tips and joy Archives - Page 3 of 3

Travel Smarter

For some of us, it’s been awhile since we ventured out for something better. When it comes to travel in general, some silent shifts have been in play. Here are some tips for a peaceful, rejuvenating travel experience today. Because lately, the “T” in travel almost always stands for trouble.

Flying the Not So Friendly Skies

As for air travel, all I can suggest is to pack light and put on your happy face, as you’re going to need all the patience you can muster to get through it. Author Katie Way from Self.com, however, shares some excellent air travel tips, from stretching to staying hydrated.

Pedal to the Metal

For those looking for freedom that air travel seems to stifle, there’s the open road to consider. Travel & Leisure offers some helpful tips, but sadly there are still some thorns with which to contend.

With GPS practically surgically installed into our souls, getting to where you want to go has “never been easier.” That is, until the GPS navigator’s voice begins to grate on you, or contradict itself, or your phone’s GPS starts competing with your car’s, or when GPS tells you to make illegal turns you only discover when the policeman explains it to you. If you’re looking for some GPS Therapy, may I recommend this informative article from PC Magazine.

Self-driving cars simply scare the hell out of me. Maybe someday the trust will come, but until I can smooth out my relationship with my GPS, I don’t see myself giving up the wheel to technology. What do you think?

Boat? Drone? Jet Pack? How do you hope to be getting around in the future?

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Doodle Me Happy

There’s a reason kids like art class: They’re human.

While it may be common knowledge today regarding the positiviely human results of non-verbal communication, but did you know that the act of expressing yourself via art releases endorphins in that human body of yours? Beyond just feeling good, drawing can change the chemistry of your brain.

And the best news, for all of us doodlers, is that there are no rules. Go outside the lines. Use crayons and paint. Throw in some sand. Stick a cork on it. Your creative expressions need not be limited to two dimensions. Hell, go for 5.

No time to make creativity a separate class in your day? Sprinkle it into your life. For some, simply adding a new pen color to your printed calendar can make life feel like a party. Others of us need a little more to keep the work spark going, but however much sugar you want in your coffee, go for it. If work isn’t fun, life isn’t fun, and that’s just unacceptable. Thankfully, there are easy ways to make us better.

Point is, be free. If you’re like me and need to plan your spontaneity, keep a craft drawer full of scissors, glue, paint, and whatever else seems to scream “glue me” so you can be at the ready next time you need to clear the cobwebs. Because when the work wall hits, and hit it will, turn up the music and lift the lid to your personal pandora’s box of fresh ideas.

Doodle on!

…More

Passion + Focus

Do you have what it takes to work less?

There’s a great story that almost sounds like a fable: a man decides to work less and his life improves. The End. While we’re left with more questions than answers, the tall tale continues through time, giving working people everywhere just an ounce of hope that someday work life will be better.

Well, fable this. There’s a real man named Josh Epperson who succeeded at what seems impossible: he worked fewer hours, his productivity increased, and his happiness soared. WTH? It’s a story worth reading in the Atlantic.

Are you willing to give Epperson’s experiment a try? Tell us all about it, please – inquiring minds!

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To Gift or Regift

That is the question.

Regardless whether you’re on the appalled or clever end of the spectrum, re-gifting is here to stay. Let’s forget about re-gifts you may have received, and focus on gifts you do receive and care to pass on. Here are some solid suggestions to follow:

Re-gift a gift that’s appropriate for the recipient. A tennis racket to someone who doesn’t play tennis does not scream “you should try a new sport,” but rather says “I got this racket and now it’s yours.”
Re-gift the item to someone in a completely separate circle of friends and family. Think about it.
Re-gift new items only. If you have to search your closet for something to give someone, I assure you, they’d rather not have anything. Not everyone expects a gift, especially the older we get. That said, used gifts can be appropriate if they are family heirlooms and come with history and a good story. A broken display plate is never a good story unless your uncle used it as a shield in the Revolutionary War.
Care. Sounds easy enough, but the physical gift is rarely what people remember. What people want to know is that they are loved, and that your thoughtfulness and kindness behind the gesture can be felt that way. So regardless the gift, take the time to write a sincere card with only positive statements. The latter can be tough, so practice it. It’s important. Nothing negative.

While there are other tips to consider, these 4 should keep you off the gossip list as a dreaded Re-Gifter.

However, let it be known that there is another viable strategy: to be renowned as The Re-Gifter. Do it. Own it. Keep that strategy going like a hot potato and you might be crowned King Re-Gifter, a title one can be proud of.

However you approach it, I say go full re-gift and simply be honest and consistent. Don’t be surprised, though, if the gifts stop coming. This can be both a blessing and a curse. Consider it a blessing, less toil on the the re-gifting.

Carry on, good humans!

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Tips and Joy

Yam or Potato?

Keep the Peace

6 Ways to Boost Your Market Research

The Power of Empathy

To Gift or Re-gift

Work Less, Be Happy

Crossing the Finish Line

Breaking up (With Customers) is Hard to Do

Doodle Me Happy

Best in Show InsideHeads

Today’s Word: Allograft

To Glass or Not to Glass

We Are All Superhuman

Finding Your Funny

Getting a Grip on Grammar

Travel Smarter

How to Choose Your Research Method

Is Your Research Study Doomed?

Tips to Calculate Qualitative Research CPI

When Did Online Qual Begin?

