2010 ended in prayer. I asked for wisdom to determine the best way to impact others through community service while growing New Destiny Marketing, LLC. The opportunities created by executing the answer I received was over and above what I could have imagined.

I was recently quoted in MSN.com regarding the benefits of community service, and I thank Jeff Wuorio for including me in his article and blog regarding Business Lessons Learned In 2011.

http://tinyurl.com/6w5z3mz

A special thank you to everyone who supports, encourages, challenges, and trusts me, and New Destiny with your marketing needs. I am also grateful for the invitations I receive to speak and for those who attend our classes and seminars. When I think of 2012 I am filled with excitement and optimism for my clients, my business colleagues, my family, and myself.

May God bless each and every one of you beyond your wildest dreams.

Grateful For Business Lessons Learned In 2011 is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

My Father, Robert Taylor, made a career out of heading up the Special Effects Department of CBS Television. Dad got to work with many celebrities including one of the most revered journalists of the time, Edward R. Murrow. His show was called “Person To Person”, and it aired from 1953 to 1959. It was “developed out of Mr. Murrow’s belief that human beings are innately curious,” according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications. The premise was that Mr. Murrow interviewed famous people about normal everyday life. Guests were of the caliber of Jackie Kennedy and Barbara Streisand.

According to Dad, when Mr. Murrow was the Chief Foreign Correspondent for CBS News, England he adopted many English customs. One of these was to wear heavy English wool suits with pants that rose to his chest. Consequently the air conditioning in the studio was turned down to 60 degrees at all times. Most of the crew needed to wear a coat while working on the show.

Dad has fond memories of the crew playing poker with Mr. Murrow before they went into rehearsal each week. And, interestingly, one of Dad’s responsibilities was to make sure that there was Cutty Sark Scotch Whiskey sitting behind the scenery so that at the commercial break Mr. Murrow could walk over and take a sip if he wanted to.

Mr. Murrow won over the crew with his quirky, down-to-earth attitude and accessibility. They not only wanted to work with him but to do their best to make the show a hit. What can each of us do to build a team that produces the finest work for our clients?

If you have any questions about how to create a cohesive and successful marketing team please contact me at Karen.newdestinymarketing.com or 623-806-5547.

Edward R. Murrow And A Lesson About Creating A Team is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

The scene is New York City, 1953. A man robs a high-end clothing store and two police officers follow in chase. One of the officers takes a quick shot through the gathering crowd attempting to stop the robber cold in his tracks. Instead of hitting the robber the bullet hits an innocent pedestrian, my father, Robert Taylor. The next day Lorraine Elmo picks up the morning paper. There splattered across the front page of The Daily News is a story about a robbery and the man who was mistakenly shot. Lorraine glances at the photo and realizes it is one of her high school sweetheart, Bob. He is sitting down, leaning against a wall and looking dejected. Lorraine decides she should do something nice to cheer him up. This is especially kind since Bob left her years earlier to join the Navy, and she has not heard from him since. Lorraine’s compassion takes over, and she sends him a get-well note. The rest is family history. Less than a year later they wed. Fifty years later the same newspaper runs a story entitled “A Bullet Called Love” highlighting the life of Bob, Lorraine, their children and grandchildren. One small act of kindness may change the recipients life as well as our own!

“A Bullet Called Love” and One Small Act Of Kindness is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

My father, Robert Taylor, was head of Special Effects at CBS during the golden age of television. Live TV was the norm and even after careful planning there was always the possibility of the unexpected happening.

As my father tells it Jackie Gleason was playing one of his characters “The Poor Soul.” The set was designed so that an old fashioned radiator would spew “cold water” after Jackie hit it with a hammer. The water was actually spray from a rigged fire extinguisher so the effect would look more dramatic (Jackie’s idea). That night the linoleum floor of the stage grew especially hot under the stage lights. When the CO2 shot out onto the floor it created a thin layer of ice upon impact. Jackie took a step, flew up in the air and broke his leg.

Quick thinking Art Carney ran over, grabbed Jackie and quickly pulled him off of the stage. The audience thought it was part of the act and laughed hysterically.

