by Kirby Hasseman
I love the idea of “seasons of life.” This concept was introduced to me by Jon Acuff, and it totally resonates with me about how life really works. Life is not “pedal to the metal” all of the time. I love the term “hustle,” but you can’t live your life in forever hustle mode. In reality, though, life is also not just “sitting on a beach with a drink in my hand” in perpetuity either. It’s a shame…but it’s true. Life comes in seasons. Some of seasons are easy to recognize. They are almost more phases of life. There is parenthood, or work, or school. Sure. But I think “season” can be even more finite. *They might be newborn baby season or puppy season (we know this all too well at our house now). *Starting a new business (at least the launch) can be a season. *Losing a job could be a season. Or job hunting could be one as well. *Having a high school senior is certainly a season we are living through too. Regardless, it’s important to note that these are finite. Whether good or bad, a season is not forever. The wind will blow, and the words “this too shall pass” will ring through your ear. Don’t worry. It’s just a season. Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
We all want to grow. It’s in our human nature to want to be challenged and have purpose. And if you are leading an organization, a team, or a family, it’s your job to seek growth for yourself and those you serve. So how do you do it? How do you challenge yourself to grow? And how do you help members of your team grow? If you know me at all, you probably can predict that I will say “read more.” If so, you would be right. But read what? Here are a few books that I think are awesome for leaders (and those that aspire to lead). First things first, I wrote this post about books I want my daughters to read. These books are foundational, and I think these should probably be first on your list. Now let’s jump into the “Leaders Reading List.” Leaders Eat Last: Simon Sinek burst onto the scene with the TED talk and the book Start with Why. It’s really good and I recommend it too. BUT, I actually enjoyed Leaders Eat Last even more. I loved how Sinek dove into the biology of what makes a great leader and why we react the way we do. Powerful stuff here. 4 Disciplines of Execution: Have you ever felt like your team was busy, but never made headway on new initiatives? Raise your hand (every leader). The 4 Disciplines book digs into why this happens, and gives you a roadmap for getting your team to get more done. It starts with the Wildly Important Goal (WIG). Good to Great: Jim Collins created a classic and destroyed the myths on what makes a great leader here. Collins explains why certain companies are able to become amazing…and leadership tells the tale. Extreme Ownership: This powerful tale of what leadership really looks like comes from two Navy Seals. This one was a gut punch to me about blaming anyone but myself…for anything. Everything in my organization is my fault. This book taught me that. Culture Code: I just finished this one and really enjoyed it. This is filled with great reminders about what make teams great. And it introduces some counter-intuitive truths about great organizations from the Navy Seals to Pixar. These are 5 books that have helped shape the way I think about leadership. I am hardly a guru. But inside these books you will find philosophy and tactics that will help you get better when it comes to running your team. Become a VIP! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We send out one email per week to catch you up on all of the content!
by Kirby Hasseman
Welcome to our awesome blog post series for Hasseman Marketing called:
“Brand-ecdotes!”
Each time, we talk to a branding all star about what makes the Promotional Product advertising media so special! This time we talk with the Grand Poubah of PPAI, Paul Bellantone! Paul is not only an industry rock star, but he is tasked with keeping the industry moving in the right direction. We sincerely appreciate him taking the time!
1. What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
A rubber jar opener. See below.
2. Can you name a Promo Product that you have that STILL reminds you fondly of an event, person, organization? If so, can you tell us that story?
While I no longer have the original rubber jar opener whenever I see or use one I think of H. Ted Olson, former President & CEO of PPAI. He was my predecessor’s predecessor. I was running a tradeshow in Guadalajara, Mexico in the mid 1990s and Ted introduced himself to me with a firm handshake, a smile and then pulled a rubber jar opener with a PPAI logo out of his jacket pocket. I originally thought to myself, “What an odd thing to give someone in the middle of a tradeshow in Guadalajara.” What I didn’t know then was that one day I would be running the organization he was promoting on the jar opener. And the act of giving a simple promotional product made such impact that I would be writing about it 30 years later!
3. What is the current product you use all the time?
I have a very classy, simple, brown leather Andrew Philips backpack I received as a gift for speaking at the Imagen Brands National Sales Meeting. It has PPAI embossed on it and it has become my constant travel companion.
