2008 November

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

 

This is the one week out of every year that I keep really, really simple: Thank you for subscribing to Wisdom on Wednesday. I hope my words have touched you and helped you to grow.
 
Here is a Thanksgiving toast I found online. Enjoy. 

Joe Kiedinger
 
“Our rural ancestors, with little blest,
Patient of labour when the end was rest,
Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,
With feasts, and off’rings, and a thankful strain.”
-Alexander Pope

The Category Killer!

If I asked you to name a fast food hamburger restaurant, what would you say? How about a dandruff shampoo? All of these questions create a category in your mind. Becoming a category killer is the goal of most entrepreneurs, because if you can create one you will garner the majority of business in that category in the region you serve.

 

I would like to share with you one client who has done that in the category of liquor: Trig’s and Trig’s County Market. Trig’s is named after its founder Trig Solberg. Trig and his team have taken a grocery store liquor department and truly redefined it with their Cellar 70. Perhaps it’s the barrel-curved ceiling with tongue and groove cedar that sets it apart? Maybe it’s the wine displayed in wood carriers that dominates the store that sends a strong message?

 

Might it possibly be the wood beams adorned with chandeliers that hover above you (yes, chandeliers that match the décor perfectly)? Finally, maybe it’s the fact that you would have to take a course at a local university on wine selection and wine making to know as much as a Cellar 70 manager does; that kills this category.

 

I think it’s a combination of everything mentioned above (and I haven’t even discussed the rare beers and exotic liquors Cellar 70 offers). You simply need to take a special trip to one of their five locations from Stevens Point up through the Northwoods to experience it firsthand.

 

All across the country businesses are standing out and becoming category killers, from the single boutique businesses to the multi-store small chains. You can do it too. You can do it within your job right now. What little noticeable actions can you take to help you get started? Might there be an opportunity to be a category killer in what you do? It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a strategy and doing small things everyday that build the experience and the reputation.

 

So let’s raise a glass and toast the category killers who make our buying decisions so much easier and, as always, drink responsibly!

 

Joe Kiedinger

 

ACTION PLAN: Tell three people in your life something unique about them that you truly appreciate.

The Museum of Your Life

If a life is worth living, it’s worth recording. How many of you keep a weekly or monthly journal? How about old business cards from past employers? How about newspaper clippings of recognition or old sales handouts from when your business was younger? I guess I’m kind of a historian when it comes to my life. I have lost some of my earlier materials that I ponder on with some regret.

 

Whenever we move on to something new I archive the old. Computers are great for that, especially in the agency world, because everything is captured graphically. It’s my goal when we turn ten years old (that’s 3.5 years from now) to have a dedicated space chronicling our journey. We have pictures of our original office and office number two, as well as moving day pictures and old ‘stuff’ that tells our story.

 

Inspiration comes from stories. How well do you tell your story? I was told once, that if you really want a point to be driven home, tie it to a story. When a new associate joins our team they are brought by our original home within the first six months. They not only get a tour of the current office: here’s the bathroom, kitchen, copier and fax, but they get a tour of our history. This will make much more impact when the museum is put together.

 

Think about your kids and grandchildren. The greatest gift we can give is our story–a story which allows a tangible bond between people. I still tell stories of my grandfather’s miniature golf business he started in 1929. Our family has pictures of him with a big ‘ole smile in front of his promotional vehicle. It failed miserably but it was just one of his many ventures, his last finding success.

 

It’s not arrogant or boastful to start keeping a journal, audio, or video diary. It’s not about you. You’re recording your thoughts, dreams, successes, and failures for your descendents. It’s these little pieces that become your immortality!

 

Joe Kiedinger

 

Action Plan: See Joe live today at 3 pm at the Meyer Theater in Downtown Green Bay! Learn more!

The Praise from a Child–nothing beats it!

Foreword: Make sure you don’t miss my free Road Show celebrating the premiere of my new book, The Brander-In-Chief – Wednesday, November 12^th at 3 p.m.

 

I was raised to be a performer. I was the kid that my parents would pull out of the closet (metaphor here) during dinner parties to entertain the adults for about ten minutes and then they would put me back. They programmed me to seek applause and affirmation and it turned out this programming was really a great gift. It helps me today to educate and engage business leaders.

 

Before my marketing career really took off, I was doing a lot of performing: cruise ships, summer music theater, and a local dinner theater for three years. People only knew me as a performer. During these early years my son Alex was very young and he would go to my shows. When I received his praise it meant the world to me. He thought I was cool!

 

Last Saturday I volunteered to perform in a fundraiser to help a local historic theater. A 16 piece jazz orchestra backed me up. Now to a singer that’s like a pilot climbing in the cockpit of a 747! The theater was sold out with one thousand packing the seats. I love applause, it’s what fuels performing, but on this particular night I wasn’t performing for 997 of them. I had three other audience members I was performing for: Danica, my wife, along with Alex, now 12, and sitting between them was my five year old, Alina, who had never seen daddy perform.

 

I sang the Beatles tune, Gotta Get You Into My Life. My wife told me at the end of my song my five year old stood up and yelled, “My Daddy ROCKS!” The reaction I received from my kids after the show was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

 

I think it’s important to expose our kids to what we do. I know that my story may be extreme with performing in a venue such as the historic Meyer Theater in downtown Green Bay, but we all have talents that sometimes we may hide from our kids. They are more interested than you realize about what their parents can do. Quite frankly, before they turn 9 we can’t do anything wrong and by the time they’re 12 we can’t do anything right!

 

If you have kids you know what I’m saying! The point to this Wisdom is when we share our passions with others, whether they be family or co-workers, we reveal a side of us that is truly authentic and admirable. People connect with you. After all, isn’t life all about making connections? It’s proven that the happiest people in the world are those with close relationships in their lives. It’s time to show off a little and let the world embrace you!

 

Joe Kiedinger

 

ACTION PLAN: Surprise somebody this week by sharing one of your passions with them. It could be a collection you have or some other interest! The realer the better!