Give New Life to Your Archives :: Self Publishing

Deep in the back of big walk-in bedroom closet are three (maybe four) large Rubbermaid storage tubs filled with my family's photo archive; dating back over 100 years. Old sepia-toned and yellowing prints, envelopes of negatives, newspaper clippings, letters, and more. After my parents passed, my siblings concurred that I would be the best steward of this precious archive by nature of my profession and also married to photographer.

Organizing the "stuff" can be a challenge. What do I keep? What can be tossed? How do I scan it? How should I organize it, chronologically?

Since my niece has been doing a bang-up job working on the genealogy including images on our Ancestry account aids her research. (Recently, a distant relative on my mother's side reach out to me and after sharing a picture of my grandfather we discovered that his grandfather was my great uncle.)

Successful Self Publishing: Family Archives

Here at Creative Aces, we have the resources to work with your photo archive to produce a book or series of magazines that could be a treasure – something that will be coveted by family and friends.

These also make excellent gifts!

Collaborate. Create. Publish.

Structure & Clarity Rocket Your Presentation

My faith in a well-structured presentation has been restored when a client recently asked:

“Does the flow of the presentation cover all the key points for an investor pitch?”

Referencing my “Universal Pitch Deck–The Ultimate 12-Slide Structure for Any Presentation” it was easy diagnose the client’s presentation:

1. Overview/Intro
2. The Problem
3. The Solution
4. Opportunity & Market
5. Technology
6. Competitive Advantage (USP)
7. Competitive Landscape
8. Market Strategy
9. Financial Roadmap
10. Management Team
11. Current Status
12. Summary

The Competitive Advantage is the pinnacle of the presentation, we lead the audience to crescendo. You’ve got their attention, now guide them to the closing (the ASK).

Interestingly, this presentation replaced text heavy and clip-art slided with well-designed illustrations for the Solution, Opportunity & Market and Technology.

45 Slides in 30 Minutes?

Today, I received a 45-slide deck for review and recommendation. This well-designed draft is currently suited for a tradeshow or business conference not an investor and analyst audience.

The core message is hidden behind complex Photoshop’d backgrounds and overuse of ‘expert’ quotes and illegible charts.

The first step will be the “big picture” view via the Slide Sorter and begin to pull irrelevant slides, shift and combine slides into an articulate story structure focused on the core message for the intended audience.

Structure and clarity should be your creative strategy to stay focused on core message. I firmly believe that your audience will be more responsive. I was just discussing with my client (same PPT) the value he places on ample Q&A time to dig deeper into content and audience engagement.

Celebrate and be safe, happy 4h of July.

New Technology + Existing Market = New Pitch Deck

The past two months have been a whirlwind of activity, pushing my monthly newsletter to the back burner.  As a marketer, we all know this is a bad habit. However, focusing on successful results for client projects is a good thing.

Since early April, I’ve been immersed in several publishing projects: annual reports (2), software user’s manual, pitch decks (2 or 3), conference program, marketing brochures and simple webpages.

Today, I’d like to share a success story.

New energy technology start-up, GasTechno Energy and Fuels, hit the road in May to meet with prospective investors. Then, immediately back at the airport for an oil/gas industry event. Both required presentations and at a minimum a fact sheet.

After years of “start-up” mode, GasTechno was ready to take a more aggressive lead with its marketing. Conversations with the CEO, as the private placement was nearing completion, were about a fresh/modern design to wrap around the key message(s).

Despite the 30-slide deck, the client was rigorous with copy editing; choosing words/phrases carefully, even whittling the amount of data being presented. The use of infographics and strong visuals supported the core message.

The result was a deck that has proven itself to be great companion to the overall presentation, a successful first round of investments.

Immediately thereafter, the CEO headed to a gas/energy conference for meetings with a different audience (energy company analysts and engineers). We pulled several slides from the investor deck and updated slides from an existing presentation. A thorough “going over” to ensure overall design consistency was needed...all under very tight deadline.

