This week was one of the busiest ever and I am reminded of when I started this company over a year and a half ago.  I used to go to movies during the DAY sometimes back then.  I had my nails done once every two weeks!  I used to neatly stack my bookcase by size and shape instead of piling them on every flat surface in the house!

Speaking of books - I just started Creative Inc. this week. It’s going to be on my recommended list for people who are thinking of starting some freelance but haven’t yet.  I’ve been in business for over a year and have already figured out most of the things she outlines but if you’re just starting it’s perfect!!

Crowdfunding is such an interesting topic – it’s “An individual or organisation states that they need X amount of money to fund their venture. This venture can be anything, from a cupcake shop to an independent feature film; and the amount of money can be a small part or all of the total cost of the venture. The individual or organisation then uses their existing networks to leverage the crowd, that’s you, to donate money to their venture in return for a reward.” – via Think Vitamin

Creatives, here’s a crowdfunding site just for you - Kickstarter.

I feel like I need this Spirithood.  ($129)

Architect Ken Meffan has the most amazing house I’ve ever seen. I found it last year and email bugged him about it until he responded.  I’m not super proud of it, but yes I email stalked the coolest house owner ever.

Also, here’s a really good article on how to make your own rustic looking hooks for your house. You could make these in just a few minutes.

Are you guys reading Darjeeling Dreams? She’s got the most amazing recipes for cupcake deliciousness like passion fruit filled cupcakes and green tea cakes!

I love, love, love and will probably buy anything that’s miniature so imagine my surprise that mini fake food is huge in Japan right now.

Whipcar lets you rent your neighbor’s car:

When Pop Tarts opened a New York store I have to admit I made a mental note that I would definitely be going there the next time I got to New York.  In fact, there’s a good chance I will go there straight from the airport since I apparently have the sweet tooth of an 8 year old that makes me do ridiculous things like buy $10 giant gummy bears (they are 1200 calories each btw) and I can’t event get into what happens to me when the Peeps hit the stores for Easter.

From a marketing perspective though Pop Tarts is doing some interesting things lately.  The TV spots are ramped up, their online presence has exploded, and now a store you can actually walk into and they’re not the only ones.

Tide has 3 dry cleaning stores in Kansas and Mr. Clean has car washes in Ohio, Atlanta, and Texas. Well known brands are making a foray into the service industry and I think it’s related to all of the social media going on in the last few years.  Here’s why:

Social media has showed us the importance of having a story.  With television, you had 30 seconds to a minute to tell a story so we were conjuring up quick and simple stories for viewers.  After that, people went on their merry way.  With social media (and I’m not talking just online here, social media is really the way connecting is going on nowadays) there became a major emphasis on stories.  Even long stories like the Johnny Cash Project where people uploaded their Johnny Cash portrait to become part of an ever changing collective view of the man in black.  You can follow stories about how car companies come up with new designs or how clothing is chosen to become part of fashion shows.  The story is huge.

So what’s the story on a simple product from a major company that makes a billion products?

Kellogg made stories by branching out into the service business.  Aside from the major press they received from excited folks everywhere  they can talk about the making of the restaurant, how new flavors are doing with customers, they can have video from the line outside the door every day.  In other words, story galore.  I’m not going to pretend that this move isn’t profit driven because surely owning the whole car wash can bring in more profit than just selling a product to them.  However, from a marketing standpoint this makes sense as well because the brand will own the story from start to finish.  Mr. Clean doesn’t have to send video crews to some other car wash in order to do “behind the scenes car wash” videos, they can just film their own.  People can check in on Facebook and Foursquare to an actual location.  The addition of a location will undoubtedly boost their online buzz a million fold.

I’m interested to see what other products we’ll be seeing with retail soon.

