by Kirby Hasseman
Ray Allen is one of the most prolific 3 point shooters in NBA History. He has won multiple NBA championships and has one of the most beautiful jump shooting motions you will ever see. He is (was) a Pure Shooter in the most wonderful sense of the word. He made it look easy. But when people say he was a “natural born” shooter, Allen would get frustrated. Why? Because by saying his ability was just “given,” it minimizes the thousands of hours of work that went into his craft. It explains away the blood, sweat and tears that created his perfect shooting motion. He didn’t earn it. It came easy.
Making things look easy, often take a lot of work.
I was reminded of that story recently, when someone pointed out to me that I am a positive person. They said “You always see things as glass half full.” It was said (and meant) as a sincere compliment. But every time someone describes me a “positive person,” it leaves me wanting to explain. You see, I don’t think that I am naturally a positive person. I don’t wake up every morning whistling dixie and I have to fight off negative thoughts all of the time. As a matter of fact, early in my career, I would guess that many of my co-workers would say I was anything but positive. But over years of study, I have learned that most of us perform better when our brain is primed with positive thoughts. If you want to dig deeper on this, the book Happiness Equation is fantastic.
I have worked to become more positive. So why does it bother me when someone says “you are just a positive person?”
It minimizes the work.
I am hardly the Ray Allen of positive thinking. But I do work at it. A lot. The idea that I wake up every morning with a blindly positive attitude negates the amount of work I do to put myself in a better state of mind. This statement dismisses the lengths I have gone to create a morning routine that sets my day up correctly. It explains away the exercise, the meditation, the discipline I have developed to work on focusing my mind intentionally. I am not a naturally positive person. I don’t know that anyone is. The fact is, studies tell us that 89% of what we see in the world is negative. If that’s the case, we all need to be diligent in how we focus our mind. I am hardly perfect. But I do that work.
It takes away their responsibility.
By simply saying that I am a positive person, many people let themselves off the hook. Being positive seems like work, because it is. If it just comes naturally to others, then they don’t have to put in the work themselves.
It is not (just) about positive thoughts.
While I strongly believe that putting positive thoughts in your brain help it perform better, the idea is not to be delusional. It’s not that you don’t see the negative the world has to offer. That is probably the thing that bugs me the most. If nearly 90% of what we see is negative, then please don’t think that I don’t see the bad. That is insulting. I do see the challenges. I don’t JUST see the challenges. It’s not about having only shiny, happy thoughts. As a matter of fact, some studies will tell you that people that only allow overly optimistic thoughts in their mind die younger! Why? Because they are unwilling to do the real work they need to do to prevent or improve their situation.
It’s not about having only positive thoughts. It’s about having accurate thoughts.
Obviously, there is good and bad in nearly every situation. My goal is to get an accurate diagnosis. Then, with both the good and bad in mind, I want to see how I can best move forward to create the best outcome.
Thanks for reading this blog. If you want to catch up with all of our content, please head to our blog page to see videos, podcasts and blogs in one place.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 35 of the He Said/She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy talk about some real and positive momentum in Coshocton County. This not only is showing up in the good work people are doing, but the way that citizens are speaking out against negativity online. It’s refreshing and exciting to see!
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Amy spends some time talking about slow and steady progress at the building at 539. Kirby talks about trying to keep up when things are going well.
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk about the need to focus on their own areas of control. Amy discusses that sometimes when you focus on other people’s decisions and choices, it can be incredibly frustrating. It’s important to stay in your own circle of influence…but it’s not easy!
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Kirby and Amy give a shout out to Coshocton County Prosecutor Jason Given. Jason and his team work hard to keep the community safe. It’s an often under appreciated job…but oh so important!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 33 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of the team that helps us “Deliver Marketing Joy” each and every day. So we wanted to introduce you to some of our peeps with our series we call “Brand-ecdotes.” Today we get to meet Bree McAndrews!
What is something fun that not everyone knows about you?
There are quite a few things! I am a proud mom of two beautiful spunky (and strong-willed!) girls 😊 I love to bake and create new recipes for friends and family. And…I have jumped out of an airplane more than half a dozen times!
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
Favorite promotional product(s): I love to travel and wish I could more. These are some of my favorite pieces I have come across to date that allow me to stay connected, safe and fashionable in my travels.
