Tony Delmercado

We’ve all heard of unexpected firings and poorly handled layoffs. The latest example was about as high-profile as it gets: When President Donald Trump fired the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey found out his status only when the news scrolled across a TV set while he was at speaking engagement.

That must have been a bad day for Comey; but it wasn’t a great one for his colleagues either. Like any team members who suddenly lose an integral player, they must have… Show more

We’ve all heard of unexpected firings and poorly handled layoffs. The latest example was about as high-profile as it gets: When President Donald Trump fired the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey found out his status only when the news scrolled across a TV set while he was at speaking engagement.

That must have been a bad day for Comey; but it wasn’t a great one for his colleagues either. Like any team members who suddenly lose an integral player, they must have wondered what would happen next and how their boss's departure would affect their careers. Show less

Earlier this year, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced that he was looking for a second-in-command to help him manage the company. For Kalanick, famous for his scrappy entrepreneurship, hiring a No. 2 was a great way for him to focus on his strengths and let someone else manage Uber’s day-to-day operations.

What a shame he hadn't done this before the company was beleaguered with management issues.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor ratcheted up the salary threshold for overtime eligibility by more than 100 percent. Employers had until December 1 to comply, and many opted to give affected employees substantial salary bumps to avoid huge spikes in overtime compensation.

That all came to an abrupt halt, though, when a federal judge blocked the rule nine days before it was implemented. Now the viability of the change is in question, as it is likely to receive pushback from… Show more

Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor ratcheted up the salary threshold for overtime eligibility by more than 100 percent. Employers had until December 1 to comply, and many opted to give affected employees substantial salary bumps to avoid huge spikes in overtime compensation.

That all came to an abrupt halt, though, when a federal judge blocked the rule nine days before it was implemented. Now the viability of the change is in question, as it is likely to receive pushback from Congress and the Trump administration.

This poses an interesting predicament for the companies that took measures to achieve compliance before the rule actually went into effect. What do you do if you went ahead and raised salaries only to find that you jumped the gun? Show less

Joblessness is at its lowest point since the Great Recession of 2008, according to U.S. News & World Report. Trading Economics indicated that in January 2017, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.8 percent. With the number of unemployed people remaining steady at 7.6 million, total labor force participation actually rose slightly to 62.9 percent.

This is great news, of course! But it will also impact entrepreneurs and small business owners. For job seekers, this kind of climate creates… Show more

Joblessness is at its lowest point since the Great Recession of 2008, according to U.S. News & World Report. Trading Economics indicated that in January 2017, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.8 percent. With the number of unemployed people remaining steady at 7.6 million, total labor force participation actually rose slightly to 62.9 percent.

This is great news, of course! But it will also impact entrepreneurs and small business owners. For job seekers, this kind of climate creates a “buyer’s market,” so to speak. Show less

I’ve been an entrepreneur since I started mowing neighborhood lawns in high school. Soon after, my buddy and I launched a full-on landscaping operation with three trucks, a trailer, commercial mowers, and a staff of eight — all before graduation. Eventually, I sold that company to add more entrepreneurial ventures to my repertoire, and by my early 20s, I had earned just shy of a million bucks.

By all accounts, I was a successful, profitable entrepreneur — so why, then, did I end up with… Show more

I’ve been an entrepreneur since I started mowing neighborhood lawns in high school. Soon after, my buddy and I launched a full-on landscaping operation with three trucks, a trailer, commercial mowers, and a staff of eight — all before graduation. Eventually, I sold that company to add more entrepreneurial ventures to my repertoire, and by my early 20s, I had earned just shy of a million bucks.

By all accounts, I was a successful, profitable entrepreneur — so why, then, did I end up with a six-figure tax liability? Show less

Here’s a news flash: The days of corporate silos and veiled marketing are over. No longer can a company hide its real intentions or results from investors or clients. In a Label Insight study of SmartLabel transparency technology, 40 percent of consumers surveyed said they would switch brands if one were more transparent; and 73 percent would be willing to pay more.

