The Custodian of Hospitality
Covid-19’s impact on business and the decisions needed for survival are Frostian. But don’t lose your way. Survival depends on Frostian decisions.
An interview with a small business that applied the Wrigley formula
He does not sell gum. He sells used RVs and he applied the lessons from Wrigley’s and is growing like crazy.
They wanna lock up Big Don
Donny is so popular in his town folks set up a Facebook page in his honor. The old woman next door doesn’t like him. Actually, she hates him.
The birth of Play-doh. A cleaning agent becomes a toy.
Observing how your customer is using your products can lead to new product ideas and maybe even save your company.
Should an Upwardly Mobile Zebra Shed Its Stripes?
Successful marketing, getting your company noticed, requires behavior that's not only risky, it runs counter to instinct.
Get rid of all the bells and whistles. The Birth of the Sony Walkman
It lacked all the things people wanted but gave them one thing they had not thought about. And a star is born.
Put me in Coach, I’m ready to play
Are you doing it for the love of the game or some other reason? Without love, your customers feel it, employees abandon you, and competitors sense weakness.
Customers Of The Month gave me something I never expected
After six months, employees were recognizing each other with little compliments. Staff retention was rising. Sales were up 43% at the end of the year.
Winning the War for Talent – An Advertising Strategy for Service Companies
This is why character and story-driven advertising not only accelerates branding success, but recruiting success as well.
Regrettably, I didn’t wear the kilt.
Celebrate your difference in the world. Stand out. Get talked about. You will be rewarded for your courage when you are true to yourself.
Retailers Beware!
This is a departure. In this episode, Stephen Semple shares trends that he is seeing that are being embraced by retailers. Trends that are dangerously wrong.
Armed with Scissors and an Idea a Billionaire is Born. The Spanx Story.
Sara Blakely was getting ready for a party when she realized she didn't have the right undergarment to provide a smooth look. Like all revolutions: it was not easy.
Business lessons from a pro athlete
Most owners aren't "superstars." But they have a hidden superpower. Discover your superpower amidst the lessons from my friend Jean Hebert, a pro athlete and NHL referee.
What delivering newspapers taught me about pizza – The story of Domino’s.
How an orphan who was swindled out of his life savings grew the largest independent restaurant business on the planet.
Fish when the fish are runnin’
Morris was Vice President of Marketing of a $50 million business and his favourite saying was, "We go fishin' when the fish are runnin'." But Morris was wrong.