Look out… I’m grumpy. Here’s why:

1. I just dumped wet coffee grounds all over the place (I knocked over my *Aeropress).
2. I just received three email blasts that offended my marketing sensibilities so much that I yelled at my computer.

I’m a firm believer that email is the root of all evil but it’s a necessary evil in our current marketing landscape. If I’m sent an email message/blast that is done well then fine, if it’s ugly or stupid I unsubscribe (regardless of who the sender is). It’s not just about opt-ins any more. Email campaigns should be awesome and valuable!

My issue today was that these email blasts came into my email reader (Mac Mail) and because of my preferred view settings I only see the subject line and the pre-header text. They all had stock disclaimers as their first line of text – it was totally annoying. Things like:

- Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
- View this message in a browser.
- VERY IMPORTANT: If you don’t see any images in this message, be sure to click the “Display Images” link in your email reader.
- Opt out or update your information here.
- Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here.

These are not bad things to mention but they do not make for a good first impression. Yes, I realize I could look in my preview pane but that would mean I’m giving the email a second chance and when it comes to making quick work of the piles of email I’m not likely to give many that kind of grace. I’m scanning quickly for important or compelling information – give me a reason to preview, open, or click an email to read more.

Okay, I’ve calmed down a bit. If you’re looking to take your email marketing to the next level then check out the Mailchimp Resource Guide library – awesome!

*Note: Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my Aeropress. I’ve knocked this thing over twice in two months but that’s human error. The coffee it makes is divine! Best stocking stuffer ever!

A free man is someone who is true to himself, who follows his dreams and turns them into reality.

Though my experiences outside consists of occasional hikes, some downhill mountain biking (and crashing) in Whistler, and a little gym climbing… I love the outdoors. I love living in Vancouver. I love sharing nature and adventures with my friends. Being outside makes me feel alive. That feeling makes me feel whole. My work-life means nothing to me unless I’m enjoying the journey… and there’s very little adventure to be found in front of my computer.

BTW, kudos to the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival and their 15th year!

“Finding success” assumes we’ve been looking for it. Looking assumes we’re searching for something we don’t yet have. I think it’s the hunt that keeps us from actually being successful. Stop looking for success and start doing the things that produce victories (small or large). Success will find you when you’re working hard and taking action.

Today is a Think + Drink Day for me. I will expose the hopes, dreams, and fears that I have about my business and its future. There’s an audience of one, a trusted friend, who will do the same. We’re letting each other in on the inner workings of our business plans so we can help each other in the effort to make the best decisions possible. Our goal is to help each other take action. We focus on the realities of doing good work and making good money. It’s hardcore business strategery. This is going to be really fun (but yet I’m extremely nervous

The meeting room is booked. My dry erase markers are in my laptop bag. I’m wearing pants. I’m ready.

*If you want to learn about how to run your own Think + Drink check out the bonus chapter in Your Creative Mix.

My office. And apparently, my reflection.

Thanks to the Camera+ App on my iPhone I’ve had a lot of fun taking pictures lately and for me that’s a big deal. I’m surround by amazing photographers and that type of company tends to make me a little gun shy of the whole thing. But, these past 12 months I’ve let loose a bit and have simply allowed myself to play. Believe it or not, this $1.99 app has been the spark I’ve needed to get my creative juices flowing. Cliché I know, but whatevs.

I spend to much time on the business end of creative work. Pursuing artistic expression, no matter what the intent, is important for my mental health. A dose of my own medicine if you will I also found that hanging empty IKEA frames above my computer and leaving them for 6 months was not only lame but it offended Eileen’s decor sensibilities to the point at which “the wall” came up in discussion more than once a week. I was surrounded by motivation!

So while strolling through Gastown (Vancouver) one wintery day I took a few shots in hopes of being able to one day fill those frames in my office. Yesterday, I picked up my large format prints from Clubcard ($12/ea.) and put them where they belong. I’m really excited about how it all turned out! The cityscape one on the left is my favourite. If you think it doesn’t suck then feel free to enjoy it yourself by downloading the wallpapers below (click the image to open the JPG file in your browser then right-click Save As to grab a copy):

Download the Phone Wallpaper	Download the Desktop Wallpaper

Here’s my Flickr set just for fun:

Dang I love that app! Betchya couldn’t tell Thanks Lisa Bettany.