March Madness Message to Marketers

How to Choose Online or In-Person Interviews

How to Choose a Marketing Research Provider

When a Great Idea Goes Wrong

5 Business Trends to Watch in 2015 (How Close Were We?)

Mobile Internet Access on the Move (see what has changed since 2015)

Are Synchronous Group Chats Limiting?

Take Custom Courses in Online Qualitative Research

Tell Me Three Things

Boost Attendance

The Game of Would You Rather

H ow We Learn

Step Away from The Work

Decision is Done, Take the Cannoli

Break Time

Super Bowl Surprise

Cell Phones + Toilets

Take Note

Spring Ahead, Fall Back – But Why?

Spring Shake

The Joy of Olive + Mabel

Marketing on the Move

Truth Telling Tips

Spotl ight on Good News

Marketing of Omission

Geek Out on Statistics

Holy Crap, a Clean Joke

Battle of Word Pronunciations

Canine Comparison

The Words We Weav e

The Perplexing Pimple Persiflage

Request a Quote

Schedule Moderator Training

Join the Panel

The Power of Empathy

And yep, it can be learned.

It has become pretty clear to me these past few years that as humans, we have an epic amount of room for improvement. With an uncertain future lying ahead of all of us, what should we do? What can we do?

Knowing What Matters

Well, the University of Maryland is not only acknowledging the current challenges, but guiding students in the direction to help humanity. It’s not about how many Pottery Barn candle holders you have, or even what kind of car you drive. Today? Today, what matters is so much more than what fits in your cart. Natural disasters, global conflicts, a human pandemic – the last few years have been a coffee grinder experience that is impacting human behavior.

Mind the Gap

Remember Maslow’s need hierarchy? If you have a foundation of security, safety, love, and support, etc, your path forward leads to the supposed nirvana of self actualization. The stinger of his theory is that it’s linear and 2-dimensional. We’re not rulers. His thoughts on human development and behavior may be right, but he neglected to include the sub-foundation of opportunity, resources, and education required to even get on this tour.

Change the World, Really?

So when the University of Maryland (UMD) decided to double down on its mission to change the world with the addition of a broader Do Good mission, I was intrigued by their unique over-arching approach. I see UMD students, faculty and staff who are passionate, inspired, motivated, jazzed. Who are these people?

With forward thinking and problem solving leadership, UMD is leaning in for humanity and humanity is responding. Love breeds love. I could not be more proud of the collective force at UMD who are determined to help students be better humans. We all know it takes a village of unsung heroes, with a thoughtful leader like this guy.

Joy Found

There’s joy in learning about students like Marie, who started simply by opening her eyes and giving a shit. Read for yourself what else UMD students are bravely doing! May it give you a shred of hope for our collective future together. Here’s to more joy!

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Why are Some Marketing Research Studies Doomed to Fail?

Regardless how you intend to get your data, the first few steps to achieving success are often brushed over or pushed aside on the way to the finish line. Before identifying the best means of engagement, it’s critical to clearly define both the research objective and the target audience.

Where you’re going and why
Who you need to interview and why.

Like a beacon of light, a well considered objective propels a project purposely forward to the finish line. Without it, findings flail and resulting recommendations are at risk.

Knowing who to interview to achieve the objective must also be clearly defined. Recruiting appropriate participants starts with a client conversation to identify demographic, lifestyle, and behavioral attributes of prospective participants. Well designed, unbiased screening questionnaires and extensive identity verification procedures ensure accurate and effective recruiting.

Despite the simplicity of this secret sauce, InsideHeads surveyed research buyers on LinkedIn and discovered “actionable insights” to be “most desired”, yet also “rarely achieved”.

InsideHeads clients always receive pointed recommendations. Born from a deep understanding of both data collection and strategic direction, InsideHeads delivers intelligent insights that will move your unique initiatives forward.

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Which Online Qual Research Method Has the Lowest CPI?

Calculating cost-per-interview (CPI) of different qualitative research methods can be an eye-opening exercise. Excluding recruiting and incentives, which vary, we can estimate typical costs of different methods.

CPI estimates below assume:

4 focus groups
focus facility & support
project management
moderator fees (guide design, interviews, & analysis)

In-Person Groups – Face to Face in Real Time

6-8 Participants for 2 hours

Average CPI $650

Multi-Media Bulletin Board Over Time

15-20 Participants for 3-5 days

Average CPI $353

Text Chat in Real Time

15-20 Participants for up to 2 hours

Average CPI $191

Webcam (Video Chat) in Real Time

3-5 Participants for up to 2 hours

Average CPI $988

Contact InsideHeads for a free estimate on your next online marketing research study. Call +1-877-In-Heads or email info@insideheads.com.

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Best In Show Awards

InsideHeads ad in Quirk's Marketing Research Review — See our ad in Quirk’s

(Originally Posted May, 2015)

The votes are in! Out of nearly a hundred exhibitors, InsideHeads received an honorable mention for Best Event Experience at the first annual Quirk’s Event earlier this year at the Brooklyn Marriott in NY. The Best in Show awards came from responses collected in the event app and the post-event survey to attendees.

InsideHeads at the Quirk's Event — Event attendee displays her digital caricature from InsideHeads

With the 2nd Quirk’s Event already scheduled for the same bat time, same bat channel, InsideHeads is doing some advanced planning as well. Stay tuned for more fun and fabulousness from InsideHeads at the 2016 event February 23-24!