I’ve seen Tony Schwartz once, in 40 years (at a 20-year high school reunion), but I’ve been reading his work for more than 30. You might not recognize his name, but it probably sounds familiar. Just over 20 years ago, it was Tony who was the writer for Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal.”

Yes, THAT Tony Schwartz.

In 2004, Tony and business partner, Jim Loehr published: “The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal.”

For me, their research and writing obliterated the overdone topic of time management. The message was clear: Your mental and physical freshness determines that quality and productivity of your work. The book is peppered with profiles of people and their work-life balance issues. You see a little of yourself in many of these case studies.

Just recently, Tony published a follow up work, “The Way We’re Working, Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance.“

I pre-ordered it from Amazon.com, read it when it arrived, read it again, and read it, once more, on the plane from Las Vegas to Miami.

The basic message is uncomplicated: We are built to work in sprints, not marathons. Knowing it and doing it are, of course, two different things.

Since reading The Power of Full Engagement, I confess to being thrown out of rhythm. Life’s events can take a toll: The final illness, relocation, and death of my father being the first dramatic event. Concurrently, my illness and passing of my girlfriend’s father. Concurrently (yes, really), being diagnosed with Diabetes. My girlfriend’s car accident, the day following her dad’s funeral. The lightning fast passing of her closest friend, Elle, from a rare blood disease, only a couple of months later.

All in all, 2006 was a lousy year. We stopped counting the deaths after the number passed ten. The shocking part was losing friends as young as 36. For me, all of that was followed by two major surgeries. I’ll leave out the details.

Suffice it to say that the last year has been, mostly trouble free. And, despite some significant success and progress, since then, I’d be kidding you if I told you “I’ve fully gotten my groove back.”

The ongoing challenge is managing the effects of Diabetes. It is ALL about managing energy. It’s about diet, exercise, medication, stress, and pacing.

As I go the process of recapturing my rhythm, I will be rereading Tony’s latest work, until I can recite it from memory. I recommend it highly. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but how we manage our energy determines our success and enjoyment of life.

Thanks, Tony!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Just finished attending, and speaking at, DJ Think Tank. This is an elite group of entertainment companies that gather, twice yearly. I have been working with the group since its inception in 2003, and contributing my rare blend of DJ industry experience and up-to-date marketing experience.

I was slotted for a 90-minute catch-all presentation of marketing and technology. Some reminder; but mostly solid explanation of recent developments, and some unveiled of the latest in technology, marketing, and software.

In preparing the presentation, I had a hunch about the iPad and how to cover it in this presentation (I have not bought mine, yet, for a variety of reasons that are not particularly important to this point. I do expect to buy one in the next couple of months).

First, it was interesting to look around the room and see what laptops people were using. Apple has a market share of 10% or less in laptops. In this room, one could see MacBooks in the hands of about 60% of the attendees. That was unusual.

My slide showed a handful of iPads and a headline stating: It’s an iPad world. I told a few stories abut what I have read and observed, and conversations I’ve had recently, with people who have been using an iPad.

Then, I asked for a show of hands: How many people own an iPad? Only about five hands went up. Inside, I was disappointed and thought, for a moment, that the next 30 minutes might go ‘in the tank.’ Not so fast my friend.

I asked the iPad owners how they were using their tech-toy in their businesses and room fairly exploded with ideas and applications. For reasons of confidentiality, I am not going to share all their brilliant ideas, but I am going to share two items that were very instructive.

1) I asked my friend, Ron, to share his experience about his iPad and his 7-year old. Ron has had his iPad for about 10 days. After having it just a few minutes, he put it in the hands of his daughter, and she went to work. She turned to him and asked, “Can I download this game…. it’s free..”

“How did you know about where to get the games?” he asked. “They show it on the commercials, Daddy.”

So much for that mystery. Within minutes, this youngster was using the iPad without hesitation or instruction. Shockingly intuitive.

2) At the end of 30 minutes of iPad sharing and  brainstorming, I asked the BIG QUESTION. “After this brief discussion about actual and possible uses of the iPad, by show of hands, how many expect to buy at least one iPad in the near future?” In a split second, the hands of three-quarters of the room shot up.

Owning a piece of new technology is not the point. The point is understanding the various ways one can utilize it to stand out and garner a competitive edge.

How are you using the iPad or any recent technology to gain a competitive edge?

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Group

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Not everything is as it appears to be. Nor is everything, ‘right-now’ aka urgent.

Periodically, I schedule posts to appear at some future time/date. As in this post, on the afternoon of July 4th. I might be at a barbecue or a movie. Maybe reading some fiction or just spending some quiet time with my girl friend.

