Vagabond Creates

Allow Yourself a Fresh Perspective

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Being Blocked

It is mid-April and there is a blizzard howling outside. There are buds on the trees, but now they are covered with a veneer of ice and snow. Spring has been blocked. Temporarily, I am sure, but it doesn’t feel that way today.

Spring is the time of renewal and freshness, when the creative force is strong in the earth. There are times when you need to come up with new and fresh ideas, and you wish they would spring from you like new growth, unstoppable and abundant. But the ideas, like spring, are blocked. They won’t come because they can’t.

When you are under pressure and you feel blocked from your own creative flow of ideas, there is only one thing you can do: relax. Why is that the best advice, when it feels like the most impossible advice to follow? Because it’s the only thing you can do to allow that flow to spring up again, with abundance. Just like there is nothing to be done about the weather outside – winter has blocked the progress of spring, for the weekend at least, and no amount of work or wishing will change that. But if I just relax and let the blizzard pass, focusing my attention on things that are blizzard-friendly, I can relax into what the day is actually bringing instead of what I wish I had to work with.

When our conscious mind has a problem, it clues the sub-conscious mind into the fact that it may need some help. The sub-conscious doesn’t do anything for the moment, it just sits and mulls over the information without you even being aware. Then, when you’re so relaxed that the sub-conscious mind can be heard above the chatter of your normal conscious awareness, when you’re in the shower or about to fall asleep, for instance, the sub-conscious mind presents the solution to the problem that you couldn’t figure out earlier. Even when you were thinking as hard as you could.

So stop pushing to change what is, and focus on what can be done right now. Do whatever it is that you can relax into, going with the flow of what today has brought you. As soon as you can, take time to relax in the way that is best for you, and allow yourself to let go of whatever creative problem you’re trying to solve. Give yourself permission to let your mind wander. If you trust the process, the solution will present itself to you when you least expect it, or more likely, as soon as you stop expecting it.

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April is National Volunteer Month.

We salute the volunteers who give selflessly to make the world a better place.

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April is National Volunteer Month.

We salute the volunteers who give selflessly to make the world a better place.

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Embracing Change – Adobe Business Catalyst Public Service Announcement

In the age of digital technology, the pace of change is rapidly approaching the speed of light. These are times in which it is wise to expect the unexpected. As a case in point, this post serves as a public service announcement for those of you who currently use Adobe Business Catalyst to host and Adobe Muse to manage your website(s). At Vagabond Creative Studio we recently received notice that Adobe will stop hosting existing sites on March 26, 2020.

 As designers, we use Adobe Business Catalyst as a platform to host websites for many of our customers because it offers a wide array of options. There are other platforms that can do the same thing, and this is one of those times when a change in technology means a redirection of the way we do business, so we are already exploring other options.

 Adobe has announced that Business Catalyst websites can still be created (trials included,) but all trials must be upgraded to month-by-month paid subscriptions by the end of this spring – specifically June 18, 2018. (After June 18 no new trials can be created and no new sites can be upgraded to paid websites.) Month-by-month paid subscriptions will be supported until March 26, 2020, by which date all data must be migrated elsewhere.

 Embracing change is never easy. We get so used to doing things in one way that we forget there was ever a time when our current way of doing things was new to us. But sometimes a change is exactly what we need and it turns out that we wouldn’t have chosen a new direction on our own (being so wrapped up in our routine) and fate lends a hand by forcing the issue without asking us first.

 It’s all good. The same ingenuity that created great websites in Adobe Business Catalyst can and will be used to create great websites on other platforms. The technology keeps advancing, and the only way to succeed is to proceed at a pace to keep up with the advances!

 So if you are a designer or entrepreneur who is surprised by this news, please get in touch. We are working on solutions for our present and future customers and we would like to help you, too!

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Aerial Artists on the Coolest Coast - Manitowoc, WI

On the #coolestcoast, expect the unexpected and prepare to be entertained. In this case, Cycropia Aerial Dance (of Madison) at the Manitowoc Public Library (now open 7 days a week!)

