by Kirby Hasseman
The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast is back! Our goal here is to attack 2018 with a vengeance! The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast will provide some inspiration, motivation and education to make it happen! Consider this your 10 minute “kick in the pants” to get your week started off right! This week on the podcast I talk about the challenge that all of us face at some point. We lose control of our thoughts. We get swept away. It’s so important to get control of those thoughts first thing in the morning. Listen to the DMJ Podcast today to start getting control of those thoughts now. Even before I open my eyes. That’s when the thoughts start to rush into my head at full speed. At that hour, especially before I am paying attention, they are agonizingly stressful. These thoughts talk about what I have not done, what I need to do, how I have failed, and what people think of me. It’s a constant barrage of negativity. These thoughts are the seeds of fear and panic. Then I wake up. It’s at this point that my day gets shaped. At this point I take a breath and search for other thoughts. These thoughts are usually focused on what I have to do today, the people I will see, the people who I love, the things for which I am grateful. Different thoughts for sure. This is the moment that determines my day. Which of these thoughts will I focus on? It’s my choice. Just like it’s yours. That wraps up the message from the DMJ Podcast today. Please make sure you subscribe the DMJ Podcast in iTunes, Soundcloud or wherever you listen. Oh…and make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here!
by Kirby Hasseman
We live in an instant gratification culture. When we are starting (anything) we want things to happen fast. We want success. We want attention. We want sales. We want all of those things…and we want them quickly. The problem is, despite the stories of “overnight successes,” that is not really how the world works. Maybe there have been people who have been “lucky” and have been “discovered” that have not put in the work…but I don’t know them. And my guess is, neither do you. Most overnight successes have been 10 years in the making. That might seem frustrating in the short term. Because while we are in the weeds, trying to get a project or career or company off the ground, it seems like things are taking forever. But my hope is that it is encouraging news. You are not stupid. You are not doing it wrong. You are not slow. This is just how it works…for everyone. That is why Gary Vaynerchuk talks a lot about Patience. Building a company, a brand or an audience that matters takes time. It takes time in the trenches. It takes repetitions. In the short run, we get frustrated because “it’s not happening fast enough.” But take solace in knowing that success in nearly anything is more like farming than hunting. We have to plant the seeds, water them and let them grow. Then we get to harvest. The other side of that, though, is action. When you hear patience, it doesn’t mean you just wait for the world to serve up success to you. You have to make the calls, write the posts, attend the meetings. You have to do the work. And you have to do it consistently. It’s not a one time flurry of activity. It’s every day. But when you put the two together, you can really build something. Action + Patience = Power. Now go put in the work. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, make sure to sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I love the book “Living with a Seal.” It was one of the last books I listened to a few years ago and it fired me up completely. It was raw. It was funny. And it made me look at the ways I am holding myself back. (You can find it here). So when I saw this interview with Jesse Itzler titled, “How to stop being realistic and shoot for the moon,” I was interested. But I did what we all do. I looked to see how long the video was. Ugh…it’s just over 44 minutes! Who has that kind of time? So I did the other thing we all do. I kept scrolling. Luckily I saw it again. This time I had a few minutes and decided to dig in and listen to what Jesse and Tom Bilyeu were discussing. I was so glad I did. There were a ton of “aha” moments for me in this interview. But probably my favorite was the concept of the “Life Resume.” Jesse talks in the interview about getting a low SAT score and how that could have held him back. But instead of focusing on that score or his shortcomings (and trying to build an actual resume), he worked to create a resume of his life. I love that. As you look back at the life you have created so far…do you have experiences you are proud to put on your resume? My guess is you do. On the other hand, it’s almost never too late to start building. What are the things you want to ad to your portfolio? Who are the people you want to meet? What are the things you want to try (even if you fail)? Now make the list…and let Jesse Itzler be your inspiration. Go take a risk. Create a life resume you will be proud of. We are creating a lot of content…it’s hard to keep up! An easy way to see all the things you want to check out is to sign up for our VIP Newsletter! Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I love a good quote. When I hear the right words at the right time, it can re-frame my mindset. It can fire me up to get started or keep going. With that in mind, here are a few quotes that I have loved over the years. I hope you get some “mental juice” out of them too! “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Archie Griffin “Begin by always expecting good things to happen.”Tom Hopkins “Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you.” Zig Ziglar “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
“Success is never what you deserve. Success is what you earn.”Jeff Haden “Success… seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Unknown “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” Thomas Jefferson “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill “I do not have superior intelligence or faultless looks. I do not captivate a room or run a mile under six minutes. I only succeeded because I was still working after everyone else went to sleep.” Greg Evans “What’s the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable.” Unknown “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” Wayne Dyer So regardless of what you want to achieve in life, there will be challenges and there will be hardships. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. So find the things that help to light your fire…and keep moving toward your goal each day. Now go get it. It’s time to become a VIP! Sign for our VIP newsletter here. We will send you nuggets of motivational goodness each Monday. Seriously…now. Join here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Welcome to a super awesome blog post series for Hasseman Marketing called:
“Brand-ecdotes!”
