Email marketing guru Dela Quist has a very good point about inactive email subscribers. They are labeled 'inactive' because the email server can't detect any activity, but that tells you NOTHING about the person and what they've read or done with the information you sent. I am friends with a lot of IT professionals who block systems from collecting information from them. I, myself, read some emails with the images turned off because I know that I'll get slammed with needless follow-up emails if I don't. Segment inactives. Review the names as much as possible. You may find people you... Continue reading

A great email subject line is valuable, but targeting your message to the interests and preferences of your audience is even more important. If you can get someone who trusts and supports you to forward a message, that's worth more than a list. Quora: What is a good way to start promoting a church or business? 2019-Dec-4 by Paul O'Brien of MediaTech Ventures Where once, a message sent was likely received by all (or at least most), now the two way relationship between communicator and receiver has changed; with the receiver being empowered to decide HOW and WHEN they receive.... Continue reading

One of my favorite Houston bloggers is Robert Boyd. The recent surprising death of Houston art icon Michael Galbreth hit him pretty hard but stimulated a couple of amazing posts on his blog "The Great God Pan Is Dead." Michael Galbreth was one-half of the internationally famous "Art Guys" who introduced thousands of Houstonians to performance art, and caused us to question the conventional way of life: drive around, consume a lot of things, take your friends for granted, etc. Jack Massing is the other Art Guy. The Great God Pan Is Dead: Tod and Verklarung, 2019-Oct-25 by Robert Boyd... Continue reading

In the future, I want to commit to making this blog more and more about dispensing loyalty and recognition to others. Zabar's delicatessen represents so much of what I love about New York. It's a symbol more than a store. It turns out the most recent heir (of many) to this family business is also a Columbia Business School student. I feel even more connected to this company. Read more here. Continue reading

Charming Charlie is reviving. Social media has been activated. The new store locations have been announced. A new web site collects together all the positive press that founder Charlie Chanaratsopon has had in the past, but the e-commerce web site is not available yet. The projected launch date for both physical retail and online sales is early 2020. A few months ago, Chanaratsopon did an interview with the Houston Chronicle after he was approved to buy the intellectual property and customer database at the bankruptcy auction. He stated that online sales will be more important, and physical storefronts will be... Continue reading

I've decided to spend more time concentrating on newsletter and trying to find consulting gigs in the newsletter arena. So I'm trying to find role models, and Tom Critchlow has an amazing approach. The Strategic Independent: Yes! and... 2019-Nov-18 by Tom Critchlow Who’s been in a meeting and been disgusted with people spouting things that are half-true, made-up or masks over the real truth? There’s a fine line between reacting to a situation in the room and bullshitting. As a consultant this is especially hard to avoid. Your default mode of operating is the liminal space between industries, businesses and... Continue reading

I've known Amy for a long, long time, although I haven't seen her face-to-face in years. She used to send the most fabulous emails--she probably still does--but I see her on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram now. What I enjoy about following Amy is that her use of social media has evolved over the years. If I had faced what she faced a few times, I'd have thrown in the towel. I'll never be as outgoing and open-hearted as she is, but I hope I follow her in using social media to enrich our lives. Go follow Amy somewhere: https://www.instagram.com/realtoramyhouston/ https://www.facebook.com/HoustonRealtor... Continue reading

Yesterday I attended a networking meeting at a hotel in downtown Houston called "C. Baldwin." Since the massive renovation, the space and furnishings are quite beautiful. I really enjoyed meeting everyone with Sesh. However, the hotel disappoints me in several ways. It makes me feel cheap. Everything seems over-the-top expensive. At The Houstonian, I can see value in the money I might spend, but at "C.Baldwin," I feel pressured to throw money around for show. The name is from an important woman in Houston's history, Charlotte Baldwin Allen, the wife of one of the city's founders. When her husband left... Continue reading

When I was just a kid, I was eager to buy art. For me, that meant getting cheap junk at the county fair, as long as it was attractive and handmade. My mother usually bought reproductions at home furnishing stores, but I preferred the real thing, even if it was lower quality. Many people see art as unaffordable, but if you open your eyes to everything 'handmade' (even if made on a computer or in a machine shop), you'll see so many opportunities to support artists. Most of these pieces are functional. And if they get a little tattered or... Continue reading

Here's a really good trick for making sure that you're chasing the right dream. Think about something you'd love to do, but ALWAYS ask does it solve a problem? Whose problem? How would that work? Tanvir has a cool new company called Dunyha, an innovative real estate firm that integrates home sharing and home ownership. Check it out: https://dunyha.com/ Kivo Daily: Movers and Shakers Interview with Tanvir Aman, 2019-Nov-1 by Dillon Kivo Kivo: What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career? Aman: I wish someone had told me that rather than... Continue reading

