Trade Tips: Get Started Now!

By: Nicole Hayes

Have you started the dream project that awakes you each morning with excitement yet still resides in your head collecting cobwebs? Has your New Year's Resolution to begin that "new thing" followed you now into spring, not yet begun? Not to worry. You're likely not alone, though it's no excuse. With nearly seven remaining months of 2013, you can make your start now. So how do you get going today?

A few years ago, I read a book that helped me begin a new project. The project/dream was to become self-employed and serve others through public relations as I had been doing, but finding my particular niche to help those typically underserved. The 226-page book, "The Art of the Start" (2004) by Guy Kawasaki (@GuyKawasaki) with it's cover imagery of striking a match, offered the tested advice I needed from someone who had been where I was trying to go. CEO of Garage Technology Ventures and a former Apple Computer Fellow, Kawasaki dismisses many presumptions and "expert" tips that would overwhelm most people before they even begin. Instead, he shares sage advice, some of which did and didn't surprise me. I'll share with you five of the most immediate tips to transfer your idea into something tangible:

Decide how your idea can make meaning. Meaning is not about money, power or prestige. That's far too superficial and won't sustain you during your project's ups and downs. Instead, does your idea make the world a better place? Does idea increase the quality of life? Does it right a terrible wrong/injustice? Does your idea prevent the end of something good?
Create your company or project mantra. Not to be confused with taglines, a mantra identifies what you are serving your internal and external customers. Mantras are typically 3-5 words. Here are sample mantras:

Nike- "Authentic athletic performance." (Tagline is "Just Do It")

Starbucks- "Rewarding everyday moments."

Now, write yours.
Get going. To get going, Kawasaki quickly dismisses the immediate drafting of a business plan or creating financial projections. Instead, he suggests you "rein in your anal tendency to draft a document and simply implement." Implement could include building a prototype, designing an app, launching your website, offering your services, baking those cupcakes, etc. He cautions against investing extensive time testing, refining, testing, refining. There will be time to plan, retool and refine. The enemy of activation is cogitation ("paralysis by analysis") and stalls many well-intentioned people. Those items can come later. Just get going!
Think big, aim high. Set your sights high and strive for something that allows you to meet your "meaning" (Tip 1). When Jeff Bezos began Amazon.com, he built an online bookstore not with 50 books but with 3,000,000 titles.
Find your dream team. Anything worth doing should not be done alone. Surround yourself with "soulmates," people who believe in your dream/project. They want to offer their specialized skillsets and are willing to proselytize (to advocate, promote) your project as if it were their own because they are invested in your "meaning."

I hope these tips are helpful. Maybe you have started your project and an incoming ball from left field knocked your plans off track. Perhaps in this case, you simply need to draw back your arrow and reposition it to align with your target destination.

Nicole Hayes
Communications Associate

Nicole Hayes brings a strong background in consumer outreach, partnership development and media relations to McKinney & Associates. Many of her communications strategies were cultivated during her work with international public relations agency Fleishman Hillard Inc., where she developed and implemented strategies and media relations outreach for large consumer and government clients.

Celebrating Earth Day! 10 Simple Ways YOU Can Help the Planet

By Danielle LeFlore

In these environmentally conscious times and as we celebrate another Earth Day, nearly everyone from Fortune 500 companies to everyday citizens is looking for a way to “go green.” Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to switch to cloth diapers or stop drinking out of aluminum soda cans to practice environmentally sound values (although neither of these would hurt). Contributing to the “greening” of our planet is easier than you think, and here are 10 ways you can help:

Educate yourself about issues such as global warming and recycling.
Create awareness among others by telling a friend, co-worker or relative.
Recycle.
Get involved in politics. Patronize businesses and vote for politicians who share the same Green values as you.
Drive less by cycling, using public transportation or car pooling.
Use fuel efficient vehicles when possible.
Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL’s) to reduce energy consumption and green house emissions.
Monitor the temperature of your thermostat.
Turn off lights, appliances and electronics when you are not using them.
Conserve water by showering instead of bathing and turning off the water when you brush your teeth.

For more information, visit RecyclingCenters.org.

Danielle LeFlore
Executive Assistant/Marketing Coordinator

Danielle LeFlore is executive assistant to the President of McKinney & Associates and doubles as Marketing Coordinator. Danielle is responsible for managing the president’s schedule as well as providing marketing support to the staff. Danielle is a three time veteran of McKinney, having started her third “tour of duty” with us in October of 2011.

Video: A Quick Minute with Gwen on Earth Day!

By Ryan Duncan

In this episode of a Quick Minute with Gwen, our President, Gwen McKinney, takes time to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, 2013. Gwen makes the point that we all have a stake in protecting our planet and that we can all do something to do our part, whether it be recycling at home or at the office, change begins with you!

Ryan Duncan
Public Relations and Digital Media Specialist

Ryan Duncan is integral part of the McKinney & Associates' social media team. He implements digital campaigns, targeting online media through content development and sharing.

He remains focused on the rapidly evolving world of social media to service McKinney and its clients. He also delivers support in managing the McKinney website, providing regular updates and analysis. Ryan is a 2006 graduate of Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications.