Is organic food really better for you and your family? Or is it just a way to get you to fork over more of your hard earned cash and line the pockets of sneaky farmers? Is organic food a marketing gimmick?

I’m not going to tell you one way or another. I think you should decide for yourself, but there are a few things you need to know before you can really make up your mind.

Know More About The Organic Industry

Eating and buying organic food has grown in popularity of late. One report shows a 3400% increase in sales over the last 24 years, making organic the fastest growing food and lifestyle trend in modern history. With sales over $30 billion (yes that is billion with a B), the organic industry is definitely booming.

Some critics claim the organic food industry uses fear-mongering through third-party advocacy groups in order to protect the organic brands. With the higher prices of organic and confusion about what organic really means, it leaves many wondering if it is really worth it. Which is why the Organic Trade Association’s marketing campaign has the slogan, “Organic: It’s Worth It.” Continue reading

We were driving through an older neighborhood where the houses were a bit smaller. My daughter wanted to know why they ever built houses so small. I tried to explain to her how when those houses were built they didn’t expect children to play inside and kids didn’t own several rooms’ worth of toys. The concept was totally foreign to her. Continue reading

What’s the first thing you think of when I say the word ‘marketing’?

Is it deceiving advertisements filled with hidden subtext? Slick, used car salesmen? Lies designed to get you to part with your money?

I’ve been in marketing for over 20 years and I can tell you that real marketing is none of those things. So what is it? Many of my friends who have known me for a long time, still have no clue what I do all day. I can tell you I don’t sit around all day in a big conference room drinking expensive coffee and coming up with the newest and most innovative way to get people to spend money on something they don’t want.

There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about what marketing is about. I’m going to bust some myths about marketing, and correct any misconceptions. Continue reading

The time leading up to having a baby, especially your first, is an exciting and sometimes scary time. There is a lot of preparation to do and things to buy for the new arrival. Thankfully (maybe) there is no end to the advice you can find for what you need to do, what baby registry items you need, and how much you should buy.

Between friends and family (not to mention perfect strangers who are all too willing to share just because you are pregnant), baby-centric websites, blogs, TV shows, social media, and baby stores, advice abounds, much of it differing. You can find advice on everything from the hotly debated vaccines to which sippy cup to use.

No matter what parenting choices you make, there are a few universal items every parent needs to buy. This list of what a baby “needs” will vary depending on who you ask. Continue reading

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is peruse the airport gift shop for a good magazine to read while I wait for my plane. The airport gift shops always have an incredible selection of magazines, a whole wall of them. But lately I have been finding myself standing there longer and longer picking out the magazine instead of spending my time reading. I realized that this is because I am no longer willing to spend my money on just any content. Continue reading