The Flamingo Factor

Mary Schmidt

May 21, 2013

I’m fortunate that I live a “20-minute life” (As Sunset magazine dubbed it - pretty much anything and everything I need or want is within 20 minutes of walking or biking.)  I “run” errands on foot, and take (almost) daily power walks. And on those walks, I see many things I’d totally miss if I were driving. 

Things that make me smile. Get my creative synapses going. Give me ideas for clients. Just the other day, it was a flock of flamingos in someone’s front yard. 

Pink. Plastic. 2 feet

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks

Are You Part of the (Not-So-New) Creative Economy?

Mary Schmidt

Feb 05, 2013

Here in Albuquerque, we’re still kicking around the idea of “the creative class” (Richard Florida).  Are we in it? Out of it? Totally out of it?  What does “creative” even mean these days?

And, what’s all this about a “creative economy?” if you’re not an artist, do you count? Can you participate? Should you even care? My answer to all three questions: Yes.

Here’s the thing. Once upon a time, not so long ago (as world time goes), most people were - in fact - self-employed artisans of one

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks

Forget the Resolutions

Mary Schmidt

Jan 03, 2013

Back from year-end break…and here we are at a “new” year. All shiny and bright. 

So. What resolutions have you made?  I didn’t make any (and not because I don’t need to change…)

Here’s why.

Resolutions are depressing. Restrictive. And all too often unrealistic. We usually break (or flat forget) them because we think too big, want too much. When we fail, we feel awful. And, we certainly have enough opportunity to feel awful without self-inflicted wounds. (Yes, failure can be good for us.

In Brain Food

Squawking or Producing?

Mary Schmidt

Dec 12, 2012

Once, in Stella Adler’s acting class, she told the students to act like chickens who have just found out they’re going to be bombed. While everyone else was running squawking, acting up a storm, projecting PANIC!...Marlon Brando was sitting calmly. “What are you doing?” she asked. “I’m laying an egg.” 

Start-ups are stressful, even when you’re having fun. Customers don’t always buy when they should.  Investors don’t invest. Something that worked perfectly in the lab goes horribly wrong in the

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks

Why Yes! I Know Everything!

Mary Schmidt

Nov 13, 2012

This morning I updated my LinkedIn profile…again.  LI is pretty relentless in its encouragement for us to do so.  Sadly, I’ve now reached my 50 skills limit.  Really? Only 50?

Why not just have a line that says, “I can DO EVERYTHING! SEND MONEY!” 

But seriously folks…All of us can do some things really well.  Others, not so well.  And, no matter how much we may enjoy something, we simply may not have the natural aptitude for it.  (I finally gave up on downhill skiing, for example. It’s

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks

The Invisible Customer (Voter)

Mary Schmidt

Nov 05, 2012

“I’m sending a message! I’m not voting for either one of them!”
“They’re all alike! So, I’m not voting. That’ll show ‘em!”

Haven’t we all heard these statements or variations?  However, the reality is that if you don’t vote, you don’t count. You’re invisible. The only “message sent” is that you don’t care and therefore don’t have to be considered.

Never in the history of business has anyone said, “Our best targets are the apathetic!”  (At least not if they knew one iota about marketing.) 

In Brain Food, Marketing Troubleshooting

Do You Have White Board Fever?

Mary Schmidt

Aug 20, 2012

(With a HT to Mike Wagner for his post on FB re white boards and creativity)

I’ve worked with clients who are almost mute without SOMETHING on which to scribble (and circle, cross out, and draw arrows and funny little shapes…) Give them a white board or even a piece of paper (it’ll save the restaurant tablecloth), and they come alive! 

I understand.  I “think” much better when I can draw it, write it, cross it out. There’s something about the tactile experience that jogs the creativity.  As

In Brain Food, Start-Up Sanity Checks