CROWD CONTROL takes an in-depth look at generating demand and eliciting curiosity in your creative work. I use examples from my management consulting business, and personal projects like CREATIVEMIX, to illustrate how you can promote your creative endevour and grow your business by engaging with people instead of pushing a sales agenda.

The content is divided into three sections: Drawing a Crowd (changing ones’ marketing paradigm from tasks to people), Making Connections (turning contacts into leads, making the most of your networking opportunities, and spreading the word without selling your soul), and finally Making an Experience (insights on hosting an inspired event, of any size or budget, can grow your network).

I hope you enjoy it! If so, or if not, let me know – leave a comment or scathing review in the comments below

I’m letting the cat out of the bag here. I’m just putting the final touches on a new eBook that has been in the works for about 6 months – it will be available on Clamorate.com next week.

This has been a really exciting project for me actually! Here’s an unedited excerpt from the introduction.

To achieve our goals we need to build relationships not attempt yet another clever marketing strategy.

As well as sharing with you some of the behind-the-scenes stuff of my business I’m also going to highlight CREATIVEMIX, a personal project of mine that is a labour of love and is partly responsible for my small business metamorphosis. The lessons I’ve learn through running this collaborative community event has had a major impact on how I’ve built a new paradigm for my business. Through the examples I’m hopeful to inspire you to consider a new approach for your own business building effort.

We are human. Each one of us has the capacity to connect with real people in the real world and I believe that the success of our business depends on those interactions. I believe that what we say and do, and the demeanor in which we do it matters more than anything. This ebook is about bringing people along for the ride as you steer the moving ship. It’s about making meaningful connections with likeminded humans and building authentic relationships with those than need what you have.

Ultimately, this approach prepares us to answer the most important marketing question we’ll ever consider: Do you want to stand out from the crowd or do you want to attract a crowd?

In the pages that follow I’ve divided the content into three sections:

1. Drawing a Crowd. To set the tone I’ve started things off with an initial discussion regarding the business value associated with changing ones’ marketing paradigm from tasks to people. I share some of my thoughts on why I approach marketing projects from the position of eliciting curiosity and generating demand instead of the traditional advertising methodology of making as many impressions as possible.

2. Making Connections. I’ll try to give you a fresh take on how you can make new connections, turns contacts into leads, make the most of your networking opportunities, and spread the word about your creative work without selling your soul. It’s not about finding work, it’s about attracting people.

3. Making an Experience. I’m going to outline what it takes to host a well-planned, inspired event that creates the experiences and social framework that can propel your business forward. In other words, I’ll give you my take on how to approach, organize, promote and pull-off an amazing and affordable event of any size.

This is not a quick-fix ebook. There’s no magic pill. Read, absorb, contextualize, and move forward in the way that seems best to you.

Hopefully this resonates with you in some way (or a entrepreneur you know). Stay tuned!

Police cars in Times Square. I took this photograph while in NYC with Wade and Martin in 2008.

You may not know this but… I’ve been turning down event management gigs for almost a year now. To some it may come as a big surprise and to others it may simply be an interesting factoid that I used to be an event manager for hire. But the scoop is that my business has changed over the past few years (thanks to Eileen, CREATIVEMIX, David duChemin, and countless other people and scenarios) and it’s about to change even more. I love being around inspired people and experiencing creative brilliance. This enriches my life and makes me feel human. It inspires me to be creative too. Being an event planning paratrooper is no longer a good fit for me.

I love contributing to the people and the processes that creates culture, art and atmosphere. I do this by helping artists and creative service providers make their entrepreneurial dreams come true; I’m a creative small business consultant. If you need help planning your conference or fundraiser or whathaveyou… you’ll need to look elsewhere. That’s not to say I won’t be involved in events down the road, it just means they’ll be an extension of the work I’m doing with a creative client or collaborator. Over the next few months you’ll be seeing more tangible evidence of this metamorphosis so stay tuned.

My sister Carla pointed out that Event Planning is in the top 5 most stressful careers. 2 of the top 5 carry guns. Read Chad Brooks’ article on Yahoo! Canada. I’m a quasi-pacifist so it only makes sense that I break ties from this emotionally taxing career. Actually, I’m putting together a new eBook that will include a short feature re: my exodus from the event industry so I’ll save “the back story” till then (publish date is tentatively set for Jan.25).