If you have nothing better to do, or are just married to your computer, cell phone or other digital device, knock it off for today. A short digital sabbatical is good for the soul.

Rearrange time by scheduling your posts. And realize that even reading other people’s posts, can wait, on a holiday.

Call TIME OUT!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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The purpose of this post is to remind, cajole, and perhaps nag you. This week, the calendar flips to July, and we begin to count down the days toward 2011… dare I say.

Among the hundred other things on my agenda, I’m reassessing my own marketing plan, accomplishments, sales, and the like. I figure, if I’m doing this for myself, I have to drag you this, too. The questions I’m asking are challenging. The answers are both positive and negative. The goal is this little exercise of self-evaluation is mid-course correction and, in some cases, celebration.

Some of the questions on my mind are these?

1. Have my sales through June met or exceeded expectations?
2. Are my sales projections for the balance of the year on track?
3. How do sales track with the past 2-3 years?
4. How does my business match up with my nearest competitors? This is hard to measure in sales, but one should consider visibility, name recognition, product offerings, etc.,.
5. Is my sales mix (types of jobs, and percentage of business) to my liking?
6. Am I disproportionately depend on the referrals of too small a group? If the answer is yes, your business health is quite vulnerable to a simple job change by one or two people.
7. Who are my Top 10 clients or contacts? What am I doing to honor those relationships and not take them for granted?
8. Am I consistently participating in my local associations and networking groups?
9. Have I built a blog?
10. If I have a blog, am I posting on a regular basis, such as 1-2 times per week?
11. Do I have a social media strategy or have I fallen in the trap of too many “ham sandwich posts” on Facebook and Twitter?
12. When was the last time I refreshed and updated content on my website?
13. Do I put down my cell phone and turned it off when I’m having lunch with a colleague or friend?
14. When was the last time I sent someone a handwritten thank you note.
15. Am I keeping up with continuing education in my field and in my role as a business owner/manager?
16. What industry-specific conferences am I committed to attending during the second half of this year?
17. What business worries are keeping my up at night, and what can I do to address them?
18. Am I taking sufficient time off, to recharge, or do I prefer to play the role of martyr?
19. When was my last vacation? (A vacation does not involved relatives. It does involve reading fiction, perhaps some sun, and consuming umbrella drinks).
20. Do I have a vacation planned for the second half of this year?
21. Do you have a written marketing plan?

What other questions are you asking (or should I be asking)?

Another reminder: Remember to breathe and eat lots of green leafy vegetables.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Magazines on iPad

Last week I spent a full day presenting to Nashville-area wedding businesses on various elements of wedding marketing. My fellow presenter was Sonny Ganguly from Wedding Wire.

I had last talked to Sonny when we were both attending the BSPI (Bridal Show Producers International) conference, here, in Las Vegas. That was late April, and Sonny already had his Apple iPad in hand.

Even as the Apple aficionado that I am, I had elected to wait before buying my first iPad, preferring to see which model and capacity would suit me.

So, it was with great curiosity that I asked Sonny, “After a couple of months, how are you using your iPad, and how has it affected the way you use other computers, desktop or laptop?”

He gleefully explained how using email and surfing the web were dramatically superior to a desktop or laptop computer. But his bigger excitement was two-fold: how he sees the iPad as a reading device for books, magazines, and documents… and, how he is comfortable leaving the laptop at the office, coming home with only the iPad.

Sonny further described that for many or most business trips, the iPad would be sufficient for his needs.

Apple has sold 3 million iPads in the first 80 days of availability. That’s a nice statistic, but I’m far more interested in talking to Sonny and other peers, to understand how each person is using theirs. This is a complex device, and has features that will appeal to, or have specific use, differently, for different people.

I would anticipate that as more magazines and books develop enhanced content and features for the iPad the rapid evolution via this new medium will pick up speed. The Apple iPad is more than just another shiny new object. It looks to be a quantum leap forward, and will be curious to see how all this will apply to wedding marketing.

Still curious? See this video from the folks at Wired Magazine, and see what they have cooking on the Apple iPad.

Oh… and when you’re done watching the video. If you’re an iPad owner, please share YOUR experience with other readers.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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Yesterday, my new business acquaintance, Wes Wood (Wisdom’n'Treachery) and I, made consecutive presentations at a headquarters company in Madison, WI.

Subsequent to the presentations, we had an interesting discussion about breaking through mental gridlock and problem solving issues, as well as stimulating creativity, generally.

We agreed, instantly, that intense work can, at some point, lead you directly to a dead end. The more one concentrates, the less likely a solution appears likely.

