Motiveight | Kyle Chowning

Five Blogs I Recommend

May 27, 2009 By Kyle 4 Comments

Lately, I’ve been uninspired to write here due to a variety of reasons. So rather than trying to come up with something creative, I thought I would take advantage of the Google Reader Trend statistics and share with you the top five blogs that I’ve been reading over the past 30 days.

If you’re a Google Reader user as well, you can access this same data by clicking on the “Trends” link in your navigation area.

Okay, here we go:

#1 Macworld – I am a Mac enthusiast and I find that Macworld offers one of the most comprehensive feeds for Mac related news, software and products. I read 25% of their posts.

#2 Advertising Age – Makes sense…I’m a marketing guy at heart and this is one of the ways that I stay tuned into what’s happening in my market. However, just tonight, I found Mediaweek which is a promising read as well. I read 25% of their posts.

#3 FlowerDust.net (Anne Jackson) – Anne’s blog is a new favorite. She is the author of Mad Church Disease, a book dedicated to helping those in ministry, vocational or volunteer, steer clear from burnout—which is a MAJOR problem. One of the reasons that I, and many others, enjoy reading her blog is that she is one of the most honest bloggers out there. Seriously, it stretches even me. Check it out. I read 100% of her posts.

#4 Nielsen Wire – I just recently found this blog. It’s written by the fine folks at Nielsen and it is FULL of great articles about what’s going on in our culture. Topics include, but aren’t limited to: TV, technology, trends, economy, and much more. Did you know that just over 1/3 of American’s have an HDTV and the average person watches 153 hours of TV a month? Yeah, that kind of stuff. It’s a must-read for me. I read 19% of their posts.

#5 Without Wax (Pete Wilson) – Pete is also a new favorite. He is the senior pastor at Cross Point church here in Nashville and is one of the more forward thinking pastors I know when it comes to how to use media, technology and the Bible, all in one blog post. He’s building a great community of thinkers, believers and activists at Cross Point and on his blog. I read 94% of his posts.

So there you have it. Five blogs that I read regularly that I think you might enjoy. Feel free to share with me some of your favs in the comment section. I’m always looking to expand my horizons.

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: advertising age, anne jackson, cross point church, flowerdust, google reader, macworld, mad church disease, media week, Motiveight, nielsen wire, pete wilson, without wax

Measuring Client Loyalty

April 21, 2009 By Kyle Leave a Comment

The state of the economy is finding all of us in an deep dig to discover and fully realize our core competencies. If you’re a small or medium size business owner, casting a wide net of products and service offerings no longer works. You have to find your niche and own it. If you’ve been able to be relatively unaffected by the downturn in the economy, good for you, but gone are the days of running your business on assumptions. Why?

The results of the downturn in our economy are going to be better businesses, products and services, driven by people who are determined to make it no matter what. The only thing that’s going to keep your clients from moving over to the next company, product or service is loyalty. Are your current clients that loyal? If you think yes, then you don’t really know, unless you know yes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: Motiveight, net promoter score, nps score, the ultimate question

Review: Starbucks Gold “Reward” Card

March 31, 2009 By Kyle 4 Comments

Back in November 2008, Starbucks launched a new “membership rewards” program called Starbucks Gold. Basically, it’s a card that costs $25 a year and gives you 10% off most everyday purchases as well as a free drink for registering and one on your birthday. Oh, and you get this nifty little black card with a gold cup in the middle (see image to the left).

Given that I do marketing for a living, I thought I would dive into the idea of the Starbucks card and see what impact it is having on Starbucks. Here’s what I found.

The idea is brilliant for Starbucks

Starbucks gets $25 a year for people to carry around a card that gives them 10% off. If you do the math, that means you need to spend $250/year to breakeven; which equates to 1.2 purchases a week at an average of $4, for an entire year. Unless you’re a die-hard fan, that is not likely. However, after doing some research for this post, apparently, I under estimate the number of people that really love Starbucks. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: amazon.com, borders books, customer loyalty, Motiveight, promotional products, reward programs, seattle times, starbucks, starbucks gold cards

Blog Update

October 27, 2008 By Kyle 1 Comment

Just wanted to let you know that I’ve added a few things to my blog:

About Me – A page about me containing work history, where I’ve come from, what my background is and what my perfect Saturday looks like. I added a picture too!
Books I’m Reading – I have a HUGE pile of books waiting to be read…just ask my wife. I started a page that will have a list of the books I’m currently reading.
Blogroll – I’ve added a quite a few links to my blogroll. If you’re interested in exchanging links, hit me up.
Social Network Links – I’ve added links to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, my Google Reader shared content and my company, Motiveight.