Everyone has seen the good, the bad, and the really, really bad on basically every online platform. The Twitter feed that reads:
“We’re having a sale 50% off”
“Stop in today – big sale”
“35% off everything”

It’s like someone taking out a huge cartoon Acme sledgehammer and hitting you over the head while calling you dumb. It’s annoying and the brand typically has under 100 followers to show for their efforts. I kind of feel bad, they’re trying…..
So since we don’t want to hit our clients and beloved customers over the head with cartoon weapons of any kind it’s important to learn to be a little more subtle in the social media space.

There are great examples of brand subtlety everywhere – just take the Adidas ad on the left.  Marketers are doing pretty well with just a hint of advertising speak on a visual ad.  Yet when it comes to social media where a lot of the content is written, is when people start stumbling and writing things like “check out our newest…..” and you’re customer’s friends online don’t talk that way so they know you’re a brand and not a friend and maybe shouldn’t be trusted.

A call to action can be like crying wolf. In real life your network might tell you about products they like that you should check out but they don’t do it every single time they open their mouths.  This is the mentality to have when online as well.

A connection made inside your head is better than someone connecting all the dots for you. This ad advice is really old but it’s so applicable to social media conversation that it’s worth mentioning.  When you tell your friends about your workplace you paint a picture over time about the kind of company you work for.  Maybe one day you tell a funny story about your boss, then about how you decorate your office, and then about some new feature you’re working on.You want people to think you have great customer service?  Maybe instead of saying “we have great service” (sledgehammer) you might say “just got invited to a customer’s 50th birthday party! Awesome!”  and let your customers do the connecting.

Another great example of letting people connect their own dots is the Wonderbra campaign:

You’re going to see them again. The difference between your online network and advertising is that with an ad, you are reaching someone just one time and you’ve got about 10 seconds – better tell them what you want them to get out of your message.   If someone chooses to follow you, friend you, or otherwise become part of your network you can talk to them once a week, once a month, or every day.  Telling them your bottom line every time you see them would be…. weird.

Photo Credit – DethJunkie

If you’re new here, the Friday Funrise is that time just before the weekend hits (as in sunrise, but for the weekend).  It’s a list of cool things that I found over the week that hopefully helps you get excited for your weekend and even for the upcoming Monday.  This week was especially good because I met some new blog friends, started 2 new projects, and ummm… I’m going to Cape Cod tomorrow!

4food in New York is a new restaurant in NYC that’s really into social media – right down to their ordering system.  Good idea?

I love how important storytelling is becoming! this article about teaching businesses about storytelling was a great read.

Facebook launched their “Facebook Places” platform yesterday - here’s how to use it.

I am a major people watcher so I am just loving the new Trendland Street Style videos – extra bonus is the music by Kings of Leon.

Take a Walk: NYC #2 from TrendLand on Vimeo.

I just bought Creative Inc. to read (by Joy from the Oh Joy blog) and I’m so excited to start it!  It should be a good read for people wanting to create their own freelance work.

Song Mix by the 99% that’s a great listen.  Love the name too, it’s called “Inspiration is for Amateurs”

The MIlk Studios in L.A. have made a video of their cooler-than-yours office….

Milk Studios in Los Angeles from The Milk Group on Vimeo.

I often complain that there are no real loft style places to live in Madison – but look! Someone made concrete wallpaper.
How great would this be in an office?

30 Hilarious print ads.

Alexander James took some really great photos of taxi cabs in Tokyo – Have a great weekend!

I met Emma from “Jane Has A Job” a few weeks ago when she asked to do an interview on how I started my business and I was so happy to discover that her blog has tons of supersmart career advice.  When we got to talking, we both realized that we started our blogs in many ways to search for other career oriented women to be friends with.  Mission accomplished!  Read the interview here.

This contest is so smart I just had to write about it.  It’s  sponsored by CB2 and The Selby which is an incredible photo blog about people in their creative spaces.  Todd Selby shoots people in their apartments or lofts and is kind of a tastemaker of who’s cool right now.  He also shoots spaces as they are and not all styled and Martha Stewart-ed up so it’s appealing to people who want to design their own cool space and are the kind of people who troll through home blogs (like the Selby) of other people’s houses looking for ideas.

