I find Flo from Progressive pretty irritating, but I think that’s kind of the point. The car insurance business is all about branding, and that means getting a name to stick in your head. The fact that you probably know who Flo is is proof enough that brand advertising works even if it’s annoying (though I know some of you are screaming, “But it doesn’t affect which company I buy my insurance from!”). While big brands often have big advertising budgets, they need an exceptional agency to generate a strong ROI on those budgets. I’d say that Arnold Worldwide is an exceptional agency. Not only is the Boston, MA based agency behind Progressive’s Flo campaign, but they also have done work for Jack Daniels, New Balance, Surfrider Foundation, and Volvo. Clients like those demand great work, and that’s exactly what Arnold Worldwide has produced for them.
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When I first heard Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” I knew it was going to be a massive hit (it probably already was, and I was just late). I’m no pop music genius, but how can a song with such a ridiculous beat and hilarious lyrics not succeed? While I don’t know this for sure, I have to imagine the song, which ended up at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, has to have meaningfully improved the thrift store business. Now I had always associated thrift stores with non-profits, but today I learned that isn’t always the case. Take Savers for example. They’re a Bellevue, WA based chain of retail locations that aims to “provide [their] customers with the best selection and shopping experience of any thrift store in the world.” They might even be the stores that Macklemore shops in, considering that he’s from Seattle.
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I think that live sports is just about the only thing keeping broadcast television alive. I’m waiting for the day when DVRs aren’t even necessary because everything is always on-demand. Unfortunately, it’s still going to be a while because the media behemoths have a lot to lose and a strong enough market position to put up a huge fight. We’ll get there eventually, but it will happen faster if upstarts like Bedrocket Media Ventures start to see a little success. They are a New York, NY based company that “is leading a revolution in creating networks and programming that people love, delivered through the cloud.” While they may be trying to beat the establishment, they’re getting a little help in the form of $15 million of venture capital investment.
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Today my wife and I got our puppy from the breeder. He is a Braque Francais. Here’s a picture. He doesn’t have a name yet, so we’re taking suggestions (just hit reply–and bonus points if it’s French). I’m already completely in love with him, and that means that I’m headed down the path of buying ridiculous merchandise for my dog. Amy and I already made one trip to the pet store, and that resulted in extensive use of my veto power. One way I might be able to limit the damage is by subscribing to something like BarkBox. It’s a monthly subscription that gives you “a combination of 4-6 treats, toys, and hygiene products that have been hand selected” for your dog. While BarkBox is the product (and it came first), the company is Bark & Co. They are based in New York, NY, and they are “dedicated to building products that foster the health and happiness of dogs everywhere.”
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I moved last week, and that means I’ve been operating on other people’s schedules. Last week it was the movers, yesterday was the cleaning lady, today it was the cable guy, tomorrow it’s the box guy, and next week it’s the Salvation Army picking up all the stuff that we’re donating. While we “picked” all of the times for those appointments, we didn’t really have much of a choice. Wouldn’t it be nice to find people to help around the house who can be booked instantly online and are guaranteed to be on time? That’s what Handybook, which is based in New York, NY, offers. Unfortunately they don’t have people who will install your cable for you, but you can get cleaning, handyman, plumbing, and furniture assembly done on your schedule by professionals.
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I’ve suffered through many meals where I’ve convinced myself that I could run the restaurant better than the current management–even if I was blindfolded and had my arms tied behind my back. There are probably a few cases where that’s true, but for the most part regular people with no industry experience have no business running restaurants (just watch Kitchen Nightmares if you’re not convinced). The truth is that running a profitable restaurant is a huge accomplishment. The Culinary Edge is a San Francisco, CA based consulting firm that specializes in helping restaurants and other food-related businesses strengthen their brands, extend their reach, and increase their profitability. While it would be nice if they did work for small mom and pop type restaurants, the reality is that this kind of consulting is geared towards much bigger clients.
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I’ve been working at eating healthier for a while now. I have a huge appetite–and it gets bigger when I work out, so it’s not easy. I’ve made a lot of progress by shopping only around the perimeter at the grocery store and avoiding snacking, but I know that the latter is hard for people. If you’re going to snack, you might as well try to be healthy. NatureBox is a company that wants to make that easier for everyone. They’re a San Carlos, CA based ” high-growth e-commerce company that is reinventing the way people purchase healthy foods and groceries.” While I’ll assume that they have bigger plans, they’ve started by offering a monthly subscription that helps you discover “healthy, hand-picked snacks.”
