Welcome to Sunday Intentions

My mantra is also fitting for what I want to share with you today: 

“Life is 10 % what happens to you and 90 % how you react to it.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

I had some fierce conflict between business week prep & writing these emails vs. summertime enjoyment in personal life spent with family & friends. Oops!

As my theme for this season has been all about “Business Vacation,” I thought I would take a page out of my own book and visit you today instead. 

The last few weeks have really got me thinking about trying to set “GOALS” and ask for what I want in a time that feels so scarce, so hurtful, and with so much pain going on in the world. 

What more could I ask for? 

Are you feeling disconnected from wanting “more” when you are stuck feeling like you are just trying to process how to get to tomorrow? Me too. I think of all of the kids who can’t return to a school who has a traumatic homelife - their refuge is taken away.

I think of all of the people who have lost their homes, their businesses, and their jobs - their security has been taken away. And on a global view, all of the people who have lost their spouses, daughters, sisters, uncles, fathers, mothers, and so many others to the devastation of the world shutting down, a global pandemic going on, and catastrophic climate events in other countries- their everything has been taken away. 

2020 was given to us as a gift, I believe, to change our hearts and be more of what truly matters, not what we layout on a goals list.  

It makes me extremely uncomfortable when I am facing this polarity as a leader- telling people who have “EVERYTHING” to want more, and forget about the people who have been stripped down to nothing. 

Hold on- no.

That’s not the narrative. Mission-driven marketing is embedded into the fabric of what I do. I have the absolute power to change the world for the better to make these very bleak topics my goals instead of wanting more comfort, security, wealth, or “stuff!” 

This is what Ethical Leaders use to connect a community together by being a force of GOOD, not a force of victimization. We go to the uncomfortable spots in the world because we take what we witness, we feel, and we can really be moved by and embed it back into our businesses. 

For some of you, this is very obvious and already baked in. For others on this weekly update, this is brand new and you are just navigating how to play a part in the changes you want to see in the world. 

I shared with my community of Ethical Leaders what in their life they felt so deeply moved by and how has it made them a better leader? It was an incredible and very vulnerable spot to share, but I really got to see a completely different side to people that they are struggling with sharing with the world- even though it is the “Why” behind their entire business! 

It’s a hard thing to do, but instead of complaining about what is wrong with this world and the leadership in it, let’s use this as our chance to: go to the ugly places, the deep dark spots in our soul, and the hurt in the world to find our true calling and align it with our very purpose & start to make the action happen!  

I invite you to be open minded to thinking about this in a way of healing, leading, and being the “light” in the world this week instead of feeding into the negativity of the media on our social feeds. What are we sharing- more fear, anxiety, and frustration or what the world needs from you most? Make the change happen because you are going to the good places we need you to reach to, talking sincerely about the things that your business was built on, and start rallying your community to create something amazing to happen that YOU were part of leading! 

The intention this week: 

“Everything that I’ve seen, felt, and experienced was no mistake. It happened to me because I can handle it and I was meant to be forever changed by it. I now can not “unsee” what I saw, and that is what is going to make me a stronger leader. I will start by recognizing what I feel so deeply moved by and work on incorporating that into my message as a leader!” 

Intentions are what we do inside to make our life steer toward where we want it to go. The expectations and outside events are just the waves, the wind, and the obstacles that are along the journey. Stay true to the direction that you declare you are going, we are here to support you! 

Have a great Sunday, Dana Magnus

I suppose I don’t talk often enough about the fact that businesses that prioritize ethics, humanity, the environment, and simply doing more good than harm to our planet by existing is working - working well!

You see, when we think about the way the world of business works, yes it is true that corporations & big powerful entities drive decisions and make the impact on global levels to either help or destroy our planet and the people inside of it. But who gives these entities the power?

Consumer trends, motivations, and values is among the first few steps to really understand when creating any marketing plan. Without knowing what society looks like and how it fits into the world of business, you will have a very hard time speaking to, engaging with, and being relevant to people who will be part of your business community as consumers, referrers, or just advocates of your movement.

Each Wednesday, I encourage us all to participate in #WorldViewWednesday to continue to expand our viewpoint around society. Have challenging arguments to really listen to the other side. Read books & do some research on projects or topic areas you find most interesting to dive into. Learn something new! Get out of your own way, and break some old habits of a belief system that limits your own perspective.

I like to think - there are nearly 8 billion people on the planet- we truly know NOTHING!

Furthermore, if you are looking at the way consumers are behaving and what they truly value, I believe it is social issues. Especially if you are marketing to the highly influential groups such as Gen Z and Millenials- they absolutely LOVE businesses with a great triple bottom line, or B Corporation certified businesses.

I found this lovely resource to give you some sharable, or tweetable, quotes to dive further into the mindset and values of these groups and how doing good in your business is actually the way to go.

As your mission-driven marketing planner, I encourage you to start reflecting on some of these statics and facts and ask yourself, “what is the opportunity for me?”

We want to always be innovating and looking ahead. I invite you to do so with a conversation with me- let’s chat about what is possible for your brand and how you can bring more good into the world!

Welcome to Sunday Intentions | May 10th Intention 

in·ten·tion

/inˈten(t)SH(ə)n/

a thing intended; an aim or plan

Finally; a little less chaos.  

