unexpected Managing Director, blender explosion and charity shopping

Hey there,

Well today I must admit, I experienced something that is very rare for me to experience, I was nye-on speechless, as we had a Managing Director come to our house today to give us some information about a conservatory my mum is planning, well in fact has been dreaming about for years, and years.

On the surface, this guy, looked your typical MD, jag, dark suit and tie, looking well-fed and a little stressed to say the least. Yet, what I found so surprising, was that he was so incredible at making both mum and I feel at home, with his ‘world,’ if you like, he talked us both through it at different times as I was in the middle of a mamouth soup-making session, so I just kept popping in on them asking a question here and there. Not only, was he what I would call from my coaching background an excellent rapport-builder he actually was a wonderful conversationalist, and in an untypical way, in that he was not impatient to get his point across or try to be right, he listened attentively, and reflected back with enlightening insights.

I must admit, I never expected to be blogging about this man, but I told him at the end what I do, and how impressed I had been and he said I’d made his day- bless! But honestly, he just related to two women, in different yet complimentary ways, how we really, really like to be listened to. Speechless I was, no wonder my mum handed over a serious down payment on her conservatory with him! Living in an all female house-hold we’ve experienced so many shoddy, cowboyeque salesmen and workmen, that we now 99.9% of the time go through recommendation, and we are soooo glad we did this time as he was as Tina Turner sings: ” Simply the Best! ” Miles, ahead of the competition! It was his manner, gents if you are listening, his attention to detail, his patience, his knowledge he imparted yet not in an arrogance-all-knowing way, just matter-of-factly, his humour, his grace, his openness! Well done that man! Charge more do you hear me, you deserve it and then go on to male spa for a bit of pampering as we suggested to you, and take your dear wife away for some special time as you said you’d like, she’d love it !!

After he had gone, off I went to blend my lettuce and potatoe soup in my beloved blender, and it blended a little and then burnt itself out!!! Thankfully, it has smoothed out most of the soup, so I’m off to get another one shortly as they are so vital to my culinary activities:)

I went with my mum today looking for bargains in some charity shops which was fun, as especially when you are losing inches like we both are, I don’t feel it’s worth it spending lots on clothes when they might only be in use for less than a season, it’s just silly. And honestly, there was such a difference, in Harbourne high street between the lay outs and feel of the stores. One stood out head and shoulders above the rest, being colour-co-ordinated, and having it’s clothing hung on lovely hangers with pretty-coloured labels with ample room for people to manoevre around the shop in, with a lovely, loving energy to it, like people really loved being there, giving it such a welcoming feel. I really believe Mary Portas would really love it!

Another, in comparision you could hardly have ’swung a furry animal toy cat,’ in the aisle, yep there was only one and the clothes were so unlovingly hung on the hangers I felt sorry for them, and I am sure Mary Portas would have had a few stern words to the manager and staff and worked her magic on it, in a matter of weeks, as she does, so it would actually improve the former charity shop even more too through extra healthy competition which would be fabulous! = more wonderful clothing!! Hee, hee! Needless to say, we bought several items from the former and only one from the later because it was a real bargain from and then practically ran out of the shop never to return!

It’s funny as often we don’t realise in business or in our lives when people really really like us or really, really hate us as often are too cocky, shy, or lazy to ask for feedback from our customers, but I think that’s the best possible way forward to improve your business. Just by asking your current clientele for feedback good or bad and offering them something nice in return be it a voucher, or some kind of freebie or even entry into a competition where they can win something that would exciting to them! That’s what I will be doing with my forthing coming book, more on that shortly!

Speak soon,

Carriex

Hacksaws & Trinny and Susannah,

Watching Trinny and Susannah today, who I think are such avocate of female empowerment, from ever cell of their being, they are just so inspirational, I find it at times overwhelming, anyway today their programme was all about helping the ‘men of Britain,’ get just a little more style or even to establish a stylish identity for the first time.

Well, it was shockingly different to their normal ventures of helping people, mostly ladies, look better and feel better about themselves and their appearances, in that they came out with a ‘male dress code,’ that was polished up by an ad agency, which basically was like a leaflet, simply laid out, in road-sign instructions showing ie that men with man boobs would look much better with a layered approach, ie t-shirt and shirt instead of a tight single item be it a t-shirt, jumper or shirt!

