A Little Holiday Light Cheer

Something that makes this month’s holidays (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa) unique are all the lights. From the religious symbols like the menorah to decorations like candles, tree lights, and the Kinara, to stories of Rudolph’s nose and a star that guided shepherds and wise men, lights are everywhere. I’m always excited to see the lights begin to shine around the neighborhoods and as I drive around at night in December, not to mention doing my own decorating and lighting candles many nights for both light and some lovely holiday scents. Doing the lights and decorations as an adult always brings to mind some of those special childhood holiday memories and reminds me how important the holidays are to both celebrate and take time to reflect.

Light in and of itself brings us relief in our normal lives: think about the last time you walked into a dark house or room and how relieved you were when you finally got the light on and could see and not be worried about tripping over stuff. This year the lights feel even more important than usual after the very challenging year we’ve had and are a definite sign of hope and reminder of better times as we try to work through what will likely be a very different set of holiday celebrations than we’re used to.

So what can you and your family do to encourage positivity and light in what could be a very dark and depressing holiday season? Consider a special lit holiday item in your children’s bedrooms like a lighted tree or battery/electric candle, or even a string of Christmas lights, especially if it’s not something you’ve done in past years. This gives them a little something special for this holiday season and many of them have timers that can limit how long they’re on each night helping you keep the extra costs minimal. Also consider leaving on the Christmas tree and any outdoor lights for longer each day/night than usual or lighting the Menorah or Kinara with each meal instead of only with dinner during the actual holiday, or even lighting it at every dinner for the rest of the month. Also there are lots of light related crafts you could consider. For example instead of doing a paper chain this holiday season, do a string of Christmas tree style light bulbs, even getting creative with writing things everyone loves about the holidays on them or printing out mandala style bulb patterns that are intricate and have different designs to color for each day. And that’s not to mention the ways you can be a light in your community with socially distanced holiday carol sings, donations to food banks and homeless shelters, and purchasing from local merchants who are likely struggling this year with all the restrictions.

What light will you spread this holiday season?

A List for Business Success

Whether you and your family celebrate any kind special holiday like St. Nicholas Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa or something else (like making it through another year), this time of year could really be called the season of giving. Of course it’s giving for both the general populous and business owners because in giving to each other the general populous gives their hard earned dollars to the bottom lines of our businesses which we always appreciate. The gift giving experience is an opportunity to not only get people the things on their lists that they want, but also to gift them a few surprises and other “this made me think of you” things. As I was reading through the list of gifts I’m planning to get people and their individual preferences and requests it got me thinking about our businesses and lists and preferences as well.

Like many things there are two sides to this story. There are the preferences that you have as a business owner, and there are the preferences that your customers have. Normally business owners try to line up their preferences with those of their customers because that’s the easy thing to do, and it’s certainly not a bad thing. The other option would be to have your preferences and then have to convince, persuade and educate your potential customers about why they should do things your way and the benefits to doing it your way. In this season of giving I do encourage you to think about what your customers want and have purchased over the past year and see if you can send a little holiday cheer their way with special offerings and packages.

But one of the most important parts of this conversation is the importance of being satisfied with and happy to be running your business. Why? Because if you really don’t love your business anymore or some things have (or haven’t) changed and you’ve fallen out of love with your business this is definitely the year to reconsider everything, including if it’s best if you celebrate the run you’ve had and move on to something else. However, if you’re struggling my guess is that it’s more likely that you’ve just lost some of the magic that used to be there. Hopefully that’s the case and if so, it’s time to get your list writing materials ready. Start with writing a list of why you started the business. Then add to that what customers love about your business. Then add to that the things that make your business unique. Then add the things that you love (or used to love) about your business. Then add the issues and challenges you’re facing. Then add things that you’d like to do more of or add to the business. Then add the things that you would not miss if they weren’t things you did or offered anymore. Then add the people you don’t need or want on your team anymore. Then add the types of people you need on your team, or the people who are on your team that you’d like to play a bigger role.

