Karen Post

When I was in Newport, RI last week visiting the Tennis Hall of Fame, I had the pleasure of meeting a new friend named Lauren. Lauren coaches tennis and helped me decide on a couple of new tennis outfits.  She also mentioned she was coming to Tampa next week and asked me if I’d be up for a match of tennis. Absolutely!

So we played Thursday and had a blast. We played 11 games before our court time expired. I was down 5,6. Lauren brought Linda, a friend of her mom’s, with her too. After tennis we watched the beautiful sunset in Tampa Bay and all had a drink at Jackson’s, a local restaurant.

I asked Lauren where her mom was? She explained her mom, her grandmother and 111 people were killed in the United Flight #232 plane crash 23 years ago. I had never met anyone who lost friends or family in a commercial plane crash, so I was curious and inquired more. Lauren, where were you? She replied, “I was there too. I was one of the survivors. I was thrown from the plane and ended up in a corn field”.

Lauren was 6 at the time. After being in a coma for nearly a month she was given a second chance to live. Wow, I thought, she was so lucky; dodged the death bullet and I was so fortunate to have crossed paths with her. Today Lauren is a 29 year old beautiful person with a bright future.

Throughout life you meet people in very random ways and they imprint something on your soul. My time with Lauren was really special, even though she was about to kick my butt in the tennis match, her glow and spirit for life was contagious. This won’t be the last time I see Lauren.

I’ve been thinking about Lauren’s brush with death and how we all never know when our number is up and when our journey on earth will end.

Most of us will only get one chance. The dress rehearsals are over. Don’t take things for granted, not even tomorrow.

So if you’ve been parked in some ho-hum job, dreaming about your next career, maybe as a happy entrepreneur or doing something you are truly passionate about. Or maybe it’s not a career thing at all, but you are miserable in a bad relationship that is holding you hostage to a less than fulfilling life—what are you waiting for? The horn from the big bus around the corner, before it runs you over?

Why not live like today is your last one. Make your move!

Don’t forget to check out Signs of the times – 5 tips to make them meaningful.

This weekend a friend of mine shared an article about how Tampa Bay is trying to figure out their brand message as they near the city’s hosting of the Republican National Convention in August. The event will attract millions of eye balls, thousands of delegates and at least 15,000 members of the media.

Reading the article not only wore me out, but it brought back memories of projects I’ve worked on that had the same odor—branding by committee.

Sure consensus is important, doing collaborative research is key and hearing out many perspectives, that’s part of the process, but winning brands are created when one leader steps up, makes hard decisions and champions the movement. This is why we never see statues of committees in our parks or public spaces.

The problems with branding by committee are rampant. There are usually tons of the non productive meetings that suck days out of the resources that could be used for actually building the brand. It’s inevitable that the committee will include people adverse to risk. Great branding is risky. To stand out, bold thinking is required. Committees are notorious for watering down breakthrough ideas. And there are so many diverse agendas, brands by committee become a hair splitting activity, instead of picking a lane and charging forward.

3 tips for brand building.
1) Trust one leader and give them the power to make decisions.
2) Pick the single most important message/promise. Deliver these with extreme intensity, frequency and consistent execution.
3) Accept and embrace that bold, breakthrough and brilliant brands will include a degree of risk.

I wish Tampa the best in finding their brand to take to the world. Whatever they decide on, which I hope is pretty fast, since August is right around the corner- they need to know, it won’t be perfect and it won’t be loved by everyone and that’s OK.

As Nike said so well— Just do it!

For more branding tips, check out:
5 personal branding tips that have instant impact

Every Saturday I salute someone or a group that deserves a little extra attention for his or her good deeds, super branding, achievements, creative solutions, witty comments or meaningful acts of customer love.

Photo from Red Bull's website

This week my hat goes off to Red Bull, their amazing branding and the Flugtag celebrations they hosted in Tampa, Florida.

What’s Flugtag?
Red Bull Flugtag challenges teams of everyday people to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight! Flugtag may mean “flying day” in German, but all these crafts ultimately splash into the waters below. They are judged not only on their flight’s distance, but creativity and showmanship as well.

How did I stumble upon this week’s hero?
The Red Bull event was outside my doorstep. I live in downtown Tampa on the water. (Got to have water for this event.) I ventured out for my Saturday walk with my good friend Nancy Walker of Walker Brands, and noticed the street was shut down and there were hundreds of joggers running through the race’s finish line which was a giant Red Bull branded blow-up arch. And that was just the beginning, this day long event attracts nearly 100,000 people, lots of media attention and most importantly the event makes a lasting, high-octane, emotional connection with consumers who buy beverages.

Two salutes are warranted this week.

1) For Red Bull’s brand leadership that consistently communicates the essence of their brand and product in an edgy, big, fun and sport-spirited fashion. From their metaphoric name to the brain tattooing they do with their bold red and black logo and imagery on every single touch point possible. Here a few of the branded touch points I saw, I know there were many more if I just kept walking.

2) For Red Bull’s brand logistics, behind the scene production folks and the first impression teams who danced with Red Bull backpacks on and greeted the all guests. It’s pretty darn astonishing how  my street can transform into such a memorable major event in 24 hours. Just yesterday it was a simple street.  I met some of the guys who made all this happen. They set up huge video screens every where, installed booths, hung banners and took care of the details and conveniences that make this event a WOW experience.

Congratulations Red Bull and team, we can all learn a few things about creating and maintaining a high energy brand from you.

Brand bold!
Brand Big!
Be relevant!
Live the personality of the brand!

Brand on!

Every Saturday I salute someone or a group that deserves a little extra attention for his or her good deeds, super branding, achievements, creative solutions, witty comments or meaningful acts of customer love.

This week my hat goes off to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Yes, my hometown baseball team scored big this last week with not only clinching the American League East’s Wildcard spot, their pass to the playoffs, but for inspiring many, including me, that if you believe, you can achieve!!

Entering into September the Rays were 9 games behind the Boston Red Sox and their chances of post-season play were slim. The month proved to be an astounding example of how having a one game at a time mentality, strong leadership and resiliency can produce results and make history.

By the end of the month they had earned their way back as a true playoff contender. Neck to neck with the Boston Red Sox who had dominated a top spot in the division for months, the Rays came back in a final showdown game against the New York Yankees (the #1 team) from a 0-7 deficit and pulled off the biggest comeback (beating the Yankees 8, 7, while Boston lost to the Orioles in the 9^th inning) in Baseball history.

Lessons for all entrepreneurs from this stellar week and the Tampa Bay Ray’s amazing performance.

1) Don’t give up.
No matter how grim it looks. If there’s a will there is a way.

2) Stay loose and love what you do.
The Rays and coaches often speak in interviews of the great fun they have playing the game and how a mindset of being loose, calm and relaxed goes a long way.

3) Leadership really matters.
I met Joe Maddon in 2006 shortly after he joined the team. We were both at Sideburns, a local Tampa restaurant. No one knew him then and we talked for 20 minutes. My immediate impression was this was a poised, cool guy, a strategic thinker who had a very empowering personality. My instincts were on the money. Joe is a first-class leader for the Rays. Even after brutal defeats, he is always positive and praises the guys for the good they did that night. He’s no spring chicken, but projects a very genuine, contemporary, hip style so everyone relates to him from the veteran fans to the youngest players.

No one really know where all this will take the Rays as they enter a tough field of competition to the World Series.

No matter what happens, you can’t help but love this team, their dedication and stamina and salute them today!!

Go Rays!! Good Luck!!