Karen Post and the Oddpodz team are back on American soil, had a great time and took away many lessons learned. To view last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – An airport restaurant so good, you will beg for a longer layover. Great food in Atlanta, only a plane ride away.
2 – Last minute gigs, Nigeria, branding adventures in Africa. Part 1 of a global branding adventure.
3 – Paparazzi, plantains and petrol. Part 2 is packed with lessons learned.
4 – Do you hate computerized customer service as much as I do? Make sure your phone system isn’t annoying your customers.

Also, be sure to check out:
our Get publicity Ta-Do list
I’m going to Saudi, join me!
Creative warrior goes to Memphis

Traveling through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport? Here’s something you should know.

I never thought I would ever in my life want to schedule extra time at an airport so I could dine at amazing restaurant.

It happened. I was on my way to Africa this week to speak on branding for government programs at the Brand Journalists’ Association of Nigeria awards dinner. The event was honoring two extraordinary branding enthusiasts and leaders: the Governor of Imo, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, who has pioneered branding in government programs and Professor Dora Akunyili, former Minister of information and communications for the country, who is dedicated to changing the perceptions of her land.

In route, my cinematographer Andrew and I had a three-hour layover and accidentally stumbled upon One Flew South, a brilliant eatery that touts travel-inspired provisions. This restaurant is located at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport in the international flights section at Gate E and is so worth every visit and unlike any airport food experience I’ve ever had.

They break all the rules and create a memorable food journey.
To start with, One Flew South doesn’t look like it belongs at an airport. Created by Johnson Studios, the very hip, contemporary look and the design elements are all direct from Georgia, blond distressed, wooden floors, marble table tops and a wall to wall mural of the state’s finest forest and trees.

And they have an executive chef too. That’s right, Duenne Nutter masterfully creates some of the most interesting flavors combing his heritage cuisine of Louisiana with good southern classics.

Since we knew we would soon be on the plane eating our 5 courses at midnight, we ate light and sampled four appetizers. They included: smoke trout bruschetta with goat cheese, sweet potatoes, peas and aged balsamic vinegar, pecan dusted scallops with cranberry hash and arugula sauce, lamb sausage and soy bean succotash.

The seating offered is ideal for the solo traveler and the groups of foodies.  Service is also stellar and lead by John, who is part of their management team.

This total experience is a nice surprise and was an excellent diversion to start our overseas adventure. What are you doing in your business that is unexpected?

We are onward to Lagos, Nigeria an 11-hour flight, more soon.

For more on restaurant branding, view:
Size can matter. 4 ideas to help your brand impact measure up.

Preparing for a far away trip can be challenging. Karen Post and the Oddpodz team learn how to take a stressful situation and turn it into an achievement. If you missed last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – Sponge Bob would be proud of me. I’m soaking up stuff at a very high speed. Traveling is only part of the adventure.
2 – Ouch! Global travel can hurt. How to manage your health on the road. An education on why to take extra precautions.
3 – Why being in the right state is critical. And I’m not talking about Florida. What happens when goofy thoughts enter your brain.
4 – How to reduce the sting in charging service fees. Being nickel and dimed may turn out to be a valued convenience.
5 – 18 steps toward stress-free, fast-lane, more fun and darn good writing. Tips that will make you want to dump your notes.

Be sure to also check out:
Are you brand battle ready at the frontline?
Top 10 best brand stories
How two websites almost killed a baby

Next week I’m headed to Africa for five days. I’m addressing the Branding Journalists of Nigeria. The event is honoring two distinguished leaders, Governor Ohakim as the Most Visionary and Brand-Friendly Governor of Imo State and Professor Dora Akunyili as Most Noted Brand Ambassador and a pioneer in marketing and country improvement.

Turns out our American bodies are at risk to a bunch of nasty stuff. So I visited the health department today to be ready and on the offense.

If you are traveling abroad, you can do most of the research online. If it looks like a high risk area, go to your local health department as soon as you lock down your gig.

