• For making every football Saturday during my four years at Penn State unforgettable, whether we won or lost, and we mostly won.
• For all he did for the “kids” who towered over him as his Penn State players.
• For  his selfless contributions to support excellence at Penn State.
• For his commitment to academics and the achievement of his players.
• For the way he ran on the field with the team.
• For the thrill of winning a national championship my senior year.
• For giving me a sense of pride in my school that began at age 18 and is still with me today.
• For scaring the crap out of me when I walked down my dad’s basement and glimpsed from the corner of my eye a life-size “pop-up Joe” in the shadows.
• For being a fellow Italian who made my dad proud.
• For being a role model of perseverance.
• For the way 50,000 people in Beaver Stadium would shout “Jopa” and the other 50,000 would shout “Terno.”
• For his rolled up pants, white socks and black shoes.
• For the way he screamed at players who taunted the opponent or celebrated too much.
• For being carried on the shoulders of his team more than once, and the joy on his face.
• For being strong while being humble.
• For his fight and his unwavering loyalty to white and blue.

Thanks for the moments. We’ll miss you, Joe.

What is branding?  Heart & Mind® Branding.

The Promise... a cactus 14" x 17" in a 6" pot with a bow.

Because it is the holiday’s we’ll give the national flower network and the local delivering florist the gift of not mentioning their names.

After about an hour of calling customer service at the national flower network and the local florist who delivered the plant, I got them to agree to send out something that is worth the $40, plus tax my sister paid for a cactus that we could have bought from Home Depot for about a buck-ninety-eight. She’ll be visiting in just a few days and the whole thing would be embarrassing for everyone. Who needs more stress around the holidays?

When you think of a brand, please, keep it simple and use our definition. Just two simple words: The Promise and the Experience. When you think in terms of this, the Promises you put out there and the Experiences you deliver should be equal. In other words, what you promise, you simply should deliver. As I have said many times in this blog, the Experiences we have with a brand do far more to make or break it than any Promise we put out there. Paying attention to the experience your customers have with your brand is the most critical aspect of brand and business building.

The Experience…a cactus 2" x 4" in a 6" pot with no bow.

This is the point that too many people miss. An Experience with your brand is more than just an opportunity to deliver what you promised, and it is more than just an opportunity to wow. It is a “moment” with your brand. That “moment” can be stellar, or it can be horrible–which this one was. Did I really need to spend an hour of my time dealing with a bum flower delivery? Of course not. Will I ever buy from either of these companies? You’ve got to be kidding!

This is the kind of brand experience that gets you blazed on Yelp!, flamed on Twitter, and blasted on Facebook. And it sure demonstrates the importance of enlightening everyone in your company to the higher purpose, the true heart of your brand. I’m sure the CEO of the flower network and the flower shop owner would both be shocked by all this. In all our businesses, it only takes one person who doesn’t care, doesn’t get it and who doesn’t understand the true business you’re in to mess things up. Before you start firing people, it’s not their fault in most cases. It’s the leader’s fault for not enlightening and inspiring them.  Do your employees know what business you are really in? Do you?

As we approach the New Year, make a resolution to not just think of branding as a logo or an ad or the hook that you put out there to snag customers. Think instead of the experience you deliver. When you deliver on your promises you’ll be shocked at how many customers you will attract and how quickly your brand and your business will blossom…just like a Christmas Cactus.

What is branding?  Heart & Mind® Branding.

The reason service plays such a huge role in brand building can be best answered by starting with the basics. First my definition of a brand is simply two words:  the Promise and the Experience.  The Promise is everything you use to telegraph who you are, what you do, how you do it and how much the people you serve will love what you offer. It’s your website, social media; advertising; public relations; business cards; even you and your team’s attire, grooming, attitude etc. These things and the many others that precede you leave impressions whether you know it or not. One question worth asking is, are they leaving the impressions you want? If they aren’t then some Promise work is in order.

