Threading the Needle

It is a great Saturday morning. My girls are in the kitchen drawing and my lovely wife is making breakfast (I am indeed a lucky guy, 27 years later). Of course, I am making a few postings on Twitter and just answered a LinkedIn request from my friend Lataya Ballard. Getting ready to read a chapter from "Become a Better You" by Joel Olsteen. My wife and I are excited about reading this book together.

What is "threading the needle"? "Threading the needle" to me is doing the seemingly impossible. Business ownership and creating successful Marketing campaigns is like "threading the needle". The odds are always against you, your campaign, or strategic plan. One has to be very fluid in today's business climate.

What is your biggest challenge? What dream can you envision for your company and what will it take to make that happen? I am a dreamer. I love dreaming big dreams and acting on them. The thrill of the chase of making a big call, floating a big idea, and leveraging opportunities inspires me. As a Marketer, our goals are to sway public opinion, change patterns of behavior, and impact the world. How one does that is by "threading the needle".

It may take years to "thread the needle". Do you have the temperment for that? We have to look for patterns and connections that could help us to create something truly remarkable. A phone call leads to an e-mail, that gets the attention of someone totally unrelated to the objective at hand - remember to avoid small minds. Two years later it all circles back and now you know why and how to make the "needle thread". Shazaam!

A quick example. My wild motorcyle riding sister "Jodie" visited our family last year and convinced us to attend the International Motorcycle Exhibition show here in Houston. I reluctantly agreed (I was busy). I figured I could work and be with family at the same time and my family needed to get out, so we ventured.

I took my video camera with me and was able to get in as part of the media because of my involvement with a local business radio show (the psychology of presentation is critical, by having a press badge (if you blog you are part of the press these days), people are more willing to talk to you openly - try it sometime). Of course, I had no "press" reservations so I had to do some fast talking, but the lady who ran the event was young and hip and she let me in (she was fluid) and introduced me around (how cool is that).

My girls went and looked at the cool bikes (a few pics here). I was in the hunt, looking for opportunities (they are everywhere, you have to be looking for them) and would circle back with my girls and update them on all of the cool interviews I was capturing. Well, I had a chance to meet motorcycle racer builder Denis Manning (see his intervew) who recently broke the world's record at 350 MPH (and many others).

After meeting Denis, I continued to mull on a few ideas a year later and called up his daughter-in-law to discuss a few ideas (it is important to be great on the phone, expect to communicate well). She asked me to put those thoughts in an e-mail. Well, I waited a few months (sometimes you have to let some projects stew) and fired off one hell of an e-mail (it is important to think through your e-mails, make it short, compelling and exciting). Well, I got a call from Denis yesterday and he was very happy about his plans to break the record again next year and confided in a few interesting details about his strategy to break the new record.

This discussion opened up the other possibilities for a few other non-related projects in film, racing, and advertising that we are working on (it is amazing how one project helps another). The "long-thread" of the needle will enable more opportunities to be sewn up. So keep "threading the needle".

Warning: I am convinced that far too many people are "too focused" (narrow minded) and miss opportunities. If this is you, learn to be like water and flow.

"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee

To contact Marketing Dynamics visit: www.TeamMarketingDynamics.com or call 281.463.4560.

Are you short-sighted or a long-term visionary?

God has given me the temperment for the long-term. I remember reading Robert Kiosoki's book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" where he wrote about the difference in thinking of wealthy people. They learned very early on not to work for money, but to work for wealth. So, are you working for money or wealth? Working for wealth can be very uncomfortable, while working for money can be very comfortable.

Having built and worked for successful companies, this discipline has been well entrenched (I love making money, but making it for others isn't so cool). I once took a client from $300K a year in sales to $5M in sales a year and $15M in total saves over a 4.5 year period. What I set in motion is still in play today for the client, but not for me. Lesson learned.

Three years ago, I was forced to diversify my interests and the division has been a tough journey. During the re-launch times, money is tight, but opportunities are great.

Interestingly, most business people view a "non-focused" approach as very dangerous. However, to me the danger is being too focused and so focused that one may miss opportunities. I believe that one can and should diversify and by converging those opportunities, they begin to leverage each other. Today I see that happening in many of my business interests in technology, real estate, radio and TV, movie making, working with authors and musicians, and more!

What I love about Marketing is that without Marketing, businesses go no where (you always have to Market your business and it is paid for somehow and some way). People are confused about what Marketing is and isn't. A Marketer's challenge is knowing the value of his contributions to the dynamics of the business model.

