...going naked...yup, its come to this... i mean i am in Southern California

i mean naked in the sense of transparency of course :)...well, i went there...classic marketing grabber...yet, to do this i have to be real, i haven't a filter anymore...that doesn't mean being rude.. just have to write it like it is...if i have to leave a legacy...in business and life...be real...don't leave any elephants in the room... it's crazy how we don't mind being out there with brashness, but really getting down and being real friends is awkward...we don't want to be the one to tell the emperor he is naked...leaves you vulnerable..hence  a double backstory today.... hey you are here ...it will all get to the point in a bit...and it is sort of an explanation why I have had a minor diversion...main reason argghh... darn wifi..has me behind..and broken three chargers...my only angst with apple products..

>>>the backstory to the backstory.....lol..ok, bear with me..<<

i started this career as a hippiebeachartist chick wearing jeans and long hair...gees....I guess I have come full circle...

side trip to the Grand Canyon...my first time..

I started in business and college early..16.. had my first major corporate design gig at 20...  had a compulsion for work, family and life... all the while looking like I was 12... it worked in my favor, the little hippie chick with the baby face....no one suspected the inner crazy :) compelled designer and business savvy person...trained in both architecture and graphics...it has been an amazing adventure...

yet motherhood, yes, has been my greatest job...4 kiddos that are as individual as you can think, but all solid people...the journey is over for "active" parenting...now, it is more like being the example of how to live life and just having their back...so cool-the transition egads...has had its bumps...

I had a sudden schism in my life, my partner in the midst...well-had to say goodbye before the journey was complete...damn the beast of cancer...the good part, well he saw the kids become adults and knew his youngest was accepted to the school of her dreams...she not only made to france once, but twice..and even to hong kong..

so dropping my youngest off in southern california as she embarks on her professional career in film after graduating from SCAD  this past June...we went literally cross country working on the kick off to [ i am small ] and her being my producer... 

yes, got her to hollywood...sign is in the background but too darn sunny...

and that has seen detours and bumps..geez... i need my wifi!

and...yes, the backstory sometimes becomes the main event...

i admit, I am my own version of ADD, but gotta live life...realize the moment...

so diversion is part of my daily experience

you don't run across people by accident...and without reason...

>>>the backstory to the story<<<

my husband and I were in the construction industry, it has a special place in my heart...in 2009 the industry was devastated...it was also the year my life was devastated...i was told after my husband  and business partner died, well get an office job...you are attractive, you will get married again....people trivialized my tragedy... i admired those who not only dug in, but reconfigured themselves to meet the changing market....in our early days  in construction... a stone company based in Virginia had the back of this very quirky designer who always looked for products that no one had...had crazy ideas of what could be done with stone in the landscape....Luck Stone.....especially Michael Weiss, who at the time ran the shop/store in charlotte....he believed in us...and never said no or can't ...but how can we help...

every home show we went on to win, every magazine, every time I could...they were my first and usually my only call, because they came through...and believed in us when we started from scratch...in a used van...and no equipment...just a passion and skill....so not surprisingly...they pushed through the most recent challenges in the building industry that crushed many companies....funny thing is that culture...surrounding yourself with like minded individuals who say never die...well they succeed..sometimes they have to reenvision  themselves...but like me they are still standing...

when starting out on [ i am small ] i was connecting with all my social media friends getting referrals and trying to plan out the journey... in the midst I ran across a friend of a friend from Luck Stone... a builder from Maryland..who despite great challenges not only held it together when the down turn came, but thrived...and is back at the top of his game...and a leader in his profession.....Patrick Hagan....of Hagan and Hamilton Builders...well Patrick has a long story...it cannot be told without shining light on his compulsion to give back...the dots start to be connected...for a reason...