Remember Hormel's acquisition of Justin's last year? If you were surprised at that news, you weren't alone. What could be stranger than the maker of Spam purchasing a vegetarian, organic brand of nut butters?

From a headline view, a company like Justin's -- known for its transparency and great culture -- being gobbled up (pardon the pun) by one alleged to have abysmal working conditions doesn't make much sense.

Except -- it does.

So, you're ready to expand: You've done the cost/benefit analysis, scoped out your next city location, acquired the capital and jumped in. Congratulations!

Expansion is exciting and overwhelming -- much the way the early days were for you, when you first dealt with a lot of moving pieces. But, this time, to ensure success now, you have to figure out how to keep your culture strong and intact before you launch your new location.

Employees who know and understand their company’s core values are 51 times more likely to be engaged fully in their work than those who don’t.
That’s an impressive stat that leaders can’t afford to ignore. Your company’s culture is often what sets you apart from the competition, so communicating and helping your employees embody your core values is vital to the success of your business -- especially when those values appear to contradict each other.
On the surface, my company’s core… Show more

Employees who know and understand their company’s core values are 51 times more likely to be engaged fully in their work than those who don’t.
That’s an impressive stat that leaders can’t afford to ignore. Your company’s culture is often what sets you apart from the competition, so communicating and helping your employees embody your core values is vital to the success of your business -- especially when those values appear to contradict each other.
On the surface, my company’s core values seem to jibe well, and they often do. Two of our most cherished values are “Be cool” and “Get sh*t done.” But sometimes, when we are on a tight timeline or with a difficult client, it can be a challenge to also be cool. The key is to find balance when things go off the rails and your core values seem to fall out of whack with reality -- and with each other. Show less

How do you get a job without experience and how do you get experience without a job? Let’s address this age-old question from the business owner’s perspective: How do I find the best young talent to train and then retain them?

The answer to both questions is a good internship program. One study from Georgetown University found that the starting salary for graduates with internships was 28 percent higher than for their peers without internships. That’s because they come prepared.

Once upon a time in content marketing, the main goal was to throw out as much content as possible, usually based around certain keywords. Content marketers thus adopted a "spray and pray" method, hoping for an overall boost to all marketing efforts.

As we now know, that "method" does not lead to fairy tale success.

The companies that have a hard time attracting top talent are those that can't differentiate themselves in the market. Don't let this be you.

Podcasts nurture leads, meaning they nurture revenue -- especially when it comes to younger audiences. When Peter Jukes, creator of the podcast Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, asked a lecture hall full of college students if they read a newspaper, only three hands rose. But when he asked how many of them listened to podcasts, nearly 70 percent raised their hands.

Stories like Jukes' point to the increase in podcasting, which has seen more than 30 percent growth in recent years… Show more

Podcasts nurture leads, meaning they nurture revenue -- especially when it comes to younger audiences. When Peter Jukes, creator of the podcast Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, asked a lecture hall full of college students if they read a newspaper, only three hands rose. But when he asked how many of them listened to podcasts, nearly 70 percent raised their hands.

Stories like Jukes' point to the increase in podcasting, which has seen more than 30 percent growth in recent years. Celebrity thought leaders like Tim Ferriss have gained significant traction with audiences through this mode... Show less

The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of email marketing is the person who designs their newsletters, holiday coupons, or Happy New Year's batch.

And that's where a lot of people underestimate email and the marketer behind it. Social media gets a lot of buzz because it's so public, but email is actually 40 times more powerful than social for finding new customers, and it drives more conversions than any other channel...

E-commerce keeps growing. But to achieve substantial online sales, marketers need to follow the e-commerce hierarchy.

The Pyramid of E-Commerce Success

Think of the e-commerce hierarchy as a pyramid — without the lower levels, what’s at the top isn’t stable...

At the end of this year, new rules from the U.S. Department of Labor go into effect to provide overtime protection to 4.2 million salaried workers -- providing an estimated $47,476 for a full-year-round worker.

While some companies won't feel a huge difference, others will be dealing with major cultural shifts as it becomes more expensive to squeeze lengthy weeks out of their salaried workforce.