I usually photograph the flowers and trees, but last weekend I spotted this while walking in Hermann Park. Continue reading

The work of Alex Pentland has been valuable to me, and I once carried a copy of his book Social Physics to a meeting of technology innovators, including Austin Fatheree. Most of the people in this meeting had degrees and experience in math, science and engineering. They were repelled by the idea of 'social physics.' They thought it was blasphemous to put the two words together! I have never been sure of their issue because their reaction was clearly emotional. I assume they saw physics as reliable and social interactions as unpredictable. And that is true, as this article by... Continue reading

Since I'm thinking of building up a community around the new Creative Houston newsletter, I'm fascinated by this information about scaling communities. This research suggests to me, that for my purposes, I should probably plan on keeping the community below 150 people, as I don't have the resources to manage a bigger one yet. One Man & His Blog: Engaged journalism, membership models and communities under attack: important new research from the Reuters Institute, 2019-Oct-25 by Adam Tinworth ...one thing we’ve known for a very long time in community management is that scale does break community. It always breaks community.... Continue reading

We make a mistake when we think of a marketing newsletter of 'news' about our company or general 'news' which we share with our customers to persuade them buy. Newsletters ought to drive people to the long-term value they can find at your web site. First, the web site has to contain useful content. Then social media and newsletters are used to help people find the information or tools they can use. WebInkNow: Are You Creating Marketing Assets or Just Generating Marketing Expenses? 2019-Oct-17 by David Meerman Scott For example, if you spend $5,000 in a given month on advertising... Continue reading

I agree with Dr. Burton (see below), and I think that when we are trying to build consensus, we have to turn away from presenting evidence and using Robert's Rules of Order. Persuasion, as Dr. Cialdini has pointed out, is based on behaviors, not ideas. When we practice reciprocity, when we appreciate consistency, and try to be likable and civil, then people are more likely to tolerate our ideas. And toleration is the best we can expect when people possess such conflicting values. Nautilus: Reason Won't Save Us, 2019-Oct-17 by Robert A. Burton There is no compelling evidence to suggest... Continue reading

As my mother enters the late stages of Alzheimers, I'm looking around her cluttered home and wondering who'll carry out all the stuff. Then I go home and look at my cluttered home and think, "I'm not leaving this for someone else to sort out." In the future, when I acquire something and manage my home, I'm always going to visualize where that item will be after I'm gone. (And if it's going into the trash, I better be the one to put it there!) Forbes: Lovesac's Loyalty Secret For Keeping Customers For Life And Saving The Planet, 2019-May-3 by... Continue reading

Storytelling is HARD for me. I tend to analyze and abstract, which kills the narrative. So I have blended two storytelling models into one I can use for Creative Houston. The two models which influenced me are from Pixar and John Hagel. Once there as a WHO... Every day they did WHAT (ACTION)... One day they DECIDED… (WHY? What challenged them?)... Because of that they took ACTION (HOW)... WHEN they did that, the result was… That led to another DECISION... Until finally they found a PATH headed to WHERE Now they invite you to join them in going there. Continue reading

A useful metaphor allows us to manage our work around a force of nature. We think of the internet as a manmade thing but it's gotten way out of hand. Now all we can do is learn how to ride it. Or should I say--ride it out? (Everything below was written by "Blogdana".) @Bogdana: A metaphorical explanation for the Internet (for planners), 2019-Sep-7 For a very long time, I thought of the Internet as a whole other world with its very separate rules. A separate but a complete world. A world that was missing physicality but had everything else. People,... Continue reading

Dave Winer was one of the first bloggers, and he doesn't take it seriously. Just words. May as well put them out there. So I guess I'll keep doing it, just as he does. Scripting News: Blogs are little things, 2019-Oct-11 by Dave Winer I know what a blog is, behind the scenes. It isn't a place. It's just a few files on a server, very small files, and a few database entries perhaps. The reason companies like Automattic and Google host blogs for free is that's how much it costs to host one a blog. It really is of... Continue reading

About once a week, I walk through the MFA complex. The new building for the Glassell School of Art is a source of constant joy. Continue reading

The Houston architectural planning and design firm Asakura Robinson has just relocated to 2500 Summer in the Houston Arts District. Last night they gave a wonderful open house. I appreciate the 'cloud views' available in the windows. What color of makers do they need for landscape and environmental design? Lots of green and tan, of course. Continue reading

Photos taken around the Museum District in the last month are so. Most are heavily processed. Click on image for full view. Park life Buildings Continue reading

Over the next few weeks I will be inventorying my assets and strategizing my next move. Continue reading

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