What struck me most was how simple it was seemed, albeit I don’t think it was for Trinny and Susannah! They are used to working with women more and they at times looked quite bewildered at the differences between men and women with regard to dress ! It was an education to watch but what happened at the end was just wonderful, they hosted a men-only day at John Lewis on Oxford Street London, and men came in and looked at the ‘male dress code,’ and you could see how empowered they both looked at felt, it was quite a moving episode! Bringing this back to marketing, it just for me highlighted the differences in how men and women are, men favouring a simpler, cleaner approach to information delivery whilst women prefer more of a multi-layered approach? Maybe to a degree, maybe not so simple. Maybe to a degree quite truthful:) Oh I think very truthful women are more complicated and that is reflected in how we approach fashion too:)

Hacksaws?

Well, remember me mentioning that Tim Ferris ( again a kiss I blow to you across the other side of the world, or wherever you may currently be:) ‘gave’ me fever through reading his book? Well, yesterday I went out on my bike for a short business meeting, that was very productive, albeit I was straining to fluently speak due to a soar throat and was only 45% with it, I felt drunk on lemonade and hot chocolate(!) Afterwards, I came out of the pub to unlock my bike and key snapped in the lock. much to my shock!! You could have literally knocked me down with a feather in surprise!

Today, I went back to save my dear pink bike and much to my bemusement less horror the spare key snapped too ! So off I toddled to the garage opposite, and used my womanly wiles to persuade one of the chaps to bring his hacksaw with me, to saw off my bike lock to help me to get home, which the knight-in-shining armour did! Bless, cookies are on their way to him tommorrow, chocolate at his request!!

Again, Tim Ferris, I announce to the world how truly grateful I am for you creating your book, so much white noise and gunk has gone from my head, I feel like a new women, I have clarity beyond measure, and am sooooo excited and so much more focused, you’ve re-lit my proverbial fire! Here’s to you:)

Speak soon,

Carriex

Tim Ferris gave me a fever

Hey there,

Well, I have finally sucumbed to mister Ferris’s book after several ladies who I admire enormously and am a big fan of Nicola Cairncross and Judith Morgan, two of many kept on going on about how amazing it was; even better that Micheal Gerber’s emything book. So, I ordered it from Amazon and have been glued to the pages ever since! It’s essentially about looking at your life and your dreams and seeing how you can elimate all of the unneccessary clutter, so that you can get closer to your dreams – ie via dumping it – yep even in the middle of something that you feel does not serve you, or is just not helping you further you dreams. This has for me resulted in just ditching a lot of reading that I have been doing, late into the night, that really is completeley unnecessary, as I really don’t need to know everything in the genre of Internet marketing, ie every strategy, every tactic, I just need, nope not need let’s say want to master those strategies that I like and delegate the rest of it. Ie some of the design and technical aspects, that yes I do know some of how to do, but to me honest, it’s as dull as hell!

I am at times hot-headed, but this was an extreme example. I felt drunk, my head was on fire that much, so I spent most of last night in and out of the bath, and in and out of the shower, using hot and cold water to balance my body out. I even when I did manage to get to sleep, slept with the window wide open. I am at times hot-headed,( I am a fire sign, and have a lot of fire in my personal chart!) but this was an extreme example.   I did manage to get to sleep, slept with the window wide open.I think part of this fever was also to do with the surge of excitement that went through me, wow I kept thinking.. I really can do this, I can do that.. by dumping this etc. As I do have very clear goals, but often I have found myself stuck in the process of trying to learn it all or doing it all, and now the sense of liberation I feel is awesome, I can do it all, through dumping, eliminating, delagating, outsourcing, and simplifying my life, and what’s most powerful to me, from Tim’s book is that actually, it is not THAT complicated, or expensive to achieve the lifestyle I really want, especially when I focus on doing things that I love, and elimanating things I don’t love and outsourcing thus freeing up my time and headspace and indeed schedule to start making things happen more quickly!:) In the words of Amy MacDonald’s song: Mr Rock n’ Roll,I keep thinking: ” I wish I knew you before( Tim Ferris!) “
I feel that it was just part of the journey for elimating mental clutter, as I had rather a lot in my life, and just doing it on an energetic level, and I have Tim to thank for that! So thanks Tim, I am blowing you a kiss of gratitude now! What’s amusing to me is that from a Feng shui point of view that I have been interested in and practicing for quite some time; albeit more from a symbolic and energetic stance as opposed to a mathematical or angular stance, is that I have got rid of, given away or sold many personal possessions that no longer warrant a place in my life, yet on an information-front I have been an info- addict, and this has gone unnoticed until I read both Tim’s book and Rich Schrefren’s attention age, bringing this fact home to me. So I have started what I am calling an ‘Infocolonic,’ as I have had many body colonics, which is a gift that I am giving myself, thanks to these fine men, but reading Tim’s book, I think brought everything on a life and professional level home to me, big time. It was like a verbal tsunami, stripping away ’structures’ that have been in place, and were ‘givens,’ to be replaced by more enjoyment, a better quality of life, as I have been getting a little annoyed at spending too much time in front of my lappie, and less time having a laugh with my mates or strolling in the woods or having an adventure I must admit… well not any more!!