Like so many things in life, finding a dedicated mentor today may not be as simple as it was for previous generations. But it’s still just as crucial for your professional development.

It’s no surprise that a whopping 82 percent of people acknowledge mentorship as a critical part of their continued growth — having a mentor can help you earn up to $22,450 more annually.

As the current COO of Hawke Media, founder of 1099.me, and a former district manager in the direct sales… Show more

Like so many things in life, finding a dedicated mentor today may not be as simple as it was for previous generations. But it’s still just as crucial for your professional development.

It’s no surprise that a whopping 82 percent of people acknowledge mentorship as a critical part of their continued growth — having a mentor can help you earn up to $22,450 more annually.

As the current COO of Hawke Media, founder of 1099.me, and a former district manager in the direct sales industry, I’ve recruited and trained more than 2,000 people. Along the way, I’ve developed lasting friendships and strengthened my coaching techniques.

I’ve also noticed a few consistencies that you should be aware of and consider when seeking a mentor... Show less

When launching a successful startup, funding is only part of the equation. Once you have the capital you need, positioning your company so it can deliver returns is the next step. And when your startup reaches this step, location is key.

If you’re planning to expand your startup to a new location, Chicago is a great place to start. The Windy City has stood as one of the great hubs of startup success for a long time. In fact, Chicago seems to outdo itself year after year in terms of… Show more

When launching a successful startup, funding is only part of the equation. Once you have the capital you need, positioning your company so it can deliver returns is the next step. And when your startup reaches this step, location is key.

If you’re planning to expand your startup to a new location, Chicago is a great place to start. The Windy City has stood as one of the great hubs of startup success for a long time. In fact, Chicago seems to outdo itself year after year in terms of businesses that secure funding and achieve top-dollar exits. Show less

Say you’ve got a great business that’s growing in your city. Great team, great culture, great clients -- all the greats you need. For many founders, now is the time you might start to look outward. Where can you expand to continue to grow? Do you need to set up offices in other cities, or can you grow sufficiently from your current location?

Expansion isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a local-ish business with a lot of small companies as clients, expansion to a new city could be the… Show more

Say you’ve got a great business that’s growing in your city. Great team, great culture, great clients -- all the greats you need. For many founders, now is the time you might start to look outward. Where can you expand to continue to grow? Do you need to set up offices in other cities, or can you grow sufficiently from your current location?

Expansion isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a local-ish business with a lot of small companies as clients, expansion to a new city could be the perfect solution for growing revenue. Maybe your online presence is amazing; but nothing beats boots on the ground. Show less

When it came to the business world, I used to imagine it divided into three distinct groups: bosses and employees, vendors and customers, and investors and entrepreneurs.

I didn’t realize that almost every professional relationship could provide an opportunity to mentor or be mentored and that filling both roles would help my professional growth tremendously.

In fact, in one recent survey, 82 percent of respondents claimed that having a mentor was critically important to one’s… Show more

When it came to the business world, I used to imagine it divided into three distinct groups: bosses and employees, vendors and customers, and investors and entrepreneurs.

I didn’t realize that almost every professional relationship could provide an opportunity to mentor or be mentored and that filling both roles would help my professional growth tremendously.

In fact, in one recent survey, 82 percent of respondents claimed that having a mentor was critically important to one’s development. However, I’d argue that being a mentor can have an equal — if not more profound — effect. Show less

Your intuition, like mine, probably tells you happier workers are better workers. When people are happy, they feel more open and creative and produce better results.

That’s more than just instinct — it’s been proven. Economists at the University of Warwick found that while unhappy workers were 10 percent less productive, happy workers were 12 percent more productive.

When companies spend time and resources supporting employees, they have happier teams. For example, employee… Show more

Your intuition, like mine, probably tells you happier workers are better workers. When people are happy, they feel more open and creative and produce better results.

That’s more than just instinct — it’s been proven. Economists at the University of Warwick found that while unhappy workers were 10 percent less productive, happy workers were 12 percent more productive.