-hand sanitizer
-camera blocker
-blue light glasses
-rfid card for wallet
-3 in 1 luggage strap with scale and tsa lock
What is the current product you use all the time?
RFID Card is always in my wallet! I also have so many clients who choose these as giveaways at their trade shows, career fairs, general advertising!
What is a company or brand that you admire and why?
This is difficult! I have a few I really like. One being Intuit and former CEO Brad Smith personally calling me regarding a handwritten letter I sent him discussing an awesome article he wrote that really hit home to me. Also – Moosejaw has to have some of the best/funniest marketing strategies. Recently I was driving and one of their trucks pulled up behind me. I looked in my rearview mirror and their front bumper sticker says “You have a flat tire – JK” Also a few holidays ago they were doing a national white elephant gift exchange for any gifts you received that you didn’t want you could ship to their HQ and they would take another gift they received from someone and send it to you along with a coupon. I wish I participated to see what random thing I would have received.
What is your favorite part of “Delivering Marketing Joy?”
I have the best most creative team! I learn so much from every team member. I work remotely and I still feel very much a part of the team! AWESOME people!
At Hasseman Marketing, we love our team. Want to learn more about us? Head to our About Us page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 34 of the He Said/She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy talk about the political season that is upon us. We are in the primary season but this whole year will be filled with this. Can we maintain a level of civility? If so, it’s up to us. Listen to Kirby and Amy’s take!
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Kirby talks about an uptick in video activity and the idea of working through a short week. Amy talks about being the “Diva of Drywall” and progress at the 539 Property!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk the challenge of accepting compliments. We often talk about the idea of giving praise and compliments, but it’s important to accept them gracefully as well. Why is that so hard?
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Amy leads the charge on complimenting everyone that is “all in” on a week of kindness. Listen in to hear more!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 33 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time not that long ago, when people questioned the power of social media when building a brand or an organization. Most of us now understand and acknowledge, that when done right, social media can be an extremely valuable tool in marketing and sales. There are just too many success stories to argue. But some companies still struggle to get their arms around how to make it work for them. So while they see that Social Media can be powerful, they have not learned to harness it for themselves.
Sometimes it’s not just about what to do…it’s about what NOT to do. So here are 3 mistakes I see organizations make on social media.
Always Be Closing
In this iconic clip from the movie Glengary Glenn Ross, Alec Baldwin gives a struggling sales team a speech that is for the ages. He says that those of us in sales (and we are all in sales) should “Always Be Closing.” While I think the cast is incredible and the scene is powerful, I don’t think that’s a great way to build a brand…especially on social media. So many organizations treat their social media platforms as another place to put up commercials. It’s not. You can’t always be selling or your prospects and customers will turn you off. They have that power now. If you want to create real business relationships, you need to provide value before you sell. You need to “give first.” Don’t “always be closing.” Always be giving value…or you won’t get the chance to sell.
I Wanna Talk About Me
Sure, it’s hard to get this Toby Keith song out of your head. But when it comes to social media (and marketing in general) when all you do is “talk about me” it can be a turn off for prospects and customers. Sure, you need to tell your story. But how you tell it matters. It’s important to consider why this matters to your customer. How does this help them? When you create social media and content marketing, make sure you do so with your customers in mind.
Ghosting
If you have not heard of it, one of the ways to define “ghosting” is to just leave a gathering or party without any communication. Sometimes that’s a great way to get through a business trip without a hangover. But it’s not a great way to treat your “audience” on social media. We have all seen that business that decided they were going to “be great at social media” and then go hog wild posting to Facebook. Then after a few weeks, the whirlwind gets in the way, and they “ghost.” No announcement. No explanation. They just stop posting anything for months. As you might expect, this is not a great way to build an audience or add value. Consistency is a powerful tool. Organizations that create a consistent plan, and execute on it, have the best results.
In many ways, it’s about treating your audience like you would want to be treated. You don’t want to be sold to all of the time. Most of us don’t want someone to only talk about them. And we certainly don’t like it when we are ignored. So consider that, as you look at your social strategy moving forward!
Thanks for reading! Want more content like this? Check out our blog page here. And if you just can’t wait another day without checking out my new book, you can find that here.
