Community….a  word we hear so often these days whether it’s referring to geography or the online arena, however a community can be a powerful body. Generally it refers to a group of people unified by a number of circumstances or situations such as: geography, resources, beliefs, needs, resources, risks, intent and even preferences.  Many times we find ourselves members of a variety of communities and mostly because it is our choice and for a variety of reasons some of those listed above.

About 380 km outside of Nairobi, in the Samburu district of Kenya, there you will find a tiny village unified by all of the circumstances listed above with one more…survival. The name of this village? Umoja, Kiswahili meaning “Unity”, founded by a group 16 homeless women on an unwanted field of dry grasslands in the early 90s .Rebecca Lolosoli is the matriarch of this village unwaivering in her determination to fight for human rights and the end of female genital mutilation (FGM). She’s suffered beatings and death threats yet her desire and determination remain constant.  Today, Umoja is financially independent and a safe haven for women in the region. However, the Samburu men in the region are still a threat, in August of 2009, the husband of Rebecca Lolosoli attacked the village chasing women from their homes and threatening them with a gun. Witnesses say he was threatening to kill Lolosoli but she was not home.

Rebecca Lolosoli is passionate about the Samburu women and the community of Umoja, she’s a strong inspiring leader committed to changing the culture to one of respect. Community leaders/organizers of this caliber are hard to find in this day and age, and in my mind Rebecca Lolosoli is one of the best. She’s uniquely authentic and the perfect person to honor as we close out the week that started with International Women’s Day. She’s a remarkable example of the fact that you don’t need wealth to become a change agent, you need passion,determination and commitment.

Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, I thought who better to highlight than one of the bravest women I know who has made a tremendous impact on me. Her courage, and entrepreneurial spirit is a testimony that all things are possible if you believe, work hard and never ever give up on your dream.

Mukhtaran Mai – I’ve mentioned Mukhtar Mai before, her story of triumph and determination always moves me. Her brother was falsely accused of fornication. She went to court to argue on his behalf and was sentenced to the most severe form of humiliation in her culture. In the eyes of  her family and village her destiny was suicide. However and most importantly not in her eyes, she stood up to her attackers and demanded prosecution. The Pakistani government gave her $8300 compensation and she used that along with money from other donors to build a primary school for girls. The story doesn’t end there, she’s also built a high school for girls, runs a school for boys, she bought a van for the schools that is also the village ambulance and she has a herd of dairy cows that generate an income and help her maintain the schools. And in March of 2009….she married. I’m really in awe of this woman as when she set out to start the primary school she was unable to read and write and enrolled herself. While I think  Mukhtaran Mai’’s story is tragic, it’s my hope that in the years to come that she is known for her leadership, entrepreneurship, courage, and the sheer goodness she has brought to Meerwala.

Mukhtar Mai’s story has had a profound impact on me personally in ways that I still struggle to put into words. I am currently working on a plan to put action behind the impact and to thank Mukhtar Mai….stay tuned as I will share that here.

So now it is your turn….is there a woman in your life who has had an unexpected profound impact? What’s the cause and effect of that impact? I’d love to hear your story and hers!

photo credit: Ronda Churchill

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Last week I had an interesting conversation with two friends about our vision. Our conversation was centered around who wears contacts, whether we are near sighted or far sighted. Each one of us has different vision challenges. That conversation got me to thinking about the lens through which we view the world, and how all three of us sees things differently both figuratively and literally.

As a marketer, it’s critical that we take into consideration the various lenses our intended audiences may view our messages.  The lens that we view and filter the world is unique to all of us and it’s been shaped through the years by our experiences.  And that truth is the same for the audiences we are trying to engage. They come to us with a plethora of experiences and if your market is global a variety of cultures. For that reason, it’s important that we often step outside of ourselves and try to see things as our audience would.

The best thing you can do for your vision is have it checked every two years to ensure you have the best view. And the best thing you can do for your marketing is check your perspective in regular intervals to ensure you have the best view on your market and customers. Just as our eyesight changes over time so does our “market sight”.

