This post was excerpted from Niche Down, my new book with the legendary marketer and podcast conversation host Christopher Lochhead. Legendary category designers never stop reminding the world that they created the category. That they are the standard by which all others must be compared. And that they haven’t stopped…
Entrepreneurship
Have You Niched Down Yet?
It’s odd to realize that my first ever book, Niche Down (How to Become Legendary by Being Different), with Legends & Losers podcast host Christopher Lochhead has been officially on sale for a whole week. So far, the feedback has been humbling: we’ve been cycling through the #1 bestseller spot for the…
Entrepreneurship
OMG, I’m A Published Author (Well, Almost)
Thrilled to report that all the editing is complete. Most of the technical hurdles surmounted. A legendary book launch of Niche Down: How to Become Legendary By Being Different, is just around the corner. I think hot pink is a marvelous cover color, don’t you? If you’re interested in a…
Entrepreneurship
What Makes a Legendary Entrepreneur
So, I’m finally doing it. My long-time friend and legendary CMO Christopher Lochhead (that’s awesome retired marketing guru to you acronym-phobes) has convinced me to help give voice to his second book. I’m terrified, but also incredibly excited about the subject — an exploration of what turns entrepreneurs into queens…
Nature
Amazon, Apple Go for the Photo Opp
Generally, you know a company is “serious” about a strategy when they march the chief executive officer out to be the mouthpiece or the face of it. Or at least that’s what the marketing gurus and guru-esses hope. So, I was intrigued by two recent announcements by two of the…
Is This Your Job?
This post has absolutely nothing to do with the core “mission” of this blog, at least overtly. Covertly, however, I love the idea that The New York Times is willing to send a writer to all of its “52 Places to Go” list! Their mission: “parachute into a place and…
Well, That’s Embarrassing!
Apparently, I have far more readers at my modest and very neglected personal blog, Technophile, than I heretofore realized. I just discovered dozens of messages trapped in Ninja forms purgatory. So, first, my apologies to those who never heard from me when you reached out many months ago. Second, I’m…
Faith, Love, Hope — and Resistance
On this Easter morning, it seems relevant to reflect on the theme of faith — a belief or conviction based on “spiritual apprehension” rather than proof. Faith is the foundation of every religion, of course, the reverse of the “seeing is believing” adage. It’s an emotion I find myself drawing on often…
Can You Name the Top 10 Solar Buyers?
It probably won’t surprise you to discover that many of the companies investing in on-site solar technology—rather than waiting around for their local utility to start selling clean power—are either retailers or real estate investment firms. The Solar Energy Industries Association keeps tabs on this with an annual ranking….
Elon Musk’s Plan to Make Solar Roofs Sexy
What discourages homeowners from investing in solar power generation technology? Cost is certainly the most obvious obstacle, but there’s also a certain snobbery involved. Seriously, most solar panels aren’t all the aesthetically pleasing. No matter how much my contractor-husband appreciates the idea of clean energy, he winces when he sees them….