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5 STEPS TO GO FROM BROKE TO WOKE

If you’re like most citizens, you’re living from paycheck-to-paycheck, with very little cushion to fall back on. Now, imagine checking your bank account and finding a seven-figure sum. How amazing would that financial freedom feel?

Going from broke to millionaire is possible if you only believe in yourself and persist in your goals. No, I’m not talking about a get-rich-quick scheme. You will have to work for it. But anything is possible if you break down your mental barriers, tap into your creativity and big ideas and back it all up with a plan of action.

Start with these 15 steps and watch your fortune grow. You may find yourself retiring long before your hair turns gray.

1. Desire wealth and dream big.

To become wealthy and successful, you have to think big and dream big. However, more than anything else, you will need a deep hunger and desire to make those dreams a reality. Desiring wealth is the first step. But don’t stop there. As Napoleon Hill wrote in his 1937 bestseller Think and Grow Rich, wishing alone will not bring you riches. You must come up with a plan to achieve your dreams, and back those plans up with persistence.

2. Do what you love.

The fastest route to building wealth is focusing on an area you enjoy, because that way you will naturally work hard and excel at it. Anybody can work a job and earn a paycheck, but accruing substantial wealth requires passion. Do what you love, and work will no longer be work but your obsession. In addition, if you’re passionate about your goal, you’ll feel compelled to see it through. At the very least, your excitement and dedication will show and you’ll be in a better position for promotions and pay increases.

3. Be known for your work ethic.

Self-made millionaires don’t become successful by lying low or being content to work a 9-to-5 job. They put in hard work every day. Successful people think strategically about how to stand out from the rest. How hard is your competition working and how smart are you working by comparison? In other words, how are you differentiating yourself in the marketplace? Are you simply trying to show off, or are you showing up with everything you have and kicking butt? These are the tough questions you need to ask yourself every day if you want to become wealthy.

4. Be decisive.

Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and Charles M. Schwab are among the hundreds of millionaires Hill studied. He found that they all shared one trait: decisiveness. Hill wrote that those who successfully grew their fortunes had the habit of reaching decisions promptly. But if they changed their decisions, they did so slowly or incrementally. Meanwhile, those who failed to accumulate wealth were slow to make decisions but changed their mind—or changed course—quickly. Hill also found that decisiveness is fundamental to defeating procrastination.

5. Use autosuggestion to build your wealth.

Turn a dream into an obsession and that obsession into reality by harnessing the power of autosuggestion. This ability allows you to turn your desire for wealth into a mantra that you’re compelled to follow. Hill wrote about this principle, explaining that it begins with repeating out loud what you want and how you plan to get it. Say this affirmation to yourself as many times as you can every day, so that it seeps into your subconscious. Try something as simple as: “I will set aside money every week so I have one million dollars by the time I retire.” Or, “I will avoid impulse purchases and save more money for a down payment on a house.”

6. Set a budget.

Few of us relish the idea of setting a budget. After all, who wants to set constraints on spending or add up splurges on clothes, gadgets or dinners out? But if you want to increase the cash in your wallet—and, more important, in your bank account—you’ve got to get up close and personal with your spending. And one way to do that is to create good money habits. If you truly feel incapable of setting and sticking to a budget, get help. Find a friend, mentor, significant other or financial guru to help you. Without a budget, you’ll always be at risk for overspending. Worse, you’ll overspend without realising it. Get your financial house in order and you will find your hidden wealth.

7. Cultivate a wealthy state of mind.

Financial freedom starts with a mindset. Cultivate a state of mind in which you constantly visualise your desire for wealth and the plan through which you can attain it. Believing in yourself, your abilities and your fortitude is the cornerstone to this mindset. It may feel scary to put yourself on an unknown path, but having faith in your own person will remove self-inflicted boundaries. A wealthy mindset will set you free to achieve your goals.

8. Focus on needs over wants.

Don’t blow your accumulated wealth on fancy cars and gadgets. Remember that, while wealth offers you financial freedom, it’s not the linchpin to happiness. To amass wealth and keep it, you must focus on what you need and avoid impulse purchases. Resist the urge for instant gratification. It will do you no good in the long run. That luxury watch isn’t a necessity, especially when your car needs new tires and your office printer is broken. And even if you have extra cash, investing it wisely will increase your wealth and bring you closer to your financial goals.

9. Start with small but consistent investments.

Investing wisely will grow your money faster than any savings account ever will. Start small by investing what you can. The sooner you start, the faster you will accumulate for the long term. The key is to invest consistently and automatically. You won’t miss money that you never see, so set your contributions to come out of your accounts on a recurring basis. Investments should be kept separate from an emergency fund, and be put into untouchable accounts that you won’t use for anything else. Take advantage of your employer’s 401(k) plan. Contribute to an IRA (either Roth or traditional). And always be on the lookout for other opportunities to invest.

10. Become an idea machine.

The greatest fortunes all began with an idea. Your ability to achieve success and become wealthy is only limited by your imagination. If you can dream it, you can create it. Ideas are the product of an open, creative, limitless mind. Therefore, be open to all possibilities, and be willing to put in the hard work to develop those ideas. Begin by clearly visualising your idea and goals, and then develop a plan of action.

11. Execute.

Once you have visualised your goal, you need to take action to make it a reality. You have to get organised and move forward quickly. Persistence and enthusiasm are key. If you give up at the first sign of failure, you have been defeated before you’ve even started. Dig deep and find your grit; you’ll need it. If you’re looking to build wealth, start by forming a financial plan to map out where you want your money to go.

12. Practice people skills.

To accrue a fortune, you’re going to need the help of others. You’ll need people to hire you, work for you and be loyal to you through good times and bad. This is why people skills can either make or break your financial success. Don’t underestimate the importance of developing charisma along with your financial strategy. Practice being assertive as well as cooperative. Know when to stand up and be heard, and when to sit back and listen. Have a no-jerk policy: don’t be one, and don’t put up with those who act like one.

13. Associate with smart people.

The people we interact with naturally influence who we are. Their ideas will seep into our own minds and affect us. So make sure the people you associate with are also those you want to emulate and learn from. The more you spend time with creative, intelligent and thought-provoking minds, the more your own mind will pick up on those vibrations. Think of this as developing your “A-Team.” These are the people you’ll tap when brainstorming ideas and searching for solutions.

14. Expand your horizons.

Knowledge gives you the foundation on which to build your success and wealth, and fuels your ability to dream big. It’s no wonder that self-made millionaires spend a great deal of time reading and educating themselves. They know they’re never done learning. Those who have accumulated wealth understand that they must stay one step ahead of everyone else. They recognise that wealth comes from power and power comes from wisdom. Wisdom, then, must be continually sought after. Take Warren Buffett. He estimates that 80 percent of his working day is dedicated to reading.

15. Hone your sixth sense.

Once you have mastered the principles above, you’ll begin to develop a gut instinct you can rely on. Think of it as developing a sixth sense for impending dangers or a nose for opportunities. You’ll develop an intuition for what works and what doesn’t. These instincts will change over time. Listen to them, believe in yourself and watch your fortunes grow.

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22 BAD HABITS TO GIVE UP IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL

 They say success is the meeting between preparation and opportunity. In order to get there, you need to set some ground rules.

 Ultimately, this means that in order to be successful, you should be less focused on the big trophy at the end and much more deliberate with how you spend your time right now. Start setting a routine and building the habits that will lead to success.

 But first, here are the bad habits you need to chuck right now if you want to reach your desired outcome.

 1.    Negative thinking.

 This is where it all starts. Negative behaviours and thoughts will only hold you back. Allowing a contradictory or negative mindset to take hold is like allowing a poison to invade your brain. Don’t do it. Once you’ve started down that path, it’s hard to stop the downward spiral into negativity. Doubt, frustration and depression often follow close behind. The best thing you can do for yourself is to become aware of your triggers. What starts you down a pessimistic road? Once you recognise the triggers, you can stop negative internal dialogue before it has time to bring you down. As soon as you feel yourself slipping into adverse thinking, pivot into the positive.

 2.    Squandering time.

 Texts. Emails. Social media. Television. All great things—and all extremely distracting. Technology is a tremendous resource. It gets you connected and provides access to valuable information. But at the same time, can be super easy to get sucked into diversions and foolishness. We love our gadgets and zoning out in front of the television or gaming console. But what does that really do for you? When your mom told you that you were rotting your brain staring at the TV she had a point. How many successful people do you know who waste hours every day being a couch potato? Stop mindlessly flipping through channels. Stop wasting time obsessively scrolling through social media. Start doing.

 3.    Postponing your personal health.

 You know the excuses: “I’ll go to the gym in the morning.” “I’ll start eating better tomorrow.” “I’ll catch up on my sleep as soon as this project is over.”

