Is it possible to sell snow at the North Pole? in Syracuse? During a recent meeting (panel discussion) in New York City, I saw a presentation by Mary Virginia Swanson where she talked about making the most of marketing efforts and having clear goals. Continuity and sustainability were two of the points that caught my attention. Swanson’s portion of the panel discussion was so impressive, I can’t remember the name of any of the other presenters (nor the firms they represented).
Archive for November, 2008
First Impressions
Friday, November 21st, 2008Brain Food
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008Author Seth Godin continues to crank out great business books, but he never calls them business books. In some ways this keeps his work from being lost in the pack. I enjoy his titles: Purple Cow, Free Prize Inside, The Dip, The Big Moo, etc.
Here’s a line from his latest offering, Tribes: “Leadership isn’t difficult, but you’ve been trained for years to avoid it.”
Before reading Tribes, I tackled the hefty supplement (a PDF he offered free from his blog/website), but found the book much more valuable.
In these uncertain economic times, a short manifesto like Tribes is just what every business owner needs.
A Syracuse Original
Friday, November 14th, 2008 
Photographer Marjory Wilkins shows us that aging gracefully can become a work of art. She has spent most of her life documenting life here in Syracuse. Her gallery show (curated by historian Nancy Keefe Rhodes) opened last night at Light Work.
The show was attended by family members, friends, artists and members of the photographic community. I spoke with her brother Raymond Werts and he said he and Ms. Wilkins playfully argued over the date of a photo in which he appeared. Mr. Werts also pointed out that in one of the photographs (cir. 1940s) there were new cars that cost around 400 dollars.
Ms. Wilkins’ work reminds me a lot of the photo-documentation done by Pittsburgh’s Teenie Harris.
We photographers can learn from her vision and her work, but we could learn more from her giving spirit.
Conserve to Preserve
Monday, November 10th, 2008
“Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Businessman George Fraser said this during a recent interview on the New Inspiration for the Nation with George Kilpatrick. Fraser gave some good strategies to help navigate during uncertain economic times.
Inspiration
Monday, November 3rd, 2008A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet and gain insight from two pillars of contemporary photography: Chester Higgins, Jr. and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. I thank Mr. Higgins for meeting me on the way to an editing session and for the gifts. Earlier during my NYC trip, Greenfield-Sanders suggested an alternative route for my next business venture. Thanks also to my business advisors Alton Ritter and Marc Mayo for their hospitality.