Interns To The Rescue!

I have been so distracted lately, and it has been very hard to focus. We have been hit hard by circumstances that have affected operations and it has been so easy to get derailed. Thank goodness for our new interns! As an example of how distracted I am, this semester I just gave the interns our strategic goals (one picked the consumer side and the other picked the corporate side) and I told them to determine the best ways to move forward. In the past, I gave much structure and direction, and often Jennifer and I were disappointed at the lack of creativity and innovation. The internships became this task oriented project - which is not what we believe that it should be about. Don't get me wrong: I would LOVE to hand off some of the tasks that drive me crazy (managing distribution lists, sending follow up messages, keeping resources up-to-date, etc.), but I have seen that when someone has a chance to implement their own ideas they either take on the challenge or try to hide as much as possible. My hope is that the interns will make it their goal to understand Verify-ED and Val-ID-ate, and get out there to interact with the public (physically and online) to truly learn the art of networking. This is a skill that is not taught in the classroom, yet it is THE secret to much success.

This semester will either be a roaring success or a blazing disaster. I am crossing my fingers for the success side!!

Egyptian Dirt For Sale

Last month my husband and I went to Egypt. The stars were aligned and we were able to pull it off - with the help of 2 au pairs and 1 great friend holding down the fort with our 3 children and another au pair serving as travel consultant, we were able to do the trip for a minimal expense. It is a place that my husband has wanted to go forever - and I was up for the adventure (Rome is my forever trip).

Whenever anyone asks me, "how was the trip", my response is the same: unreal. It is very hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I can personally touch something that has been around over 5,000 years. There are almost no barriers to the artifacts and ruins - which made me skeptical about the authenticity. The are also so many statues and other artifacts that I started to feel like I was on a Hollywood set. I am not an archaeologist, so I can't vouch for authenticity, but I couldn't help but feel "hmmm, who's to say that someone didn't just make that statue?..."

The tie in to business: product perception. Think about it: you don't doubt the value of the artwork in the Louvre because you are not allowed to come near anything. That distance almost makes you want it more, and you can figure why people are willing to pay more. In comparison, in Egypt we were picking up rocks and other things from burial sites and temples that (as far as we can tell) could have fallen directly off of Hatshepsut's temple. Timewise, the Egyptian dirt would be worth more than any artwork hanging in the Louvre - but I am sure that no one will pay us money for it. The same with our Val-ID-ate product. We have to present it as the exclusive product that it is. We have a unique tool, and we don't expound on that fact enough. We need to convey just how utilizing our tool makes someone unique - and invaluable. Worth money.

For so long we have undervalued our products, and it is very hard to change pricing to better reflect worth. A basic business principle is that you can always lower a price, but raising a price is difficult. Well, SETTING a price is IMPOSSIBLE! But, I guess we learn from trial and error, or just plain pain.

We are striving to hang (figuratively) in the Louvre - Paris is my second "forever" trip

She Couldn't Keep A Ball Rolling If She Was...

I wrote something today that made me laugh (yes, I have reached the stage where I am telling myself funny things). I wrote: she couldn't keep a ball rolling if she was standing at the top of a hill.

Momentum - how do you keep it going?

That has been the biggest issue with changing staff and multiple projects going on. I have my hands full trying to just gain sales momentum. Think about what I am trying to accomplish with the side support things (newsletters, social network presence, participation in professional organizations, etc.).

I did some quick research, and didn't find any helpful tips online - tools for keeping a team interested in a project that may be slow-going.

Time to put the query out there! Let's see if my Twitter and Facebook contacts have ideas...