What is Your “Culinary Point of View”?

It all sounds so simple that even I could do it!!! Until I start.....

I watch America's Next Top Model thinking the same things....these lady's have the opportunity of a lifetime and they let little petty things get in their way. 25 years ago I had laser beam focus. That focus enabled me to achieve some remarkable things (finish high school and college in 3 years, win city, state, and place top 10 in beauty pageants, get a great job, and attain advanced degrees these are things I had forgotten about). These days my focus is more like the strobe light in the night sky. Your questions are quite provocative. I need to seriously ponder on them because doing so will lead me to getting my laser beam focus back. Thanks for reminding me what is achieved with focus.

Ann once more your brilliance shines. Being everything to everyone is an impossible feat. I have really enjoyed learning about how to focus on my target market & pull statement with your stellar help. You are a Warrior Woman who understands that tactics is what makes you a winner. I bless the day I met you Ann, you have helped me to find my inner decorating mixtress!

Jennifer Duchene
The Home Makeover Mixtress blending Cool & Cozy Style.

Great advice Ann. Now to go and think about my blog and how to apply said advice. While my blog's primary purpose is not business related I think I could improve the consistency of message. On a side note, what video player widget are you using. I really like the pop up notes of reinforcement.

Great reminder. I have so many things going that the focus, or lack of focus, from one tends to bleed over into the others. I need to differentiate between the websites and blogs that should be focused and targeted and the one that is personal musings and (hopefully) just good writing and fun reading.

Ahh - discipline. To quote Harvey Korman in High Anxiety "Less bondage, more discipline". Do we ever get old enough or successful enough that we don't need to be disciplined? Guess not (sigh).

Ann, it's funny how I was thinking the same thing while I was watching the next Food Network Star. I said to myself, some of these people don't even know who they are or what they're representing. Great minds must think alike :)

I am thankful that you have been patient with me in helping me find my pull statement. On the night that I was able to formulate the perfect one, I was so elated. The same thing goes in helping me figuring out my target market. You are such a great coach!

Perfect Ann. Especially in these new economic times. As a designer I sometimes find myself willing to take on projects I would not have considered in the past. So, where I was definitive before, I am now less so. I do really need to define it better again...I don't want to be generic! Thanks for the reminder.

this is so right on Ann. I am in the midst of re-defining my target market. I have so many skills and so many talents and I just cannot focus on them all. Now that I have been taken by storm-so to speak with photography- landscapes, travel and gardens are what I want to focus on. Would love to do photo essays for garden designers. Time now to put the pieces for this all together. thanks!

Very thought provoking, Ann. We have talked about being more of a specialist shop, but don't want to limit ourselves to one type of car. We do know who our best customers are, though, and what type of customer we want to work with, but have not clearly stated it or written it down and shared with our employees or used it in our marketing as we could. Thank you for inspiring me to focus on this.

I may not have a business based blog, but I do have a "point of view" for it. I want to speak to , reach out and inspire other women, men too, that are going through tough times right now due to the economy, but still want to have a life that is full and rich , but not have to spend a lot of money. I started out with just things on decor on a budget, as that is what I am truly passionate about. BUT it has morphed into showing others that they too, even if times are beyond tough money wise, escape the four walls and enjoy life and all that is around them. I have made many new friends that are in the same boat, but were ashamed to talk about it, felt bound to home, and felt that they had to give up everything they loved about life just because money was no longer there....I know I was one of them. My blog , my point of view and what I am truly passionate about are now expanding , but always comes back to that one starting point....having a life ...creating one that is on the high end, on a low end budget...whatever that life may entail.

I was thinking the same thing when I watched the Next Food Network Star. I asked myself if I could really define my own "point of view" or brand in just a few seconds like the contestants. Great questions, Ann, to help us hone our message and identify our target market!

Thanks for this great insight! It occurs to me after watching this that I may not have converging target markets (i.e., I sat down and created a profile, but what I'm blogging about may or may not speak to the people I want to target) with my blog and the rest of my business....I'm going to have contemplate this a while longer and figure out what to do.

yikes! I misspelled my own blog address! I get a fail grade for bloggin 101!

Excellent video blog! Atticus and I also love the food network, and routinely watch "Next Food Network Star". I, too, was struck by the point of view question, and how that question can benefit me as a blogger. Truthfully, I am still defining the answer.
Thank you, Ann, for this thought provoking video blog.

My target market is women like me with a family like mine. Dad main breadwinner, mum work at home entrepreneur who tries to have it all, career, outside interests and being a great mum but needs a little help. Moderately affluent area. Mum had kids over the age of 35 (37 and 40 for me). I figure that if I blog etc about things I'm interested in then there will be others that are interested in it too!