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Yesterday we looked at SocialCode, an agency that specializes in social media marketing for huge brands. Today’s company does similar kinds of work, but at a higher level. We’re talking about things ranging “from media relations and corporate communications strategies to flawless event execution.” The company is called HL Group, and they’re based in New York, NY. It was “founded in 2001 by Hamilton South and Lynn Tesoro,” two industry professionals who decided to out on their own. HL Group has seen exceptional growth since, and they now work across a wide array of industries including fashion, retail, beauty, consumer products, technology, home design, travel and more.
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I have a platonic man crush on Ramit Sethi. I’ve pretty much been stalking him since 2007 (when I started ODOJ) by subscribing to his blog, signing up for his e-mail list, reading his book, poring over his Delicious links, and buying one of his courses. We even met in person once. It was in the lobby of a trendy W hotel waiting for him, and when he walked up I played it cool by slamming my head into some stupid lamp that was hanging over the lounge chair that I was sitting on. Why am I so obsessed with some random Indian dude who is only a couple years older than me? Because he has built an amazing business that helps people achieve their career and financial dreams. I tend to gag at most of the advice that I hear from “career experts,” yet when I see something come from I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Ramit’s company–he used to have to reiterate that it’s not a scam because the name sounds so questionable), my eyes get all dreamy and I just start nodding in agreement. I occasionally even yell “YES!” at my computer.
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Yesterday we looked at Yoga Alliance and how they’re helping the field of yoga grow from a cultural curiosity to a mainstream activity that millions of Americans participate in. Yoga is a perfect example of how we can take traditions from other cultures and integrate them into our lives to improve our health. The problem is that for every tradition that will actually make you healthier, there are probably a few that have little or no benefit (or even a negative effect). ALOHA is a New York, NY based startup that “combines traditional wisdom from diverse cultures across the globe with the latest scientific research and collaborates with the world’s most esteemed experts and health gurus to develop innovative products and inspiring content.” They’ll help you discover new ways to live a healthier, more enjoyable life–and you won’t have to worry that you’re wasting time with something that is scientifically unproven.
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I never pictured myself doing yoga, but one day my back started hurting. My mom told me to see her trainer and do a yoga session with her. It wasn’t some magical cure-all like some people might claim, but it definitely helped. I ended up really liking the physical part (stretching and bodyweight exercise), but the rest just isn’t for me; however, it is for a lot of people. Yoga has exploded in popularity, and now pretty much anyone who wants to can claim to be a yoga instructor. Yoga Alliance is an Arlington, VA non-profit that exists “to sustain and support the field of yoga.” They do this by “by providing the public with a registry of teachers and schools whose training meets our standards, and by supporting yoga teachers, schools and studios in their work as yoga professionals.”
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It used to be that airlines were the only businesses that I could earn rewards with, but as many markets have become more competitive, companies from all kinds of industries have jumped on the bandwagon. While offering great products and services at reasonable prices should be enough to keep customers, many companies aren’t able to do that–so they offer rewards instead. The problem is that managing a rewards program has nothing to do with running most business. That’s where Destination Rewards steps in. They’re a Boca Raton, FL (and Plymouth, MI) based company that creates and manages “web-based customized rewards programs.” Destination Rewards does all of the heavy lifting, and their clients can just plug and play.
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Yesterday we took a look at View The Space and how they’re changing the commercial real estate business. Today we’re going to talk about the kind of real estate that you’re more familiar with: residential real estate. While I was looking for a new apartment, I did most of my searching online (though walking around the neighborhood that you want to live and looking for For Rent signs is an underrated tactic). While Zillow was my preferred searching tool, I ended up on Trulia a lot. In case you’ve never used it, Trulia is a site that “displays more than 4.5 million real estate and rental listings nationwide.” The company is based in San Francisco, CA and also has offices in New York, NY and Denver, CO. They’re only about 9 years old, but they’ve grown to nearly 500 employees and are already publicly traded.
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When I was a kid, a magazine subscription was one of the best gifts that you could get me (especially to Beckett Baseball Card Monthly). I loved the excitement of receiving mail, and I loved the magazine format. Today the only magazines that I receive in the mail are the ones that come free with memberships. Almost all of my content consumption is digital now, but that doesn’t mean that the magazine is dead. Issuu is “the world’s fastest growing digital publishing platform.” The company is based in Palo Alto, CA, but they also have a significant presence in Copenhagen, Denmark (focused mostly on design and engineering). Issuu’s goal is to change the publishing industry by “making it a more democratic, colorful and free place to be.”
