By Karen Post, on February 2, 2011

Many small businesses, including mine, have opted for Internet phone service. It’s cost effective and works fine for local calls and if you enjoy chatting online to solve your issue.

Today, I had a conference with a UK company and assumed I just dial em up. Well after that did not work and after trying 4 times, my wonderful assistant reached out to customer service, which went round and round with an associate who must have skipped some of the training classes. Come to find out you must set this international feature up in advance. It took over 50 minutes to learn this, another 20 to set this up but then we needed to answer security questions that our phone guy set up and we didn’t know. Very frustrating !!

As I become more tardy to the call, I resorted to True Blue AT&T (my iphone service) hoping they have an operator I can actually speak with. Normally this would be correct, but today the 20 inches of snow everywhere had systems down. This took another 30 minutes. But alas, I can now call Paul McCartney or Bono anytime without any distress and pay only .28 cents a minute. I’m sure the Internet provider is cheaper, but I find value in live operators. Thank you AT&T.

So if you’ve got an international call on your schedule, plan ahead.

Don’t forget to check out: I’m going to Saudi, join me!

By Karen Post, on January 3, 2011

2010 was an amazing year for me. I had a killer year – revenues rocked, I grew my mental capacity, along with my waistline, and I learned a bunch of new skills.

All were positive as they added and challenged my adventure, bottom line and awareness journey. Here’s my recap and what I took away.

Most meaningful moments
1) When I witnessed the BP explosion flying to Baton Rouge, LA for a meeting.
Takeaway-Life is short and at any given moment it can change.

2) When my mom watched me play tennis for the first time and I won. I’ve been playing for ten years.
Takeaway-Even when you are 50, parent’s involvement still matter.

Proudest moments
1) When I discovered I was the #1 Google search for branding speaker.
Takeaway- Content writing has value.

2) When I lead the launch of a global green brand called Earthwise.
Takeaway-Branding, Twitter and hard work payoff.

3) The progress we made on Oddpodz.
Takeaway-If something is a long tail venture, do the best you can, keep pushing, keep learning and don’t give up.

4) I scored over 25 major media new stories (FOX over 10 times, NY Times, Forbes, Miami Herald).
Takeaway-You must be assertive, reach out to the media often, with newsworthy ideas, and then do an awesome job adding to their show, whether it’s print, TV, radio or online.

Best business changes
1) Hired my sister to manage my books.
Takeaway- How did I ever do it without her? This business relationship has strengthened our bond and drastically reduced my tax challenges.

2) Invested in expert coaching.
Takeaway-When you fly a company with a small, virtual team, you need professional, high-level paid sounding boards. Asking friends and business colleagues who like you will slow down your progress.

3) Getting rid of my big office.
Takeaway-I’m not an office girl. I’m most productive when I work in my cave, on the street and by my rules.

Biggest lessons
1) Email is not the best way to communicate.
Takeaway- If you put it in writing it can live on and bit you back.

2) Hiring great people takes time, testing and more testing.
Takeaway-Hiring great people takes time, testing and more testing.

Things I still don’t understand
1) How the Gap could have launched such as ugly, new logo.
Takeaway- Even big companies do really stupid things.

2) Why Brett Farve took so long to retire and is such a public cry baby.
Takeaway-There’s a lot I don’t know, especially about guys.

2) Why Tony Robbin’s Show got canceled and The Jersey Shore is breaking rating records.
Takeaway-A lot of people will buy things I would not.

Coolest things
1) Toking oxygen and drinking champagne at the St Regis Spa in Aspen.
Takeaway- Money is not the end all, but sure pays for some crazy fun.

2) Going to see Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in NYC and Second City in Chicago.
Takeaway-Comedy is as important as food, my bed and black shoes.

3)  Hanging out with a hot former Russian hockey player & slamming shots of horseradish-infused vodka  while enjoying crepes and caviar was quite the fun night. And best part of it is – I’m here and he’s way over there.
Takeaway-Simple, random and kind of crazy encounters with no expectations are pretty amazing moments in life. I’m keeping my eyes open for more.

NEXT YEAR I’ve got my eyes on a few new adventures too.

I’d like to attend the American Music Awards, Saturday Night Live or Fashion Week in NY.

I like to have a major new book under my belt.

And meet any of these inspiring folks and have a coffee, like Lady GaGA, Tony Robbins, Michael Phelps or Richard Branson.

I’d also like to be featured in the Wall Street Journal.

How was your year? And what’s next for you to step up your success?!

Don’t forget to check out: Leadership = the quality of your presence.

By Karen Post, on November 21, 2010

It almost killed mine on Saturday. I play in a tennis league. I love tennis like a good drug. Saturday morning I’ve got a big match. My opponent has beat me before, she’s a former NFL cheerleader, 20 years my junior  and has made snarky remarks about a friend of mine, referring to her as that old lady and that older lady is younger than me–so needless to say my mission is to kick serious butt.

The first match she’s up by 5,0, OMG I’m getting pounded. Why? Because I’m looking at where I want the ball to go, I’m being a visionary. And I’m loosing the point, because I’m taking my eye off the ball and not focusing. I some how find some points. My serve is smoking hot and pull the devil drop shot out too. I’m back in the game 4, 5. I do it again look forward and take my eye off the ball and she takes the first set.

Set two. I know I can do this. I’m just as good as she is and I’ve got maturity on my side. I’m up 4,0, feeling good and then there I go again. Looking forward, being visionary and loosing the point, OMG she’s on my trail, 4,4, I’ve got to shift gears and get my head in the win zone or I’m the big looser here. I get back into ZEN tennis, it’s about the moment and focus, nothing else. I hit some freaking amazing shots, my body is screaming in pain, I’m determined to get this set.

The sun is in my eyes, there are two big ass bees swarming around my head and my asthma has now joined the game, I’m huffing and wheezing and this young thing is on my tail and close to taking the second set.

NO! I’m not going to go down.

My eyes are glued to that ball. I can see every fiber, and cannot think about any forward visions like next move, strategies or winning the title in my league. I must be absolutely concentrating on the moment at hand and being an extraordinary player on the next few points, and nothing else.

I take the 2nd set. 6,4 and now we go into a  7 point tie breaker. The first 6 points I’m in the sun, can’t see anything, but have to keep my head in the state of  a champion. I can do this. Even the games she won, it was close and I played well. This is about pure mental state of MUST WIN, because I believe. Any visionary thoughts will sink me. This is totally about FOCUS and being the victor.

I’m ahead 4,0 in the tie breaker, feeling confident and then she freaking creeps back. We’ve tied again 5,5, It’s time to amp up the cylinders and take no prisoners or I’m toast.

I get so intense. Totally focused on that small green ball, nothing else, No strategy. No game plan. Just crystal clear zoomed in on concentration.  I shake off everything else, my mistakes and  the bees. I don’t let the elements distract me and I feel like the Roger Federer in a skirt.

I get the  next point it’s 6,5 and I serve. Right down the line. She hits it back. I hit it solid and hard, back to baseline and she dinks it straight into the net. It’s over. I WON!!!!!!

My adrenaline is pumping.

This experience is poignant to business also. There are times when vision is critical, but there are also equally as many times in the battle field that no vision and complete focus is the very best move.

As an entrepreneur and tennis player, I’m guilty of often being too out there, too forward thinking, always looking ahead and loosing points and progress because I sometimes can’t shift gears quickly and totally focus on the precise point, the project or the kill.

The key is to know the right time for each, when vision should drive planning and when the laser focus should conquer the day, the competitor or the challenge at hand.

Also, check out: Tiger Woods and other Monday morning losers.

By Karen Post, on October 8, 2010

…then fix it

Recently, my colleagues and I have found ourselves discussing some of our favorite start-up success stories. One of mine is SeamlessWeb. I got to meet co-founder, Jason Finger and hear the story first hand back in 2003. The company was founded roughly ten years ago by Jason and a small team. At the time, he was a newly minted attorney working in a law firm in New York City. He saw an inefficiency in a widely accepted and adopted business process, created a new solution and built a company with enviable stats and accolades such as: 40 consecutive quarters of growth, named as one of America’s 500 fastest growing companies by Inc. in 2004,  the top of Deloitte’s New York Technology Fast 50 in 2004 with 25,855% (yes, that’s the right number) over five years, and one of Time Magazines 50 Coolest Web sites of 2006.