The problem is, we keep putting our goals off. And before we know it, we’ve developed an unhealthy habit. The more times in a week you get into the mode of “I’ll do it tomorrow,” the more you embed the bad habit of postponing. Stop dawdling and take charge of your health today.

 4.    Expecting perfection (especially the first time).

 Nothing kills success quicker than the expectation of perfection. Sometimes what you really need is a “good enough for now” solution to get the ball rolling. You have to start with something in order for progress to happen. Stalling while you wait for the perfect idea or the perfect moment will only lead to procrastination. Instead, shift your mindset to expect failure, and learn to keep both eyes out for it. Then take every opportunity you can to learn, improve and refine. You have to begin with something in order to move forward.

 5.    People pleasing.

 Trying to be everything to everyone is a waste of time. The truth is, you should never appease other people if it means severely compromising yourself in the process. Not everyone is going to love and adore you. In fact, that should inspire you to work harder for those who actually “get” you. It’s time to stand up for yourself. Stop trying to justify yourself to everyone and focus on the friends who accept you. Business is just the same. Focus on killing it in your niche market. Focus on those people who are naturally drawn to you and engaged by your product or services. Stay true to yourself, and you’ll end up being more helpful to others.

 6.    Thinking you already know the answer.

 Don’t let your ego kill your opportunities. So many entrepreneurs fail simply because they don’t know what they don’t know. They walk into a new industry or start a company with the confidence that they’ve got it all figured out. This attitude, however, tends to be a fast track to failure. Don’t let your arrogance stand in your way. Believing that you’ve always got the right answer means you will stop asking questions, and in the long run that is both dangerous and limiting. Try talking less and listening more.

 7.    Not reading.

 It doesn’t matter how busy you are; reading is essential. There is so much to be learned from the great minds that have gone before. If you shut books out simply because they’re “boring” or you “don’t have enough time,” you’re doing yourself a disservice. Start the day by reading a good book for just 30 minutes, and you’ll be shocked by the new worlds of information that open up to you. Reading is the cornerstone to learning. Stop learning and you’ll start failing. If you want to achieve your goals, you should invest in the skill of reading.

 8.    Multitasking.

 Recent studies have proven that multitasking isn’t really a thing. You can jump back and forth between two activities, but you can’t juggle both at the same time. The only exception is if one activity is extremely passive, like driving while listening to a podcast. Productivity relies on focus. You need to be present and fix your attention on the information you are receiving in order to act on it or react to it. The minute you try to multitask, you are breaking your concentration and your efficiency drops like a ball you can’t catch in time. All multitasking does is interrupt your flow. Do one thing at a time, and you’ll do it better and faster.

 9.    Fear of failure.

 People tend to view this as a personality trait more than a habit. But like anything else, if you allow the fear of failure to become ingrained, it becomes a difficult habit to break. Every time you avoid doing something because you’re afraid of failing, you’re practicing that bad habit. Instead, practice embracing new challenges without letting worry and anxiety hold you back. After all, failing is part of life. The only true failure is letting fear limit you or prevent you from moving forward. When you fall down (and you will), get back up and keep trying. That’s the only way of breaking free and empowering yourself to fly.

 10. Not keeping promises to yourself and others.

 A promise is a declaration that you will do something or will keep from doing something. It is your word, and it is an integral part of building respect and integrity. Again, keeping or breaking your promises can become a habit. If you get into the habit of constantly breaking your word, that speaks volumes about the type of person that you are. Start with yourself. If you make a promise to yourself, keep it. If you don’t respect your own boundaries and your own internal pact, then why should anyone else? The only thing worse than pushing aside a promise or a pledge to yourself is doing it to someone else. Follow through on your obligations. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Any inconsistency in your word will end up biting you in the long run.

 11. Hanging around negative people.

 Take a look at the people with whom you spend time. Are your friends goal-oriented? Do they have their own passions? Are you pushing each other to be your best, or are they bringing you down with their own issues and insecurities? Who you hang out with has a huge impact on who you become—and ultimately on what you choose to do with your time. Don’t fall into the trap of staying steadfast to people who are flakes or can’t find happiness in anything. Everyone has a bad day, and we all lean on friends when we are going through rough times. But avoid those who are stuck in a persistent state of negativity. They will only bring you down with their sour mindset.

 12. Blaming others for your mistakes.

 Nothing breeds failure faster than blame, especially in a team environment. Blaming others is a bad habit that all too often is picked up by others and becomes destructive. As soon as one team leader does it, secondary leaders feel like it’s okay to do it too. Blame is a virus. It is essentially transferring your sense of guilt or inadequacy to someone else. This habit can ruin a team or a company from the inside because it allows the initial problem to fester. If you don’t accept your missteps, you will never learn the important lessons that can prevent future mistakes and lead to growth. You can put an end to blame spreading simply by owning your mistakes. It may feel painful to admit your blunder. But by taking on an attitude of “the blame stops here,” you will earn people’s respect and appreciation.

 13. Saying yes to too many things.

 Some entrepreneurs find it difficult to say no to things, which ends up causing chaos in their lives. When you say yes to things you don’t really want to do, or you don’t have the time to do, you aren’t doing anyone a favour. If you let obligations rule your life and regularly spread yourself too thin, you will end up grouchy, exhausted and constantly underperforming. Saying yes to many things devalues your time, and wastes the time of the other person, who is going to expect you to keep your word. Learn to just say no.

 14. Overspending and undersaving.

 Whether we’re talking about personal finances or the finances of a company, fiscal responsibility is a foundation that every person needs to master. It’s a bad habit to start spending money you don’t have, and an even worse habit to make decisions based on money not yet in the bank.

Being unable to budget will leave you scrambling in the long run. What happens when you lose your job or you or someone you care for gets sick and can’t work? Remember, rainy days are ahead. Financial well-being gives you the ability to take advantage of opportunities and provides you with a sense of financial security. Why spend your valuable energy constantly worrying about how you will pay your bills? If you overspend and undersave, you are setting yourself up for an anxiety-ridden lifestyle, in which you are driven by your desire (and need) to make more money rather than your desire to achieve your goals and dreams in life.

 15. Seeking validation.

 As soon as you start making decisions out of a need for validation, as opposed to doing what’s right or what provides people the most value, you’ve set yourself up for failure. Validation is fleeting and doesn’t actually get you anywhere. If your desire to be seen as successful overpowers your hunger to attain success, you might as well pack your bags. Success doesn’t always come with approval from those around you. And some of the most successful people shy away from recognition because they are driven more by their own sense of purpose than by what others think of them. In the long run, knowing that you’ve achieved your goals and done your best should give you all the sense of accomplishment and validation you need.

 16. Forgetting the long-term vision.

 Short-sighted decisions lead to short-term victories, and may not get you any closer to your long-term goals. If you’re thinking solely about tomorrow, you’re going to continue working like mad to stay alive just one more day, every day. And that is a sure fire recipe for burnout. You should always be working toward your long-term vision. That is your greatest tool for success because it gives you the perspective to look into the future and envision where you want to go and how you want to get there. It helps you be strategic about which sacrifices today will pay dividends in the years to come. Without long-term vision, you’ll be stuck in the grind forever.

 17. Staying too loyal.

 Loyalty is an admirable trait. We should all operate in good faith and with the best of intentions.  But loyalty should never supersede logic or reality. For instance, retaining negative or unproductive people out of a sense of loyalty is harmful to both your company and yourself. Sure, give people time. Help them through their current difficulties, or be willing to teach and nurture them. But at some point, if they aren’t cut out for the job, you have to let them go. Otherwise you’re just dragging around dead weight that will ultimately drag you down too.

 18. Being reactive instead of proactive.

 Your days cannot be dictated by what’s coming at you. There will always be another meeting, another fire to put out or another task to tend to. These everyday burdens must not bog you down to the point that you become myopic. Rather, always weigh your options and consider what your best course of action is. If all you are doing is reacting, you are in a sinking boat, so busy bailing yourself out that you have no time to row. Don’t blame circumstances or conditions for curtailing your objectives. Things always come up, and you’ll just have to deal with them. You have to make conscious decisions about what you are doing rather than float from one thing to the next. Know your goals for each day, and let those drive you. Take care of everything else as best you can, but recognize that you must stay mindful of your purpose and be thoughtful about how you proceed.

 19. Showing up late.

 We all run behind sometimes. It happens. But nobody likes to be constantly kept waiting. It’s unproductive, impolite and sets the wrong tone. You come off as disorganised and incompetent—hardly the image you want to project.

