MARKETING ACTUARY

July 28, 2010

Getting Interviewed By A Journalist

I'm too boring for the press.

Almost two years ago, a major business newspaper wanted to know how I invested. They were ready to send a photographer.

In preparation, I drafted responses to the proposed questions. Unfortunately, my investment advice was too boring to publish. I turned the answers into a blog post: How an actuary invests. You can judge whether it's safe to operate heavy machinery after reading it.

What's too dull for a national newspaper works fine on a blog. That's not because you like getting bored: escape is a click away. It's because readers are a self-selected niche. Isn't that exactly what you want?

These days, you can easily put content online to

help a niche find you
send links to your clients and prospects

You don't need anyone's help or permission.

Avoiding The Press

In my very first media interview years ago, I got quoted out of context. This made better reading but left me scarred. The journalist knew of my inexperience and used it against me. I'm glad I didn't buy 100 copies.

After that, I refused most interview requests. Once, my company asked for the questions in advance, recorded the interview and had a PR specialist standing by. That went well. I then agreed to answer questions by email and had the replies reviewed by a communications specialist.

Practice in presenting and answering audience questions restored my confidence. I wasn't spontaneous until this year when Monty Loree interviewed me for the Canadian Money Advisor podcast. The topic was The Four Hour Work-week (part 1, part 2).

Today I'm doing my first live unrehearsed interview since that bad initial experience. This is for a national trade publication, which reduces the risk of misquotes. If I'm interesting enough to get published (may not be until the fall), I'll post the link.

The Topic

The article aims to look at how today's interactive Internet (Web 2.0) can be used to

promote your business
find new ideas
keep you current with best practices
improve your working life

Doesn't that look interesting to you? I'd certainly want to find out.

Why Me?

I don't have a press kit or know many journalists. How did the media find me? Via a Google search for keywords.

There are probably people looking for you too. Can they find you?

Links

July 20, 2010

Toy Story 3 Shows The Power Of Teams

The person who knows HOW will always have a job. The person who knows WHY will always be his boss.
--- Diane Ravitch

We usually master HOW first. Many stop there, content to do "factory work" at the direction of those who know WHY. That's fine. Both roles matter. Neither is more important than the other. Together they create a team.

Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 is put together with such wonderful care and attention that praise has been almost universal.
--- The Guardian UK

Have you seen the amazing Toy Story 3? It's practically perfect on many levels. Here's a trailer (with no real spoilers).

There's a great article in Wired: Animating a blockbuster: how Pixar built Toy Story 3. Rarely do sequels maintain the magic of originals. Most first films aren't original either. Look at The A-Team, Iron Man, The Losers, Green Zone, Cop Out and The Book of Eli. They help pass the time and lighten our wallets.

The Magic Of Pixar

Pixar uses two forms of magic

know HOW: the technical skills (e.g., drawing) and technology (a typical frame takes 7 hours of computer time to render and there are 24 frames a second)
know WHY: the heart and universal story

There are two teams

the toys: each plays an important role in helping the rest, even Mrs. Potato Head
the creators: they work together on different projects

The ongoing collaboration works very well. Look at the gaps in the films yet their success.

1995: Toy Story (#148 in the IMDB all-time Top 250)
1999: Toy Story 2 (#229)
2010: Toy Story 3 (#8)

That's quite a record.

Your Team

You have a team too. The size varies with what you ship. It consists of your suppliers and colleagues (internal and external). Do you have the right people or are you stuck with decisions made by others?

Your answers affect what you deliver, your attitudes and your happiness. Our connections play such a crucial role. It's hard to believe, but even obesity is contagious. That's an example of bad influences. Toy Story 3 shows the magic of the right team.