(386) Area Community Blog

Year End Burnout?

So here we are, hurtling towards the end of another year that you thought might have been a little more successful for you, you have worked hard, managed to pay all your bills and you’re keeping it together, but just about. Are you in need some practical solutions for your motivation problem?

Hopefully I can help by providing you with one or two proven techniques to help you though those days when your ‘mojo’ is clearly a no show.

My personal favorite starter is to do something small and create a flow. Just clean your desk or pay your bills. Heck, even wash the dishes. You just need to get started. When you have finished that small task you’ll feel more alert and ready to go do the next thing. Remember all you need is to get motivated. So, start with something small and work your way up. You will get in the swing of things in a few minutes.

Or, if that’s not your cup of tea, how about just tackling the toughest task first? This will ease a lot of your daily worries and boost your self-confidence for the rest of the day.
My personal preference when I’ve got myself into what I call the “frozen zone”, you know, when you have procrastinated for so long over something so trivial that now the thought of it gives you chest pains? Or is it just me that does that? Anyway, I just wake up one day and I do it. Then I spend the rest of my day telling myself I’m an idiot for procrastinating in the first place. But when it’s done, boy do I feel good!

Another motivation killer is comparing what you have and your results to what other people have and have accomplished. There will always people ahead of you. Most likely quite a lot and a few of them are miles ahead. So focus on you. On your results and how you can improve upon them.

My advice? Be your authentic self, you will not need to make comparisons.

Another tool in my “fight the funk” bag is making use of creativity. Take a pen and jot down what areas in your life that you would like to have more ideas about. Perhaps you want ideas to earn more money or become a healthier person. Then brainstorm until you have written down 10 ideas on that topic. Then try for 10 more. Not all ideas will be good. But some will. And as you make use of your creativity you not only discover useful ideas. You also discover just how creative you can be if you try and how motivating and great that feels.

And lastly….find out what makes you happy. Then do that. As much as you can.

Have a wonderful holiday season everyone!

 

 

Take a break! Why we need to get serious about vacations.

I was chatting to an old friend that lives overseas a few days ago and she mentioned that she had got her 4 week vacation approved from the HR department; what on earth is she going to do for 30 days I wondered to myself.  She added "you should try it". Ha! 30 days? Surely the world would come to end if I wasn't at my desk or available at a moment’s notice?!

She went on to berate me about how Americans take a day here and a day there, maybe a week if we're lucky. I think she was talking about me.

I have noticed over the years how our European cousins revel in their lengthy vacations, often taking two or more weeks to explore the country or city of their choosing but here in America, a week is the normal. I've done it many times, packed in what should be a 14 night trip into 7 nights, just so I didn't miss the Monday morning meeting and get into a lengthier backlog of paperwork and customer calls. I would get home, unpack and be ready for a real vacation. A trip where I didn't need to look at my watch, or be concerned about time (except for happy hour of course).

What is this vacation guilt we suffer from and where did it come from? Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine. I do know one thing; American employers need to  acknowledge that when we are burnt out, we are not productive. In fact, we are downright unproductive at work and destructive to ourselves when we are frazzled. The standard of one to two weeks per year (average full time employee paid time off) is not enough time to recharge our often depleted batteries.

Another trait I see of the hard working American is finding it hard to leave your desks at 5pm and those of you that might get away on time are probably answering emails, text messages and possibly meeting clients. It doesn’t take an expert to tell you that you can only maintain that way of living in a state of constant stress and it certainly won’t be long before everything suffers. Health, relationships and work are so closely entwined, a balance must be achieved. Any doctor will tell you that rest is a necessity, not a luxury. Be kind to yourself. Make relaxation a priority and don’t let your job dictate your life after 5pm or before 8am!

Until that time comes, the most that you can do is make the very best of your time off work. Early in the work year schedule your holiday time for the forthcoming 6 months. It’s better to schedule early and have to change when necessary, but if you don't schedule well in advance and someone else takes the only week that you can take with your partner or the kids, then you're going to be quite upset! The other advantage to making arrangements well in advance is that there’s just less chance that things can go wrong at the last minute! With that said, some of my favorite vacations were thrown together at the eleventh hour.

