Colleen Wainwright as the new Southwest Airlines’ Blog-o-spondent!
August 25th, 2008
My friend Colleen would make a GREAT blog-o-spondent for Southwest Airlines.
We could all use the LUV. Please click here and vote “up” for Colleen!
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Build your digital imprint
August 23rd, 2008
In “Why I keep a blog” I detailed the five reasons I’m here in cyberspace:
To learn, compete, help, entertain, and build credibility.
Building credibility
Through the power of social media, my digital imprint is taking on a life of its own. 24 people wrote a compliment about me on Biznik. And four wrote entire articles about me.
- In “Social Media Training with Joe,” SEO expert Barry Hurd wrote, “Joe has … an extreme grasp of both tactical and strategic marketing … a sparkling resume … Joe is the ‘full meal deal’ when it comes to marketing strategy.”
- In “Don’t spend a dime on marketing until you read this,” Professional Life and Business Coach Tshombe Brown wrote, “I just read two absolutely amazing articles by Marketing Genius Joe Hage … you will be blown away at how much value you’ll get from them.
It’s indulgent all right, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the attention. :-) Read the rest of this entry »
Historia de un letrero
August 19th, 2008
A friend sent me this beautiful short film, “Historia de un letrero” (The story of a sign). It poignantly demonstrates the power of words.
The movie touched me. As did the comment in his email. “You have this gift,” he said.
Thank you.
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Joe, why do you keep a blog?
August 16th, 2008
I get this question surprisingly often.
“I don’t get it,” they start. “Why do you keep a blog? I thought you liked your job.”
“I do. Very much. I’m not looking.”
“Then why do you keep a blog?”
Why I blog
I blog for lots of reasons. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear employer: I’m not perfect
August 12th, 2008
True story:
I once had an interviewer ask me a question so direct that I had two choices: lie, or tell her an unfiltered, embarrassing truth.
I told the truth.
And I got the job — not in spite of my embarrassing admission but because of it. “That must have been very hard for you,” the interviewer empathized.
“I now know that what I see is what I’m going to get with you,” she said.
Why I share the story
Being imperfect, I suspect, is hard for many of my readers. We didn’t learn imperfection at Wharton. And how can we achieve corporate super stardom if people knew the truth about us?
42 years later, I’m quite comfortable with my imperfections. In fact, I enjoy them. They make me human. Humanity comes in handy when I have an unpopular decision to make.
Dealing with imperfection
My boss Kathleen Horner, then president at StockPot (a Campbell Soup Company), gave me a gift. Before we parted, she gave me an honest assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. “You’re a fantastic individual Read the rest of this entry »
The Art of Living
August 9th, 2008
Every once in a while, someone enters your life and alters your path.
Are you aware enough to know when it’s happening? (It might be happening right now, with this blog posting.)
Shyam Nair altered my path. We met at StockPot, Campbell’s fastest growing division at the time, when I was Director of Marketing there. We made the best soup I have ever tasted for foodservice and retail distribution.
Shyam and I became fast friends after he spoke at a leadership forum we had.
In a thick accent I hardly understood, he gushed about the potential he saw at the company. Then, slowing down, he apologized. “I know I’m hard to understand when I get so excited!” I laughed and sought him out after the meeting.
One day we went for a walk during lunch and I was grousing about some such thing. Shyam put up his hand and said, “Joe, I’m not going to listen to one more complaint until you take a course with The Art of Living.” (Watch this MSNBC video.) He explained it would bring me some peace and help me meditate through my dissatisfaction.
Hey, I’m from Brooklyn. There’s no way I’m taking that class, I thought. I like to sleep. There’s no way I can close my eyes and not sleep. I don’t have the patience to meditate. I’m not sitting in the lotus position and I don’t believe any of that stuff. If it works for you, great, but it’s not for me.
“You will take this class,” he said, undeterred.
“Even if I have to pay the $350 myself.”
Mortgage broker foreclosure help
August 3rd, 2008
Boy, it’s dismal out there in real estate land.
I drafted this letter to help mortgage brokers secure new business among homeowners with adjustable rate mortgages.
I’ll email the letter to you for a modest fee. You can use and mail to your target audience as often as you like.
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Dear [Name],
I haven’t felt this good for a long time. I feel empowered writing you this letter. I genuinely think this letter can make a material difference for you and the 300 other Snohomish County families I am writing. (Why 300? Keep reading.)
I became a mortgage broker to help people realize their dream of homeownership. When I started nine years ago,
… I didn’t expect to have people crying in my office.
… I didn’t expect to see anguish on people’s faces.
… I didn’t expect that I would console people on the verge of losing their homes.
The people I’m describing – like you – have an adjustable rate mortgage coming due. They are frantic because … email me for the rest of the letter.
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