Hi ,

 

Here in Oregon, we're smoked in. Or maybe we're being smoked out. No doubt you've seen the news. It took a little while, but the national media finally caught on that Oregon, Washington and California are burning. On fire.

 

Stories, we got stories. Suffice it to say that my mother's home in the midst of the crazy fires managed to survive after she evacuated Labor Day night at 10:30 with fifteen minutes warning. She left with a change of clothes and nothing else. A friend went back a couple of days later and fetched her violin, viola, piccolo and flute. You know, the important stuff. I said, "did you get your laptop?" (she has a new-ish Apple Air) and she said, "Oh, I didn't think of that." Priorities when you're 92.

 

This week, the blog sees new articles on doing a pandemic SWOT analysis, a short video on dealing with disruption, and a great interview with Jason Graham-Nye of gDiapers, who's company has had to find their way through the international supply chain disruption brought on by the pandemic.

 

Soundtrack for this week's newsletter: Chet Baker in New York. Trumpeter Chet Baker became known as the Prince of Cool (what a cool nickname!), and this 1958 album also features Johnny Griffin on tenor sax, Al Haig on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. A nice little jazz set to take you away. Click the link to listen on Spotify.

 

How Remote Work Will Impact Your Company's Strategy, from Valeria Maltoni on Conversation Agent:

 

In Playing to Win, A. G. Lafley explains the importance of deciding where and how to play in order to win in business. An autobiographical side note is useful to understand the difference between deciding among options and making choices with longer-term impact.

“In my now forty-plus years in business, I have found that most leaders do not like to make choices. They'd rather keep their options open. Choices force their hands, pin them down, and generate an uncomfortable degree of personal risk. I also found that few leaders can truly define winning. They generally speak of short-term financial measures or a simple share of a narrowly defined market.

In effect, by thinking about options instead of choices and failing to define winning robustly, these leaders choose to play but not to win. They wind up settling for average industry results at best.”

>>>

 

Mark Shaefer's Grow:

One of the greatest marketing guru myths is that your content strategy starts with your “why,” or your “narrative” or the “arc of your story.”

Here’s the truth. Nobody cares.

Your customers/consumers only really care about THEIR why and THEIR narrative. Make them the hero of the story.

 

Ten Things I've Learned from Ten Years of Blogging. Even though it's now been almost twelve years, these little lessons still fit.

 

Actual Conversations With Clients. Nothing made-up here, all real!