Happy 2012 and all that!

I’m feeling the need for a quick rave. Today I met with a fellow entrepreneur, someone who’s totally crushing it and making rain where there ain’t a cloud in sight! Cheesy metaphor, I know.

This small business owner is a blue-sky thinker and doesn’t let anything or anyone come between them and their dreams. They’ve got their foot on the gas, they work extremely hard and they take nothing for granted. They search for the right answers, they steer the moving ship. They get it. They’re built for this self-made life. The 90-minutes we spent planning and scheming was as invigorating for me as it was helpful for them – I think (and no, that’s not the coffee talking). They don’t take anything at face value. They know how to read between the lines and get to the core of who their customers are and how they can exceed their wildest dreams.

Running a small business is hard work, so hard in fact that I’m not sure I’d encourage very many people to take up the challenge. But for those that dare… I think it’s imperative that they figure out what’s beyond the obvious, knowing how and when to go deeper into their craft and their service. When a business person can solve the problems that are unknown to their competition they have one serious leg-up. And more so, they have proven themselves to the marketplace that they’re in this for the long haul even if they’re the “new kid” on the block.  Nadia Albano – this rave is for you. You are no longer Granville Street’s best kept secret…  Nadia, you are Vancouver’s Style Superstar!

Chris didn’t ask for any information, there was no trap door or strings attached. It was a simple file download and that was it. There was no pomp or fan fare just a freebie. Cool. When I opened the PDF I was immediately impressed with the layout and format; it is beautiful! Then I started to read it, preparing myself for light and airy discourse about something that will make me feel good or inspired about being creative or working for myself or what-have-you. But that wasn’t the case at all. I was being challenged. Word after word, page after page, Chris was exposing the insights he had gained from a personal experience that I could relate to and I couldn’t stop reading.

Captivated, mesmerized, and eventually disgusted by a game on his phone Chris discovered some important truths about his life and his work. As far as I’m concerned, The Tower is the most important piece of writing he’s done yet.

The first item that caught my attention wasn’t a fancy callout or a bolded heading but simply the statement that “visual progress [is] a powerful drug.” The point he made in regards to progress was a simple but a powerful reminder that sometimes it’s hard to see the fruits of our labour but it by no means diminishes the legacy that we leave behind. I needed to hear that. The heart of the eBook is really about one’s legacy and I really appreciated his take on doing important work and most importantly being a generous citizen.

“Instead of knowledge, pleasure, or happiness, the purpose of life is to create something meaningful that will endure after we’re gone.”
- Chris Guillebeau

I’ll leave my remarks at that. I think everyone should read this eBook. I believe the experience, process, and advice Chris shares is important. Get out your notepad, make a cup of tea, and take 30min to read and digest this for yourself.

This is a photograph of a nut (or a bolt) on a lamp post in Central Park, NY. I took this picture while in Manhattan with the infamous Martin Prihoda and yogi superstar Wade Imre Morissette in 2008.

I don’t think I can keep my mouth shut any longer. I’ve seen it to many times. I care to much to let this crazy behaviour continue. Creative small business owners need to stop doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.

Just because they’ve done it before, doesn’t mean they should do it again. Regardless of the fact that they’ve tweaked something doesn’t mean it will work. So what if they’ve made it prettier, it doesn’t mean it will be any more effective. Who cares if someone ‘cool’ gave the thumbs up this time around. Being in business is a risky venture but the risks associated with becoming complacent is greater than pushing the envelope or simply relinquishing a mediocre initiative.

Replicating the same old crappy sales pitch, marketing campaign, or daily routine can be extremely dangerous to ones’ work. When creative credibility is on the line it’s important to throw ideation back on the table and generate some new solutions to reoccurring problems. When the bank account is in the toilet it’s imperative that the pocketbook stays in our pocket and we roll up our sleeves instead.

Stop hitting Send/Receive on your email 100 times a day. Stop printing new promotion collateral that you blindly mail out. Stop making yet another business card and giving it to the wrong people. Stop spamming your social networks hoping to convert them into customers. Stop convincing yourself your next big client will come to you because you’ve got a new piece of equipment (which you bought with a credit card). Stop hoping and start doing.

Change the pattern, mix it up, do something different to create new opportunities. New challenges give us the fight we need to gain new ground.

Be creative, not a creative nut job.