Whatever you decide to do, be it negotiating extra vacation time with your employer or really finding the best way to relax in a short period of time, I hope you do take the time to make some change and reap the benefits of time away from work with yourself or your loved ones. You will thank yourself for it!

 

Peace, love and relaxation my friends! Thank you for reading.

 

 

Listen To Your Body for a more Balanced Business Life

I recently had the opportunity to host an event called The
Marketing Next Expo. It was held in Daytona Beach on September 11. We had 48
energized exhibitors, 22 amazing speakers and 200 excited attendees. It was
such an honor to be part of this unnatural event. The mission was to educate
and empower and based on feedback I can say that most walked away with one if
not both!

 

Coming down from the expo I found myself in hibernation
mode much like a bear in winter. I barely spoke to anyone the two days
following and the weekend after was filled with feedback forms, returning
emails, calling to say thank you and so needless to say, the hibernation didn't
last long enough.

 

The following Monday I found myself overwhelmed with my
ever growing to-do list. Because my focus and time had been so set on the expo
in preparation for the past four months, I had rearranged my appointments,
templates and monthly duties to accommodate my new schedule of meetings,
speaking engagements and runs to the nearest office supply store.

 

I hadn't been sleeping right, eating right or working out
like my usual routine. All focus was on making the expo a success for all who
involved.

 

Keep in mind, this expo was no way a profit machine.
Being a first year and not having sponsorships in advance meant that hitting
the pavement and having the phone glued to my ear was the only way the hope of
breaking even was possible.

 

So why do this, you ask?

 

I believe so strongly in the mission and in marketing. I
felt that we have such great talent in our community that it's silly to travel
to neighboring markets to become educated and empowered. Instead of sitting
around complaining about why we didn't have a platform like this I decided to
do it myself. I had recently pulled away from my non-profit organizations so I
felt I had some extra time to donate. If I broke even, then I would be a happy
camper.

 

Well, what was I thinking? The expo completely consumed
me, reminding me exactly why I got out of event production. I developed issues
with my relationships, I never slept, I felt exhausted all the time and my
health began diminishing.

 

As I stand here today in an airport coming home from
Indiana where just a short week after the expo I was scheduled to speak about
email marketing in the 21st century, I am committing to not allowing myself to
lose focus again.

 

I will remember to take care of myself first. To stay
focused on eating right and sleeping my typical eight hours. When stressed I
will get into downward dog instead of complaining to a girlfriend over a bottle
of vino. I will stay focused in my meditation practices and will continue to be
the positive person I am.

 

Because I allowed the opposite to happen, on this trip, I
missed out on an opportunity to gain more interest in my company potentially
bringing in more business. I ended up traveling hours to sleep in a foreign bed
for an entire day. I had to cancel my presentation and explain why. Embarrassing,
disappointing and overall, my fault.

 

I loved everything about the expo and am so proud of the
work we all did. Our positive outlook and inspiration made the event a success but
my health took a beating.



With all events in life there are lessons to be learned. I definitely learned
mine.

 

Here are some great tips on ways to listen to your body!
When it's talking to you, please don't ignore it! It's the same as a girlfriend
giving you advice, your parents saying you're pushing it too hard, like your
kids pulling at your arm screaming "mommy, mommy"! Listen when your
body talks and you won't end up like me today.

 

I'm privileged to be "in the know" and to be a
living, growing being that makes mistakes and learns from them!

 

Namaste!

 
Listen to your body!

The Callan Group Hiring

The Callan Group (www.thecallangrp.com), continues to grow! We are almost at our 5 year anniversary. We identified the need for small to mid-size businesses – to create custom, ghost-written email newsletters to keep them in touch with their biggest marketing tool – their current clients! Most business owners don’t have the time, technology and marketing skills to do this on a regular basis and to be effective. To take our company to the next level we are looking for experienced, highly-motivated and well connected sales people! The attached chart represents potential earnings. The sales person would: • Identify the ideal client • Excite them on the opportunity to keep in touch with their clients without lifting a finger • Retain them for future bonus and compensation • Our team handles the rest! If you know anyone interested let me know. This has been a very lucrative business. It is a growing field. Very cool stuff!

