Walmart Photo Mug, 15 oz. $16 with s/tax. Ok, I have nothing against Walmart--I shop there all the time and I know they provide good value, jobs, etc. But, having recently opened an online Etsy shop--specializing in photographic-related gifts--I decided to shop the competition and answer to people's comments about why VerlinStudios charged more for similar products. I've recently began working with online photo provider, Shutterfly to produce gift items for family, friends and business. I learned a very valuable lesson years ago when I worked with Danny O'Neill of The Roasterie in Kansas City. Danny would tell stories of searching all ends of the earth to find the perfect coffee bean. His slogan was "life's too short to have a boring cup of coffee". The Roasterie produces some of the best coffee, coffee beans in the country and it's not cheap--but it's worth it. If you're a coffee lover--the additional cost compared to another "bo

"If you're like Rush Limbaugh!" Six words. That's all it took in February, 2012 when President Obama uttered those words to the world, after Limbaugh made a comment about a young woman testifying before Congress in regards to birth control on his radio show. The media talked about it for weeks. People at work voiced their opinions, at church, the car wash...on and on it seemed to go. Good or bad, Limbaugh received millions of dollars worth of free publicity long after the comment subsided. Question: how do you "feel" right now?  Are you happy? Sad? Angry? Ambivalent? Are you paying attention?  What I just did was one step in a series of steps (that I'll outline shortly) designed to "engage" you emotionally AND TRIGGER A REACTION. This is an area that many businesses don't really focus on when it comes to their advertising. Making an emotional connection with their target prospect. Most business owners are so focused