Why Star Power Could Hurt Your Brand

Hello Creators!

Last month, I met an Entrepreneur with a new tee shirt line, our conversation went a little like this:

E: I have a lot of celebrities wearing my new tee shirt line.

Me: Congrats, tell me about your new line.

E: I got NBA player ________ wearing it, and actor _________ and that model _________, oh and I even got ________ wearing it too. Want to see my Instagram?

The entrepreneur's celebration of assorted celebrities continued for a few minutes. The list of star power was truly diverse in every way and it got the best of my curiosity. I wanted to know the name of the line and the mission. When they shared the name of the line, it was a familiar word that is not frequently used. I thought clever until the entrepreneur began a five minute pontification on the meaning.

The tee shirt line had no clear mission but as a creative consultant,  I understood why the entrepreneur thought a variety of celebrities was the way to launch the line.  I wanted to help the entrepreneur think smarter about their process moving forward, so I offered a free Q & A consultation right there on the spot.

Me: When NBA player _______  is wearing your tee shirt what is he saying about it?

E: Oh he loves it and he receives compliments all the time!

Me: Great, now what does he say or what does the actor _______ or the model ________ say about the brand and the mission?

E: Wow, funny you asked that because the other day _______ you know the actor from _______?

Me: Yes, I know him.

E: Yea, he is wearing the tee shirt too.  He called and asked me what should he say when fans ask about the tee shirt. I told him exactly what I just told you but then he asked me again what should he say?

Me: And what did you tell him to say, what is the script?

E:  Oh, I see what you mean.

Me: Where to buy? Are your celebrities pointing folks in the right direction?

E: Well like I said it is a new line and I got a lot of celebrities wearing it and my Instagram is blowing up.

The entrepreneur grabbed their Iphone 6 and proceeded to show me pictures from Instagram.  The fact is free swag is free and anyone including celebrities will wear it... in public or in private. The key is to use star power properly, help them to help your brand. Having a clear mission and execution plan is a great way to start success.

• Write a one sentence mission statement and share it with the celebrities wearing the product. 
• Where to buy? Star power has no buying power if they can't tell others where to buy.
• Be selective when it comes to your brand, celebrities are not all size fit all. You don't see unfit celebrities endorsing Just Do It for Nike.

Celebrities are brands, they have a certain image and fan base, their image and fan base may not be your targeted audience. In fact, the wrong celebrity endorsement could hurt your brand and the ability to profit. 

In this case, a mix match of celebrities are wearing a tee shirt and they don't even know why they are wearing it. There is no support, mission or even a buying goal. We can only imagine the conversation when a person is faced with one of these celebrities wearing the tee shirt.

Consumer: "Hey nice tee shirt! What does __________ mean?"

Celebrity: "I don't know... it was free."

If you don't take your brand seriously why should others?

Need more advice on getting your brand off the ground? I'd love to help just contact me. 

How To Get Your Start Up Money In 90 Days

One of the biggest obstacles for most entrepreneurs or artists is finances. Many simply feel they do not have enough money to start their business or to invest in their project. Lack of money is typically the main reason why most new businesses and or projects never get off the ground. I am here to tell you that lack of money is truly a matter of perspective and discipline. 

The truth is, you have your "Start Up" money right now. Again, it is a matter of perspective. Are you looking at your current funds as "Appropriated Funds? Remember this is your hard earned money and its usage is approved by you, now all you have to do is use your money for a specific purpose and promise yourself that it can not be used for any other purpose. 

Also, let us evaluate briefly the meaning of Start Up Money the definition is honest and true: It is the money to help you start. It is not called finish up or conquer it all money for a reason. Start up means just that, to start. The goal is to start the execution of your dream and or vision. 

Now that we have the perspective covered let us delve into the matter of discipline. For the next 90 days you are going to view your money as "Appropriated Funds" and it is going to be easy, maybe not a ton of fun... but easy. 

The secret is; turn your vice or expensive ritual into a Start Up budget. Trust me, you do have the money somewhere hiding in clear view, just take a closer look at how you spend your funds.

