturally better for you. Enjoy the sweet potatoes natural flavor w/o the butter and brown sugar, add a fresh squeeze of orange or tangerine for extra flavor.
3. Lighten up your holiday beverages. Drink your holiday mochas w/o the whip cream, this will save you 80 kcals.
4. Cut down on the crust. Make a fantastic fresh fruit pie with top crust only. Leave out the bottom crust for less calories or vice versa.
5. Leave the fruit cakes and pecan pies alone! Choose a fantastic piece of pumpkin or sweet potato pie instead... its 250kcal less.
6. Kick the ice cream to the curb. Use a great holiday frozen yogurt or sorbet instead or have the fresh fruit and skip altogether.
7. Creamy = High Calorie … vegetables not exempt. Creaming your vegetables (i.e. creamed spinach) can end up contributing to 75% of your saturated fat for the day. Use low fat milk or cream cheese options as a substitute.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
1. Turkey Stuffing = Calorie No-No. Stuff the turkey with a great mix of quinoa and vegetables vs. dressing.
2. Natural = Naturally better for you. Enjoy the sweet potatoes natural flavor w/o the butter and brown sugar, add a fresh squeeze of orange or tangerine for extra flavor.
3. Lighten up your holiday beverages. Drink your holiday mochas w/o the whip cream, this will save you 80 kcals.
4. Cut down on the crust. Make a fantastic fresh fruit pie with top crust only. Leave out the bottom crust for less calories or vice versa.
5. Leave the fruit cakes and pecan pies alone! Choose a fantastic piece of pumpkin or sweet potato pie instead... its 250kcal less.
6. Kick the ice cream to the curb. Use a great holiday frozen yogurt or sorbet instead or have the fresh fruit and skip altogether.
7. Creamy = High Calorie … vegetables not exempt. Creaming your vegetables (i.e. creamed spinach) can end up contributing to 75% of your saturated fat for the day. Use low fat milk or cream cheese options as a substitute.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Stupid Behavior Resulting in Newsletter Material
If you have subscribed to the M-Dash at M Communications or First Word at 3L Publishing you understand that we provide marketing and writing tips & tricks in a very humorous way. And, if you do not like sarcasm - you probably should not subscribe either. Here are some sure fire behaviors that will make you the star of a future issue.
1. Obnoxiously pushing health products.If you are walking around slapping skin care cream on fellow colleagues faces or forcing them to drink diet drinks without their permission you are being obnoxious and therefore are fair game for newsletter material.
2.Inappropriate Dancing.Now, if you are at a networking function and are freaking people on the dance floor or doing any other inappropriate dance moves not only will you end up in the newsletter you may also end up on You Tube. Go get your groove on elsewhere.
3. Giving your unsolicited and rude advice.We have been to more networking functions where people have offered up their opinion and have been more than flat out rude. Seriously - get an edit button. If you are rude you are not only going to end up in the newsletter, you are also NOT going to get new business from potential clients you have insulted.
Consider yourselves warned!
1. Obnoxiously pushing health products.If you are walking around slapping skin care cream on fellow colleagues faces or forcing them to drink diet drinks without their permission you are being obnoxious and therefore are fair game for newsletter material.
2.Inappropriate Dancing.Now, if you are at a networking function and are freaking people on the dance floor or doing any other inappropriate dance moves not only will you end up in the newsletter you may also end up on You Tube. Go get your groove on elsewhere.
3. Giving your unsolicited and rude advice.We have been to more networking functions where people have offered up their opinion and have been more than flat out rude. Seriously - get an edit button. If you are rude you are not only going to end up in the newsletter, you are also NOT going to get new business from potential clients you have insulted.
Consider yourselves warned!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Keep Your Entitlement in Check
People are constantly cracking us up or at least causing eyeball aerobics (a.k.a., eye-rolling) more often than not at M Communications and 3L Publishing. We really do not understand why people decide they are entitled for whatever reason and act on it. The following situations and people receive the “keep your entitlement in check award” for the week.
You need to do pro bono PR for XYZ company because you did PR for me. Really? We really do not need to do anything we do not want to do first of all. Second, did you really just dictate who I should be doing pro bono PR for and third, do you even know that I maybe have all of my donation time allocated through September of this year. Really? It is even more amusing when this is sent via email verses a phone conversation. Here is a bit of advice … if you are feeling stupid while typing something or if your gut is saying maybe this email is a bad idea, it probably is - don’t hit the send button or recall.
You need to continue doing work for me even though I am well aware my project is eating up free hours I have not paid for every month. Um, No. Please see first example … we cannot work for free all of the time. Also, when you completely acknowledge you are receiving free work due to no fault of ours, you should really not expect that this behavior is O.K. and will continue. A contract specifically outlines what we are spending our time on and hour allotment. P.S., when you argue with us when we fire you, you look kind of silly too.
Watch out of the entitlement freaks … they are everywhere.
