by Kirby Hasseman
I am a big fan of Seth Godin. There are a ton of reasons why. He is an original thinker. He is a great author. He is a consistent content creator (I talk about his unreasonable blog here). But I also find that I love Seth’s work because he says things that I want to share. For years, he has written something on his blog and I read it and say “yes!” I feel compelled to share it with everyone…or at least people I care about. I had that experience yesterday. I was on a run and was listening to Seth’s podcast called Akimbo. This episode, called “You’re it” is on “getting picked. You see, in the past, the only way (or at least the best way) to succeed was to be picked. You submitted your book, you auditioned, you hoped and you prayed. But the success of your project or your career was ultimately in the hands of someone else. Someone else had to decide. Today it’s different. As Seth so eloquently points out in this podcast, the internet changed everything. You can publish that book on your own. You can share your idea. You can start your own comedy troop. You don’t have to wait for someone else to choose. You get to choose. So as you start today, it’s time to decide. Are you going to wait to see if someone chooses you? Or are you going to take the leap? Are you going to put in the work? It’s scary. Because if it doesn’t work, there is no one else to blame. But it can’t work if you don’t try. Like Seth, I hope you will try. Oh…and one more shot…you can listen here. Make sure you never miss an update! Each week we send out an email with all of the content we have created in one place! You can sign up below.
by Kirby Hasseman
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer. Have you ever noticed that what you put your attention on grows? It’s true. When you put your focus and time and attention on a specific thing, it tends to show up everywhere. There is plenty of science to back it up. But great thinkers have been telling us this for years. From Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich) to Wayne Dyer to Stephen Covey, all of them have told us that what we focus on, we get. Wayne Dyer says it like this, “What you really, really want in life, you tend to get. And what you really, really DON’T want in life, you also tend to get.” Both of them have your concentrated attention. “Once you realize that what you think about expands in your life, you get really careful about what you think about!” Part of it is simply us telling our subconscious brains what is important. For example, you find exactly the new car you want. You take it home, thinking it’s a one of a kind. Then you start to see it (or ones just like it) everywhere! Why? Because your brain knows this car is important…so it points it out. The same is true in your relationships. If you constantly focus on the things you don’t like in your relationships…they will continue to expand. Stephen Covey talks about this in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He tells a husband to stop fixating on the things he doesn’t like in his spouse. Instead, start focusing on the things you love…and then they will expand. In his book “Becoming Supernatural,” Dr. Joe Dispenza talks about this in great detail. He says that most of us spend most of our time and attention (especially the very first part of our day) thinking and stressing and worrying about the past. So those past stresses and worries show up more and more. Is it any wonder that most people live the same day of their lives over and over? So what can we do? How do we break the routine? Let’s take the time to be intentional. Let’s make a mental change on what we put our time and attention on. Instead of focusing (all the time) on what stresses us, what worries us, or what annoys us, let’s spend some time thinking about the opposite. Today let’s think about: What are we grateful for? What excited us? What do we love about our life? What is it that we want to create? How can we be generous and make a difference? If what we think about expands in our life, let’s be intentional about what we focus on. Let’s work to create a life that we want to live! Make sure you never miss an update! It’s a great time to sign up for our VIP newsletter. We send out one email per week with all of the content we create in one place! Sign up today!
by Kirby Hasseman
We have been doing it a long time. But there are always lessons to learn. Each year, at Hasseman Marketing, we invite some of our best supplier partners to join us to create our Annual Trade Show. The goal is to provide a fun environment for our customers and prospects to check out the latest and greatest branded merchandise and marketing services our company has to offer. And of course, we want to have fun doing it! You can even see a behind the scenes “Day in the Life” video I shot during the day here.
And with any event like this, there are chances to learn. What makes the event work? What can we do better? The Right Partners are Key: In business, the word partnership is thrown around a lot. Most of the time, we want partnerships when it is in our favor. But for an event like this happen (and to create a long term business success) you need real partnerships. The suppliers (and multi-line reps) we have at our event travel from all over the country to invest their time in our business. It’s awesome. And of course, they do a great job showcasing their lines to our customers as well. Hard To Make It Look Easy: If you watched the video above, you might have thought, “Well that didn’t look too bad.” Though the event is a lot of work, the team works hard to make it happen. One person that spends a ton of time behind the scenes is my lovely bride. Amy spends countless hours getting things ready. It’s not just the decorations you see. It’s the pasta salad she is making at 10pm. It’s the details that would simply not get done without here. It’s a thankless job…so it’s worth a small “thank you” here. It’s Important to Keep Trying For Better: Though it felt like the show went well this year, it’s important to keep trying to improve. We will be meeting Monday to discuss what worked…and what did not. (So if you were there and have suggestions, let us know). The best things in life continually evolve…and we want to do the same. We love the opportunity to get together with our suppliers and customers each year. It’s a lot of work. But it’s a lot of fun too. Make sure you never miss an update (or an announcement about an event like this). Sign up for our VIP newsletter below. We send out one email per week to catch you up on the content activity at Hasseman Marketing!