The result for this hybrid deck was highly receptive. Contracts [close to being] signed and GasTechno has been awarded funds from new technology grants on state and national levels.

Congratulations to GasTechno Energy and Fuels, especially Walt and the opportunity to part of the company’s new launch this year. Much continued success!

Six Keys for a Successful Presentation or Dye Your River Green

What's more "Chicago" than a bright green river and a parade, all on the same day! As St. Patty's Day is just a few day away, Chicagoans will be in celebration mode all weekend. I forgot to check the city's event calendar and scheduled myself for an architecture tour this Saturday; needless to say I'll be navigating the party-goers. 

Tapping into resources like Presentation Zen for guidance and "how to" advice to develop a remarkable presentation can be very helpful. Possibly elevating your presentation to the next level; maybe even close the deal on the spot. Leverage your presentation (and speech) for professional success and personal fulfillment with these six key elements.

Story: The Narrative Imaging. Everyone has a story to tell. All of us will listen to a story. The best storytellers are those who input their own personality, character and experiences into the material in a form of narrative. Yes, even business presentations can have a personality; it should be the company's personality.

Design: More than Decoration. Developing the design of the presentation should come after the storyboarding (outline) stage. Colors, graphics, images, fonts and charts/tables should add visual emphasis to the content. Not just mere ornamentation. The visual theme should be regarded as part of the overall messaging process.

The Big Picture. When you look through the view finder of your camera, you see the larger view. Look some more and you'll begin to focus on the details. What's important? What matters? Focus on the key message.

Empathy: Be Human. Can you add emotion to your presentation + speech? The best stories are those that grab our emotions. Look for non-verbal cues to add emphasis.

Play: Be Willing to Laugh at Yourself. This can be tricky, because telling joke can backfire. Being authentic (aka human) can build a real connection with your audience and keep them interested.

Meaning: Where's Your "Why". Where's the passion? Have you given this presentation + speech so many times that your enthusiasm is waning? Go back to the Big Picture and ask yourself "why?" (Hat tip to Simon Sinek)

Do you attend professional networking events? Or, pitch nights? How many times have you pulled out your smartphone and began checking your emails or catching up on headlines because you lost interest? 

There's a lesson for all of us. 

The core of my creative services is working with professionals to improve their presentations. I offer a free review of your existing presentation and an evaluation with recommendations. 

"Anana" Presentation Template ~ Free

Chicago's extreme cold temperatures the past few days, which BTW were preceded by several inches of snow. Where ever you are...stay warm and dry.

My family and I have been relocated to a hotel while our apartment/condo is rehabbed following a burst steam heating pipe burst in our neighbor's unit (on New Year's Day (about 3:00 a.m.!).

This month's free Powerpoint template was inspired by Anana the polar bear who resides at Lincoln Park Zoo. I live across the street the from the zoo. Anana is one of my stops whenever I'm strolling through the zoo. Anana had to be taken inside during the recent arctic blast since she doesn't have the underlying layers to keep her body protected from the extreme cold. 

I look forward to seeing Anana in the when I get to go back to my condo.

"Anana" Presentation Template ~ Free from Creative Aces

Season's Greetings from Joann Sondy

Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday and Happy New Year!

Secrets of Self-Publishing Presentation December 19th

Are you an aspiring author looking for a publisher? 

Look no further than the closest mirror! 

I will be leading a class and discuss to help you simplify the self-publishing system, whether you’re excited about e-books or hard-nosed about hard copies. 

You’ll learn about a wide variety of author services, DIY tools and creative platforms while deciding which method of print and distribution fits your circulation aspirations. And the best part is, you’ll love who you’re working with: yourself!

This free class will be held at one of the community classrooms at Next Door Cafe in Chicago. We'll begin at 6:30p and I'm planning on leaving enough time for Q&A. Next Door Cafe is located at 659 West Diversey. 

In case you can't make this live event, I have prepared an, Self Publishing: Navigating the Process; loaded with description of service providers, tools and pages of resources. 

Available for viewing/downloading via Slideshare.

Self Publishing: Navigating The Process from Creative Aces