My Two Cents

The second article of "My Two Cents" is out. This month we feature tips for coupon-ing for consumers and businesses alike. Keeping local in mind - shout outs to LuLu's Oceanside Grill and @Ariel Beckner - love for you to share! 

Also check out "Embrace the Race" which got rave reviews!

http://www.ormondbeachobserver.com/my-two-cents-the-couponing-conflict-or-to-cut-or-not-to-cut/

http://www.ormondbeachobserver.com/my-two-cents-embrace-the-race/

TruthAboutEmailNewsletterOpenRate

 

Open Rate Truth Be Told

Oh, where do we begin when it comes
to open rates? Well, you can Google it yourself to see the numbers are not
accurate and a nice gauge to see how your email newsletters are getting to your
readers.

The average open rate is below by industry. Listen to our vLog to learn thetruth about
open rates…including that when you view your email newsletters on your phone
those numbers will not report…you be the judge!

Business Type   Open Rate
Accountant         15%
Art Gallery          23%
Associations       21%
Consultants        15%
Education           19%
Entertainment   16%
Event Planning  17%
Government      23%
Hotels                19%
Legal                   19%
Manufacturing  19%
Marketing/PR    15%
Medical               18%
Non-profit          22%
Office Supplies  13%
Personal Services  18%
Professional Services 17%
Real Estate          16%
Religious Organization   23%
Restaurants        19%
Retail                   18%
Salon/Spa            17%
Technology         15%
Travel & Tourism  17%
Web                        18%

Holiday-Email-Newsletter-Tips

Listen for tips on how to make your email newsletters and marketing work for you this holiday season! The Callan Group offers several examples on how to capture your audience and set your business a part from the rest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfxqEjBa42E&feature=youtu.be

Helping Hurricane Sandy Victims One Click at a Time

The
Callan Group

PO Box 4292

Ormond
Beach, FL 32175

 

Office:     386-538-1083

Fax:        651-436-0284

www.TheCallanGrp.com 

FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Diane Michael, Creative Director

Phone:
386-538-1083

Email: [email protected]  

Helping Hurricane Sandy Victims One Click at a Time
Local business encouraging a viral campaign to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy

ORMOND BEACH, FL (Saturday, November 3, 2012) - With relief efforts happening from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, The Callan Group wants to help by donating $1 for every LIKE on their business
Facebook page or Twitter page. "The idea is to drive traffic on social media sites so more people see the post and possibly do the same thing," said Diane Michael, owner of the custom email newsletter company. "We were trying to find a way to raise funds for this immediate need and felt a viral
campaign would be the best way to gain the most exposure."

About The Callan Group
The mission of this Veteran/Woman owned firm is to assist the business community by
bringing experience, innovation and training to help further economic growth
through custom, personalized electronic marketing. The Callan Group was awarded
a Bronze Addy Award by the American Advertising Federation for exceptional work
in electronic marketing and all their employees are active in several
non-profit organizations in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Diane Michael named one of the Volusia/Flagler 2012 Most Influential Women in Business

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2012 --  The 2012 Influential Women in Business published by The Volusia/Flagler Business Report came out on Monday, September 24, 2012. Diane Michael with The Callan Group, LLC was one of the chosen women. Being nominated by one of her MomPreneur representatives, Deb Wind, Michael was flattered to be honored with this title. “Being recognized with so many influential women in our community makes me want to step it up a notch,” proclaimed Michael.

In 2008 Diane Michael created The Callan Group, LLC, an electronic email newsletter company where company representatives create all the content and graphics needed for their clients who do not have the time or technology to stay in touch with their customers on their own. “We provide a tool for retention that creates referrals and positions businesses as experts in their industry for a very affordable fee,” Michael stated. The Callan Group LLC’s proprietary software mimics national companies with its sophistication and proven results. The difference between the firm and national email newsletter providers is that the company representatives do all the work for their clients.

  Michael has expanded her business by seeking out MomPreneurs offering a Business in a Box program. It’s a turn-key opportunity for women who are interested in working for themselves. “With the right attitude, contacts and ambition success for anyone interested is in the stars” said Michael.