by Kirby Hasseman
Most of us have no problem getting up for the “big day.” I mean, it’s the big day, after all. Whether it’s a big meeting, a big game or a big presentation, we are able to show up with our best. We relish it! I would hope so. Showing up when it “really matters” is sort of a baseline for success. But what do you do the next day? The lights are not shining. The music is not playing. The boss is not looking. What do you do then? When the alarm goes off the next morning, you will be sore and tired. You just put in a big day. On “the next day” the most successful people in life get up…and start to create the next big day. As a quick side note, thanks so much to everyone who attended our Hasseman Trade Show. We really appreciate you. Make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for our VIP newsletter below!
by Kirby Hasseman
“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 The morning started like any other. I went through my morning routines (coffee, workout, and content) and took a moment to look at my calendar for the day. Quickly I was reminded of a morning event that I was scheduled to attend. My initial reaction was to be annoyed. It was, of course, throwing off my routine. My comfort zone was being interrupted and challenged. But I decided to “suck it up” and honor the early morning commitment. I was so glad I did. The event that morning was Manufacturing Day in Coshocton County (you can read about it here). Over 250 students gathered to learn about the many manufacturing jobs in the community. The mood in the room was festive and the energy was contagious. What really struck me was the group of people that worked to put on the event. The Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event in conjunction COTC, The Coshocton County Port Authority and Ohio Means Jobs. In addition, many local manufacturers sponsored the event as well. And though the financial support is amazing, I was most taken back by the excitement and energy in the room. These were people that were positive, excited and passionate. I left the event feeling energized myself. That’s what happens when you surround yourself with good people working toward a common goal. It has a tendency to lift you up. It excites you. It can often re-ignite a passion. The fact is, even the most passionate of us can lose our drive now and again. The quickest antidote I have found for frustration and boredom is to get around awesome people. On a related note, today is the Hasseman Marketing Trade show in Coshocton Ohio. Each year we fill up the largest venue in the community with some of our very best supplier partners and customers…and the energy is awesome. If you want to learn more about that event…click here. And if you want inspiration and motivation coming into your email box once a week, sign up for our VIP newsletter. You can do that below.
by Kirby Hasseman
I love to celebrate success. I mean, we ALL love to celebrate our own success. But one of the best things to do is to celebrate the success of others. Not only is it a good feeling, but for me, it’s also an indicator that I am in a good place. You see, it’s really hard to–sincerely–celebrate the success of others if you are jealous of them. I mean, you can put on “the face.” But it’s hard to be happy in your heart. When you are insecure, or frustrated, or angry, it’s tough to be elated when someone else seems to be out there killing it. It’s easy to be smiling on the outside, when your insides are screaming “why not me?” I understand. I actually think most people have had “that moment.” So don’t beat yourself up. It’s the reason you know you are in a good place when you see some good news and you say, “Wow, good for them,” and really mean it. But how do you get there? How do you go from a place where you want to scream, to a place where you are happy to see others succeed? I am hardly a licensed therapist…but here are a few thoughts that come to mind. Seek Out Reasons to be Grateful: Gratitude is the prescription for a Happy life. If you want to be in a better mood, have better relationships, and just live a fuller existence, consistently look for reasons to be grateful. You simply can’t be grateful and pissed at the same time. Can’t do it. When you are grateful you are much more likely to be happy for others. Seek Out Reasons to Celebrate Others: The simple act of seeking out reasons to celebrate others is powerful. What you put your attention on, you tend to find more of. If you continually look for things to celebrate you will find them. It’s like a muscle…work it. Seek Out People You Admire: It’s really easy to celebrate people you love and admire. As you seek out “things” to celebrate, look for people you WANT to celebrate. You will find those reasons quickly! And here’s the secret. The more you celebrate others, the more they want to celebrate you! P.S. Congrats to our great pals at Commonsku! They recently surpassed $500 Million in sales under the platform. They have created an amazing software. But more importantly, they are creating an amazing tribe. Well done! Make sure you never miss an update! We send out a weekly email to recap all of the content we create. Sign up for our VIP newsletter below!
