If you buy baby formula, do you check if that company markets their formula aggressively to new mothers in developing countries — at the expense of their children’s health?

It’s hard to be pure in this world. Most decisions end up being the best of the mix we can find. Or we may not examine all the factors that go into a decision.

I’m often too lazy to examine my decisions. And sometimes I know the potential downsides to a decision, but I make it anyway.

My friend Tim Gier, a vegan, makes most of his decisions with a very focused approach. I admire that.

What’s a decision you made that you later regretted?

Today, I’m writing over at the blog on my business site, Greener Grass Media. I post something there once or twice a week. I’d love for you to visit. Even if you’re not a business person, I think you’ll find some useful ideas.

This may be the last time I’ll mention that here, as I understand it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Finally, if you would like automatic notification of when I post something there, start using an RSS reader. Here are some simple instructions on how and why. The difference is that you’ll start by clicking the button on your browser I’ve shown below.

I’m offering social media services, marketing, and visual design for your web sites and apps.

Why did I go so broad in my offerings? I’ve discovered that many of the organizations and people I work with need help in several of these areas and not just one. When I can’t handle the load or level of expertise needed for a particular challenge, I work with a team to provide the solutions you need.

You can see some more specifics of what I can do for you on the site.

So if you need help, send me an email or give me a call at 720–235-9720. I’d love to lend you a hand. We’ll push your communications to the next level!

I’ll give you something to think about there, if you make the short trip.

And another completely different take on the whole idea of free vs. paid is at Becky McCray’s blog.

Thanks for checking it out.

I asked Heather if that cover would appeal to her more than their normal cover, showing a female good housekeeper. She said a female.

Why? Maybe because she can relate with the woman more than with Dr. Oz.

In any case, I thought it was a noble experiment for Good Housekeeping to put a man on their cover. (I was unable to contact their editorial staff to find out if newsstand sales dropped for the April 2011 issue, but my guess is that it did.)

What small act of daring can you do today? Even if you fail, the risk might reveal new things you would not have known otherwise. (And I admit that my headline was a teaser — Good Housekeeping’s move was not as daring as putting Gaddafi on their cover.)

Problem? Too many of these babies are all over the place here. It’s as if each company said, “We need to get something out there with a QR code on it — and it doesn’t matter what it says or links to. Just get it out now, now. We only have two weeks till the event kicks off!”

Fail.

None of them (that I saw) thought of a hook to make themselves stand out among the sea of other QR codes. Moral of the story? Take a little longer to think through your marketing effort before you launch it.

If any of those universities’ marketing departments actually had children in the target age group for their mailings, they would try reaching their target audience another way.

Takeaway: What are some ways your message can be different than that of your competitors?

Anyhow, sometimes it’s better for a thing to be slightly imperfect for it to be more interesting. In the case of this little sign, if the clear background portion were perfectly aligned with the front portion, it would be boring.

Takeaway: Can you be intentional about adding some interest to projects you are working on? Adding a tiny bit of chaos could be a good thing.

My gift is noticing details. Others notice the big picture. Both are needed for a job to get done well.

Teams work best. If you work alone, find a way to join a team. I’m part of a mastermind group that meets occasionally (mostly online), and we all help each other. You can do the same, if you’re not part of a team.