...stay tuned for part 2... 

an echo or a voice

i said when i started this on the fly...this will be the voice of small business, of real people...sometimes, i will elaborate on things that I, personally, would be better sharing...because well, it is always good to have a wingman to shout your praises..or explain things that might be taken wrong...

in the midst, sometimes things come up i have to take an aside to flesh out the idea...

and that there is a difference between having a voice, and being an echo...an echo is a secondhand idea...it is a knock off...like purses you buy on the streets of Time Square...

well, they might walk and talk like an original..but they are missing the substance...and won't last as long...and you will never be sure the origins are legal..

if you have a small business, your strength is in your uniqueness...figure out what that is...and let it shine...then no matter what the market is doing, this will position your business for success. 

one of the differences in an echo or a voice...well, here are me and two of my kiddos...one in the midst of photobombing and this weird reflection in his eye?? any way going no filter for you...though they are my offspring, they have the same makeup as i, they are oh so different...and they each have their own opinions...ahem...

that is why i want to share the voice of small business...for people to realize they are not an echo of big business, they are unique...each one different despite having similar composition.

;) alyse

on the streets of trendy nyc...an 1000 tee zz over the top dis-order...

Small business...well...somedays you get that big sale...some days...what the ???

NYC..who is more NYC city than an artist selling their ware on the streets of this city..i was chatting with Hart Thomas of TommyTees...you know the best street tees that "shhhhhh" are who the ones with style shop...and whoever wants a real souvenir of the city comes......found him at his streetside set up in Williamsburg...yes, the birthplace of hipster...Williamsburg....or as Hart calls it #billsyburg but he also hangs out in SOHO

He was funny...when I asked him to do the interview...he said ok..

then he told me " I know you will be fair"... nice but how..."well, I said something on facebook that you challenged me on"....Oh, what was it... "I don't remember now, just remember you were nice and fair and funny" ..... well played Hart :)..

Hart is one of the hardest working guys I know....rebooting after a career as an AD for a big agency, then owned an agency with a partner...and now...doing his thing... illustrations, art, custom designed and hand screened t-shirts.with a twist.....glow in the dark reversible ....and then there was another great twist...welll, almost ...i always ask if people have a good story..he says...many celebs walk past him daily... like Izzy Azalea...and yes he has the coolest pinterest page..

From hart's pinterest  page 

he snaps them as they hang out...and sometimes they actually stop...like

Billy Gibbons of ZZ top...yes that guy..and super nice..

"the guy loved my shirts...checked them out good, wanted some for his tour...when they play..for his people.."

Billy Gibbons and Hart talking business on the streets of SOHO

I mean they are reversible and they glow in the dark... what rocker wouldn love harts cool graphics..

so he hands hart the card....oh..of course I made the scribbles...

redacted business card...i used high tech scribble..

the 'friend of eric clapton" tagline is brilliant..

"call me..i will get you connect to my team..."

I do, he does...negotiations begin..they want 1000 shirts...billy wants a 1000

yet..when it came down to it...the decision was made by the business team..

"we can get shirts for 6 dollars....why pay $40-60.."

so all that time spent preparing the quote..researching..going back and forth...on an item

that the  "billy gibbons" in person ...picked it....and that guy should know what he wants.. 

Billy Gibbons.....at Tommy Tees

you have to wonder if his people even told him...

I mean I would pay that for a custom zz top shirt, that glowed in the dark, was reversible and had killer graphics....it is an original work of all...like signed prints..but better..
crazy.....more on hart to come..

wearing tommy tees on the streets of soho 

.

nothing is wasted...when you are small

no experience, no material...and of course no money...because everything matters..every bad experience, every good...you learn from and you grow from...

i am an introvert...who would rather shy away in my own small world than the face the public...but sometimes life gives you no such choice....and everything is for a reason...

a wise friend told me, when I fell down the rabbit hole of wonderland after tragedy struck...to pay it forward...go help other people....every good thing I learned can help someone and every mistake I made can help someone else not make the same blunder...it was the only thing that made sense at the time...