The Experience is the follow through on that promise. It’s your product or service, it’s the sales process, the customer service process, the technical support process, the billing process, along with the attitude, the tone the personality of the people you employ. It’s every interaction you and the others in your company have with the people you serve or wish to serve. If you are promising the moon and the sky, but delivering something short of that, then Experience work is in order.

Experiences can happen anywhere and everywhere. Cold Stone Creamery was my client for many years and based on the brand platform, the company was in the “Making People Happy Business.” I would often travel visiting franchisees as part our branding work. I would carry a Cold Stone Creamery briefcase and invariably someone would see it and say, “Hey, Cold Stone! I love Cold Stone!” In those days we encouraged everyone associated with the brand to give people who “showed the love” a Free Creation certificate right on the spot.

So I’d say, “Thanks!” or “Cold Stone loves you too!” and give the fan a free creation. It was a little thing, but imagine what a big thing it is to an airport security check-point worker who mostly deals with people at their worst. Imagine the unexpected surprise and the inevitable conversations that took place about this one little act of generosity.What I just described is a “moment,” a small instance of time, unexpected, that makes someone feel special. Moments generally don’t cost much, they just take understanding and creativity to first discover the company’s genuine brand, and how it is meaningful to the people the company serves and then how to make it different from the competitors. These three words: genuine, meaningful and different are the key to great brand moments that are unforgettable and get people talking. And it’s all that talk that creates buzz and buzz is what builds what we call breakthrough brands.

During the session, I showed attendees how to use our proprietary tool called Moments™ Maps. When HEASLEY&PARTNERS works with a company to build the Experience side of the branding equation, we develop Moments Maps to identify the right moments and infuse them into the sales, service, support, or whatever processes a company wants to bring to life. For most companies, that’s all of them.

The foundation for all of this is HEASLEY&PARTNERS’ Heart & Mind^® Branding, a five-stage process that takes a company from brand creation to brand planning to full execution. Through this process, businesses and people can finally connect heart-to-heart with the people they wish to serve. The heart is where buying decisions are made, after all. We put the “why” behind the “what” and systematize it so companies win through more engaged workforce, less employee turnover, increased productivity, more leads, happier customers, more referrals and increased sales and profits. This is the closest thing I know to a silver bullet in business and it took me decades to bring it to life. Lucky for you, it’s here now.

What is branding? Heart & Mind® Branding.

For some of you the term “higher purpose” may be a foreign one. What I mean by this is “a reason for being greater than yourself.” In the workplace, it’s feeling like you can’t wait to get to work in the morning to start your day and make a difference. It’s feeling like you want to work harder, contribute more, and challenge yourself to become a better you because it matters.  

My father was a high school industrial arts teacher for 32 years.  He went into teaching to share his knowledge of craftsmanship. He was a man who took great pride in creating something by hand, and he believed teaching a trade that students could use throughout their entire lives was a noble mission.  He didn’t become a teacher to make a lot of money, gain status or feed his ego.  My dad went to work every day with a higher purpose and a responsibility to teach and inspire young people and change their lives forever. In his life, he accomplished his mission.

Everyone talks about living a purpose-driven life, but what about a purpose-driven career? Everyone has gifts, something they do well, something they are really good at—such as art, writing, programming, public speaking, people skills—the list goes on and on. Once you identify the gift in yourself, how does that translate into a career that allows you to do what you love and love what your do? Into a business that brings out the best in you and your employees?

Now, I know some of you might be asking,  “Is a workplace like that possible? Aren’t these exceptions?”

To that I answer, “Yes, it is possible and it should be the rule!”  A work environment that inspires employees to want to do more, to contribute to a greater good, pushing them beyond their own limits—where work isn’t just a job, it becomes your life’s work—something we all should experience.  Life is too short to have it any other way.

After 25 years of working in a variety of companies, I finally found one where I can fully use my gifts to contribute and add value with purpose.  It’s a work environment that lends itself to inspiring people and letting them soar beyond their own abilities.  I’m happy to say, at last I have found my place and a company that not only inspires me to a higher purpose, but it teaches other companies to achieve the same kind of power and the same level of success.

