foustcreativeconsulting-blog

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

The deep end is scary. You can’t see the bottom for reference, it’s colder, there’s more pressure, and the odds of drowning increase dramatically. But what happens when these things no longer bother you or affect your decision making? When you learn to love the deep end magical things happen. Learning to love the abyss of the unknown teaches you to act, and react immediately. It teaches you to be efficient in every move you make. Most importantly, it teaches you to put forth 100% from the jumping off point and not just when you land. So jump in head first and make it happen! (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/ButdQbUhx0H/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3o73aeduu6uk

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The answer to this question is almost always, no. When faced with adversity, setbacks, or roadblocks as humans we have the tendency to let that stop us in our tracks. In a business situation, its significantly easier to just halt and move on to another issue. However, there’s always a solution...you just haven’t found it yet. If you’re faced with a roadblock and you’re told by someone else (or yourself) that “nothing can be done”, ask yourself “have all of the options been exhausted?” There are almost always a solution that can be determined. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BueD2xvBHZP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=z5chyv5xtpvy

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Do songwriters compose lyrics without a story? Do authors write novels without plots? Is an athlete’s performance stats more engaging than their story? The answer to all of these is no. Messaging matters. Your story matters. It doesn’t matter how fantastic your brand aesthetics are, if the messaging of your organization aren’t clear then you’ve already missed the first at-bat. Defining a clear message begins at the top and weaves its way through the entire organization. If done properly the trickle-down will be effortless and that messaging can be dissected, distilled, and refined for multiple audiences. This will ultimately make your marketing more authentic, you’ll lead with a story, and get closer to your brand advocates from the first touch. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt0xMDJgr0V/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jy2r193ciy0x

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Trust: it’s arguably the key to a great friendship, the foundation of a solid marriage, and the Magic ingredient for any successful marketing team. Basically, it makes all of your relationships, business or personal, happy and productive. With that being said, is trust a vital piece of your marketing strategy? Are you actively trying to build trust with your customers? If trust is so vital to your real world relationships, why would it not be as integral to the relationship your business has with its customer? Short answer is, it is. Truth absolutely necessary if you want qualified customers and want to increase your market share. Trust is the key ingredient to building brand advocates, and brand advocates is the most effective way to expand your reach and build market share. When your building trust with customers, no stone can be left unturned. This means being honest and authentic with your image and presentation. This means keeping that message of honesty loud and clear through the purchasing cycle. This means enabling your customers to easily know the truth of who you are. https://www.instagram.com/p/Btn_mxNBr4h/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6dt9syjbsi98

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Incredibly successful leaders (while being intelligent and seemingly more knowledgeable and superhuman than most) don’t, in fact, know it all. Their successful leadership lies in their ability to delegate, resourcefulness, and knowing best what THEY CAN’T DO. This means they’re self aware and are cognizant of the fact that they don’t know it all. Great leaders know how to hire other great people that they can empower, and more importantly, do a specific task better than they can do themselves. They understand that their success is completely reliant on their team, and if they can make smart hires that are ambitious and knowledgeable that everyone will in turn be lifted. (at Brentwood, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtlwGXIhGpt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dyr5uawfoxuh

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Incredibly successful leaders (while being intelligent and seemingly more knowledgeable and superhuman than most) don’t, in fact, know it all. Their successful leadership lies in their ability to delegate, resourcefulness, and knowing best what THEY CAN’T DO. This means they’re self aware and are cognizant of the fact that they don’t know it all. Great leaders know how to hire other great people that they can empower, and more importantly, do a specific task better than they can do themselves. They understand that their success is completely reliant on their team, and if they can make smart hires that are ambitious and knowledgeable that everyone will in turn be lifted. (at Brentwood, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtlwAD3BzC2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16rg70075p9iv

