Motivational Videos

This world needs more leaders.

Good leaders.

Our country needs more of these people, too. As do our communities.

More of us need to act on behalf of the greater good if we expect to overcome all the hurdles that stand between us and forward progress.

The 90-9-1 rule may say that only one out of 100 of us is willing and able to take the ball and run with it, but I say we need to make that a much higher percentage.

We can’t be afraid of opposition if we have a good idea or a positive word to share.

We can’t be afraid of the naysayers and critics.

Silence is not an option if we want to create a better place for all of us to live in peace, love and harmony.

Don’t just sit there, do something.

Step up. Speak out. Vote. Volunteer. Donate. Participate.

The more of us who are willing and able to take the lead, the bigger the difference we can make in the lives of others, not just our own.

Name-calling hurts.

I ought to know. I was a recipient of a lot of it when I was growing up in a small town here in Massachusetts.

I’m not saying I was completely innocent. Not by any means. I may have wrongly dished out some of it myself.

But I can remember to this day the emotional toll what I received of it took on me.

It was a big burden to shoulder, a psychological scar that took a long time to heal.

That was a long time ago. We were just kids.

This is now. And we all know that name-calling is still a thing.

Unfortunately, it’s a big thing with the President of the United States.

He calls a lot of people names, especially people he doesn’t like.

He doesn’t seem to like a lot of people, either, so that’s an awful lot of name-calling.

Whether it’s among kids or adults, name-calling should be unacceptable behavior.

Wherever we see it, whenever we see it, we should not tolerate it. We should call it out for what it is, verbal abuse.

People should be lifting each other up, not putting them down.

People should be encouraging and supportive, not discouraging and combative.

People should treat others the way they would like to be treated themselves.

Whoever we are, however we vote, none of us should support a President who resorts to name-calling.

#NameCalling

It's easy to be despondent and pessimistic, especially lately.

There's just so much going wrong around us in this country right now.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a positive attitude.

That doesn’t mean you can’t motivate others.

The other day, my good friend, Sharon Cote Grimm, sent me a very thoughtful card and a couple of delicious brownies.

The card said I was a source of sunshine and inspiration to her.

The card made me feel good about myself.

You. Me. Any of us can be the sunshine despite the dark clouds overhead.

Any of us can be the one who brightens people’s days like I’ve done for Sharon and she’s done for me.

Be the sunshine when it’s almost impossible for others to find it on their own.

Be the role model.

Be the example.

Be the leader.

Be the one who others look up to when things have got them down.

Be the one who lights up their lives. #Motivation #Inspiration

These are difficult days, trying times.

Not only are we all still dealing with a devastating pandemic, the coronavirus crisis, but after the tragic death of George Floyd, our nation is facing another crisis, racism, that can’t be ignored.

Everybody needs to speak up.

Everybody needs to listen.

Everybody needs to be heard.

Everybody is reeling for one reason or another.

If this doesn’t get you on social media, nothing will.

While we can’t get together in person for commiseration, collaboration, camaraderie and comfort, we can connect online.

We can use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like to ask our friends and families, our colleagues and clients how they are doing and how we can help.

We can show the human side of our personal and corporate brands.

We can speak from the heart, not from a script.

We can show concern and compassion for our employees and customers.

We can do business with those who demonstrate character, ethics, morals and social responsibility.

We can use social media now more than ever.

We can use social media for good - good for business, good for all. #SocialMedia #Branding #Marketing #Communications

If you want to get people behind you, let them take the lead.

Let them do the marketing for you.

During this pandemic, all of us should be wearing face masks when we are in public and it is difficult to maintain a social distance – six feet or more – from other people.

For some reason, however, not everybody is cooperating with this recommendation to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

To help get the word out to people why it’s so important to wear a face mask during this public health crisis, New York asked its residents to create short public service announcements on video. Out of over 600 submissions to its “Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest,” they’ve chosen five finalists, with the winner being announced on Tuesday, May 26.

Kudos to Governor Andrew Cuomo and everybody involved in putting together this ridiculously awesome peer-to-peer marketing campaign. Having watched all five of the video finalists (https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/wear-mask-new-york-ad-contest-cast-your-vote), I can tell you that each of them are compelling and convincing in their own inimitable way.

What a great example for marketers of a brand – in this case, the state of New York – activating its audience to the point where they are actually doing the work for them, getting the message across about doing the right thing for the greater good.

What a great example for people from all walks of life, also, of how to come together in a crisis and be united in our response. #NewYorkTough #WearAMaskNY #Marketing #Advertising

My wife, Barbara, and I ventured into town the other day.

We love Boston. We miss the city.

Walking down Hanover Street in the North End, we heard music. Not just any music, though. This was opera music. Live opera music.

Looking up, we saw a singer on the Ray Bourque Table 77 balcony at the Italian restaurant, Tresca.

What a pleasant surprise.

Along with many others on the sidewalk, all social distancing, we listened for a while and enjoyed the music.

Good for Tresca and the North End Music & Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) for treating the neighborhood and passersby like us to such a ridiculously awesome performance.

These are difficult days for everybody. These are tough times for businesses and brands, especially restaurants, musicians and performers.

This was a win-win for everybody involved, though. This was a great way for Tresca and NEMPAC to pivot during the pandemic and turn a negative into a positive.

Kudos, props and bravo to anybody who had anything to do with this very special moment. #Innovation #Creativity #Branding #Music #Opera #Restaurant

When I was a kid growing up in the ridiculously awesome town of Franklin, Massachusetts, one of my biggest thrills was playing Little League Baseball at Fletcher Field.

Nothing was more exciting for me at the time than taking the mound as a starting pitcher and striking out my opponents.

Not to say that happened all the time, but it wasn’t unusual for me to consistently throw the ball right down the middle.

