Brad Anderson is a Smart Dude.

Brad Anderson, co-president of the Host agency America's Vacation Center/American Express spoke this past weekend at the 24th Annual Travel Trade Leisure Travel Conference in Ft. Lauderdale.

While some of what he said, putting banner ads out there, keyword stuffing your site and sending e-blasts was old school, he did say something really smart.

Outsource your travel website marketing. If you try and do it yourself, you're going to have a huge learning curve, which is time and money away from your own business. You don't try and practice law or medicine or accounting, do you?

Let me rephrase: If, as travel professionals, the message to the traveling public is that without a travel agent they are on their own, then I, as a travel marketer respectfully submit that without a professional website design and marketing plan, your poor little website business is, too.

Which is why Brad Anderson is a smart dude.

Celebrating the Little Things

They say, "don't sweat the small stuff" - and I agree. Small Stuff bogs you down. Small stuff keeps you from doing big things. Except they also say, "the devil is in the details"

OK, first of all, who is "they"? and why am I listening to them?

I've decided to sweat whatever I want to sweat, and watch volleyball. So there.

Great day. A client that I really, really like signed as my third marketing client. I was really hoping she would because I think she's smart, determined and her suite of sites have a lot of potential. She's one of those people that gets it, and knows where she wants to go, and guess what? I'm holding the OnSTAR button.

So I've got three, and I think four and five tomorrow to round it out. And then the fun begins. Actually, its been fun so far choosing the clients that I really think are a good fit in terms of time, energy and potential. I'm batting .1000 and it's pretty awesome after the insanity of the summer. I [heart] work again.

Favorite YouTube Video d'Moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nuj7DTrDOkk
Stuff I need to Watch on DVR: Texas Tech vs. K-State Volleyball, New Gilmore Girls
9pm snack to keep me on task: Creme Brule' Latte & 3 Excedrin.

Good Times.

// C

Sometimes You Give It Away

Sometimes you get stuff for free at garage sales. There's usually a box there with stuff that you, the seller, just can't bring yourself to charge for. That's OK - but be sure that you don't throw a Van Gogh or Renior in there thinking that Aunt June painted it when she was "resting" in her "special place up North" - ya know what I mean? Be sure you know the value of things. Which brings me to another point - why are all the good artists really crazy?

I went to the beach this morning to meditate. We've got this awful Red Tide thing happening here lately. Its an algae that sticks to the top of the water and kills fish. The stench was killer, so I drove up to Port A for some Cotter Street Coffee. I love that place - always a smile on their faces and awesome Creme Brulee Lattes and home-baked goodies. Chatting with the owner, she told me she was looking for a way to increase business in the off-season. Naturally, I slipped into consultant mode and asked her if she had considered a coffee service to the locals. Brilliant, she proclaimed, just what she was looking for.

I can't make coffee, but I can help her get it in people's hands. I don't mind giving her this idea from the freebee box because I have an interest in keeping her successful. It's not selfish, it's just good commerce. And Good Coffee.