Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

I had a great week, with a fantastic meeting in Atlanta!  Couple that with client meetings and connecting with some new people that resulted from my recent program on transformation and it was a great few days!

I happened to catch a documentary on Showtime all about the phenomenal annual TED conference (www.ted.com).  Many of you already know that TED is one of the greatest resources for ideas about changing the world, but this new documentary really made me think.

Again, many of you know the recent idea launch called The Big 10, which deals with the 10 things people do that impact the world around them.  This idea has gained so much momentum that I recently set up an experimental social network for people to share their own 10.  Go to www.thebig10.ning.com  to check out the initial launch.  But the TED documentary made me think one step beyond The Big 10.

Everyone I come in contact with has the potential to do something, to make an impact on the world, but that ability often gets clouded in the fear of things to big.  I can’t  save the world, but I can do one thing, one simple, powerful thing.  What is your thing, what is the one thing you can do that will have an immediate impact?

To start the ball rolling post your 1 THING at www.1simplething.ning.com

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

There have been so many interesting things going on, I thought I would just scatter shoot a few of them:

• The Power of One:  I am often fascinated by the impact of 1 thing.  Marvel Comics earnings recently increased from $.54 to $.58 even though sales of comics are off 25%.  Why.  Two words – IRON MAN.  This movie marks the first time Marvel handled everything in-house.  Its staggering early success has the stock up over 9%.  Just one movie.
• Disney’s earnings rose 22% in the last quarter due primarily to theme park revenue.  Having just returned from Disney World I can attest to the perfect cash cow that exists in both Orlando and Southern California.
• Sun Power:  How long have we heard about the economic benefits of solar power and how it will be the cost effective way to power everything?  Well solar start up Sunrgi has the best method yet to produce electricity at costs comparative to fossil fuel.  Their photovoltaic lens can focus sunlight at 2000 times it power and store it in tiny solar cells.  WOW!
• The Big Burrito Bang:  Chipotle is a great fresh, fast casual dining chain that specializes in damn big burritos (they are one of my favorite quick dinner stops).  Not only are they successful with over 840 stores and a stock that has risen from $22 to $110 based on over $1 billion in sales, but they are also very socially conscious.  All the food is made by hand, they use only meat from humane sources and all their vegetables are organic.  Good company with good food!

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     Redbelt – WOW, maybe my favorite FILM of the year (Iron Man is a movie not a film).  This is David Mamet’s new film and it is all about integrity and honor.  FANTASTIC.  See it NOW!

NetFlix Fans:  Raiders of the Lost Ark –   Yes, the 4^th Indiana Jones epic will come our way later this summer, but the one that started it all remains the best.  We are introduced to a unique hero, a tough, funny, archeologist in a movie that moves from adventure to adventure with a fluidly directed ease only Spielberg could bring to the screen.  Do yourself a favor and see it again.

TV:    House was the best episode in recent memory.  The season ender, this Monday, will rock the house (get it – ha!).   

BOOKS:  The Ultimate Gift by Stovall.  My new young college friend, Ben, said this was one of the most impactful books he has recently read.

MUSIC:  No one writes, crafts and sings a simple song better than John Prine.  I LOVE HIS MUSIC.  Here is a great taste!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAfwiOxaRbk

WEB SITES:   One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE THINKERS.

http://www.carlsagan.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

I remember watching the original Ghostbusters, hearing Egon (Harold Ramis) say; “the printed word is dead” and thinking, “I hope not!”

I am constantly reading and lately I seem to notice more and more people joining me in this pastime.  Here are a few statistics from the Book Expo that will affirm my observations:

• Over 25,000 readers attended
• 700 authors made appearances
• $35 billion worth of books are sold in the US annually
• 172,000 new titles published in 2006.

So, despite what others think, reading books seems to be holding its own!

 “What in the world has come over you?  What in heaven’s name have you done?  You’ve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness.  You’re out there running just to be on the run”

John Prine

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

I am celebrating my first week without travel in 2008! 

I foolishly thought to myself, wow, what a great opportunity to get caught up.  You know, pay the bills, file, answer email, research, stuff like that.  What a pipedream!  As soon as you get a free minute, it gets filled up with new stuff, new opportunities and new problems to solve!

