Ten Lessons I Learned on 
My Way to World Domination

As you read this, I'm en route to Portland, Ore., where I'll be attending the 2014 World Domination Summit, an (unfortunately named) event that brings together 3,000 entrepreneurs, writers, and artists.The event was started four years ago by Chris Guillbeau, author of "The $100 Startup" as a way to bring people together around the ideals of community, adventure and service.

 
I attended last year and found it to be so inspiring and insightful that I signed up again for 2014. Here are the top ten business (and life) lessons I took away from last year's event:
 
1. Ideas are conveyed most effectively through stories.
2. Lean into the uncertainty.
3. Figure out what gives you energy.
4. Stop trying to balance work and life - blend them instead.
5. The answer is "no" if you don't ask.
6. Know yourself.
7. Do the hard stuff.
8. When things go wrong, always make a second list.
9 Stop waiting for permission.
10. Dance like nobody's watching.
 
You can read my full blog post, complete with photos and videos HERE.
 
I look forward to sharing my experiences from the 2014 event when I return. 

 

Until next time,
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Five things you don't know...
About someone you may know
Loren Long - 
Author and Illustrator
Loren Long is the Cincinnati author and illustrator of The New York Times bestselling picture books "Otis," "Otis and the Tornado," "Otis and the Puppy," and "An Otis Christmas." In addition, he is The New York Times bestselling illustrator of President Barack Obama's picture book "Of Thee I Sing," the re-illustrated edition of "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper, and "Mr. Peabody's Apples" by Madonna.

 

At what age did you realize being an illustrator was something you wanted to do?

I was at the end of my junior year in college and had had three different majors when I finally realized I wanted to be an illustrator.

 

Is there anyone who inspired you to do this for a living?

I had no specific figure in my life that inspired me to be an artist but my parents played a supportive role. My father was in sales and my mother had lots of different jobs. I just always liked art and enjoyed every art class my public education provided. Even though my parents weren't artists themselves, they encouraged me to work at and develop my craft and pursue something I loved for a career. Without that support, I may have chosen a different path.

 

How did you get the illustration job for President Barack Obama's picture book Of Thee I Sing

Random House shared my work and the work of other artists working in children's publishing with the president and his family and they chose me. The Obamas had apparently read some of my books to their girls. 

 

What was your greatest takeaway from that experience?

It is an honor to be a part of such a patriotic, historical publishing event. And, most of all, I love what the author, President Obama, is saying to his daughters and my sons and every child in America in this book. It's an inspiring message for us all. And I believe it is an important book.

 

How much has marketing and promotion played a role in your career growth and what is your biggest challenge from that standpoint?

Marketing and promotion is a big part of my work. The notion is simple ... first, make a good book. Then, let as many people on the planet know it exists as possible. They can't buy your book (or your art) if they don't know it exists and there are immense numbers of books being published every year.  Simple theory, but acting on it is not as simple for me. At the same time, I tell art students ... don't put the cart before the horse. First comes making the work as good as you can, then worry about promoting it. 

 

Here are some recent blog posts you may have missed.

 

Airlines Cut Perks But Some Frequent-Flyers Still Get Wined and Dined for Their Loyalty

 

Whom Do You Trust? Setting Rules for Native Advertising

 

Clickbait vs. Content. Clickhole Is the Onion's Answer to Buzzfeed

 

Simpson Trial Riveted a Nation - And Without Social Media

 

Taking Kroger, Macy's and P&G Out of the Congo

 

MySpace Wants You Back and Is Willing to Attempt to Embarrass You in the Process

 

Facebook Singles Out Relationship Statuses

The Urology Group

Finding ways to market urologists can be interesting to say the least. Our most recent strategy found us wrapping port-o-potties for a major festival in Cincinnati.

 

The annual Taste of Cincinnati festival brings more than 550,000 people downtown to sample local cuisine. Knowing that sometimes nature calls more often at a party, we urged our client, The Urology Group, to advertise in this high-traffic zone.

 

We wrapped every fourth unit with a "More Party, Less Potty!" message, for a total of 30 units. The ads emphasized the fact that 30 percent of the population suffers from too-frequent urination. Artwork resembled an outhouse but used an arresting purple color to draw attention. And attention it drew.

 

After the festival, planners from two other major events contacted us to use the same strategy with them. Plans are underway for more purple potty promotion this summer.

 

Earning Our Pay

Here are a few things that have been keeping us busy:

 

1. Ascribe held its annual European Customer Conference in London in June. Forza Marketing lent a hand in event promotion through email blasts and social media. Attendees gave the event rave reviews.

 

2. Cincinnati-based First Student earned national coverage in School Transportation News

for its enhanced driver training and monitoring programs.

 

3. Rookwood Pottery artist George Hibben was interviewed on National Public Radio's "Around Cincinnati" show, where he talked about Rookwood history and upcoming events. A photo feature was recently secured and is scheduled to appear in the fall issue of Arts & Crafts Homes magazine. 

 

4. FanXchange, a global technology leader in live event ticket access for loyalty and reward programs, received coverage in more than 50 publications for its new partnership with Caesars Entertainment's Total Rewards program.

 

5. The Urology Group was designated as one of Cincinnati's "Top Work Places 2014" by the Enquirer Media. Posters promoted the award internally to employees while the announcement was made publicly on Facebook, The Urology Group's website and through a press release.

  

6. Fred Thompson, LoyaltyOne retail practice leader, connected with journalist Cheryl Conner to provide expert commentary for a Forbes national story about customer loyalty trends. The interview secured coverage in the same story of COLLOQUY's groundbreaking research about U.S. consumers' rising interest in being rewarded for activities other than purchasing, such as sharing on social media.

 

7. A new COLLOQUY research report on loyalty program tiering was featured in media outlets including CNBC, Yahoo and Chain Store Age.

8. An advertorial for The Urology Group was featured in the Cincinnati Business Courier's annual "Core Strength" issue. This supplement highlights new or expanding businesses in the tri-state area. A half-page ad accompanied the article, which featured the headline "Center of Attention" to emphasized the Group's focus on patient care.