Why This Works -

CB2 didn’t pretend to be super awesome. Lots of brands like to say “we are the tastemakers, and we will decide who’s space is cool enough to win this prize”.  CB2 got behind someone who is really hot with trendmakers which makes CB2 look cool without them having to say it. They have created an instant credibility for the audience they are looking to reach with this contest.

CB2 choose a partner who has a trendsetter audience. This is key because the Selby is going to likely be the difference between this contest getting a little attention and a lot of attention.  For example, I would probably not be writing this post about a plain old CB2 contest, their partnership makes this noteworthy.

The prize is SO worth the work. The prize is $10,000 in merchandise from CB2 AND a shoot with the Selby which means that your creative space could be featured between a hip bohemian art loft in New York and a Chanel model’s apartment.  So often, the prize isn’t big enough to justify the tweets and votes and Facebook “likes” that the brand is asking for.  This one is.

You can look at the other entries. Lots of contests aren’t allowing people to look at the other entries!  This is key because everyone wants to scope out the competition and there will also be lots of people that don’t want to upload their space but might still get excited about the contest if they can see some interesting entries.

This weekend is the weekend when I officially refurbish the old dresser in the bedroom.  I got the idea from this amazing magazine called Living Etc. (UK) that I discovered a few weeks ago.  They have an absolute TON of ideas for things you can do to your apartment / home that you can actually do yourself.   Another one that I love for ideas is Readymade, which I am going to do a whole post on next week.

Fast Company named the Top 10 Most Innovative Architecture Companies – prepare to spend some time with this, all of these companies’ portfolios are worth a look.

While we’re on the subject of architecture, here’s a house built into a hill that also has amazing design and even an outdoor bathtub. It originally came from this blog, which I instantly loved.

I must have these Robot Cupcake Cups!

Janelle Monae is coming to Milwaukee – I’m definitely going!

Stuart Brown has some interesting ideas in his book on the concept of play and how your style of play as a child can influence your adult life:

“If adults can begin to reminisce about their happiest and most memorable moments, they can capture the emotion and visual memories of those moments and begin to connect again to what truly excites them in life. Generally, a person’s purest emotional profile—temperament, talents, passions– is reflected in positive play experiences from childhood.”

You’re Lucky Day by Dan Brown is a really well crafted short film about a convenience store (15 min) if you’ve got some time today.

I just love how many old school companies are revamping themselves lately – Pop Tarts opening a New York restaurant and now Chef Boyardee’s new commercial!

I walked in the door a few weeks ago after a day full of meetings and phone calls and flopped on the couch.  I was frustrated because I was actively looking to hire someone to help me with “work stuff” and was having a hard time defining what “work stuff” was and also a person who could do said “stuff”.  All I knew was that I could get all my work done but hadn’t been able to find time to get a haircut since March.

As I looked around from my spot on the couch I realized that there was also a rather long and embarrassing list of things that needed to be done at home.  Like the dishes, vacuuming, black bananas on the counter that needed to be tossed and laundry was literally piled waist high in Ryan’s closet.  When Ryan got home we got in a fight about how I didn’t think he was helping enough because he can easily ignore things like laundry piles and I literally have trouble sleeping if I know it’s there.  My final threat was “if you don’t help more with this then I’m getting a cleaning lady.”

The thought sounded ridiculous.   I’m living in a small apartment with my boyfriend.  We have no kids and no pets.  We should by all means be able to handle the day to day around here.  However, we both own businesses and work hours that are insane and when I get an hour to myself these days I just want to turn the air conditioner up really high and lay around on the floor reading design magazines.  Or try to make something that involves ink or cutting things up or cooking which only adds to the problem.

Over the next few weeks I met someone who owned her own real estate business and now had 5 employees.  I told her that I was looking to hire someone but was having trouble writing a job description.  She told me “write down what you dislike doing the most about your work every day and that would be my job description”.  Great advice.

