Author Archive for: Shonali Burke

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  • what
December 6, 2018
06 Dec 2018

On Sabbaticals, Self-Care, and Sanity

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

what happens nextHi, I’m Shonali and I’m the owner of this blog.

If you’re scratching your head in bemusement, I wouldn’t blame you… because I haven’t been around these parts much lately.

And that’s because my husband passed away very unexpectedly on March 4; shortly after I wrote my last “real” blog post this year, on why vulnerability is so essential in building community.

(It’s ironic that that was my last post… or maybe it’s not… as I’m making myself pretty vulnerable to you right now.)

As you can imagine, my life went from pretty crazy (as most of ours are) to completely surreal in the blink of an eye.

When anyone you love passes away, it leaves a huge hole in your heart. And when it’s your partner/spouse of 20 years, and is unexpected, the hole is unlike any other.

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Waxing UnLyrical in Your Inbox

Waxing UnLyrical in Your Inbox

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  • brand
July 12, 2018
12 Jul 2018

How Do You Build A Brand? Start by Asking What Drives Human Behavior

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

brandGuest Post by Simon Erskine Locke

When it comes to building brands most experts will likely start with the tactics: Develop a mission statement or messages, create a logo, use PR, advertise and leverage social media. 

To be clear, these are all important components of the brand building process. But there’s a problem when we go straight to tactics – you may end up spending months or years, and thousands or millions of dollars, trying to build a brand that does not resonate. 

Like Sisyphus you may be pushing a rock up a mountain, stuck in an endless struggle against branding gravity – an unseen force preventing your or your client’s brand from taking off.

Research will clearly help you identify brand messages that engage audiences. But it has its limitations. Confirmation bias, for example, encourages us to look for what supports our beliefs and ignore what doesn’t. Armed with what you think will work, you may find that your story – which may be too complicated or focused around what you want to say, rather than what audiences want to hear – simply doesn’t achieve your desired goals.       

As a starting point on the journey to build company or personal brands, it’s important to step back and think about the drivers of behavior.

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Waxing UnLyrical in Your Inbox

Waxing UnLyrical in Your Inbox

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Waxing UnLyrical in Your Inbox

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Heidi Sullivan

Heidi SullivanHeidi Sullivan is a global marketing and product management executive who specializes in transformational implementation of marketing programs, go-to-market strategies, product portfolio management and change management for rapid-growth SaaS businesses with in-depth experience in Marketing Technology.

Heidi has a track record of success in P&L management, corporate strategy, product marketing and top line growth, and spent 14 years in leadership roles at Cision, during which time she oversaw the company’s integration and multiple product marketing strategies through its seven acquisitions.

Heidi was named one of PRWeek’s “40 Under 40 Rising Stars,” “Influencer of the Year” by The Hub in association with LinkedIn, and one of the most influential people in PR by PRWeek’s “Global Power Book.” She was also co-host of the popular “Influence Pros” podcast on Convince & Convert, which was named one of the top 20 marketing podcasts of 2016 by Hey.com.

Jennifer Zingsheim Phillips

JenJennifer Zingsheim Phillips has worked in communications and public affairs for nearly 20 years. Her background includes work in electoral politics, government, lobbying, and public affairs PR work. She also brings nearly eight years of experience in digital and social communications and media analysis to her role at 4L Strategies.

Jen began her career doing campaign work in Missouri during the 1992 election cycle. After two years of political party work, she joined the office of a Missouri state senator and served as his legislative aide for two years. In 1996, she joined the Missouri Chamber of Commerce as Research Director, where she lobbied the Missouri House and Senate on issues such as workforce development, welfare reform, and education policy. She was also responsible for the weekly newsletter highlighting key issues relevant to Missouri Chamber members.

In her spare time, Jen is a voracious reader, and enjoys cooking and baking. She also likes to write fiction, and has had two pieces of short fiction and one piece of flash fiction published in various publications. She has also self-published a children’s book.