Yes, I know that’s a long list at this point. But if you take the time throughout the next month to really evaluate where you’re at and what is and isn’t working for you, by the time the new year rolls around you’ll be (hopefully) motivated and ready to take the steps necessary to bring new life into your business. If you do make the list I’d love to hear what is the biggest thing you learned after making the list.

Holiday Season Blessings

It’s been a November unlike any November I can remember in memory. Just yesterday I was out taking a walk in my sandals and no jacket in the late afternoon with friends, something that’s unheard of for the Northeast USA. Normally we’ve had cold weather since Halloween and often even some snow, so I absolutely took advantage of that little blessing that this crazy year gave us. Other unusual blessings this month have included early Christmas music on several radio stations, lots of Christmas movies already playing on TV, and some stores going above and beyond to help us stay safe and stretch our dollars in this difficult year as we head into the gifting season.

As I was thinking about what to write today, a movie line came to my head. It’s a line that’s included in every single variation of this classic tale: “God bless us, every one.” That line from Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol speaks to the care, compassion and consideration that, like imagination, sometimes gets lost between childhood and adulthood. As adults we often think practically about making sure that everyone has at least one gift or has a seat at the table or gets a Christmas card. And that’s sometimes how we have to do it to make sure we attend to all the details that typically swarm around us during the holiday season. But as you know, this holiday season will be a bit different, so maybe we have to approach it a bit differently too.

This year has in many ways stripped us down and forced us to be thankful for the very basics like life, health, food on the table, a roof over our heads, and toilet paper. So as we’re seeing crazy numbers of people testing positive for the virus, maybe we have to accept that in a year that has been so very different, this holiday season will as well. Maybe this year we should spend more time making goodies at home with our families and by ourselves. Maybe this year we’re going to spend more time sending out cards letting people know that they mean something to us and how much we appreciate them. Maybe this year instead of buying lots of stuff for your family, you’ll each pick a charity or non profit to support. Maybe this year we’ll spend more time at home reading holiday books, watching holiday movies and singing holiday songs. Maybe this is the year that we truly focus on our blessings all season long instead of being upset or mad about all we’re missing out on. Maybe this is the year we dig a little deeper into ourselves and our loved ones instead of doing parties all season.

I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly ready for more of those blessings and fewer bits of bad news. As we officially enter the holiday season this coming week, it’s my hope that you’ll have as many blessings as Tiny Tim wished for those he loved.

A Plan For Success

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how different people deal with, react to, respond to and work through challenges (especially really big and dramatic ones like the virus or divorce or serious illnesses etc.). Some people completely shut down and aren’t able to think or do anything. Some people hit the panic button in a way that uses alcohol or other self destructive behaviors. Some people put all their effort into pointing fingers in every direction. And some people are able to minimize their own panic to care for the others who need help.

I’ve realized after a lot of thinking about some of the situations in my past and how I reacted, and I decided that I’m definitely the type to push and work through the problem rather than totally burying my head in the sand. Yes, I’ll face a week, day or couple of hours of panic and not necessarily all at once, sometimes it comes and goes. But I’m definitely the type to find out as much information as possible, make a plan, keep working and do my best to support others through it. My plans aren’t always right or fit for the long term, panic type situations usually start with a short-term plan and hopefully evolve to something more than working day-by-day by the seat of your pants. My plans always include some steps and action and direction and plan for how to proceed, and always involve reading and research to become as educated about the situation as I can.

Which brings me to being frustrated about how some countries and states have responded to the virus. While most of us haven’t experienced something like this before, many countries did OK with their initial response. My bigger issue comes in with being 10 plus months into this thing and states/countries still not having a good plan of action that they’re communicating to their residents about and putting into action the efforts to stop the spread and not just to save lives once they’re in the hospital. I’m frustrated with some of the school districts for their lack of work over the summer months to really come up with a good plan that would give the kids a solid effort at the education they need even if it has to be virtual, especially for them not tapping into existing resources and programs that offer exactly that for advice, support and even options. Having been at one of the “ground zeros” at the beginning in the US I’m frustrated that people aren’t taking this seriously as numbers dramatically rise each day again.