Try setting an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to leave for your appointment or meeting. Resist the urge to fit one more thing into your schedule. Instead, cultivate the habit of showing up 15 minutes early. We live in an age where we can work from our mobile devices. Worst case scenario, you can always kill those 15 minutes by responding to emails.

 20. Not clearing your mind.

 The daily stress and pressures of this world pile up fast and can easily weigh you down if you’re not careful. If you don’t make time to take care of your mental health, it will catch up with you. We all need a way to relieve stress. No one can grind 24–7, 365 days a year. We aren’t robots. And besides, even robots need maintenance. You need to take an hour here or an evening there to just unwind. Clear your head. Go for a walk. Try meditating for 15 or 30 minutes a day, and you will see amazing results in your focus and productivity. Stepping away can often give you a better perspective on whatever obstacle or problem you are facing.

 21. Poorly managing your social life.

 Humans are social animals; it’s in our DNA. Having no social life isn’t healthy because it leaves you without an outlet or a way of connecting with others. Having too much of a social life isn’t good either, as you’ll likely be distracted, unfocused and unable to see your goals clearly. You need to find a balance that works for you. The intention should be to find people with whom you enjoy socialising. We all need friends who will listen to us and console us. We need our tribe, who will have our back no matter what. But be careful who you let into your life and how much energy you devote to them. Remember that there is a difference between building lasting friendships and tumbling into social overload.

 22. Letting your mistakes get in the way of your future wins.

 Finally, don’t let what has happened before drive what hasn’t yet happened. Certainly you should take the time to reflect and learn from your mistakes. But don’t let fear of failure hold you back or dictate how you proceed. And, most important of all, don’t shy away from opportunities just because you failed before. If you are constantly walking in the shadow of your self-doubt, you will never step into the sunshine. Let go of your past and grab hold of your future. Believing in yourself is the first step on the path to success.

Article by Deep Patel.

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10 HABITS THAT COMPANIES CAN LEARN FROM CELEBRITIES

During my high school days, I had posters of Will Smith (and some half-naked female celebrities) strategically projected on my bedroom wall. I knew, at the back of my mind, that I would never meet them in real life – even if I did – they wouldn’t know who I was. But that’s just one case. My point here is this; we get attached to celebrities the same way we get attached to companies.

Just to give you context; when Brangelina (now just Brad and Angelina) broke up, the world was taken aback. I’m sure you know the story: Angelina filed for divorce on September, 2016. The couple had been together 12 years, though only married for two, and share six children. On top of that, they were the most beautiful pairing on the planet (according to…I don’t know).

But what captured my attention was the fact that being a celebrity is tough because you have to build, protect, and maintain your reputation. Similarly, whether you are an organisation or an individual, the sooner you understand that you have a corporate image that has to be properly developed and managed, the better off you will be.

For both celebrities and companies, having a reputable brand administers the way the rest of the world reflects about you. The right image creates a bond of trust between you and the fans or audience. It further enables you to achieve your goals, and boost your earnings. That’s why it’s important to always brand yourself before others do.

In the world of social media and trolls, it’s actually difficult to protect and maintain a good reputation for both celebrities and companies. It is against this backdrop that I decided to pen the following 10 habits that companies can learn from celebrities when it comes to branding and public image.

1.    Don’t ignore social media!

Celebrities have realised that social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives these past few years. For musicians like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Cassper Nyovest; Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are great ways to interact with fans and update them with their latest news, concert tour dates, and general thoughts. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

I believe that establishing your company’s brand and staying above the fray is all encompassing, time consuming and a lot of hard work. However, don’t forget the importance of creating a social media strategy that represents your company, your values and culture. In fact, you need to create an engaging social media plan from the beginning to grow your presence. A good execution strategy for social media will allow you to establish your identity and credibility in your industry, share your story and position your CEO as a thought leader and pioneer.

Your company needs to dedicate time to directly engage with your followers, answer questions, share information and include them in the conversation. The better you understand what works (and doesn’t work) via social media, the better you will be at using it as part of your media relations efforts, just like how celebrities do. Don’t learn how to use social media by listening to others, but rather learn by doing it yourself (all the leading experts on social media will tell you this).

2.    Make some time for the fans!

Celebrities understand that engagement is more important than developing a large amount of followers or a large fan base because in a current environment where segmented audiences are becoming more-and-more important, making a connection with someone who is directly interested with their brand is much more important than having a large following that may not do anything further with the brand. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

While it has become a buzz word loosely used, ‘engagement’ is important for several reasons. For one, it is a way that your company can maintain and foster relationships with its existing market. When they see that you have taken the time to notice them and hear what they have to say, your audience will realise that they are important to you and you value them, making them more likely to remain happy with your company.

Additionally, once your audience realises that you are engaging with them, they are likely to give you further insight on what you are doing well and what you could improve on since you have made it clear that they have your attention. This is especially helpful for your company because learning genuine pieces of information from your consumers is always important, and it gives you a better idea of where you stand and what you could do differently.

3.    Use multimedia to frame your story!

Celebrities live colourful lives. They understand the importance of visuals. That’s why, when they communicate, their stories are frequently accompanied by relevant and colourful visuals that always resonate with their fans. For example, think about Beyoncé and her pregnancy announcement. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

We’ve all heard the cliché, “a picture tells a thousand words”, but there is real value in using images to promote content. Images help us learn, images grab attention, images explain tough concepts, and inspire. Human beings are visual creatures. A large percentage of the human brain dedicates itself to visual-processing. Our love of images lies with our cognition and ability to pay attention. Images are able to grab our attention easily, we are immediately drawn to them. So if that’s the case, why do companies keep getting it wrong?

It is high time companies acknowledge multimedia just like how celebrities do. Come to think of it, multimedia journalism is the biggest trend in the media environment, it’s safe to assume that multimedia is an emerging trend. If your company is not already using images and video to promote content, you need to urgently do something about it.

No more long-drawn-out and verbose press releases. This means that you must have attractive, generic infographics to accompany your story that would work for the publishing environments the journalist is producing content for. This means that your company spokesperson needs to be experienced in doing interviews for podcasts, Skype or via Periscope. These are now factors you should consider before pitching a journalist.

Above all, you should regularly be thinking, “Can we communicate this topic visually for readers of the target media outlet?” If so, provide that information with your pitch – or at least offer to produce multimedia content as part of your pitch.  More importantly, have an on-the-ball team and not a bunch of content marketers who, in a modern version of marketing and communication myopia, seem to think that their reason for existence is to create content. No! Please don’t bore us. Rather, communicate with clients and sell stuff. Your company needs to be woke so that your content can be on fleek.

4.    Protect your reputation!

Celebrities are aware that there has never been a more critical time in history to proactively manage their reputation. Going back to the Brangelina example I made earlier, though the divorce shook Hollywood, Brad and Angelina burnt both ends of the candle to protect their reputation. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Companies who aren’t taking an aggressive approach to managing their reputation could be setting themselves up for costly problems.

Firstly, stay away from online arguments. It’s quite easy to get sucked into this, but even if you’re technically right, you might lose out overall by just coming across as petty, harsh or unprofessional. Worse yet, you might actually be wrong – and once you get emotionally riled up – you could end up saying and doing things that damage your reputation.

Secondly, if you or your company messes up, fails or otherwise does something wrong, own up to it and make a genuine apology to those who have been affected. Being real and transparent in apologising can go far toward diffusing a situation and moving the process along toward reconciliation or, at least, toward making a crisis situation come to a close.

5.    Beef up your media contacts!

Celebrities are in constant contact with the entertainment media because they understand the power of publicity. The more coverage they receive, the more fans they get – which ultimately (depending on the field) translates into sales. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Make contact with the media who cover your industry and then offer to become a trusted source. More importantly, the relationship does not cease after you have had your company's news covered. How a company engages with media outlets or journalists after a story has been reported, may hurt or help future outreach as much as the first pitch does. A brief email that thanks the journalist is polite, as is sharing the post (and additional posts) with your social media networks.

As such, it’s vital to frequently contact the media to have sustainable relationships. In addition, your marketing and communications team can host informal events to educate the media about your company, its leadership and services. Important to note, nowadays media include bloggers and influencers. Those are the types of people that your company should mingle with.

These informal events include media luncheons/breakfasts which could be hosted at either restaurants or at private dining establishments, sports or cultural events. These would not be cost intensive or require extensive support. Again, it is important to reiterate that these events should be seen as causal relationship-building exercises and not necessarily as a ‘media sales tool’.