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Don’t Be a Squirrel

If you’ve ever had a family of squirrels living near your yard, you may have noticed how they’re always running around. They are constantly finding nuts and bits of food, and running to find the best hiding place for it, which unfortunately they will almost immediately forget. It’s true – squirrels only find ten percent of the nuts they hide, so that causes them a lot of unnecessary scampering to and fro.

Maybe they’re overwhelmed by the sheer amount of nuts they have to gather and store, and they forget to take stock every now and then and monitor what they already have. If you feel like one of those squirrels, running around and gathering nuts, or putting out fires, or running business errands, and you feel like time is slipping away from you, then the thing to do is just: stop. Sit for a few minutes in a place where you don’t feel rushed, and write down everything that’s important for you to do.

If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of details you have to take care of in order to make your current plan viable, then don’t spin your wheels. (Because you don’t have time, right?) While you’re writing things down, you might find it helpful to designate one sheet of paper as a list of things that must get done TODAY, and use another sheet for a list of tasks to accomplish this week, and if there are long-term goals on your mind, use another sheet to list these for handy reference.

Now post them where you can see them, except for today’s list, which you’ll want to keep with you because you’re going to get these particular tasks done TODAY, right? Then do them. Let go of anything else for the day, and focus on the list, completing each task. After every item you accomplish, you will feel the sense of a weight lifted – one less thing on your shoulders. At the end of the day, if you still have tasks left undone on your list, write them down on a sheet of paper for tomorrow and get them done tomorrow (and anything else that comes up during the day goes on tomorrow’s list, too).

The squirrels are busy all day every day without really getting anything done or put in place for the future, even though it looks like they are spending all their time on it. It’s easy to be busy, but don’t be driven by the same urgency that drives the squirrels, similar to the stress you feel when you are overwhelmed by important details. Stop, do a little planning, and then follow through with your best, most efficient efforts. Then you’ll experience what the squirrels never seem to feel: peace of mind!

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Set Yourself Apart With Your Brand

Here’s the cheer of the modern consumer: “What do we want? NEW AND DIFFERENT! When do we want it? NOW!” To be a successful entrepreneur in today’s economy you have to find a way to respond to your customers’ need to identify with products that suit their individuality. Each one of them is unique and they are looking for unique solutions to their problems. So how do you attract their attention and convince them that you have what they’re looking for? You differentiate yourself from your competition with your brand image.

To have a unique brand image, you do not have to have a unique product. Let’s take Nike for an example. Nike makes athletic gear, specifically shoes, and they compete against many other companies who also make fitness footwear. Instead of trying to get potential customers’ attention by making claims or listing the features of their shoes, they chose to brand themselves by responding to the need that underlies a customer’s decision to buy athletic shoes. Think about it – do you want running shoes because you want to run? Maybe, but most people want running shoes because they want to be fit and feel good about themselves. At the same time, most people put off changing their habits even if they have great goals, like the goal of being physically fit. So what did Nike do? They thought about the emotions underlying why a person might buy athletic shoes and they chose a slogan to encourage people to “Just Do It!” This call to action caused Nike’s customers to feel as if the company understood them emotionally, which made Nike seem different than all of their competitors. So even if their shoes are similar to Adidas or New Balance running shoes, customers FEEL as if they offer a unique solution to the problem of not feeling fit and wanting to do something about it.

Nike’s slogan works because of the way the human brain works. We are bombarded with thousands of pieces of information every day, and our brain automatically sifts through this information constantly, even though we are largely unaware of the process. The brain uses the senses, especially vision, to sort information and draw our attention to that which seems the most important. What rises to the surface? The most visually appealing and different-seeming information is deemed to be the most important.

So no matter what kind of business you have, when it comes to your brand image you need to put in some creative thinking time to come up with a niche for yourself that separates you from the competition. Pick an aspect of your business that is unique, or something you do better than all the rest, or directly address the underlying reason why someone might need your products or services like Nike did.

