There’s something about the holidays that makes us feel grateful. Maybe it’s the extra time away from work. Or the festive gatherings with family and friends. Perhaps it’s the lights on the trees, the wreaths on the doors or just the fun of spending money with reckless abandon. Whatever it is, people are just nicer this time of year. Even...

It’s funny how hard we struggle for control in business, when we actually have so little of it. None of us will acknowledge that, but it’s true. We are at the mercy of most everything that comes around – our employees, our clients, our state representatives, even the President of the United States. Our businesses hinge on consumers, on competitors,...

Is it me or is life more stressful than it used to be? I think it’s more stressful because there’s not a minute in the day when we are not connected to technology. Technology is supposed to make life easier, but it actually just makes us more accessible to everyone in the entire world. And I just heard that wireless...

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Vines, apps and content. It’s all we ever talk about in marketing anymore. Clearly, our smart phones have become permanent appendages. And tablets are here to stay. . .But creating content costs money. So how should all this affect your media spend? As we begin planning for 2015, we start with a budget. This budget used...

I consider myself a planner. But lately it’s become increasingly clear to me that I’m a “planning procrastinator.” It’s almost like I CAN’T perform unless I HAVE to. And nothing is more motivating than a deadline. Years ago, I read a book called “The Power of Focus” that a friend recommended. It’s all about how you are in charge of your...

I’m moving -- just like that. I put my house up for sale, got a decent offer and it’s now under contract. This has been home for the past 9 years. My oldest son will soon graduate from college (in December) and my youngest is a sophomore at UNC. They still come home on holidays and the occasional weekend. But,...

Instantaneous access. It’s a relatively new concept, yet it’s changing everything. From the way we watch television to the way we buy concert tickets to the way we book travel to the way we buy houses. The days when media was sold by day part are over. Everything is as fluid as Facebook’s new gender options. There is no more...

Is it me or is marketing getting more fragmented? Seems like, with Google Adwords, WordPress, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, we all have much more media to cover – and more content to create. So how do we handle it? The first question you ask is, where does social media fall? Is it advertising, public relations, or is it...

What’s the first thing you do when you get to the office each day? If you’re like most people, it’s head to the coffee machine. But once you’re fully caffeinated, what do you do? I make a list of what I need to do that day (or that week) and set my priorities. This list keeps me on task and...

[caption id="attachment_1765" align="alignleft" width="240"] LeAnn Wilson McGuire (WilsonMcGuire Creative), Kerry Andrews (Pinehurst), Alex Podlogar (Pinehurst)[/caption] The team at WilsonMcGuire Creative is thrilled to have won two Adrian Awards from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). Our Pinehurst "Championships" ad earned the Silver in Travel Print Advertisements and our Pinehurst "Legends" ad took the Bronze. Pinehurst's marketing team earned a...