It’s a phenomenon. The Super bowl that is.
I’m not a sports person,… Read More yet I sit with family and friends, eat, and watch the game. From the start to the finish.
OK, I know who
Communication Strategy
Commericials. Super!
Sunday, February 5th, 2012Blogging. Simplified to 4 Tips.
Monday, January 30th, 2012I’ve been blogging for about 3 years.… Read More I started, not because I had something to say, but because I was promoting the benefits of blogging in my seminars. I figured I should try it. And
1 Thing To Make You Sell More.
Sunday, January 15th, 2012I was in New Orleans this week for a great conference. Quality people that not only listened to me; but interacted with great questions.
Travel has gotten crazy. The airlines don’t get it.… Read More
Here are
3 Ways to Improve Your Website Now.
Sunday, December 11th, 2011I love seeing TV shows with self-improvement tips. How to dress better, how to talk to people, how to take better pictures, how to use electronics, etc.… Read More I’m a sucker for the before/after pictures. The
Know Your Sweet Spot.
Sunday, October 16th, 2011I love chocolate.… Read More In fact, this morning, I saw a bag emblazoned with “Hershey” on the side, and my mouth started to water. Of course, one must balance a sweet tooth with a salt tooth.
4 Ways You May be Failing.
Sunday, September 25th, 2011My wife’s baking an apple pie right now. The house is full of the wonderful smells… Read More. We all love to eat them. I’d pay a lot to eat her pie.
Have you wondered why
3 Reasons Why It’s Good to Visit the Past
Sunday, August 21st, 2011We’re approaching our 10th anniversary at PinPoint Creative Group. And this week I stopped into our very 1st office location. The one where our business practice was born.
It was good for me.… Read More Over
Warning: Business Disaster Watch is currently on
Sunday, August 14th, 2011Tonight there’s a Tornado Watch… Read More in our community. I never grew up where there were tornadoes. Ever! Each time I hear the weather radio alert us; I always have to remember what the difference is
Weather People are Creative Promoters
Sunday, July 24th, 2011We’re in the middle of a heatwave.… Read More Me and 100 million others in America. The weather people are bending over backwards “sharing” various ways to visualize it. Some are cooking eggs and pizzas on the
Business Essentials 7: Peculiarity
Sunday, July 3rd, 2011I hate same-old; same-old. Although I love consistency.… Read More And thus the battle that happens constantly in my brain.
I guess I should explain. Some things are so important to have consistency: things like wall
Business Essentials 5: Perception
Sunday, June 12th, 2011Have you ever thought you knew something about a product or organization and then found out something entirely different?
Imagine what people say about your product or service. … Read MoreWhat do they think about your company?
Business Essentials 4: People
Sunday, May 29th, 2011I’m always amazed when I have to deal with a server that seems to hate their job. Why is it that the wrong people choose the wrong careers?… Read More
People are funny. Until it comes to
Business Essentials 3: Knowing Your Place. Essential!
Sunday, May 22nd, 2011The other day I was driving to Atlanta. I was thirsty, tired, and I needed a PepsiMax… Read More (not a shock to anyone who knows me). I stopped at a Gas Bar at the next exit.
3 Signs of a Great Relationship
Sunday, May 1st, 2011We enjoyed an amazing long weekend with new friends.… Read More It’s rare to find two families that seem to be so compatible. But this family made us feel welcome; and we laughed and cried together as
7 Reasons Your Resume May Be Ignored.
Sunday, April 24th, 2011We’ve got a Problem!
Sunday, March 20th, 2011Not a lot of sugar.
Sunday, March 13th, 2011I met someone yesterday who has never tried Coke Zero.
It surprised me a bit.… Read More After her initial question, I curiously asked if she’d ever had a diet soft drink. She then asked “Is it
3 Things I’m Learning in Our Move This Week.
Sunday, February 20th, 2011This week we’re moving PinPoint. Just across town, but it seems huge for us. After months of planning and dreaming, it’s all coming together. This move is going to be so good… Read More for us, but
3 Steps to Selling Anything in this Economy.
Sunday, February 13th, 20113 Steps to Get Ready for Visitors
Sunday, January 30th, 2011Many of you know that I moved to NC from Canada 10 years ago. The difficult part of living thousands of miles away from family and friends is that people rarely come and visit. I … Read More
Pay attention! Please!