Once you’ve decided upon your “angle,” you need to marry that idea to a visual concept (a logo or the look of your packaging) and content that matches the niche you just created for yourself. It is ultimately the look of your brand that will get your customers’ attention first, so this is another area where creativity is necessary. Hire a professional if need be, and come up with several ideas before you choose one because in this instance, looks matter!

Your brand image is the first thing a potential customer will see, and often they will be seeing you and comparing you to the competition at the same time, so it’s important to be different. And you are different – your business is unlike anyone else’s because you created it and you are an individual – so target the thing that makes you special and your customers will aim their attention straight at you.

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Strategy for Success Right Pieces & Right Places

When the littles in our life are inspired to make their own inspirational videos = winning. 

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Branding 101

When you think of the word “brand,” you may think of a company’s logo or tagline, but that’s not all we’re really talking about. To focus on what “branding” is, let’s go back in time for a moment and visit the Wild West. What was branding then? It was a hot iron applied to horses or cattle to ensure that no one would ever believe that they belonged to anyone but the original owner. That’s what a good brand does – it differentiates you from your competitors so that your customers are never confused because they know you when they see you. Branding is not about what a company thinks of itself, not at all. A brand’s only meaning is in the eyes of its customers, and customers are human beings, constantly driven by emotion. (You may think that all of your decisions are logical, but they’re not. The decisions that you feel the best about are the ones you FEEL the best about.) Your customers have to make hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions every day. So how do you get your attention with your brand? Use the following formula and you will be on the right track! First, ask yourself a few questions as a company: What do we do? Why do we do it? Why does it matter? That third question is the hardest and matters the most. This is where you differentiate yourself from your competitors and remember that we are not talking about the features of your product here, we are talking about the emotional reaction needed to persuade a potential customer to give you his or her time and/or money! Once you have figured out what makes you different (and it can’t be stressed enough that you do have to find a niche or an angle regarding what you do that puts you in a league of your own,) you use that to create the foundation of your brand. Your next task is to come up with a great name. The best names are easy to spell and pronounce, and they “resonate” with the values of your company. Think of brand giant Nike – easy to spell and say, and the name resonates with athleticism because Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. After you’ve decided upon a name you are ready to design the look of your brand, which may be your logo or your packaging, depending on your type of business. Now is the time to be creative, or hire a creative agency to help you, because you want to be innovative. The first thing a customer’s brain will do once they see you next to your competitors is to subconsciously figure out who’s different from the rest – you want them to realize that it’s you! So look at your competitors and be different … You will know when you’ve hit upon an innovative idea because it will resonate with you. Write that one down, come up with a few more, and create prototypes of your logo or packaging so that you can see how your ideas really work. Once you have several ideas to work with it’s time to get some feedback. Take some time to speak individually with several of your customers, stakeholders or with people who are similar to your future customers. Show them your concepts and solicit feedback. Ask them which one(s) they gravitate to and why. Ask them which one(s) they trust the most. (Trust is an emotion and you are going for an emotional response, remember?) Now you have the basic building blocks for a stand-out brand. After establishing it you need to maintain your brand identity by using it as a litmus test for future business decisions. If it enhances your brand, do it! If it muddies the water of your crystal clear concept, then back away. Stay true to your brand and your customers will stay true to you!

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Think Outside the Box

Attempt new things, push the limits and dare to be different for success. This pre-teen shares his ambidextrous inspiration. In life, in business, in all things ... think outside the box. 

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Position Yourself for Success

We encourage the littles in our life to explore their creativity, embrace the technology available to them and share what they know. This young lad has taken to heart the positive messaging he's seen us create and tried his own hand at offering a life lesson through the medium he knows ... piano. I applaud his first attempt and encourage you to make first attempts too! Enjoy the act of creation and sharing.

Tools used: iPhone, Howard piano, iMovie

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3 in 30 | 3 social media tips in 30 seconds

Engage.

Strategic Placement. 