But, I did get my May newsletter done –

http://www.creativeventures.com/Newsletter/200805.html  

and got a jump on getting key idea agendas completed for the next round of trips and meetings.

I also had a chance to finish our 1^st quarter update of our key dynamic programs.  We add and delete information, media and exercises to our platform presentations, curriculum and strategic platforms every quarter.  This keeps us on the cutting edge of Moore’s Law and allows us to stay ahead of the idea curve!

Next week it’s on to Atlanta!

Hey Charles – Get to work!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

I have lately had the honor of being associated with a number of companies and organizations either in the heart of or launching transformation processes.  Each opportunity for me has taught me new aspects of our transformation strategic platform.  By learning, adapting and experimenting, the transformational concept gets stronger.  Here are some recent lessons:

• ENERGY:  A lot of the success of any company on the journey from Point A to Point B lies in the amount of actual energy (time and resources) they are willing to commit to the idea.  No surprise there.  More energy increases the output of almost anything.  This is also amount emotion.  Change creates emotion and the ability to capture it from your team, your customers and your shareholders is a tangible form of energy.
• THE INVERSE ENERGY ERROR:  Transformation is exciting to people, especially when it is part of real strategic positioning.  The worst thing possible is to get everyone excited and committed, then slow down or shut down the process.  Companies seldom recover their positive energy and damage their emotional credibility.
• CLARITY:  Transformation does not need to be complex.  Increase complexity and reduce your chances for success.  Make your message clear, focused on actions that will grow the company and connect to your core values and people will engage with the movement.

Check out the section on IDEAS in the May newsletter to get more info on transformational processes.

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     Speed Racer – I am in movie hog heaven!  I get so tired of the “art” films that base their tales on bleak, depressing topics.  Thank the movie gods for the sheer entertainment that the summer brings.  I love sitting in the theater with the excitement of a 10 year old, waiting for a much anticipated romp through fantasy.  By the way – IRON MAN ROCKED!

NetFlix Fans:  The Fountainhead –   A fantastic, perfect movie about the bravery resulting from independent thought and action.  Yes, it is an old Gary Cooper film in black and white, but perfect none the less!

TV:    House MD is back and the mean old SOB is in fine form.  It’s really the only show I watch.  I like Boston Legal, but it is fighting for its TV life.  House is on Monday nights.  For those of you with the USA Network look for the re-runs of the show Burn Notice.  Very entertaining and will be back for a second season this summer.

BOOKS:  Try Once Your Lucky, Twice You’re Good by Sarah Lacy.  Interesting take on success.

MUSIC:  This is a different posting from my usual stuff.  This is a video from the TED web site (www.ted.com) of the South African singer Vusi Mahlasela singing an incredible song; Thula Mama.  It has some history at the beginning and runs 12 minutes.  IT’S WORTH IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0SMk-HJ3M

WEB SITES:   Man I wish this was there when I was a surfer.

http://www.surfline.com/home/index.cfm

SOUTH OF NORMAL

A few weird things:

• A headline in the NY Times – “Raid on Sect in TX Rattles Other Polygamists.”  HUH?  How the hell many polygamists are there?  Enough to get “rattled” I guess!
• The greatest soft drink of all time – Dr. Pepper is now a stand alone company (well, they do also have Snapple) and just started trading on the NYSE under the symbol – DPS.  Hard to believe that the little drink that started in 1885 at the Morrison Corner Drug Store has hit the big time!
• 40 million Americans move every year!  Damn, that’s a lot and moving is such a major pain in the ass. 
• #1 newspaper in the US is USA Today (McNews).  It made the big leap when it became THE newspaper handed out at hotels.  In fact 22% of its entire circulation comes from hotels!
• If Texas was a country it would have the 10^th largest economy in the world!

 “Words of the wise are often wasted on the foolish and the young.”

Vance Gilbert

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

Coming to you live from Disney World and things are wonderful in the magic kingdom.  I am working on three separate projects dealing with our Transformation platform, an educational project and a leadership initiative.  Great projects with hundreds of people involved.

Our new sales strategic platform is gain traction as fast as I can keep up.  We are now helping three clients add it to their existing sales methods.  This causes me to develop customized aspects of my ideas and creates fantastic learning opportunities.