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011Psych. It’s a show that’s on USA network. You should watch it (old episodes are on netflix).
It’s about a 20-something that notices everything.… Read More Yes, everything.
His Dad trained his son (when he was
Your name could determine how long you’ll live
Sunday, January 16th, 2011A few weeks ago, I was standing with the Sears cashier, handing him my credit card. He thanked me, using my name, Mr. MacDonald.
Then he hesitated and started to chuckle. … Read More
Having lived with my
3 Fail-Proof Ways to Have a Successful Year
Sunday, January 9th, 2011Be like Spiderman — Arrive Just in Time!
Sunday, November 14th, 2010The fall is upon us (for some winter is already. The American election is over. Thanksgiving is around the corner.
What does that mean to you as a business owner?… Read More Is it your biggest time
3 Things You Should Never Have on Your Website
Sunday, October 31st, 2010I usually try to be positive on my blogs.… Read More But I’m going to make an exception this week.
Have you ever worn something and had a friend, spouse or child tell you, “you shouldn’t be
Who doesn’t like FREE food?!?
Sunday, October 24th, 2010I love freebies.… Read More And this past week I got a bunch!
Over the years as I’ve signed up for various e-blasts and restaurant clubs, I’ve listed my birthday. I’m not sure why, but it seems
SEO is a waste of money without this key topic.
Sunday, September 26th, 2010It only takes a little.
Sunday, August 29th, 2010Just do it.
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010Supply the “Missing” Things. 3 Easy Steps.
Sunday, June 27th, 2010My wife and sons have been gone for a few weeks. … Read MoreIt’s a great opportunity each year for them to spend time with their grandmother, cousins, aunts and uncles. I wish I could spend the
4 Ways to make “Little Things” matter
Sunday, June 20th, 20103 Things to Consider for an Anniversary
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago, in a small church in New Brunswick, Canada, I got married.
It’s almost like looking through a fog when I look back over the years and see… Read More
1 Tiny Thing I Hate Big Time.
Sunday, May 16th, 2010I’m not sure when it started happen. But I enjoy reading fine print in ads.
It’s always tells volumes about the company when you read the tiny print somewhere obscured in the advertisement. Sometimes it’s… Read More
3 Tips for Effective PR
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010As I write this, I’m watching a TV news report about the oil slick off the coast of Louisiana. It’s huge and seems to be growing every day. And so are the press releases, news… Read More
3 Ways to Start at the very Beginning.
Monday, April 26th, 2010You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010Well, it’s tax time. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of this.
What that means is that every time you drive near a tax preparation location you get banners, balloons, dancing Statue of… Read More
Mud your Marketing Communication’s Plan!
Sunday, March 14th, 2010I’m in the process of building a home theater. You know; a room that used to be called a TV room, but for some reason, when we have a larger TV area, we call it… Read More
3 Business Lessons I Learned While Getting my Haircut
Sunday, March 7th, 2010I got my hair cut this afternoon. A lot of people that know me, think I am very particular of my hair. I guess because I act and model, and have to have my hair… Read More
It’s the Big Game day!
Sunday, February 7th, 2010Today, we celebrate a national holiday — or at least so it seems. We’re having a large party to honor athletic men scrambling for a ball while unfit people eat, drink and cheer for their… Read More
The 1 Thing Every Business Must Do Now!
Sunday, January 17th, 2010It’s 2010 and you want to run your business well.… Read More The internet and websites are expected to be in your business plan. I certainly hope you have a website you’re happy with. But more importantly,
4 Easy Ways to Sell More
Sunday, January 10th, 2010Have you noticed the ads that are running right now? It seems that someone knows we have new years’ resolutions: lose weight, eat better, working out and quitting smoking.
OK, the first 2 or 3… Read More
An Easy New Year’s Resolution. Guaranteed!
Monday, January 4th, 2010It’s a new year. … Read MoreA new decade. And once again we wonder how it’ll be called. Twenty-Ten or Two-Thousand-Ten; or will these years be called the “teen” years. Does that mean we’ll all go through
Word of Mouth made Easy in 3 Easy Steps!
