Well August was here and gone in what appeared to be a blink of the eye. Singer / Songwriter Vance Gilbert describes time as “a demon that keeps moving on, to quick for the old, too slow for the young” and I agree!

Though it was a speedy month a ton of stuff was happening.

• I delivered a really unique retreat for a Dallas client that had a new combination of content and direct application exercises.
• I was honored to teach interpersonal communications in what is now a regular part of a very progressive sales training program for a wonderful client.
• My book outline was approved!!!! This has been a fascinating process with a brilliant editor/publisher. Now all that’s left is to figure out how to write the damn thing.
• I launched a new project that will utilize the Narrative Arc platform to help define a revitalized sales process.
• The Repeatable Successful Acts platform (the 28 behavioral traits of top producers) is picking up more traction than a tractor pull. I have over half a dozen projects on the table relating to this idea!

September starts 10 straight weeks on the road. I can’t wait!!!

I recently wrote an article for a trade publication and used a couple of the Creative Ventures Laws as the basis for the content. The article generated a ton of interaction with most people wanting copies of all the “laws”. I thought I would share a few with you. These have been developed over my 25 years of work and I try like crazy not to violate them.

To help you with these ideas, a law is usually about universal and invariable facts of the physical world. These laws are probably not considered universal by anyone but me, but when applied they produce the best outcome.

• The Law of Abundance: More is not better and better is not best.
  We seem to flood our processes and systems with layer upon layer until “more” is the goal. Forget about that. Look for BEST. What is the BEST we can do? That should mean dump some of the parts and focus on the BEST. In & Out Burger, a California based chain, only serves hamburgers and they do it very well.
• The Law of Speed and Thought: Speed never outweighs thought.
  We are often told in today’s instant world that speed is a strategic advantage. It often is, but NEVER at the sacrifice of thought. I am constantly amazed at companies that violate this law. I see projects that clearly were cranked out just to get something done. You can see it in the large gaps within the structure of the plan. Slow down and think about it. Take time to sketch it out and allow the brain to connect to the idea. Thought trumps speed, EVERYTIME.
  
• The Law of Apparent Activity: Doing for the sake of doing is NOT really DOING! People appear busy. They move things around. They staple their TPS forms. They are all doing. This veil of activity often disguises what they are doing from what they should be doing. Just because you are busy does not mean you are moving forward. Make sure your activities are impactful. Take measure of what you and your team are doing and be sure it has forward momentum to it.

Focus on what you do best; it is the best place to put energy. Slow down and think about things, remember the goal is “BEST”. Make sure your activities move ideas forward and you are not stuck on a treadmill running like a maniac and not going anywhere.

Science: The Jatropha plant produces seeds that have a unique quality to them. When pressed, their oil needs very little, if any, processing to run a standard diesel engine. The plant can grow in harsh conditions and has very strong potential to become a new player in the biofuel market.

Risk Reward Ideas: Quicksilver, the $2.4 billion apparel maker is betting big on a new women’s line of clothes. They have set up a unique idea called SiteLA in the hip Silverlake section of LA, where 6 independent and creative women, the Visionaries in Residence, are designing clothes. Quicksilver is a staple of the surfer/skateboard community and just took a $200 million loss for its inability to expand into the golf and ski markets, so it may seem odd to take this risk. But for less than the amount of a Superbowl ad they hope to create a strong movement of enthusiasm for Quicksilver Women. Keep an eye on this idea as it picks up “word of mouth” movement.

GOAL SETTING: Young American tennis player Wayne Odesnik set a pretty ambitious goal for himself as he looked at the 2008 tournament schedule. He wanted to play in the first round of each of the Grand Slam tournaments. The Grand Slams are the biggies in tennis; The Australian Open, The French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He designed his schedule, practice and tournament strategy around that goal. This was a pretty ambitious undertaking considering his ranking is 113 in the world! But, by an intense focus and getting a first round victory in this year’s US Open, he achieved that goal. Just as important, he was already thinking about 2009.

CONTACT: Interested in these ideas?

You can contact Steve at steve@creativeventures.com or give him a call at 972-490-7717.