Next week will be my first week off the road in 10 weeks!  I’m looking forward to getting caught up and moving forward on my writing!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

I am a constant student.  I look for opportunities to learn and engage in perspectives on those things I find interesting.  Laura says; “Steve is the most curious person I have ever met.” 

I recently watched a TED (www.ted.com) of author Amy Tam discussing the creative process and found the first half of the talk fascinating.  Here are some of the aspects of creativity she spoke about:

• Creative people have a distinct inability to repress their muse.  They find ways to express themselves be it skateboarding, painting, playing the guitar, playing a difficult shot in golf or dancing.  
• Creativity occurs on multiple levels.  It finds a way to escape whatever constraints you have placed on it.  It allows you to see answers where others don’t think to look.
• Observer Effect:  Creative people are always watching, looking for something new to inspire their minds.  This puts them an observation mode.  They never know where their next idea will come from.
• The Theory of Intention:  Creative minds are prepared for things to go wrong and that mistakes often form a new direction to a solution.  They are open to input.

I thought these were great observations.

Sir Kenneth Robinson, the great educator recently observed; “we are in a time where creativity should be as important in our education process as literacy.”

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     Iron Man – See it!  NOW!

NetFlix Fans:  The Shawshank Redemption –   This film is next on my “perfect” list.  Not a single flaw!

TV:    If you missed last Sunday’s 60 Minutes interview with Justice Scalia, look for it on the internet, it was fantastic! 

BOOKS:  Having just finished Freedom in Exile – The autobiography of the Dalai Lama, I got to take a fiction read with me to Orlando.  Small Favor is the latest and 10^th  Harry Dresden adventure by author Jim Butcher.  I have read them all and love this wizard/detective from Chicago!  If that idea interests you, start at the beginning with Storm Front.

MUSIC:  I am a huge OAR fan and found this video recently posted.  Man, I love this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMJ-b6-mVRc

WEB SITES:   Looking for song lyrics.  Here is a great site.

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

I am a fan of lists and the New York Post just gave us a doozy.  They listed the 35 top television shows of all time.  Lists like these are not so good for discussion, but they are great for arguments!  Here is the Top 10 and I am going on record that any list of top TV shows that does not list MASH is completely invalid and this list did not put MASH in the top 35!  Here they, in descending order:

            10.       Sesame St.   Can’t complain there.

            9.         Twin Peaks -  I was a fan, but Top 10 – NO WAY

            8.         24 – I know lots of people who love this show.

            7.         Dallas – I agree for its place in the Top 10.

            6.         Mary Tyler Moore Show – Very funny, especially the clown episode

            5.         West Wing – LOVED THAT SHOW

            4.         American Idol -  A social phenomenon.

            3.         Oprah Winfey -  A dominate personality

            2.         All In The Family -  A perfect place.

            1.         The Sopranos – Hard to argue.  

 “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”.

Albert Einstein

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

Seattle was great!  The city should hire me because every time I’m there the weather is beautiful.  Cool and crisp with a fresh blanket of snow on the Cascades – SPECTACULAR!  If it wasn’t such a damn long flight I would  love coming out here.  Ah, forget about the flight, I love coming out here!

Many of you know that I love unique breakfast eateries and Seattle has one of the top 3 in the country – The Portage Bay Café!  I always make a stop for their vanilla yogurt pancakes and a trip to their berry bar (imagine a bunch of silver bowls filled with every fresh berry known in the universe).  WOW!

I introduced our latest sales strategy base on the research I did from top producers in three separate industries.  By applying the Repeatable Successful Acts in a three part sales model, you can revolutionize and simplify your current sales systems.  It was a huge success with a financial services client and is gaining momentum with almost all of our big clients.  Simple, Powerful and Elegant!

Next week it is off to Orlando and DisneyWorld to launch three separate strategic platforms – Transformation, Curriculum design and training and our latest look at leadership skills and principles.  Oh, I am throwing in some time with Laura and Mickey at the Magic Kingdom!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Everywhere you turn you hear and see more and more about the power of utilizing rich media and web based opportunities to contact and extend your customer relationships.  We have an entire division dedicated to rich media strategies.  From video to HTML, from podcasting to blogs, each have a specific place in just about every ones marketing and sales strategies.  Don’t believe me?  Think that its just to complicated or expensive?  Here are a few key bits of information to help you make the move to rich media.