Also, secure a budget for some bucks and time. Unfortunately, I did not. So I’m out of pocket around $650.00, I got 4 shots, it took three hours and cost just under $300, plus I need to fill a prescription for some Malaria pill that I need to take when I get there. Times two, because I have a my videographer trailing with me. I chalk it up to the cost of business. I value my life and have no time to be sick.

Turns out I needed a Hep A, Tetanus, Yellow fever and Typhoid shot. In the ideal world, you need to get these 4 weeks before you travel. YIKES, more on the edge living for me. Anyhow, the staff at the health department was great. The educated me on the risks and simple ways to protect your self while there.

Warning: The shots hurt to get and both my arms feel like a truck ran over them several times. I suppose this is better than vomiting and dying from a Mosquitoes bite.

Some other tips:
Buy extra health insurance
As an added precaution,  I also bought a health insurance package from American Express. It’s $7.50 for a month, you can cancel after your trip, but it will give you some extra comfort, should something happen to you while you are out of the country. $50,000 and emergency transportation etc.

Use a Visa expediter
I use A1 Passport & Visa Express. Today, I finalized my passport renewals and got Visa almost complete. When you are going to abroad, in most cases your passport needs to have at least 12 months on the back end before it expires or you can’t fly.  All of these little things take time. Plan for it. But being an entrepreneur sure is fun and I can’t wait for my African adventure!!

Be safe when you get there
Pack light colored clothing items, not all black. Black attracts mosquitoes and mosquitoes can carry deadly diseases. Don’t wear any scented anything and hit mosquitoes with DET.

Want more on global travel and marketing read my past blogs too.

Who would of thought that in the month of March 2011, I would be in Jeddah, Saudi, then NYC and then two weeks later in Lagos, Nigeria talking about branding. The world is getting smaller by the minute.

Yep, I’m going to Africa.

I’ve been invited by Brand Journalist’s Association of Nigeria. This is a group of writers who cover branding and marketing communications matters. They will be honoring the governor of Imo State as “the Most Branding Compliant Governor”. This is the based on his re-branding of his State to make him more investor-friendly and  Professor Dora Akunyili, a highly respected government and business leader as the “Most Distinguished Brand Ambassador”.

It’s very exciting and a bit freaky too.
Not the adventure part, I love that.  Not the travel, I’ve mastered that, but the prep for my program. I usually start working on my content at least 30 days out. This  event is in one week and I’m addressing a country that I’m not very familiar with.  And my brain has been deep in writing a book with a big deadline staring at me daily. YIKES!

So what do you do next?
1) You first thank Google, my massive pipeline for new business. The client is the government of Imo State. They found me because of my high ranking. Read more on how I earned the #1 spot.

2) Then you become a thirsty sponge and you soak up as much as you can as quick as you can. You ask questions, Google a bunch and use social media to further your insight.

3) And finally, you take a deep breathe and remind yourself how lucky you are to be an entrepreneur in America.  And that the principles of branding are in fact universal and being a quick study is a great skill to process.

I’m traveling with a Andrew a film specialist from Litewavemedia. They are the company that shot my videos. I negotiated my contract so I could bring a professional colleague, document my journey and not travel alone.

So next week I will be video blogging to you from Lagos!

For more on traveling, view:
Making history in Saudi and 5 lessons from the experience.
Less stress. More life. Tighter travel brand.

This week, I’ve been blogging from the Middle East. I was invited by the Saudi Arabian Airline to address their corporate conference on Branding. It’s been an incredible experience. Today, I learned that I actually made history. I was the first women to ever address the group as a keynote speaker.

If you are not familiar with Saudi traditions, women do not had the same rights as men in their culture. They cannot drive, have limited leadership and governing roles, have strict dress codes and do not mix with men in dinning and many public places. I knew accepting this invitation would be an experience. I was aware of their traditions and values, but until I arrived had not fully realized that I was making history.

Doing business globally introduces many challenges to a day’s work, from the work product you deliver to how you communicate, to respecting their culture and protocols. Read the story in New York Times on my travels.

