Disqus - Latest Comments for jvaudreuil

Re: 3 Ways to Wear Olive Chinos

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Fri, 24 May 2019 10:29:53 -0000

LOVE OLIVE CHINOS! I have 4 pairs in 3 different shades of olive. I think I pulled off each of these looks at least once in the past 2 weeks because they're so damn versatile.

Re: How to find the best colors to wear for your skin tone

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 14:26:12 -0000

Spot on! Years ago I bought dress shirts in almost every color to see what I liked and what I didn't. I cleaned out the clearance bins of Filene's (remember them?) with shirts in my size. That's how I discovered that I like bold pink shirts. Not the light colored pinpoint oxfords... no, I love that full on Brooks Brothers salmon pink. In the process I discovered how to simplify the colors I buy, which is really close to your color theory (neutrals and the color palettes, great post!).

No one should feel limited by their skin tone, hair color, none of it. Rock what you feel good in.

Re: The 5 best fall jackets for men

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:44:58 -0000

Perfect timing for this post - I've been looking for a jacket that's less casual than a textured blazer and more dressed up than a bomber. Something along the lines of a chore coat would be perfect (also looking at bard and field coats, might want one of each).

My go-tos are:
Tweed coat when it's cold but not freezing. Big fan of herringbone, current coat is a grey/brown color that goes with everything.
Varsity jacket for sports events, or when the Sox are in the playoffs.
Heavy fleece for yardwork, hiking, etc.

Re: How Your Jeans Should Fit

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 20:57:42 -0000

What are your thoughts on stretch jeans? I spent some time in a Levis store today and a lot of their "I have thighs" styles were stretch fabric. To me, stretch denim fit different from regular denim. I had to go 1" up in waist size moving from stretch to regular in the same fit. Curious to hear if you have any thoughts!

Re: How to Stay Stylish (and Shop) While Losing Weight

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 20:06:31 -0000

This is a fantastic read! I dropped about 20-25 lbs last year and recently have started wondering if I should dump my entire wardrobe and redo it. Most of my dress shirts and sweaters are only a little roomier than I'd like, I've had to replace most of my chinos with a smaller size (although I'm still not comfortable with slimmer looking pants), and I have a few pairs of jeans that fit decently. I'd love to do a massive overhaul, but for now I will let my wardrobe stay as is and maybe get a few things tailored.

Re: Will a Virtual Summit Work In Your Niche?

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Tue, 09 May 2017 12:42:59 -0000

I'm thinking up ideas on how to do this to help accelerate growing my business. Mainly targeting marketing agencies and creatives looking to find and build long-term relationships with clients. I'm wondering, what experience do you have pulling together experts who may not "fit" together? My idea is mixing sales/marketing experts across startups, corporations, and online businesses for a Buyer's Journey virtual summit. Thanks Navid, great stuff!

Re: Catholicism: Day 14 and Week 2 Recap – God as an Olympic Coach

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:54:38 -0000

Even though I haven't been a practicing Catholic in well over a decade, one thing that stuck with me was giving to those in need whenever I could. I have a rule of thumb: if I don't have $5 I can give someone on the spot I'm doing something wrong in my life. There are a lot of "daily" homeless asking for money here, and I've given each something at one point or another. I don't feel like it's much - I know it's better than nothing.

I've been fortunate and I hope each one of them lands back on their feet.

Re: Does Generation-Y Hate Sales Jobs?

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 19:28:30 -0000

If there's one thing that's true in life (and in Sales), it's that perception is reality. If many Gen Yers believe these things about Sales then it's a career they'll avoid. Wouldn't blame anyone for it. It's a tough profession.

More responses:2. I will say that where I work has a team goal for each Sales team and the department as a whole. There's more collaboration than you'd think. Sales Managers collaborate with their individual reps on a lot of things - prospecting, presentations, proposals, pipelines (uh, non-p word time), and planning (nuts!). Colleagues help one another out. Yeah, you're not all working together on every demo or every proposal, but in general there is a bit of collaboration.

3. Anything that sells itself requires order-takers, not Salespeople. Apple pays little because they need order-takers. My company pays far more because we need people able to drum up business.

6. Gen Y is FAR more open about wanting to learn than previous generations. Learning often requires a mixture of taking a pay cut and being in way over your head. Those two things don't always go over well, because I can tell you a lot of Gen Y people I interview want money AND to the experience without bringing much to the table other than an overrated college degree.

7. Cold calling will disappear when it's impossible to reach anyone on the phone and no one lets you enter their business without some kind of pass or permission. Until then it's an extremely valuable way to drum up business fast. Even what you described is a variation on cold calling (it's what I did when I was consulting).

I'm not sure there is much of a reason to change how one pitches a Sales job, though - certain people are drawn to it. If you're going to target people who WANT to sell then you need to offer them what they want. Collaboration, free lattes, and a Macbook probably won't get me many top-notch Salespeople. The opportunity to grow fast, make deals, and make money gets me far better candidates every day. That's what people who truly want to be in Sales are looking to do, in any generation.

Oh, and sell something they believe in, but that's actually Baby Boomer-era advice.

Re: Does Generation-Y Hate Sales Jobs?

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 12:58:40 -0000

I'm technically Gen Y and manage nothing but Gen Y, so here's my take on your numbered points.

1. Sales is not dishonest. The problem is that many Sales reps learn that if they promise certain things they'll get more Sales. Worst part? Many companies state they CAN get those results, which eventually translates to a virtual promise - or worse, a guarantee.

2. Sales is non-collaborative if you want to work with your own employees. It's very collaborative if you're interested in working openly and honestly with your customers.

3. Sales jobs ARE riskier. Kinda. Most jobs don't have the immediate feedback loop Sales has, which is why many Gen Y get stuck making $30K - they can't prove they're accomplishing anything because they're a cog in a wheel.

4. Sales relies on people looking to make deals, not "big cash wins." My first Sales position was 100% about the 2nd sale and beyond, because that's when we made our money with a customer. It was about building long-lasting relationships.

5. By now you should see a trend - I've always focused on relationships in Sales, not selling.

6. Since you don't seem to have a six, let me create one - Sales is a job full of constant learning. If there's one thing Gen Y wants, it's to be in a constant state of learning. Factor in the instead feedback loop and you have one of the best jobs to learn a lot, fast, because you have to.

7. Cold-calling is tough. I've met one human being who enjoyed it. One. At the same time, it's a great way to learn how to get someone's attention over the phone. It also gets the ball rolling while a Salesperson starts building a client-base and connections that will help get referrals and warm leads.

Re: Entry-Level Start-Up Job or Entry-Level Big Company Job + Side Project?

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:35:41 -0000

My boss from the first (and only) start-up I've ever worked for told me that if you're going to take a cut in pay, get some form of equity lined up in the compensation. Ultimately if a start-up wants you to work for less money AND no equity they're not looking for the best talent, they're looking for the best bargain and probably not going to be that great a company.

There are perks to almost every kind of company - you have to align yourself with what you want.

Re: Why Would You Ever Want to Outsource Your Voice?

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:06:36 -0000

Good guess, as it's close. My company does create different kinds of content and updates for our clients, as well as other SEO consulting.

Even though I'm one of the Sales Managers, I am still surprised when a client wants us to create content for a personal blog as opposed us writing industry news, PR, white papers, e-newsletters, etc.

Re: Why Would You Ever Want to Outsource Your Voice?

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:48:37 -0000

I agree - to a point.

If we're talking about a platform like Twitter or a personal blog (including within a company, such as a "Engineering's Corner"), then I agree 100%. Outsourcing those makes little sense because that's what people are looking for.

However, if we're talking about content or PR in general I disagree. Heck, if you're not the founder of a company writing for your site then it doesn't matter who writes the content - you're getting an outsider's perspective. Every employee is outsourced by the founder in some way or another. How involved in a company do you need to be to produce interesting content about what's going on in an industry, or PR updates?

Personal needs to stay personal for sure, and that's a huge thing to remember.

Re: Real Food On a Budget --Jonathan Vaudreuil in Boston | Prague Stepchild

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Fri, 20 May 2011 22:07:18 -0000

Thanks, Shirley!

Part of the reason I did this is because a few of my friends asked me how my wife and typically spent $80/week on groceries, and that includes stuff like toilet paper and shampoo. I knew we could spend less even though we typically won't, so I decided to go as low as I could for one week of strict and simple paleo food. Hopefully this gave you an idea or two on how you could lower your food bill if you wanted to.

Re: Real Food On a Budget --Jonathan Vaudreuil in Boston | Prague Stepchild

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:03:40 -0000

Thanks!

I was fine eating my SAD for years, hunger-wise, but I was always about 15 lbs overweight. I had never managed to drop into the healthy zone weight-wise until I dropped the carbs. It's amazing how filling carbs can be! Yet even calorie counting and working out 5 days/wk didn't help me get down to the weight I am now. Just goes to show what the healthier choice is.

Re: Real Food On a Budget --Jonathan Vaudreuil in Boston | Prague Stepchild

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:59:19 -0000

Thanks for sharing my post!

For anyone wondering: I actually ran the numbers for a few different versions of each menu to lower the prices as much as possible, and I was only able to lower the weekly cost about $1. Both the paleo and SAD menus came out within $1 of each other no matter how I adjusted them. I normally don't do a week like the one I did for this post, but other than buying some seafood and some nicer cuts of meat it's not too far off from a regular week.

Re: Invite Your Customers Onto Twitter

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:51:50 -0000

I spoke with someone the other day who said I needed to label everything on my business card. Why? He didn't know what Twitter was, and my handle confused him. It's used by more people than LinkedIn and yet it's still not accepted by a lot of people.

I think this post is the right idea. Let's invite other people onto Twitter, let's show them how they can get something from it right away, and let's keep growing it.

Re: You Always Have Something To Give

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:59:53 -0000

What I love the most: it's not about being seen as an expert, it's about giving value to other people.

At the end of the day I bet most people would prefer to gain some insight and get help from someone who knows, understands, and is interested in making things happen than have the chance to work with an expert. Helpful people always try to deliver. Granted, if you have both the helpful and the expert down you're golden, yet I think back to Jim Rohn when he said (paraphrased), "You can easily make an extra dollar an hour at McDonalds for just having a great attitude." Gives you a little insight into how much being positive and helpful counts in this world.

Re: Bringing up baby

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:48:36 -0000

I agree that the majority of the ideas here need to be tried out and potentially implemented: equal leave for parents, more flexible working conditions, and both parents being involved in their children's lives.

What's hard to agree with is pushing the responsibility for less expensive (yet good) childcare upon others, be it government, the providers, or insurers. Lower cost should equal lower quality no matter the industry, especially when it's a matter of people's time and training. Otherwise you're telling someone else to take a loss for the betterment of everyone else who's unable to provide themselves. The arrangement has to make sense for everyone involved.

After all, having children is a responsibility for the parents first and foremost, and if the parents are unwilling to think in terms of their own personal responsibilities first then are they helping - or hindering - society?

Re: Premium Content Newsletters: A Case Study

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:09:37 -0000

I love how premium is almost always the way to go. So many people focus on pricing themselves right, or making sure they don't step on anyone's toes and figure someday (re: probably never) they'll push for a premium price.

Why not start there? Why not offer the best you can from day one and price is accordingly?

I've been thinking about what to do for my e-newsletter, something I'm launching by July 1, and you just helped me realize I should seriously consider the more premium version I've been thinking about. Kudos!

Re: Fly One Time (aka Admitting I Have Wings)

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:23:48 -0000

Congrats, Erika. You've earned this slice of success, now go enjoy it, make it happen, and we'll all be waiting for the next (big) thing you're putting out.

Re: Let's Stop Being So Rude

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:05:19 -0000

A previous employee, who's now a great friend of mine, started working for us as a favor from the company's CEO. This man had gone through some serious health issues and was still on disability until he could handle full-time work again. He was about 50 years old and had tremendous sales and management experience, yet no one knew what he could do since he had been out of work for a few years. Our goal was to help him get acclimated to working part-time until he felt ready for full-time work.

After six months he felt ready to start applying for full-time work again. He asked me to help him with his resume, something he hadn't needed to think about for a long time because he had been so successful. He knew so little about computers, things I took for granted. Every day I spent time with him at the beginning and end to our workdays to get all the information right, polish things up, and I helped him with his first search for jobs, all the way to the moment we were submitting his applications. He was ready to conquer the job hunt again!

The next day he brought me a $50 bottle of scotch, knowing I had started acquiring a taste for it. I was floored. How could I not be floored? And to this day we are good friends who will go out of the way for one another out of respect, kindness, and friendship.

Re: The Bitch Slap: The Business Unicorns Must Die

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:03:28 -0000

Chris, you nailed it, he's a director at a government funded small business organization. Thankfully there are a few more large ones in the area that I'm going to contact in case I do want some regional or state assistance moving forward, especially as I "luckily" get more clients.

Thanks for the kind words!

Re: The New Sales Page

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 09:29:32 -0000

This is one of the most awesome things I've seen.

The mixture of personality, style, simplicity, and functionality while moving someone forward to making a purchase is just mind-blowing. They do so many small things right.

I aspire to build sales processes this good. The bar has been raised.

Re: The Bitch Slap: The Business Unicorns Must Die

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:55:02 -0000

Unicorn #2: it worked for so-and-so.

Ignoring certain advice has been wonderful for me lately.

I met with an advisor at a small business organization last week, hoping to get some insights into local businesses in the industry I'm targeting. Turns out his goal is to dish out his opinions like a firebug armed with a flamethrower who knows he can't be caught. For an hour straight.

"You know how they say those who can, do, and those who can't, teach? Well those who can't, consult."

"Stop being quirky, be more professional. You need people to take you seriously."

"You better get a job - for your wife's sake."

"You've gotten customers? Hey, sometimes people like you get lucky."

I need to close with how in the loop this guy is: "What's this... @... thing on your business card? Twitter, you said? I think it looks like your e-mail. You should label it 'Twitter' and label everything else. And no, I don't know what Twitter is."

Most of his advice sounded like, "This is how I operate, and if you don't operate the way I do you won't be successful." Considering his background was working at daddy's company, followed by a few no-name companies and dot-coms I've never heard of, I killed this unicorn.

I killed listening to him, I killed his mentorship, I killed his condescending remarks, and most of all, I'm going to kill his opinions by doing my thing on my terms and being successful on my terms.

Re: Some Thoughts On The Music Business

Jonathan Vaudreuil — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:54:10 -0000

I've realized there are lot more to this issue than streaming. A lot. Looks like I have blog post fodder!