• Recent consumer studies show that people looking for product info now gravitate to the companies web sites as the most credible source of product information.
• Clothier JJ Crew has made a huge commitment to their internet penetration and recently set up a “personal shopper” program that you can sign up for on line allowing you to meet with a JJ Crew team member and access the store before or after regular store hours.  The impact – 14% increase in revenue from 06 – 07.
• GM is moving half its $3 billion advertising budget to on line and one on one marketing within the next 3 years!
• We just finished two custom videos for a 10^th of what a print piece would have cost and gave the client a living breathing product deliverable in a variety of strategic channels.

Get on the bus or the opportunity will pass you by!

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     The Forbidden Kingdom is a fun martial arts adventure movie.

NetFlix Fans:  The Princess Bride –   A recent dinner discussion centered around naming “perfect movies”.    You might ask; what criteria makes for a perfect movie?  Well, it is the most subjective of grades, but we have found when you name one that generates a table response of “Oh Yeah”, it’s a winner.  Here is one that made  the list.  If you have not seen it, DO SO NOW!

TV:    Finally, on it’s new night, Monday’s, Dr. Gregory House makes his triumphant return to Fox TV on House MD.  Also, was home in time to catch Boston Legal last week and it made we cry for 30 minutes.  Not to be outdone on my tear ducts, was the final episode in the epic mini-series on HBO, John Adams.  This is a must see for those who missed it. 

BOOKS:  Protect and Defend, is the latest Mitch Rapp adventure written by Vince Flynn.  Rapp is one of my favorite reoccurring characters and the long flight to Seattle gave me some quality time with his latest butt kicking story.

MUSIC:  I am a big Colin Hay fan and just found this video of one of my favorite songs – Waiting For My Real Life To Begin.  Fantastic lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HZjC_7CeW4

WEB SITES:   Looking for song lyrics.  Here is a great site.

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Here are a couple of South of Normal business ideas that I really like!

·        www.vibrantbrains.com out of San Francisco is setting up health club styled facilities to keep your brain as fit as your body.  They use a variety of computer software programs that challenge your mental power.  They even have brain trainers!

·        www.ikea.com has added an interesting twist to their Stockholm store.  They now have a sleep/nap center, where after an exhausting couple hours of shopping you can rent a bed, dawn a set of headphones and a sleeping mask and catch a short nap.  This prepares you for the rigors of afternoon shopping!

“Aint no use to sit and wonder why babe,

It don’t matter any how.

Don’t think twice it’s alright.”

Bob Dylan

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

WOW, thanks for the ton of email about my experience at the Masters.  I had no idea so many of you loved and played golf.  Also thanks for all the Masters facts you sent.  Sorry Tiger couldn’t pull off another win.

I spent time in New York this week working on a continued sales and management strategy.  It was a great trip.  Beautiful spring weather (though the sun does not hit the streets thanks to the skyscrapers), flights that actually flew and one of them even left ON TIME!  A great client with a true desire to push towards his team’s potential.  With that one, simple aspect of leadership, you can change the way you do business!

Monday will have me flying to the Pacific Northwest as the green gem of Seattle beckons.  Not only is it a great project and another chance to introduce our latest sales model based on the Repeatable Successful Acts research, but I will get to hit the Portage Bay Café for one of the best breakfasts in the world!

We finished a huge video project and the end result so far exceeded even my expectations that it has brought tears to everyone’s eyes who have watched it.  Rich Media drives markets and allows you to assume a leadership position unlike any other form of marketing.  And it’s dirt cheap!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Time for a little “scatter shooting”:

• In 1899, Charles Duell, the then Commissioner of the US Patent Office, recommended to Congress to close the Office down to save money; “Everything that can be invented – has already been invented.”  Lucky we didn’t take that advice!  In Geneva, some 750 inventors from 45 countries will be looking for a market for their ideas.  An amazing 43% of participants will have their invention picked up by distributors and investors.  Ideas never die.  Just think about music.  There are only 7 notes upon which music is based yet everyday new songs are created.