Today, I am much better, still have a bit of headache but at least I have no fever:)

What I find quite interesting with the book when I have been reading it, is that I just keep thinking, well Tim, as a woman I have been conditioned to multi-tasking, not just on a personal basis but on a professional basis. I feel that women by definition live high maintenance lives. Part of this granted is to do with that we are a lot more complex than men, a larger emotional brain, but I think after taking a hard look at myself today, part of it, is really out of conditioning, that we have really just accepted, and gone along with.

More of Tim’s book later as I process a bit more, but thanks Tim!

Carriex

Big businesses taking note of the power of the purse

Finally, in the Uk, after the Dove advert, Boots has launched a wonderful tv ad, in which lots of ladies get themselves all glammed up for their Xmas party, and you watch them putting on their make-up! What’s amazing about this is that they don’t just target the 18-24 demographic, or the 24-35, you see women of all shapes and sizes, it really powerful stuff.

Wow, finally:) Let’s hope it inspires other companies to take note of the Evevolution on marketing and indeed in business:)

It screams to me sisterhood, which is what is so empowering about it; as let’s face us ladies wish to, when you are in the mood, of course, glam ourselves up to the nines no matter what our age! It does of course depend on the make-up, colouring, our own application methods of course, but still we’ve gotta bit girlie and have a go hey, not just for the opposite sex but for ourselves to feel good.. and of course the attention from our current king of our hearts, or even to attract our future king of our hearts, but first and foremost it’s for us, and us alone:)

Is that right ladies?

Speak soon,

Carriex

marketing to women by a brainyblond

Marketing to women- about time!

I am hugely delighted that business on every level is finally tuning into the feminine side of life. I strongly believe that the future is indeed feminine and that every aspect of life needs to have the feminine touch much, much more, not least of all business. Trying to market to women, as if we are all the same; kitten-loving, fluffy-material-loving ladies, is pure fantasy, and so out of touch. We have so many different layers and roles from being a good daughter, girlfriend, wife, mother, boss, colleague, sister, aunt, nanny, adviser, stylist, coach, chef, taxi, dress-maker, beautician to name but a fraction of our roles some chosen and some self-imposed that a mono-layered approach to marketing simple doesn’t do our individual and collective qualities justice! Hence, I decided to focus my own company on helping other companies to niche down, and hone in their marketing to each particular lady, as I believe that is the way forward. Ie target single mums, single yummy mummys, attached yummy mummy’s, first-time mums, second-time mums etc etc. Yes, we do have common female bonds running through us; but to me; I feel it is better to niche it them down more, than marketing to generally all the time.

I am so excited about all of this, as I am creating a focus group of women of all ages to look over my work, and to give me their real life view, in return I will be rewarding them with all sorts of goodies!

I look forward to my chats with my blog audience and welcome questions, and feedback of course, as the nature of all of this, is that it’s two-way, like any conversation; so bring it on please!

Peacefully yours- with bags of enthusiasm!

Carrie Eddins- of brainyblondbusiness.com

Hello from a brainy blond!

Just a quick note about ‘brainy blond business,’ and why I have called my business such. Well, because I am brainy, I am blond and I am in business. I know that some people might consider having ‘brainy and blond,’ together is a bit oxymoronic, and sometimes  I myself can be quite unbrainy, having few blond moments forgetting my telephone number ie ( likely because my head is so full of more exciting and interesting things!!)  but then I am human, and that’s really the point. I want the marketing that I do to reflect my humanity and the humanity of the women I will be helping people and companies to market too.   Also, ‘brainyblondbusiness.com’ is quite memorable don’t cha think?!!

Voila.

Catch you soon!

Carrie Eddinsx