4. What is an idea/product that you think organizations UNDER use?
Research. There is such powerful and useful research supporting the power of promotional products. It is important that we share this clear, measurable and meaningful data as a differentiator between promotional products and other advertising media with our customers and buyers.
5. What do you think is the best thing about Promotional Products as an advertising media?
It is the only advertising media people say “thank you” to the advertiser and want more of.
Amazing! That’s another awesome edition of Brand-ecdotes! Thanks to President of PPAI, Paul Bellantone, for taking the time to jump in!
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by Kirby Hasseman
When I decided that I was going to write a blog post for this website every day, most people thought it was dippy. Truth be told, many still do. But I decided to do it for a few reasons… 1. I wanted to be unreasonable. I felt like the most successful people I followed did things that most other people feel is unreasonable. I actually talk about that here. 2. I wanted to provide value. I know most people will not be able to read these posts every day. But when they want to read, or when they need a boost, I want to have new content. 3. I wanted to see if I could do it. I love goals that stretch me. And from a content perspective, creating something new every day excited me! These were the reasons I started. But I have discovered some interesting truths along the way. Here are the reasons I am still excited to keep going. 1. It’s working. From an audience perspective, the traffic continues to grow. Content marketing is a long term game. 2. I want to see if I can maintain it. At this point, I have posted well over 100 days in a row. That’s exciting! Will I break the streak? I might. But not today. 3. I keep coming up with new ideas. That’s one of the big concerns, right? You will run out of ideas. But the opposite has been true for me. Jeff Haden talked to me about this. When you are doing it every day, your brain is constantly looking for things to write about. When you are doing it once a week…not so much. So though there are days when I struggle to come up with something, it’s usually no more than when I was writing twice a month. 4. I feel like I am getting better. The reality is, if you want to be great at nearly anything, you need to put in the work. It’s what Malcom Gladwell called the 10,000 hours rule. So no matter whether you want to get better at sales, content, fitness, or cooking, the secret is…there is no secret. You need to keep putting in the work. You need to keep it up day after day. You need to keep going after other people stop. That’s the secret. The great news is, it’s completely in your control. The better news is, it’s probably not as hard as you think…if you just start…and keep going. Make sure you never miss an update! It’s time to sign up for our VIP newsletter! Why? Simple. We are posting a lot of content. Once a week we send you an email to recap it all in one place. Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s that time of year. What time of year, you ask? It’s that time of year that the mornings get cooler, the leaves begin to change colors, and football is on TV! Hooray! It’s also the time of year that most organizations need to start thinking about “thank you.” It’s time to make sure your customers, employees, sales team and board members know how much you appreciate them. (It’s time to bridge the Appreciation Gap…I talk about that here). But what do you get them? How do you make it special? We can help. Today we take a look at some really cool executive branded gifts your team will love. Sonosphere Bluetooth Speaker: This is the perfect executive gift for that person that spends time at their desk. The Sonosphere will serve as a constant reminder of your appreciation for them. And since the minimum is 1…you could even personalize it. iLuv Personal Assistant/Bluetooth Speaker: Speaking of tech, how about tying your bluetooth speaker into your personal Alexa assistant? Yes…that would be cool. Your special guests can do just that with this cool piece! RamblerPack Backpack: Simple. Functional. On trend. This backpack fits in all 3 of these categories. Make sure you can head from the office, to the gym, to wherever and do it in style! Check out details on this one here. Urban Peak Gift Set: I love this gift set so much I got it for my team last year! This awesome cooler bag (great functional size) pairs with all of the drinkware you could need! It comes with 3 Vacuum sealed pieces with the 30 oz, the 20 oz and the 3 in 1. This is cool for everyone on your list! Coleman® 36-Hour 42-Can Marine Soft-Sided Cooler: If you want my favorite cooler on the market right now, you have found it. I even wrote about it here. This is a great size because it holds 42 cans, but is still manageable. It keeps ice for 36 hours and it has a cool accessible top that I love. You can find more info here. Thumpah Bluetooth Speaker: Get the party started, well, thumping with this super cool bluetooth speaker. If you have someone that wants to experience music on the go, this is your go to item!
Westbridge Leather Rucksack: this piece is sure to impress. Okay…so that is a great place to start! There are plenty of other options available! Need more ideas? You can shop online here. Or we can help you as well. Just click here if you need more ideas or if you want to set up a consultation. Finally, make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