i had to restart in business and life at the same time... made a lot of mistakes...still do, but they don't trip me up as much...and in the mean time...I have met lots of people who inspire me, and challenge me to be  better...

as i reach out to businesses to interview,  i am amazed at the talent, heart and passion of people...

and hopefully sharing their stories can do the same for you...while letting them know they are not alone...you get it...

there is no experience wasted...not one rejection, not one crabby client...nothing..they are all experiences meant to be learned from...there is no single successful business person who hasn't seen their share of failure, off days or...excuse me " what the hell just happened days"...

i was reading a study this week..our human brain is programmed to remember the pain more than remembering the good, the happy....we have to choose to think good.. it is the easy path to get stuck in the pain.

and smart businesses that succeed know that, move forward, the past is to be learned from..great things ahead....i have found the most resilient and successful of businesses have been through the worst of times...

as i share these stories...know that i haven't given you all...somethings are meant to be kept private..and these businesses have to trust me....but listen to what they are saying...their experience..their success comes with a price...and yet they keep on smiling....

and no i don't smile all the time...here is a shot of me in the midst..."so you need to have me be a stand in....i have things to do"..."what do you mean I did it wrong, how can you be a stand-in wrong??"..."oh, stand on the mark...not where I think the mark should be..THE mark"..

small details count...

:) alyse

Always learn from the best...yup Part 2: Earl Wilcox of Plannerzone...and what they did for Apple..

Steve Jobs is my hero...i admit it in business. He believed in not doing market research to develop new products, people didn't know what they want Apple created it.

screenshot of the original add...click here to see it via youtube...they won't let me embed :(

Yet, they did do research, not to create a product, but to market it effectively. Plannerzone was who Apple turned to, because they weren't your run of the mill stats crunchers, they looked at the emotional relationship...which is not always the easy road in consumer research, yet its owner Earl Wilcox's forte.

In talking to Earl of Plannerzone...the idea was to show a person what the  IPad could do for you (benefit), instead of what it could do (feature)...the real learning in the work was that it wasn't about what the IPad did....but why it mattered.It empowered you to get even more pleasure from the thing you enjoy doing. "

To me its that right brain approach, not numbers for numbers sake that you can skew. Research that was about communicating with people. Our success in business all boils down to authentic relationships. I don't buy things because 51% of women buy it or deem it a nice product. It migh get my attention for a moment. I buy things because they do something for me, my latte takes me to a happy place when daily stress hits. A feature film helps me escape..My Ipad, makes me able to take my office anywhere...with out the bulk of a laptop.  I never buy anything just because it is a fad, good business is not built on fads it is built on long term relationships and trust

Earl gets that... as a small business it is one of the essentials that should be in your toolbox... as well as listening to the people who get it....it is an holistic way of doing business...

Gees, I have smart friends...stay tuned...you will be meeting more :) 

:) alyse

in the toolbox: earl wilcox/plannerzone...it all about knowing people

i have many weaknesses in business, directness is not one ;)..when I was in architecture...i would show up to product showrooms and whispering could be heard...don't give her any sales bs..only answer her questions-show her what she wants to see...her yes is yes, and her no is no, but if she asks why explain.... my strength is knowing who gets it....i will never be an expert in all things, don't try to be...I only strive to know those who are..and who get it....so as part of [i am small] from time to time I will introduce you to people you should listen to...make your own conclusions..they will always make you think and challenge you to up your game...