• We have always been a visual company.  We use graphics to depict ideas.  Our programs have a minimum amount of text; instead we communicate our ideas with startling images.  It seems to be a popular idea.  More and more companies are using pictures to help communicate complex issues and ideas.  The great UPS commercials with the guy sketching are exactly how we “storyboard” our ideas.    Facebook is based on a “social graph” – a visual model of how people interact.  More visual and less language strategies help communicates complex issues.  Learning to draw is simple.  Take a look at the “BOOKS” section of this blog for some help.

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     88 Minutes with Al Pacino might get my money this weekend.

NetFlix Fans:  Shattered –   A spectacular mystery and one that made my wife famous by taking a challenge to figure it out before the end.  She did it in amazing fashion.

TV:    Not watching anything. 

BOOKS:  Rapid Viz  by Hanks and Bellisoton and Design Primer by Porter and Goodman  are fantastic books to teach you how to do quick sketch drawing.  Also try The Creative License by Gregory.

MUSIC:  I was visiting with a friend about this great Billy Joel song.  Hope you like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RQhphPp43Q

WEB SITES:   Great gadget stuff.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Yep, that big sucking sound you heard on the 15^th was everyone sending in their US dues to the IRS.  Here are few mind numbing facts:

• In 2006, $2.5 trillion tax dollars were collected.
• Over 140,000,000 returns were filed.
• The average refund in 2007 was $2,225.
• Surprisingly, only 10% of us wait until the last day to file our returns or extensions.
• The US has the 4^th lowest tax burden of the 30 OECD countries.  So stop bitching.
• The government estimates it fails to collect about $345,000,000,000 each year.

“It is the familiar that usually eludes us.

What is before our nose is what we see last.”

William Barrett

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

Oh, I’m sure you read or heard about American Airlines cancelling 400 flights due to faulty wiring in the wheels of their Super 80 aircrafts, which by the way, makes up over half their fleet.  I’m sure you were thinking, “hey, I wonder if Steve is out in the great big world and stranded somewhere due to this mishap of maintenance?  As fate would have it, YES I WAS!

Trying to get home from Atlanta, I found myself a wayward refugee just trying to get home.  Thanks to a wonderful AA agent, my friend and I made our way to Gulfport Mississippi, then back to Dallas on a couple of tiny puddle jumping jets. 

Ah, the excitement of travel!

Next week, off to the Big Apple where I get to share some strategy with a client.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

I just returned from the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta GA and thought I would share some observations from a keen eye for commitment and service:

THINGS I LEARNED AT THE MASTERS

• “Please remove all labels from water bottles before entering the grounds of Augusta National Country Club” – yep, no logo’s of any kind on the grounds.  Security guards made sure of that at the entry points. 
• The Masters has to be the greatest confluence of middle aged white guys on the planet.
• Paradise does exist and God tucked it into a tiny corner in the small town of Augusta GA.  The Masters golf course may be the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  Every piece of the place is perfect and I mean PERFECT.  No weeds, no trash, every flowering tree or shrub in full bloom, every employee in uniform.  It was everything you see on TV and more.
• Bring a pile of money for stuff at the Masters Pro Shop.  You will probably only be here ONCE, so buy something for everyone you know that is a golf fan and they can share in your experience.  By the way, it takes a bif pile of money to get out of that pro shop with stuff.  The best part, right after you have broken your personal bank , they put it in a box for you and ship it to your home!
• Everyone looks like a golfer.  To find any pro at Augusta you need to look for the all white clad caddies.  Find a caddie on the course and you find a pro golfer.
• SKIP IT!  There is a weird tradition on the 16^th hole during the practice round.  After a pro has hit his drive to the par 3 green, thousands of people start chanting, “SKIP IT”.  The golfer then walks up to the edge of the lake that protects the green and tries to skip a golf ball over the surface of the lake and on to the green.  A thunderous round of applause ensues if they get the ball on the green.
• Lunch is cheap.  Sandwiches are between $1.50 and $2.50, soft drinks (no label, they are served in green Masters cups and say only, “cola, lemon lime, sports drink, regular beer or light beer), are $1.00, chips are $.50.  You can have lunch for $3.00!  I kid you not.  By the way, packaged product is in a green bag, so if a piece of liter gets past one of the hundreds of liter crew people, it blends into the green of the course.
• Since the men out number the women in attendance by 50-1, this becomes the only sporting event where there is never a line at the women’s room.  The science of line management is in its full glory in the men’s room where an attendant directs everyone and there is someone handing you a towel to dry your hands.  I kid you not!
• No cell phones, iPhones, Blackberry’s or any communication tool allowed on the grounds.  You have to check them or leave them in your car.  Imagine the number of nervous breakdowns happening to people addicted to being in constant contact with the world!

