“It is better to be alone than in bad company.”

George Washington

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

Abraham Lincoln

The Twilight of  Your Brand

Many companies, especially those of long standing, take comfort in what they believe is embedded market share conveyed by a time tested brand. The reality is that due to the internet, brands , regardless of tenure, have never been more fragile. Witness the recent self- inflicted damage that Lululemon Athletica experienced due to some product quality issues and an ill-advised comment by its founder. This two page article from the New Yorker, Twilight of the Brands, may be a wakeup call to those who are resting on laurels that can fall away at a moment’s notice. As Vistage Speaker Pat Murray has told thousands of Vistage CEOs,  “The second worst thing that can happen to a company is success.”

Is Your Story Worth Telling?

And while we’re on the subject of brands, it’s been said that we are hardwired to tell stories and to be captivated by them. Have you thought about your company’s value proposition as a story to be told…..and how best to tell it? Here are 25 quick lessons (each just a sentence or two) about how content has become king in establishing and maintaining brands and why those who weave compelling stories about that content will have a clear advantage. Take a minute to review these gems and share them with  your marketing team and/or professional service providers you rely to get your story out to customers.

Entrepreneur: A Year’s Worth of Lessons

Neil Patel is a serial entrepreneur who’s been recognized nationally. He’s started companies that have succeeded…. and failed. On his blog he shares 53 lessons learned from these experiences that those contemplating the entrepreneurial life should consider. Perhaps focusing on one each week for the next year could be the difference between success and failure. Some of these are obvious  (and therefore likely to be both important and taken for granted);  others will take you by surprise. Check it out.

Econ Recon:  Whether Weather?.. Misleading Headlines….Good Years Ahead

This  winter’s unusual weather is blamed for much, including some recently released negative economic indicators. Vistage Staff Economist and ITR Economics Principal Alan Beaulieu takes a hard look at the numbers that really matter and says the economy is a larger factor than weather.

Last week, Alan advised us to  ignore the media gloom and doom. He augments that advice this week and re-emphasizes that there will be an slowdown in the economy but to not be misled by headlines which suggest that it’s imminent or already here.  Alan says it’s later….find out why he continues to say  “don’t be misled by the headlines.”

Finally, while things seem tough now, and while growth may slow down  ( not reverse) in the second half of the year, Alan’s brother and ITR CEO Brian Beaulieu told a group of 500 C-Level Executives this week that he’s optimistic overall: find out why he thinks the next few years will be good ones.