January « 2010 « BrandTwist

QuickTwist

Posted by Julie | January 29th, 2010

How good are you at saying “No”?

In a recent post on What Would Make Women Happier, learning to say no more was ranked as number #9. Interestingly it didn’t make the top 10 for the men’s list.

Personally I struggle with this a lot. It’s just not in my nature to say no. I love to help people and give advice etc. But lately I feel a bit overwhelmed. And when I over commit and end up participating in things I just don’t have the time and energy for I feel worse because I can feel that resentment bubbling up and probably showing through. I am wondering how other BrandTwist readers (men and women) deal with this. Any advice on how decide when to say “no” and how to stick with it?

Join the conversation »

Category: Finding Balance, QuickTwist

6 Comments»

iPad: Genius or Hype?

Posted by Julie | January 28th, 2010

Unless you are living under a rock, you have no doubt seen Apple’s iPad launched yesterday.

I am in awe of the design and the user interface. But as I fight off falling head over heels under the powerful Apple spell…I do have a few questions.
Keep reading »

Category: Brand Strategy, Innovation, Product Branding

8 Comments»

Keeping Green Resolutions

Posted by Julie | January 27th, 2010

Recently I was talking to some colleagues about New Year’s resolutions and one said his resolution was to try and not use any plastic bags in 2010.

This surprised me in that he isn’t the sort of person that you would readily identify as the “tree hugger” type. But then on further reflection I realized it actually made sense because the “plastic issue” seems to have gone pretty mainstream. I myself blogged about it last May in a post The Scarlett P.

I’ve made a few resolutions myself this New Year and most, I am happy to say, I am doing pretty well at keeping.

Except one.

The one that’s turning out to be the doozy is to drink less bottled water.

Keep reading »

Category: Environment, Inspiration

2 Comments»

Your Business Card is Crap

Posted by Julie | January 26th, 2010

As part of my New Year’s clean-up I went through piles of business cards, chucked those I didn’t think I’d ever need and filed the rest (semi) alphabetically in a big black binder.

The problem was a lot of them didn’t fit in the neat plastic folders that I’d bought at Staples.

Some were too big, others weird shapes and sizes. Others did fit, but when I tried to figure out where to file them it was so difficult to find the actual name. The cards were so cleverly designed that the basic information was getting lost.

It got me to thinking about what makes a good business card. I mentioned this to a BrandTwist reader and they sent me this video.

Keep reading »

Category: Brand Strategy, Communication

1 Comment»

Student Entrepreneurs: Taking Over the World

Posted by Julie | January 25th, 2010

On Friday I posted a QuickTwist asking whether there is an Entrepreneurial Gene. Thanks for all the responses. The majority argued that there is a definite personality type (often present from birth) that can be helped along by supportive parents, teachers, and dedication to developing this innate talent.

I would argue the student entrepreneurs in this video definitely possess that gene.

Keep reading »

Category: Entrepreneurs

0 Comments»

QuickTwist

Posted by Julie | January 22nd, 2010

Is there an Entrepreneurial Gene?

Are entrepreneurs born or made? What’s been your experience? Think about the successful entrepreneurs you know (maybe you are one of them). Was this drive present from the crib and diapers or is it more of a nurtured talent?