We have a little more we can learn from grade school teachers than readin-writin-and-rithmetic!
Click this link to read my article in the Business Journal…

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

While driving my truck in the snow today my tires began to spin while going up a hill.
So I turned on the 4 wheel drive.
I regained traction and made the hill easily.
Then a thought popped into my head…
THIS IS THE WAY IT IS WITH GOALS.
Sometimes we get stuck or side tracked or slip backward on our way to reaching a goal.
When that happens, we need something to help us regain momentum.
Maybe it's reading an article or a book…listening to a particular song or Podcast…taking a walk…getting a massage…or having a conversation with a mentor.
Maybe it's something as simple as reviewing why you set the goal in the first place, and what reaching the goal would mean to you.
Whatever it is…
Have it in place and ready to "turn on" when you need it…
Because the streets can be slippery and full of surprises on your way to a goal.

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

CJ is a young pastor at our church. His first love is God. His second love is messing around with stage lighting…and he's very good at it.
The stage lighting was especially dazzling this past Sunday, so I complimented him.
He said, "Thanks. It only cost 60 dollars for the materials. I picked up some fabric and a few things from the store, and just kind of put it all together."
60 dollars? It looked like he'd spent 600 dollars, or 1,600 dollars…maybe more…but only 60 dollars?
CJ smiled and said, "Anyone can make it look good if you have an unlimited budget. The challenge is being creative when you don't have a whole lot to work with. That's what I like to do."

And it shows…

The same thing is true with advertising and marketing.
If you have an enormous budget, anyone can make it work.
But if your ad budget is limited…
And you want your ad budget to do more than merely spread a nice vibe…
If you need your ad budget to pay for itself by bringing in new customers…
Call in a specialist.
Someone with a track record of making dollar bills perform like one hundred dollar bills.

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

Are you and asset or an expense?
Click this link to read my article in the Business Journal…
Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini was a great boxer.
He called his doctor one day and said, "I'm really concerned because I had a negative thought in the ring today."
"Just one negative thought?" his doctor asked.
"You don't understand, Doc," Mancini said.  "A single negative thought is what gets you hit in the face."

One negative thought can cause a mighty fighter to get hit in the face.

Something to think about as you face the world today…

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

My grandson, Brody and I fight with Nerf swords in my yard.
Sunday he came over wearing a new Power Rangers Halloween outfit and there was a new quickness to his step, and power in his poke. He swung his sword at me with fresh energy… “Sssswack!” “Ploomp!” “Crrrack!”
I felt like I was fighting two Brody’s instead of one.
It was clear to me…
THE COSTUME HAD GIVEN HIM POWER.
The black and blue welts on my arms and legs were proof that I had battled a new Super Brody.
This phenomenon is not unique to my grandson.
Batman, Iron Man, NFL players, police officers, cowboys…all draw power from the way they feel in their costume.
For example, I know that when I am wearing jeans, I feel less professional. When I’m wearing a killer suit and tie and just the right shirt, I feel as though I can rule the world.

When a marketing idea gets news coverage…it's a sign that your idea might be worth something.
Our idea for StarMark Cabinetry was for them to become famous for designing kitchens that not only looked good, but were a pleasure to cook in as well.
However…we needed credibility and momentum.
Problem solved.
We teamed them with Chef Dominique. He consulted the StarMark designers. They learned his kitchen design secrets, and were able to get his input when facing specific design challenges.  On radio and tv, Chef Dom was heard to say, "Hey, your kitchen's not just about looking…it's about cooking!"
Well, the Business Journal decided to do a story on the idea. Here's that article…

Mark Tollefson

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

Carl is my friend. He sells hay to farmers, and he makes a very good living doing it.
He may be the most down to earth common sense guy you'll ever talk to.
Our conversations have this way of centering me.
I remember when all hell was breaking loose in the world and with the economy and Carl and I were talking. I asked Carl what he thought about all of it.
He says to me, "Mark…I don't get caught up in that. There's not much I can do about it anyway. Besides, I have a job to do. I can't let things push me off the track."
He takes a slow sip of his coffee and adds…
"Whenever things start to get to me, I go load some hay. I don't look to the left, or to the right, I just keep grabbing bales and stacking them in the wagon. I keep loading hay."

Keep loading hay.

Good advice, Carl.

Mark Tollefson

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

It's just a simple, plastic wading pool that I picked up at Walgreen's for 17 bucks, but our young grand kids think I'm a hero for bringing it home.
The second they get to our house, they run out and hop into the pool.
They spend the afternoon laughing and splashing. Sometimes our puppy joins them. We just sit and watch them and smile.
I paid only 17 bucks for it, but we've gotten a million dollars worth of memories out of that little plastic pool.
Sure, it would be kinda nice to have a for real in ground pool at our house, but I honestly don't believe it would make our grand kids any happier.

And, as I think about it, the same is true with our customers.

We don't need to blow our customers away with expensive gifts and amazing acts of service…

Simple, bite sized, authentic gestures win their heart.

Mark Tollefson

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com

December 2009.  Kansas City.  A little girl is playing outside when a car backs over her, pinning her beneath the vehicle.  Nick Harris sees it happen.  He runs over and lifts the car off of her, saving her life.  Nick Harris is not a man of spectacular size or strength.

So what extraordinary power did Nick tap into to be able to do that?

The same power that allowed Lydia Angyiou of Quebec to wrestle and subdue a polar bear that attacked her son in 2006.  And in 1954, track star Roger Bannister used this power to run a mile in less than four minutes, the first time in all of recorded history.

What is this extraordinary power that gives us the ability to do the seemingly impossible?

Belief.

A belief delivers a direct command to your nervous system, and your body obeys.  The placebo effect is a great example.  People who believe a drug will have a certain effect often experience that effect, even when the pill they’ve been given is a fake.

Had Nick Harris stopped to listen to people’s opinions, while deciding whether or not to lift the car off the little girl, no doubt he would have heard things like: “that’s impossible” and “you’re crazy”.

Well, Nick wasn’t crazy. He believed.

When you believe…anything is possible.

Mark Tollefson

Better Ideas
Better Results
Mark Ideas!
6053663244
http://www.markideas.com