At HEASLEY&PARTNERS, we practice what we preach. We work with companies to help build their brands; and one of the ways we do that is by creating work environments that inspire people to want to do more, where employees like to come and work every day and are moved by a higher purpose.  Unless your brand is happening inside your building it can’t happen outside it. When you have employees who are inspired, they work harder, stay longer and you know what…they sell more stuff. Your company becomes more successful.  Here through the work we do, I’ve realized the secret to creating a strong brand, a strong company, and to making life a whole lot easier.

Does your company inspire you to a higher purpose?  As a business owner or leader, what are you doing to instill higher purpose in your business? Let us know.

What is branding? Heart & Mind® Branding.

People are quick to say Steve Jobs’ mind was his strength. That his genius made him great. I say it was his heart. That’s what pushed him to share his genius with all of us. To push through the obstacles of his business and physical ills and to give the world everything he had in him.

Much will be written about Steve Jobs today and for generations to come. He won’t be forgotten ever. But I know how I’ll remember him. I’ll remember him as a man with heart first and a masterful mind second.

Thank you Steve Jobs for giving your heart to all of us for so many years. Let his legacy be a lasting guide to how all of us can do great things.

What is branding? Heart & Mind® Branding.

I belong to two movie club sites (gofobo and txtmovieclub) so I get the inside track on free local movie screenings.  Last week I went to a screening at the newly remodeled AMC Esplanade where I had the unforgettable “brand” experience of seeing a movie in a soft leather chair that reclined while eating a prime rib sandwich and parmesan fries both of which melted in my mouth.  When I was finished eating, my server brought me a hot, moist towelette to wipe my hands and a side of popcorn drizzled with what I think was white chocolate.  It was dark and all I knew was it was tasty.  As I exited the theatre the attendants wished me a nice day and offered me Ghiradelli wrapped chocolates from their silver platters.  I walked away with my  jaw literally on the ground.

After my AMC Dine-In Theater experience, you can imagine my excitement to learn about their “Free Movies for a Year” Giveaway to kickoff their grand opening.  I read about it on the movie club’s Facebook page; but, I also noticed this incredible offer was posted a number of places online. You can bet I was not going to miss out on this opportunity.  All I had to do was be one of the first 100 guests who dressed up as their favorite movie star or celebrity and they’d give me 24 free admission tickets and 12 free appetizers!  Check-in was at 6am, tickets at 8am, right in time for the morning news coverage.

I set my alarm for 5 am praying that a 30-minute lead time before check-in would be enough.  Well, as if it was the night before Christmas, I woke up repeatedly with excitement and nervousness. “What if I miss out?” “What if I get there too late?”  At 1:15am I decided to just give in and head to the theatre.

Understand, I have spent hours camped out in lines…Big REI member-only sales and iPhone & iPad launches, so you might say I am an experienced “waiter.” I have the drill down: Camping chair?  Check. Laptop? Check. iPhone, iPad and water? Check, check, check.  Oh, and let’s not forget the costume…

Not that Mary Lou Retton is my favorite celebrity, but I had some criteria and some advantages for making that choice. First I needed something comfortable and cool since it was after all, 2 am and believe it or not, still 90 degrees in Phoenix. I had the perfect blue & white lightweight comfort-wear and I’m built for the part–I stand a towering 5 feet.  With anxiousness I arrived at the theatre parking deck and noticed a few cars but certainly not 100, so I was hopeful.  I gathered my goods and headed to the theatre.

When I arrived I was SHOCKED! I was number 11 in line!  How could this be?  Didn’t the other moviegoers and lovers of awesome FREE things see this offer?  By 6 am we were moved downstairs where we were greeted by the press who of course were hoping for a larger turnout for their TV segments.  By 7:30 only 60 people waited in line.  I actually felt sad for AMC and for the people who missed out on this great opportunity. I texted everyone I knew and screamed on Facebook, “GET DOWN HERE!”