When companies spend time and resources supporting employees, they have happier teams. For example, employee satisfaction increased 37 percent at Google after the company began focusing on happiness initiatives Show less

We can probably all agree that keeping a bucket of radioactive ooze in the corner of your office is a bad idea. While it may not cause immediate damage, at a certain point, everyone ends up sick.

Guess what — that employee you really like may be just as toxic.

This sounds harsh, but in reality, if you keep a ticking time bomb around, it will eventually explode. And when that bomb is one employee on a team of five or so, the collateral damage can devastate your company.

In Los Angeles today, being pro-GMO (short for genetically modified organisms) in your food choices is akin to being pro-Communist in the 1950s. But meal-replacement company Soylent doesn’t care. Last fall, it took out a billboard ad proudly proclaiming itself to be “pro-GMO.”

That’s a bold move in a part of LA where people don’t always take kindly to that way of thinking. But Soylent’s brand is all about leveraging science and technology to feed the world. Its leaders believe in what… Show more

In Los Angeles today, being pro-GMO (short for genetically modified organisms) in your food choices is akin to being pro-Communist in the 1950s. But meal-replacement company Soylent doesn’t care. Last fall, it took out a billboard ad proudly proclaiming itself to be “pro-GMO.”

That’s a bold move in a part of LA where people don’t always take kindly to that way of thinking. But Soylent’s brand is all about leveraging science and technology to feed the world. Its leaders believe in what they produce, which gives its culture an authenticity it might otherwise lack... Show less

Startups that grow into big corporations share many of the same characteristics: They foster innovation, resilience, agility and passion.

However, startups can’t successfully build on these crucial traits without the foundation of a strong company culture. In essence, each of these qualities is a product of culture.

If culture makes the business, you’d think most people would agree on what drives it. But a recent survey from the Workforce Institute at Kronos tells a different… Show more

Startups that grow into big corporations share many of the same characteristics: They foster innovation, resilience, agility and passion.

However, startups can’t successfully build on these crucial traits without the foundation of a strong company culture. In essence, each of these qualities is a product of culture.

If culture makes the business, you’d think most people would agree on what drives it. But a recent survey from the Workforce Institute at Kronos tells a different tale: A third of human resources professionals claim to take the lead on culture, while 26 percent of managers believe the executive team defines it. Show less

Email marketing strategies aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be, and getting them right is more important than you might realize. Digital marketing trends come and go, but email continues to prove its staying power.

Having a website, in fact, might be the only aspect of marketing more critical than email, but email’s high returns (about $44 for each dollar put toward email marketing) keep marketers increasing their budgets for campaigns.

The key is learning how to… Show more

Email marketing strategies aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be, and getting them right is more important than you might realize. Digital marketing trends come and go, but email continues to prove its staying power.

Having a website, in fact, might be the only aspect of marketing more critical than email, but email’s high returns (about $44 for each dollar put toward email marketing) keep marketers increasing their budgets for campaigns.

The key is learning how to effectively integrate it with other marketing tactics. Show less

Need more and better leads from your content marketing? (I mean, who doesn’t?)

Email marketing is still the go-to tool for getting and nurturing quality leads, engaging and escorting them all the way through your sales funnel. However, ask yourself, “How many commercial emails do I delete every day without even opening them?”2

That’s the same inbox calculus your potential readers go through, too. In fact, recipients deleted nearly 10 percent of the emails that brands sent to them… Show more

Need more and better leads from your content marketing? (I mean, who doesn’t?)

Email marketing is still the go-to tool for getting and nurturing quality leads, engaging and escorting them all the way through your sales funnel. However, ask yourself, “How many commercial emails do I delete every day without even opening them?”2

That’s the same inbox calculus your potential readers go through, too. In fact, recipients deleted nearly 10 percent of the emails that brands sent to them last year without even reading them. What’s more, more than half of successful email marketers surveyed claimed that creating relevant content was the biggest factor in reaching their goals. Unless you’re feeling awfully lucky, you must optimize your business email content by tailoring it to suit your readers and their needs. Show less

Are you smarter than a fifth-grader? What about a goldfish? Chances are good on both counts. But when it comes to paying attention, I’m sad to say you don’t fare as well.

