I re-read a popular business book this weekend “Who Moved My Cheese” (it’s a quick read). I was blown away — I felt like it was written for me as I am beginning a new chapter in my career next week. In a nutshell it, features four characters: two mice, “Sniff” and “Scurry,” and two little people, miniature humans in essence, “Hem” and “Haw.” They live in a maze, a representation of one’s environment, and look for cheese, representative of happiness and success. Initially without cheese, each group, the mice and humans, paired off and traveled the lengthy corridors searching for cheese. One group leads by understanding changes in their environment and one group is content on what they have and do not see the changes going on.

While it’s touted as a business book it draws many parallels on your personal life as well — whether it be about relationships, family dynamics, etc. As I ponder the meaning of the book I quickly draw parallels about this notion of “change” and how it has effected everything we do and defined us as a society, from entertainment to coffee to communications and so on….

In the age of social media consumption — think about what media was like 15 years ago…barley email and the internet. Think about communication 20 years ago…the cell phone, while 20 pound a device, was the it thing. They now refer to mail as snail mail because of the speed of communications we’ve seen over the years. How can you be ahead of that change? For a company like Pitney Bowes you find new cheese with the release of Volly™.

Even portions of entertainment industry have embraced change. When I look a the old school Disney animated movies they are a classic with a timeless story. But they are almost unbearable to watch –colors are flat, characters are flat. The world is flat — right? But then you add Pixar into the mix with digital animation and BAM…you have found your new cheese. What about consumables? I never liked coffee until I went to college. Coffee to me was my mother’s instant Foldgers — ick. But coffee that has 2 parts romanticism, 2 parts taste and 2 parts social engagement…the coffee industry certainly found their cheese…thank you Howard Kurtz.

For the BtoB marketing world — forgettaboutit. There is so much cheese it’s hard to understand where to go — in-person events to virtual events, lengthy data to 140 characters, print ads to interactive ads via QR codes, selling to engagement, does your head hurt yet? Mine does but I’m psyched to find the cheese.

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He seems like a talented young man – cute hair, baby boy looks (probably because he is one), slick dance moves, squeaky clean image…all the makings for a great teen idol. But what fascinates me most about Bieber is how he “arrived” as they say in LA-LA-land.  He was discovered on YouTube – the first mainstream video sharing social media site.

YouTube launched in 2005 (that’s it?) with a very simple look. They made it possible for anyone to upload a video and watch. One of their first most watched videos had nothing to do with anything but two little brothers in a LOL spat “Charlie Bit My Finger”

Bieber continues to utilize this channel even with the strong fever following. I think part of that appeal is the grassroots efforts to promote himself through YouTube. I read that the guy who discovered him, Scooter Braun (who then took the Bieb’s to Usher for the real golden opportunity) wanted to “build him up more on YouTube first” and had Bieber record more videos from home for YouTube. Genius I say – it’s more authentic and makes his fans (who are on average 13 years old) feel like the Biebs is one of them – “just a small town girl livin’ in lonely word” – oh wait that’s another artist.

Bieber also has a Twitter account with 7.3 million followers — take that @aplusk. He is quite active and uses it to promote himself – that’s why we’re here, right? Bieber’s music video for “One Time” began selling quickly after it was uploaded to YouTube in Nov 2009. And that has been his strategy ever since.

I read a great article by George Guildford on ways music artists can make the most of social media through Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, Foursquare, SoundCloud, etc.

Writing is such a release – I think I may have the fever now. I am in awe of his overall talent, but most importantly his connection with his generation of fans (whether you call them Generation I, Digital Natives, or the Net Generation) and how he uses social media to interact, engage, promote, and be one of them. Bieber Fever Rules!

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“The class of 2014 doesn’t wear watches, doesn’t write in cursive and has no idea why Nirvana is awesome.”

1. Camera Film
2. Landline Phones
3. Real Books
4. Being Lost
5. Music Videos on MTV (I can’t remember the last time I saw a video when I turned on MTV)
6. Walkmans
7. The Glory Days of Nick at Nite
8. Tan M&Ms (I wish we still had tan, I don’t trust blue colored candy)
9. Czechoslovakia
10. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator

I’ve been a professional the last 15 years. After reading this article I reflected back on my first job and what the day to day operations were like compared to what I see in the workplace nowadays. My top 10 things new professionals of this generation will never experience…and for some that’s a good thing:

1. Sending a fax – enough said
2. Ending work for the day – the world is connected. There is no turning off the computer anymore for the day/weekend – our hand-helds are computers. You could chose to ignore a message if it’s after working hours – but you’ll only have it waiting for you when you being work the next day, among 500 other emergencies.
3. Lunch hour – if you take an hour for lunch you need to make it up somewhere. It seems luxurious to take an entire hour. But yet when I do I feel rejuvenated.
4. Escaping – now with Facebook launching “Facebook Places” a location-based service to find people and places and GPS tracking devices basically being embedded in our underwear, you can’t go anywhere and not be found
5. Looking for a job in the paper – not for professionals anyway
6. A delay – sure there will always be travel delays (and they are getting worse and worse) but when it comes to sending emails, getting verifications, looking at apps, downloading documents, uploading pictures, etc the infrastructures are so robust now that email is the new snail-mail.
7. Water cooler breaks – the term is a pop culture phenom, but the days of a “break” or even companies footing the bill for water coolers is o.v.e.r. Bring your own re-usable water bottle to work – it’s more eco-friendly anyway.
8. Reading a newspaper – not only are we armed with iPads, mobile apps and computers to read the content – it almost looks like you don’t have much going on if you are caught reading a paper at work
9. 1 garbage bin – I don’t know about you but we have four different garbage bins at work; 1) metal/plastic/glass 2) white paper 3) mixed paper 4) trash/garbage. I embrace it, but I wonder…what should go in the trash/garbage bin?
10. Waltzing into a building – they frisk you at the airport and now they frisk you at work. And thank goodness they do after the tragic bombings and shootings that happen in the workforce. But gasp if ever you were to leave your security badge at home.

There you have it. Lesson learned – wear clean underwear to work, never leave with out your hand-held and don’t question if all the garbage actually goes into one bin at the end of day – be happy that your company is trying to be the change we need.

Make it simple. Make it fun to read.

My top 5 80’s movie references in the movie:

1. Back to the Future — The obvious time travel and others

2. Better Off Dead – “I want my two dollars”

3. Red Dawn – Poster in the bedroom

4. Sixteen Candles – Jake Ryan and Samantha sitting on the kitchen table

5. The Sure Thing – Trying to use a credit card to unlock a door

What struck me most were not the horrendous neon colored outfits, leg warmers, hair styles, Regan-era politics or walkmans – but the lack of technology. In a day in age where you can connect with anyone anytime – this surly has to be the biggest evolution of our time. I’m not discounting the invention of electricity, automobiles, air travel, trains, telephones, TVs, etc – but the age of the computer, email, internet, cell phone, texting, handhelds, Facebook, Google, Twitter, et al – it all makes my head hurt.

There was a classic scene in the movie when boy meets girl and he wants to see her later that night. He asks for her email or cell phone, she quips what’s an email? While he looks at her like a deer in headlights not understanding how people survive with out those means of communications he then asks “how will I get in touch with you?” She ever so simplistically says “you’ll just have to come find me.” Ah-ha…and there we have one of my biggest dilemmas in this age of technology and means of communications. We can always be found!! There is no escaping to truly embrace a work life balance. You can choose not to be found – but then that could back fire as you might not seem “committed” to your work. On the flip side – my babysitter can always reach me if there is an issue, I can always reach my family, my friends, my work, etc. There is a lot of comfort in that.

While I’ve been nostalgic this weekend from the movie – I embrace the 21^st century and feel thankful I live in a time where the world and people are changing. Change is hard – but nothing could be harder than going back to neon clothes, white wash tapered blue jeans and big puffy hair. One last thought…25 years from now there will be a time-travel movie that makes fun of life in 2010? I can just hear the “Twit-what” and “I-Pad” jokes now.

Make it simple, make it fun to read

I think we just like the idea of a celebration and the holidays that we embrace throughout the year give us that excuse. In looking at a list of “Happy” occasions throughout the year – below is my list of the most popular and ways we work them:

• Happy New Year – this is the most widely used and generic, you can begin to say it towards the end of December and throughout January…and no one bats and eye. You can say it to good friends, colleagues, the taxi driver, grocery store bagger, etc

• Happy Valentines Day – you can really only use this a week before the big day and not a day after. It can be a “sting” of a holiday to some people who only look at it for people in love – but I say it’s about the ones you love that makes the holiday special. It also requires you wear red or pink – so I’m down with that.

• Happy St Patrick’s Day – this holiday can only be said on the day – accompanied by an article of clothing that is green and possibly a pint in hand.

• Happy 4^th of July – this is a good one, and a true signal of summer and summer vacations. You can use the phrase the week leading up. Luckily the holiday is made of red, white and blue – so you can basically wear anything. If you do have that random piece of clothing with stars or a combo of all three colors, this is the ideal time to wear it. Any other looks a bit too coordinated.

• Happy Halloween – you can maybe say it the day before – but not much before. It’s a celebration of the day of the dead so that is kind of creepy. But if you love the color orange (like I do) this is my most favorite holiday for outfits.