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Too many times have I sat in a board room or directors meeting and had to sift through unthought and unplanned reactions. All actions and no thought. I also have had to sit through eight hour metric discussions only to come out the other end with no true direction or action items. What is commonly referred to as analysis paralysis. All action and no thought makes for a chaotic culture that makes leaders come off ass completely ego driven and a business perceived as a ship with no clear heading, afloat with no clear destination. All thought and no action makes for a workplace that easily falls into fear, where employees are not empowered and afraid to move forward. It inadvertently stifles innovation, showing that an organization is more interested in sitting still than moving forward and tackling challenges head on. Before you act, put in a little thought. Once you’ve finished your thoughts, put a plan together and act. One is no good without the other. (at Brentwood, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtgTGOgBolF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=49ip9vli8f99

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Some industries, such as traditional healthcare and behavioral health, have been able to coast and not invest in creative or branding relying solely on the demand of their services. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this...however, with markets becoming saturated, additional government regulation, and the ability for consumers to review and call BS at a moments notice it’s never been more important to invest in your brand and creative content. Investing in creative from the get go or when the market is hot will give you the opportunity to differentiate yourself and continue generating leads when others are trying to figure out how to game the system and pull every last drop out of outdated marketing mechanisms. You see, engaging and authentic creative NEVER goes out of style, an algorithm can’t change it, and it can always be updated. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdsXGwBFky/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=bbysm4jwhtm7

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

When two senators (Bill Frist & Lamar Alexander) walk in a room... You podcast!!!! (at Vanderbilt University) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWp287BJMj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1v5pbq3ggz14i

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Capturing some amazing content with Bill Frist this afternoon continuing the discussion on healthcare innovation. (at Vanderbilt University) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWa9XqB_EH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=c7jbnol0c5g7

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

It’s a common misconception that traditional sales and marketing are the same. While the desired outcome of both is similar (more leads) the skill sets used to be successful could not be further from the same. The culture differentiation between the two also needs to be noted. A sales culture will not typically work resonate with a room full of creatives who thrive on collaboration. Likewise, a marketing culture not focused on individual performance and compensation will most definitely not resonate in a sales department. This poses an interesting balancing act for marketing executives who manage both marketing and sales departments. Successful leadership will have a grasp of both skill sets and cultures treating the process and workflow unique for each department. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtV9VnCBCZw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=psyz2a2ys8iz

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

An email blast is the resounding go-to mechanism immediately following a “we need more leads NOW” comment. In theory it sounds like a good idea: low bandwidth, incredibly low cost, and it’s direct to consumer. Sounds easy enough, right? Of course not! If this is how your email list is treated, then it is practically worthless! Do you want to make your email list profitable? Treat it like a relationship nurturing tool, NOT a relationship starting tool. Your email list needs to work in tandem with other brand building exercises: live events, engaging content, and positive customer service interactions. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtLmnPeh8Hj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mymzn0xskp3w

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Excited for one of our clients to be featured on the @panicfilmfest! We had the pleasure of designing their website and crafting their intro music. Go give @horrorvirgin a follow! #Repost @horrorvirgin ・・・ We made it to @panicfilmfest. Just in time to see Nightmare Junkhead do their live podcast! #AlwaysWatching #RoadTrip (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtJwckWhm3C/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1x2q5kkql81yw

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

If the answer is yes, then you’re doing something right. Feeling comfortable and/or complacent in your marketing strategy is the first step in squashing lead generation and ultimately decreasing revenue. When your marketing initiatives are a little scary that means it’s unfamiliar territory for you or more importantly your industry. This awards you the opportunity to do two things: test new concepts to see what really works AND elevate the uniqueness of your brand. (at Brentwood, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtBUxlbhbjI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=d4fk8jcb3jv0

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Go have a gander at @yonder_tables for some incredible craftsmanship. Made by one man, in a shed, with a lot of talent. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs_YYt-h7Ka/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ga5lwmhsgg4g

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

What an amazing experience! Thanks to @surlatable for an incredible Saturday morning! (at Sur La Table) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs0zekQBQ6l/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10tjy17w40ers

[foustcreativeconsulting-blog]

Instead of pitching right out of the gate, try asking how can you help. This is especially important on social platforms like Instagram. Do you know what’s more effective and less time consuming than copy and pasting a canned pitch? First, build a genuine relationship and find out how you can support them. Replace your pitch with support. (at Brentwood, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrX593Fhuc0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=uoou3sva3pcu