Every success comes with some setbacks and frustrations, especially if it’s something that takes time, resources or involves a lot of people. I do have hope that we as a world can come together and beat this in a much more permanent way than we’ve been able to do so far. But we can’t win by putting heads in the sand, by going about our business like life is normal or without considering the impact our lives have on others. Long-term success doesn’t happen by avoidance or without a plan. It’s OK if the plan has to change based on the knowledge you gain as you move through the success journey, you don’t have to pretend to know everything from the onset. And long term successes only happen when everyone on the team in on the same page and committed to making the success happen.

As we head into the holiday season, often known for compassion, consideration and community, I encourage you to choose to be part of your community team working for success. Maybe that’s donating a couple of canned goods. Maybe that’s donating a toy or new pairs of socks. Maybe that’s contributing even a little to a couple of organizations on Giving Tuesday. Maybe that’s committing to be even more conscious about washing your hands and wearing a mask when out in public (maybe it’s donating masks to homeless shelters near you). Maybe it’s helping seniors in your area be able to video chat with their distant family. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that we have to start taking stronger actions together if we want to make it through the next month and a half with any of the usual holiday cheer and warm feelings of a season well done. What’s your plan for success for the last few weeks of the year?

Personal Holiday Celebrations

Today is the start of the celebration of Diwali. It’s not a holiday I personally choose to celebrate, but as you may know, I find value in learning about the cultures and celebrations of other people who live in this world that we all share. As I was reading a bit about how the virus is affecting people’s celebrations this year, which, like many other celebrations typically involve food and gathering with friends and family, time spent on faith and religious aspects, and fireworks, the one article I read reminded me that while some of us are ready to go over the top with our celebrations (at least as far as how long we’re going to be celebrating this year and that it’s not too early this year to set up your tree and other decorations today), others of us are not feeling the celebrations at all.

I kind of shared about this the other week in another blog post, but I was thankful to be reminded again that the absolute magic that helped create our holidays is still alive and well. That back when they were first established they were created in such a way that we could absolutely do over the top awesome parties, or we could spend the season in quiet reflection. Each and every holiday should be personal to each of us, and we should (for the most part) choose to celebrate it however we want.

It does take some courage to step out there and say that this year you’re not going to have the party house and be the one that does all the work, that you’re going to take a step back and be a little more quiet for the next holiday, and that you’d be happy to come and celebrate with the others if they were to have parties (or do the celebrating virtually as this year may require). This year has really reminded us that it’s important to know our priorities, to be thankful for life and all that we have, and to be conscious about the decisions and plans we’re making and not just do the same thing every holiday and every year as though nothing ever changes.

This year has provided lots of lessons for us both as individuals and part of our families (whether you call them family because of blood or choice). It’s given our kids a serious reality check into how difficult life can be, some more so than others. But it’s also been a year that’s taught us about strength, bravery, courage and community in completely new and different ways. I don’t know exactly how this holiday season will unfold, but I encourage you to make it a holiday season that you’ll all always remember, and in a good way. Let it be the holiday season in whatever way you need it to be, whether that’s holiday music all the time, holiday cookies for breakfast every day until the end of the year, a cup of special coffee or tea every day, or maybe extra book time in front of the tree or a fire. Whatever this holiday season is for you and your family, don’t be grumpy that you can’t celebrate it the way it used to be, enjoy being able to celebrate it in the way that you all need to this year.

Planning for Holiday Success

I don’t know about you, but I love seeing a pile of presents under the Christmas tree. Yes, I’m thinking holidays and gift giving. I honestly can’t wait until it’s acceptable to listen to Christmas music, and I’ve definitely been enjoying having a change of pace with TV and movies with all the Halloween content this month. As we all know, we’re a little over two months out from the end of the year, and in those two months historically, many businesses do make a significant chunk of their profits. But what about this year? Will people buy? I think the answer may have to do in part with if the virus cases significantly increase (causing people to have to stay home), if the government manages/chooses to send out another round of checks, and how concerned people are about what next year holds for them financially.