So I made a list of things that I wouldn’t mind getting someone else to do.  I worked it and reworked it and changed my mind and then wrote: throw away black bananas.  Could my new hire throw away black bananas?  They wouldn’t, but a cleaning service would.

So I started Googling cleaning services in the area.  Lots of things popped up that promised everything from deep cleans to laundry services to grocery shopping.  I felt like I was in heaven.  Would I pay $99 to have these angels of house cleaning to come and make 6 hours of housework go away?  Absolutely.  In a heartbeat.  It seemed like something that I wouldn’t want to tell people though.  Was it snobby?  Did it mean I suck at taking care of my apartment?  Why did I have these thoughts about hiring a cleaning service but not about hiring an employee?

This was about defining where I needed help.  It had not occurred to me to assess my life as a whole and pinpoint where I needed the most help.  Now it seems obvious that I would trade dishes and mirror Windexing for an hour of free time or an extra hour to work on strategies, it was just tough to come up with because I don’t really know anyone else my age (besides Photis but I just figured it was because he’s a single guy) that had someone else clean their house for them but once you figure out where you need help it’s much easier to get it.

Ideas:

If you are thinking you need some cleaning help, consider getting a service to come in once a month for a slightly deeper clean.  This way, you can do a more minimal upkeep job between their visits.  It will certainly cost you less than a paid intern.

Consider online grocery stores and cleaning supply stores to save you a trip to the store.

Don’t think about it in terms of extra money spent.  You are adding extra work time or free time to your day by doing this – I see it similarly to hiring a service to take care of invoicing.

This week will be the one where I sat right by Steve Martin in a restaurant.  I just love him, and how funny was the 3 Amigos?  I still watch that movie at least once a year.

Also this week, I read an article  that I’ve been thinking about ever since.  It’s the 4 Burners Theory by Chris Guillebeau and it’s all about work / life balance which everyone should read.  It adds some dimension to the whole thing by adding  “family” and “social life” to “work” and “personal” which means that balance is really more like juggling instead of just balancing.  Which also means it’s more of a circus than a simple balancing act – and I’d say “circus” pretty adequately describes my daily life.  photo credit

Facebook is rolling things out faster than ever this week.  Publishers can now publish to the newsfeeds of people that “like” them. You can see in the comments that people aren’t all that pleased about it.  They are also rolling out an “Ask a Question” feature that’s still in Beta.

McDonald’s starts selling smoothies and creeps in on Jamba Juice’s territory.  Jamba Juice retaliates:

A really good read from Adage on brand equity where they explain why Good N Plenty should revive their brand.

I love that Detroit is trying to woo 20 somethings with a great marketing campaign.  How brilliant are these?

These suitcase stickers would get you in huge trouble but I think they are hilarious.

Yuken Taruya makes amazing things from toilet paper rolls, paper bags, and other found items.

I splurged and had dessert twice this week during restaurant week.  My favorite was Sardine’s vanilla berry custard! On the walk back to my car I saw that someone had covered their ride in rubber duckies! 

Have a great weekend!!

I have been obsessed with block printing the last few weeks since I’m dying to make some kind of business cards myself.  I’ve been eyeing up this kit to start because it includes everything you need to start printing for under $50.

If you’re not familiar with block printing it’s basically where you carve a stamp into a piece of linoleum and paint ink on it and stamp it on things.  People use them to make pillows, T-shirts, tote bags (think for the farmer’s market), cards (mine will be business cards), and other things.  The great part is that you can design it yourself so the product will be completely unique.

I think there are also businesses that could use this type of art to create their marketing since the whole process lends itself to a unique, handmade, feel.  For example, a local coffeeshop could use it to create their cups and even host an open art night to get help making them.

Anyway, I was on this great blog and found out about Thomas Hicks, who makes these really creative videos out of drawings and block prints.  He even has a mini documentary about how he creates and carves his blocks.  Check out his video below it’s weird and totally worth it!

Thomas Hicks Animation Montage from Thomas Hicks on Vimeo.