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"Culture is more important than vision. Some leaders have great vision, but have created a toxic culture where that vision will never happen." Phil Cooke Signs you work in a toxic environment: 1) Disrespect and belittlement 2) Unreasonable pressure to get short term results at expense of the long term strategy 3) Inequity, unfairness, favoritism, injustice 4) Any kind of harassment and bullying 5) Lack of empathy, of appreciation, of support 6) Excessive control known as micromanagement 7) Morally questionable environments, lack of integrity, encouragement of dishonesty In an environment like this, no matter how great a vision and strategy are - they will never be executed on. Great leaders fix toxic cultures. They empower, involve, listen, appreciate, challenge, support, mentor. They value hard work and job well done, honesty, integrity, commitment and dedication. They know: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Peter Drucker Feel...

When I first started my online business I had no idea what time management was. I had no idea what I was doing, and I was always feeling overwhelmed, stressed and short on time. I didn’t have any systems in place. I was so used to working for someone else that I realised I didn’t know how to maximise my time whilst running my own business. After a few years in business though, I have picked up some time management tips that I have found surprisingly useful. These tips have helped me not only manage my time better, but also avoid the overwhelm. Why should you bother with time management? If you are an online business owner, there’s no one paying you a salary. No one paying you while you sneak a scroll through social media on your phone, or take an extra long toilet break (we’ve all done it). Every minute counts. You may also not have the funds to outsource anything at the moment, so you’re doing it all on your own. Managing your time is important so that you can make t...

Another year older, but the logo design industry shows no signs of old age. Like an unruly kid ripping through a stack of unopened presents, I eagerly dive into my annual logo report knowing an experience awaits. Sometimes it’s the gratification of what I’d hoped for, and the delightful surprise of unanticipated genius. Occasionally, it’s more analogous to underwear and socks, and I encounter the mundane or, rarely, the disappointing. Nevertheless, it’s evidence of industry vitality, and it’s all a gift. So, first the good. This year’s trends continue to show curious and hardworking design prowess at work, moving us forward to greater heights. You’ll see in this year’s themes the continuation of themes past, with their own unique slant. Meanwhile, modern culture continues to shift the ways we interpret symbols and how we visually prioritize in context, setting topsy-turvy the relationship between identity and application. Greater credence has been given the attending...

So you run an online business, and you think your website design looks pretty good. But for some reason you can’t get people to stay on your website for very long, and you aren’t making many sales. But why? Or maybe you’ve built your own website, and you know the design isn’t that great, but your product is amazing, your services are top rate, and you really care about your customers. But you also don’t make many sales. How come? It’s because your website design is so important when it comes to actually turning viewers into customers. And I’m not just talking about a website design that looks good. It needs to create a warm feeling, where your potential customer is put into a mind frame where they are wanting to buy. Psychology Today  has a great article on the psychology of  why people buy  which is well worth the read. If you can get inside your viewers mind, you can work out what it is they need from you before they are ready to purchase your product. F...