The temperatures dip, the days get shorter, and marketing planning and budgeting for a new year begins! Marketers on all levels, from coordinators to directors, are crunching numbers, reflecting on the past year, and planning for future efforts. 

What does the future look like? What challenges do marketers anticipate in the year ahead? Over 80% of respondents identified economic instability as the primary challenge they are facing, with intense competition (72%) and shifting customer preferences (55%) following closely behind. 

Back in Kansas, where I’m from, we take our barbeque (BBQ) very seriously. I can still remember eating ribs at KC Masterpiece, no BBQ sauce needed because I was raised that you only need the sauce if the meat isn’t what it could be. As I got older, a pulled pork sandwich from Oklahoma Joe’s, which was actually out of a gas station, was all a BBQ lover could ask for. 

Now, like Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore, but having lived in Idaho Springs, Colorado for almost 4 years, Smokin’ Yards has become the place that takes, at least our taste buds, back home. 

The Content Strategist

Contently is a blog that takes readers on a dive into the world of content marketing, strategy, and social media in a wide range of industries.

Do you run meetings where getting people to engage feels like pulling teeth? I know I do. I also know of an ancient facilitation technique that helps to break the ice, and make things a little more alive.

Yes, icebreakers can feel a little silly—and they are no silver bullet for the many challenges of running a great meeting—but I would argue that they are still an essential facilitation tool. What can icebreakers do?

“Start with Why” by Simon Sinek is a thoughtful read on business leaders and political visionaries who have shaped history. A few of the examples in Sinek’s story: Walt Disney, Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., Herb Kelleher, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Sam Walton. Sinek argues that some did not have first-mover advantage, the best product, nor the most talented team, rather he attributes their success to focusing on the “why.”

The paradigm shift of starting with “why do something” rather than “what are we doing” can be a game-changer. According to Sinek, “the why” is a more effective way of defining your business objectives, which enables the team to clearly understand the mission and how to get there. This is part of the golden circle framework, which has three layers. First, “the why-” the core purpose/cause, then “the how-” the processes to get there, and lastly “the what-“the products or services offered. When the golden circle is properly executed, the team has a greater sense of purpose and appreciation for the cause, which leads to more trust, loyalty, and profitability.