• Happy Thanksgiving – this is the official start of the holiday season. You can begin to say it November 1^st, but once it’s over it’s over and we move on to “Happy Holidays.” The colors that accompany this holiday are a bit drab. The food is always delicious and quite frankly it’s a low emotion holiday, not too many fighting or biting with family members. It IS the day to give thanks.

• Happy Holidays – it’s not very PC anymore to say Merry Christmas, so “Happy Holidays” is the safest and most generic way to express the joy of the season. The day after Thanksgiving we got straight to “Happy Holidays”…you can break out the red and green clothes, the sweaters that have pictures of Santa or wreaths. Holiday work parties are upon us so there tends to be a lot of velour, sparkly stockings, possibly a pin or necklace of Rudolph with the nose lighting up, etc.

I love all the holidays through out the year, I embrace them, I use them but I don’t abuse them. Remember to hug a loved one or the grocery store clerk tomorrow – and try to wear red or pink…you’ll be reminded of what it all means to love someone.

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Lucy’s List:

Tip #1 – Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport, get through security (p.s. never check your bag if you are traveling for business), get a bite/drink and some reading material. That all takes time and there is no reason to rush and make yourself nuts and stressed out that early on in the trip.

Tip # 2 — Always sit in a window seat. I know, I know –the perception is aisle seats are the best and most coveted. But I disagree, unless you are a chronic bathroom-tripper, you will find most peace and fewer germs near the window. If anyone sneezes around you on the aisle you’re a gonner — that sneeze can come in 5 different directions.

Tip #3 – Buy enough bottled water at the airport to last you your first night at the hotel. No point in a $15 bottle of Evian. No point at all.

Tip #4 – Do not throw out the magazines you bought at the airport…if you stay less than a week the magazines do not turn over at the newsstand so there will be no new pictures of Brangelina, Heidi Montag’s augmentation or the Kardashians over exposure. Even though you may think you read the magazine cover to cover – you most likely skipped over 50% of “read” content and went straight to the pictures.

Tip # 5 – If you forget your mobile charger at home – have no fear, ask the front desk at your hotel. They typically have a box full of them from past travelers who left them in their hotel rooms.

Tip #6 – When staying at an upscale hotel TAKE the beauty products. They travel well and will come in handy if you are visiting friends/family who only keep Pantene (all-in-one condition and shampoo, which in worthless for dry hair) in the shower.

Tip #7 – If you travel to a different time zone, and you are there for only a few days, do not change the time on your watch…it will make you feel that much farther away from home (unless that is your intention).

Tip #8 – If you are a gym fanatic bring your sneakers. If you are one of those who say you will (but it’s not a guarantee) don’t bring them. You’ll kick yourself on the ride home thinking about the extra weight you are carrying around in your bag and on your thighs.

Tip #9 – Don’t bring fast food onto the plane – it may taste great but it smells gross for other passengers and quite frankly you shouldn’t eat like then when you are about to sit for more than 3 hours.

Tip # 10 – Bring your own headphones – the Sony Walkman (circa 1986) ear phones with foam overlay are just plain dorky looking.

Make it simple. Make it fun to read.

How can professionals in the 21^st century possibly perform with the pressures of punctuality to meetings, due dates, balancing budgets, 5-day work weeks (that often turn into 6 when working at night). Not to mention doing all of this and trying to get 8 hours of sleep (and a life).

No matter your stellar skill set and professional background, sometimes work will be incompatible with your personal needs, and that’s where we feel the need for workplace excuses.

When you really get down to all of these excuses – the folks you work with could benefit from these absences, as you are able to be more productive when you are refreshed. One-quarter to one-third of all workers give excuses to explain their tardiness or absence.

Of course all of this whetted my appetite for a few lists – lists of excuses heard in the office, not mine of course…

Tardiness:

1. I’m ok now, but I actually threw up on the way over.
2. You should have seen the line in Starbucks, and you do not want me here without caffeine.
3. I had another panic attack. Don’t worry – it wasn’t about work.
4. It took an hour to get over my fear of success.
5. I just wasn’t “feelin it” this morning.

Missed Deadlines:

1. Didn’t we cancel that project?
2. Nothing short of perfect will do for you.
3. Oh…I have it in my calendar for next week.
4. Every time I thought about the project it stressed me out.
5. I have it right here. Wait – where did that file go?

Technology:

1. I deleted it by accident.
2. Didn’t you get it? I emailed it last night before I shut down.
3. You can’t open it? It worked when I tried.
4. Sorry I didn’t get back to you…I think your email went to my spam folder.
5. Silly me – I saved it as a draft and forgot to send it.
6. My computer is having “issues.”

