From Super Mom to Super-Duper Mom

The torch has passed from Super Mom to Super-Duper Mom.  Remember Super Mom?  She was perfect -- she had a great career, accomplished and well-behaved children, a tidy home and an overflowing calendar.

Today's Mom sees the perfection in being less-than-perfect.  Quality time and quantity time both count.  She's still got her career, but she has crafted it in a way that allows her to enjoy her life and kids (at least that's what she's working on!).  Experiences are starting to matter more than 'things', family time takes precedence over house-cleaning and conversation is starting to replace high-tech sterility.  Best of all, pure enjoyment ranks higher than ever. 

Super-Duper Mom may not be a perfectionist, but her kids appreciate it more than ever.

TREND: BEAUTY BEAUTY EVERYWHERE

As a culture, we are obsessed with beauty.  And the definition of beauty continues to evolve . . . incorporating not just the way we look, but the way we feel.  And the way we feel is affected by all of our surroundings.

This means that a beautiful home can also make us feel beautiful.  Aesthetics that touch the senses allow us to feel happier, more joyful, more in touch with ourselves and others . . . and yes, even prettier and more beautiful.  So the next time we light candles or fragrance sticks or place fresh flowers in a vase, we're not just enhancing the scent of our environments -- we are adding a sense of beauty to our personal space and to ourselves.

Beauty . . . inside, outside and all around.


 

TREND: THE HAPPINESS CONVERSE

Psychology lecturer and author Shawn Achor, in his book, The Happiness Advantage, explains why we have the wrong attitude and expectations regarding happiness.

We have been trained to believe that success and accomplishments create happiness . . . but what if it is the opposite?  What if . . . personal happiness, self esteem and a positive outlook on life actually create success?  Makes so much sense!

Achor says:

"If success causes happiness, then every employee who gets a promotion, every student who receives an acceptance letter, everyone who has ever accomplished a goal of any kind should be happy. But with each victory our goalposts of success keep getting pushed further and further out, so that happiness gets pushed over the horizon."

Our formula for success is "broken", maintains Achor.  Following one of the largest academic studies of its kind on happiness and human potential, Achor found that success comes most naturally to those individuals who consciously build a platform of personal happiness and use it as a springboard to success. 

Don't worry; be happy.

3-D, 3-DAY INNOVATION

Here at Debra Holstein and Associates, we are offering a new innovation service:
3-D, 3-DAY INNOVATION.

If you (or your brand) does not have the luxury of utilizing our traditional 3-month innovation projects, we've got something new for you.  We dig deep and explore quickly, in a 3-DIMENSIONAL way to innovate, with new product or branding ideas, as follows:

THE 3 DIMENSIONS:  THE CULTURE, THE CONSUMER, THE BRAND

THE 3-DAYS:  
Day 1) Cultural Leaders, Trends, Alpha Consumers and Clients ideate new ideas    through the lens of cultural dynamics
Day 2) Using brand pillars and objectives, we write fully-dimensionalized concepts based on the previous day's data
Day 3) Explore the concepts with target consumers
Plus a Recommendation Report with trends, rationale and prime prospect dimensions -- all in one week.

Debra Holstein and Associates    www.debraholstein.com    dzh@debraholstein.com
646-673-8600

http://debraholstein.com/