The average human attention span lasts 8.25 seconds, whereas that of goldfish comes in at 9. That means ol’ Goldie can focus for three-quarters of a second longer than you.

When it comes to customer engagement, 8.25 seconds isn’t a lot of time. And if they don’t get the right message quickly, it can be a struggle… Show more

Are you smarter than a fifth-grader? What about a goldfish? Chances are good on both counts. But when it comes to paying attention, I’m sad to say you don’t fare as well.

The average human attention span lasts 8.25 seconds, whereas that of goldfish comes in at 9. That means ol’ Goldie can focus for three-quarters of a second longer than you.

When it comes to customer engagement, 8.25 seconds isn’t a lot of time. And if they don’t get the right message quickly, it can be a struggle to re-engage with consumers once they’ve left your site. Show less

Companies are living organisms that need to keep moving to survive. Without a concerted focus on developing their organizations, owners can drown in the ever-changing market, dooming their companies to failure.

Success comes, however, when companies like Target stay active and intentional by expanding their product lines, refreshing their brands, and acquiring new customers.

When considering launching a new business, most people imagine quitting their jobs, abandoning financial stability, and risking it all. Because of heavy hitters such as Elon Musk and Richard Branson going all in and winning big, many think it’s the only way to do it.

With these founders as examples, it’s no wonder the number of U.S. startups is in decline and more businesses are closing up shop than starting up. Currently, more than 50 percent of startups fail before the four-year mark —… Show more

When considering launching a new business, most people imagine quitting their jobs, abandoning financial stability, and risking it all. Because of heavy hitters such as Elon Musk and Richard Branson going all in and winning big, many think it’s the only way to do it.

With these founders as examples, it’s no wonder the number of U.S. startups is in decline and more businesses are closing up shop than starting up. Currently, more than 50 percent of startups fail before the four-year mark — hence more aspiring entrepreneurs sticking with traditional jobs while growing their own ideas rather than taking a complete leap of faith.

If leaving your day job isn’t a prerequisite, how can you launch your big idea while remaining a full-time employee? Show less

Although email is one of the most effective ways to build relationships and nurture leads, only 21 percent of consumers surveyed said they had received memorable promotional emails within the previous few months. So what is the secret ingredient email campaigns can use?

For startups, the key to capitalizing on email marketing is simply to get more personal and familiar with customers...

Over the years, I’ve done more than my fair share of hiring. Between my background in direct sales, where I recruited a slew of people, to my role building the creative staff at my current company, I’ve developed an eye for what makes a great hire.

One thing has become clear — the traditional characteristics like solid skills and experience don’t necessarily make a great creative hire. And it’s not just me. According to a survey conducted by The Creative Group, executives find hiring for… Show more

Over the years, I’ve done more than my fair share of hiring. Between my background in direct sales, where I recruited a slew of people, to my role building the creative staff at my current company, I’ve developed an eye for what makes a great hire.

One thing has become clear — the traditional characteristics like solid skills and experience don’t necessarily make a great creative hire. And it’s not just me. According to a survey conducted by The Creative Group, executives find hiring for creative positions more challenging today than they have at any time since the survey began in 2010. Show less

One of the biggest misconceptions in business today is that there are no bad clients. Anyone willing to pay for the service is worth serving, even if he is challenging to work with — right?

Not exactly. A bad client relationship leaves both provider and customer unhappy, and a contentious split will only hurt both sides. One group feels it paid for more than it received, while the other gets an unfair reputation of being unable to meet its customers’ needs.

Any marketer knows that impressions are like gold. The more you have, the more you want, and they’re some of the most valuable metrics in the game.

A key player in the impressions arena is TV. With consumers trusting TV ads an average of 15 percent more than online video ads, this medium still resonates with people as a validator of legitimacy. But to get results out of TV, you have to know how to use it.

In The Social Network the actor portraying Mark Zuckerberg argues plastering the site with ads would ruin Facebook before it ever had a chance to take off.

