Dive deep into business, brand and strategy.
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Qualifying vs Discovery
The common mistake many of us make is confusing these two. They are not the same. In my early days of running an agency, I thought I had it all figured out – I’d do some qualifying and then jump straight into discovery. Yet, the results were sometimes better than I’d hoped, and I soon…
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Building Human Connections Before Blockchain: An Inside Out Approach to Web3 Companies
Jawaharlal Nehru (Former Prime Minister of India) and Le Corbusier were the OG Web3 founders! Hear me out! A significant global shift is underway. Businesses worldwide are embracing Web3 technologies – decentralized systems powered by blockchain – and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at a pace that could make your head spin. The promise is a utopia…
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High-resolution conversations
How can you show up to conversations to understand the client better or, when talking to a friend or colleague, help them uncover their true challenge? TL;DR — Be more childlike. The first thing is metacognition — being aware of your thinking. For example, do I have an agenda? Am I just waiting for the…
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How do you sell your ideas? A Creative Director’s perspective
One question I get frequently asked is, “How did you convince the client into rebranding?” or “How did you get approval on that idea?” when the client appeared to be conservative or rigid or needed education about design. And the truth is, I never convinced them because they didn’t need convincing. So I’d say that if you’re approaching a client to…
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Do you sell the drill or the hole? Putting the urban legend to rest #sales
Today, we’ll challenge the age-old chestnut, what your customer is buying: the drill or the hole? Spoiler alert, none! They’re neither buying the drill nor the hole. And this urban legend story has been used by sales and marketing people to help others identify the difference between a product and its benefits. In our example,…
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How a poor villager’s story from the Indian desert taught me human-centered design
Today’s story takes me back a decade ago when I was at the Northpoint Centre of Learning doing my post-grad in Marketing, Media, and Communications. One day, I had the chance to participate in a workshop by Mr. Premjeet Sodhi, the President of Lintas Media Group at the time. In that workshop, Premjeet shared a…
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CEO Mindset — Strategy Masterclass with Steve Jobs (Apple) & Sandeep Goyal (Rediffusion)
Your focus, willpower, and gameplay are the only things standing between you and your most ambitious goals. So, what can you do to set yourself up for success? The big game mentality theory by Dr. Sandeep Goyal depicts the difference between the winners and the runner-ups. It is a simple yet strategic mental model to…
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The Power of Contrast and Self-Value
Today, I would like to jump right into the topic of self-value. A while back, I was going through Twitter, as you do, and I came across a tweet from Blair Enns that said, and I’m paraphrasing: “If you’re not willing to pay for value, then you can’t learn how to value-price effectively.” Blair Enns…
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How to Lead with Curiosity
All the major breakthroughs and inventions in the history of the world derive from one thing: curiosity. As defined by Mirriam-Webster, curiosity is the desire to know and I would add that it is inherently intrinsic to who we are as a species. Curiosity is linked to all aspects of human development and it’s what…
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Forget the T-shaped skillset: Try being a comb instead!
Read the revised, updated and better version of this article over here. Landing your first job might be tricky if you don’t have a specific skill set, but you know what? Getting hired with a plethora of skills is even more challenging contrary to what you might think. More means more chances of getting noticed…
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The Art of Remote Storytelling
Virtually presenting your creative ideas and telling engaging stories can be limiting and challenging. Most people observe passively and multitask in the background adding to your frustration. Is there a way to get noticed and replicate the in-person experience remotely, influencing and winning the audience? Don’t sweat, I’ve done the leg work and have got…
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Missed Connections — Short Film Series
Hello and welcome! Everyone is trying to cope with the current strange situation in their own way. I’m making a series of short films. Why am I making films? Have I made some already? Where am I posting them? Who watches them? Should you be watching them? Feeling anxious and excited? Don’t sweat or panic;…
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