Three Awesome Emails to Increase Customer

Customer retention is one of the
hardest and most important things to get right in business. Tools and metrics
abound for wooing and impressing new customers. Marketing analytics tend to
focus on the point of conversion, and marketing budgets are often geared toward
driving acquisition. New customers are exciting. They cause sales bells to ring.
But your existing customers, the ones who have made the decision to stick by
you, need some careful attention too. Here are a few email ideas to keep your
existing customers engaged and happy with their experience throughout the
customer lifecycle.

Read more from HubSpot

Recent survey on how Volusia and Flagler businnes owners use their electronic mediums.

1.How many times a day do you look at
Facebook? If hourly, how often?

• 
  Couple of times a week   ***** (5)
• 
  Once a day ** (2)
• 
  Hourly ******* (7)
• 
  Every 15 minutes * (1)
• 
  No **** (4)

 

2.Do you have an active Twitter account
that you post on weekly/monthly?

• 
  No********** (10)
• 
  Yes, weekly****** (6)
• 
  Yes, daily ** (2)
• 
  Have account, do not post * (1)

 

3. How many email newsletters do you
receive a week?

• 
  25 (estimate, varies) (1)
• 
  5-10** (2)
• 
  1-5 ******* (7)
• 
  10-15 ****** (6)
• 
  Don’t know *** (3)

 

4.Do you receive any emails from businesses
you didn't sign up for that you

continue to receive and don't mind getting?

• 
  No ******* (7)
• 
  Yes *********** (12)

 

5. Do you have more than one e! mail
account that you check daily?

• 
  Yes, one personal, one business*
  (1)
• 
  Yes************* (12)
• 
  No ****** (6)

 

6.How many times an hour do you check your
email?

• 
  Approx. once per hour *******
  (7)
• 
  3 times a day * (1)
• 
  No * (1)
• 
  Once a day * (1)
• 
  Continuously ***** (5)
• 
  Every  5-15 mins **** (4)

 

7. How many times an hour do you look a t
your text messages?

• 
  When received **************
  (13)
• 
  Once **** (4)
• 
  Don’t ** (2)

8. Do you have a Smartphone?

• 
  No**** (4)
• 
  Yes *************** (15)

 

9. Do you subscribe to any magazines?

• 
  Yes ************** (14)
• 
  No ***** (5)

 

10. How often do you read the local
newspaper whether in print or online?

• 
  Daily************* (13)
• 
  3 times a week  * (1)
• 
  Once a week * (1)
• 
  Rare ** (2)
• 
  When receiving a link * (1)

11. Do you subscribe to any blogs or rss
feeds? If so, how many?

• 
  No******** (8)
• 
  Yes, a couple (1-6) *********
  (10)
• 
  Yes, 10 * (1)

 

12. Do you know how to display images in an
email newsletter where you're

viewing x's where pictures should be?

• 
  Yes (15)
• 
  No (4)

 

13. Do you know how to add an email sender
to your safe sender list?

• 
  Yes (14)
• 
  n/a (1)
• 
  No (4)

 

14. Do you know how to export email addresses out of your electronic address

book?

• 
  No (5)
• 
  Yes (13)
• 
  n/a (1)

 

15. What do you do with print direct mail?

• 
  Read it (4)
• 
  Throw it away (15)

 

16. Do you keep/save the yellow pages or
phone boom?

• 
  No (12)
• 
  Yes (7)

 

17. If you receive! d an ema il with a
video in it, would you press play and

watch if the message was less than 5
minutes?

• 
  If time allowed and it appeared
  to be of interest  or known source(16)
• 
  No ( 3)

18. Do you know what rss feed means?

• 
  Yes (15)
• 
  No (4)

19. Do you know what www means?

• 
  Yes (19)

 

 

20. Do you know what https means?

• 
  No (2)
• 
  Yes (17)

21. Do you LIKE most businesses that ask
you to LIKE them on Facebook?

• 
  Yes,  (6)
• 
  No (5)
• 
  Occasionally (If known or if
  interested) (8)