So, with 64 days to Christmas, 49 days to Hanukkah, 35 days to Thanksgiving, and 9 days to Halloween, I figured it’s time to really start thinking about this holiday gifting/spending season and making some plans to finish out the year as well as we can. In this year of craziness, I think an important place is to first take stock of what your customers have been asking for in recent weeks and what supplies you’ve got from last year. I’m not suggesting that you reuse last year’s promotions at all, but there may be resources there that you can reallocate and make good use of. And, with this year being so different, it’s important to make sure that what you’re planning will fit in with what they’ve been craving or requesting or might want to make a socially distanced holiday special.

As far as holiday offerings, I would have a selection of smaller and/or less expensive products including some that are holiday themed, and/or adding something a little festive to your usual offerings. This could be something as simple as adding a cookie with seasonal flavors and decorations or adding sprinkles/jimmies of seasonal colors to things like sundaes if you’re in the dining/food industries. It could be something like bell or Santa hat shaped earrings or tastefully decorated holiday ties for the fashion industries. It could also be something like a brand-specific twist on a letter from Santa which would work well for almost any industry.

Or this year in particular a great idea for a more expensive offering would be a gift basket/bag/set of boxes that would include 5-20 smaller items or sample sized items that you could charge between $50 and $100 for (and maybe even a few that are $200-$500 for those who can spend more). Yes, you absolutely could include all items from your company, but you could also offer something similar with contributions from a bunch of local companies to not only help support your business but help the other local businesses that have also been challenged this year. The same principle holds true for companies who don’t have a physical location, you can definitely do a special offer that includes items from a variety of companies who you have connected with and love and think your customers would love too. And even businesses that offer just services can come up with some bite sized and packaged offerings to tempt their customers with, perhaps giving them that special update or upgrade they’ve been wanting to do but haven’t been able to afford all of the services in full at their regular prices.

These are just a few of the ideas that could help spark some holiday success for both you and your customers, what plans are you making to celebrate the holidays?

Tired (Halloween) Marketing

October is here and it’s the beginning of the race to the end of the year for marketers and businesses. It’s the time of the year that many businesses depend on to be in the black for the year. Yes, it can be a lot of work, but it’s also a really big chance to show people what you’ve got as a business. I know that this year has had some extra challenges packed in (and I hate to point it out but we’re not done yet), but I think more than anything that should challenge those of us who run businesses that are truly in it for the people (and not just to make a buck or avoid taxes) to really try to do our best not only for us but for them.

So this week I was excited to hear about and see all the returning Halloween/spooky TV shows and movies. Media is big business still and something that connects most of us, whether you’re into sports or reality TV or movies or news or classics. While there’s been talk about how limited the returns and high the costs can be with regards to commercials, they’re still big business and not in danger of being extinct anytime soon. These are two of the reasons why it’s more important than ever to be working to maximize your efforts when it comes to commercials and doing all that you can to target the right audience and get the most you can out of the investment.

I’ve got nothing against classics, in fact there are some things that we absolutely rely on each year and we would be crushed if they didn’t come around like Black Friday, Santa, the Easter bunny, candy corn, pumpkin carving, season/holiday specific decorations, and certain movies and shows (Charlie Brown/White Christmas etc.). But I don’t know if it’s the year that we’ve had or just companies being lazy, but I’m seeing repeats of Halloween-themed commercials that we’ve seen for at least the last year if not longer. I don’t think there’s a good excuse for not being a little creative and coming up with some different things within the limits we’ve currently got. I don’t think it speaks well for these companies who are reusing commercials, especially commercials that aren’t truly iconic or being alternated with new commercials from the same companies to give variety.

I absolutely understand how difficult it can be to come up with something new every year/season to advertise the same product or service (i.e. insurance), but then there are a fair number of companies in every industry who always manage to come up with something fresh, which means that for those of us who only reuse marketing campaigns that truly aren’t classics have no excuses. If anything, this year should have encouraged us to really get out there and be creative, something that I have seen from some companies/marketing companies. So as you’re planning what you’re doing for the last 3 months of the year in your marketing, I encourage you to really be creative, be fresh, speak to people taking into consideration the year that it has been, and don’t just depend on the past, because the past may never be truly relevant again.

