That’s why I recently attended a Match-Makers Meeting hosted by the National Association of Women Business Owners. I went with express intention of meeting people who might influence me and my company, and I was NOT disappointed. One of the women at my table was Imelda Alejandrino, the CEO of FirstStep Marketing. Imelda and I hit it off immediately. She was engaging, smart, and absolutely full of wonderful ideas about developing my business. She was just the person I was looking for, someone who could breathe new life in KleenSlate.
I took her card. FirstStepMarketing focuses on assisting the marketing efforts of small start-up companies. Last Friday, I met with Imelda and her staff for a three-hour brainstorming session. The work was vigorous and inclusive, fascinating and energizing. Together we took an in depth look at KleenSlate from a variety of vantage points. We made lists and diagrams on the white board, using KleenSlate markers and erasers, and I took pages of notes. One specific activity that all small start ups need to do is a SWOT exercise, listing:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
I identified the companies/brands I liked and shopped. They asked me to explain what I liked about these companies. Then they flipped that information around and made me look at how what I valued in other companies was emerging in my own company. We worked like this all afternoon until I my brain was spilling with new insights and awareness about KleenSlate and how I wanted to position myself in the market. The team at FirstStep will use information from our brainstorming session to draft a proposal regarding how to REFRESH the look of KleenSlate.
By putting myself in a place where I could meet people, being open to new experiences, and following up, I met Imelda Alejandrino and her partners. Now KleenSlate is getting a new branding/marketing strategy with a clear direction and an eye for the future.
Nothing beats networking!!
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