When I got to work, treasure in hand, I shared my story with the HEASLEY&PARTNERS team and of course we discussed how this whole episode fit with Heart & Mind^® Branding.  Here was a company that offered up a great movie experience and they staged a worthy promotion to build business. The problem was, unless you already knew how great the experience was the likelihood of you using your “treasure” also known as “sleep time,” to get some FREE tickets was pretty slim. Without the Experience, the Promise of FREE had little value.

At HEASLEY&PARTNERS, we define a brand as the Promise + The Experience. My story shows how important it is, as marketers, to make sure they work together.  I knew how great the experience was at this theatre, so I valued the FREE promise.  The theatre got news coverage out of the promotion and certainly that was an objective, so they scored there. But if their mission was to gain more trial, they did hit their 100 mark–eventually more people showed up once the news aired the story. But the point is, “the experience” is critical to brand success, even when you’re giving stuff away for FREE.  AMC won my heart with the experience first…then the promise. So there’s your answer!

What is branding? Heart & Mind® Branding.

These are the kind of comments I’ve heard people say when I so much as suggest that in order to fulfill their destiny and their mission, they are going to have to learn to speak in public. I can relate to their fear. I used to dread presenting. I was fine in the conference room, but the minute I had to take a stage, my knees would shake, my voice would quiver and my heart rate would accelerate to the point of palpitations.  But before you call 911, read on. This article is how I overcame my fear so you can too.

Before you say, “I’ll never get over it, and I don’t have to. I don’t need to speak in public to get where I want to go,” guess again. You most certainly will have to speak somewhere sometime, so you had best be prepared. Preparation doesn’t have to be complicated. You simply need a few principles to set you on the right track.

This article is not about speaking technique. You can find many articles on how to write and deliver a speech. I’m talking about how you actually summon up the courage to get yourself up on that stage in front of all those anticipating faces and deliver the speech. Understand that short of simply being fearless and hurling yourself into the eye of the tornado, the things I’m suggesting below take time. If you’re the hurling type, forget everything below and just go for it. When you fall down, get up–you’re probably the type of person who does that a lot, so it doesn’t faze you. But if you are one of the other 98% of people–even wild and crazy entrepreneurs–then read on.  These are the methods that worked for me, and I believe can work for you.