A Festive Fourth

This weekend in the US we’re celebrating the Fourth of July, or Independence Day, so today I thought I’d share some patriotic red, white and blue sweets and treats recipe inspiration to give your holiday celebrations a little color whether you’re staying home with family, sharing treats around the neighborhood, or out having a little community time for the first time in a while.

Cakes and Cupcakes:

Red, white and blue flag cake

Red, white and blue firecracker cake

Red, white and blue poke cake

Red, white and blue cake pops

Red, white and blue frosted cupcakes

Berry angel delight

Star spangled cupcakes

Mini chocolate flag cupcakes

Fireworks push-it-up cakes

Fruited cheesecake flag

Red velvet fireworks cake

Red, white and blue sprinkle-filled cupcakes

Pies and Tarts:

American flag pie

Flag cobbler

Berries and creme tart

Three berry tart with cream cheese filling

Berry slab pie with cream cheese filling

Three berry trifle

Berry lush

Raspberry watermelon terrine with blueberry sauce

Fruit flag tart

Cookies, Bars and More: 

Red, white and blue sugar swirl cookies

Red, white and blue blondies

Berries and creme sandwich cookies

Patriotic chocolate covered bananas

Stars and stripes gelatin

Red, white and blue daiquiris

Red, white and blue sprinkle stars on star cookies

What are your favorite red, white and blue patriotic desserts?

Independence Inspired Success

This coming weekend here in the US we’re celebrating the Fourth of July, or Independence Day, the day that congress declared independence from Great Britain. With all the talk that’s already been happening around the holiday I thought today I’d share some success insights based on this holiday.

It started with courage. It wasn’t easy at the time to choose to leave the safety of Britain, it wasn’t easy to start over in a completely foreign place without any of the resources that you’re used to having access to, it wasn’t easy to figure out a completely new place and the nature-based challenges that came along with it. So it took great courage for not only the first couple groups of people to head over to the US, but also for all people through Independence Day and the American Revolutionary War to choose this new and developing nation.

It continued with teamwork. The only reason the signers of the Declaration of Independence were able to do so, is because they had the foundation from the people who originally colonized the US, as well as the support of all who were alive and part of the revolution in the 1770’s. Each of the men who put pen to paper, each of the men and women who fought in one way or another to make that independence a reality, to the children who were given the opportunity to live in “the land of the free, and the home of the brave,” are all part of this team and the motivation behind these people coming together to take a stand.

It is still a work in progress. Any good victory starts with one step of success. Independence Day was one of the steps in the long journey of the US, a journey we’re still on today. No, we’re not still working on our independence, but we sure have a ton of kinks we’re still working on as we develop our nation, just like other nations around the world who have been around for much longer than the US.

So as we continue to navigate 2020 it’s more important than ever to look back at 1776 and the first Independence Day, and remember what it was that helped it succeed, because those same things can help us succeed in bringing this country to the next peak on its journey.

Crazy for Quesadillas

Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo, it’s a day to celebrate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862.  There are many people in the US who have roots in Mexico, or just love all things Mexican, so it’s something that many celebrate with food and parties.  While the parties will be small or virtual this year, we can all still have our own celebration.  On my Creativity blog I’ve shared a bunch of posts about the holiday and will be sharing another over the next few days, but today I thought we’d take a look at some quesadilla recipes as a way we could celebrate (along with some alcoholic beverages of course!)

Black bean and corn 

Cheesy chicken and bean

Shrimp quesadilla

Greek quesadilla

Enchilada quesadilla

Corn and crab

Quesadilla pie

Chicken chile

Quick bean

Hawaiian quesadillas

Chipotle chicken

Buffalo chicken

Chicken pesto

Bacon guacamole

Smoked turkey

Pork mole

Zucchini quesadillas

Prosciutto and mushroom

Chorizo and red pepper

Chicken and mushroom

Southwest quesadilla with cilantro lime sour cream

Steak quesadilla

S’more quesadilla

What are your favorite fillers for quesadillas?