For young attorneys, investment bankers, consultants and the like, a late night dinner allowance is a job perk. When I was working as a corporate finance analyst on Wall Street, we had a cumbersome process of ordering food, submitting expenses and being reimbursed.

At our firm, an employee would order dinner and pay for it with a corporate credit card the balance of which was to be paid by the employee each month. After submitting expenses, the employee would be reimbursed. However, the timing was not always exact and one was usually reimbursed after paying the credit card bill.

The process began with the first challenge, digging through a pile of paper menus in one’s desk to find out which restaurants were open and would deliver food. On the administrative side, once every two weeks, the employee would have to collect all of his or her receipts, write a client number on each receipt so that the expenses could be billed appropriately, create an expense report, deliver the pile of receipts and reports by hand to the accounting department and wait for the funds to be reimbursed and direct deposited into his or her checking account. This process was inefficient and subject to mistakes and delays. Sometimes, receipts would get lost or the wrong client number would be used. It could take weeks to get everything sorted out and, in the meantime, the employee had to pay that credit card bill and could be walking financial tightrope.

Jason took a look at the established and never improved process within his firm and thought that there had to be a simpler way to find restaurants that would deliver, access menus, pay for the meals and manage the expense reports. He and his team devised a process, and then found tech savvy people who could translate his idea into a technology based solution. SeamlessWeb did not tweak the old way of doing things, it created an entirely new process flow. Now, all the late night workers would log on to a web based platform, order their food, input client information, eat dinner and keep working. The SeamlessWeb platform captured the data that the accounting departments needed and created monthly invoices that showed who ordered food, when they ordered it, how much it cost and to which client account it should be billed. Brilliant. Many of my coworkers and I were frustrated by this process, but none of us did anything about it. After learning about SeamlessWeb, I certainly wished I’d thought of it. Nonetheless, there are a few important lessons to be learned from this success story.

7 lessons you can use while brainstorming about a start-up or improving your operations

1. Low start up capital requirements. This ideas got off the ground with minimal capital investment. There may have been some friends and family dollars contributed, but for the most part, the idea was solid and had a short time frame to revenue generation followed by positive cash flow. Sweat equity was a big ingredient provided by founders with relevant experience
2. Find a way to simplify a process. Look at how a process works, zero in on inefficiencies and find a way to streamline it and remove wasted time and energy. Even if everyone is content to keep doing things the way they have always been done, doesn’t mean the status quo has to stay. It might not be broken, but you should “break it” by uncovering its shortcomings, then “fix it” by providing a better way of doing things.
3. Pre-sell. In the early days of SeamlessWeb, they approached potential clients as if they already had the product build. They did not. When they were asked about functions and features of the product, they took careful notes and incorporated those into their development process.
4. Know your customer segments and craft a unique communications strategy for each. SeamlessWeb sells to two very different customer bases. They have different value propositions for each one. To service companies with employees that order food, the value proposition is saving time and money. To restaurants, the value prop is new business and access to a lucrative, repeat customer base.
5. Make sure there is a crystal clear revenue stream. In this case, there are two. The firms pay a transaction fee for each order and the restaurants pay a marketing fee based on business referred to them.
6. Listen to your customers and keep innovating. Be obsessive about gathering customer data. Listen carefully to any negative feedback and be nimble enough to keep providing solutions to new problems. Don’t think you are finished after your initial product roll out. If you do, someone will find the inefficiencies in your operation and innovate right past you. Strive to keep improving your product or service and to amaze your customers.
7. Just do it. It’s one thing to have a great idea. We all have them all the time, right? If you think you have a winning idea, take the risk and execute.

When you are ready to make the leap, check out Shifting Gears from Employee to Entrepreneur.

To read more from Jocelyn, view: 12 questions to ask yourself while planning your 2011 marketing strategies.

By Karen Post, on July 26, 2010

It seems like a week does not go by without a few lessons that no one told you about in any school or traditional learning forum. Every Monday I’m going to share what I learned. They will be random topics, some marketing, some running your biz, some life balance and some just dealing with people and technology.

Last week lessons.

