Monthly Archive for March, 2011

I feel sorry for Saint Patrick. Why, you may ask? Because, here is a guy that is remembered and revered, but for accomplishments that aren’t even his own.  First of all, Saint Patrick may be the Patron Saint of Ireland, but he is not Irish, he was actually born in Britain. He also did not drive all the snakes out of Ireland (as Ireland has never had any snakes). And the whole using a 3 leaf clover to teach the trinity is a legend as well. To top it all off, he has never been officially canonized by the Catholic Church.

The really sad part is that he was actually a pretty heroic guy and most of us don’t even know why. When he was 16 he was captured by Irish raiders and taken into captivity and then he escaped after being held for several years. It was later in his life when he returned to Ireland as a priest. According to author Thomas Cahill, Saint Patrick may have been the first person in recorded history to speak out against slavery. (Saint Patrick was born in the 5^th century.) So, in actuality the real Saint Patrick rocks more than the fictitious one!

Can this be said about your business? Are you known for all the wrong reasons? Are you letting others tell your story? Now don’t get me wrong, word of mouth can be a wonderful thing, but it can also be deadly to businesses, especially when it is false information. Just ask Toyota or Taco Bell. Of course, Toyota and Taco Bell will survive, but they each took significant losses in the process.

The best advice I can give to you on this Saint Patrick’s Day is to take some time and see what others are saying about your company, inside and out. It may be painful, but better to find out sooner than later. Just like with an illness, treatments given in the first stages are more successful.

And by the way, Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

The past few mornings I have woken up to the sounds of the birds singing in my trees. I can’t tell you how giddy it makes me to hear the sounds of spring! This past winter was brutal for many of us in the country (even for us southerners) and I’m happy to see it go.

We will also have another rite of spring this weekend as Daylight Savings Time sets in and we spring forward one hour. I know that there are plenty of you out there that have strong opinions about this ritual, but even though I think it is an outdated practice, I must admit I enjoy the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day (especially after a long cold winter). I feel energized and my creative juices begin to flow.

I’m sure many of you can relate to these thoughts and feelings. So, my challenge to you is to use that energy and spring forward in your business or marketing plans. It doesn’t have to be a huge leap, but at least take a step forward. It can be as simple as starting your own blog or signing up for twitter and posting a tweet. Maybe it is just some plain and simple spring cleaning of your office (I tend to work better in clean and organized places). How about sprucing up your opt in list or newsletter?

I have found in life and business that small and simple things can make a huge difference (even to your bottom line). So, don’t focus on the hour of sleep you will be losing Sunday morning, but instead think of that added hour of extra sunlight at the end of your day. I’m smiling already!