If you think about it your messages are like eye charts and the question is how easy is it for your customers and prospects to really “see” your message and respond to it? Do they need to squint or hold it away from them, do they need to grab their readers?  When was the last time you checked your market sight? Is it time for a check up? Remember it’s not how you see your message but how the market views it, and that’s what drives how they will respond.

Yesterday was an exquisite February day in Atlanta, the sun was shining, it was unseasonably warm, even the birds were singing. So I grabbed  my dogs, Keely and Rainier, and we headed out to the dog park. I was sure that it would be packed because of how beautiful the day was, but my dogs are very friendly so I was not worried about the crowds.  I put their bright colored bandannas on them so they would be easy to spot and we were off.

As we made our way to the dog park area, there were lots of people and lots of dogs just as I had suspected. I noticed the people coming from the dog area seemed a little frustrated. I didn’t think too much about it, and my guys were so excited that we stayed the course. Right as we were about to enter the large dog park,  a pretty ferocious dog fight broke out. The owner of the dog who started the fight tried to break it up to no avail, and after several other dog owners stepping in the fight was over.  In spite of the fight, we still entered and I took my dogs to the other side of the park away from the commotion but there were more then several folks gathering up their dogs and leaving as we made our way across the park. NowI knew why the people we had passed on the way in were so frustrated. Unfortunately, that was not the only altercation with that particular dog during our time at the park yesterday, and it had several people up in arms. Many people felt that the owner should immediately remove the over aggressive dog. And of course discussion began about the rules of the dog park, written and unwritten. Most people were really unclear as to what the process was for removing the owner and the over aggressive dog, so they were leaving and in frustration.

The rules at the dog park are clearly posted but there, just as in most communities, there’s also a set of unwritten rules or guidelines if you will. The incident yesterday got me to thinking about the unwritten rules or guidelines that brands expect us to follow when interacting with them: whether it be inside their communities, customer service inquiries or even sales. Simply put we all have expectations on both sides of the transaction:  a)customers expect satisfaction or resolve and b) businesses expect customers to follow a process. The rub comes when there’s a break down on either side.  My question is do you have unwritten rules of engagement for your brand that need to be written or clarified? Are your rules of engagement clear and easy to understand?  Are they posted in a place that’s easy to find?  Customers thrive in predictable environments even when they don’t get their way. Take a look around do you have expectations or guidelines that need to be clarified?

Yesterday, that’s the challenge 50 entrepreneurs accepted at Start Up Riot, hosted at The Fox Theatre. This event is one, in a series of events in Atlanta, designed to showcase and fuel the start up community. As a native of Atlanta, I thought The Fabulous Fox, as we affectionately refer to it, was the perfect backdrop for this event. This landmark has a long dramatic history of surviving tough economies, and through the years it’s required a fair share of pitching to build and then find owners and managers that make it the thriving center it is today.

Start Up Riot is an annual event, where 50 nervous and excited entrepreneurs take the stage, with just 4 slides and 3 minutes to pitch their creative concepts to an audience filled with investors, press, friends and technology enthusiasts.

It was a long day but well organized, and there was lots of positive tension in the room. Bo Peabody, author, venture capitalist, serial entrepreneur gave the keynote address and he spoke about how important passion is to entrepreneurship. He had great stories and solid advice for everyone in the room. After his keynote we took a short break and then we moved into the first hour of pitches.

In my opinion, all 50 of these crafty entrepreneurs are winners but they were competing for a bounty of prizes, as well as possible funding and even exposure. Yesterday’s winners were chosen by the attendees and the winners were….Less Accounting, Nexpense and Regator.

If you are thinking about participating next year here’s my advice:

1. Go for it: This is an awesome event, well run and really important to the start up community in Atlanta, this could be just the exposure you need to take your concept to the next level.

