With news of Starbucks closing 600 locations, I can’t help but reflect on the phenomenon of paring down.
So many people have an all-or-nothing marketing mentality: they either go all out (Starbucks’ own insane oversaturation of the market, anybody?) or completely withdraw and cut back until they lose any semblance of marketing.
We all know that […]

One of my favorite-ever quotes is “progress, not perfection.”  As in, we can only measure ourselves by our steps today, not by some global what-if.  A progress-minded mentality helps a lot when your schedule is overwhelmed by the many conflicting demands of work and play.
To that end, VOCO Creative has been loving wrike, a Web-based […]

That’s my mantra these days as I search for the discipline to address the many-pronged approach I am taking to life and business.
I find that my clients’ success is directly proportionate to the amount of discipline they are willing to put forth on their branding and marketing efforts.  All the willpower in the world is […]

A brand emersion about six years ago was riding a newly formed wave of all natural products brought to the masses in mainstream markets. Introduce Method. A wonderfully unobtrusive product that enhanced the shelves of Target stores nation wide. I noticed them almost immediately. Their bottle design and coloring reminded me […]

One of the coolest parts of my job is the inside look into the workings of companies large and small.  It can be shocking or even discouraging to notice that a client’s business looks healthy on the inside, but is struggling internally.  This can present itself in financial difficulties, lack of organization, or missing vision…but […]

One of our favorite things to do is provide a comprehensive marketing plan to our clients.  It’s amazing to see the document take shape, morph, and adapt with the business, its goals, and its target market.  It’s also amazing to see formerly struggling or insecure clients blossoming with the help of goals, milestones, metrics…and discipline.
Surprise! […]

A quick update on my last fav’s.  So yes, Erin and I decided to take the plunge and got our iPod Touch pretties.  Now the rationalization, because there always has to be a rationalization, is it keeps us in sync with our calendars and email.  Which is actually worth it’s weight in gold.  But, oh […]

This will be short and sweet…HackAttack 2008 has officially come to an end.
Lessons learned:  we have an incredible support team here at Voco.  It’s a blessing to deal with a crisis with laughter, strategy, and relative calm instead of falling into a chasm of panic, defeat, and frustration.  Definitely one for the record books, though.
What’s […]

Apple.  So I don’t really encounter too many issues in dealing with lust.  But walking into an apple store is pornography for me.  I almost can’t control myself, so find myself avoiding it when I can because the temptation is far to great for me.  But sneaking into my awareness lately as been the lust […]

When Juli and I started Voco, we knew that work-life balance needed to be a top priority.  It’s hard to serve your clients with the passion and attention to detail they deserve when you are working 90-hour weeks.  It’s also hard to just step away from the computer, especially when you work at home or […]