Each week we will talk to a branding all star about what make the Promotional Product advertising media so special!
This week we talk to Charity Gibson! Charity wears quite a few hats in the Promo industry. She has been on both the distributor and supplier side of the business (and is now with Peerless Umbrella). She is a social media rock star! And she is on the PromoKitchen board as well! Take it away Charity!
1. What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why? For a long time, my favorite promotional product was the old-school viewmaster. The nostalgia factor played a big part inthat one because I know a large demographic of people had one as a child, have a positive feeling about it, and can relate to the product. My sales pitch was that a company could have these made with their logo and it would stay on the recipient’s desk because of novelty, but then each month they could send out new reels that would have a special for that month, new product info, and any other message they wanted to send, but these sales could only be viewed by putting the reel into the toy. In my mind, it was the perfect way to get people excited about seeing sales flyers. Since then, however, my mind has been focused on more practical products. There is one product I use and subsequently see every single day, and that is my PhoneLoop from EMT. My phone, or phones I should say – I carry three, are with me 24 hoursa day. My PhoneLoop has saved my phone from so many drops I can’t even count, and keeps it clean because I can hang it on hooks in bathrooms when I’m out and not carrying a purse. 
My good friend Brian Stidham gave me a random sample at a tradeshowand I had that first PhoneLoop for over a year. I only recently changed it out because I ended up getting some done as a self-promo for Peerless. People carry umbrellas when they will be in the sun for an extended period of time, or when it’s raining. Umbrellas really do make amazing billboards and our Peerless branded, EMT made PhoneLoops share this story every time people pick up their phone, which is on average, 62 times a day or something ridiculous like that. 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? A promotional product has to be really freakin’ cool for me to keep it. Consequently, I don’t actually have very many around my house. One that I not only love, but paid retail for, is a photo keepsake from Lego Land. My fiance and my daughter haven’t always gotten along, especially while we are on vacations. On this particular occasion a few years back, we were at Lego Land and, just to be defiant, my daughter claimed she was scared to go on most of the rides. It made for a very long day. Finally toward the end of the day, however, she loosened up and went on a few of the smaller roller coasters.On one ride she said she would be more comfortable with Damon sitting in the coaster car with her so that he could make sure she didn’t fall out. I was both surprised and delighted by this turn of events. When we exited the ride, they of course had the photos lined up. Not only was the photo they snapped totally hilarious because I look like I’m praying – maybe for them to start getting along – but they handed me a photo frame and showed me a virtual sample on the screen of what our photo would look like on this neat lego creation. The stand is made of lego bricks and then the photo itself is printed on a wall of lego bricks so you could, if you wanted, take it apart and rebuild it. $40 some odd dollars later, that frame is one of the few pictures I’ve got displayed on my office bookcase. It is super cute and seriously clever. 
Bravo to whoever thought that one up! Bonus: Damon and K are getting along MUCH better now. I feel like maybe it’s time to take that trip again so we can actually enjoy ourselves and I can get another frame with a new lego figure on it to add to the collection. Ha! 3. What is the current product you use all the time? See question one. 🙂 4. What is an idea/product that you think organizations UNDER use? In general, all promotional products are under used. Even within our own industry, both distributors and suppliers fail to use our medium to attract and retain clients. We cold call, email blast, and use social media when really, we should be using the products at our disposal to be our own best case study. Sure you can use social media and email to enhance your promo efforts and amplify your message by sharing photos, etc., but as promo people we should really work to always think promo first. Second to that, I don’t think there is any one product that is underused as much as the imprint and/or imprint area is mis or under utilized.We often forget that we can print anything on these products. We can print a marketing message, statement, QR code, or a picture. It doesn’t have to be a logo. Also, the number one thing I see missing frompromo product projects is a call to action. We have an incredible opportunity to use this space to give people a directive. Incentivize them to engage with your brand. Encourage them to visit a website or connect and/or engage with social your social media accounts.Nine times out of ten, if you ask people to do something and give them a good enough reason to do it, they will. Whatever product you choose, use the imprint area to make that product really work overtime. It will be more effective, make a bigger impact, showa lower cost per impression, and turn a bigger ROI. 5. What do you think is the best thing about Promotional Products as an advertising media? I love that promotional products are the tangible realization of someone’s dream coming true. That might just be the best thing about them. It can be something as simple as a business card or pen, but when you dream of opening a company, take the steps to make it happen, create the logo and lay the foundation, put in the hard work of getting ready to do business, and then you open that first box of promo and see your logoon whatever it is, that’s a very special moment. In that moment, you realize you did it, and you have the pen in your hand with your logo on it to prove it. Promotional products have the power to stir emotion, drive people to action, and be kept or passed on for years to come. Can your billboard ad or tv commercial do that? Didn’t think so ?
And…that’s the another edition of Brand-ecdotes! Thanks to Charity Gibson for taking the time to jump in on this brand new project!
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