Ponderings from the Perch

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter about careers. They ruminate about the reality that so many viable careers did not even exist when they were in school, question their own career paths and are faced with how to explain to 4th and 5th graders what they actually do all day! They discuss the rate of technological change and try to imagine an advertising agency job without social media. Priscilla discusses digital marketing, platform building, and bizarre soft skills that are required for today's successful professional career. As they prepare to walk into a Career Day for 4th and 5th graders they talk about what they wish someone would have told them "back in the day". Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter about art and collecting art. Priscilla discusses difficult conversations she has in her job every day as she critiques work of multiple graphic artists. She explains how a culture which protects people's self-worth creates an environment where they can be vulnerable, fail multiple times, learn from mistakes, grow as a designer and ultimately succeed in producing their very best work. She holds fast to her belief "we will succeed or fail in groups," which provides the underlying basis for her company culture. As an award-winning agency, they feel the pressure to continue to produce amazing work, and yet it is a semi-subjective industry. She explains how they work as a team to push each other in problem solving, process and time management and how often she feels like Heidi Klum. Auf Wiedersehen! Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she has a morning conversation with fellow globetrotter, Helene Sheeler-Johnson. As they both work marketing and PR angles in the same small town in the Midwest they exchange several knowing glances. Yet they continue to work day in and day out to bring the marketing and PR aspects of their jobs into the same strategy. With Helene's massive experience with companies like Midway, Nike, Nestle and more, she gives real-world examples of the debacle that ensues when Marketing and PR Departments don't communicate. Although they discuss Helene's husband's Neanderthal origins, Helene also sheds light on tips for getting free press to advance strategic marketing goals. With a background in journalism, she talks about the full-court press that must be done to convince someone in the news to pick up your story. They end with a fun plug for a new product Helene has brought to market of her own creation, Back to Beauty Anti-Wrinkle Head Cradle which is available on Amazon. They revel in the great shape their face and necks will be in 20 years time. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with the illustrious Jeff Cannata. As fellow podcasters they explore the idea that revealing the inner-workings of making a podcast might indeed be like making sausage - a bit messy, but worth it all in the end. First and foremost she is a huge fan of WE HAVE CONCERNS podcast which he co-writes and hosts with Anthony Carboni. They discuss the process of starting a podcast, naming conventions for episodes, consistency and technical issues. Jeff also sheds light on the Patreon model and the selection of social media they use for their show. More importantly, they discuss the importance of being authentic. Jeff's expertise in developing epic content, building an audience, managing growth and mastering the dad jokes should not be missed!

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter the most fascinating case of complete and utter faking. Priscilla reaches back to the story of the sign language interpreter for the Nelson Mandela memorial service and discusses, with incredulity, the absolute audacity some people have and the painful experience that is watching fakers try to spin their story. They discuss the cost on businesses when they hire a faker and the on-going costs if they are not let go. They decide that it is not immediately clear if these people are "using a different method of communication" or not. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter about finding unique win-win-win situations in marketing. She gets bored with the typical promotional giveaways and questions marketing decisions that make companies all look the same. She talks about her thought process in developing marketing strategies that will offer that will create the right behavior with clients which lead to increased revenue. They marvel at Baz Lurhmann's genius and discuss what makes people influential in marketing. Priscilla expounds on the need to embrace your natural curiosity about people's revenue picture in order to craft a winning marketing plan. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter about podcasting. She pours out her heart on her love for podcasting and reveals some of her current personal playlist. As both are podcasting professionals, they discuss the virtues of podcasting and how it compares to blogging. Join them as they marvel at the wide variety of experts available to everyone totally for free. She also elaborates on the intimacy a podcast listener can feel with the podcaster. Want to start a podcast of your own or simply tell better stories at cocktail parties? Either way, you'll wonder to yourself, “What would I podcast about if I were brave enough to get started?” Let us know your answer in the comment section as you review this podcast on iTunes. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter in a follow up conversation about creating New Year’s resolutions in the workplace and aligning them with your business values. She gets practical and talks about how and why to make SMART goals which are S for specific, M for measurable, A for assignable, R for realistic and T for time-driven. In a fast-paced work environment, she talks about stepping back and asking yourself what is meaningful to you this year. She again pontificates on her love for her business coach of Trustpoint Management and Sandler fame, Brett Baker. She elaborates on why this type of goal setting is the basis for a disciplined culture and how it contributes to creating a real space for creativity and excellence. She shares her thoughts about the importance of creating a WISH LIST each year and how writing down goals are really the only way to provide a benchmark for your company's growth. Did we mention she gives away a freebie in this episode? Well, freebie #2 from this podcast. Just email her and she'll send a beautiful powerpoint presentation ready to go for you to create your goals in a visually appealing way. She is convinced if it looks nice, you'll be more apt to do it! Finally, she ends with asking you "What gets in the way?" Help clear your mind and accomplish your goals in 2015! Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Gary Hood, Sales Manager at KSNF/KODE, local affiliates of the NBC and ABC stations. Join these two golf enthusiasts as they discuss ad agency ownership and life working in the media. Listen as these old friends examine the long-term benefits of marketing for consumers and offer advice for small mom and pop shops looking to advertise in television. And who knows, you might even get some advice on your backswing! Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird here at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter about creating New Year’s resolutions in the workplace and aligning them with your business values. In a fast-paced work environment, she talks about stepping back and asking yourself what is meaningful to you this year. She also gives insight about simplifying life — at work and home — by using energy towards the things that truly matter. She discusses her company’s process of setting SMART goals and shares tips given to her by business coach Brett Baker, of Trustpoint. Most importantly, she shares her New Year’s resolutions with us and how she plans to accomplish them. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.