Where does the time go?...

Well its officially the end of a hot dry Summer. Pools are closed, the kids are back in school, and a very productive 3rd quarter is drawing to a close.

In our industry, some projects take a lot of planning and organization to keep all of the moving parts in order. You need to make sure everything is on target and ensure that all parties have the elements they need to pull everything off. That takes alot of effort and responsibility.

Many times you get so engrossed in the work, that all of a sudden, you blink and it's 2 months later. In the heat of the moment when you're under deadlines you don't really get the time to appreciate the effort that goes into those campaigns.

Trust me, we all know work and projects can get very hectic - Just make sure you take the time to breath and enjoy the fruits of your labor. When I get down time, or complete a big project, I try to go back through and reflect on it. I pat myself on the back, take it all in, appreciate how all of the pieces came together, and stand in front of the mirror and flex (OK not really the last part so much). Just don't let a whole summer roll by before you realize it.

If you ever feel like you need a hand, or that stack of work isn't disappearing fast enough give us a call we're always here to help.

Until next time,
Jeremy

Lee Iacocca once said "We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems."

Who in the finance industry hasn't faced problems in the past 4-5 years? But today, are we able to look back at these insoluble problems and see opportunities that were a result of these problems? Some of these issues we know were out of our hands but those issues that we could see, control and do something about were you able to find the answers? Have those problems and answers paved the path for your future? Were there lessons learned?

Problems are only situations or issues without answers. Find the answers & uncover your opportunities. Yours will be different than anyone else's.

Make it a great Friday.

Debbi

Planning for 2012 Planning

Here's a short video to help you prepare for 2012 planning.

See more Marketing Minutes here.

For much more information on planning for 2012 planning, join us for our

FREE Brown Bag Lunch on Friday, September 16 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM est.

Best Laid Plans...

I spent the last 16 weeks logging more than 400 miles in preparation for an ultra marathon.

What's an ultra marathon, you ask? You know when you finish a "regular" marathon and you wish you could run more (read sarcastically)? An ultra takes care of that.

Anyway, aside from running a boat-load of miles, preparing for an ultra takes planning. I planned and practiced everything from pace, to running in a variety of conditions, to analyzing how I would fuel and hydrate before and during the race. I had run every step of the race in my head numerous times and was prepared for practically anything.

Then race day came...

Mother Nature has a disturbing sense of humor. The skies opened and the rains came ... non-stop ... tenaciously ... for more than 15 hours before my 31 mile trail race ... on dirty. Well, it was originally dirt! By race time, we were running in ankle to shin-deep mud and puddles (well, more like small ponds) that went to our knees. In the end, 16 weeks and more than 400 miles of training, preparing and planning were shot. No one could have prepared for this.

My banking point? As we begin to look at planning season for 2012, remember that planning is vital to feeling ready and confident. Planning will make you prepared for 90% of your upcoming efforts. But planning must be flexible. You never know what's going to be thrown at you on race day. A major employer in your market may close it's doors (or open them), your community may have a flood, your CEO may save a child from a burning building. Good or bad, your business environment can change as fast as my dirty trail turned into a mud bog. Be ready to roll with the changes.

Take care,

Eric

Wednesday...the count down!

Greetings!

It's Wednesday the 14th and the countdown is officially commencing...the ABA Marketing Conference is t-minus4 days!  For this year, the conference is in Baltimore-- an ideal location in a great city.

The agenda looks strong, the attendees list growing and the impact to planning for 2012 will be large!

Will you be there?

We hope to see you in Baltimore...

Cheers!

Bruce

We will never forget

As we come upon the 10th anniversary of 9/11 let us not forget about the precious lives that were lost and the lives of those who were forever changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-a0fsmF1rk&feature=player_embedded

This video gets me every time. It reminds me of how blessed I truly am, with my freedom, my life, my family. May you find peace today, September 11, 2011 and every day of your life.

Make is a remarkable Friday.

Debbi

Logo throwback

I get to thinking from time to time how far brands have come from past decades and how logos have evolved over the years. This entry is simply an interesting comparison from yester-year's logos to the marks of modern times. Its quite interesting to see a logo evolution whether it be better for the brand or just a natural progression to a younger audience.



Until next time,
Jeremy

Want a Super Bowl Ad? Better Hurry!!!

Kickoff of the 2011-2012 NFL season is tomorrow and already there are only 5 slots open for this season's Super Bowl!!!

Have you planned YOUR January media yet?!?!

These 30-second spots are selling for a record $3.5 MILLION each. That's right, for every second you watch some monkey dance for beer and for every second you suffer through the GoDaddy girls partially undressing, someone is paying $116,667.

The banking point? Really, it's just a cool advertising fact. But if there is a lesson learned here its that there is value in reach. $3.5 mil per :30 is justified (to some) because the game is a national event. More people are watching one TV station during those 3 hours than during any other time of the year. You don't see this kind of lunacy with the World Series or NBA finals - because they're stretched over a week. You don't see TV spots going for $3.5 mil during the NHL Stanley Cup - because, well, it's the NHL.

The Super Bowl is an EVENT! Larger than life ... even if you don't care about the teams playing.

I think that we can all learn from the event aspect for our self-promotion. I won't promise 3.5 million new customers or $3.5 million in new loan balances, but if you can create an EVENT, you can generate buzz.

Take care,

Eric

Go ahead celebrate a little...

Tomorrow my wife and I celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary - which led me to start thinking about milestones.



Success in general is accomplished by surpassing milestones. Regardless if it is a career milestone or a personal one, everyone should take the time to celebrate them. Without at least recognizing milestones and/or goals, you never really stop to take a breath to see how far you've come on your journey to greatness.



Here are 5 reasons to make sure you track and celebrate your milestones.

1. A celebration helps you refresh, reboot and get ready for the next milestone
2. Achievements big, small, good or bad, are opportunities to look back and learn from your mistakes
   
   
3. Things happen in small steps, and a milestone is a reminder of how far you've come in accomplishing those important steps towards your end goal
4. A milestone achievement is also an opportunity to start a new phase, evaluate, and perhaps take steps in a different direction
   
   
5. Who doesn't love celebrating...so go ahead celebrate when you reach your next milestone!

Until next time,

Jeremy