Nuts & Bolts | Brilliant Visions, LLC

Writing with Impact: Mind Your WEs & YOUs

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

The trick to writing riveting and persuasive marketing copy is simply this: Know – and I mean really know, your audience – and get over there into their shoes and talk with them, not at them. This age-old marketing truism makes a lot of sense and it works. And yet, I encounter so many blogs, websites, brochures, letters and other…

How to Become the Subject of Pleasant Dinner Conversation

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Sorry to break this to you, but the people you work with — your staff, your vendors, your colleagues… your clients — they are talking about you after work with their family members and friends. It’s just one of those facts of life. You know how that conversation goes: “How was your day today, honey?” asks your colleague’s spouse….

Bring Your True Self to Work. Please.

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

One of the best parts of entrepreneurship is that you can design your business to your desired specifications. Right? And yet. So many small business owners are fried and burned out because they have become ensnared in their own cruel work habits. One of the cruelest habits is when you believe you have to separate your True Self from your so-called…

Get Clear about Your Core Marketing Message

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Many entrepreneurs ask me, “How do I get started? Where do I begin with marketing?” Business owners may spend a great deal of time and money on logos, websites, mailers and other tangible items, only to regretfully discover later that they somehow missed the mark. And many have jumped onto the social media bandwagon because… it just seems like the…

2 Simple Rules to Finding Your Marketing Sweet Spot

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Pop quiz: considering all the marketing tools available – ezines, article marketing, advertising, blogging, telemarketing, public relations, video, public speaking, social media, tradeshows, networking groups, etc. – how do you decide which are right for your business? Option A: Strategically, based on my business goals and other key factors. Option B: Dabble here, dabble there, do whatever the loudest marketing…

Your Job is to Let In the Goodness

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” ~Edmund Lee Someone emailed me the other day about a project we are collaborating on and in her note she said, “Thank you for being so…

The Key to Great Business Partnerships

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Coffee shop. Crowded and cramped. Awkward moment, attempting to close my ears to the crescendo of conversation between a man and a woman sitting inches from where I stood waiting for my Chai Tea Latte. I would like to have poked my fingers in my ears and sang, “la-la-la-la-la-la,” to drown out their argument. But maybe that would be even…

We Are All Self-Employed

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Often, new clients come to coaching because they feel trapped in their jobs. Trapped by money, loyalty guilt and quite often, fear of the unknowns of a new job. They hate Monday mornings, resent management decisions and often feel quite stressed out. There is actually a cure for this misery! And you don’t even have to quit your job to…

It’s Thursday… Time to Recalibrate!

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Almost every Thursday I announce that it’s “Recalibration Thursday!” on my BrilliantVisions Facebook page. Some folks have asked me, “What the heck is Recalibration Thursday, and what the heck do you actually do to recalibrate?” Well, here is everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. Recalibration Thursday = A Mindset, a Habit and an Action First, a…

How to Clean Up Your Idea Clutter

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Martha Carnahan | 5 Comments

You know all about cluttered spaces. Even if you’re not a clutter person, you probably know someone who is. Or maybe you’ve seen one of those reality TV shows about hoarders. It’s rare to find anyone in Western civilization who hasn’t experienced even a short-term bout of clutter. But what about “idea clutter”? So many business owners tell me they…