Make it simple, make it fun to read.

Our new purchase last week was Up — phenomenal story about a man fulfilling his late wife’s dream and making a new life for himself with the help from a child. We popped in the DVD, popped the popcorn, snuggled on the sofa and off we were into another adventure courtesy of Pixar. Well then the floodgates opened up — I cried like a baby six times during the film and proceeded to cry days later just thinking about it. It was too much emotion for me to handle. The kids looked at me in horror wondering why a movie they were digging was making mom cry. The reviews were right…the movie is a must see — a very beautiful story and film.

I started to think about all the Pixar films we have and there is not one — NOT ONE — which I have not cried when watching. They all pull at your heartstrings. I guess that is their hook — its adult content masked in animation with lots of fun colors so kids are enamored by it. Of course I’m going to keep on watching — but the tissue box will have to be close by.  Below is my list #1 being the most “cry/sobbing” potential.

1. Up — Mrs. Frederickson’s “cross your heart” moments, Mrs. Frederickson walking up the hill and you know what happens, Mr. Frederickson realizing he has to move out of his home, when Russell admits his dad isn’t around anymore, when Mr. Frederickson looks at the album again and sees what his wife filled if, when Russell gets the Boy Scout badge and Mr. Frederickson shows up to be there for him (I could go on and on)
2. Finding Nemo — The first minute into the film when Marlin’s wife dies (it was hard to recover after that)
3. Monsters, Inc — When Sulley says good-bye to Boo (enough said…tears galore)
4. Toy Story 2 — When Wheezy is found on the top shelf and taken away to be sold because he is broken, when Jessie does a flashback about Emily and is thrown to the side of the road to be given away, when I found out Stinky Pete was really stinky (I sometimes look at our toys and get sad if some have been ignored)
5. Cars — When Sally describes what Radiator Springs used to be like before the Interstate and how run down it became (I am sure there are towns out there like that)
6. Ratatouille — When Remy gets separated from his family, when he falls off the motorcycle and people scream with horror when they see a rat (I can’t stand rats — but I have compassion for anything that feels left out)
7. Wall-E — At the end, mainly because of the way we treat our planet (we don’t want machines running the place)
8. Toy Story — When Woody and Buzz are trapped in Sid’s room and his toys that he has tortured come out from hiding — it looked like a gang of orphans (again — I don’t like that “left out” feeling)

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“More than 2,900 hiring managers nationwide shared the most memorable requests or recommendations they have received in the office suggestion box.”

Responses included:

1. Request to allow people to change clothes in their cubicles.
2. Request to add a tanning bed to the break room.
3. Request to put beer in the vending machine.
4. Request that jail time be covered under family medical leave.
5. Request to institute bikini Fridays.
6. Request to only be required to work during daylight hours because employee is scared of the dark.
7. Request for a special smoking area for medical marijuana.
8. Request that the HR person wear nicer shoes.
9. Request for more time off to pursue side business as a clown.
10. Request to replace his desk with a futon so employee could lay down and work.
11. Request that the lactation room with gliding chair be used for naps, so everyone can use it.
12. Request to install a swimming pool for employees to use.
13. Request to have the team meeting to be held in Hawaii.

My personal favorite is #6 — sometimes feel that way.

What would I add? For starters:

1. Request for 1 hour to be put aside each day to find the end of the internet.
2. Request for bathrooms to have stall doors that go all the way to the floor and ceiling.
3. Request for company announcements to be cascaded over a PA system (like in school).
4. Request that all employees watch the movie Office Space as part of the “on boarding” process.
5. Request for the word “strategic” to be banned from the workplace and replaced by “clever” (it just sounds better).
6. Request for “Year-End Appraisals” to be completed by my parents (who will always give me a glowing review).

Make it simple, make it fun to read.

When Pete loses the head of accounts position to Ken Cosgrove on last week’s Mad Men – the head of the agency said…

“You are excellent at making the clients feel their needs are being met, but Mr. Cosgrove has the rare gift of making them feel as if they haven’t any needs,”

If I hadn’t any needs – why would I need an agency? They are my crutch to help me develop relevant messaging, reach my audience and track performance so we can be nimble to change. They are there to help build a strategy and set objectives, and of course build out the tactics.

But there is another dynamic to the client/agency relationship – there needs to be a level of transparency and accountability. I found it interesting when I read today that Toyota had used images off Flickr for their website without usage rights. Of course Toyota had to come out with the egg on their face apology. But their agency, Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, created it so who should be accountable? The agency that pulled the images or the client that approved and paid for it? Transparency is king and accountability is queen. Let’s just hope there is no jester. At least for Ken Cosgrove’s (@ken_cosgrove) sake.

Make it simple, make it fun to read