Brand Storytelling and Social Media at #WFFS13

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Blake Landau

Today I spoke at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. This event is essentially paradise for foodies. The exhibit hall has thousands of gourmet finds from all over the world. If you have a gourmet specialty foods product, this is where people come to show it off. I saw a tweet flying around from Thomas Keller yesterday! The #WFFS13 is THE place to be.

When I started my own consulting practice, one of my first clients was a local Bay Area favorite Sukhis. Since then I worked with some other food and retail brands, and found a group I really love working with–foodies!

Today I gave the following presentation on Brand Storytelling and Social Media. I hope you like it! I have included some photos as well.

Gravitas About Gratitude

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Blake Landau

Oh gratitude, it has taken me so long to understand how you work. And most days I do, and if I don’t I know how to get back to you, even if it takes all day.

When I left my life in New York City almost three years ago [after meeting Jacob to move back to California where I was from] I had no clue what I was getting into. All I had was a little intuition that the life I was leading needed to change.

Sometimes people ask me advice. They ask me what to do with their relationship. They ask me about self esteem. They ask me about career direction. They ask me about anxiety.

Through my own journey I’ve learned to respond to others with questions rather than answers. All the advice in the world can’t change someone. The metaphors about moving through the darkness before seeing the light are true–but when a person is in darkness it’s hard to contemplate light, let alone see it. In this society we do everything in our nature as humans to organize and control what feels like an unpredictable world. We are terrified of darkness and quiet.

Sometimes you have to fake yourself out to be able to see what I call “the light.” Eventually that story of light becomes your reality, but the journey to that point is terrifying. You can’t see what’s in front of you.

What I’ve learned is the big tests are not in any one moment. The tests are inl the moments leading up; the preparation, the habitual good choices, the optimism. The tests are the late nights spent hovering over work. It’s those nights you spend scrubbing that one last spot on XYZ. The tests are in the mornings where you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and the commitment to not act out of frustration–but take the time to change your state. The tests are in those moments where one decides to make great sacrifices of what’s comfortable in order to do what needs to be done. The tests are the two roads diverged in the wood, and you take the right one, not the easy one.

The Big Secret: the Answers Are ALL INSIDE

This year I got serious about looking inside. I got serious about being grateful for what’s in front of me rather than some moment in the future. This is the year that I spent thousands on getting better tools to communicate and show respect to people in my life. I spent countless resources and hours on self improvement. I made it my job.

I committed to going to long way to be a better person.

Today I give myself a very long leash. I don’t force myself to do things just because they’ve been ingrained in me. I’ve learned how to work myself out of a system I was not happy in. I’ve learned to accept and embrace that I am mostly separate from the dominant system we operate it. I have chosen to work outside of it because it makes me content.

Here’s my official 2012 gratitude list.

1. The choice to be positive.
2. The escape into my own mind and body during meditation
3. That I learned how to channel all the angst and pain I felt into something positive (see Project Enough).
4. My love and forever man Jacob who has been with me through really thick and and really thin.
5. My smiling puppy Athena who cuddles with me while watching Netflix when Jacob is out of town.
6. That I healed myself, and in doing so healed my relationships (family, friends and otherwise).
7. Gilfriend Suze Orman who has been my unofficial money mentor.
8. I’m grateful for my clients–all of whom I admire and respect–and give me the opportunity to work on things I love for people I care about.
9. I’m VERY grateful that I have dealt with the mishagas so that now I am a stronger person–and all of that was a result of being vulnerable and learning how to ask for help.
10. Grateful that I don’t feel the rush as I used to. I have learned how to slow down, read things twice, and think about consequences before I act.

The point of this post is no one can tell you what to do. You need to feel it in your bones that you need to change–whatever that journey is–and through that journey you will gain the understanding, and then the physical terrain of your life will change–in a big way–and when it finally does happen it will happen overnight.

More than anything I’m grateful for the life I have. Life is a precious and beautiful thing–and it should not be taken for granted.

If you’re interested I wrote a gratitude list with Jacob in 2010 and another one in 2011.

Designing Your Nontraditional Worklife Without Fear of Judgement

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Blake Landau

Breaking a habit is hard. Unlearning a lifetime of conditioning is harder.

Some of us tried the corporate thing and after too many closed doors and airtight containers decided to venture out on the unpaved path of self-employment. Many of us are working in creative fields like writing, art and I will add consulting in here. However many of us are not enjoying that dream of self-directed employment.

It took me a while to rid myself of non 9 to 5 er guilt. For a long time there was something to someone else always telling me where to be, what to do and that I was ok. Even the punishment (as a recent college grad) of those mistakes everyone makes in the first few years in the workplace made you feel alive.

But I knew it wasn’t for me, and I learned about self-employment and slowly fell in love.

I think many people find joy in predictability–but not me. I need some predictability and a constant stream of variation to keep me fresh and alive.

The fondness for predictability reminded me of the documentary I recently saw Jiro Dreams of Sushi. In the film an 86 year old Japanese chef with a three star michelin restaurant said, “happiness is doing the same thing every day.” He talked about how for sushi chefs predictability is bliss. This is a man who supported himself since he was seven years old (when he was pushed out on his own).