Sunday, December 13th, 2009Want to increase your business? … Read MoreGrow it wildly to something you couldn’t even imagine?
Then you need to work on your “word-of-mouth” strategies.
We often are told by business owners that they don’t want to
So many colors!
Sunday, November 29th, 2009This weekend we finished the renovations on our basement family room. We’ve been working for about a month on weekends and evenings replacing doors, painting, fixing things and decorating.
We decided, since we have two… Read More
Typos Happen. 3 Secret Ways to Stop Them!
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009Isn’t it crazy how our writing skills and spelling abilities are getting worse and worse. I know, if you’re anything like me, you’re actually writing more and more — facebook, twitter, blogs, articles, emails, etc.… Read More
Features vs Benefits
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Want to make more Money?… Read More Ask someone what business they’re in and you get similar answers: I work for….. or I run… or we produce….
But if you switch to a sales-mode, you usually get
It’s Christmas Time!
Monday, November 2nd, 2009I was in the mall today. Christmas is everywhere!… Read More It seems like it arrives in retail far to early! Even before Halloween or early October — soon it’ll be late summer when the Christmas tree
There’s a Wrong Way to Do Things.
Sunday, October 25th, 2009This weekend, my wife and I decided to paint our master bedroom. We’ve renovated every other upstairs room in our house, so it was time to finish ours. We asked (told) our kids to help… Read More
The Management Gap
Sunday, October 11th, 2009I just got back from a Leadership conference. Very well done with speakers from all over America.
At these conferences, I try to come away with a new business principle that I want to work… Read More
How Many Times?
Sunday, October 4th, 2009We are asked fairly frequently, “How many times should we contact our customers”?
Remember the “old” days when “touching a customer” meant running an ad in the newspaper, mailing out direct mail cards, a 30… Read More
Simplify!
Sunday, September 13th, 2009For the past month or so, my family has been planning a yard sale.
I don’t know what that means to you, but after having several of them, it means a lot of work, for … Read More
What Languages Do Your Team Members Speak?
Sunday, August 30th, 2009Hopefully you’ve read the Gary Chapman book, 5 Love Languages. It’s one of those books that should be taught to all students in college.It would help in all relationship issues including the business world!
I… Read More
One Word that Describes what I do Every Day.
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009Have you ever tried to describe what you do in your life, in one word… Read More?
After working 23 years in the Graphic Design field, I’ve decided that my design life can be described in
Do you have different Audiences?
Sunday, July 19th, 2009I’ve been in Canada for the last 2 weeks. It’s my homeland. We’ve been privileged to work in the US for the last 10 years and every summer my family visits relatives in East Coast… Read More
6 Reasons I’m going to Miss Billy Mays
Sunday, June 28th, 2009I don’t quote too many celebrities but it seemed that Billy Mays came up in my speech this past year more than any other celebrity. A celebrity… Read More? Well, considering that most people know his
TMI: I’ve been Fired AND Laid off
Sunday, May 17th, 2009When life deals you lemons, you make lemonade… Read More. Right?
We’ve all heard the stories of famous people who made it big. But then we find out that most of them have either lost it
5 Ways You can be More Creative. Now!
Saturday, April 18th, 200927 years ago, I entered college to become a “graphic designer”. Actually, back then, I referred to it as a “commercial artist”. I wanted to be Darren from Bewitched.
Remember him?… Read More
He presented ad
What Easter reminded me about Marketing
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009It’s Easter weekend.… Read More I find it interesting that we all have different traditions in our families. We were raised with getting Easter candy (large chocolate bunny and eggs sitting next to our plate) when we
Are you Unique?
Sunday, April 5th, 2009I overheard someone on Friday in the Dallas airport (while I was enjoying a short enjoyable burst of people-watching waiting for my flight) say, “You are one-of-a-kind… Read More!.” The recipient laughed and gave the look
Lessons All Business Owners Must Learn from Monopoly
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009I love to play board games with friends and family. It’s hard to find many that have the passion that I do. It seems that computer games have become the games of choice for the… Read More
Twitter and Facebook are a Waste of Time!
