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In the modern world we have more choices than ever. From choosing a restaurant to deciding which web design firm will handle our project, we’re no longer bound by a lack of information or our location on the planet. In the early 1900’s average businesses could survive simply because the consumer lacked options. You shopped at the local bookstore or utilized the local print shop because it was the only one in town and you were familiar with it. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve slogged my way through the writing of two 15-20 page business plans in my lifetime and at the end I found myself asking, “Was it worth it?”  Honestly, I don’t think it was.  It seemed like an exercise in frustration as I constantly found myself guessing at futuristic facts and figures that had little to no basis in reality (how do I know revenue three years out) or taking the time to talk about things that seemed as plain as day Read the rest of this entry »

I just finished the book Permission Marketing by Seth Godin and was astounded by the clarity it brought me about where marketing has been and where it may be going. Despite the fact that it was written during the Cretaceous Period (circa 1999) and came complete with outdated company examples, implementation strategies that focused on flash games and cheesy contests, and little to no mention of online social networks, it’s central premise came through with startling clarity. Read the rest of this entry »

What is art?  Sometimes it’s harder to define art than to simply name it when you see it.  We’ve all seen something random and thought to ourselves “That is so beautiful!”, it’s almost self defining and self evident.  I used to believe that “real” art was only found in places like art galleries for the enjoyment of creative types:  musicians, painters, and poets were the only artists among us, looking back I think I was wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, we shocked the world with news that Nectar would be changing its name. In a move dubbed brilliant and lazy in equal measure, we asked our readers to submit their ideas with the promise of a $100 Amazon gift card to sweeten the pot. Three weeks and dozens of submissions later, we had narrowed it down to a few favorites.

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Due to some recent trademark issues with our name, Nectar, we’re having to undertake the task of renaming ourselves. Yes that’s right, come the end of May Nectar will no longer be well, Nectar. Needless to say we weren’t too thrilled when this news first reached our ears. However, after the initial disappointment we’ve become quite excited about the idea of including our community in the renaming process. Before I discuss how we’d like you to help, let me give a little background on why we chose the name Nectar in the first place. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all been there haven’t we?  Something unfortunate happens and our attitude takes a plunge as deep as the Grand Canyon.  What happened to our “can do” outlook on life?  What happened to our “onward and upward” mentality, that only a moment ago couldn’t be shaken?  Apparently, it’s slipped beyond our grasp and now we feel that our entire day has been completely ruined… or has it?  Is there any hope of salvaging our attitude from the wreckage of our circumstances?  I believe there is, so let me share a few ideas to help you do just that. Read the rest of this entry »

If you read our last post on this topic you’ll know that our working definition of leadership is “influence”.  If you’re carrying influence in someone’s life then you are, at some level, leading that person.  On the flip side if you have a position, title, tenure, or whatever thing you believe deems you a leader but you aren’t influencing people, then guess what? Read the rest of this entry »

I think we’d all agree that leadership matters. From the corporate executive responsible for leading hundreds to the husband or wife responsible for leading their kids, everyday people are in this intricate dance of leading and following. Which naturally begs the question, what exactly is leadership? What is the ethereal idea that in many ways makes the world go round? Before we answer that question let’s start with a few major misconceptions about leadership.

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With over 10 million Americans now out of work and the national average for unemployment hovering around 6.5%, finding a job is no easy task.  I spend Tuesday afternoons working at a local Starbucks coffee shop and week after week I would see the same man reading and occasionally talking on the phone. Read the rest of this entry »