6.    Be persistent!

Celebrities understand that determination got them where they are and, at the same time, it does not mean that now that they have reached stardom, they can settle. Instead, they are always looking for more and new opportunities to grow their brand. Take Dr Dre, DJ Sbu and P-Diddy for example, three artists who stretched themselves and ventured into business. They epitomise persistence and determination. They kept on knocking and knocking until they received their breakthroughs. These three know how to work with the media and the media trusts them and their brands. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Does an entrepreneur ever stop selling the product? Are they willing to think outside the box to make a sale? The same rule exists when it comes to contacting members of the press, many of whom are on deadline and under immense pressure to drive ratings and readership. While you never want to inundate members of the media with emails and phone calls, a simple reminder note never hurt anyone. Your story may not be top of mind on Monday morning, but it could be at the top of the to-do list come Friday.

While the concept of being persistent may seem rather basic, in actuality persistence is a multifaceted component of a person’s motivation and drive. Persistence will accentuate the positive, downplay the negative, and guide those who embrace it toward success.

7.    Be woke – stay relevant!

Celebrities tend to comment on social, economic and political issues. While some celebrities have no idea what they are talking about, some are actually well-versed in various topics. During the #FeesMustFall strike here in South Africa, some celebrities showed support through their tweets, while some of them actually took to the streets in solidarity with the students. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

This is quite a tricky one, but when executed strategically, it resonates with a lot of people. Take Nandos for example. The franchise is always jumping on the trends that resonate with their audience. At the same time, you don’t want to find yourself being offensive and out of order – resulting in your company’s reputation being shattered.

So, what do I mean by being ‘woke’? Try to know and have the latest of everything relevant to you.

Someone once asked me how to capitalise on news and trends to promote their business. My response was simple: keep a close eye on the news. Look at what is being talked about in your industry and come up with a couple of hot topics you can be an expert on. I also suggest that you set up Google Alerts to keep up with trends.

More importantly, only promote content or send a press release if it is newsworthy, otherwise you are wasting everyone’s time. Put yourself in the shoes of the journalist – would you write about it?

8.    Be available on request!

Celebrities understand the importance of publicity, that’s why they avail themselves when it comes to managing their public image. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

In a perfect world, you would be able to generate exactly the media coverage you want for your company, in exactly the way you want it. You would be able to schedule interviews and press events on your own timeline with journalists who understand the value of your work and effectively communicate it to their audiences. There would never be a crisis in need of a response, and you would never be misquoted.

However, you live in the real world, and it is likely that you will receive requests for interviews or comments when you least expect them. If your company is prepared to respond to these requests, you can substantively improve the chances of getting good coverage that spreads your messages accurately and further builds public trust.

But it all starts with having a spokesperson available. There’s nothing more exasperating for the media than to ask for comment just to find out that your company does not have someone to talk on the matter. Even worse, a matter that you pitched. As such, always have someone on stand-by who can be flexible to respond to media requests. Remember: the media does not forget! Screw them once and it’s over for you.

9.    Brag about your strides and achievements!

Celebrities brag! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have given celebrities far-reaching platforms through which they can connect with their fans, either to promote new projects or to let their fans know what they’re up to. All this could be considered useful, since many fans appreciate the access given to them through social media. At the end of the day, it’s called bragging. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Have your company been nominated? Brag! Are you moving into refurbished offices? Brag! Did your company win an award? Brag! Is your company being listed or venturing abroad? Brag! Have you landed a new client? Brag!

Like I said earlier on, we get attached to companies the same way we get attached to celebrities. The more I hear and see that your company is doing well, the more interested I become and the more I learn about it. Trust me, every milestone is a marketing opportunity. It’s a chance to tell your story to your customers and your employees. It’s an occasion to get publicity, and it gives you a reason to make a splash and to raise awareness of your business.

Anytime you have a major milestone, include your customers to allow them to celebrate with you. When you have a smaller landmark, celebrate with your employees. Include the press when you have a significant achievement and gain some publicity. The press loves stories where a company gives back to the community. So use these occasions to get public recognition. If you do so, you will have happier employees; happier customers and your business will grow.

10. Hire a PR/brand nanny!

Celebrities are busy (at least most of them) and this means that they need a PR team that can constantly guide them when it comes to maintaining their public image. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Revisiting the Brangelina story, Page Six reported that – two weeks after the divorce – Angelina Jolie had begun reaching out to top Hollywood PR Specialists and Image Consultants for help in rehabbing her image. If you ask me, she was supposed to do that way before the saga. As high-powered divorce lawyer Raoul Felder once said, “Hiring a P.R. person after the crisis is like going for a check-up after you’ve already had the heart attack.”

So try and avoid being in Jolie’s situation. Be smart about publicity. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone, you can hire a PR professional. That said, you need to make sure they are a great match for your company and are excited about your plans.

A good PR firm (or consultant) will help you establish a strong identity, effectively communicate your story to the right people, create thought leadership opportunities for your CEO and establish an engaging social-media programme. They will build your brand, help you stand out, increase your visibility and get you in front of decision-makers.

Though PR is not cheap, paying for an external provider of PR and marketing pays off in many ways. While you may well be able to manage your online presence and market your promotions, PR and Communication Specialists are generally very well-informed about your market and have access to all the right people and publications. They are professionals in writing and putting strategies together that have been proven to increase exposure.  

@cuemanbeing

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BE A SPONGE

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it made the PR pro. Whether you’re just starting out or if you’ve been in the business for years, it’s incumbent upon you to constantly learn in order to stay on top of your industry. Never stop being curious.

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HOW TO GET CRAZY PRODUCTIVE

The average person has 70,000 thoughts each day, and if you don’t learn to organise them, they have the potential to wreak havoc on your productivity. When you succumb to the flurry of thoughts running through your head, your mind becomes disorganised, and the more you ruminate on intrusive thoughts, the more power you give them. Most of our thoughts are just that—thoughts, not facts. When you find yourself believing the negative, distracting, and pessimistic things your inner voice says, it’s very hard to slow down the momentum of your thoughts. In a recent study conducted at the National Institute on Aging, it was found that allowing your mind to be disorganised doesn’t just feel bad, it’s also actually bad for you. A disorganised mind leads to high stress, chronic negativity, and impulsivity. These states stifle productivity and contribute to a slew of health problems, including weight gain, heart disease, sleep problems, and migraine headaches. Here are five steps that I use to organise and declutter my mind, find flow, and keep myself on track for a productive day. Step 1: Find the Right Amount of Challenge in What You Do When you’re trying to get work done, it’s easy to lose focus and succumb to intrusive thoughts when the task at hand is too challenging or too easy. We thrive on a healthy challenge—something that simulates us without being so difficult that it produces anxiety or so simple that it induces boredom. When you consciously and carefully choose a task, you greatly increase your chance of achieving flow. Step 2: Take Control of Your Emotions While it’s impossible to control how things make you feel, you have complete control over how you react to your emotions. First, you need to be honest with yourself about what you are feeling and why you are feeling it. From there, it’s much easier to channel the emotion into producing the behavior that you want. The key is to identify and label your emotions as you experience them. Associating words with what you are feeling makes the emotion tangible and less mysterious. This helps you to relax, figure out what’s behind your emotion, and move forward. If you try to stifle your emotions and tackle your work without addressing them, they will slowly eat away at you and impair your focus. Step 3: Sustain Your Focus We all know that frustrating feeling of sitting down to tackle something important, only to quickly lose focus when we expected to dive right into the task. It takes time for your mind to become fully immersed in an activity. Studies have shown that it takes five to twenty minutes before people start to focus. If you can force yourself to persist in the activity in spite of any distractions for twenty minutes, the chances are much higher that you will be able to sustain your focus and find a state of flow. The best way to do this is to put away or turn off all of your typical distractions (phones, e-mail, social media), then keep an eye on the clock until you’ve done nothing but your task for a good 20 minutes, even if you aren’t getting much done. Chances are that things will really start cooking for you once you hit the twenty-minute mark. Step 4: Take Breaks Our brains and bodies simply aren’t wired for prolonged periods of work. While it might seem as though sitting at your desk for eight hours straight is the best way to get all of your work done, this can work against you. Research has shown that the most productive work cycle tends to be fifty-two minutes of uninterrupted work, followed by seventeen-minute breaks. While it probably isn’t realistic to structure your schedule this rigidly, for most people, the battle is won by just remembering to take breaks. Just be certain to pepper several short breaks throughout your day. Step 5: Shift Sets Once you’ve taken a break, you must shift your focus back to your task. No matter how “in the zone” you were before taking a break, you’ll sometimes find that you’re back to square one when it comes to focus. To do a proper set shift, you have to reorganise your thoughts by following steps one through four above, especially if you’re having trouble diving back into the task. You’ll find that getting back into flow quickly after a break is very doable, but it must be done purposefully. Bringing It All Together Organising your mind to experience flow isn’t particularly difficult, but it does require attention and monitoring. Lean on these five steps any time you need to get more done. @cuemanbeing

