Customer Reviews

37 What Were They Thinking Moments In Marketing

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In Full Disclosure: I am a Virtual Assistant for YellowWood Group. That being said, you will notice that I do NOT post book reviews as part of my normal profession. I have attended Olalah's workshops and read this book personally. I have a thriving VA business and I heed Olalah's incredible advice. This book exemplifies the TRUTH that Olalah is in all aspects of her business.

37What is the kind of book you start reading that makes you really THINK! Each of the 37 "scenes" represents a different type of marketing "What" moment that we are ALL capable of making. I am a person who respects and heeds the advice of those who have "been there". This book demonstrates those truths with an undeniable flair of humor.

A must have for ANY business owner to know what pitfalls to avoid in marketing!

~ A Lebak
[...]

What a great book! Olalah the marketing guru has done it again. This is a must have for almost everyone in business,about to start a business or someone who needs a refresher about business. 37 great scenes to learn from. Olalah gives it straight no chaser. This will be on the shelf next to some of my favorite must reads. I am buying 2 extra copies to give away to friends that are entrepreneurs. What a great help for me concerning social networking too. I won't be making those mistakes! These scenes put you right in the room with Olalah and have you role playing in your mind . I really love this approach. Thanks for the wonderful book.

Full disclosure: I have taken two of Olalah's course in person and own my own copy of Marketing With Ease. I'm a fan. That said, I'm also a reasonably reliable reviewer, and this is a good book. I bought my copy, and the book is a good use of that money.

Olalah does not mention studying the precepts of Made to Stick, but it's clear she has mastered them. The stories in this book will stick. First, because they're stories, with great teaching points that don't grate. Second, the stories have the appeal of a good Dear Abby column, the kind where you read to find out that other people have problems way worse than yours and then, whammo, there you are in the headlights.

Now, I'm not going to admit which stories struck my nerves, with a bit of an "oops!" moment. But I will most definitely fix those gaps before I talk with Olalah again.

And THAT, gentle reader, is the value of this book. Action. For small business people, it's the only thing that matters. Will you take action on what you have just read? I've read a lot of marketing books and (Olalah will tell you) I can tell you what they say. I understand the content and direction. But they haven't moved me to half the action 37 What... will. The stories stick. You don't want to find yourself in the second edition.

I have seen Olalah give a 90-minute class on the material addressed in just one of these stories, and it was worth the time. I'm not sure I could give her 53.5 hours in a row to cover the rest of the stories, though, and most of the readers of this review aren't in a position to attend. Get the book. It doesn't take long to read, but it will change the way you market. For most of us, that can only be better than what we're doing now.

This book is a snapshot into the lightning-fast mind of Olallah Njenge. She is not a marketing expert, she is a wizard. Her chapters are moments that let us peek into the world of intuition in motion. We are not just talking star material, we're talking meteor showers! This woman likes herself enough to tell her secret insights, and most of them have to do with savvy that comes from keeping it real in business. From the fumbling entreprenuer to the finest finesse, this book is what you're looking for, and a good mirror for personal development. Wit plus style. I'll definitely add it to the library of the School for Wonder.

What makes Olalah Njenga's book, "37 What Were They Thinking Moments in Marketing" different from other how-to business books is its candor, humor and insider thrill the reader gets when reading about the so-called business professionals getting it all wrong. Njenga develops the titualar 37 scenes of the getting it all wrong part into teaching moments on how we all can do better by becoming more self-aware. Many of the mistakes her subjects make have to do with the fact they only think of themselves and that they don't take a broader view of their actions. This book is so relevant and readable because it comes from Njenga's experiences. Her voice is real and authentic, plus she's not afraid of saying, "That woman pissed me off." (read "And You Are Who?" for why this woman did so)After Njenga lays out the etiquette-busting scene, she then gives the color analysis of what went wrong while briefing her reader on the proper marketing course.

Three scenes stood out for me: One was Marsha in "When in Doubt Strike It Out" who hands out business cards with crossed out contact info; then PR exec Audrey in "Drop and Give Me 20" who wears exercise clothes to a media networking event, and lastly Turner in "Perfection is the Killer of Execution" who wants Njenga to keep researching his market before he's ready to have her implement his marketing plan.

Over and over again, the perpetrators of these "What Were They Thinking" moments don't plan ahead and don't think about how their actions reflect upon their personal brand. One of the best things about this book as a small business owner is that I've seen almost all of these mistakes committed and feel better, thanks to Njenga, that I'm not the only one who wonders what's going on here.

This book is a fun, yet informative read and it'll make you to perform a self check before you're labeled a marketing misfit.

I own a business and it is so easy to get excited by your own ideas and then... oops! What was I thinking?! 37 What Were They Thinking Moments... illustrates what is right, and wrong with some of business owners' "best" ideas -with humor and insight. Did I see myself in some of them? Oh, yeah. Will I learn from the mistakes of others? You betcha! Check out this fun and informative read. AND you don't have to sit down and read it all at once. The convenient "scenes" make it easy to pick the book up while you are waiting for something to print or for the customer service operator to finally take you off hold. My favorite was "It's not your book, it's you." What's yours?

Olalah has written a book that is written just the way that I prefer business books to be written -- short, sweet and to the point. Rather than going on and on with filler, she tells us succinct TRUE stories and then tells us what she learned from them (and what we should learn from them). The book is pretty "in your face" in terms of being very bold and straight-forward, which works for me. A few of the examples kind of made me cringe and say, "Did she really just say that?!" - which goes directly with the premise of the book, so it works!

Overall, this book has true value in the business world and is a neat read for those of us who've 'fessed up on the idea that we still have PLENTY to learn, regardless of our number of years of experience!

Great job, O - thanks for your interest in helping us do better!

I laughed so many times while reading this book,I can't wait to read it again. I am sure this will never be one of those marketing books that gathers dust on the back shelf. I learned a lot about myself and others, and how we present ourselves to the public while marketing our businesses. Each chapter stands on it's own using short vignettes demonstrating common marketing errors made by entrepreneurs. The stories are brought to life with a personal and competent style, and I often heard Olalah's voice as I read.

Disclaimer: Although Olalah and I do not know each other well, I had the fortune to attend her two day marketing workshop. Olalah has the knowledge to share, and the ability to make it fun and interesting, whether you are reading her book or hearing her speak.

You may find yourself, or your potential future self, in this book. Hate to say it, but it's true. But don't worry, Olalah Njenga won't let you have a "what were they thinking" moment again. She has captured 37 "scenes" showing someone making bad choices or judgments about their business or professional life. If you haven't done one of these, then you probably know someone who has. The scenes resonate and stick with the reader. You'll find yourself creating visuals of all the characters and that helps the moral or lesson of the story to stick even more.

These are great lessons not only in marketing but in running a business and conducting yourself in professional circles. It's an easy read. One scene is over, lesson learned (ouch!) and on to the next scene. I read it all in one go but it's also an easy book to dip in and out of, in any order, because of the scene format. I highly recommend reading it and think that I will reread it after a bit to make sure those lessons really sunk it. It's the perfect book for anyone in business or going into business, whether for themselves or someone else.