You need to do pro bono PR for XYZ company because you did PR for me. Really? We really do not need to do anything we do not want to do first of all. Second, did you really just dictate who I should be doing pro bono PR for and third, do you even know that I maybe have all of my donation time allocated through September of this year. Really? It is even more amusing when this is sent via email verses a phone conversation. Here is a bit of advice … if you are feeling stupid while typing something or if your gut is saying maybe this email is a bad idea, it probably is - don’t hit the send button or recall.
You need to continue doing work for me even though I am well aware my project is eating up free hours I have not paid for every month. Um, No. Please see first example … we cannot work for free all of the time. Also, when you completely acknowledge you are receiving free work due to no fault of ours, you should really not expect that this behavior is O.K. and will continue. A contract specifically outlines what we are spending our time on and hour allotment. P.S., when you argue with us when we fire you, you look kind of silly too.
Watch out of the entitlement freaks … they are everywhere.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
New Year's Resolutions to Sink Your Business!
With the New Year literally right around the corner (tomorrow), I thought I should share some must-not-do's of 2010.
1. Do NOTHING. That's right - do nothing. Do not network. Stay home in your pajama's and sit by the phone and wait for it to ring. After all, the economy is turning around, right? Plus - it is winter, it is cold outside, probably raining too ... maybe consider going out in the spring when it is warmer. Also, do nothing with your marketing either ... skip any public relations too because you do not need it. Everybody knows you.
2. Do not market your business at all. Marketing is expensive and is a waste of money. Seriously. Why would you want to invest in your own company when you can spend that money on a trip to Hawaii or some new clothes? Plus, everybody knows where to find you on the Internet so you do not need to blog, update your website or do a newsletter. Talk about a complete waste of time.
3. Repeat the same business tactics that are not working. If you do something enough times it is eventually going to work, right? Especially when the tactics are expensive, like doing an ad run in the Wall Street Journal. If it is expensive it obviously will work for you and for crying out loud do not consult a marketing professional. You know what you are are doing and talking to a consultant will be a waste of time and money on your part.
Happy New Year! P.S. At M Communications and 3L Publishing we will NOT be doing any of the above. If you want some real, free and funny marketing advice, sign up for the M-Dash at M Communications.
Cheers!
Michele Smith
1. Do NOTHING. That's right - do nothing. Do not network. Stay home in your pajama's and sit by the phone and wait for it to ring. After all, the economy is turning around, right? Plus - it is winter, it is cold outside, probably raining too ... maybe consider going out in the spring when it is warmer. Also, do nothing with your marketing either ... skip any public relations too because you do not need it. Everybody knows you.
2. Do not market your business at all. Marketing is expensive and is a waste of money. Seriously. Why would you want to invest in your own company when you can spend that money on a trip to Hawaii or some new clothes? Plus, everybody knows where to find you on the Internet so you do not need to blog, update your website or do a newsletter. Talk about a complete waste of time.
3. Repeat the same business tactics that are not working. If you do something enough times it is eventually going to work, right? Especially when the tactics are expensive, like doing an ad run in the Wall Street Journal. If it is expensive it obviously will work for you and for crying out loud do not consult a marketing professional. You know what you are are doing and talking to a consultant will be a waste of time and money on your part.
Happy New Year! P.S. At M Communications and 3L Publishing we will NOT be doing any of the above. If you want some real, free and funny marketing advice, sign up for the M-Dash at M Communications.
Cheers!
Michele Smith
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Holiday Marketing Mistakes
There are simple mistakes many business owners make come holiday season and all because of a case of "holiday-head". The "holiday-head" syndrome can affect the most intelligent business owners and below are a couple of the syndrome's side effects noticed by 3L Publishing and M Communications.
What plan? Fa. La. La. La. La. Fa. La. Flake Plan". Many business owners fall into the a very sad trap of wandering into the new year without a business plan and even a marketing plan. I have witnessed firsthand what happens when you do not have a marketing plan. You spend money on a whim - here and there; completely going over budget and spending money on what your audience is not reading, etc. Even if you only have 100$ a month to spend on marketing -have a plan. You can change it if something is not working for you but at least you have the foundation and research completed ahead of time. P.S. If you do not have one in the new year we can whip one out in the next couple of weeks so you are still basically on time. And, we will even not make fun of you in the M-Dash; one of our weekly newsletters.
PR + Holidays = Bad. Bad. Bad. Are you liking my equations yet? The worst thing you can do during the holidays is do nothing. You can always plan for your January campaign and for example, complete your press release in December for a January public relations campaign. If you hire the right marketing company - they will tell you what will and what will not get December media pick up. If you have a holiday product, a unique sale, or a unique tie-in like my musician client being hired to play at the airport to calm down passengers - these are all good holiday messages. As always, new year - new ??? is always a good one as well.