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FIVE TIPS ON HANDLING CHURCH CRISIS MANAGEMENT (PR 101) 2016 saw some nine scandals involving South African churches, pastors and/or people involved in church affairs. Nothing prepared me for the unpreparedness that preceded the precipitous media and public relations panic that followed. As such, I thought I should draft five key guidelines on how to handle church drama in the public. 1. Your senior pastor must step aside The pastor is well-suited delivering the Good News behind the pulpit and not talking to the media. Journalists are brutal and can easily rip the pastor apart like nothing happened. In this case, you need to assemble a team of 10 people who will think like reporters. After that, select a deacon, not even an elder, who will be the ONLY person to do media interviews. The ideal spokesperson does not need to be the most Holy-Ghost-filled person, it needs to be a born-again deacon with confidence and can speak the English language without any hurdles. Once the spokesperson has been identified, he/she needs to be thoroughly prepared. Ensure that you prepare at least 20 questions you might get from the media. It’s important to write down the worst questions you hope and pray they don’t ask. Why? Because you can be sure those are the questions you’ll hear. Ensure that everyone agrees that taking responsibility or ownership of a situation, being out in front of the crowds, and being forthcoming about either what you did or what you’re going to do to prevent the problem from happening again. 2. Drop everything and respond immediately The faster you react and respond, the quicker you deny a crisis the chance to ramp up and get out of control. If you fail to respond immediately, it always appears as if you are hiding something. So here’s what needs to happen: • The church must acknowledge the problem immediately, • The church must engage empathetically with the public, and • The church must answer questions from the media as honestly as possible. Ensure that you also provide numerous ways for people to be exposed to your apology as well as to realise that you are taking this crisis seriously. If you write a great press release but only post it on your church or ministry Web site, then you are increasing your risks. Go all out. 3. We’re not in heaven yet, talk like a human being Whether in the wrong or otherwise, the church always has to apologise – it’s biblical. Be the matured one. Apologise sincerely, thoroughly, and clearly. There is no substitute for a well-crafted, thoughtful, and sincere apology. If you are guilty, say so without a lemon in your mouth. Let the public sense that you are genuinely sorry for your insensitivity and the hurt you’ve caused (assuming you really are). You will begin to diffuse the problem if they sense you are nonchalant. If not, you are simply pouring gasoline on the fire (and further damaging the church’s reputation). So ensure that you build a strong emotional bond with everyone. 4. Don’t frown upon social media Listen here, church folks; most people form their impressions based on limited information or others’ opinions. Factual information is not enough for the public to form an opinion. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a company’s social media channels to see their response to something happening and been greeted with nothing. I’m forced to look elsewhere for details. You need to be the one responding and handing out accurate information. Your church needs to be on social media. In addition, your senior pastor needs to be on, and active, on social media. Once there, don’t respond to everyone, just monitor the situation. The only response you should do is when directing the public to the media statement. 5. Don’t brush it off next week Sunday When we get to church next week Sunday, don’t take us for fools. This is when the senior pastor needs to take the pulpit and explain what is going on, what was done, and what can be done to avoid such a crisis next time. It’s important to give a lot of details to the church to ensure that everyone is on the same page (even though some of the media will attend church that following Sunday). The congregation receives the Food of Life from the church, and they deserve to know the full story. They should also be informed about how to handle incoming queries. The senior pastor must announce that there is only one designated spokesperson and funnel everything through him/her. The sooner you nail down protocol, the better. I know this situation can be emotionally draining, chaotic and sometimes ungodly. But do your best to outrun, outthink, and outmanoeuvre those who are spreading negativity about your church. It might just help you flip this into a positive experience. What is essential, even at this late stage, is direct, honest and authentic communication with everyone. @cuemanbeing

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WHERE WAS FORD’S PR TEAM?

How will Ford recover from the crisis around its Kuga model, regain its reputation, credibility, competitive position, attract new customers and retain old ones, and be welcomed back into the fold, with their reputation restored?

Ford and companies of its ilk should be heartened by the fact that most people, particularly customers, tend to be forgiving, especially where there has been no malice or a deliberate attempt to sabotage or deceive.

However, what is important is how quickly they own up to mistakes and do whatever it takes to put things right and rebuild the broken trust. After all, trust takes years to build, and moments to destroy.

While a corporate executive, I too was behind the scenes in high-stakes crisis situations. I have said a little prayer for Ford Kuga owners, the deceased’s family and the company as they struggle to rebuild the battered trust barometer.

Just to recap: we know that Ford‘s reputation in South Africa is in tatters because of how it handled the communication around how 48 Ford Kuga utility vehicles burst into flames and a motorist died while trapped inside his burning vehicle.

The first step for any organisation is to anticipate possible crises and create action plans. Every organisation should have a crisis plan and ensure that the bosses at mahogany row and employees know their parts. We know that once the crisis hits, the organisation or company’s leader must immediately step up and demonstrate strong leadership.

Let us all agree that any company’s communicators are the antennae of its operation. That does not mean corporate communicators should be the only department doing that. It is sound business to build a culture that encourages the long view, where employees - in Ford’s case, the mechanics and engineers - are encouraged to anticipate issues and bring them to the fore.

Communicators concur that the big challenge in crisis and reputation and planning is sorting through all the information to end up with usable intelligence to prevent an escalating crises because, indeed, proactive crisis management and mitigation includes a more deliberate process of identifying risks and issues early and managing them before they escalate to crisis levels.

Speed is everything

Of course, every corporate executive knows that when dealing with a crisis that impacts a company’s reputation, speed is everything. What must Ford do to recover from the crisis and regain its reputation and credibility? How can every chief executive, corporate executive, ensure crisis management procedures are in place and well maintained, and capturing and sharing lessons learned by senior management from the Ford fiasco?

To rebuild the trust and maintain a sustainable future after a crisis or disaster, companies and organisations must recognise more and more that crisis management must be an institutionalised culture.

Best practice shows that integrating issues and risk management with crisis management enhances organisational resilience and vigilance. However, it’s a pity that risk management, crisis management and business continuity are often managed independently by different functions. This lack of co-ordination often generates gaps and or overlaps in processes, which reduce overall effectiveness. Who knows this is what happened at Ford.

To provide an integrated approach to crisis anticipation, prevention, mitigation and recovery, it is essential to assign ownership of the communication to a departmental custodian and embed it into corporate management planning and culture.

Enough with the background on crisis management procedures. How can Ford or any company facing a similar crisis regain trust and be welcomed back into the fold with their reputation restored?

It is critical that Ford delivers on its promises, whatever they are. The company must step forward to offer customers something substantial that demonstrates regret and desire to win back their loyalty. Give them something they don’t expect and do it as soon as possible.

The quickest way to erode trust is to say things and then not follow through with your actions. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than vice-versa.

If you are unable to keep your promise - for whatever reason - then being upfront and transparent about this can still be a trustworthy act.

Also, trying to pass the buck and avoid responsibility rarely wins any business or company any points. A brand is a promise, and reputation is all about keeping that promise. This is what customers expect.

Here another important point: Never, under any circumstances, underestimate a customer’s intelligence. Once a bad experience happens, as company, it’s your job to make up for it with the best service possible. Then, a customer can tell people that you made it right.

While no one can completely prevent a crisis, everyone has the chance to handle it well and maintain loyal customers. Even in a situation like the Ford Kuga debacle, where people have clearly been upset, any company or organisation has a chance to recover.

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WRITERS AND COMMUNICATORS IN 2017

Although a handful of people are no longer interested in pledging to make New Year’s resolutions, there are some goals that Writers and Communicators should always subscribe to.

1)    BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER

Last year I lost my laptop that was half backed-up. I don’t want to talk about it. All I know is that you don’t want to be in my position. Therefore, place this at the top of your list. Please, don’t put your hard work at risk, folks. Back it up. Do it now!

2)    NO MORE VERBOSENESS

In today’s digital world, the challenge is no longer finding the information we need, but has, instead, become finding information that is presented in a clear and easily-digestible format. Keep your earned and owned content concise and to the point to help position yourself and as a true specialist in your space. Consequently, whether you’re speaking out loud or writing thoughts down, it pays to be brief.

3)    READ MORE

It’s not a cliché, just do it; read more. “Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that,” Stephen King said so. Essentially, if we always keep a book handy, there are plenty of opportunities to read, as long as we learn to take satisfaction in small sips as well as in long swallows.

4)    DISRUPT

The communication industry is evolving more rapidly than ever as it offers bags of opportunities to test out new tools, services and platforms. Additionally, well-rounded, integrated communication programmes are becoming more-and-more popular with clients. As such, try and challenge yourself to learn something new this year, and encourage your team members to do the same. The more disruptive and knowledgeable you are as a team, the more impressive and valuable you’ll appear to your clients and target market.

5)    TELL SOMEBODY WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON

I advocate this for a number of reasons. Firstly, you’ll be drawing a line in the sand. When you tell somebody you’re writing a book, they will not forget. They’ll ask you how the book is coming along. Frequently. This makes you accountable to actually write the damn thing, which can provide some additional motivation to get your butt in a chair and start typing.

You’ve got yourself to blame if things don’t work out. All the best for 2017!

@Cuemanbeing

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LEARN THESE 10 LESSONS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE Keep your head down and your nose to the grindstone. That’s what a lot of us were taught to believe about work. But is it really the best strategy? I find that people often take this sort of advice to heart — and then learn too late in their careers that there’s more to life (and success) than just keeping busy. I’ve gathered up my top 10 lessons you should take to heart now, before it’s too late! 1) Life is short. Here’s the thing: Life is too short to put up with a job you hate, a boss who demeans you, or a company with no soul. Many people convince themselves that they can put up with a job or career situation that makes them unhappy because they need the income, because they don’t know if they can find another job, or for some other reason. But the truth is none of us knows how long we have on this earth, and spending too much of it in a bad situation will only make you miserable and regretful. If you’re in this situation, take a step today — no matter how small — toward a better situation. 2) Social networks matter. You might think that networking events are dull, that it’s boring to chat with coworkers around the watercooler, or that you’re simply a born introvert, but study after study confirms that social networks are vital to our success. In fact, the most successful people tend to have the broadest and most diverse social networks. The more time and effort you put into nurturing your social networks, the more successful you are likely to be. 3) Sacrificing your health for success or wealth isn’t worth it. Many driven, successful people have a hard time creating work/life balance and can end up burning out or developing serious health problems from stress and overwork. The truth is, it’s much easier to stay healthy than to heal from a problem or disease — and no amount of success or money can replace your health. Don’t take your health for granted and take steps to mitigate stress that could cause problems later. 4) None of the best moments of your life will take place looking at a screen. In our connected world, it’s tempting to let all the little screens we have access to dictate our lives. But you’ll never reach the end of your life wishing you’d spent more time checking email on your phone. Disconnect regularly and experience real life. 5) Never stop learning. With the rate at which technologies are changing today, if you decide that you are “done” learning, you will be left behind within a matter of years, if not sooner. The idea that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is blatantly false, and you will never wake up and regret having invested in your mind by learning something new. 6) Diversify. Hand in hand with learning, if you stick to only doing what you know, or what you are good at, you may quickly find that you’re only good at one thing. We need to be agile, nimble, and interested in many different things. Otherwise, you could get stuck in a job or career you don’t love, or that goes with the times. Think of the taxi driver threatened by Uber or the customer service person replaced by a chatbot. 7) You can go fast alone, but you can go farther together. In other words, teamwork makes the dream work. Many people claim they don’t like to work in teams, but the ability to work well in teams is vital if you want to succeed. The idea of the solo auteur is a myth; every big idea needs a team to make it happen. 8) Worrying doesn’t achieve anything. The antidote to fear and anxiety is action and hustle. If you’re wasting time because you’re afraid to pursue an idea, speak up, or are worried what others will think of you, you won’t achieve your goals. If you push through the worry and the fear, however, and take action, you’ll almost always find that you were worried about nothing. 9) Failure is not an end. If you give up when you fail, you’ll never learn anything. Instead, look at failure as an opportunity, as the beginning of a new journey. If you do, you’re much more likely to try again and succeed at something else. 10) Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So many people put off their happiness; they think, “I’ll be happy when I get that job, when I lose that weight, when I’m in a relationship, when I’m out of a relationship…” and so on. But we can choose to be happy. Happiness is a habit and a choice. No matter what your situation, if you can approach it with an attitude of happiness, you will be more successful. What other advice would you add to this list? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below. @cuemanbeing

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BILLBOARDS; COMPANIES KEEP GETTING IT WRONG!

The fact that your company has advertising budget does not, in any way, mean that you must annoy us with your unrealistic, unreasonable, and uninspiring billboards that lack creativity. A billboard that has more than nine words is no longer a billboard – it’s a press release.

While “everything is going digital” nowadays, billboards, on the other hand, aren’t going anywhere. Check out The Arbitron National In-Car Study and it’ll reveal to you that billboards still provide an effective channel for reaching the masses. The sad part is that companies, most of them, are failing to capitalise on this strategic opportunity.

Here are a few tips to get this right:

1.     A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!

Find a celebrated designer who can put together a dynamic image that can tell it all. Undoubtedly, a vibrant image can be your spokesperson as opposed to using words. Just make sure that the image really does make an impact in five seconds or less. You can test this by sharing your concept and asking your colleagues to view it for only a few seconds. If they smile or smirk, you nailed it! If you get a dissimilar response, you might want to try again.

2.   WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING VERBOSE?

It’s a billboard for crying out loud. Though your target audience might be stuck in traffic, they only have five seconds to gander upon your billboard. So use less words. While most people recommend nothing more than seven words, I think you can get away with nine. And what’s up with billboards covered with website addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses? Stop using a billboard as a direct-response medium, ‘tis not! Your message needs to be brief, bold and bright. Repeat after me: brief, bold and bright.

3.   BE CREATIVELY DISRUPTIVE!

You really need to stand out. If it means collaborating with another company in one billboard, do so. People are tired of seeing the same stuff. Use this to your advantage. Disrupt the status quo. Your billboard must convey a message in an entertaining or clever manner as opposed to having a crowded message with various fonts and colours, leaving us with a splitting headache. Stop that!

4.   RESEARCH YOUR LOCATION

Once all is set and done, consider the location where your design will be displayed and use that environment for a creative message. Know your business. Know your audience. Make sure all texts in your design are printed in clean, bold font to ensure the best readability for your audience. The larger the font, the more time your target audience has to read and understand your message at a distance.

In summary, billboards are quite effective, but your marketing team has to do it right. If your brand, product or service is so complex that you can’t make a nine-word impression, please, stay away from billboards.

@Cuemanbeing

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HANDLING REJECTION LIKE A BOSS

While failure and disappointment are a regular feature of ordinary life, no matter how successful someone may be, nothing can be as frustrating as putting in a great deal of time and energy into a proposal only to be faced with complete silence on the other end.

You can have the most textbook idea and something that looks utterly perfect on paper, only to find that you never get the attention you have been looking for. It can be frustrating, but let me share my ideas on how I cope with media rejection – making the most of the situation you have been dealt.

DON’T LET IT DEFINE YOU

Fail fast and get over it, they say. Rejection is everyone’s occurrence. No one is perfect and that’s the beauty of it. Keep things in perspective and remember that you’re much more than a project or even a career.

TURBO-CHARGE YOURSELF AND TRY AGAIN

Rejection doesn’t mean that you’re done with the problem. Challenge yourself to find alternative approaches. Odds are you will find a stronger, more creative solution than you did originally.

KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO STOP FOLLOWING UP

Sometimes a follow up can help. However, there are few situations where multiple follow ups can help you. If you have not heard back from the person and already followed up, you need to know when to stop.

Fam, while it can be frustrating to deal with rejection, if you keep these three tips in mind, you just may be able to get the answer you seek and prepare yourself to prevent rejection again in the future.

@Cuemanbeing

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BEING LIKEABLE WHEN MEETING (IMPORTANT) PEOPLE

Yes, some people are important than others. So, when it comes to finding success with meeting people, one of the best things that you can do is to own a strong network of movers and shakers that you would like to meet.

You can start by following them on social media and track their every move. These people normally attend events where they are tasked with Programme Directing duties or as Keynote Speakers, needless to say, you need to be there. Now the big question is: How do you build a strong contact list of movers and shakers? Networking is the answer.

Undoubtedly, networking is one of the most important engagements you can do to build your personal brand and it can also come in handy when it comes to winning business. Here are a few “must-try” networking tips that can help you meet new influential people and create strong contacts that you can use later on with your career efforts. Many a times, I use these tips to boost my media contact list.

A STRONG NETWORK CONNECTION IS ABOUT GIVE AND TAKE

When you go into the networking process and are looking to make a connection, always remember that your goal shouldn’t just be to help yourself, but to help the other party as well. In addition to your needs, you need to afford your contact with value in order for them to give you their time. Don’t just focus on your needs when you make connections.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MOST CONNECTIONS, BUT THE IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS

Networking isn’t just about shaking hands with the most people, it is about shaking the hands of people that matter most. You shouldn’t focus on just getting numerous business cards at a single networking event, you should focus on finding important people and forging actual relationships with them when you do meet them. Saying two words to five random people isn’t as effective as shaking the hands of and really having an in-depth conversation with one great contact.

HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS, FAM

There are some people that attend networking events and go into the process having some pretty serious expectations. Don’t expect that just because you talked to a business man that they are going to go out on a limb for you and accept all of your business ideas. It’s not always a practical thing to expect something from the contacts you meet, rather grasp the idea that you are slowing building a relationship.

DON’T START BY ASKING FOR HELP

When meeting a new connection, start off by flattering the person you meet. Praise the individual and their work and try to use specific examples when you can. Avoid starting off conversations by asking for help as it can really turn people off. You want them to feel like you are actually interested in meeting them and interested in what they have to say, not just getting a hand-out.

ALWAYS TRY TO OFFER VALUE

When meeting people at networking events, it isn’t a good thing to assume that your charm and good conversation is sufficient to entice them in being interested in what you have to offer. You need to always that remember when you are meeting people and when following up with them, that you must provide as much value as possible. Be a resource to the person you meet. Answer their questions and try to solve their problems when you can. The more value you offer the better.

Keep the following things in mind when you are networking, in addition, remember that you should never take “no” personally. Getting the fundamentals right will assist you in expanding a valuable contact list.

Be on the lookout for my next post on: Networking tips for shy people.

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FOCUS MUST BE SKILLS NOT DEGREES

I HAVE never been able to fully support the#FeesMustFall protests. This isn’t because I believe poor students should be denied access to university on the basis of a lack of funding, or even because I disagree with the tactics used by protesting students to get the attention of the government and the media. It is because, to my mind, any debate about universities is inherently elitist. This is especially true in SA, where to earn a university exemption and the opportunity to even apply to study at a university means that you have enjoyed more privilege in your life than the vast majority of your countrymen and women. This is the case whether you are black or white. If you get into university, you are one of the lucky ones. That doesn’t delegitimise the struggles faced by those students who have battled to make it to university or deny the historical inequalities that make it easier for white students to qualify for a place, but it does raise questions about where state money is best spent and more complex questions about who is most deserving. In a country in which half the children who start Grade 1 don’t even make it to matric and only about 15% get so far as to make it to university, it seems mad to even enter a debate over offering free education to these few who have already "made it". I have always found the South African obsession with university education peculiar, especially among the wealthy. Children at good schools are almost expected to attend university, irrespective of their natural aptitude. This expectation is tied up with the smug belief that children who attend university are somehow more intelligent than those who attend a technical institution, when in reality it had more to do with their upbringing and opportunities. Similarly, the belief that a university degree is a guaranteed path to success puts unimaginable familial and financial pressure on poor students who qualify for university but may fare just as well, or even better, at a technical institution or running their own businesses. Nowhere was this fetish with university education more apparent to me than during my time as a student adviser at the University of Cape Town. One of the first questions I would ask when sitting down with a student who was struggling with their degree was, "What do you want to do when you leave university?" Many students would have an idea or passion that would broadly align with the degree they were pursing. But all too often, the response was, "I don’t know". I don’t think it is reasonable to expect a 19-year-old to know what they are going to do with their life, but I do think it is problematic when students pursue a degree for no other purpose than to get a degree. Some were at university because their parents forced them to attend; others were caught up in a belief that this was the only legitimate option for "successful" young people after school. The primary skill students learn at university is critical thought — unless they are studying a profession such as medicine, accounting or engineering, in which case they also learn content related to their profession. I don’t want to bash critical thought, but as someone who has graded third-year student essays, I can tell you from first-hand experience that you don’t need to have mastered it to get a university degree. Nor does having a degree guarantee that you will find a job or become a useful — or wealthy — member of society. Speaking about the same problem in the US, Michael Schrage put it like this in the Harvard Business Review: "There is a mythical belief that higher education invariably leads to higher employment and better jobs. It doesn’t. Education is a misleading to malignant proxy for economic productivity or performance. Knowledge may be power, but ‘knowledge from college’ is neither a predictor or guarantor of success." It is my feeling that this obsession with tertiary education as a silver bullet to all the country’s woes underpins much of the sentiment behind the university protests. Young South Africans are finding it increasingly difficult to find work, let alone build a career that satisfies them financially or emotionally. Much of this has to do with an acute shortage of basic skills that would make them employable, such as good literacy and numeracy, knowledge of computers, and reliability. As a result they look to a university degree as the solution. The reality is that the majority of South Africans will never attend university — and nor should they. Most jobs, even well-paid jobs in developed economies, don’t require a university degree to be done properly. Much of the recent debate over tertiary funding has centred on where the money will come from, but what would happen if we removed that constraint? If money was no object and every South African child had access to quality primary and secondary education, would we really want every child who qualified for university to attend? I would argue no. A university education can be useful, but as Schrage points out, it isn’t essential to effective entrepreneurship and it does not guarantee success. Other skills — such as how to run a business, build a house or machine an engine — are not taught at university but they are still valuable skills that should be celebrated and desired. In other words, we should be asking what skills the economy really needs rather than worrying about how much the government is going to contribute to someone’s liberal arts degree. Because when the country produces the skills that the economy needs, everyone becomes richer. Few people would argue that poor students who qualify for a place at university should be excluded on the basis of their financial circumstances, but this is not what the #FeesMustFall debate is about. The fact that those behind the movement rejected the fee increases approved by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, despite broad financial relief for the poor and for working-and middle-class families, suggests this is not about fairness. As fellow columnist Steven Friedman wrote, "… the demand that no one pay for higher university has become, for many radicals, an article of faith". What this suggests to me is that those supporting the #FeesMustFall movement have bought into the elitist paradigm that a university degree somehow makes you a better person and are perversely protesting to entrench privilege and inequality. BY BRONWYN NORTJE

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LET OTHER EXPERTS TALK TO THE MEDIA

A major challenge with companies is that communications are too centralised. Business divisions are not empowered, authorised or trained to take responsibility for their own media liaison. At KPMG in South Africa, we continuously encourage and train other industry experts to talk to the media.

For example, our priority sectors include: Financial Services, Mining, Oil and Gas, Consumer Markets, Technology, Telecommunications, Construction, Industrial and Automotive, Government, Infrastructure and Public Sector, and Private Equity. With such a plethora sectors, it is close to impossible to have one dedicated spokesperson to manage all media expectations.

Just like other organisations, the CEO is not always available and does not always have the technical knowledge or expertise on the issue in the spotlight.  If senior employees from the business units have been well-trained in media strategy, they should be able to run with the matter and not have to wait for head office to respond.

A subject matter expert, with proper media training, can be a great spokesperson. In fact, an expert in the subject is often the most credible with the media and the audience.

While there seems to be a trend – albeit a slow-moving one – of blue-chip companies moving to a decentralised media approach, it is unfortunate to see that government remains highly centralised and therefore often ineffective in their communications.

In a crisis, the PR person should speak during the first hour of the crisis, with the purposes of calming the situation and also promise more details later on the day. By the end of the second hour of the crisis, a subject matter expert should serve as the spokesperson. If needed, the subject matter expert can remain the spokesperson if the crisis is ongoing. The final news briefing of the day may be the best time to feature the CEO as spokesperson.

In most cases, your public relations person has a natural gift for words, both spoken and written. These are usually natural gifts that other members of the crisis management team do not have. Usually the C-Suite is heavy on analytical thinkers who are better with numbers, facts, and figures than with words.

Therefore, let’s learn from the US and the UK, nine out of 10 executives who interface with the media, undergo intensive media training. In South Africa, there is still a noticeable communication gap in the centralised method in which the government interfaces with the media. For example, what if the go-to-spokesperson is not feeling well? Does that mean that all processes will be halted? It shouldn’t reach that stage.

Rather, a decentralised approach, if managed appropriately and with risk procedures in place, can work successfully. The model of one or two very senior executives clinging onto this domain is something that must be strictly relegated to the past.

@Cuemanbeing

[cuemanbeing-blog]

SUMMER BODIES; THE LACK OF BRAND LOYALTY EMBODIED

Thando Thabethe's summer body gives us chest pains

30-Day Countdown to Your Best Summer Body

1000 images about Summer Body Motivation

Summer bodies are made in winter

25 Ways to Get a Ripped Summer Body

These are just some of the pages that you will come across on the internet regarding summer bodies.

Around this time, in South Africa, where the sun starts revealing its golden rays after some winter hibernation, our social media feeds are jam-packed with tips and questions on how to get an ideal summer body, also known as the bikini body. This perplexing phenomenon is mostly made famous by women who see the need to transform from a winter (fat) body into the proverbial summer (slim) body.

