6 Must-Have Foods for Optimal Creative Flow

 

SheilaP

I’m often fascinated by how the foods we eat unlock the creativity and energy when we need it most. What if there a way we could almost call upon our most creative moments on demand, like when we’re on a deadline and need a big idea?

For the answer, I turned to Sheila Petersen, CHHC, AADP. As a Certified Holistic Health & Lifestyle Coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Sheila helps people nourish their bodies through food to experience weight loss, better mood, better sleep and sustainable energy.

When it comes to maximizing brain function and getting your creativity on, look no

further than these six ingredients that are simple to keep on hand at all times, no prep time needed and great to take on-the-go.


1. Coconut Water

Best known for hydration and healing hangovers, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrates in the form of sugar and electrolytes.

Not to be confused with high-fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts. This is a great alternative to water and better for you than sports drinks.


2. Avocado

Your body needs the right kind of fat, if you’re looking for optimal brain function. With its creamy texture and rich taste, this fruit is a nutritional powerhouse, providing numerous health benefits like monounsaturated fat or “good fat” which reduces levels of bad cholesterol in your blood and may lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Other benefits include lowering cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of diabetes, promoting lower body weight, and preventing cancer. Use in place of mayonnaise to benefit from the good fat.


3. Berries

The antioxidants and other phytochemicals in blueberries alone have been linked to improvements in learning, thinking and memory. They’re also relatively low in sugar compared to other fruits, making them one of the healthier fruits available. If you live in an area where fresh fruit is not always in season, opt for frozen berries with no additives.


4. Bananas

Bananas are great for controlling blood sugar and can keep you from binging or over indulging at your next meal. Have one between meals. Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before your next creative todo and benefit from the high levels of potassium.


5. Hemp Hearts

This is one of the most potent foods available, supporting optimal health and well being. Raw hemp provides a broad spectrum of health benefits, including: weight loss, increased and sustained energy, rapid recovery from disease or injury, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure, reduced inflammation, improvement in circulation and immune system as well as natural blood sugar control.


6. Greens

There are so many greens to choose from. Find greens that you love and eat them often. When you get bored with your favorites, be adventurous and try greens that you’ve never heard of before. Rotate between kale, collards, watercress, arugula, mesclun, spinach, swiss chard and more.


Creative Flow Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Zico brand, coconut water

1/2 banana

1/2 avocado

1 cup berries

2 tablespoons Manitoba Harvest brand, hemp hearts

1 handful of your favorite greens

Instructions:

Add all ingredients in blender, blend and enjoy!

If you’re inspired by this topic, Sheila Petersen is committed to helping you take your life to the next level through her company, Life Elemental. Visit http://www.LifeElemental.com.

 

 

“The Profit”: When Ego Fights Brand Evolution

One of my favorite new shows I’m enjoying is CNBC’s “The Profit” in which billionaire Marcus Lemonis attempts to turn around struggling businesses by offering them a check and in return, he gets to do pretty much everything his way for a week, including making all decisions on the company. And the current managers can’t do a darn thing about it.

If you think all episodes featuring these business owners work out and they live happily every after, you’re wrong. So far, only about half of them have.  There are some businesses Marcus just can’t fix. And it’s not his fault – certainly not because of his business acumen. No, although Marcus judges a business based on People, Process and Product, from my point of view the reason some of these businesses featured aren’t successful deals for him really comes down to one thing above all:

It’s because the management doesn’t want to listen and can’t admit their mistakes.

Period. Oh, they can say they were wrong. But it doesn’t mean a THING in saying that if they don’t actually do something about it. And that’s where Marcus can help the business. But something in the human element is fundamentally flawed. They have other problems to be sure too – like not knowing their numbers accurately – but even that can be fixed easier over time.

For example:

One owner has anger management issues and can’t control his emotions. Everyone but him is wrong and stupid. He arrogantly thinks he knows better than everyone, including Marcus.

Two co-owners used to be a couple, broke up and now can’t stand each other…but they still jointly own a company. They’ve let their hate for one another ruin the business. Buy one another out? Nah. It’s easier to blame and point fingers.

One owner just doesn’t want to even be in the business and lacks all passion for making any kind of meaningful change. He bolts early on the day of the business’ re-grand opening.

The ones that worked out? Boy, do they work out brilliantly. Because they listen. Sure, they’re a little nervous to give up making decisions for the company temporarily for a week – come on now, A WEEK – and do things radically different in some cases, but they surely realize that the current path isn’t doing anything for them financially, emotionally and in terms of their goals and dreams. So they take the deal and shut up and listen to an outsider – an outsider who happens to be a highly effective CEO too. We’re not talking about Joe Schmo off the street.

