Synergy Creative

NOBODY TELLS THIS TO BEGINNERS

I wish that someone would have told this to me when I first started out as a designer. Everyone thinks that they must be brilliant from the get-go. I really like this message and I think it applies to everyone attempting something new, not just people beginning a new career or business. See what you think..

THE ART OF STORYTELLING - PART 1

Whether you plan to be the next best selling author or just want to tell your brand's story to your target audience, I think this video is worth watching. Two of my favorite authors and "Earls of Enlightnement" Tim Ferris and Jack Canfield cast some pearls of wisdom on us. Take a look...

CAINE'S ARCADE - READY TO QUIT - WATCH THIS

I started to watch this video yesterday on House Industries' blog while prepping for my typography class, I had to rush off so I wouldn't be late -- when I mentioned it in my class, my students told me it was all over Facebook.

Well, even if you aren't trying to be the next SMM guru, using Facebook, Reddit and the like (my personal Fav is Pinterest, right now) there is a great lesson on success strategies in this video.

If you haven't seen it yet- a little boy lives his passion, becomes an innovative genius, who builds a sophisticated business model at the age of 8, delights in every detail and effortlessly applies conviction in his brand offering, even when nobody shows up. I don't want to spoil the ending for you so if you haven't seen it, watch it now.

 

 

Great job, again House Industries and Andy Cruz- kudos on the video, the kind deed, the successful viral campaign and nice plug for Cooper Black.

Which type of social media do you find most effective in marketing your buisness and how does it help you connect with your audience?

BUILDING YOUR BRAND BY TELLING YOUR STORY

I shared this FREE book Believe Me Story Manifesto for Change-Makers and Innovators by Michael Margolis on how to build your brand's story with the students in my Corporate Communications class. I think it clearly explains through the voice of many very successful individuals including Barack Obama; how being a master storyteller can lead to immeasurable success for your brand and for you.

Here is a link to  Download BelieveMeStoryManifesto_ReadandShare

The author writes:" If you are trying to influence, persuade or convince others to believe your message, you need to read this book." Michael Margolis.

The best way I can describe what is meant by brand story is that is a "truth" that is created and later becomes true, because it is accepted and believed by the masses (or your target audience). In other words, when the public agrees with the brand story, it is considered true until someone or something disproves it.

Consider this quote by Seth Godin author: Tribes: We need You to Lead Us: " Great Stories agree with our world view. The best stories don't teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and makes the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded how right they were in the first place."

I highlighted some of the material I thought explains the author's points but I am sure you will want to read the whole thing. You can visit his website for more resources at Get Storied.com

Here is a link to Download BelieveMeStoryManifesto_ReadandShare

Thinking of Opening an Online Store?

I wanted to share a resource I can upon when setting up my shopify store: www.lindseybaker.com. It's my new baby and I felt pretty lost, luckily I stuck at it and was able to come up with something I consider a pretty cool work in progress.

I found some great online mentors such as Tim Ferriss (The 4-hour Workweek) and Seth Godin (Linchpin), whose books I bought and will comment on after I read them. I also found some tutorial sites that I tried out for myself and love.

Therefore, I wanted to start by recommending this one. The site is eshopwiz.com authored by a young man named Vinay. First I want to say that is is not a paid endorsement, there is nothing to buy (unless you d ecide to open you our Shopify store or other ecommerce enterprise) and the information can be applied to any online store. I am blogging this to build my audience and to thank him for his generosity.

The reason I like it is because it takes you through all the steps of setting up an online ecommerce presence starting with how to research how popular what you want to sell will be; finding and using the right keywords to be SEO friendly and building an audience to make those sales! So check it out and let me know what you think by posting a comment below.

 

So You Think You Want To Be An Illustrator?

If so, here is the scoop from a very successful Illustrator Yuko Shimizu who rocks the Magazine, Newspaper, Album Covers, Book Jackets and of course Comic Book Illustration world. In this video she covers her education, work, and how she got started in illustration. She tells interesting stories about various projects she’s worked on. She is very humble and makes a good case for starting a career later in life. (She didn't start when she was  20). Her first job was in marketing and she said when noticed that the people around her that had been in the field for many years didn't look happy. She also makes a case for the idea that you shouldn't be worried if your work isn't brilliant first time out. The video is a little over an hour but very much worth your time. She  is optimistic about the future of magazines and other "tangible" forms of journalism.

BONUS she is a fellow alumni of School of Visual Arts and she is very entertaining to listen to - kinda like the Saturday Night Live Asian lady in a very charming and endearing way!

Scroll down a bit for the video and if you want to see more here is a link to her work on her blog.

Book Review of Outliers - a must-read for success

I came across a blog post by Michael Johnson and could not pass up reposting it. It reviews the latest book by Malcom Gladwell best selling author of "Blink" and "The Tipping Point". It supports the point that "genius isn’t necessarily born, but cultivated by circumstance, luck and good old-fashioned hard graft..." He sites the careers of Bill Gates, the Beatles, Wolff and Olins and others to compare the qualities that successful people have in common.

But the thing I found most interesting is that he recognizes that in this fast paced - gotta have it now world - Graphic Designers emerging from art schools will find the point that it may take 10,000 hours before they start producing notworthy work hard to swallow.  I can attest to this because I teach young emerging graphic designers. Here is the link: 10,000 hours of graphic design? - the johnson banks thought for the week.