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Yesterday we looked at Institute for Educational Leadership, one of a seemingly endless number of non-profits devoted to improving educational outcomes. Education seems to be one of the most worthy and, as a result, pursued causes, but I think poverty reduction has to come in number one. Project Concern International is a San Diego, CA based international development non-profit that works to “prevent disease, improve community health and promote sustainable development worldwide.” The core idea behind PCI is that they identify areas with the greatest need and then deliver help in a way that can have lasting community impact.
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Yesterday was a day to celebrate our freedoms. Being able to speak and express ourselves freely is the most important in my book. Even though we have that right, there is no guarantee that anyone will listen or pay attention to us. If you want to be heard, you have to promote your voice. That’s what See.Me is all about. They are a New York, NY based company that has built a platform that allows artists of all kinds to “share the best of what [they] do and gain recognition and support within [a] vibrant international community.” It’s a place to get exposure, meet other artists, and even earn financial contributions from those who want to support your work.
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If you haven’t had one of your social media accounts hacked, you certainly know someone who has. It’s pretty obvious that the social-ification of the web has made the Internet a much more dangerous place. Not only can malware spread more quickly and efficiently, but hackers have access to far more personal data–and that allows them to abuse the trust that you have in your online social connections. While this is kind of scary on an individual level, it’s much more frightening for large companies and organizations. Riskive is a Baltimore, MD based company that sees what’s happening. That’s why they’ve built an “enterprise grade security technology dedicated to identifying, monitoring and preventing risk across the socially connected enterprise.”
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I remember when Facebook was just for friends your age. Now it’s common to be friends with your parents, your parents’ friends, your professors, and your coworkers. I don’t know anyone who is friends with his or her doctor, but I can just imagine posting a picture of an awesome dessert that you’re about to eat and getting a notification saying “Dr. Jones commented on your photo: ‘Are you sure you want to eat this?'” Nobody needs that (ok, maybe some people do). We should probably give doctors their own social network so they can talk amongst themselves. That’s exactly what Sermo is. They’re a Boston, MA based company that “created the largest online community, exclusive to physicians.” They already have 125,000 medical professionals participating, and I’m sure that number will keep growing.
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While I’ve been getting much better about making healthy food choices, sometimes it’s impossible to resist a burger, fries, and a milkshake. It’s hard to find a more efficient, yet enjoyable way to consume calories. If you’re going to do it, you need to do it right–and that means going to Shake Shack (we’re getting one in Chicago soon!). It may sound like a dive, but it’s actually run by the same restaurant group that runs one of New York City’s best restaurants (Gramercy Tavern) and used to run one of the world’s best restaurants (Eleven Madison Park). The company is called Union Square Hospitality Group, and they’re based in New York, NY. They have restaurants that fill every niche, and they’re all excellent. I’ve been to a couple of them (with multiple visits to Shake Shack), and I’ve always enjoyed my meal.
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There are certain “brands” that I follow on Facebook that could be in my feed constantly, and I wouldn’t get annoyed. There’s my dog breeder, my favorite fishing lodge, and Bonobos. They don’t really need to advertise to me–they just need to keep posting content. But most brands are going to have to be smart about how they reach me; otherwise, I’ll ignore them. How can they be smart? By using the data they have on me to deliver perfectly targeted ads. GraphScience is a company that helps brands do this. They are based in Palo Alto, CA, and they “leverage the social graph to generate revenue and optimize marketing spend on Facebook.” I will never get as excited about an ad as I will about a video of my soon to be puppy, but I know that brands can do better than what they’re doing now.
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You’ve probably noticed that most of the small businesses that you interact with aren’t all that tech savvy. Whether you’ve visited their websites or tried to make a purchase, it’s often glaringly obvious that the owner shouldn’t be anywhere within 50 feet of a computer. The problem is that being online and tech savvy is becoming more and more important to running any kind of business. Merchants who can’t keep up will have a hard time. MOpro makes it easy for business owners to do all of the technical and marketing things that they might not be able to do on their own. They’re a Los Angeles, CA based company that expands “the digital possibilities for small businesses.”
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Amy and I are getting a puppy in about a month! I don’t think we’ve processed how much it is going to change our lives yet, but we’re getting really excited about being new “parents.” While our little puppy is going to have a great home, many dogs and cats aren’t so lucky. There are way too many pets that don’t live in safe, caring environments. Bideawee is an organization that has been trying to change that for more than 100 years. They are a New York, NY based non-profit that aims “to cultivate and support the life-long relationships between pets and the people who love them.” They do this by offering a wide array of services for animals and pet owners.