Stay On Message. 

www.vagabondcreates.com

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6 Social Media Habits that will Change your business

This message is for those of you out there who would rather spend time on almost any aspect of your business except for your social media feeds and online presence. It is perfectly understandable that you already feel you have put a lot of time in, after creating your website and listing your business on websites like Yelp and Google, because you have put a lot of time in! But in order to turn your online presence into a marketing machine, you have to grease the wheels on a regular basis. Here are six strategies to keep in mind when you are maintaining your internet image:

1. Schedule Your Posts In Batches

It’s important to provide fresh content (in the form of messages, photos, videos, anything you can post in order to promote yourself as an expert and your business as a whole) on a regular basis. But sitting down on a regular basis (every other day, let’s say) can seem like too much, especially if you sit down to create a post and you don’t know what to say. Put all of that creative thinking time into one session every other week or so, creating several unique messages or posts during each session, and then sign on to an application like HootSuite or Buffer, where you can log the posts and schedule them to be posted on various social media sites (like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) at specific times.

2. Love The Haters

If you’re the recipient of any negative comments on any of your online media outlets, take a moment to cool down and then respond to the message with courtesy and kindness, offering an individual solution to the problem. Mention that it is your goal to provide excellent customer service and encourage the customer to contact you directly. Your response may be visible for a long time after the initial dispute, so remember that future customers will have access to this information. Demonstrate sincerity in your attempts to make the situation better and let your words show your respect for the customer, so that others know you are respectful. Take the high road!

3. Don’t Be Camera Shy

The best person to speak about your business or area of expertise is YOU. And it is so easy to make good-quality videos with your smartphone that you might be surprised how fast and fun it is to create a video message and post it on YouTube. (And then it’s a great idea to post on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to give everyone the link and let them know about the video!)

4. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Integrity resonates and everyone recognizes it when they experience it. Be honest about yourself, your company, and your products. The old standby is still the best rule: underpromise and overdeliver and your customers will always have glowing things to say about you!

5. ‘Done’ Is Better Than ‘Perfect’

Go for completion, not perfection. Resist the urge to nit-pick every message you send out – don’t kill the spontaneity by dithering over your wording until you don’t even know what you’re trying to say anymore. If you send the message around your whole office, waiting to get everyone’s approval, it may never get done and be posted. Just make sure your message is respectful and be yourself, and then put it out there!

6. Hack The Attention

Use hashtags in your posts to creatively attract attention from people who are a little outside your target audience, because you’re trying to bring more people in. Think of the groups of people who might benefit from your information or use your products and include those hashtags with your messages. Think way outside the box – include hashtags for any group or interest who could benefit from your services.

The goal of your social media and internet activity is to create a big niche for your business on the internet and then to keep that niche filled with new and interesting information, to keep driving new customers to your door. Keep putting yourself out there and you will receive the attention you are looking for!

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Be Kind whenever possible.

It is always possible. - HH the Dalai Lama

Today we're going to talk about what happens after you establish your online presence - your website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp and all the other outlets you may use to connect with your customers on the internet. At the moment you go live, you've opened the door to ongoing communication. People will notice and sooner or later they are going to engage with you and make comments on your various social media feeds, also sending you emails and messages. I hate to break it to you, but these comments will not always be positive. By putting yourself out there you have allowed others the opportunity to bring whatever attitudes and opinions they have at the moment and to lay them out on your platform for all to see. What happens after that is up to you, but here is the good news - you can turn those random (and not so random) comments into nuggets of marketing gold!

The first thing to remember is this: your customers are real people who have taken their time to focus on you for a minute. Maybe they heard about you and they want to know where you're located, so they sent you a Facebook message. Or maybe they recently purchased your goods or services and they decided to follow you on Instagram, shooting you a complimentary message in the process to let you know they appreciate you. Or just maybe there is someone with an axe to grind and you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, thus becoming an unlucky target. Whatever the situation that prompted a customer or potential customer to contact you or post a message about you, the only way that you should ever respond to any comment, question, or complaint is with kindness and respect. Remember that on many social media websites, the initial comment and response (and the length of time it took you to respond) will be publicly posted for an unknown period of time. That means that in the future, others will read the exchange and may form an opinion of you based on it. That's especially important when dealing with criticism, because your response will outlast the initial misunderstanding or grievance that caused the issue, so just be patient and respectfully point out that you are available to help and it's your goal to provide excellent service. Provide a solution that gets the customer to come back to your store or contact you directly and take care of the issue directly with them.

