Date: May 2012

"If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad." Denis Waitley

It's been a big 2 weeks for me. I have travelled to Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Munich, throughout Italy, Monaco and St Tropez - all without drawing breathe!

I am now safely home in Melbourne, jet lagged and in a good need of some routine. But the truth of the matter is that that is never going to happen. I am, after all, an entrepreneur with one very big dream.

I am days late in finalising a document that is necessary for Monday's meeting, yet I still find time to share my thoughts on this marketing blog. Why? Because our priorities cannot always be what others want them to be. Quite simply, I am tired and I cannot think of anything better than downloading my thoughts on this marketing blog for the world to see.

Firstly, I have spent time with some amazing people.

In LA, I spent time with a venture capitalist: I learnt from him that in the US you have to be aggressive and say exactly what you want, otherwise you won't get anywhere. He also taught me to be aware of sharks and that sometimes working with trusted advisors is a better solution than working with a big brand.

I met up with a client: He reminded me that relationships are everything. We have known each other for at least 12 years and have a mutual respect but have only started working together this year. He also gave me insight into how others may perceive me in the business world and personally which was good food for thought.

I drove down to Orange County and spent time with two of my friends who are awesome: They taught me that friendships are important and sharing your experiences, goals and ideas with your friends is not only rewarding, it also gives you a second perspective that you may not have received elsewhere. They also taught me that the best ideas may come up over a glass of wine at 1am in the morning - but be sure to write it down.

In Atlanta, I met with candidates for a Marketing Managers position at Marketing Eye: They taught me so much! A different perspective on opening in the US from a cultural point of view. They each taught me something about the type of person we would like to employ and what the market is like in the US today. They encouraged me that Marketing Eye is going to be very successful in the US and is an exciting company for people to work for.

I met up with a couple that I adore: They reminded me that you should never settle for less than you deserve. Always aim high and never compromise your beliefs and ethics to get what you want. True love and partnership is the most rewarding relationship you will ever have.

I then flew to Munich: I met up with a friend who I travelled with for a few days. He is awesome! A true German James Bond. Fun to hang out with, great to talk business with and an enjoyable travel partner. That is it. Sometimes a male/female relationship needs to be nothing more. I treasure my relationships with males that are just friends because it allows me to see how the other sex thinks. His perspective on me was interesting and again the whole "masculine" thing came up. Not sure about that, but it is something I need to be aware of and learn to turn on my femininity a bit more often. I also made a friend for life.

St Tropez: Well, what can I say. I was inspired, grateful, relieved and completely mesmerized by the sheer beauty that surrounded me. I spent time with someone that I admire and look up to and to be honest, as weird as this sounds, I could spend days just watching him interact with people. I am sure that by following him around, there is so much to learn about how to treat people, inspire those around you and overall, be a good person. I read one of my blogs at the dinner table which created a lot of banter.

Travelling and meeting up with people can change your life. It can make or break you. It shows your true character because at times you will get tired and perhaps sick and you still have to push through.

What do you learn when you travel?

A post of Facebook by my best girlfriend of more than 20 years, about an upcoming Prince concert, had me tormented. Why? Because concerts for me are usually best heard on a DVD or somewhere I can have sound control. I sound like a 'Nanna' but load music usually gives me headaches and although I love music, I tend to love silence a little more.

Last week I was walking past this billboard in Munich and it really stood out. Mainly because of its size in the centre of town, but also because of its simplicity and edgy connectivity. What do you think of this Adidas Billboard?

There are 10 968 120 Facebook users in Australia accounting for 51.58% of the population - so why then, do I receive a call from Facebook to sell advertising from Malaysia.

Asha, the lovely girl that called, was very difficult to understand because of her accent. Not too dissimilar to the strong Australian accent being difficult to understand in other parts of the world, but nevertheless, almost impossible to clearly identify what Asha was trying to sell me. Eventually I worked it out, but the script she was using was so bad, that I am sure that the success rate of this campaign by Facebook will take a nose-dive, just like their share price.

As per usual, our website is flooding Marketing Eye with leads - so many in fact, that we are turning companies that are not a good fit away.

My last call, was very interesting. It was from an interstate online business looking to grow their business-to-business client base.

After chatting for 20 minutes, it became apparent that the business was not suited to Marketing Eye. They pushed to receive a proposal even though I had already told them that they were not suited to our format of working with clients, and then even after saying this, they proceeded to provide me with a gmail address.

Are you serious? Do you think in a business to business environment, that it would be appropriate to provide a prospect or anyone else for that matter with a gmail address? Do you really think they will take you seriously?

Driving down the streets of Munich, I looked ahead to see three vehicles in a row. It immediately had me thinking - what makes one car stand out from the rest when every car has a purpose?

Simple. The car that stands out is the one that is best suited to you as an individual. Not the person sitting beside you. But you.

Have you ever noticed that the most successful people don't talk about how good they are?

In business, I am constantly meeting people who tell me how great they are. Women that sprout, "I won this award and that" and men that tell you how much money they want you to think they make.

The thought of travel right now has a major downside. It usually starts - and ends for that matter with airlines and lost luggage. I cannot remember how many times in the past 5 years that my luggage has gone awol. At least every second international flight. Given that I fly only with Oneworld and Delta Airlines these days, that says something.

In Australia, it's Mother's Day today.

A day that we show appreciation for our Mother's and tell them how important they are to our lives.

My Mother is an interesting woman. She is highly religious, has an incredible sense of resilience and shows compassion to people around her like no-one I have never seen before.

As a child, I remember looking up to her. I loved that she wasn't showy like some other people's Mother's and that she always stood in the background, quiet, yet very supportive. She was the type of Mother that would bake a cake, pop into the school unannounced and give a slice to each of the kids in our class so that they could enjoy her delicious baking for morning tea. Knowing that I had a phobia of eating food out of a lunchbox, she also use to drive 10 kilometres to drop me off fresh lunch, or my favourite fish and chips, on days when the canteen didn't operate - so I would not starve.

Twitter is awesome for business. Seriously awesome. Even this week, a new client signed with Marketing Eye on $24,000 for the year via following me on Twitter. I love it! A small investment in time for a great return. It helps promote the Marketing Eye brand globally, encourages people to go to our website, increases the number of people who read our marketing blogs and engages at a level that 10 years ago, we would not have been able to do.

But, there are a few things that annoy me about twitter.