While I have great admiration for Jiro and people like him, it can be said that people who are stuck in what they feel is a dead end job will never get to higher ground if they don’t decide they want to (and want more than what is given to them).

When I started writing and podcasting as part of my corporate job, I relished the few days I worked from home (that was three times in five years). I didn’t understand why I had to dress up and make the work commute when I could create the content in the comfort of my own home. In fact I always found it more difficult to focus in an office environment where there were distractions all day every day.

Here are my thoughts on fear of being judged for a nontraditional worklife:

The truth is the only one “watching” us is us. If it’s the critical parent or “those people” we went to school with or past coworkers, no one really cares that much about what we’re doing except us. If we are happy and thriving (and able to pay our bills) then other people are happy for us. In fact, people only know and believe what you tell them. You’ll notice the criticism you get from others are the statements you’ve already made out loud (to them). If you tell people what you do with conviction, professionalism and self-respect, they will respect you. You are driving.

The point of this post is to remind you that the judgemental voice inside of you is not necessarily you. However, you are giving that voice prime real estate by listening to him/her. Acknowledge the voice, give it a seat at the table, and move on. Anyone who is needy doesn’t have their needs met. Meet your own needs. Give yourself permission to design and live your life the way you want to.

Five Tips For Women On Boosting Your Confidence

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Blake Landau

I am a fan of the type of confidence that is humble; a quiet strength that needs no announcement.

Confidence comes from following a path in step with your passion. Confidence comes from true belief in oneself and one’s work. You know what you are building is powerful–you continue down that path even in the face of skepticism.

Whether you are a female entrepreneur or working your way up the corporate ladder in your job, confidence is essential to moving forward.

Confidence is a funny thing. Some of the most seemingly confident people are actually quite insecure, but have become very good at managing their own fears. While physically looking the part can help, true confidence comes from the inside. It comes from your core. And unshakable confidence is something developed over time (for most of us).

Below are five tips that will help you boost your confidence and help prepare you for any situation.

Five Results-Proven Tips for Female Confidence Building

1. Whisper sweet nothings to yourself. We talk about empathy in the business world, but what about empathy toward ourSELVES? I encourage you to talk to yourself the way you talk to your favorite pet. How do you react when your pet falls down? Do you swear at your pet? Probably not. That being said, you should be as gentle with yourself as you are with your pet. Or think about how you would talk to a best friend if she were to fall down. It is said that what you believe will eventually come true. If you believe you aren’t enough you won’t go as far. This is true because if you think you aren’t enough you won’t push yourself as far as you would if you thought you could achieve anything. You won’t go for that opportunity, job or guy you think you really deserve. It starts with how you talk to yourself. I want to hear sweet nothings ladies! I want to hear self love from the roof tops!

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Confidence comes from preparation. Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Let’s use surfing as an example. If you’ve never surfed before, and you take your board out and you can’t stand up–of course your confidence will take a hit. But if you practice on the beach for a while before you go out there, and study up with some other surfers, your confidence levels will improve. You know you’ve got some tools in your surfer belt to be successful. Get it? Make it easier on yourself by heading out to the waves with the right amount of preparation.

3. Move. I honestly don’t know where I would be without the ability to sweat. Probably on a curb somewhere. Every single day I wake up and go move my body. It gets my chemicals flowing and puts me in a positive place. While I try and abstain from talking about exercise on Facebook, the truth is it’s a really important part of my day. I run with my dog Athena constantly. Running is a great way to get rid of toxic energy. Additionally you get some of the best ideas when you’re running. Take your dog if you can. If you hate to run (like my boyfriend does) I don’t care if it’s aerobics, jumping on your bed, or kung-fu–get out of bed and get moving. You will notice how much better you feel about yourself.

4. Follow your passion. When you focus on the aspect of your job that you love you’re enthusiasm will clearly shine through. If you don’t love anything about your job, you should probably quit. Life is too short. When you talk about why you love what you do, and why it’s personally meaningful, people around you start to light up too. That said even if taking out the trash is your favorite part of your job, find one thing that lights you up and talk about it. People are attracted to other people who are lit up!

5. Everything you do, do your best. Do you know people who try hard at everything they do? Some people call this a Type A personality or a perfectionist. I have been called a Type A before, although in no way do I see myself as that. I just can’t stomach the idea of not trying. Trust me there are days when I feel that way and I have to talk myself into trying (harder). We all hate to lose, and winning comes from truly applying your focus to everything you do. You’ve got one chance. Make it count!

What can you add to this list? What helps make you feel confident? Please feel free to comment below and share with me.

POV. How A Point of View Makes You–and Your Brand–Charismatic.

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Blake Landau

This weekend in a workshop I co-taught one of the attendees mentioned she was recently in a new role. She was having trouble stepping into her power for the job and was frustrated about it.

I’ve asked many powerful women if they ever had fear of stepping into their power, particularly when it came to getting on stage and speaking to a crowd. I always got the same answer back:

“My work is my passion. When I talk about my passion I lose any sense of nervousness.”