Here are 5 important lessons I learned from my trip.
1) The world is very small.
Even if you are a small business you can earn rewarding and exciting global assignments. And a single project can develop into a long term cross the pond relationship too.

2) High Google search results are equal to an elite global sales team.
The client found me because of my high Google ranking.

3) A strong and professional website presence can project as much credibility and capability as a firm ten times your size. If you want big projects, you need to practice smart marketing and can’t look like a small potato.

4) Assume presenting your offering to a foreign culture will come with significant challenges. From technology glitches to communications differences, don’t fall short of delivering the best. You may think it will all be like it is back home. It won’t be. Do your homework, plan well and be prepared for travel bumps.

5)  Global adventures can teach you so much and open unexpected doors too.
This trip connected me and my firm not only to this client, their industry, and unique culture, but to other entrepreneurs involved in the project that can be a source of business, knowledge and world friendships.

I’m headed back to New York City tonight.  A thirteen hour flight, and then I’m in Manhattan for a week. While in the big Apple, I’ll be working on client projects, writing my new book, conducting some business meetings and having some fun.

More soon!

For more lessons, check out: I’m going to Saudi, join me!

The importance of branding and the reason it must be done was the focus for this week’s blogs. To view last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – Is morning marketing more meaningful? Or do night owls rule? Don’t fight your waves of brilliance, do what works for you.
2 – Less stress. More life. Tighter brand. How the small things in life can minimize your travel nightmares.
3 – Nightline, girl power and baba ghanooge. Adventures and inspiration from 8,000 miles away.
4 – Lights, camera, Saudi action countdown. The creation of a lasting customer experience and why brands are critical for success.
5 – Can a strong brand make a visit to the dentist less painful? Why a Nazi commando or a pushy used car salesman never win the fight.

For more branding ideas, view:
The #1 strategy that is giving me more money, influence and balance.
How I earned the #1 spot on Google.
Does your business card scream “I’m broke, clueless or stuck in 1980″?

Those words explain my adventure today. I’m in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia addressing nearly 300 airline personnel on why branding is important and how to best do it in the aviation sector.

In the last 24 hours, I experienced everything from from being whisked up by the coolest Bentley cars I’ve ever seen, (straight off the runway tarmac), to sipping tea in the gold lined VIP lounge and then meeting with 12 male airline executives, (me being the only female insight). It was a feeling of amazement, that I’m here, proud, that they selected me, a women, and still a little scared as horns and fire crackers loudly blare outside my widow. Thank God, they moved me up from the first floor. Not sure if this is normal or a riot starting.

Just returned to my room after a wonderful meal of Mediterranean flavors, now checking email and guess who contacted me? One of the producers at Nightline. They are doing a segment on KFC’s new tagline and wanted me on their show. Timing is everything. I won’t be back in NYC until Tues. They are shooting on Monday. Oh well, next time. At least they knew to call me. Want some tips so they call you? Check out my publicity Ta-do list.

And my last highlight of the day, my former husband’s niece made this unbelievable movie on how she’s holding out on marriage, until she’s got a job.  She’s five years old. This inspirational story has gone viral. We all should embrace such confidence and conviction and not do anything until all the other ducks are in a row with real purpose. Go Ashley!!!

This week I’m headed to two extreme cultures and climates, Manhattan, New York (low 20′s) and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (low 90′s). Both should be an adventure. But to prevent any undo stress, I’m working from a detailed traveler’s checklist.

The trip will not only be long, but it has some unique elements.
My Saudi excursion is a speaking engagement in a country that adheres to very traditional Islam values. This means respecting their code of dress for business women. Women wear an abaya – which is the black floor-length coat associated with Muslim women that covers everything. I purchased one online and Edith, who works at Walgreens, also brought me a couple others to take on my trip, with some scarves and a list of etiquette dos and donts. Who would have thought that the quiet women who helps me select lipstick would be giving me cultural and wardrobe advice for my Middle Eastern trip. There are many kind people in our world.