The great, complimentary messages should be handled the same way. You want people to notice you and the attention is thrilling - it's the same for them. If you receive a compliment from a customer, don't just smile to yourself when you read it - respond with a sincere thank you. It doesn't have to be long-winded, you just have to let them know that it mattered to you to receive their message.

Once you put yourself out there, it can seem exhausting to manage and maintain your social media and internet feeds, especially if the messages start to build up. If you can, set aside several minutes each day at a time when you are as focused and relaxed as possible to check for messages and emails and respond to them in a kind and professional manner. Acknowledge your customers for noticing you and you will make them feel respected. Gaining their respect is one of the first steps toward gaining their loyalty!

The last thing to keep in mind is the same advice you receive when you're dating or meeting new people in general: be yourself. As long as you are feeling respectful and kind, don't worry about saying everything in the "perfect" way. There is no such thing as a perfect message anyway - most communication is meant to be experienced in the moment, so be in the moment when you respond to your customers and they will be left with the impression that you are a trustworthy, friendly business professional. And then give yourself a pat on the back, because relationships aren't easy to build and you are doing a great job!

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Team Vagabond. We exist to help you grow through creative. 

Vagabond Creative Studio offers innovative solutions to the age-old dilemma facing every business owner - how do you bring customers to your door and how do you build and maintain the relationships that result in customer loyalty? Technology is the answer, and we are here to offer you tools and suggestions for leveraging it wisely. We can help you change the way that the world sees your business through custom internet and advertising content, tailoring everything from your website and your social media feeds to the production of videos and print advertising to fit your business and your message.

Your business is unique and deserves its own strategy for navigating today's complex web of social and internet communications. With a multitude of options available to connect you with your customers (such as your website, Blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and You Tube) it can be daunting to maintain a meaningful presence on them all, so you need to choose the right outlets to attract the right kind of attention and keep it focused on you. Let us assist you in making these decisions - we exist to help you grow!

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Grow Where You're Planted

If you are the owner of a small business, you know the feeling of wanting to get people's attention.  You probably think about increasing your customer base and wonder how to do it -- it's obvious that you could advertise, but what form of advertising would really work to get the attention of the people you are trying to reach?

We live in a time when we are constantly being "sold" to. Almost every piece of information that we receive on a daily basis is connected to some form of advertising or other. And we are all getting pretty good at ignoring the ads to focus on the information or entertainment we seek.

So how do you get your company to stand out in a memorable way? Think about the people and places you remember. You probably remember them because of the way they make you feel. Keeping that in mind, there is a simple strategy for creating and growing an awareness of your business right where you are -- in your community. The goal is to find creative ways to contribute to your community (by donating time or money) so that when people see your business name they associate it with a business who is a friend to the community. After all, we all prefer to do business with our friends, and as the old saying goes, "the best way to have a friend is to be a friend." There are literally hundreds of ways that you can make a difference in your community and promote your business at the same time. Do you love baseball? Think about sponsoring (or co-sponsoring) a local team and imagine how great your logo would look printed on the team's t-shirts. Interested in community theater? The price of admission usually includes a program featuring and thanking local businesses for their contributions. Local nature preserves, parks, community centers, and churches often hold fundraisers that include some name recognition in exchange for donations -- these can be good sources of community-based advertising opportunities. Even though you are a busy entrepreneur, you need to take some time out to come up for air and smell the roses every once in a while. When you do, look around and see how you can impact your community in a positive way that gets your message across, and soon you will be feeling the love in return!