Annelise Loevlie loves to laugh, ski, write, do BIZ, create, and a whole lotta other things that won’t fit in a two line bio.

This summer I met a man who changed his name because of a book he read.

Hans Lysglimt (“Light-Shine”) formally Hans “Something else”, was a stoic, chisel-faced Norwegian who, over a Las Vegas salade Nicoise and a watered down iced tea, brought to my attention the importance of Romance, yes romance, in everything we do.

As a self-proclaimed romantic, I was intrigued. The idea that romance plays such a major role in everything we do appeals to me, however, I was skeptical.

Romance is magic. It can’t be pinned down, explained, even defined – “How is this going to turn out?,” I wondered.

So, I bought the book that changed Hans’ name, “The Romantic Manifesto” by Ayn Rand, and it turns out this book is the real meat (or heart?).

AND. It has some seriously engaging applications that have transformed my approach to marketing, selling, and creating community.

Rather than venturing into a Romantic Manifesto of my own, (I’ll leave that up to you for later), I’d like to talk about how this concept changed my way of thinking and ignited some serious marketing wicks in my business (and hopefully will for yours too). (more…)