Earl Wilcox of Plannerzone
(special thanks to Earl for taking the selfie, when I asked..didn't expect it...,
that just proves what kind a person he is..details count)     

Earl Wilcox, owner of Plannerzone..not your everyday consumer research firm...and that is because of Earl..it all flows down from the top...his is half philosopher and half theorist with a strong background in the arts. Their client list includes movers and shakers in their respective industry from Apple to Viagra...and oohh so many in between. You should listen just because of that...yet..

what separates them is they are not brand advocates, they are people advocates.....so when you are all  caught up in your business and lose site of the people you serve...their diligence and skill at deciphering the ever changing consumer is why the big guys choose them...a secret weapon. It is not all about numbers, spreadsheets...it is about people....that right brain creative perspective adapted to precise analytical process...phew.....

all that to introduce :) Earl..and really I only had a few seconds with him on the fly....clients first...rambling friends second... I asked him what three stupid things or mistakes small businesses make from his point of view?  ...and this is how he replied:

1. make up their minds, then stubbornly refuse to consider other possibilities

2. pennywise and pound foolish

3. not listen to their customers

my second question...how can people correct those issues?....

1. listen

2. look for the forest in the trees.

3. see a therapist

as a designer, it is all about getting things down to basics....to build a strong brand, launch a new product....and it has to be honest... blunt... take 20 and think about what he said and how it applies to you...

I will follow up during the week on this concept...just remember what makes good business at its essence it the ability to be honest.

:) alyse

Hi...what's your name?? Loco....

Staten Island is one unique place...interviewing business owners I ran across Mike Loco Hoffman...well everyone I met said you gotta talk with Loco...he is the heart of Staten Island...

Mike "Loco" Hoffman (top left) with on the ground rebuilding Staten Island with Yellow Boots...and awesome volunteers.

Well, I finally caught up with Loco, he is one of the founders of YellowBoots...literally he is the boots...when Sandy hit, he was in landscaping. Company was now gone...because the majority of their clients homes were destroyed...

He jumped in and did what was right, he just reached out and see who needed help." I didn't give anyone a chance to say no..I told they you have two choices. 1. to let me help, 2. to let me help..done deal..

Loco said there were two types of people, the loudest ones are normally the ones who don't need the help...the quiet ones, well...they are used to making their own way...don't ask for help...I looked for the quiet ones.

That's what people don't realize either, when these storms hit...it affects businesses too..people were out of work, then trying to keep their house...and there isn't much aid to help small business, except small business loans...

"They didn't think about that, without revenue how are these people to survive..or the people that owned second houses, they rented. They couldn't get aid..so now, the renter whose home it was is out of luck, and the homeowner had lost an income.

Just didn't make sense..

I realized that after three days I wasn't going back to my old business, this is what I was meant to do..

I am still the boots on the ground of the three founders.. a non profit is a small business. I handle the volunteers like employees when they are here, plan the logistics of rebuild, do strategic planning with my partners...and keep quality control.

Most of our volunteers are unskilled these days...but I keep an  eye out..tellling them to treat it like their own home...gaps in sheetrock shouldn't be there"

I asked him if there was anything I could say to help...he said, we need volunteers, skilled volunteers..this part of rebuild is tricky and takes longer..just having someone up on the day that is skilled, can save us a week...but unskilled are still needed..the more boots on the ground the better.

Loco had his hands on 1100 houses before yellow boots came into being, 1500 since then...hopeing to do another 250 by the end of the year..but the number is more like 850.

"We are the forgotton borought, I just heard that the Build It Back released a statement they are going into the Bronx (which is good) yet they have only touched one house here, a garage. They  have 5 million budget for salaries...and get this..I was here for this...one of their inspectors shows up early to meet with the homeowner and inspect. Three hours early..I go over as he sits in his car on his smart phone..Hey we can meet now, the homeowner is here...The guy says no, I can't meet till 2 that's the rule, that is what's in the computer....that is three hours from now. They guy says no, that's the rule..and I tell hime well I am going back to build these people's house."

Turns out, that Build it Back has an operating budget of over $600,000,000.00..I asked Loco about it.

"....oh, what I could do with just a million of that, we stretch every dollar we get to help people back into their  homes...Fema is running out...they are hurting."

Loco is big on social media....if you would like to reach out..give him a shout..or contact www.Yellowboots.org 

Loco (on the left) with YellowBoots supporters..