I heard today on CNN that, according to Twitter, people who live in Hawaii are the happiest of all Americans -- they are followed by people who live in Colorado and then in Minnesota.

The Minnesota folks I can attest to -- when I last occupied a...

So how cool would this assignment be -- rebrand Quebec and tell the world that La Belle Province is open for business?

I've had this type of assignment before only, it was with the Government of The Bahamas and The Bahamas Financial Services Board and they were rebranding after a...

Repeat after me boys and girls...

When building a legacy brand that resonates with the consumer the first rule of thumb is...wait for it...

YOU ARE NOT THE HERO OF YOUR OWN BRAND STORY. NEVER, I REPEAT, EVER!

And so, it is with some amazement that I note...

What is a "lovemark" you ask?

Well, I like to say that it's all about the emotional cement. Brands that are emotionally cemented to their customers reach their hearts as well as their minds and they deliver beyond expectations of great functional performance.

They capture "heartshare as well as...

There are only two ways of dealing with the "white man": "Either you pick up a gun or you stand between him and his money," said former First Nations Chief Terrance Nelson.

WOW -- really Terry Nelson?

Are you really that much of a train wreck?

Now,...

Ah, the road to a slash career is a bumpy one. But, the hardest thing for me to deal with was the lack of a business card. That's right -- no embossed card to whip out and convey with pride to whomever I was talking with -- a little reminder...

As clients go, I'm not gonna lie to you, I am sure that Kevin O'Leary would be one of the worst... but every gal likes a challenge so here goes my imaginary pitch to the one-note wonder.

An open letter to Mr. O'Leary ...

Dear Kevin,

Building a personal...

Bev Oda's back in the news.

Every once in a while, we brand consultants get ourselves what we call a "trainwreck" -- a bona fide, dyed in the wool, gong show of a client. And we roll up our sleeves and get to work. In my career, I...

Here I sit looking out my dining room window and wondering, WTF?

How could I have walked away from a honking big salary for the second time in not better than a year?

I MUST BE CRAZY!

Crazy as in what-were-you-thinking-how-could-you-have-done-this-hyperventilating-cold-waves-of-fear-running-from-my-head-to-my-toes crazy.

That's a lot of crazy, mark my...

My dream client? Conrad Black -- the good Lord Black. LB as it were...

You fascinate me, your Lordship, that much is for sure and my ultimate professional challenge would be to be part of the LB Reputation Recovery dream team. Your personal brand has taken a bit of...

You can't say that I didn't offer -- oh yes, I did.

Every time one of those nice, young earnest canvassers called me on the phone from the Liberal party, I told them the same thing -- that I would be happy to give them money if only they would...

No word of a lie, I sat in my car in that parking lot outside my office for almost an hour.
And sat.
And sat.

And on that cold windy, wintery January day in 2009, I knew that to NOT make a profound change to my professional life...

Rob Ford is gathering his war room council for another run at Mayor -- it would appear that this will be a serious grown-up effort after all since it will be supported by noted Liberal bagman and fund raiser Ralph Lean.

The easy comment on this would be...