When we engage with a community entity for a branding or marketing initiative—whether it is a school district, a destination marketing organization, a city, an economic development organization or a regional collaboration—we often hear a lot of comparisons to cities like Madison, Wisconsin and Austin, Texas, among several others. 

These communities aren't necessarily looking to emulate the vibe or brand of these communities, but they certainly look to their success and ask "How do we get that?"

The answer, every time, is "Be yourself." 

In the world of marketing, there's a cycle that happens with almost all brands that reach a certain size: as they expand, the CMO or C-level position decides that things are doing well and that they can put things on simmer.

It's not a bad strategy necessarily—especially in terms of (at least perceived) cost savings and the ability to pivot or refocus. But as brands, their offerings and their customer bases grow, they often need more marketing support to keep up with the constant churn of collateral, digital content, website updates, proposal writing, etc. 

I’m the queen of list making.

Every day I make a list of the things I need to accomplish, then rank them from highest priority to lowest. As I accomplish things throughout the day, I cross them off my list, and if priorities change, I reorganize.

Part of this list making comes from habit, and part of it comes from my unending need for organization. But no matter the reason, my list gives me focus. It helps me to prioritize the things that are most important and critical for a successful day, and it helps me avoid wasting time and energy on unimportant tasks. In its most basic form, my daily list is my strategy.