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Market research is an essential part of marketing these days, but it can get out of hand. It’s easy to keep requesting more research and never take action. The goal is to predict people’s behavior, so once you have a good idea of what they’ll do, it’s time to put the research to work. BrainJuicer is a market research firm that aims “to inspire brave clients to do great marketing by translating a generation of breakthroughs in psychology, behavioural economics and social sciences into Juicy tools that better understand & predict people’s behaviour.” That extra u in behavior may have tipped you off that BrainJuicer is based in the United Kingdom, but they U.S. based offices in Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; and New York, NY. There are also quite a few other offices across the world. BrainJuicer’s website is pretty funky. It has a fun feel and makes it interesting to explore what they do (there’s a simpler version if you find it overwhelming).
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I spend as much time as I possibly can enjoying nature, and I’m convinced that nothing can rival its beauty. From rock formations to the spots on trout to mushrooms and wild flowers, it’s incredible how much enjoyment I can get from simple stuff. While people often try to create their own beauty, the most successful attempts take some hints from nature. That’s exactly what Kevia does with their jewelry. They are a Portland, OR based company that offers “handcrafted sustainable jewelry” that is inspired by the natural world.
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Sales is all about relationships. Whether you’re trying to convince someone to make a one time purchase or enter a ten-year contract, you need to build a certain level of trust and empathy (the level is much higher in the latter case). Sometimes it only takes one conversation, but it often takes many more. A sales person has to be organized to ensure that his or her communications are continuously moving towards a sale. The tools for doing that used to be a rolodex and a notebook, but that has obviously changed. What hasn’t changed is the need for mobility in a customer relationship management system, and that’s exactly what Base CRM offers. They are a Chicago, IL based company that “is paving the way by building the next generation of CRM software.” They realized that most competing software is a burden (not a useful tool) for salespeople, so they decided to build something that people would actually want to use.
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Everybody thinks that they need a revolutionary, unique idea to start a business. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s often much better to do something well than to do something new. That thought has been reinforced by reading about Beyond Spots & Dots. They’re a Pittsburgh, PA based “full service advertising agency dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients.” They’ve only been around since 2006, but they saw 151% three-year growth between 2008 and 2011 to $3 million in revenue. There are probably thousands of agencies in the U.S. that offer similar services, and even dozens or hundreds in Pittsburgh, yet Beyond Spots & Dots has still found a path to growth.
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For me Father’s Day is all about wildlife. I’ve spent every one for the past 20 years in woods of Michigan on a fishing trip with my Dad. It used to mark the end of the trip, but this year it’s the beginning. Every year we get to reap the benefits of the work done by conservation organizations. Up there a lot of the work is done by non-profits with a sporting focus, but I’ve come to realize that there quite a few organizations that protect wildlife just because it’s something that should be done. One of these is Defenders of Wildlife. They’re based in Washington, DC, and they aim to “protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America by transforming policies and institutions and promoting innovative solutions.” The organization was founded in 1947 and operates at both a national and local level.
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We all know someone with hypertension (aka high blood pressure)–nearly a third of people over the age of 20 in the United States have it. It’s a seriously health issue, but it’s common and relatively easily treated. Pulmonary hypertension sounds like it would be a similar malady, and in some ways it is, but it’s also much rarer and far more serious. Because it’s currently an incurable condition that can be extremely deadly, you’d think that it gets a lot of attention from the medical establishment. However, because only about 1,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, it doesn’t. Pulmonary Hypertension Association is trying to change that. They are a Silver Spring, MD based non-profit that is working to “to find ways to prevent and cure pulmonary hypertension, and to provide hope for the pulmonary hypertension community through support, education, research, advocacy and awareness.”
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Most of you are probably too young to remember when travel agents were a thing. Before the Internet, booking and planning a trip was much easier with the help of a professional. Today, having someone book your travel is often an unnecessary complication for most travelers. But if you’re the kind of person who travels all the time for work or wants everything to go perfectly, then you might appreciate something higher touch than booking online. That’s what FROSCH offers. They’re a New York, NY and Houston, TX headquartered company (with 30 offices across the country) that provides “high-touch leisure and corporate travel to individuals and companies.” While most travel agencies have been made obsolete by the Internet, FROSCH has continued to grow by offering a superior level of service.
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I have a simple personal investment strategy. The majority of my time, attention, and money goes back into this business. Most people think that investing is about buying financial instruments like stocks, bonds, and options. That can be a part of it, but it’s really about putting your resources to work for you. At this stage in your life, you should be investing in yourself as much as possible (since you’ll be reaping the returns for the next 70 years). Once you get a bit older, you can take a more traditional approach. That’s what Bailard specializes in. They’re a Foster City, CA based “employee-owned investment firm that has served institutions and private investors for over forty years.”
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