I’m no billionaire (yet!), but I’m fascinated by this pattern when recommending changes not on the operational front but for brand strategy. It’s absolutely shocking to me when I see this play out on a grand scale on “The Profit” because these people are throwing away an absolutely golden chance to change their businesses in an opportunity they will probably never have again.

And for WHAT? Trying to be…right? Trying not to look stupid? Seriously? Seems pretty childish to me when, in the case of this show, an entire business hangs in the balance. But some are just…blowing it due to their constant inability to eat humble pie. And ironically, in doing so, look mind-blowingly idiotic for their digging in their heels anyway.

This is why the willingness to listen and be open to change is a pre-requisite for me. I can’t and won’t convince the patient they’re sick. They have to know they are. And they have to want my help – or at least somebody’s help.

Unfortunately, while I have many positive stories to tell, I’ve also seen stubbornness surface from people who don’t know how to get out of their own way. Agency heads who think they know everything and have a formula they can’t break out of. Marketers who have always done it a certain way. Creatives who would rather wax nostalgic about the good ol’ days of print than learn about social media. Micromanagers who hover over agency creatives and direct them like umpires making calls behind a catcher. 

Some have gone against what clear data is telling them. Hell, some have gone against what their own customers are telling them.

When otherwise good people think they know better than their own client and that the brand’s message should appeal to so many people within their own walls, none of whom is the client, you’ve got a bad situation. When some twerp serves the client what they want to hear no matter what rather than growing a pair and telling them what they need to hear, you’ve got an even worse situation.

That’s why I say, in reality, I don’t really write for clients at all. I write for their audience. The ones I have the best relationships with get why that’s important and why the brand can’t always sound like their official mouthpiece. Because there’s something much bigger at work than one person trying to be the loudest heard. There’s an attempt to have a meaningful connection and that takes identifying with others. And caring. And actually demonstrating that love in consistent gestures.

Wait. Is that love applied to your own people or your customer? Hopefully it’s both.

Ego is the enemy of evolution. 

You’ll be amazed by how fulfilling life can be sometimes when you just be quiet and listen. Especially when someone who only wants to help you is walking through the door.

I’d love to hear your experiences and challenges with this and/or your thoughts on “The Profit” if you’ve seen it. Sound off.

Brand Positioning With The Urgency Of Jack Bauer

The program for people who want to take a sledgehammer to inaction.

Sufferers from Marketing Meeting Fatigue can’t always spot the warning signs right away. That’s because MMF sets in after the 15th meeting about the position of the market you feel you can truly own better than anybody. You may have disagreements on your best attributes, your best audience to hear about those attributes and what you want to say when you’re actually in front of them offline or online. You debate over and over about what you believe clients believe about you, which then diverts into unfocused thinking, thanks to the new hipster intern who thinks you should be on Pinterest rather than addressing the real business problem at hand first.

I’ve seen it happen. I’ve experienced it. And it doesn’t have to be this hard or painful.

True, finding a brand’s positioning typically calls for a carefully crafted process over several weeks and meetings to transform insight into a crystal-clear path. Those options come in the form of my Brand Catapults and are a great option for a lot of companies. A deep dive over a 6-8 week period isn’t a big deal for them because they can’t imagine getting to a lot of clarity otherwise on their brand positioning, precise target audience, messaging, media recommendations and more. Whenever possible, I strongly recommend this as an option.

Yet, perhaps your headache in this area isn’t a tingling sensation but a full-on migraine. And that calls for something a lot more fast-acting and maximum strength.

No more meetings.
No more BS.
No more chasing trends because everyone else is.

That brings me to my “selly sell,” as Chris Brogan would call it.

In such unique cases, companies need a plan even sooner, attacking brand strategy with the full urgency of a Jack Bauer and delivering a direction for their brand now. And by now, I mean yesterday. And by yesterday, I mean three months ago.

I get it. And now I’ve developed the answer. It’s called a Sledgehammer Session, a supremely aggressive version of our robust process that dives into brand development for your company.

A Session That’s Full Speed Ahead.
In a customized session, my colleagues and I will meet with all the key players of your company to get a total understanding of your specific business goals and targets in relation to your branding, marketing, sales and social media efforts. Besides doing a fair amount of listening, I’ll also ask a variety of questions – some of them tougher than others – about your audience, your competitors, what you feel are your strengths, what you need to do better as a company, your budget and more.

