Testimonials
"Transformotion Treat - The month with fortune cookies was particularly fun and I think I spaced that special treat out for many weeks and it seemed that the little fortune was saying exactly what I needed at that moment. One not so fun night I popped one open to read, 'Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.' Often that is exactly where we sit as an entrepreneur." —Angel Zimmerman, Entrepreneur and Law Office Managing Partner
"The exercises you put us through generated GREAT IDEAS and lots of laughter and bonding as an organization of women entrepreneurs! I am excited with what I'm using already!!!" —Nancy Harms, Manager, Findables
Read MoreTRANSFORMOTION™ in a Box video gallery
These videos show more about what's in our subscription box and concrete ways that TRANSFORMOTION™ can help you innovate in your organization.
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When you subscribe to TRANSFORMOTION, you will receive an experiential package once each quarter containing hand-selected items that stimulate your senses and your mind—sight, taste, sound and aroma, combined with materials to work both sides of your brain.
Buy once: $75 + priority shipping and handling
Buy for a year (4 shipments): $300 and get free priority shipping and handling
Fasten your seatbelt for a job shadowing day like no other.
We're looking for 6 smart, super groovy students to join us on March 22, 2018.
Consider it your pre-graduation real world test drive.
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Martha Bartlett Piland was inducted into the Kansas Business Hall of Fame March 2. The honor recognizes those who have exhibited unparalleled leadership qualities, had proven business success and played an instrumental role in shaping the vision for a stronger community.
We've, expanded our strategic team with the addition of an award-winning local entrepreneur, Kristen Kogl, as Account Coordinator.
Welcome, Kristen!
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We're thrilled to share our news about creative honors at the 2017 ADDY Awards for client work as well as some self promotion. The competition was fierce, with terrific creative all around.
Three cheers to everyone who entered.
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Credit Donkey has named our blog one of the "Best Small Business Marketing Blogs for 2016: Top Experts to Follow."
We're thrilled!
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It can be easy to lose sight of the good happening in the world. So MB Piland created "See the Good," a photo exhibit to shine a little light. Comprised of hundreds of submissions from clients and friends, it captures moments of good found all around us.
University of Kansas student Moriyah Ramberg has been selected for the 2016 MB Piland summer marketing internship. MB Piland designed the program to provide hands-on experience for young people preparing for a career in business and marketing.
Seveneightfive Magzine has named Martha Bartlett Piland one of its 2016 Women Who Rock.
"I'm thrilled to be included on this list... and in ithe company of such an impressive circle of other women," said Martha.
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Martha Bartlett Piland has written Culturing Creative, a guidebook for fostering the curiosity and creativity that solve everyday problems.
Creativity solves problems, engineers spaceships and builds brands. It makes everything go.
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Old school sales guys will tell you sales is just a numbers game. Get enough prospects into the funnel and they’ll dump out X% of customers at the bottom. Easy.
News flash, Herb Tarlek: your lack of a system is as outdated as your plaid polyester coat.
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“Not a problem,” the customer service person said to me on the phone as we were wrapping up my transaction. What!? Not a problem? For who—you!? Wait a minute. Who is the customer here?
Last week, a hot, tired delivery man came into our office with some much-needed supplies. He delivered more than just packages. He delivered angry, ugly opinions about someone else’s brand.
Marketers are spending a lot of time talking about the customer journey. We’re not hearing the same talk about the employee journey, and that’s a shame. Because the customer journey with your brand will be bumpy at best if the employee journey isn’t thoughtfully mapped out and put into action first.
It’s an all-too-common malady: sales are flabby or fundraising goals are lagging, so leadership determines that a fresh new ad campaign is just the thing to make everything right.
When we start asking questions to diagnose the situation, we often discover something else: an internal problem.
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If you ever put your car in drive with your parking brake engaged, the car lets you know it right away. Ignore the warning at your own peril.
You know not to do it to your car. So why let it happen to your brand?
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Have you put off planning, budgeting and—dare I say it—dreaming? If so, you’re probably working too much in the business and not enough on the business.
Don't wait for a crisis. Plan now.
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Amazon Chairman Jeff Bezos has famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
If you take this to heart, you need to understand all the people who talk about you when you’re not in the room.
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Special blog submission by Moriyah Ramberg
I was lucky enough to be selected for MB Piland’s internship program this summer. Now that I’ve had time to reflect on it, I'd like to share tips on how to make an internship a valuable experience for both boss and intern, starting with the first day.
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Many financial institutions struggle with differentiating themselves in this commodity-mindset industry. “We need a new slogan,” they say. And, “let’s talk about our great service.”
Service is not a position and you’ve got to pay more than lip service to your brand.
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It’s been a while, but I’m still fuming about the dry cleaner who wrote my name inside my clothes. With a Sharpie. Really!? This isn’t summer camp and I’m not 8 years old.
While this happened months ago, I’m still dismayed.
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Everyone is busy. Like many high-performing employees, your people may be running as fast as they can. The problem: somewhere along the line, they’ve been taught to mind their own book of business, not the business of the entire bank. They're in the dark.
Lots of community banks have an advisory board of 8-10 local movers and shakers. Some of these boards have diverse representation. Unfortunately, many are filled the usual suspects. If you want to stand the test of time, you must attract and retain the next generation of movers and shakers.
I was a tourist in Branson, MO recently and as to be expected, had some sub-par experiences in the crowded restaurants. Many seemed perfectly happy offering mediocre food and sticky seats. They know I probably won’t be back, because some other stranger will take my place. They're just in it for today's dollar.
On the flip side, you actually want stickiness in your institution. You're in it for today's and tomorrow's dollars.
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I recently asked a variety of C-level people how often they were called on by a banker trying to get their business. I heard one thing that surprised me—and it’s not what you think.
Several said they don’t really need a loan, so they weren’t that interested in talking to a banker. Wait. What?!
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Are you making yourself indispensable to your business customers? Treat them like rock stars and they’ll have little reason to consider doing business with other institutions.
You don't have to stock their offices with M&M's (minus a certain color) and a special brand of sparkling water.
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I recently had trouble with a community bank’s technology and emailed a banker there to complain in what I hope was a polite—but very frustrated—manner. The response was swift and unexpected.
She thanked me.
Your board meets regularly. Maybe they sign loan approvals or give advice. Do they do anything else for you? What about growing your organization? It's time to amp up expectations.
Whether you’re working with a governing board or an advisory board, here are a few simple steps to spark more engagement from your board of directors and boost your business development program.
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