2009 February

13 02, 2009

Want visibility? Be an expert.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:08:36+00:00February 13, 2009|Chris Schumacher, Donny Deutsche, expertise, Suze Orman, Visibility, YouTube|Comments Off on Want visibility? Be an expert.

You're already an expert! You just need a definition. Here's the dictionary definition of expert:• adept: having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude; "adept in handicrafts"; "an adept juggler"; "an expert job"; "a good mechanic";• a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully Now what's your own personal expertise? Here's the situation. To build your personal brand and your business brand, you need to be differentiated. Unique and authentic. If you aren't creating a new widget or service, then you're creating a new twist, a better twist hopefully, on a new widget or service. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to sustain your business in the long run in this economy. Expertise in what you do, and what you make, is crucial today. But even if you are THE best, the greatest widget maker out there, it won't matter unless you [...]

12 02, 2009

Buy an ad: Save a magazine (or a newspaper)

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:08:46+00:00February 12, 2009|ads, advertising, magazines, newspapers, People magazine|2 Comments

Thinking about advertising in print media? Now may be the best time ever. I have to be honest. I have been at odds for awhile with print publications, especially daily newspapers. Yes, it’s true, there was a love-hate relationship there based on decades of control (the newspaper’s) and decades of increased cost (my real estate company’s ). Same space as last year? That’s only a 12 percent increase this year, the rep would say. Oh, wow, thank you. How about if I cut my space in half? Well, we’ll double the cost and still add on the 12 percent. Sound good? Bleh. That was the sorry state of affairs between newspaper classified ad reps and real estate company marketing folks until the Internet was born and got mass. Newspapers’ Sunday classified sections were “the place” we all believed that consumers would always look for new [...]

11 02, 2009

Turn your Passion into a Business

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:08:55+00:00February 11, 2009|business, economy, glass ceiling, passions, women entrepreneurs|Comments Off on Turn your Passion into a Business

With companies being pulled in every direction and employees clinging to their jobs, it seems like women all around me are becoming entrepreneurs. According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women are starting businesses at more than twice the rate of men—maybe even more. In fact, a woman starts a business every 60 seconds. They are employing one of every seven workers in the U.S., and the majority of women-owned businesses continue to grow about two times faster than other firms. Now that I’ve wowed you with the facts, let’s talk about why this is happening. Well, for starters, women are tired of being held back. Many view entrepreneurship as the only way to break the glass ceiling because other, more traditional channels have not yielded the desired results. Also, with our changing economic times, women are taking the time to step back and [...]

10 02, 2009

Now is not the time to hide!

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:02+00:00February 10, 2009|authentic, connecting, don't hide, personal branding|Comments Off on Now is not the time to hide!

Ok, so it's winter. And the economy is well, bleaker than the next storm headed our way. Your first instinct these days may be to just give up. Whether it's your dream of starting a business, or changing the course of your career, it can be a daunting time. And it's especially so if you allow negative self-talk to stand in your way. BUT, if you don't have faith in your personal brand, how can anyone else? Seriously. So now is not the time to hide - it's time to shine. If you're out there in the world, in your power, there is no stopping you. Especially now. People are drawn to authentic, unique, visible and passionate people. It's the 101 of marketing and personal branding. Read about Karin Crawford and how she builds her flower business through the power of connecting. As Karin says, [...]

9 02, 2009

How to build your personal brand

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:09+00:00February 9, 2009|passions, personal branding, snarks|Comments Off on How to build your personal brand

Defining your personal brand can be overwhelming. We are complex individuals with so many passions and aspects to our lives. So where do you start? Begin by taking a look in your rear-view mirror. By that I mean step back and take some time to think about where you are in your career—and where you want to be. The process of introspection is so necessary and so helpful when it comes to defining your goals and setting your course. Next, define your passions. I like to refer to passions as the things in life that make your heart sing. My advice is to keep your list to four or five. Then, find the real people in your life. That means separating yourself from negative influencers (aka snarks). Next, follow your instincts. Use your intuition to your advantage. All of these elements working together help to [...]

5 02, 2009

Are you and your spouse keeping financial secrets?

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:14+00:00February 5, 2009|finances, secrets, spouse, working together|Comments Off on Are you and your spouse keeping financial secrets?

It's happening everywhere. Stress levels are on the rise. What we know is that during times of pressure and stress, men isolate and women connect. Many men, during these stressful times, are isolating. They are putting on a brave face, even as their work worlds crumble around them. In some of the saddest cases we've seen, the distress and fear of failure, layoffs and social isolation have led to heart attacks, strokes and even suicides. Literally, the financial crisis is breaking hearts, according to health.com. If you're like me, working in a family business, side-by-side with your spouse, it's a great time to make sure you're on the same page. On the same POSITIVE page. Have a survival plan, and take action. Together. Today's New York Times' article Resilient in Hard Times: Family Business focuses on the positive power of fighting the recession as a [...]

5 02, 2009

Use public relations to create buzz.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:22+00:00February 5, 2009|advertising, entrepreneur, public relations, Sara Blakely, Spanx|Comments Off on Use public relations to create buzz.

If your budget looks like mine, you’re probably cutting back on advertising and ramping up your PR efforts. A common misconception is that advertising and public relations are the same. Let me clarify. Advertising is paid placement; PR is third-party coverage, as in a reporter included you or your business in an article. This can be much more credible than advertising, but you lose the control you have when you place an ad. Keep in mind the pros and cons of both. A good PR campaign can have lasting effects, creating buzz and driving sales. For one entrepreneur, doing her own public relations paid off—big time. Sara Blakely, the creator of Spanx—footless pantyhose—debated whether to use a big PR agency or do her own publicity work in-house. “I believed so much in my dream that the idea of someone pitching it who maybe hadn’t even [...]

4 02, 2009

In times of transition, follow your instincts

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:30+00:00February 4, 2009|career, choice, follow instincts, passions, Real You, transitions|Comments Off on In times of transition, follow your instincts

When faced with big career choices, it is often hard to know what the right decision is. It is during these times that I always say go with your gut! It seems it’s these moments in life that allow us to identify and follow our passions. During these times, don’t compromise your dreams. If you do, you will pay for it dearly down the road in the form of frustration and lack of fulfillment. I tell people to take some time off. Get away. Spend some time alone. Then use that time for retrospection. What did you dream about doing when you were a child? Most of us can trace our passions back to a time in our lives when we were much younger—a time before our lives were clouded with the thoughts of others. Sure, it’s great to get other people’s opinions, but don’t [...]

3 02, 2009

Was $100K/sec investment worth it? Family weighs in on Super Bowl ads.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:09:39+00:00February 3, 2009|marketing to women, Super Bowl ads|1 Comment

Usually, I do my Super Bowl ad rating, with my marketing-to-women hat on, by myself, but this time I wanted to see how effective the ads were with a variety of voters. I pulled together my own team to help with the rating of the spots: sons, ages 12, 14 and 17, and my daughter and her friend, both 15, and my husband and I. Call us the family room focus group. Each voter received three possible votes per spot: thumbs down, thumbs up or big smile. Thumbs up meant the spot was clever or amusing, but didn’t make a smile stick. For a smile to stick, that was the biggest compliment. Was it all smiles? See the results, and let me know what you thought!

Monthly Archives: February 2009