I use the word ‘perplexing’ because the dominant narrative of the supposed bikini body is also championed by people who don’t even go to the beach. Be as it may, here are some pertinent questions: Why do we have to manage two types of bodies? Why do we let our bodies go in winter? Why can’t we remain loyal to the highly pursued summer body? Is wearing a bikini the only benefit of a summer body?

It sure does go without saying that the main winter body challenge is food. It can sometimes feel like the only possible way to get warm on some nights is to fill your belly with all of the available deliciousness. Some people say they are hungrier in winter, that their body needs more calories to keep warm - excuses galore.

Let me break it down for you; in my previous blogs, I have reiterated that everyone’s body is a brand and that our role is to manage the brand at all times. Think of your favourite company/brand – theirs is to elevate and continually refurbish the brand – whether the markets are down (winter) or up (summer). There’s no time to take a break. They are always committed and loyal to raising the brand profile.

But when bringing the conversation back to the summer body, this means that in winter we don’t mind if our brand is not taken care of. Worse off, we couldn’t be bothered that our brand is susceptible to illnesses.

The sad part is that most media articles portray a summer body as perfection. And while we’re at it, what’s the benchmark of the ideal summer body? Why can’t people define and maintain their own summer bodies?

My opinion is that we must always take care of our bodies and remain fit. Come rain or sunshine. That is brand loyalty. Find an ideal body size and comfortable shape, put that shape in a bikini; whatever that shape or size may be. It’s yours.

We are all brand ambassadors of our “personal brands”; and by virtue of that – we are all free to choose whatever we want, as long as we can afford to. It is Selma James who wrote, “The process by which women struggle, is hidden from history and transformed into an industry.” Go figure.

Let’s be frank, your body does not get hungrier in winter. Your body does not need more calories in winter. Food is not going to warm you up in winter. You will not burn any calories if you stay in bed. You will not reach your goal if you stay in bed. You will not fall asleep at night feeling proud and satisfied if you ate junk food and skipped your workout. If you want to see results, you need to cut out every single excuse. Everything you have ever told yourself before in order to get out of a workout or to justify a cheat is now null and void.

Always stay loyal to your brand. Don’t wait for everyone to start. No matter what winter you’re going through, when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful. Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Go through it, go around it, or jump over it. Keep going.

Essentially, a summer body is nothing but a metaphor. Treat it like it’s your career. Review your career goals every day so that when you step on that weight scale, you will be shocked – meaning that you need to get rid of all the calories (distractions). Find people you’ll go to gym with – people who have the same zeal and hunger. Enlarge your network base.

You need to step out of your comfort zone and when you’re out, step up. Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can because excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better. It’s never too late to start working on your ‘eternal summer body’. It will never be. But start now! Stay loyal to your brand. It’s five minutes to ‘bikini time’, and you need to O'clock it.

@cuemanbeing​

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ONE DAY PEOPLE WILL GET TIRED OF MOTIVATING YOU

Why are we so good at thinking of what to do, yet so terrible at actually doing those things? I found the answer: we think that we have enough time. Over and above that, we rely a lot of motivators and inspirational quotes on social media. 

As soon as we get a dose of motivation, we are geared up to write down lengthy to-do-lists of deliverables, but we never follow through. It’s time for that attitude to be arrested. Let me (try) teach you how to motivate yourself using some examples that have worked for me and some that I have researched.

Believe in yourself. “When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt,” Honore de Balzac. Be kind to yourself. You are more capable and worthy than you give yourself credit for. Don’t let society tell you what you can and cannot do. So trust your brand and keep on improving your brand. 

Look in the mirror. Begin by seeing yourself as a competitive product. Make a record of your strengths, weaknesses and differentiators, and then challenge yourself by facing any weaknesses and making improvements. Reading books and attending motivational seminars won’t cut it anymore. Shape your own self.

Define your calling/purpose/career aspirations. “If you don’t know where you want to go, how will you get there?” Take time to clearly define your aspirations. Where do you want to be in your career in three years, five years, and 10 years?

Get to know the opposition. Don’t mistake competition with opposition. I always tell people to compete with themselves. With their past achievement. However, opposition is a fact of life. How do your skills stack up against others? Understanding your opposition will help you determine your advantages and shortcomings, and help you decide on the actions you need to take to better compete by improving yourself.

Determine your differentiators. Differentiators are the distinctive attributes that set you apart from others. Standing out. Being outstanding. Differentiators are the most important assets you have that make you unique and help you shine. Your differentiators will become your personal elevator pitch or personal brand.

Don’t wait to get started. There’s no time like the present. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Career development plans, like ideas, are effective only if you implement them.

Celebrate your successes. I recently had a chat with a colleague and she told me that I overwork myself and forget about my achievements. She encouraged me to take a minute and celebrate my milestones. That exercise was fulfilling. As such, don’t wait for others to shine a light on your accomplishments. Give yourself encouragement and rewards (new shoes, a movie night, a special dinner) to help provide motivation and inspiration as you continue on your path to accomplish your career dreams.

As the old saying goes: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always be where you’ve always been.” Your motivational speakers will get tired one day and you’ll be left out in the cold. 

So go ahead! Dare to dream about where you want to go in life – and then create a plan of action that will help you achieve those dreams. You are going to be great. Keep going!

@Cuemanbeing

[cuemanbeing-blog]

PUBLIC RELATIONS; THE FIFTH MOST STRESSFUL JOB IN THE WORLD

If you can’t handle working under pressure and the stress that comes with it, then being a Soldier, a Pilot, a Doctor and a Firefighter should not be careers you’re interested in. Right behind these stressful jobs lies Public Relations (PR) also known as media relations and corporate communications.

Anyone who’s in PR, whether effective or not, will tell you that our stress comes from tight and unreasonable deadlines, managing media crisis, constant writing, and meeting in the public under sometimes unfriendly circumstances. In addition, PR is not a 9 to 5 job. News happen 24/7, and you need to anticipate being woken in the middle of the night to pitch for a media angle on weekends and holidays. In less-than-ideal scenarios, as PR professionals, we are the public face when a client or organisation needs damage control. However, even in less dire straits, balancing these demands with public response is a source of stress.

I’ve also realised that most people don’t know that when an organisation or a high profile person is in the media for the wrong reasons, a PR team is busy behind the scenes drafting statements and media responses to calm the storm. Moreover, when a media crisis is mishandled, people always question the role (or lack thereof) that was played by the PR team.

Over and above that, as PR professionals, we have to profile our clients and organisation in the media space to generate more coverage. Sometimes, we are berated for disturbing the reporter or offering them a story they aren’t interested in. It takes a thick skin to put the phone down and try again. It really does. I respect people who work in PR.

So, what does it take to be in this stressful, yet rewarding career?

If you want a long and successful career in PR, you need a range of hard skills – ability to write a strong pitch or to handle difficult client or management expectations.  You need to find a PR agency or organisation that has a culture rooted in learning and development, and pairs you with a manager and team members that are committed to helping you grow in these areas. And after you have found what you fancy, you need to have hunger for growth.

As such, to be successful in PR, you need to:

Be Competitive/Aggressive

If you’re someone that won’t stop at no, you might have a career in PR. The very best PR pros are ones that always push themselves to get what they need and to do better – that might be to write a stronger proposal, call a new reporter to get more coverage, or chase down a client or spokesperson that had to approve a press release 10 minutes ago. If you give up easily, PR probably isn’t for you.

Be Inquisitive

Not just about your clients and how their technology/product/service works, but about the world around you. The best PR professionals have a broad range of interests, and seek information about business, politics, art, food, travel and other cultures to name just a few. In my experience, the more curious a person is, the better they’re able to come up with a proactive solution.

Develop a Thick Skin

Reporters will say no. Clients and management will get frustrated, but successful PR professionals don’t get defensive or overly frazzled. Instead, they look at these situations as learning experiences, and it pushes them to do better.

Be Proactive

If you work at PR agency, you’ll need to understand how to work with and serve clients. No, that doesn’t mean being a yes person, but it being proactive and positive. You have to be the type of person that can tell a client that something won’t work by telling them what will. And someone that continuously has ideas to share with clients and the team (like, without being asked).

Find networking opportunities

Often times people miss opportunities to network because they feel intimidated, particularly if the other person is more senior. However, there is very little downside when aiming high, other than a bruised ego from time-to-time. The worst that can happen is they say “no” or ignore you. At that point, it is onward and upward! Genuine enthusiasm will stand out.

Publications such as Forbes, Career Cast, and Salary.com have confirmed that PR is stressful, but sticking to the aforementioned points will help PR professionals navigate through a smooth career ride.

Ultimately, methinks PR is a highly satisfying career. No day is like another. It’s fast-paced, exciting and very rewarding to those who do it well.

@Cuemanbeing