1. Postage costs in US. Snail mailing of large envelopes costs more, than mailing regular #10 envelopes. It does not matter what they weigh. The Post Office has separate rules for different kinds (sizes) of mail. I mailed 60 large envelopes and they were all returned. And what really sucks is, the Post Office puts stickers all over the short stamped mail, so you will waste all that time and materials.
2. Mac batteries. If use a Mac and your battery is not holding its charge like the Mac promotional copy promises. You may be running battery sucking programs. I was. Turn them off when you need the battery and your computer will purr for hours longer.
3. Linkedin banner ads. If you receive a promotional offer from Linkedin to try their small business banners ads, WORDS of CAUTION, after the the offer runs out you will be buying and paying for on your credit card for ads until you stop the campaign. I received a $100 certificate. Linkedin requests a credit card to use the offer. Mark your calender, other wise you like me will being paying for many more not free ads. And FYI- For my mistake of around $400.00 Oddpodz got no conversions.
4. Linkedin groups. Linkedin groups are great way to build a community using Linkedin’s tools. I’ve noticed that each groups has different rules for posting. And unless you enjoy getting reprimanded, I’d recommend reading each group’s posting rules, should you decide to post items. For example, some groups will not let you post shortened URL, other won’t let you solicit people for other Linkedin groups and most will not let you direct promote a product or service.

By Karen Post, on July 16, 2010

Record high unemployment not only impacts those who have lost their jobs, but it presents some new challenges for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking for reliable human resources. This past year I learned a few lessons on this subject. Hopefully this insight can prevent you from experiencing similar situations.

The Internet offers a vast pool of talent when you are looking for perm or contract help. From Linkedin to Twitter, you can have access to thousands of people within minutes. You post your needs, the assignment description and in no time you can connect with a perfect resource, or someone selling you their qualifications,  but they are not sharing all the facts for you to know, they are not the one.

As an entrepreneur, we don’t always have the luxury of time, no HR department to conduct deep background checks and so we make quick decisions. So how does this translate into the ugly twists with sour results?

Here are my stories and what I will do next time.

1. Make time to test contract talent and employees. There are more people than ever really strapped for a cash, swimming in debt and some are extremely desperate for a job. Many will over sell you. I experienced this scenario. And don’t be fooled by three degrees either. I honestly believe there are many smart folks out there who have earned multitudes of degrees and there are equally as many who are not prepared to contribute to an entrepreneurial enterprise and have so many degrees because they are putting off getting anything done. Give them assignments in a controlled placed and with a defined time frame.
2. Ask them if they are a full fledged business service provider or are they just picking up projects until they find a full time gig. This situation has cost me money and time. I posted a clearly contract assignment on Linkedin. Received many qualified resumes. I narrowed it down to a couple of people. At that point, started investing serious time in educating the candidates with details on the project, signed NDAs and exchanged lots of documents. After a week of this, I get a call from one of the candidates, “I have been offered a job and sorry but can’t help you on your project”. You mean the one we spent 40 hours on?
3. Don’t prepay until you are 190% convinced they are a superstar and reliable. I engaged a social media person to help me with traffic building. We signed a contract detailing the project, I paid him upfront for a portion of the project. A month ago, he tells me he got a full time job and is to swamped. He can’t do the work and he also will not return the money I advanced him. And now he does not even return my phone calls or emails.
4. Clearly provide paperwork to talent stating their contract status and that you are not an employer, now or ever in the past. I was not dinged on this one, but I did have to waste an hour and send a registered letter to a state unemployment office. I hired a contract PR person, had her sign a 1099 and provided her a purchase order, all clearly communicating she was contract. Apparently, she was collecting unemployment and as she was updating her case, she gave my company name to the state of NY as a part-time job provider and they attempted to suck me for confirmation and likely an unemployment contribution. Which would have notched up the tax rate I pay for for me and my other employees.

Finding the right people is already a tough task when you are a small business. Be extra aware and cautious in these recession recovery times, because unemployment is a real factor in human pool of talent.

By Karen Post, on July 6, 2010

This story is a tough one to write. It’s about a Houston restaurant that for 27 years served up the best, authentic South Louisiana food, created memories for such notable guests as Anna Nicole Smith and her then billionaire husband, Olympian Carl Lewis, many of the Houston Rockets, Astros and Texans, national politicians, film entertainers, and me.