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009Prediction: The Recession is Ending
Sunday, March 8th, 2009Today we lost an hour but we say we “sprung forward” in time. There’s a big difference in perception.
In fact, when you ask someone today how they feel to loose an hour, and you’ll… Read More
I Burned My House Down Today.
Saturday, February 7th, 2009We moved into our beautiful house back in June after purchasing the brick ranch house from the original owners of 40+ years. Sometime when their four boys were young, their Dad built a two-story clubhouse… Read More
One Thing that You Must NOT Do During a Recession
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009I’m a fan of American Idol. The first rounds are over and the winners have moved on to Hollywood and the losers have retired to anonymity. What made the successful ones winners? Is it their… Read More
3 Things Everyone Should Know about you.
Monday, January 26th, 2009Excuse me, but who are you?
These are words that can make you feel good! Someone wants to know you! They care enough to ask. They have reached out to you.
But they can also… Read More
Inauguration Day
Sunday, January 18th, 2009On Tuesday, the United States will experience Inauguration Day. It’s a special day that only occurs every four years, but it seems like it’s longer this time. I guess because the election period extended for… Read More
Recession Declaration
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008Well, “they” finally told us. “We’re in a Recession”. I guess it’s hard news to hear, but also delivers information that we’ve sensed for awhile. Or perhaps the media and the political campaign wanted us… Read More
Where the heck are your Customers looking?
Saturday, November 15th, 2008I’m on my way back from speaking at a national conference in Houston. Prime people watching time. I love airports. Expos. Conferences.
When I was standing in front of the audience of about 200, I… Read More
I’m Mark MacDonald and I’m a News Junkie
Thursday, October 30th, 2008I have a confession.… Read More I’m a “news” junkie. I find myself quickly checking my favorite news website throughout the day. But, sadly, that’s not all. Let’s start at the beginning of my day. When I
The Presidential Debate got me thinking….
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008I’m sitting watching the Nashville Presidential debate.
Politics are interesting aren’t they?! How can two grown men say seemingly opposite things about the same things and both say they are telling the truth. Hmmm. Do… Read More
Three Things I Love
Saturday, September 27th, 2008This week, I returned from a week-and-a-half-long business trip.
I love to travel but these few days away from my family and the business got it “out of my system” for a while.
I left… Read More
Politics – Love/Hate relationship?
Thursday, September 4th, 2008I love Politics. There. I said it.
When you’re in a big crowd with a bunch of people who are mingling, try and say the word “politics” loudly. Notice the reactions. I think the majority… Read More
God’s View
Thursday, July 24th, 2008Employees rule!
Monday, July 7th, 2008This past week I’m reminded of how important employees are to an organization. You can’t do it all yourself — and at a particular point in time, you realize that you need someone who will… Read More
We’re in. But not unpacked.
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008Most things in life are much harder than they look. For weeks we prepared for the day that the Rental Truck would pull up to our old house. We had lots of friends arrive last… Read More
Moving Day Cometh
Friday, May 16th, 2008Well, we have one week left before we move to a new house. I can’t believe how many decisions we have to make this week. We’re finishing packing, changing utilities and buying materials that will… Read More
Survive a Tornado
Friday, May 9th, 2008Yesterday, for the first time in my life, my family and I had to huddle in our North Carolina basement and pray that a tornado didn’t hit our house.
It all started after I returned… Read More
So many colors…Stage 2
Sunday, April 27th, 2008The saga continues as we move towards our new house. This week we’re determining the colors we will paint on the walls of our house. I don’t know whether you’ve been to the big-box store… Read More
Brand Renovation – Stage 1
Sunday, April 20th, 2008Well, we found a new house. My wife and I talked about what we were looking for and we found almost everything that we discussed. Near the best high school in our area. Near our… Read More
TLC
Sunday, April 6th, 2008We’ve just sold our house. We decided to do it “for sale by owner” and after 17 days it’s under contract and now all the inspections are being done. It seems like the stress of… Read More
Marketing is like a Wedding
Monday, March 10th, 2008Recently I had the opportunity to talk to Wedding Professionals of the Triad (North Carolina). I was flattered, as I am anytime someone actually wants to listen to me, but I wondered how I could… Read More