I am reminded that small business marketing is a little like live television. There is always the possibility you may save the day by quick thinking…and no one may be the wiser.

My Dad, Jackie Gleason and CO2 is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

My Dad was the head of Special Effects at CBS Television for nearly 50 years. He has some great stories about the shows he worked on, and he told me one today. Dad got the scripts in advance and was planning a stunt for The Jackie Gleason Show. Jackie was to play his “Poor Soul” character and ride a bike down a 4′ ramp to run into a styrofoam wall made to look real. Dad told Jackie that the styrofoam bricks should be painted so they would slide apart easily upon impact. Jackie insisted that they not be painted. The day of the live TV show Jackie performed the stunt, the styrofoam wall did not budge as Dad had predicted, and Jackie ended up breaking his wrist. Jackie was rushed to St. Claire’s Hospital in New York to recover. The show was telecast live from the hospital the following week and ratings jumped since CBS’s PR Department played up the story to the press.

A great reminder that even if the worst case scenario happens, we should try to see if something good can come out of it.

My Dad, Jackie Gleason and A Broken Wrist is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

Many business owners visit Mashable.com when they want to research innovative and creative marketing ideas. Recently Amy-Mae Elliot wrote an article that first appeared in the American Express OPEN Forum entitled the “Top 5 YouTube Mistakes Committed By Small Businesses.”

Amy-Mae suggests that going into a marketing project with “unrealistic expectations, thinking small, treating a viral video as a commercial, putting all of your eggs in the YouTube basket and basing success on view counts alone” are not wise. Mashable includes an interesting video example for each point.

I would add that creating a small business marketing plan before you launch a project should incorporate your mission, vision, unique selling proposition, accurate targeting of your client/customer, measurable goals and a timetable for results. This way your expectations will be on target and results can be more accurately assessed.

If you have questions or would like to discuss how New Destiny’s small business marketing services could benefit your business please contact me at 623-806-5547 or mynewdestinymarketing@gmail.com

To read the Mashable article please go to the following link:

http://mashable.com/2011/03/27/youtube-marketing-mistakes/

Accurate Planning = Tangible Results is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

“Marketing 911″ Group

A solid marketing plan is launched after much planning and thought, and we eagerly await spectacular results. Time passes, but our goals are not quite achieved. Doubt can settle in as our mind races to possible solutions.

Should we make a change? Perhaps, but what at first appears to be a fix may not be the best way to reach our long-term goals. Questions should to be answered including has our target market changed behavior, has the marketing vehicle we are using become less effective, or does the original plan need a little more time to work?

If faced with this situation seek guidance from trusted advisors to help you brainstorm through the problem. It is important to build long-term relationships with others who care enough about you, and your business to give you truthful advice when you ask for it.

The Power Of Others is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

Resiliency and Determination is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

Recently I recovered from a nasty virus. The kind that you hope will last for 24 hours but ends up lasting for a week. Initially I felt so badly that I carefully planned what I would eat and drink so my body would heal and regain its strength as quickly as possible. As I began to feel better I became inconsistent in my eating and drinking…in other words I ate and drank whatever I felt like at the moment. This turned out to be a mistake, and I prolonged the symptoms of my illness.

Starting out with a great plan for sales and marketing is a given but without consistent execution we can lengthen the time it takes to reach our goal.

Consistency is a post from: New Destiny Marketing

A strong mega church excelled at bringing in large numbers of visitors through its appealing message and amenities. This same church lost many who simply fell through the cracks despite a caring but over stretched staff. Recognizing that this was a problem the church created a position to help close the back door. Enter me.

So how did this church begin to stem the tide? I attribute it to many small acts of kindness that expressed true commitment and caring. Phone calls were made to thank people for coming, people were introduced who might benefit from knowing each other, people were asked to volunteer personally, many people shared meals and worked together on projects that benefited others, and birthdays and significant events were recognized.

It is important to remember what I first stated – that the church was already a strong church (like I hope your business is already a strong business), and everyone was stretched. But a decision was made that building relationships had to be a priority because no one likes to watch people walk out the back door.

Learning About Client Retention In A Mega Church is a post from: New Destiny Marketing