It really is up to me. It's all my fault

I think that I need to be responsible for the things I do, and that involves the businesses I work with and within. If I'm helping them sell more widgets, then I better be comfortable with the proliferation of those widgets; because I'm responsible for them just as much as the company actually making them.

Here's an excerpt from something Seth said recently, he explains it better than I do.

Along the way, “just doing my job,” has become a mantra for blind marketers who are making short-term mistakes in order to avoid a conflict with the client or the boss. As marketing becomes every more powerful, this is just untenable. It’s unacceptable.

If you get asked to market something, you’re responsible. You’re responsible for the impacts, the costs, the side effects and the damage. You killed that kid. You poisoned that river. You led to that fight. If you can’t put your name on it, I hope you’ll walk away. If only 10% of us did that, imagine the changes. Imagine how proud you’d be of your work.

The amazing thing is that over and over again, we're discovering that marketers who actually take responsibility for their marketing are actually more successful. Go figure.

There's going to be a market where the customer will have the same values as you do [I do] and they're probably going to be more profitable than the 'everyone' that are being shot gunned with marketing interruptions currently.



Find the better way, be responsible for what you're doing. It's worth it in the long run.

Why you don't need to pay me to design a logo for you...

Just read this excellent post by Seth.



As ever I think he nails the issue. But, and it's a big but, there are so many people with an interest in these things that there's a huge mountain of advice to get over that is contrary to this. And as a visually centred person I take a little umbrage with the thought that anything will do, but he's right: nobody but you care about your logo. Yet.

If you're given the task of finding a logo for an organization, your first task should be to try to get someone else to do it. If you fail at that, find an abstract image that is clean and simple and carries very little meaning--until your brand adds that meaning. It's not a popularity contest. Or a job for a committee. It's not something where you should run it by a focus group. It's just a placeholder, a label waiting to earn some meaning.

Best read the whole thing here and make up your own mind. And if you don't want your logo designed, call me. Because there's a lot of value I can add to your venture even if it's not an expensive logo.

Here's a reason to do what we do [BLOG]

Yehuda over on his blog writes a great list on how he got some income from what he did. All too often people want to know why anyone would blog. Yehuda shows that even though there may be no apparent financial incentive to do it, there's often so much more incentive than is apparent.



Read his entry to get the whole thing, but the following quote summed it all up for me:

A. The direct results:



By post number 1000, I had made $75, which I gave back to my readers in the form of games. I'm now up to around $50 a month in Text Link Ads ($35), Google Ad-Sense ($12), and Amazon ($3).



Not very impressive, I admit. However ...



B. The indirect results:



I landed a professional blogging position at a company. I went in for a programming position and offered instead to be their company blogger. And they accepted.



I have had a game published by a publisher who is one my readers.



I've received dozens of free games to review.



My writing is getting better all the time.



I know hundreds of great people around the world.



I've had articles published in professional journals around the world. I've even been interviewed a few times on various subjects.



I know a lot about my field and interest.



I'm enjoying myself.

it's your fault

Saw this today and it resonated with me. Basically if you're not happy at work [or at home] it's mostly your fault.How we deal with things is important and if we choose happiness or we choose grumpy then that's what we'll experience.So get along and change your thought patterns, start enjoying work now: read the article...a great post from the chief happiness officer



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