2. Practice, practice, practice: It doesn’t matter how well you know your material it’s critical to practice your pitch several times, go to start up gauntlet, get objective feedback, be open to constructive criticism.

3. Be engaging: It’s hard to get excited about a presenter who’s reading from a script, public speaking is tough but the audience wants to connect to you, be expressive, this is your passion and you really believe in your concept don’t just tell us, show us.

And, one last tip, if you missed Start Up Riot this year, sign up for their mailing list so that you don’t miss it next year.

At first glance, Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya is a peaceful beautiful safari park. It’s best known for the thousands and sometimes millions of flamingos that make their home along the shore.  Recently, the park was enlarged so it could provide sanctuary for more than 25 black rhinos. Overlooking Lake Nakuru is a picnic area called Baboon Cliff. Aptly named because of the troops of baboons that live here.

During my visit to Lake Nakuru I had lunch at Baboon Cliff, prior to entering the picnic area my team was briefed to be “on guard” because the baboons could be very bold. (could be is an understatement) However, there was no amount of briefing that could have prepared us for what was about to happen.  It had been quite a morning seeing rhinos, hippos, vultures, lots of zebras and even hyenas up close and sometimes personal.  As we settled into the picnic area, within seconds, we were surrounded by about 25-30 baboons. Our guides had large sticks and were doing all they could to keep the baboons at bay. And that job quickly became increasingly more difficult.

Baboons are really crafty characters and work  together to distract tourists so the larger more aggressive ones can easily take whatever it is that they want. They gather together almost like a huddle, make disturbing sounds, as if they were formulating a plan. Then one or two come in close and do some kind of trick, or something entertaining while the aggressors watch carefully waiting for just the right time to make their move.  And it’s all fun and games until you are face to face with one of these scary characters.

From the minute we arrived the baboons were on their “A” game and some of their attempts to take our lunch were….well entertaining. There was lots of laughter and well admittedly some anxiety. Taking note of my anxiety one of the men on our team invited me to sit on a bench with him, promising to fend off any baboons that got close.  As we opened our box lunch and started to go through it, a huddle of baboons formed just about 25 yards away.  We had our eye on that huddle and then they dispersed. We all breathed a sigh of relief. After a couple of minutes, a baby baboon made its way over and began doing tricks, making sounds and before we knew it all of us were paying close attention to the baby. Then out of nowhere, the biggest baboon I’d ever seen was on top of Mike, wrestling him for his food and mine. In a matter of seconds, Mike was on his back, with the large creature on top of him. Everyone sprung into action even the other baboons. Needless to say, the big baboon got away with our lunch. And as quickly as he was able to spring into action, he was off and running with the bounty of his efforts. He took it over to where he had huddled up earlier and shared the spoils with the rest of his troop.

So what does this have to do with community and marketing? What’s the lesson here? It’s the power of collaboration and working together to accomplish a goal. It’s so amazing that the troop of baboons knew that unless they worked together, there was no way they would have been able to get a single morsel. It’s the same in our communities and organizations. As organizations find themselves running very lean collaboration is critical to overcome the challenges of today’s competitive landscape. The social web has made it easier than ever before to collaborate and overcome any barriers that previously existed. If the baboons can grasp the power of working together to achieve a common goal, how do we often miss that truth?

I think Margaret Mead said it best and interestingly enough after her time in Africa. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.” While she doesn’t mention it, the collaboration factor is is implied.  Even the animal kingdom recognizes they are more powerful when they work together. Are you harnessing the power of collaboration or do you think you can do it on your own?

Technorati Tags: Authentic, Authenticity, Baboon, Chris Brogan, Collaboration, Courageous, Determination, friend, Honest, Kenya, Project Authenticity, Transparent, Trust Agent, Trustworthy, Whisper

“Furious activity is no substitute for understanding.” H.H. Williams

All successful marketing efforts, (whether they are online, word of mouth, direct mail, you name it) have one thing in common. It’s so simple and yet so often overlooked and as hard as it is to believe intentionally ignored. And yet it’s the one ingredient that can set you a part. So what is this simple ingredient you ask?