1. Win a few wars - No matter what you do, you have to have won a few wars in your life to earn the right to be on a stage. When it comes to your subject matter, if you haven’t yet lived through the tough stuff and basked in some real successes, give yourself time. You’ll need an arsenal of real-life stories to not only keep things interesting, but to maintain your confidence in the face of skeptics in your audience. This is all part of earning the right to be on that stage.
2. Overcome another fear – The thing that used to scare me as much as climbing onto a stage was climbing up anything high, particularly if a ledge and steep drop-off were involved. Thanks to my EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) Group and a retreat to Arizona’s Rim Country, I got over my fear once and for all. Unknown to any of us, we were going on a rappelling adventure. Not wanting to look like a wuss, I strapped on the gear, got my instructions and backed off a 200-foot cliff. After that first step I wanted to pull myself back up, but I didn’t. I mustered up my courage and kept going. Now before I get on stage I always think, “Kathy, you backed off a 200-foot cliff. You can do this!”  Find your “cliff,” conquer it, and you’ll gain a new sense of power.
3. Watch and learn – I spent years booking speakers for events, so I have seen and worked with the good, the great, and even a few “booking mistakes.” The best speakers in the world are versed in their subjects through experience and speak from the heart. They tell stories and involve the audience. If you’d like to view speakers and don’t have the opportunity to attend events, go to kepplerspeakers.com and watch a few videos. Jamie Clarke is one I recommend you watch. Another great speaker is Blair Singer; and yet another is Robert Kiyosaki.  Each has very different styles. But all speak from experience and the heart.
4. Find a coach – Blair Singer and Robert Kiyosaki have been and continue to be my coaches. They have guided me and I’m smart enough to listen to their instruction and follow what they say. It takes more than confidence to be on stage; it takes learning how to command a room and these two are the masters. They also knew how to bring out a side of me that I didn’t know was there. Find someone–a speaker you admire, a speech coach, a performer–who can guide you and bring out the “bigger you” as Blair says.
5. Be open to feedback - If you can’t take constructive criticism, then you may want to rethink what you are doing or better yet, change your ways. Feedback is critical to improvement and growth in everything you do, but with speaking, it is ultra important. Do what your coach tells you to do, listen to the audience feedback, watch their faces. If they are falling asleep, you are probably boring them. Recognize that this feedback has nothing to do with speaking right after lunch, or with their level of interest in your subject. Understand, it’s not them, it’s you. And then adjust for the next time. Continual improvement is part of the game.
6. Practice, practice, practice – Until you are sick of it! Until you are tired of hearing yourself. But believe me, that will be the least of your problems when it comes to practicing. Getting started will be the toughest part because it feels really strange to get up and speak–with feeling–to no one but yourself. You must do it, and I should say practicing in your mind or quietly to yourself doesn’t count. Twenty times aloud commits your content to memory forever.
7. Perfection is boring – Too many people think they must be perfect on stage. Nothing could be more wrong. I once did some speaking videos and knew they weren’t good but couldn’t quite figure out why. Another speech coach who I refer clients to took a look and said, “Kathy, you’re trying to be perfect. And perfect is boring. Just be yourself.” Lesson learned. Now I applaud the real-ness of speakers. That’s what separates the good from the great.

I have a long way to go, but because building a brand means being a spokesperson, I’m willing to do the work and learn. This has been and continues to be my path for the last three years. With the help of Robert and Blair and the feedback I receive from every engagement, I grow with each presentation. I encourage you to take the same leap I took and continue to take. It’s tough, invigorating, and worth it!

What is branding? Heart & Mind® Branding.

Check out #whatiwantfromajob a new hashtag we created on Twitter. We’re asking people what it is they want out of a job. Why would a branding company care about that? Because branding must first happen in the hearts of the people in the company. Only that way can they deliver the brand experience outside it. Miss that and you miss everything.

One client we had from years ago had a tremendous opportunity with a great service business. It should have been a great place to work. Sadly, they focused entirely on the numbers at the expense of why they were doing what they were doing in the first place.  Naturally as you would expect, the client didn’t understand us when we tried to infuse purpose into the workplace. He didn’t see how that would help boost his business. He just wanted a website that drove more leads. Hmm, how could he not see that even if the website drove business, the attitudes of his employees–great people, but uninspired–were the ultimate turn off?

We didn’t work for this pitiful leader for much after the website project. Kind of an integrity issue if you know what I mean. And yes, we got him his leads, but the company went nowhere. So you see, #whatiwantfromajob will be interesting to follow and interesting to learn from, because happiness in the workplace is a precursor to becoming a breakthrough brand.

What is branding? Heart &  Mind® Branding.

This short note is to ask you and your company to work faster. My name is Kathy Heasley and I am the founder and principal of HEASLEY&PARTNERS in Scottsdale. Thirty-two years ago this month, my world was rocked by the Three-Mile Island nuclear disaster. I was a high school senior then and during those frightening days, I didn’t know whether I would live or die. Today, I am watching history repeat itself, only worse, in Japan. My heart goes out to the people there.

I’ve been waiting twenty years for solar to become a viable solution to our world’s insatiable appetite for energy. In truth, I believe we’re twenty years too late. How many more wake up calls do we need before we get the lesson? How many more disasters need to happen? How much more land turned to wasteland? How many more people harmed? Nuclear is not the answer.