Wardrobe
PJ’s, robe, flip flops.
Work out clothes (for my room, not sure women can go to the gym).
Secure travel pouch.

All hygiene items
+Sleeping pills for plane.
+Asthma and other meds.
+Sun screen.

Other items I’m packing per Edith, my resident Islam adviser:
Light make-up.
Several changes of dark colored, no skin showing, long sleeved, high neck clothing to be worn with my abaya.
Close-toed shoes and black socks.
Assorted head scarves.

Don’t pack
Any fashion magazines with sexy images, they will be seen as porn.
or wear any religious symbols.

Office equipment:
Two computers (these computers with non removable batteries suck).
Nightlight for reading.
Chargers and conversion adapters.
Cell phone with international service activated.
WiFi card.
Ether net cables.
Flash drive with presentation on it.
2 Back ups of presentation on DVD. One in carry on, one in suitcase.
2 Print outs of presentation. One in carry on, one in suitcase.
2 Print outs of speaker intro. One in carry on, one in suitcase.
Camera.
Batteries.
Legal pads.
Journal.
Computer remote.
Bose head phones.
Power pens.

Other:
Passport and Visa.
Business cards.
Gift for host.
Sunglasses.
Reading glasses.
Distance glasses.
Watch and minimal jewelery.
Couple copies of my book.
Energy bars.
Provide travel itinerary to my assistant and family members.
Travel folder with print outs of all travel and meeting details.
Neck pillow.
Cash/travelers checks.
My good luck charm.

New York City Trip
Drop off extra suitcase with winter clothing, boots, coats at FedEx to ship to NYC hotel.

I’ll be covering my trip in the Oddpodz marketing blog too. So check it out for some global trends and ideas.

I’m excited, anxious and very proud.

About a month ago, I got a call from a major Saudi company inviting me to address 300 of their team members on branding. They are the national airline; the Saudi Arabian Airlines. They learned about me through my Google ranking and were convinced I knew my stuff from my websites, videos and blogs.

I was surprised as Saudi still practices many gender divisions. And they selected me, a woman business expert on branding.

I had to immediately report to my contact – the VP of marketing and a member of the company for over 32 years. He was knowledgeable, kind and equally enthusiastic about the new business relationship.

We ironed out a deal, discussed their objectives and my program: Why brand? Which focuses on touch points, social media,  customer experiences, and all the details that go with it.

While I thought I was pretty worldly, I was really in the dark concerning this country and their culture. As many of you will have opportunities to do business around the globe, I’m pleased to share what I’ve learned in preparing for the trip so far and will blog regularly from abroad. After my trip to the Middle East I will head to NYC for 6 days and will share more insight from my journey there.

Marketing lessons.

• If you can do business abroad, make sure your web site reflects that.
• When a lead calls you, qualify them immediately. Discuss budget, objectives, terms.

Communication lessons.

• Even if your contact speaks great English, don’t assume they can read all your emails.
• Don’t use local slang, speak clearly and in a concise manner.
• Speak to others involved in the project. For me, it was the other speakers, John Tschohl,
  Steve Martin, James Belasco and Gerrie Smith with a UK firm called Honour that  has a history of working with the client. All provided so much valuable insight and they are now my new global friends.

Travel lessons.

• You must have a visa to enter Saudi. This takes some time. For a couple hundred dollars, I engaged a DC firm to facilitate the process. A1passport and Visa Express was great to work with. They handle everything. They take your documents to the embassy and secure the visa.
• Get to know military time.
• Pack your international electricity plugs for your computer.
• For limited over seas flights, don’t risk missing it, get to NYC a day early, just in case.

Cultural lessons.

• Do your homework. Understand and respect your client’s values and traditions
• Talk to others who have journeyed there. In this case, other women.
• Modify your content, so its effective, yet not offensive . Go light on US examples, include world case studies.
• Jump in their shoes. Be relevant.

More next week!

Check out our other marketing blogs too.