Most people, when developing their new creative idea, take time to plan and think through the steps, envision the process, visualize the finished product or goal and most importantly, attempt to answer all possible questions. Nothing hatches without preparation and time; a concept we can easily learn from the animal kingdom and ourselves. But what happens when we spend too much time planning, designing, strategizing, thinking about the journey and struggling to develop the answers to all anticipated questions and...

This week, while my grandchildren were here, we decided to make the trip to Cleveland’s West Side zoo attraction during the heat of the day. We, along with what seemed like the rest of the county, trekked through the exhibits from the flamingos to the elephants. The Cleveland zoo was built on very hilly acreage, which is easy for the young, but not so much for the young at heart to navigate. I was willing to call it quits during...

When developing a new web presence or new offerings for our clients, the key is to clearly identify their target buyers, their preferences, concerns, aspiration and potential transformation. Your buyers change their preferences, and as markets and conditions change and potential new markets open up for you and for them, these answers may change as well. Below are the top 10 questions I ask my clients in order to thoroughly and successfully identify their buyers and their preferences: What are...

On this day, July 17, in 1955, Walt Disney’s dream became a reality when Disneyland opened its gates to its first wide eyed guests. The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, and soon brought in staggering profits. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 14 million visitors a year, who spend close to $3 billion. Walt Disney, born in Chicago in 1901, worked as a commercial artist before setting up a small...

With her siblings at summer camp, I had the pleasure this weekend of hanging out with my four-year-old granddaughter celebrating the 4th of July weekend. We had a wonderful time visiting Luvin Lavender farms, enjoying the beautiful surrounding, working on exciting art projects, as she even posed for brief moments to allow me to capture some images and showoff my photography. I was just asked what does the perfect morning look like for me. The first thought that crossed my...

July 2, 1776, congress passed a resolution of independence and legal separation from Great Britain. The declaration was signed on July, 4, 1776, the day which has become one of national celebration, picnicking, fairs and parades. In times of peace and times of war, our nation has come together to honor the original tenets and hopes of that original declaration. Today, I’d like to share the famous words of three of our past presidents. Whether you agree with their historic...

Since 2013, I’ve written my newsletter consistently, each Wednesday, which makes this issue #337. Over the years, I have created a large database of topic ideas for me to write about, yet before resorting to scanning my database for ideas, I prefer to reflect on the prior week and decide whether I can come up with an idea that is fresh, provocative and especially one that was shared or asked about by one of my clients. Earlier today, during a...

Last week, for the first time, I did not write and share my weekly newsletter. Wednesday, June 12, was mine and Laurel’s 40th wedding anniversary, and while no big celebration was planned due to her father’s illness and hospitalization, we also didn’t plan for his death that very afternoon. My father in-law was blessed with 95 years of good health, a clear mind and a love for his family. He was an avid and advanced bridge player and a poker...