Rolling Sands Consulting

Reconnecting…

My apologies! I’ve been neglecting my blog of late but I have a very good reason for doing so. Really… 😀

I’ve been working on some projects but something new has been taking up a big chunk of my time. Or should I say something old?

The last four months have been an adventure of sorts where I reconnected with both my first and my second careers: academia/teaching and retail management. (Marketing in career #3!) I was lucky enough to be hired on at the local college to teach a business course, “Retail Management and eCommerce”.

It took a while to get back into the rhythm of teaching a post secondary course as opposed to one-day skills or product training seminars. Teaching online was in its infancy the last time I did a formal lecture. e-Teaching is a completely different beast than face-to-face. I’m happy to say I survived! The final exam and final projects are marked and I uploaded the final marks to the college system yesterday. Whew!

Helping students succeed, seeing that moment when a concept “clicks” is rewarding and so much fun! Of course there are some not-so-great issues to deal with; plagiarism, managing group project disputes, excuses that may or may not be valid, and students just having a really hard time being away from home, especially during the pandemic.

Regardless, I’m hoping teach more classes, if not this summer, in the fall term. I’ll be much better equipped and up to speed the next time and hopefully there will be no need to go AWOL from my blog! On the plus side, the “kids” have inspired me to write more…and they’ve given me some good material!

Do you like/love teaching? How have you adapted to teaching online? Any tips & tricks you’d liked to share?

Why do I need a brand? Part 1

“Branding, does it really matter?“

As a marketer by trade, this sentence can feel like a personal affront! It’s not of course, but it does highlight why so many businesses have inconsistent, lackluster, and/or nonexistent brand identity. I’ve had to explain the value a strong, consistent brand can bring to any business or organisation, small and large, many times.

#WednesdayWisdom – Let’s Play!

What does stepping on a Lego brick (ouch!) have to do with your business achieving sustainable success? With dry humour, Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, shares his imagination games—can’t wait to try the ‘Pre-Mortem Game’ myself—in this short TED Talk. Basically, you turn everything on its head and see what happens.

If you try any one of these games, please let me know what you gained from it in the comments!

The Anti-Company Game
The Maverick Game
The Pre-Mortem Game

Go ahead, dump out those Lego bricks, make a mess and get inspired! (You might want to consider wearing some slippers though.) 😉