People and companies are often searching for the magic red pill. They want something or someone to miraculously rewrite the game with them as the heros.

Here is the newsflash: There is no red pill.

There is a conscious choice to take a tough and often unpopular route. It is the daily dedication to this continued choice, on a daily basis that will take us to new heights and help us achieve more than we have ever done before.
So here is the 2nd newsflash: There are red pills all around us. We just have to want to see them, and pick them up. Everyday.

How do you pick up a red pill?

1. Choose to do something, however small, that you have never done before.
2. Figure out the next step towards a goal that seems beyond your reach.
3. Do another tough task on a road that is taking longer than you thought at first.
4. Help a friend a colleague make a brave decision
5. Realize that you need help, and ask for it (this is tougher than it seems)
6. Allow yourself to dream. Then set a concrete plan to turn you dreams into a reality.

Start now, not tomorrow, not later.

When I ventured out on my own, I got a few gigs writing website content for a number of companies. One of the things that became very clear is that the “about us” section (or whatever you call it on your site) was one of the hardest pieces to write.

The real difficulty did not sink in until I had to write my own About page. Defining yourself and your online identity is tough.

So I decided to share a few thoughts about this process with you.

The about us page must capture the essence of the company.

This requires 2 things:

First, the company has to be able to convey its identity, messaging, differentiation etc. Then, I got tasked with “dressing it up” and presenting the information in a simple yet appealing fashion.

In a sense, the written description becomes a mirror for the people in the company. It reflects the the identity and personality and a few short paragraphs.

And in many cases, the looking glass reflects the flaws and imperfections.

The business model that does not quite make sense. The unique selling point, that is not very unique. And the messaging that, to say it bluntly, does not say anything.

With this acknowledged, the real work can begin.

photo credit Sebastian Fissore

Every so often, I ran into an article, presentation or video that is simply great.

So rather than try to do a better job, I will just present the original.

Hope you enjoy it as much as i did.

LinkedIn is different than, and maybe should not even be grouped together with, other social media tools. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for social media tools. But LinkedIn is very focused on business. And more importantly, using it regularly it is not time consuming.

Here is how I use LinkedIn.

Whenever I have a meeting, with someone that I don’t know yet, I try to prepare. This means a quick Google search, and I look for that person on LinkedIn. With the Google search, I don’t really know what to expect. LinkedIn however, provides me with 2 key pieces of information (assuming the relevant person is on LinkedIn)

It provides background business information about the person – I believe that it’s good manners to come prepared to a meeting.

I can see if we have shared contacts and who they are – living and working in Israel, the 6 degrees of separation are probably closer to 2.5. This means that there is a good chance of finding a mutual acquaintance. This gives me the chance to find out more about the person directly from mutual acquaintances. It also gives me the opportunity to start the meeting on a much more personal note and hopefully improve my chances of success.

I also use LinkedIn as a business development tool. If I’m trying to open a new business direction, LinkedIn can quickly provide me with direct contacts and 2nd degree ones. Armed with this information I can open the door while avoiding the much-hated cold call.

The great thing about LinkedIn is that it requires very limited maintenance.

Enter your personal information

And remember to add new contact that you meet.

Do you have any other tips?

So why did I name my agency Loft107?

In architecture, Lofts are typically wide, open spaces that are defined into living areas. A good job provides the functionality required by the loft dwellers.  However, it is creativity that transforms good to great.

The same rule applies to marketing.

You operate within the constraints of a specific company, product and target market. Understanding the infrastructure and prevailing forces is crucial. It is the cornerstone of good marketing.

But creativity is how you to take it to the next level. With creativity and a little luck you can transcend from good to great.

And why 107?

now that’s a really good question.