My parents were both immigrants from the Netherlands, and I still have many uncles, aunts and cousins who reside there. I admit that the distance between us means we're not very close and don't communicate often. I did visit there as a teen and of course have seen all of them when they've travelled to North America. They all have ...

I've been thinking about how I need to let go of my old job responsibilities and embrace my new role. It's not easy to walk away from a warm, familiar, accepting environment into unknown, unchartered territory. For the most part, I like the unknown--it's full of challenge and discovery. But it's bumpy! And I tend to trip once ...

Thanks to everyone who has commented on the ads discussed in the last post. The USA Today (plus Canadian counterparts) ad is really just the beginning, with much more coming on TV and elsewhere. Beyond that, PR and Sponsorships also are going to create additional brand awareness for the company. This week I have to create some final presentations ...

The first ad speaking to the Quixtar -> Amway Global transformation went up today on the back page of USA Today's Sports Section.  This is the beginning of a campaign that will span various media types, including TV, sharing key messages about our international success, our innovation and leadership, our consumer protection and our One ...

Yesterday during services, the minister had the young children come up to the front to talk about the meaning of Easter. One little boy said, Easter is about "in with the new, out with the old" and another child close by who was too shy to move to the front murmured to his mother, "oh, that's why it's in ...

This weekend, I ended up at my favorite local bookstore, discovered a book called Words that Work-It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear by Dr. Frank Luntz. (Available through B&N, your Quixtar Partner Store.) I took the book with me to the cafe, ordered coffee, sat down, and read vrtually the entire book. I couldn't ...

It's amazing to me that some companies still don't understand that blogs and social media are a force to be reckoned with ... that there's power in the collective opinion of the masses connected only by their web access and their common interests. Someone shared with me an article about Target's PR comments to a blogger complaining ...

It's been nearly two weeks with no words from me.  Sorry.  I really meant to write last week, but every spare minute seemed to get filled with preparation of reviews for staff or discussing objectives with staff.  Plus we're going through a small reorg here in Communications as we become "Marketing Services" ...

I'm reading a fascinating book right now called Punk Marketing, by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons.  Essentially, the authors talk about how the rules of marketing have radically changed, with greater power in the hands of the consumer.  The Content, Commerce and Consumer circles, which intersect, have shifted.  ...

This week, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with an IBO couple who are hugely successful in the business and currently participating in The Learning Lab with Quixtar. Wow, I learned so much in 90 minutes. One of the topics was Choices Catalog. I asked how they use it in the business. What they liked about it and what they thought we could ...