The Daily Krier

Hard to believe it’s been 8 years already.  I vividly remember where I was on 9/11/01.  I was working for an engineering firm and was on my way to work when the DJs on the radio talked about what they were seeing on tv.  Got to work and tried in vain to find out what was going on online.  The conference room TV was on and most employees were gathered around it to watch.  Given that some of our engineers were structural guys, they debated how long until the towers would fall (given their area of expertise, it was not an argument about IF but rather WHEN).  And then the unthinkable happened, the towers fell.

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I had the privilege this afternoon of hearing three dynamic speakers at an event I attended.  Upon reflection, what I came away with was this one very important observation:  there are so many great ideas out there that can help you improve your business or your profession.  The hard part is actually implementing those ideas.  Why is that?  Isn’t being innovative and remarkable what we all strive for?  You would think that taking just one great idea and applying it wouldn’t be that hard but it is. 

How many times have you attended a conference or seminar, furiously scribbled notes and returned to your office, only to get sucked back into email, phone calls, meetings and other daily duties, forgetting all about the great ideas that left you jazzed and pumped earlier? It’s happened to all of us. The challenge, and one that I am accepting, is to take one idea that I heard today and implementing it with my employer.  I’m not sure yet what that one idea will be, but I’m working on it.  Just that not so simple act can make a huge difference.  So the next time you think “How great!  We should try that at my company”, go ahead and do it!  And please, let me know how it goes.

The Milwaukee chapter of the American Marketing Association is hosting a breakfast program tomorrow featuring Jeremy Epstein, a well-known speaker and consultant to talks about the power of raving fans and community-driven marketing.  I had the pleasure of driving Jeremy from the airport to dinner this evening, where we joined several of my work colleagues before I dropped him off at his hotel.  Prior to picking up Jeremy I was nervous — Jeremy’s all about being remarkable so I felt pressure to be remarkable.  I had done my best to prep him prior to arriving in Milwaukee — let him know how many attendees we’d have at the breakfast tomorrow morning, gave him a head-up on the weather so he knew that he didn’t need to pack a winter coat, etc.  Well, I didn’t have to worry.  After just a few minutes of small talk in the car, Read the rest of this entry »

I love healthcare providers that are embracing technology and social media. I’m a huge fan of communicating online and recently saw a new general practitioner.  After filling out some brief paperwork the old fashioned way, I was set up to view my test results, schedule appointments, look up my health history and email my doctor. Having been in recently for a battery of tests, I found it incredibly convenient to view most of the results online.  Those tests that required explanation from my doctor were also handled via email (although I had the ability to speak to her if I wanted).

So what’s next?  Will healthcare providers take advantage of sites such as Twitter and Facebook?  Or request recommendations on LinkedIn? So instead of sending a postcard to remind me to schedule an annual appointment I get a message on Facebook?  Yes, there are privacy concerns but I think there are so many options to better engage patients.   It’s all about that personal touch and now more than ever before the tools are there.

I’m in the process of hiring an intern to handle video production and editing for me and have interviewed quite a few current college students or people who recently graduated.  What I find absolutely appalling is the attire that some of these candidates show up wearing.  Is it because the position is an intern so they don’t think they need to dress in business wear, or is it that no one has ever told them what the appropriate attire is for a professional office setting, or has our culture really eroded to this point?  Today, for example, I interviewed a young woman who just graduated from college in June.  What was she wearing?  Black dress pants, a white tank top and a purple button-down shirt unbuttoned halfway down with (drumroll, please)…….flip flops!  Yes, flip flops.  Granted they were about as fancy as flip flops can get with some sparkle and perhaps some beading or something but they were, again, flip flops.  As if I wasn’t distracted enough by that, her nail polish was almost chipped or worn away completely giving me yet another reason to think that she was unpolished and unprofessional.  And first impressions count. Read the rest of this entry »

With the RPOlympics kicking off at my employer next week, I decided I might as well couple the daily physical activity with a concerted effort at dropping these stubborn 20 pounds.  So I rejoined Weight Watchers (WW) using the online program and their eTools.  I had followed the company on Twitter a few months ago and was extremely disappointed to see that they had an account but no activity and didn’t appear to be making any effort and jumping in.  Well, after a quick check tonight they still aren’t doing very well on Twitter (only 3 tweets since February but the really sad part is that they have almost 6,000 followers) but their website is another story entirely. Read the rest of this entry »

Tonight was my very first time dining at Red Robin and I have to say, with two small young children, this is a great place to take the family!  I’ve seen the commercials on TV for their burgers and I figured it was kind of like “Steak and Shake” which, in all honesty, doesn’t impress me.  But my husband said it was rated family-friendly and we needed to get out of the house for a bit so we gave it a shot. Read the rest of this entry »

With fall upon us and school starting back up, it’s time again for one of my favorite lists:  Beloit College’s Mindset List.  This list is aimed at helping the staff at Beloit College better identify with the mindset of the incoming college students by identifying what the students know about the world in the 18 years they’ve been alive.  As an almost 40-year-old, it’s fascinating to look at the list and realize how things have changed since I entered college 12 years ago (really? has it been 12 years?).  Anyway, it’s definitely worth the read.  Enjoy!

I rarely play the lottery but, like a lot of people, I’ll throw a few bucks at it when the jackpot gets really big.  Tonight’s jackpot is $250 million which comes out to $124.8 million in cash.  I’m pretty sure I could live on that.    So this time not only did we buy a few quick pick numbers, I also played my own numbers on one ticket.  So if I win, I guess I’ll have the time to blog every day!

It’s hard to find the right balance between an agency who is great at website development/programming and equally strong at understanding a brand and applying it appropriately online.  I’m going through that struggle right now with my company’s website as we work on the next version.  From a backend programming and navigation standpoint, the agency is great.  From a branding standpoint, though, they fall short.  My company’s brand is very vibrant and bright and the way the color palette has been used gives the site an immature, unsophisticated look.  So now the challenge begins — bring in yet another agency to update the design of the site? Unfortunately, I think that’s the way I have to proceed.

Stepping away from the test site last week for the duration of my vacation was helpful. I got some space and looked at the site with a fresh set of eyes this past Monday.  That’s when it really struck me.  So what’s the next step?  Stay tuned to find out.  I’ll let you know.