So, what is the real lesson from Augusta National?  If you want perfection you can have it.  All it takes is a level of intense focus and never accepting anything less.  If you see something wrong it is corrected, immediately.  If you have a team member not up to the task, they are removed.  It has no beginning or end, it is an Alpha and Omega strategy.  Hey, this is the 72^nd Masters and they have had history to help, but in the end it is all about focus!

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     Just saw Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid and thought it was really entertaining!

NetFlix Fans:  The Black Dahlia –   A movie based on the famous unsolved murder of the late 1950’s.

TV:    The Masters will dominate my weekend viewing, but House MD has a new episode on Monday night.

BOOKS:  The Goal  by Goldratt  is a blast from the past and one of the classic business reads.  I believe this is a must read book for everyone interested in a story woven around business.

MUSIC:  Most of you know that I am a HUGE Dylan fan and every once in a while I like to throw in a Dylan tune.  This is one of my favorite story songs he does – Tangled Up In Blue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S69UaDY4tk8

WEB SITES:   Science is changing the world.  Find out how at this blog.

http://scienceblogs.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Time to profile a few new companies:

• www.bellendoejezo.com is a Dutch company that is training its teenagers to become teachers.  Teaching what you might ask?  How to use a cell phone to older citizens.  The ability to text message is becoming essential to staying in touch with the youth of today and now they can teach everyone how to do it.
• www.smartypig.com  is a US company teaching people how to save money for certain events.  It seems that people are more willing to save if there is a specific goal attached to the savings account.  Smartypig will set up a special account, tell you how much you need to save to reach the goal and deduct that amount from a designated account.  It is backed by West Bank, a 115 year old FDIC insured institution with $1.3 billion in assets.
• www.yourgiftlabel.com  will allow you to print custom labels for your gifts of expensive liquor.  You can add your name or a greeting and the best part, it’s FREE.

“Great minds have purposes.

Others have wishes.”

Washington Irving

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

I returned home on Monday to a real NIGHTMARE!  Over this past weekend Yahoo made some security protocol corrects that they knew would adversely affect about 30% of their clients.  Guess what, yep, that was me.  Yahoo is intimately connected with my ISP who coincidently provides the basis for my ability to send and receive email. 

I leave on Friday with everything in working order and arrive back on Monday with my email crashed!

I have spent three days trying to get the past back.  I simply want things to be like they were.  I have consulted with the ISP, experts and friends alike.  I have sat patiently on the phone attempting to become a programmer.  I have changed every email setting and changed them back again.  The damn change affected both my PC and my Mac.

So, three lost days of productivity, three days of frustration and three days of trying to return to quill and paper!

My progress is that I have about 60% of the issues solved and I’m just plain out of time. I am leaving for Chicago this morning, then home for a quick business dinner, and then out on Sunday for four more days.

So, if you have not heard from me and are expecting an email, I’m sorry, BUT, I’m working on it!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Ever wonder how we determine what is and what is not true, especially in the age of instant information?  Farah Manjoo just wrote a wonderful book called TRUE ENOUGH and it explores the cultural vulnerability to rumor. 

Facts are getting pressure from just about everywhere and it causes us to add a filter that separates truth from fiction.  Our digital technology has fostered speed and social networks that when combined set rumors on wild and frantic journeys with no opposition from the truth.

Manjoo says that repeating a claim, even to refute it INCREASES its apparent truthfulness.  To determine the reality of a statement we look to society’s collective assessment of it.  When it is hard to measure, the brain relies on our familiarity with it.  The more familiar the more true.  This invites HUGE opportunity for error.  Repetition easily tricks us. 

It is basically an arms race between truth and fiction.  So, what do you do?  How to you build a real and true foundation of knowledge?