We know who won that battle. After it launched in 2004, users enjoyed a clean interface. Then, in 2012 Facebook rolled out a wave of efforts to turn likes into dollars. The cha-ching rang out after it grabbed data from users’ abandoned online shopping carts to retarget customers with sidebar ads.

We live in an age of ever-increasing mobility, and marketers should take heed.

In 2014, mobile data traffic alone was almost 30 times greater than that of the entire internet in 2000. In accordance with Black Friday sales, mobile traffic made up 52.1 percent of all online usage on Thanksgiving Day, exceeding desktop browsing for the first time in history.

It's no wonder, then, that mobile ad spend will reach $28.72 billion this year -- a number that is expected to rise to $65.87… Show more

We live in an age of ever-increasing mobility, and marketers should take heed.

In 2014, mobile data traffic alone was almost 30 times greater than that of the entire internet in 2000. In accordance with Black Friday sales, mobile traffic made up 52.1 percent of all online usage on Thanksgiving Day, exceeding desktop browsing for the first time in history.

It's no wonder, then, that mobile ad spend will reach $28.72 billion this year -- a number that is expected to rise to $65.87 billion by the end of the decade. Show less

While Americans remain highly confident in small businesses, we’re closing startups faster than we’re opening them. As a result, we’re losing around 470,000 per year.

In this kind of atmosphere, it can be easy to point fingers at the economy if you don’t attain the type of position you want. But in reality, the economy has nothing to do with your ability to ascend in the world of small business.

Cue the eye-rolling — are you ready? "Content is king." Yawn. Yeah, we know. In this age of information overload, it's not even true anymore. High-quality, authentic content is where it's at. Learn how to use content to engage readers and draw potential customers to your brand.

From a marketing perspective, you’ve got to feel at least a little sorry for SeaWorld for the utter devastation of its sterling brand. For decades, its parks were a fun, wholesome place to take the kiddos. Then, the movie Blackfish ruined our collective joy from watching Shamu shows, and SeaWorld has been in PR damage control mode ever since.

Managing corporate reputations is tricky in the modern era, as SeaWorld proves. That’s why you must take your company’s brand integrity into… Show more

From a marketing perspective, you’ve got to feel at least a little sorry for SeaWorld for the utter devastation of its sterling brand. For decades, its parks were a fun, wholesome place to take the kiddos. Then, the movie Blackfish ruined our collective joy from watching Shamu shows, and SeaWorld has been in PR damage control mode ever since.

Managing corporate reputations is tricky in the modern era, as SeaWorld proves. That’s why you must take your company’s brand integrity into consideration in everything you do, including your search engine optimization efforts. Show less

I got into an argument the other day with someone who told me I didn’t understand what he has to do to succeed or how much time it requires — which is all the time.

“That’s a choice,” I said. It’s good to not be busy. Just turn off the phone. No one will die.

There’s a cultural phenomenon happening right now that might have you believing your business or career won’t grow fast enough if you aren’t constantly working.

When the Internet was first infiltrating every home in America, waking up to a full inbox was a thrill. Now, we think of it as an annoyance. However, despite claiming to hate mass emails, a full 44 percent of consumers admit that a promotional email led directly to them making at least one purchase in the past year.

When you start a company, you assume all kinds of risk. One risk involves deciding who will comprise your target market. Sometimes, the market you choose is the wrong one.

Some founders combat the odds by going broad from the beginning — this is a mistake. You’ll never beat the big players in a broad market; it’s too expensive to fight such a wide variety of competitors.

Digital marketing may be simple, but it certainly isn’t easy. There are plenty of pitfalls that you need to avoid — from poor-performing media buys to ineffective PR to unnecessary tech investments. Not only are these mistakes costly, but they can also be potentially devastating for your budding business. When you’re just starting out, there’s rarely enough capital to weather one bad decision after another.

Success as an independent artist in the contemporary, digital distribution driven music industry requires strong business acumen and entrepreneurial skills like never before. Few are as familiar with the shifts in the landscape–and the best strategies for success in the current DIY artist dominated realm–than the Fame Wizard team backed by former major label executives, Grammy winning artists and music biz legends.