Last night, I was at our local "Retail Resort" (yes, they actually call it such; rustic design, lots of fake evergreens, and the security guards are dressed as park rangers!). This mall is in the second-highest-income zip code in Colorado, which abutts the highest-income zip code.  The stores tend to the swanky, high-end brands; there's even a Tesla auto showroom.  

There is also an Apple Store on the main level, and a Microsoft Store on the floor above.  I'm sure I must have broken a zillion mall rules, but my cell video cam "accidentally" shot short video of both stores.  I'm cutting a comparison together to post here.  As a former Microsoft employee, their store just made me sad.  It's so weak, so unfocused, and such a copycat attempt to cash in on Apple's deft retail touch.  



Stay tuned...

I've found a great brand recently -- and it's kind of a surprising one, because it's truly disruptive.  It's a local Denver area-based company called Pawngo.  Why am I excited about this brand?  Watch this video about Pawngo, and you'll see.  

Most people wouldn't think of a pawn shop as the sort of company that would bear a truly disruptive brand -- but this group has managed to attract solid venture capital backing, and they are creating true value by extending the consumer lending category.  This is going to be a company to watch, and I predict a lot of success for them.  They are clearly doing the right things right -- at the right time.

Yaffa's Savory:  I met this woman at a Christmas crafts fair, and was blown away by both her products and her salesmanship.  Yaffa's a Mediterranean Maestro -- her sauces and spices are beyond yummy.  But what made her stand out the most was her sunny, upbeat way of interacting with the crowd.  She "sold" us -- and we were darn happy about it.  

It amazes me how some people think negatively of "sales".  There's an old adage that marketing and sales don't get along.  I have always felt that marketing is the front end of sales, and at the same time marketing exists to SERVE the sales staff by generating leads and awareness -- and desire and curiosity. Yaffa told me it's easy for her to sell because she believes passionately in her products.That makes sense to me.  You always want your frontline folks -- whoever will be in contact with customers -- to believe totally in what you're selling.  Sure, many companies hire people who don't feel that way (ever had to call your local cable company about an issue????), but overall if you have something unique to sell, you want the people doing the selling to BELIEVE.  (And it never hurts to have the same commitment from backoffice staff.)

I am in awe of the quality of work performed by Denver-based online agency. 90octane.  This is my personal opinion (I'm not speaking for my employer) but I'm delighted to have such a super-smart, talented and capable team to work with.  They are truly an A-Team.  But the best thing is that the owners are just all-around decent human beings.