You Can’t Meet In-Person, but You Can Meet Face-to-Face

Online Networking Salon
I miss meeting new people. I miss bumping into people I know. So, necessity being the mother of invention, my team has been experimenting with different ways to gather our community – and we have a plan. Introducing the Shelly Palmer Online Networking Salons. They are free, category-specific, weekly, 20-minute, super-curated, small, Zoom meetings where you will introduce yourself, meet some new people, bump into old friends, learn something, hang out for a bit, and then get back to work. Here’s how we tested the theory and why we know it works. Continue Reading →

Mission, Vision, Values, and Brand Purpose

Compass Pointing North
Unified brand messaging and a well-defined brand personality are among your business’s most valuable assets. It all starts with a statement of the organization’s vision and mission (sometimes combined into a brand purpose) and a statement of brand values. Continue Reading →

SWOT Analysis

SWOT
SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) may be the most famous strategic planning technique. What I love about SWOT is its flexibility and adaptability. This framework is a great way to aggregate the information you need to continuously improve and adapt your areas of focus. If you’re in business, you’ve probably been in many SWOT sessions. But have you run them? If not, here’s how. If you’re an expert in the SWOT process, here’s the variation I use as a prerequisite to creating a brand playbook. Continue Reading →

The Life Plan Roadmap Template Story

Life Plan Roadmap Template
Like many of you, I’ve spent the past few months talking with friends and colleagues about the future. Everyone, myself included, is taking their best guess about what the new normal will be. There are many common questions: what will happen to restaurants, theaters, Broadway, concerts, bars, hotels, commercial real estate, the auto industry, airline travel, etc. As the conversations drift from professional to personal I am almost always asked, "What do you think I should do now?" Continue Reading →

Peloton’s Bumpy Ride – Lessons Learned

Peloton Bike Ad
Peloton (the exercise bike company) watched $942 million in market value ride into the sunset in a single day. The value destruction was due to its controversial holiday commercial. The internet didn't like it. But... did the punishment fit the crime? Is this result an unfortunate outlier, or are there lessons to be learned? Continue Reading →

Something’s Fishy at Bumble Bee Tuna

Bumble Bee
Bumble Bee foods filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday. Its assets will be purchased by Taiwan-based FCF Fishery. Bumble Bee's management cites the company's recent legal challenges (it was fined $25 million for creating a price-fixing cartel with Starkist and Chicken of the Sea) as one of the causes of the reorganization and sale. Continue Reading →

AI Won’t Take Your Job, People Will

Art Director
Machine intelligence, also known as artificial intelligence (AI) is going to have both an awesome and an unfortunate impact on our posterity. Let’s explore one possible way AI may impact the future of work, and how it may dramatically change how we train our workforce. Continue Reading →