Here in the USA, temperatures are climbing while the US begins a gradual transition back to in person work. Many of us are also experiencing another form of “heat:” burnout.

Personally, I frequently feel the smoldering pressure to attend more outdoor concerts, networking events, in-person client meetings, and re-openings. My FOMO fights with my calm, mindful inner self. It can be exhausting!

Research tells me that I am not alone. A recent study from Deloitte revealed that 77% of U.S….

Morgan, an experienced VP of Marketing, contacted me because she wanted to go further faster. Her boss gave her very positive performance reviews for her marketing and brand building abilities. But that’s where she stopped short.

Morgan’s peers considered her a masterful marketing adviser. But she had very few internal champions. Peers told me “Morgan always wants to have the last word. And if that means interrupting me when I’m sharing my ideas, she will do it.” This incessant need was holding her back….

Here in the mid-Atlantic, we are experiencing the tail end of a natural phenomenon – the emergence of Brood X cicadas. After 17 years in the dark, billions of these noisy bugs have we emerged from underground.

This phenomenon echoes our own post-COVID emergence. We have a unique opportunity to reshape and redesign the new rules of the workplace. We can reinvent and reconnect with the people who matter: our teams, our customers, strategic partners, and other stakeholders….

Most of us are clamoring to return to face-to-face events and conferences. Yet conference planners and attendees are not necessarily on the same page. Valuegraphics, a noted research firm out of Vancouver, Canada, recently did a study of 1850 very avid conference goers. Here’s what David Allison and his research team discovered: there is dissonance.

I just returned from a magical 11-day trip to California and Hawaii. I have always enjoyed combining my personal travel with business travel, as it affords me the opportunity to see more of “my people.” It also makes efficient use of my travel time. And let’s face it – travel is not exactly a glamorous experience. I experienced first-hand some of the new rules of travel during a pandemic. You might be planning your summer vacations and cannot wait to get out of the house (and have been fully vaccinated, also). Hope these are helpful.

Ever since the pandemic began, I catch myself becoming impatient, even agitated, when it takes more than five seconds to confirm my order. I expect to not only have a great customer experience. I also expect my product (or dinner) to appear on my doorstep within minutes or hours.

During my recent Mindful Marketer Live Stream, I explored how this phenomenon is re-shaping the rules of customer engagement and marketing.

Arriving at the gigantic, empty mall parking lot felt unsettling and unfamiliar.

Yet I knew the day ahead would get me grounded in the Loudoun County COVID POD (Point of Distribution) process, and the power of community service during a crisis.

This is how my adventures as a novice Volunteer Medical Corps (VMC) member began. One week ago, I reported for my first day of work at the POD.

The experience wasn’t just inspiring….

Do you ever feel like you need to “check your true self at the door” before you arrive at work? Do you put on a crappy happy face for your marketing teams? Thankfully, it is possible to overcome those feelings and do your best work.

As we await an accelerated distribution of COVID vaccines, we simply cannot predict when we will return to a new hybrid work model. And we certainly cannot predict how our customers will behave differently in the post-COVID world. (One thing is for sure: we all share a pent-up longing for hugs and gatherings!) It feels as if we are in a messy maelstrom. We just hosted our Marketing Growth Leaders private cohort last week. The theme was crystal clear: Transition.

Energize Growth and SimpleMind are authoring a post and hosting a LinkedIn Livestream this Spring and am looking for a few select people to showcase.

We will feature brands that deliver value quickly and predictably to customers, members, or clients. Some refer to this as “speed to value” programs.

Here’s the background: In this era of touchless and online experiences, customers no longer tolerate slow or sticky touchpoints. We’re looking to showcase organizations that have been successful at rapidly and consistently delivering the right customer value at the right moment, and who have witnessed a jump in revenues, NPS scores, retention, or brand repute….