Let me help you with a few scenarios:

JOHN wants to start a new business and he has the perfect name for his company. The first thing on John's wish list is to Trademark the company name to ensure nobody else will claim it. John does his research and discovers that a Federal trademark registration starts at $275 for online registration not including attorney's fee. He learned that attorney's fees would vary depending on the type of mark. Most attorneys will charge somewhere between $500 and $2000 for assistance with a trademark application. 

Instantly, John becomes insecure about money, he feels $275 is not affordable or in his budget. If only he had some extra money he would trademark in a heartbeat. Extra money thinking is just another scapegoat for not being disciplined. Your extra money is the misuse of your current funds. 

You see John is a smoker. For the sake of argument let us make John a light smoker. There are 20 cigarettes in a pack you are considered a light smoker if you smoke 10 cigarettes a day. The average price for a pack of cigarette nationwide is roughly $6.18 and a person smokes an average of one pack a day. Let us do the math.

John's Vice - Smoking (1 pack a day)

$6.18 x 7 days = $43.26
$43.26 x 4 weeks (a month) = $173.04
$173.04 x 3 months = $519.12 (start up budget)

John's Trademark budget is $275

$519.12 - $275 leaves John extra money of $244.12

In this scenario, John has actually paid himself to quit smoking for 90 days! Paying yourself to stop a bad habit is a great thing! But for the sake of argument, let us say that John enjoys smoking and does not plan to quit. John can not deny the math and he really wants to see his business get off the ground. 

John opts to match his smoking vice instead. Every time he purchases a pack of cigarettes John will place the same amount of cash into a glass container (vital to see the green grow!). In 90 days, John will be able to trademark his company name, the first step to starting his business.

JANE is a creative with a television idea and she needs help with writing a pilot proposal. A friend refers her to an expert who teaches an online course for $99. Jane thinks it is a great deal but feels she can not afford to pay for expert advice. If she could pick up an extra shift at work or rake up in tips this week as a waitress then she could afford to pay for professional help.

Jane does not have a vice but she can not go without her manicure and pedicure beauty ritual. Let us say for argument sake that Jane only enjoys the beauty ritual bi-weekly. Every two weeks Jane only pays for the basic $20 mani and pedi special, no frills and she does not even indulge in the waxing of eyebrows. Let us do the math.

Jane's Expensive Ritual - Manicure & Pedicure 
 
$20 + $5 tip = $25 (1 week) = $25
$25 x 2 weeks (a month) = $50
$50 x 3 months = $150 (start up budget)

Jane's Online Course Budget is $99

$150 - $99 leaves Jane extra money of $51

Jane can opt for a DYI beauty treatment for 90 days a small sacrifice for such a huge investment (herself!). 

Some of you may or may not be able to relate to John or Jane. The point is to examine your own vice or expensive ritual and do the math for yourself. It could be your happy hour money. Every TGIF payday you go out for happy hour drinks, that money adds up pretty fast. Shoe shopping or that brand new IPhone (did you really need to upgrade?), fast food lunches instead of packing a lunch, oh and do not forget about dating. A dinner and a movie is at least $50 bucks! Take a break from it all for 90 days to get your start up money going.

At the end of the day the return on investment is you. 

If you would like more creative help on budget creation please feel free to contact me.  

 Subscribe to my mailing list & never miss a tip!

Why 12 Black Men Deserve An Apology

WHY 12 BLACK MEN DESERVE AN APOLOGY

On this Valentine’s Day, I write this apology and love letter to all twelve black men that were on stage Sunday February 8^th, 2015.

Dear Beautiful Black Men,

I want to apologize for the individuals who refused to acknowledge your presence, those that refused to look at you while on a big stage with a pristine presentation. I apologize for the masses that miraculously missed the bigger picture… you. 

Once again, mainstream media and too many of its puppets found a way to disrespect and ignore you by spinning the wrong message. A message that would have our young boys and men believe they are not wanted, that their lives do not matter or that our men are invisible. It is not true! Our young boys and men are loved, they are needed, they are wanted and they are not invisible.