Last week, The Magnolia Bar & Grill closed its doors.
Sure lots of great eating establishments come and go, but this one was special. The Magnolia Bar & Grill was where my marketing career started. I was a bit younger, 22 years old to be exact, and certainly learning the ropes of business. The owners of the Magnolia Bar & Grill Jody Larriviere, Jimmy Gossen and the Landry brothers had just opened the doors for business. I was there one night having dinner and met Jody, the managing partner. He explained that they were a brand new restaurant and needed some help with marketing. The rest is history as The Magnolia Bar & Grill was my first client as a marketing professional (back then the word branding was not even a business term) and it was the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur.

Our relationship started as a food for service swap or barter. They had limited cash in the beginning and I needed to eat. Prior to taking them on as a client in 1982, I was earning not much more than minimum wage. So the great Cajun grub was a big bonus. It was also an awakening for my taste buds with my introduction to cayenne pepper, a staple in Louisiana food.

The restaurant did not close because of a weak brand, nor was it a business failure. The restaurant was a tremendous financial success and the brand will live on for years.

Jody, Jimmy and the dedicated team (From Tommy, the waiters and waitresses, busboys, kitchen staff and bartenders) they earned this place in the minds of the market by consistently delivering a fun experience, mouth-watering food and solid service, this brand customers and the media will not forget. They also earned endless accolades in the national, regional and local press including: “Best Restaurants in America” in GQ Magazine. They were featured in The New York Times, USA Today and numerous In-flight magazines. And regularly were awarded for best brunch, best seafood and best outdoor dinning in local publications.

The Magnolia Bar & Grill closed because the location and surrounding environment significantly changed. These shifts did not support the brand product, its pricing and the target audience. Their lease was up and it no longer was a good business decision to continue operations.

Restaurant business is one of the toughest industries to succeed in. Margins are slim, customers fickle, competition never stops and bad weather can waste thousands of dollars in perishable food inventory without notice.

So how did the Magnolia Bar & Grill prosper for nearly three decades, live through a few serious recessions, a fire, a roof falling in after a rainstorm, a Gulf Coast cholera scare in seafood and a least three hurricanes?

They built the business, and their restaurant brand with these five important strategies.

1. They leveraged publicity, word of mouth referral and limited paid advertising. From the early days when I had an active role in the marketing of the restaurant to this past year, resources were allocated to support channels of influence by what others said, not in paid advertising. This meant if there was $2,000 to spend, it would be resourced to fund a media event, a customer new menu/tasting party or to stay active with the concierge’s association. Paid advertising was very limited. Third-party endorsements were key.
2. They recognized that discounting can be a kiss of death. Even in the toughest economic recessions, there are profound negative brand associations with certain discounting practices. Buy one, get one free, may bring in traffic spike, but, its not the customer they wanted. The Magnolia believed there were better ways to appreciate and give value to a customer.
3. They gave back and often. From the End of Hunger Network, to cultural arts organizations and hundreds of other nonprofits, The Magnolia Bar & Grill gave food, time and support year after year, even in the early days when they were not profitable.
4. They embraced and practiced the principle that great brands are built on experiences, not a single menu or product item. The Magnolia Bar & Grill had kick-butt gumbo and the best crab fingers around, but the leadership and team knew they were selling something much bigger, an experience, a memory and a great time. Equal focus and investment was applied to all touch points, the music, the staff training, the menu, the lighting, parking and Website.
5. They knew when to hold’em and when to fold’em. As difficult as it was closing this institution down, The Magnolia Bar & Grill had lived its course. They have so much to be proud of and had contributed significantly to the local economy and community for 27 years. As a business, leadership should never loose sight of the balance and math of the operation, the costs verses profits and market changes verses brand image and critical momentum.

Will the equity of the Magnolia Bar & Grill brand re-sprout somewhere in the future? It’s hard to say. Jody Larriviere and Jimmy Gossen also successfully own and operate Louisiana Fine Foods, a whole seafood company and Jimmy G’s, a casual seafood restaurant by George Bush Intercontinental Airport in North Houston. I will keep you posted.