I know you are an engineering company. I can tell from the tone and look of your website. But understand that to many like me who drive by your gleaming building, that you are also a beacon of hope. A symbol of a better future. You have a very high calling whether you know it or not. Your legacy can be one of unmatched magnitude.

If this note accomplishes one thing, my wish is that it let’s you know that people are counting on you–I am counting on you–to lead us into the next energy age. If you already work with this sense of immense higher purpose, then I’ll add one more thing to my work-harder request. And that is simply to work louder. Everyone needs to know that solar is viable, it is happening and it is here.

Thank you for listening,

Kathy Heasley

Founder & Principal, HEASLEY&PARTNERS

Creator of Heart & Mind Branding

What is branding? Heart &  Mind® Branding.

The reality is that word-of-mouth marketing happens whether your boss believes in it or not. In fact, people will talk about your brand–good or bad.  That’s the way it’s always been and the way it always will be. Why? Because we are human and with that comes all our human tendencies to want to communicate. So let’s agree that word-of-mouth marketing is happening regardless of whether we believe in it or not. Doesn’t it make sense then to add strategies to guide what people are saying into your marketing plan? Of course it does.

So what kinds of word-of-mouth tactics work? Here’s my list. Feel free to comment and add your own tried and true methods. Just remember, the tactics must be Genuine, Meaningful and Different. No gimmicks that are “off brand,” please, for the sake of earning chatter

Word-of-mouth tactics that work

Build your business on extraordinary service – I just experienced this today. I bought my husband a Sekonda Expose watch while in England a month ago. For some strange reason, it stopped working. I contacted Sekonda and they are sending a replacement from the UK (with their sincere apologies) at no cost to me.  That’s extraordinary service.

Align with a cause – I was at an event recently and the speaker was talking about the power of relationships in building business.  He asked, how many of us had seen a Geico TV commercial. All 400 of us raised our hands. He asked, how many of us have Geico insurance. About eight people raised their hands. Not good. Then he asked how many of us ever heard of Girl Scout Cookies. We all raised our hands. (You know where I’m going…) When he asked how many of us buy Girl Scout Cookies, nearly every hand in the room was up. Case closed.

Make people laugh – My only answer to this is…”Hello, ladies.  I’m the man your man could smell like.” Of course I’m talking about the Old Spice campaign that has created more word-of-mouth buzz than just about any other in recent years. And did you hear, sales of Old Spice have doubled since the spots hit YouTube.

Create unforgettable “moments” – If making people laugh isn’t part of your brand story, then make them talk about you through “moments.”  It’s easier than you think. If you first understand that “moments” are the language of the heart and that we buy with our emotions, then you’ll see the connection. Even if you have no budget for this, you can create a “moment” by doing one simple no-cost thing:  making everyone you meet know they are special in your eyes.  We all want that in life, and it happens so seldom.

Find the hubs – It’s not that everyone doesn’t do some talking about their likes and dislikes with a product or service, it’s just that some do more talking and are more influential than others.  Your job is to seek out the ones who not only talk more, but who have more connections.  You’re also looking for people who bind different groups–connectors you might call them.  These are influencers who can leap frog your brand exponentially overnight.  Who’s the grand dame of all hubs?  Oprah of course.  But if you can’t get on Oprah, look a little closer to home, every town has influencers with lots of connections and lots to say.

Of course whatever you do, understand that word-of-mouth can take some time to build. And like any marketing you do, you must sustain it.  Too often people quit before they get any momentum. Recognize that we are trying to move people to action. And oh, are we stubborn! We don’t like change and we are slow to act without a tantalizing call to action.  That leads to my final comment.  There are no silver bullets.  Word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing money can’t buy, but it is even more effective when integrated with solid PR, online, advertising–a fully branded campaign that includes all the tactics that make you look formidable, credible, and trustworthy.  So go for it buzz-builders! Do what it takes to get some quick results and measure, measure, measure! That should keep the naysayers in the C-suite quiet until at least the next board meeting…short memories!

What is branding? Heart &  Mind® Branding.