While some of us start businesses or hold jobs that we don’t always feel emotionally and spiritually tied to, the key to is to find the one aspect of the work that we feel excited about.

I watch a lot of Food Network Star, a reality show where a group of contestants compete to win a new show of their own. Having a Point of View (POV) is one of the qualities the contestants are judged on. Each contestant must stand for something, and weave that back into everything they present.

POV

People who are great leaders, salespeople, or motivators are passionate. They are able to distill their passion for their work down to an easy to understand POV. For example politicians tend to say the same thing everywhere they go. It’s their POV, and they are known for it (remember “change you can believe in”).

Susie Fogelson, SVP Marketing and Brand Strategy, The Food Network

While I don’t recommend you try and speak like a politician, standing for something is an important aspect of personal empowerment and branding.

Additionally, if you are building out your brand leveraging social media and content, everything you post should reflect your POV. This can be related to your mission statement, or your products, but should ultimately reflect your own personal point of view.

Understanding yourself and what attracted you to a particular role or project in the first place can help you feel more at ease when presenting to groups [or even creating a content strategy for your brand]. You don’t need to read anyone else’s script or syndicate content just because other people are doing it.

With regard to public speaking, people gravitate to presenters that emit excitement and confidence. If you start with the “why,” you will find your passion, charm and charisma will come across loud and clear.

I have a dream

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Blake Landau

I am not publishing angry blogs for my health.

My dream is to live in a world where we have a surplus problem–where young girls and women have so much confidence they don’t have the bandwidth to “show up” in all the places in the world that they want to.

Last night I watched “Secret Millionaire,” a show where a millionaire lives in a low income neighborhood for six days in disguise and volunteers locally. The millionaire gets to know the organizations, and eventually he/she donates large checks to the non-profits in need.

My favorite story came from Knoxville, Tennessee’s Love Kitchen, a soup kitchen run by twins Helen and Ellen. They feed thousands of people every week–and the numbers have gone up since the economy tanked. I found this story so inspiring it brought tears to my eyes–and warmed my heart knowing there are people like this in the world doing good.

I believe what no one is talking about, is the fact that America is facing a famine.

It’s not a famine of food, it’s a famine of self-esteem in young women.

Young women are not prepared to face the tornado of messaging that will carry them through their teen years telling them they’re not good enough. I was just flipping through a free copy of InStyle Magazine this morning that was delivered to my apartment. There are no normal-sized women in this magazine–not one. So it’s literally only “in style” to be underweight.

While we might roll our eyes and say “oh that’s a first world issue…boo hoo” it is my belief that we need to change the way the media builds an experience for young women–and if we don’t this place could be a very scary world to give birth to a female baby. So many women have reached out to me since I started focusing on this issue more intensely on my blog sharing their own stories of self-loathing, eating disorders and abusive relationships. If a woman doesn’t have self esteem and doesn’t know who she is she will go through life lost.

7 million girls and women under 25 suffer from eating disorders (myNEDA.org) and 40 percent of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls 15-19 years old. There has been a rise in incidence of anorexia in young women 15-19 in each decade since 1930 and anorexia has the highest rate of mortality of any mental illness (myNEDA.org).

Women are literally starving for meaningful experiences that make them feel good about themselves.

I am on a mission to make young women feel amazing about themselves, because when you lift people up you will see an improvement in much more than outlook. You will see tangible change happening in this society–and lord knows we need it. I won’t rest until this issue is given the attention it deserves. But it starts with you.

So my mission is about spreading love, but it’s self love, the root of all love.

Join me.

Thanksgiving Reflections

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Blake Landau

This has been a long good year. And what I’ve learned most of all is the dark comes before the dawn.

This season I am grateful for the dark and the dawn because you don’t see one without the other. After a lot of hard work I can confidently say I’ve reached my dawn.

I feel so much love and joy lately and I believe this is a result of facing some long-time fears, being honest with myself, and speaking my own truth–again and again and again.

I love all of you who’ve supported me this year.

Here is my new list of gratitudes. Happy Thanksgiving. Please share yours too.

I am grateful for:

1. Not just surviving but thriving.
2.Clients who believe in you, and you believe in them too. And there is a mutual relationship where it’s a pleasure to serve.
3. Feeling free-and earning this through running, meditation and self empowering activities.
4. Comfort zones-and leaving them to see what happens.
5. Learning to say no to old habits, impulses and activities that got you nowhere in the past.
6. Knowing when to turn off content when you don’t want to expose your mind to junk.
7. Community groups. For me it’s my running group and my book club.
8. Intuition. Your intuition is powerful. You can trust your ability. Sometimes your intuition is wrong-and assumptions are false, but much of the time you can listen to your gut.
9. Having faith in yourself and your future. The answers to life’s quandaries will reveal themselves in time.
10. The written word. No matter your media the written word is an escape, a source of power, and the best place for reflection.

Some of you will love every minute of Thanksgiving, and for others it’s a challenging time where we know we need to be disciplined with what we eat and what we discuss at the table.

Remember–>The key to a happy life is self-knowledge. If you can manage yourself and your weaknesses, you will be much happier in the long run.

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