Today’s Show Recap
Thanks for listening to Makin’ It. On this week’s episode, we focus on big celebrity paychecks, then we focus on focusing, and finally we focus on…yes, we’re going there…Jet Blue versus the booty shorts. Let us know what you think of the show in the comments section at the bottom of the page!
Let’s start MAKIN’ IT!
Forbes recently came out with its list of the world’s highest paid celebrities. From musicians and actors to sporting superstars and a few folks famous for being famous, you needed more than $41 million to even make the top 50. This week we cover numbers 26-50 and we think you’ll be surprised at who ranked where. Tune in next week for the top 25.
Tommy’s favorite celebrity on this week’s list is number 43. Who was yours? Let us know in the comments section.
Next up, Tommy and Todd discuss Al Ries’ classic book Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It. Al Ries is a legend in the advertising, marketing and branding communities. In 1972, he and his partner Jack Trout created the concept of positioning, which revolutionized how people thought about advertising and marketing. Ries has written (or co-authored) 11 books, selling over 3 million copies worldwide. PR Week magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential PR people of the 20th century, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame. To say the least, the man knows a thing or two about the marketing biz.
A recent study showed that adults spent 10 hours and 39 minutes a day consuming media. That means you spend more time with your media (TV, streaming, blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) then you do sleeping. You receive hundreds of thousands of personal or corporate branding messages every day. So, now more than ever, it’s crucial that brands find a way to make an impression – to claim their place in the audience’s mind. Enter Ries’ concept of focus, a message as relevant today as it was when he first introduced it in the late 1990’s.
“Good things happen when you narrow your focus.”
-Al Ries
Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It highlights the importance of growing your business by going deeper, not wider. Ries posits that companies can’t expand their way to success, rather they have to take the narrow path. Tommy and Todd discuss why the narrow path is harder, and often times counterintuitive. They also look at some of the world’s most valuable brands, and those who have destroyed their value by trying to be all things to all people. Listen to the episode for Tommy and Todd’s top seven takeaways from the book and to find out the number one enemy of focus.
To learn more about Al Ries you can check out his website and follow him on Twitter @alriesofficial.
You can also let us know how you’ve focused your business, career, and personal life in the comments section. We’d love to hear about your successes…and your failures (because let’s face it, we all learn more from failure than success).
We wrap up the show with our Makin’ It or Breakin’ It segment, where we find Jet Blue back in the news with another Twitter-fueled crisis. This isn’t the first time the budget airline has crossed the Makin’ It radar screen. We recently discussed the debacle they faced when their entire network went down.
This time, an employee of the airline asked a 26-year-old burlesque performer by the name of Maggie McMuffin to change out of her booty shorts in favor of something a little more “family friendly” (we are not making this up). McMuffin complied and made her flight. She then promptly Tweeted a picture of herself in her booty shorts, complaining about the airline’s required wardrobe change. And the internet went nuts. #BootyShortSupport.
Is this a question of how short is too short? Or is it another example of body shaming? What do you think? Tommy and Todd certainly have their opinions. Let us know yours in the comments.
Makin’ It Tip of the Week:
It is within an airline’s legal right to require “appropriate attire” on their flights. Their “contract of carriage” outlines such things, and you agree to comply every time to buy a ticket to fly. So keep your booty shorts in your suitcase folks, and make sure your crisis management plan is up to date.
Thanks for tuning in to Makin’ It. Let us know what you think of the show and if you have questions about your business, send us an email at info@makinitnow.com or leave us a comment below. We love to hear from our listeners and we read comments on the air. We just might choose yours for next week’s show (so don’t forget to tune in!).
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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs:
Order Tommy’s new book, The Way of the Rich at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com and buybooksontheweb.com.
Al Ries writes a column for Advertising Age. Read more about focus here and here
Watch Al Ries’ Marketing Hall of Fame induction ceremony
Tips on creating a crisis management plan can be found here and here
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Check out the Makin’ It website to listen to past shows anytime at www.makinitnow.com
Be sure to tune in every week to the Makin’ It Radio Show on your local station or listen to past shows anytime on iHeart Radio, TuneIn or the Makin’ It Now Archives section on our website at www.makinitnow.com.