• THINK!  This is a skill set. Apply your filters and start with; “if it doesn’t sound right, it should be questioned”.  Remember, you and only you get to think for yourself!
• DON’T CONFUSE INFORMATION WITH KNOWLEDGE:  Anyone can access information and it the day of technological domination; anyone can get it with the virtual speed of thought.  But information is not knowledge.  Knowledge is the effective application of information.  Think before you apply!
• FIND TRUSTED SOURCES:  I read constantly and stumble upon all kinds of weird things.   Over the years I have developed trusted sources where I have high confidence that the information has a valid basis to start my thinking process.

By the way, I don’t’ think they found Big Foot!

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     Sorry gang, but no time for movies so I have taken the “look, see” for the next big release off my radar.

NetFlix Fans:  Fired! – A great documentary on people’s experience of being fired from a job.  Some of my favorite stories;

• Fired after 4 hours as a coat check girl; “I was experienced.  I had worn coats and understood the function of a hanger.  In the winter I actually hung my coat up daily.”
• I was fired from an ice cream shop because I actually thought I could effectively scoop ice cream while high on acid.

TV:    Not much here except sports, so get ready for baseball, The Final Four, the Masters and the French Open.

BOOKS:  The Three Books in the Camel Club Series  by David Baldacci is a fantastic series of fiction, intense in character study.  Start with The Camel Club.

MUSIC:  I’ve always liked the band My Morning Jacket and here is a great example of their music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjLFG0i2_AE

WEB SITES:   Great new blog from the NY Times on the creative process.

http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/?ex=1222574400&en=d07a298be1751724&ei=5087?excamp=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0402-L10&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=%20NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0402-L10

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Simply enjoy reading this sample of South of Normal journalism:

http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-hm-erskine3apr03,1,4783254.column

“We have more possibilities available in each moment than

We realize.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

Coming to you from cold and still wintery Chicago.  When I left Dallas it was 80 and sunny.  Geez!

It’s a very unique week for me as both projects were for NEW CLIENTS.  We have been blessed with a firm book of business with our existing client base and have not taken any new clients for quite a while.

In Dallas I was honored to share our ideas on building skill sets around two foundational areas, THINKING and COMMUNICATING.  Then in Chicago I presented on the TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESS and taught the creative process in our latest revision to the Creative Surge called “OF OPPOSABLE THUMBS & MAGIC. 

A fantastic week creating new relationships and share knowledge.

Sunday I leave from Chicago and head to Southern California then back to Dallas on Monday.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Today it’s scatter shooting about some interesting things:

• Borders:  Hard to believe that the second largest book retailer may be putting itself up for sale.  It may be the only way they can stay open after a rash of disappointing earning quarters.  Their shares dove 28% this week.  Why?  Think Amazon, Wal-Mart and other big block retailers like Sam’s and Costco.
• Cartoon Buildings:  It appears the Ray & Maria Stata Center for Design at MIT is having a ton of problems.  This is one of those really bizarre looking Frank Gehry designs that looks like it dropped on a site from another planet.  I genuinely like some of Gehry’s work and the documentary “Sketches of Frank Gehry” is a brilliant look at the pop architect, but some of his stuff is just plain crazy.  The Stata Center is suffering from some “fundamental errors of craft”.  It might not be all design related, but it is hard not to connect the problems with the weird design.  The more complex the structure the more problems occur.  Take a look at the building http://web.mit.edu/facilities/construction/completed/stata.html .
• Connections:  Many of the Scottish forests are suffering from harsh environmental impact.  It’s not global warming, but instead, a great example of the connected nature of things.  The government put a bounty on wolves due to their impact on farming and farm animals.  Wolves like to eat animals (hard to believe huh!).  So the wolf populations decreases and guess what, the deer population increased since there were less wolves to eat them.  The deer’s eat tree shoots and when there are lots of deer’s they eat a LOT of tree shoots.  The Scotland forests are in serious danger due to a lack of understanding of connections.  Interesting.

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     21 opens this weekend and Kevin Spacey will make it worth watching.  It’s based on the true story of MIT students who develop a card counting system and take it to Vegas.

NetFlix Fans:  People Will Talk – A Cary Grant classic.