On February 8th, 2015 there were a lot of us who saw you; we recognized your beauty and your pain in that brave performance when you held your hands up and when you reached out to us.

I know it’s hard to believe and I trust that you are even more confused right now. How could anyone love you when a song about God with a pure message could cause such ugliness and hatred among so many?

Many who elected to jump on the negative bandwagon, to follow the media’s spin and to help spread the negativity proudly via social media.  Many who should have been looking at you, uplifting you and supporting your brave performance.

I apologize for individuals who cannot comprehend the fact that kids are the future. To ensure a brighter future for everyone it is vital to connect with the youth. Here we have an artist who has earned the full attention of the youth: kids buying the artist’s music, reciting the artist’s music, emulating the artist in every way imaginable to full fledged idolizing the artist.

When an artist has such power over the youth how could delivering a positive message about unity for our young boys and men be a bad thing? How could letting our youth hear a song from an artist that has their full attention praising God in public be a bad thing?

An artist who has the full attention of our next generation of leaders decides to use such a huge moment to praise God and to shed light on some serious dark issues that most are too afraid to talk about, issues so dark that many have lost their lives and continue to lose their lives.

I am apologizing for those who decided to turn their backs on God and you: our brothers, sons, nephews, husbands and fathers. Those who decided to turn your beauty and pain into a despicable media game; Light skin versus dark skin, gospel versus pop, pretty versus ugly and the ultimate spin, God versus the Illuminati. 

To our men, I offer you love in the form of a letter. I am not alone either, there are many of us who believe in you, depend on you, want you, love you and see you. I hope that you believe this message instead of the one that continues to spin out of control.

To the 12 black men who treated us to an amazing performance, thank you! Please accept this apology and love letter. You are loved!

Sincerely,

The ones who saw the bigger picture... YOU

 Subscribe to my mailing list & never miss a tip!

PARTNERSHIP: Questions to ask before you shake hands

Partnership: Questions to ask before you shake hands

Happy New Year! Hurray! Whoo-hoo! Yes, you are floating on "It's 2015!"  big ideas cloud. Honestly, we all are and it's a good thing. In fact, the feeling is euphoric and if the effect has staying power, one could be fueled with big ideas throughout the year. 

If your #BigIdea for 2015 is to bring on a business partner, I recommend that you take your time and do not rush the process. Partnerships can be the key to success or the gateway to hell. Too often people rush into partnerships for desperate reasons. 

• You need financial support
• You want to divide the workload 
• You are insecure in your own ability to succeed

The business of partnership should be handled carefully and wisely. If you are looking to bring on a partner or if someone wants to bring you on as a partner. I implore you to ask the following questions before you offer and or accept. Ask yourself the following and be completely honest!

• Why do I need a partner?
• What do I really want and need from a partner?
• Can I achieve what I want and need on my own? 
• What am I willing to give and or give up?
• How much time and money can I invest?

Ask the potential partner the following:

• Why do you think I want to partner with you?
• Do you feel I would be a good partner and why?
• How much time and money are you going to invest?
• One year from now what accomplishments do you envision for us?

Answering these questions truthfully will provide clarity and understanding for all involved. It it vital to know intentions upfront to prevent unwanted and unnecessary headaches, pitfalls and financial faults.   

A few red flags to be aware of:

• If the potential partner is uncomfortable with these questions or get defensive. It is safe to say that communication between the two of you will not be productive. If you decide to partner with such a person, you are setting yourself up for tiptoeing around difficult situations and issues. Tiptoeing and success do not mesh.

• You already have goals in mind. A good partner will foresee a few shared goals or at the very least have benchmarks of their own. If the potential partner does not provide and answer for future accomplishments, then you are not talking to a fellow leader. In business a leadership mentality is a prerequisite. 

• A worthy partner is willing to invest time and money. If bartering is on the table make sure the value is mutual.  

Your business is your brand and your brand is you. Ask as many questions as you can before you shake hands. Just keep this in mind... good partners compliment one another. 

Do you have a project or brand and need help with creative ideas, branding and or marketing? I am here to help. Feel free to contact me!

 Subscribe to my mailing list & never miss a tip!