That simple ingredient is understanding. It’s understanding the market conditions, who you are trying to reach, is there a competitive offer/product already on the market, how your brand is perceived, how your offer is perceived. And I’m just getting started. Simply put the more you know about the market, your target and your product or solution then the better armed you will be to craft a message and offer that will resonate in the marketplace.

At one point in my career I was charged the daunting task of stopping the attrition on a legacy product. The customer base was a significant part of the entire customer base and while we weren’t planning any more upgrades to the product the revenue was important to our shareholders.  When I was briefed about the project, I noticed that we didn’t have any hard data about the demographics of this base of customers. In short, we had lots of opinion about the base but no hard facts.  After a little bit of research we were able to gain valuable understanding into the base. Using the new insight into the base we crafted a loyalty program that not only stopped the attrition but actually grew the base and in record time.

As marketers, it critical that in spite of the demands put on us that we seek to understand first. Today it’s easier than ever to gain understanding, and in record time with the use of social media. Gone are the days of “if you build it they will come. The brands who are going to their customers rather than waiting for them to come to them are the ones with the edge.

I’m curious, how are you seeking to understand your customers? What tools do you find most valuable?

Technorati Tags: Research

This week I’ve been glued to all the news related to the situation in Haiti. The images and news coming out of Port of Prince have been heartbreaking. These tragedies remind us that things can change in the blink of an eye. While I’ve been moved by the tragedy of the situation, I’ve also been moved by the goodness that seems to be flowing. Just a few minutes ago, I heard the story of how Ted Turner loaned one of his private planes to evacuate a 70 year old man who had suffered a stroke the day before the earthquake. He was successfully removed from the hospital and then left in the parking lot for two days.

It’s hard to hear the stories of those who have been trapped waiting and praying for help. Christa Brelsford was one of those people. She was in Haiti with her brother working on an adult literacy project for two weeks. When the 7.0 tremblor struck, she tripped while trying to flee from a 2-story structure and ended up being trapped.  Her story of being trapped and making it through the streets of Port of Prince is hard to hear and similar to so many of the survivors.

The remarkable part of Christa’s story is Christa. Today she did interviews from her hospital bed in south Florida. She spoke to Matt Lauer this morning with a cheerful smile and positive outlook. She clearly knows the meaning of a grateful spirit. Rather than tell you how remarkable she is, I’ve included the video of the interview.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Matt Lauer ended the interview by saying: “I like her.” So do I…what say you?

So here we are at the doorstep of a New Year, a new chapter, new beginnings. The promise of a New Year always makes us hopeful and in my case excited to see the twists and turns the New Year will bring. As I’m getting ready tonight to spend the evening with my dearest friends, I can’t help but reflect where I was at this time in 1999 and how different things are tonight.

In 1999, I was living in Seattle, Washington, I’d been there for about two months. It had been a very tumultuous 48 hours, as I lived just up the hill from the Space Needle and it was a supposed target for terrorist attacks. At one point, we were were almost evacuated. Once that was behind us, we were focused on what the passing of the year would bring. Y2K panic had set in and my neighbor came over to make sure I successfully removed myself from the national grid system. (prior to this evening I didn’t even know this was possible) There was quite a bit of excitement and concern rolling into that night as there was so much unknown. The passing of that year did not bring any danger, however it has provided for many giggles and stories over the last 10 years.

Tonight, as I prepare to roll into 2010, things are vastly different. I’m making appetizers to take to a party, as I’m spending the evening with my dearest friends. I’m also feeling incredibly grateful tonight…grateful for the new friends I’ve made in person and online, the old friends I’ve reconnected with through social media, and my friends who’ve walked with me through these last 10 years.

As we usher in a New Year, we also welcome a new decade, who knows what it will bring for us, I’m excited though. I can’t wait to see what the future brings.  I hope you feel the same! Happy New Year!