Wes and I both like the coffee house strategy. Leave the office, and go to a Starbucks, Panera Bread, Einstein’s Bagels, or any other brand name or local setting to change your surroundings. In my world, these stops are a morning ritual, and that’s not what we are talking about, here. We’re referring to an afternoon urge for a change of scenery. I’ll suddenly announce to my girlfriend, Jessica, that I’m making a coffee house run, and ask her if she’d like me to bring back a latte for her. And then I go.

Wes takes this ‘change of scenery’ strategy one step further. He spoke about hopping a plane to Vancouver for day, or driving out of town to a different town, to change the dynamics. It may sound frivolous to spend a day and a couple of hundred dollars to jet out of town, but it had great appeal to me.

Even as much as I already travel, I might have to try flying to a California coast city or Phoenix, for a day (and maybe a night) as a rejuvenation run. For me, it would seem counter intuitive, but I like it.

One of my personal creativity strategies is reading magazines and trade journals that are not my normal fare. Sometimes I’ll pick up a few magazines while waiting for a plane flight. Other times I’ll hit the local Borders or Barnes & Nobles, and drop a few dollars on a handful of magazines completely outside my normal areas of interest, and not targeted toward me (my demographic).

I find it interesting to read the articles and review the ads in industries I’m not that familiar with. I will trip over a new approach, a related idea, or something completely unexpected. It is reading for both business and pleasure, but the true motivation is unlocking my brain.

For you, it might be going bowling, and enjoying the crash of pins falling. It could be going to a foreign movie or window shopping.

The important suggestion is figure out what unlocks and stimulates your brain. And when you ‘hit the wall’, don’t hesitate to utilize those escapes to shake things up.

If you have a personal strategy for such things, please share it with our readers, in a comment.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Monday was Day 1 for this year’s Mobile Beat Conference in Las Vegas. I had checked into the Riviera Hotel on Sunday, for the duration of the conference. So far, so good.

In the morning, I gave a 1-hour presentation on Social Media and Technology updates at the Stirling Club. Smooth, no problem. Then, I facilitated a 90-minute brainstorming discussion. I was just getting warmed up.

After a really quick bit of lunch, I headed back to the Riviera for a 1:30 – 4:30pm presentation, titled: Blogging Your Way To Business Success.

After getting the audio/visual in order, and securing my internet connection, we were rolling. Then, about 3pm, it hit me. My feet were SCREAMING!! Closely followed by my back.

I had violated the #1 rule of conventions and trade shows: Wear comfortable shoes. My dress shoes looked great, but were not ideal for 6 hours on my feet.

So, as to my Sunday post about the convention. Add comfortable shoes to the list. It’s hard to focus when you’re in pain.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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I am fascinated at how a few companies, large and small,  continue to prosper during these last couple of years, during a bad economy.

It appears to me that the companies that succeed consistently are not just squeezing the last dollar out of cost cutting; they are innovating on continual basis.

One of my favorites is Southwest Airlines. When the rest of the airline industry zigs; the zag. Many airlines have implemented draconian baggage checking fees (up to $120 round trip) and Southwest has created a hysterical campaign that counters them: Bags Fly Free.

At the same time, Southwest developed an ‘automatic check-in option’ for $10. It truly is a convenience, which some people may elect to pay for. I’ve used it. I love it, and will probably elect to use it on most flights.

In this case the innovations are the differentiation. Southwest is not trying to please everyone. No business needs to do that. And one can’t.

What you can do is better your business and clearly separate it from the competition. This is not a once-in-a-while thing. This is a constant activity.

Are you taking the time to step back an observe the ways your company can improve its products and services and create that separation from the competition?

Chime in… What ARE you doing to innovate?

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Ten Business Building Strategies To Start The New Year: Tip #8

You don’t drive a horse and buggy, do you? I didn’t think so.

The need for speed and ease in communication, information management, sales presentations and sales is paramount.

If you don’t have a program to constantly evaluate and upgrade your company’s use of technology, then you will be left in the dust. One of the websites I suggest is VersionTracker. The site offers free information and downloads of software in various formats (Mac, Windows, iPhone & Palm). For a modest annual subscription, you can receive constant updates announcements about the software you use, on your computer. With VersionTracker, your software can be bug free and up-to-date.

Technology does not replace you. It is simply a tool.

A technology upgrade is not a one-time event. it is a continual process.

Make certain you have the most effective tools to compete, in the present tense. And make certain you and your staff are trained and proficient in the use of these tools.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Last week, and this week, I am running a series of 10 Strategies for Building Your Business. One appears each day.

Through the magic of WordPress, I wrote those ten recommendations in a total of three sessions, while my creative juices were percolating, and scheduled them to appear each morning.

It’s the kind of feature that allows me to block time for a single task or set of tasks, and really focus.

So ask yourself, when did Andy write THIS post? I’ll never tell.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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