After all, practice makes perfect.

In between games, I did a lot of practicing on my own in the parking lot of an abandoned store. I threw tennis balls against a cement wall over and over and over again so I’d be prepared for the real thing.

Those were the good, old, days.

These are difficult days.

I believe if we practice social distancing, though, and wear masks when we can’t be at least six feet away from others, that we will eventually strike out COVID-19 and put this coronavirus crisis behind us.

It’s not going to happen overnight, but neither did my ability to throw the ball over the plate. I had to practice throwing strikes against that wall time after time after time before I was ready for the big game.

Practice makes perfect. If we practice social distancing day in and day out, and wear masks when that’s not possible, we’ll come out ahead in the long run.

Earlier this year, I spoke to Professor James Gardner’s class at @northeastern in #Boston about the importance of having a multitude of skills as a marketer.

For instance, I started out in this industry as a copywriter at RCA Direct Marketing in 1983, and all I did was write for many years.

Further down the line, though, I began to leverage a variety of skills I acquired along the way to begin to work effectively in digital marketing and eventually social media.
How I had to pivot throughout my career to stay successful is akin to how we all have had to make big adjustments during these difficult days.

Many brands have had to reimagine and reinvent themselves during this pandemic to stay in business.
Many people have had to tap into additional talents to survive, never mind thrive lately.

During these unprecedented times of challenge and adversity, the more innovative and open-minded you are, the better. Embrace technology. Lean into online communications tools. Create content constantly. Think outside the box you find yourself living and working in these days. Give your clients and customers everything you’ve got and then some, and you’ll come out ahead in the long run.

Pivot during the pandemic.

That’s what many brands, business, companies, organizations and people in general have had to do during these difficult days.

We’ve had to reimagine and reinvent ourselves, in some cases just to survive, never mind thrive.

Zachary Schwartz and his team at Fusion Cross-Media in Manchester, Connecticut, are a perfect example.

When business slowed down due to the coronavirus crisis, they began making lawn signs that people could buy to demonstrate their concern for local healthcare and community heroes.

Not only are these signs numbered and personalized to track their reach, customers are asked to share their signs on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn) to help spread the positive words of encouragement and support.

What a great idea! What a great deed! What a great way to pivot during the pandemic.
#Printing #Print #Marketing #HealthcareHeroSigns #FirstResponderHeroSigns

As co-chairs of the American Marketing Association’s 2020 Leadership Summit, AMA Indy’s Rachel Saltsgaver and AMA New Jersey’s Michael Fleischner brought hundreds of marketers together recently for a ridiculously awesome virtual experience even though we had to stay apart.

They elevated their game and inspired each of us in attendance to take ours to the next level, too.

I was honored to attend as not just the president of American Marketing Association, Boston, but as a sponsor and provider of live social media coverage of the event as well as the promotion leading up to it.

Given the coronavirus crisis, Rachel and Michael had to pivot quickly, of course, to convert the conference from a large, in-person gathering in Chicago to an online occurrence.

After all, the show must go on.

I was impressed with how well they embraced the technologies and tools necessary to pull this thing off so successfully.

They remained focused on the task at hand from beginning to end.

Their communications with everyone involved was positive, enthusiastic, reassuring and, yes, uplifting.

They led by example and demonstrated how all of us can carry ourselves with confidence and poise in both our professional and personal lives today, always and forever.
#Leadership #AMAzing #Marketers

#Leadership matters. Now more than ever.

This is your opportunity as a brand, business, organization, institution or individual, to step up and lead.

Leaders emerge during difficult days.

Leaders stay in touch with their followers during tough times.

Like New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo. He’s communicating with his constituency on #SocialMedia and in real life (IRL) - openly, transparently, honestly, candidly.

Leaders tell it straight. Leaders spell it out.

Leaders reassure their audience that everything’s going to be alright.

Marketers and advertisers are adjusting their message to align with what's going on in the world today.

They’re selling much less. They’re supporting much more.

What about you?

Are you being a leader during this pandemic? Are you empathizing with your people during this coronavirus crisis?

You. Me. This is the time, in both our professional and personal lives, to ask others what we can do for them, not tell them what they can do for us. #Marketing #Advertising #Communicating

#Leadership matters. Now more than ever.

This is your opportunity as a brand, business, organization, institution or individual, to step up and lead.

Leaders emerge during difficult days.

Leaders stay in touch with their followers during tough times.

Like New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo. He’s communicating with his constituency on #SocialMedia and in real life (IRL) - openly, transparently, honestly, candidly.

Leaders tell it straight. Leaders spell it out.

Leaders reassure their audience that everything’s going to be alright.

Marketers and advertisers are adjusting their message to align with what's going on in the world today.

They’re selling much less. They’re supporting much more.

What about you?

Are you being a leader during this pandemic? Are you empathizing with your people during this coronavirus crisis?

You. Me. This is the time, in both our professional and personal lives, to ask others what we can do for them, not tell them what they can do for us. #Marketing #Advertising #Communicating

#Leadership matters. Now more than ever.

This is your opportunity as a brand, business, organization, institution or individual, to step up and lead.

Leaders emerge during difficult days.

Leaders stay in touch with their followers during tough times.

Like New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo. He’s communicating with his constituency on #SocialMedia and in real life (IRL) - openly, transparently, honestly, candidly.

Leaders tell it straight. Leaders spell it out.

Leaders reassure their audience that everything’s going to be alright.

Marketers and advertisers are adjusting their message to align with what's going on in the world today.

They’re selling much less. They’re supporting much more.

What about you?

Are you being a leader during this pandemic? Are you empathizing with your people during this coronavirus crisis?

You. Me. This is the time, in both our professional and personal lives, to ask others what we can do for them, not tell them what they can do for us. #Marketing #Advertising #Communicating

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