TV:    Nothing turning my head here.  House MD returns on April 7!

BOOKS:  Texas Rangers 1821-1900  by Mike Cox is a fantastic and accurate look at these legendary lawmen.  Full of drama and violence, just like the frontier.

MUSIC:  Surfing music and came upon this great version of Mr., Jones by Counting Crows along with an explanation of what the song is about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJhQjObF7Sg

WEB SITES:   Blockbuster season is coming up so get ready!

http://www.themovieblog.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

I love this!  Scientists at Tokyo University with the Origami Airplane Association are planning on launching paper airplanes from the International Space Station so they can glide back to earth.  Yep, a paper airplane floating from outer space to earth. 

You are probably saying; “hey, wouldn’t it burn up in re-entry or how does it get grabbed by gravity to work its way earthward.”   Good questions.  Here are a couple of facts:

• The model was tested in a wind tunnel and it survived Mach 7 speeds and 447 degrees Fahrenheit!  Damn, that’s one tough paper airplane!
• It is made from sugar cane paper and a fire retardant covering.
• Japan has agreed to fund this idea for three more years in the hope of learning more about the design of future space crafts.

I kid you not – a paper airplane launched from space!  Take a look:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/27/origami-space-plane.html

“I want to be any where but in between .”

A Durvitz

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

IN OUR WORLD

A week off the road was a real treat as I used my time to get ready to launch two projects for BRAND NEW clients.  I finished the design and construction of the launch presentation and got a jump on the strategic platform that will support the idea.  It actually put me a little ahead of schedule for the first time in recent memory and I like the feeling.

Of course, a week off the road can only mean I’m heading for 6 straight weeks of travel, but it will be great as the projects associated with these trips are fantastic!

I am launching my second project based around the ELITE SALES BEHAVIOR platform and have two more to customize for clients.  This is the new program based around the idea of Repeatable Successful Acts and has storytelling as the core of building Narrative Arcs.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

I am a constant student of two areas; the art of simplicity and the creative process.  Both fields provide my wandering mind constant fascination.

Along those lines I found these very interesting:

·        SIMPLICITY:  Dr. Peter Pronovost at John Hopkins was the first to notice that many patients were getting infections from the initial use of IV’s.  After a little thinking, he put together a simple 5 point checklist (I wish it could have been 3 points).  The list had the most basic elements such as wash your hands, clean the area with antiseptic and so on.  In 18 months of using the checklist, infections virtually disappeared and the hospital saved $175 million, because they no longer had to deal with complications from the multiple infections.    Why was a simple checklist so powerful? 

§        It gives a clear course of action

§        It shows an ironclad way to do something right

§        It avoided blind spots

            We use simple checklists for every conference call, every meeting and our      

            weekly planning.   If you would like a copy of our simple templates just let        

            us know. 

• CREATIVITY:  The global economy is a very shaky thing.  Peaks and valleys shift faster than the Texas weather.  Ideas and their resulting output of economic gain are more concentrated than ever.  In 2006 more than 170,000 patents were filed.  The highest concentration was in the US with Japan and Germany completing the top 3.  In fact, the top 3 represent 80% of all patents filed.  Now think about this, patents are not the only measure of the impact of the creative process on the global economy.  The entertainment field is fertile ground for the growth of ideas in the form of books, music and film.  Domestic grosses are now only a single measure of a films success as distribution channels increase beyond the movie theaters.  International sales, web based distribution systems, DVD sales and cable are big players in creativity contributing to profit.

Think about how much effort you put towards the impact of creativity and I

will bet there is room for expansion!

ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES:     Nothing out there that made me get up and go to the movies.

NetFlix Fans:  The Undefeated – This is a classic John Wayne western and a great watch (yes, I was out of town and could not sleep).

TV:    If you do not have HBO, WAKE UP!  Without this valuable entertainment asset you would be missing the miniseries John Adams.  Only two episodes into the 7 part series and I already am singing its praises.  Great TV!  Oh, it’s not TV, It’s HBO!

BOOKS:  April 1865 is great read about the last month of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.  It was recommended by my friend David R and it is FANTASTIC!

MUSIC:  Here is one of my favorite young rebellious singer’s rock songs by The Replacements – Bastar