Back In One Week.
In which we’ll return with a brand positioning and strategic recommendations based on what you want to achieve to improve your programs, audience and budget.

Sessions are four hours and you can purchase another block of four hours if needed.

Change doesn’t happen because of luck or some karma in the universe. It comes from taking a Sledgehammer to endless talking about a plan and getting the clarity you need on the right steps of your brand strategy right now.

Schedule your Sledgehammer Session with Caliber today at 773.677.6043 or dan@chicagobrander.com.

5 Ways To Make An Agency Creative Feel Like An Award Winner.

“Inside the mind of a writer is a truly terrifying experience.”
– Robert DeNiro at the Oscars, March 2014

Ouch, Bobby. As creatives, are we that insecure and in need of constant praise? Really? Well, maybe we’ve got the confidence and passion but like anyone, we do need to be recognized.

That’s where many agencies can maximize a terrific opportunity to show they care about the work, the work, the work. If it’s all about the work, recognize it. “Oh, do we really need to give everybody a cookie or sticker?” says The Insensitive Account Director. No. But if you did a good job in hiring talent at all, you’d know their work is worthy of recognition. Not cheesy recognition (“you win a free apple!”) but real recognition.

1. Framed Work On The Walls
Client walks into your agency and go into your conference room. Spends 3-5 minutes there. They can spend that time looking at exposed brick or they can look at some actual, real work. Work that inspires. Work that makes them laugh. Work that’s provocative. On the way in and out of the meeting they also see work hung in the hallways. Most importantly, that’s the stuff that your creatives see too – the stuff you live and breathe and celebrate. By the way, imagine a great piece your agency did as the jumping off point for a discussion vs. the typical small talk about how you took the kids up to Wisconsin for the weekend. Sorry, I fell asleep by the time that last sentence was completed.

2. Work On The Online Walls (i.e. Your Portfolio)
How is this hard? You choose a piece, you upload it. You write something about it. Done. Oh yeah – and you give credit to the creatives who made it happen. Every single one of them, plus account and production folks. Come on. I know you’ve got the time for this.

3. Give Credit In Front Of The Client
A client asks, “Who did this great line/this visual?” The standard answer is typically, “Oh, we ALL did. It was a TEAM effort.”

I know it’s a feel-good thing to say that, but it’s also perfectly OK to say, “Steve did the design and Luke did the copy. These guys did a really great job, didn’t they? ” This is your team. You brought them on. OWN IT. Why shouldn’t they be pointed out for making you look good?

4. Give Credit In Front Of The Agency
You may saying, “Oh, but how can we do that, Dan? You’re saying we should pull together a bunch of departments to just recognize our own people?” You’re overthinking this. It’s called email. You type it out. You give it some careful thought and consideration. And then you send it. Even if it’s only to your own department to say something like, “You know, I don’t always say it often enough but I’d like to personally thank (NAME) for (THING THEY DID TO MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD). I’m confident our client will love the result but even before that, I’m very proud of what we’ve put together with great sacrifice to time at home and sleep.”

If this is somehow too difficult for someone to do, it’s a problem of ego, laziness, fear, caring or a combination of all four.

5. The Internal Awards Show
Do you just want to rely on judges who don’t know your work? Creatives need tender loving care too and it’s not beneath you to celebrate their brilliance. Most Creative. The Best Ad The Client Should’ve Bought But Didn’t. Best Status Update That Uses Talking Cats. I don’t care. 

It’s not that winning outside awards don’t feel great. They do. They really, really do. But is it possible that a great feeling could also be experienced by the recognition you bestow on them within your own walls? If done right and actually meaningful with something the creative craves as a reward, the answer is yes, quite possibly. Which might save you thousands of dollars in entry fees and travel accommodations. Hearing praise from you, hopefully someone they very much respect, isn’t too shabby either. Why? Unlike those total strangers, you’re the one reviewing their work each and every day.

If you notice a pattern here, it’s that each of these ways requires you to give them some PDA: Public Display of Affection. No, I don’t mean making out with them. I mean publicly declaring your affection for their work to others.

There shouldn’t be any degree of risk in doing this if you truly believe in your people.

Because ultimately, you just have no idea how much of a long way a kind word and a kind action can go in the impact of someone’s day, someone’s focus, someone’s loyalty and heck, even someone’s life.

We all could use that feeling a little more often, don’t you think?

What other ways have you awarded creatives in your agency? Share them!