Procrastination, Procrastination, Procrastination. We have heard this one a lot too, "I will decide after the holidays." I completely understand if this is a financially based answer, but just to put something off that can be a completed project during or after the holidays is not good for your business. Especially, when it means you have delayed income for yourself for about six weeks because you got "holiday head" around Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, many business owners could have done a red-light, green-light, yes or no answer and have a completed website or whatever just in time for the new year but have procrastinated which pushes their project out even further. The worst side affect of procrastination comes in the form of lost income over the holidays. Who wants to lose money? Not us.
Have a good story? I would love to hear from you. Please send me an email to: michele@mcommunicationsinc.com
Happy Holidays!
Michele Smith
What plan? Fa. La. La. La. La. Fa. La. Flake Plan". Many business owners fall into the a very sad trap of wandering into the new year without a business plan and even a marketing plan. I have witnessed firsthand what happens when you do not have a marketing plan. You spend money on a whim - here and there; completely going over budget and spending money on what your audience is not reading, etc. Even if you only have 100$ a month to spend on marketing -have a plan. You can change it if something is not working for you but at least you have the foundation and research completed ahead of time. P.S. If you do not have one in the new year we can whip one out in the next couple of weeks so you are still basically on time. And, we will even not make fun of you in the M-Dash; one of our weekly newsletters.
PR + Holidays = Bad. Bad. Bad. Are you liking my equations yet? The worst thing you can do during the holidays is do nothing. You can always plan for your January campaign and for example, complete your press release in December for a January public relations campaign. If you hire the right marketing company - they will tell you what will and what will not get December media pick up. If you have a holiday product, a unique sale, or a unique tie-in like my musician client being hired to play at the airport to calm down passengers - these are all good holiday messages. As always, new year - new ??? is always a good one as well.
Procrastination, Procrastination, Procrastination. We have heard this one a lot too, "I will decide after the holidays." I completely understand if this is a financially based answer, but just to put something off that can be a completed project during or after the holidays is not good for your business. Especially, when it means you have delayed income for yourself for about six weeks because you got "holiday head" around Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, many business owners could have done a red-light, green-light, yes or no answer and have a completed website or whatever just in time for the new year but have procrastinated which pushes their project out even further. The worst side affect of procrastination comes in the form of lost income over the holidays. Who wants to lose money? Not us.
Have a good story? I would love to hear from you. Please send me an email to: michele@mcommunicationsinc.com
Happy Holidays!
Michele Smith
Monday, November 23, 2009
New 3L Book Helps Couples Get Pregnant
Fertile Kitchen
By Cindy Bailey and Pierre Giauque (Brand New Just off Press)
Are you one of the millions of couples desperately trying to conceive a baby? Are you aware that diet plays a critical role in fertility? Would you like to unlock the secrets to changing your diet and potentially increasing your chances of success? Co-authors Cindy Bailey and Pierre Giauque--when confronted with Cindy's medical prognosis of a two percent chance of conceiving a baby on her own--unlocked those secrets to develop a fertility diet that four months later produced a viable pregnancy, and soon after a healthy baby. The Fertile KitchenTM Cookbook includes a variety of simple-to-make tasty dishes that make the diet easy to follow. In this cookbook, the authors share these flavorful recipes, along with the dietary guidelines that helped them succeed. Additional tips and even a section on cooking basics, are included. You will learn: The importance of diet in conception and pregnancy, what foods you can and cannot eat to enhance fertility, how to identify and shop for healthy ingredients and food items, how to prepare the nutritious and fertility-enhancing recipes included. The Fertile KitchenTM doesn't guarantee success for every couple, but the cookbook does put you on a wholesome, healthful diet that is at the very least good for you. We hope you enjoy it and we wish you success in your fertility endeavors.
The book retails for $29.99. Please purchase it online via the 3L catalogue. Click here.
By Cindy Bailey and Pierre Giauque (Brand New Just off Press)
Are you one of the millions of couples desperately trying to conceive a baby? Are you aware that diet plays a critical role in fertility? Would you like to unlock the secrets to changing your diet and potentially increasing your chances of success? Co-authors Cindy Bailey and Pierre Giauque--when confronted with Cindy's medical prognosis of a two percent chance of conceiving a baby on her own--unlocked those secrets to develop a fertility diet that four months later produced a viable pregnancy, and soon after a healthy baby. The Fertile KitchenTM Cookbook includes a variety of simple-to-make tasty dishes that make the diet easy to follow. In this cookbook, the authors share these flavorful recipes, along with the dietary guidelines that helped them succeed. Additional tips and even a section on cooking basics, are included. You will learn: The importance of diet in conception and pregnancy, what foods you can and cannot eat to enhance fertility, how to identify and shop for healthy ingredients and food items, how to prepare the nutritious and fertility-enhancing recipes included. The Fertile KitchenTM doesn't guarantee success for every couple, but the cookbook does put you on a wholesome, healthful diet that is at the very least good for you. We hope you enjoy it and we wish you success in your fertility endeavors.
The book retails for $29.99. Please purchase it online via the 3L catalogue. Click here.
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