Filed Under: Personal Tagged With: facebook, google reader, linkedin, Motiveight, twitter

Shouldn’t discovering JOY be fun?

August 5, 2008 By Kyle 4 Comments

I find that my criticism is a persistent little pest. It crept up, without hesitation, too many times today. It’s apparent to me that my pride isn’t just going to go away, I’m going to have to work through it. Let’s start with…

Work

I’m a business owner. The company is now in it’s third year after celebrating the two-year mark on July 1, 2008. While this is a success in and of itself, about every three-to-four months, I get in a funk. And when I say a funk, I mean that I’m moody, dissatisfied and generally frustrated…with a lot of things. This is prime time for my criticism to step in. For some reason, it feels justified.

After going through three notable funks, I’ve only been able to conclude that I want what the “successful” guys have. I look at the “Top 30 under 30″ and my name isn’t there. I look at guys who are “making their mark” and wonder why I’m spinning my wheels. I look for “inspiration” from their blogs or the “top” whatever lists and stir in my frustration that I’m not doing a thing to reach this level. The cycle of jealously is a never ending circle that I jump into with both feet in hopes that it will spur me on to even more success. But, it never satisfies. I still get funky.

The other day, a guy stopped by my office to do some freelance work for us. After chatting a bit, I questioned his rates. I told him that he was undervaluing himself and that he needed to raise his rates. He reacted by saying, “how can I raise my rates if I’m not getting the opportunity to send a quote?”

After he left, my thoughts were arrested. How could I be so … ungrateful. At Motiveight, is seems like we are always tracking down new opportunities. Even recently, we’ve been fortunate to submit proposals to great companies like Inspiration Networks, CompuPay, Willow Creek Association and others. It was then that I realized that this guy would kill to be in my shoes and here I sat ungrateful because I don’t have what these other “successful” guys have.

CS Lewis says, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.”

OUCH!

The more I search, the more I find that pride and joy are mutually exclusive. If I want one, I have to give up the other.

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: Motiveight, pride and joy

What is Integrated Marketing Communications

February 15, 2008 By Kyle Leave a Comment

On a journey of discovery today, I stumbled upon a job title that I was unfamiliar with: Director of Integrated Marketing. Being that this was the first time I had ever seen this phrase I was intrigued and made a mental note of it.

Literally an hour later, I was on the phone with a nice lady from the Tombras Group and her title was the SVP of Integrated Marketing. Now seriously, how could this happen. All in one day, I’m introduced to the concept and then I’m on the phone with someone who not only lives in this space but is so good at it that she’s a SVP! I had to know more.

Turns out, Motiveight is NOT an Outsource Marketing Solutions company, as I’ve recently adopted as a tagline for the company. We are an Integrated Marketing Communications company. Here’s a definition of IMC and ironically, what we’ve been doing for the past 19 months:

American Marketing Association defines IMC as “‘a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.’ Integrated marketing communication can be defined as a holistic approach to promote buying and selling in the digital economy. This concept includes many online and offline marketing channels. Online marketing channels include any e-marketing campaigns or programs, from search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click, affiliate, email, banner to latest web related channels for webinar, blog, RSS, podcast, and Internet TV. Offline marketing channels are traditional print (newspaper, magazine), mail order, public relations, industry analyst relations billboard, radio, and television.” —Wikipedia

Welcome to Motiveight Marketing Group Inc. An Integrated Marketing Communications Company. Ah that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it!

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: integrated marketing, Motiveight, tombras group, wikipedia definitions

untitled.