I’ve started to shift my own plan on what regular, more juicy content I’ve need to show up for you with. I want to share with you after a two-month pause from sending emails, blogs, or doing any writing at all. It was SO needed.

March 16th may have otherwise felt like January 1st all over again with an opportunity to create a whole new business plan in this entirely new world. 

Maybe it comes as a surprise to you that your marketing planner here wants to give you more of a PLAN for the week to help shape your marketing- hmm, I think this feels about right! What do you think? 

If marketing is a call for “more,” than the plan to get more starts with having a purpose for what “more” is. Each week, we will be adding to the theory of what exactly more is defined as for our own selves. 

Why being intentional matters in marketing

The 7 years of marketing for companies other than my own, the idea of having this obligatory department called, “marketing” was always deemed to drive MORE as a quantitative thing. Never a qualitative thing.

The problem with my work started before I even began a single strategy, shared a post, or sent out a communication piece. There was always something missing from the start.

WIth The MKTG Brand, I decided that the beginning of all marketing needed a powerful start. A plan. And to lead with a powerful purpose. This made it incredibly difficult to feel any sense of satisfaction from even the most successful marketing campaigns created. It was a complete disconnect of purpose, plan, & execution. I do not want this for you!

As I am a completely different marketing strategist than I’ve been, using mission-driven marketing really is all about being more focused on creating a community & building alignment with qualities of human interaction & purpose. 

Being intentional with your marketing, your business, and the purpose on this planet is my goal for you to work toward as a process to shape the life you want to lead. 

Thus, this series is brought to you to kick-off Sunday Intentions from here on out.

I intend to lead you more with ways to get your mindset right about growth, how to approach growth efficiently, and to feel good about growing every step of the way using marketing that connects more than just a customer & transaction together. 

This week’s intention begins with your reflection: 

State your relationship with intentions- have you tried using them before?
Do they work for you?
Are you open to using this shift in the world in a pandemic to center back into yourself to follow your own intentions more closely? 

Intention for the Week 5.10.2020

This week, I will notice & embrace my deep purpose in my business & pay attention to where it's strongest, and where it's most weak in my day-to-day communication with the rest of the world

Live an intentional & purpose-driven week ahead,

Dana

Have you ever been to a really dull party? You probably never wanted to go back. The experience of you being in the wrong room with the wrong people in the wrong part of your life was probably the root cause.

Think about this as your customers when you are marketing everything to everyone and totally misaligned.

If you were to plan this party the way you want it- you’d probably have a say in how you’d make decisions.

Pictured in front of the most non-eco friendly car I’ve ever seen- Photo by MegN photography 2018.

If this party really was meant to be celebrated with fun cranked to the MAX, I'm sure you had some sort of idea of the following: 

• Guest List

• Budget - duh!!

• Food - you gotta have food or else everyone leaves after an hour. 

• Activity Schedule

• Any other vendors involved

• Invitations & RSVP schedule

Without any or all of the above that REALLY happened- on a scale of 1-10: 

1. How stressful was the event for you to put it on?

2. Did anyone know how to help you or were you just barking orders and not being the host you wanted to be?

3. Who didn't care about how well planned it was, they just wanted to be there for you, regardless, but really can't talk about how great the experience was?

4. How did you really feel about how much time you spent shuffling around unnecessarily the night before trying to make up for a lost time?

We can easily make all of these mistakes in our social life when no one really cares- they just want to support us for us, but when it comes to our business - the thing that pays the bills creates our legacy and gives us the opportunity to fulfill our life's mission- we try to bring the people into our circle who are valued potential clients and people who are seeking a real solution to what we have to offer... without a plan!?

HUH!?!?!?! 

With a marketing plan, to contrast to the numbered list above, you will experience

1. The efficiency of a plan to keep you focused on just what you need to do, on time, for the right reasons so you can relax and get a solid night's rest before anything publishes in your marketing

2. The community you've cultivated is there for all the right reasons, they know how to support you and you know how to lead them. You are all there for the same mission and work more as a team, emphasizing everyone's ability to guide or be guided, so more gets done and all feel like they are in the right place. Not to mention, this charges your batteries instead of depletes your energy when the aligned people are close to you in your business as your customers, clients, or community. 

3. People genuinely will want you to succeed because your mission is their mission, too. It's not just a popularity contest or the people who show up for you because they feel bad for you- it's for an actual purpose that they cannot wait to share with their peers. 

4. You are proud of the type of ethical, aligned, and mission-driven messages that are now out there in the world that is completely on brand- not something you feel like you had to "check the box" to get done and hope would be over with. 

If you are investing any ounce of energy in your business, putting in your precious time of skilled work, and throwing some money at your business, hiring a professional and seeking experienced help is the quickest way to get what you need.

You probably wouldn't ask your always-late, never prepared brother-in-law (I'm not talking about mine named Skye) to plan your big celebration, would you? 

So for an entrepreneur like yourself who has so much to learn about how marketing works, what are the 33 quality touchpoints in a cold to sold lead process, and how to map out HALF THE YEAR of where your business revenue will come from- why do you choose to be left to your own devices? 

I have a big party coming up that I’d love for us to celebrate, eat, drink, dance, and write marketing plans (the best party ever, duh!) hahah

It’s called, “Reconnecting with the Human Side of Business” Retreat Kickoff and it will be the starting experience of my brand’s 6-Month Marketing Program to keep your plan in action!

Celebrate for more details: