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Top of Mind Thursday Memo Archive
Top of Mind Thursday – August 29, 2024: Dog Days of Summer
Yesterday, we trekked over to the East Bay to pick up our newest family member—a 60 lb. 2-year-old Siberian Husky we’re calling Kozmo.
Before this week, Kozmo has spent nearly half his life in rescue shelters, having been picked up last December in a small town in the Central Valley near Modesto. He is a beautiful boy, full of spunk and energy who just wants to hang out with people and be loved.
Why did it take so long for him to be adopted? The Norsled rescue folks told us many of their dogs wait months for new homes, because so many dogs are either surrenders, or, more likely, abandoned.
Most of these dogs are perfectly healthy, but their owners chose not to keep them. Maybe they adopted during the pandemic and now are back to in-office workplaces and can’t manage the transition.
Maybe they watched Game of Thrones and decided they wanted the closest thing to a dire wolf, which is a Husky. But they didn’t realize how much time and attention Huskies require.
Maybe they saw social media videos of Huskies doing cute things and didn’t stop to think what it might take to properly raise one of these intelligent but stubborn animals.
Whatever the reason, the shelters are busting at the seams. There are literally dozens of dogs waiting for forever homes.
This is why it’s so important to only adopt a dog if you’re willing to accept responsibility for it–today and for the rest of the dog’s life. Do you homework and know what to expect from each breed.
Spay or neuter your pet to avoid adding to the problem. And before going to a breeder, check the rescue group for the breed you like to see what great dogs are waiting for someone like you.
No one loves you as unconditionally as a dog. We need to be prepared to return the affection.
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday – August 22, 2024: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times
This week, the Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago, with Kamala Harris accepting her party’s nomination for president this evening.
The slate of speakers during the week has been jam-packed with the full range of politicians—up-and-comers that are new to most of the audience, current officeholders, two former presidents and first ladies, and of course, the current president, Joe Biden, and his family. There are performers galore, family members, and speakers who tell their personal stories, such as women who suffered from restrictive abortion laws when their much-wanted pregnancies went off-course.
All-in-all, the message is upbeat and hopeful. Harris talks about how much has been accomplished so far, how we can unite the country, and how she can help us continue to move forward.
It’s a very different approach than the Republicans took in their convention last month. With fewer celebrities and a much less raucous crowd, Donald Trump and JD Vance told us how bad the country is doing. They focused on what’s wrong with America now and what terrible things we might expect in the future if he is not elected.
Are these two candidates even running for office in the same country? How can things be simultaneously so bad and yet so good?
Reality is likely somewhere between these two poles. Things aren’t as bad as Trump would like you to believe and, for many, they aren’t as good as the Harris team is portraying them.
But elections are won and lost on emotion, not on logic. Which candidate will be able to persuade the electorate their view of the world is more correct? Which candidate will be able to get out the vote and convince the undecided they offer the best alternative for America?
Take your seats, strap in tightly, and get prepared for a wild rollercoaster ride for the next two and a half months. This is not your grandfather’s presidential race, and it’s no longer two old white men battling among themselves.
Pass the popcorn.
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday – August 15, 2024: A Little Curry Sauce in Paris
This past weekend, both the US Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams took the gold in the Paris Olympics.
There was a time when the US teams were just expected to roll over the competition. But not any more. Professional basketball has expanded to be global, and teams from European countries are filled with NBA and WNBA players.
The men’s team is loaded with outstanding talent–from LeBron James and Kevin Durant to Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. Yet, the US nearly lost the semi-final game to Serbia, then ran into the same situation in the final gold medal game on Saturday.
What saved them? A Curry flurry.
Steph Curry, playing in his first and perhaps only Olympics, took charge and pushed his team to victory nearly by himself. The holder of the record for most made three-point shots in history hit his stride in the two games that counted, scoring 60 points, while making an incredible 17 of 26 3-pointers. His teammates, the competition, and the crowd were all amazed.
Curry hadn’t shot as well in the first few games of the Olympics. Perhaps that was because the 3-point line is significantly closer in European basketball and this appeared to throw off his shot. But he adjusted and stepped back to sink one shot after another, making it look easy and effortless—and clearly enjoying himself as he did it.
No matter what the competition throws at him, Curry stays calm. When conditions change, he adjusts his game accordingly. And he does it while cheering on his teammates and respecting his competitors.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could throw a little Curry sauce into the rest of our lives?
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Bearing Witness
| We spent most of today visiting the sites in Israel that were attacked on October 7th, bearing witness to the atrocities committed by a dedicated and well-prepared group of terrorists.
We saw the site of the former police station in Sderot, where early that morning, armed gunmen were able to take over all of the building but the roof. A few brave police officers defended the area from the roof until reinforcements could be brought in to destroy the building and kill the terrorists inside. We saw the Nova music festival site, where several thousand young men and women were violently attacked, assaulted, and over 350 of them murdered or kidnapped while trying to enjoy a festival devoted to peace. We saw the small concrete shelter where fifteen young people trying to escape the massacre at Nova tried to hide. Seven times, Hamas terrorists threw grenades into the shelter and they were thrown back. The eighth grenade exploded, killing all of the inhabitants but American Hersh Polin Goldberg (who lost an arm) and a friend. They are both still held by terrorists in Gaza, hopefully still alive. We saw the car cemetery, where nearly 1200 cars from Nova participants have been brought after they were scoured for bodies and body parts. Many of these were burnt down to the frame—including an ambulance decimated by an RPG that killed the 20 people trying to hide inside. Other vehicles showed bullet holes where occupants were shot as they tried to escape. We helped host a BBQ on an active army base near the Gaza border, where terrorists attacked a main command center and burned the inhabitants inside. Except for memorial candles, the site has been left untouched as a reminder. Nine months later, the smell of burnt metal is still in the room. This is a trip that I could not have imagined making before coming to Israel two weeks ago. How could this possibly be safe? Yet it felt very safe—mainly because since October 7th, Israel has fought hard to kill the suicidal terrorists who want to eliminate Israel and the Jewish people from the map. Hamas has said they’ll do it again and again, given the chance—and they are joined by Hezbollah, Houtis, and other Iranian proxies. Sderot and the kibbutzim that were attacked that day are recovering. People are working and shopping and living their lives, as best as they can. Crops are being grown and harvested. Visitors are welcomed to bear witness to what happened and to see the resilience of the people who live here. There are still hostages remaining in Gaza, and the Israeli people are divided as to what the right course of action is to bring them home and guarantee the country’s safety. Benjamin Netanyahu is no saint, and he bears responsibility for the immense security failures that led to October 7th. He will not be able to escape accountability. Yet, in spite of the divisions, the Israeli people have come together to defend their country. The soldiers we met were from all walks of life, of many ethnicities and races, and often they had re-upped for multiple tours of duty. Israelis don’t destroy government buildings in their capital, or decimate college campuses. They still protest, but in a more civilized manner. Then they put their heads down and do what’s needed. One sign we saw in Tel Aviv says it all: Two Jews. Five opinions. One heart. |
Check out our marketing leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
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