April 30, 2007 By Kyle 1 Comment

I can’t think of a title. In fact, I can’t think of what I want to say entirely. So here goes a bullet point of things that should be blogged, but I’m running out of words to express:

We’re having a girl and I’m getting a daughter, Savannah Grace. I just started using the word daughter today. It’s still a bit surreal
We’ve been planning for the arrival of two lovely ladies later this month (May), but it looks like things might be changing. Constantly having to figure out God on this one.
May 29 brings the arrival of Rachel Matheis to the Motiveight staff. Our first employee.
Our house is in the sheet rock stage.
Vacation in Destin, May 12-19.
Lately, I average 5-7 hours of sleep a night. For some reason, it feels more like 3-4.
Recently read: E-Myth and Getting Things Done. Highly recommend both.
Relearning that I must live daily. I can’t change yesterday and I can’t predict tomorrow. Live in the middle of God’s grace and mercy today and at the end of the day, I’ll be in the center of God’s will. That I know.

Peace.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Motiveight

A friend told me I should write.

February 20, 2007 By Kyle 1 Comment

Kristy and I just journeyed back from a 4-day road trip to Johnson City, TN to see Tara and Jacob before heading onward to Winston Salem, NC to visit our best friends, Rob & Vangie Sperti. All I can say is, great times. Thanks to all who made our trip so enjoyable.
I continue to stand back in amazement at what God is doing in and through our world. Sometimes I get lost in my own world; thinking it’s huge, significant and will have a great impact. The reality is, it’s the greatest story ever written, lived and told, for me. That said it is big…to me. But when I stand back and survey the works of the Lord, I marvel at how many “workers” are doing exactly what I strive to do everyday…but in their own world. To each, it’s significant. To each, it means everything. To each, it’s their best effort to do exactly what God requires of them. Recently, my perspective of those other “workers” has begun to change. I’ve become less critical, judgmental and honestly, a lot less competitive with and of them. We’re all on the same team, yet sometimes I forget that. I often become centered on what I don’t have and covet what they have; mainly in the spiritual arena. The problem with that is, it’s simply ungrateful. Looking at my life right now, shame on me for ever thinking such things. I could easily mask it with spiritual words like “fervent desire” but I believe that when I truly pull back the layers, what I want is simply self-centered. You could insert any selfish sin and it would probably apply. However, I refuse to be distracted by my own sin. I repent, acknowledge and quickly move on…so help me God.

Motiveight is moving along and quickly. I’m up to a small handful of clients that are keeping me busy. Fortunately, opportunity abounds and I seem to be finding favor everywhere. Unfortunately, I need a really talented individual who’s interested in working for a small start-up with the possibilities of ownership (for the right person of course). They need not to be afraid of doing any and every task…after all…it is a small company. Interested? Know someone? Please email me > kyle@motiveight.com.

If you haven’t read or heard by now, Kristy and I are pregnant and celebrating 14 weeks this week. After almost five years of trying, every week that we progress is a celebration. We are humbled by this gift.

For those of you who are tracking our move to Nashville, we’re getting settled and enjoying our new life here. It’s funny to look back and realize how ready I was to move here. I don’t really miss Orlando (the city) at all. I guess you could say that I was done with that season of life. Our friends are missed regularly. After five years, it’s hard to say goodbye…especially to friendships that started but never really realized their full potential. There are lessons to be yet learned there somewhere.

Our house is coming along. We’ve been told that the roof decking is on now. I hope to post pictures sometime this weekend. Plumbing starts on Wednesday! Electrical is right behind that (I think).

A couple weeks ago, Kristy’s dad (who’s building our house) came and presented an opportunity to move into a spec house his company has had on the market for over a year now. It ends up that it will be cheaper for them to have someone living in it rather than leave it empty. So, Friday, we move out of the PODS and into a brand new house. The time with Keith and Sharry (Kristy’s parents) has been enjoyable but cut short. I will miss our 8pm coffee ritual. I guess we’ll have to move it to the spec house.

I miss blogging. So much life goes by that I regret my failure to be disciplined to journal it. Plus I’m a talker and let’s just face it…people are busy and it seems, generally disinterested in the details. Blogging is sometimes the best, most convenient and easiest way to get out your thoughts without having to burden friends with the details. Here, if you don’t like it, move on.

Until next time friends…and I mean friends.

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: Motiveight