Back in November, we detailed the (Real) Life of Pi from pre-dawn breakfasts at the train station to lights out. In honor of International Pi Day, we decided to pull back the curtain again so you can see how each department contributes to the Internet marketing expertise here at Portent. Account Strategists @portent Account Strategists [...]

Here’s the video from yesterday’s webinar, 30 Tips for Awesome Presentations, in case you missed it and would like to hear my dulcet tones: And the slides: And the audio, for all you podcaster types: I’ll be uploading a transcript on Monday or Tuesday!

Last Saturday, Portent owned the Snow Day Snow Castle competition (though we didn’t win—drats, that REI!). The building contest and subsequent Guinness Book of World Records’ record-breaking snowball fight benefited the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County.  Below are the fruits of our labor: Video and original music by Josh Patrice We had a great [...]

Every now and then I have these epiphanies so blindingly obvious that, when I point them out, people look at me like I’m a hapless dolt. I call these ‘stupiphanies.’ Most of mine relate to leadership, either as a parent or a CEO. A few I’ve had in the last month are particularly worth sharing: [...]

Intentional or not, Ang Lee and his certain-to-be-Oscar-nominated movie have infringed on our copyright.  Way before there was some weird kid in a turban floating around with a tiger, there was PORTENT, INC.  Pi.  And way, WAY before the weird turban tiger floating, we had a life.  And we still do. So skip the multiplex [...]

AKA: ‘Because I said so’ doesn’t work This is a really long post. But before you TL;DR it, give it a quick skim. The first half is hand-waving stuff about answering ‘Why?’ The second half is specific tips on doing proposals that build imputed value. Writing a great proposal is hard. The question you’re trying [...]

How is it going, Portent? I’d like to field this question: it is going great. Maybe I’m just feeling great because of what happened last night. What happened last night? You remember that Portent moved downtown to Seattle’s Smith Tower in June. Since then, life has been a lot like the 1996 blockbuster film The [...]

By the end of November, you’ll all be sick of me. I’ve got a lot of speaking gigs coming up. Here’s the updated calendar: SCOE Conference, Saturday, 9/29, 1:30-3:00, Seattle E-commerce tough love. I’ll be doing a 1-hour site clinic, reviewing 3-4 web sites and providing feedback. I’m nice about it. Lots of learning. This [...]

My presentation on time management from today’s Portent U. If you’re doing time management and you’re a marketer, check it out: Time management, Portent-style from Ian Lurie

I just finished reading Steve Jobs’ biography. He was an extraordinary person, but a lousy leader. That, plus some basic life lessons slowly penetrating my thick skull, made me realize: Leadership isn’t all about you. If it is, you’re not a leader—you’re a narcissist. “It’s not about me” is a mantra I’ve learned to repeat [...]