People find value in that expertise over time. So to all of the Marketers out there, keep building value and don't let the Market forget what you do. It is the Marketer's job to remember and make it happen! Finally, be sure to take an ownership position in most of what you build value in. Nothing like mailbox money (however small or large)!

To contact Marketing Dynamics visit: www.TeamMarketingDynamics.com or call 281.463.4560.

Your Life from 0- to 60, or 90 MPH. I'm Not a Quitter!

I can't wait to see this movie! My friend and business partner, Steve Levine of Steve Levine Real Estate Media introduced me to Ruben Gonzalez, The Lugeman (three-time Olympic Gold Medalist). I have been listening to his CD and it is inspiring. This is going to be a great movie for the winner-minded, check it out and "Pass It On!". You will be hearing more about it soon! Get caught up in THE VORTEX!

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Ordinary, Average, Every Day Super Hero!

I love what I do. As a kid, I wanted to be Batman, the Lone Ranger, Popeye, Superman, Captain America, and Mr. Fantastic! The good guys always won and saved people from destruction and the bad guys faced justice.

One of my favorite memories is a cap gun shoot out I had with my father, cousins, and uncles. Smoke and pops signaled that the good guys were winning (that was my posse)! Of course, we were all wounded but we lived to fight another day. We still have heroes among us! I loved the movie "The Incredibles" and once teased our girls that mommy and daddy really were "super heroes". The look in their eyes really grabbed my heart as they looked up in a moment of genuine belief, that we just might be "super heroes". Sorry to say, they figured it out that we were not. But, the more I thought about it, I realized that we are and we were teaching them to become remarkable people!

Bare with me. As Marketers (this blog is written for Marketers), we have a chance to stand for good, to communicate great brands that make life better for others, to get monumental things done that seem super human, to promote family causes, protect the elderly, and inspire people to be their best, etc. Keep in mind that I am strongly conservative, believe in lower taxes, more freedom, pro-traditional family (the fabric of a healthy society), pro-life (protecting the unborn), pro-criminal justice (i.e., the death penalty for violent criminals), and avoid political correctness. We need more super heroes in these times. Ordinary, Average, Every Day Super Heros! Get caught up in the VORTEX!

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The Way of the Empty Hand, Martial Arts and Business

I have been taking Karate for going on two years with GKR Karate (one of the world's largest federations). I teach a class on Tuesday nights and realize that my training and instruction has helped me in business. I have read countless stories from other martial artists who have seen dramatic improvements in their self-esteem, health, confidence, and relationships (knowing when to sever and nurture them). Marketers are warriors. The battle for the mind could be one mind or millions. A Marketer must prepare himself for every situation and be prepared to win or handle defeat with honor and respect for the opponent. As a former marine, student of politics and military history, Marketer, and father and husband, I must be prepared to champion, defend, and celebrate the life I have been called to live. As a warrior Marketer, I have learned to tolerate the shortcomings of others and to work on my own. I have also learned to lead when others won't. As I tell my students, the way of the "empty hand" is not of the "empty mind" (we must be constantly learning). Marketing is strategy and the better Marketer wins! Get caught up in the VORTEX!

Back from Iraq, 3 Points of Contact, "The Sound of War"

They are back! "3 Points of Contact" is back from the front lines in Iraq. Listen to the sound of the music this band recorded while serving in Iraq. My nephew, Edward "ArTiLIEr-E" Robledo, is glad to be home (one of the lead singers). He misses his buddies that didn't make it home and so do we. Their music makes you feel like you are on the hunt and you can almost smell the gun powder from the "Sabo" round (a tank round used to obliterate the enemy). Love the cutting-edge sound. Leave it the American ingenuity to make a sound studio in the desert. Welcome back guys! Keep the music coming! Great guitar and vocals! Visit: www.MySpace.com/3PointsOfContact Get caught up in the VORTEX!

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It's My City!

Marketers need to have an attitude about what they do. We are the visionaries that communicate great brands and help our clients make millions, billions! So, if you are going to market, think big. Walk confidentally, communicate well and be clearly understood. I motivated my team recently by declaring that it is our city (any city we are marketing in). With that thought, we are all thinking big and working aggressively to seize opportunities. Hope you get caught up in the VORTEX!


Photo by Joe Heiliger (www.jheiliger.com)

Andy Valadez
StealthMarketer/Marketing Evangelist


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