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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Spent some time in New York this week working on our goal setting strategic platform and came away learning about flexible thinking from my client.  The best step to flexible thinking is to have a starting point, an agreed upon foundation, but don’t allow that foundation to be so set in stone, it can’t move.  Through the motion of ideas and an open mind you will be amazed at the results! 

 

Next week is the Challenger Professional Tennis Tournament and I am both a sponsor and consultant to the host club.  Talk about a dream job!  I will be out of the office most of the week, but will be accessible via iPhone and email.

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

With the stock market retreating faster than the arctic tundra, it might be easy to let the doom and gloom embrace your entire thinking about American business.  Yep, we are paying the price for greed filled approaches to the sub-prime mortgage market (we have yet to see the depth of its bottom), but hell, that’s what free markets do, they reap the benefit of wise investment and get the bumps, bruises and broken bones from the bad ones.  Despite the creeping recession and the world wide fear reaction, the bottom line is that most sectors of the economy show strong earnings and good projections (though maybe not as strong as the Street would like).  Which brings me to, yep you guessed it, my darling – Apple.  Just a few notes as to the record year they had in 2007:

 

• They sold approximately 8 million Mac computers.  It’s not all about iPods and iPhones, the Mac computer is making a strong penetration in the world of PC’s.
• The new operating system Leopard (so cool it is almost unbelievable) sold 2 million copies in the 1^st weekend.  It took the previous operating system over a month to hit those kid of numbers.
• With 2 new iPod models, sales increased 17%.  According to Wall Street 17% is leveling off!  There is not doubt that it would be impossible to keep up the unheard of growth in the digital music players domain, but 17% aint bad.
• iTunes hit the 2 billion mark for digital songs sold.  That does not take into account all the free podcast’s uploaded.  There is more value in iTunes than just songs!
• The iPhone has been a hit and an instant conversation starter.  They ended up selling +/- 5 million of the phones and yes, they did reduce the cost.  Last week the new system upgrade went out and the new features are fantastic.

 

Despite the fantastic results, Wall Street is not convinced that Apple can maintain this kind of momentum.  They want bigger and better from everyone.  This creates a classic problem for companies at the beckon call of analysts that sit upon high thrones.  Most of those guys have never run a company, have never had to push innovation and predict fickle market trends.  They are like the film critic who has never written a line of dialog, or the architectural critic who can’t draw a straight line.

 

Companies that do well set the bar high and if they can not re-create their magic year after year and push revenue, same store sales and shareholder return they are considered failures.

 

Put your bet on the company that defines its field, that has a history of innovation and performance.  Heck, you might even put a buy order in on Apple!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:     Cloverdale   was my choice this past weekend and it was a revolutionary experience.  What a creative milestone.  The bad part is that if you suffer from motion sickness, you better sit at the back of the theater.  Scary and frenetic.  To get a feel for the way JJ Abrams approaches a movie, check out this 20 minute presentation:  http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/205

 

NetFlix Fans:  Once is a little movie I have written about before. It was made for $150,000 and is a charming little story with music as its foundation.  A fantastic way to spend a winter evening.

 

TV:    I have been up early to watch the great drama of the Australian Open (the 1^st tennis Grand Slam of the year).  That being said, I am sticking with Discovery, The History Channel and other such educational TV until the damn writers strike is over.  A new episode of the greatest thinking show ever, HOUSE MD will be on Tuesday night!

 

BOOKS:  The Go-Giver  by Burg and Mann a great read!  It deals with the power and value found in giving. 

 

 

MUSIC:  Enjoy the greatness of Pierce Pettis!

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0rkAW451bM&feature=related

 

 

WEB SITES:  One of the most written about blogs – ever!

 

www.gawker.com

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

I have read a ton of stuff on the economy from some very learned minds and have visited with successful investor friends who all have a sense of panic in their tone.  Boy, do I understand that.  Laura and I restructured our investments at the end of last year.  In all that I have read I searched for someone who thought like I did, someone a hell of a lot smarter about things financial.  Here is one from one of my favorite financial writers, Peter Nulty.  It today’s unstable economic world, Peter’s opinion is clearly, South of Normal.

 

The stock market is in a bumpy patch, but I’m going to sleep well tonight as usual. Here’s why: My wife Kathy and I are very broadly invested in stocks, bonds, and cash in a way that we think roughly represents the U.S. economy. That means that as the economy goes, so go our investments. With the economy slowing down and maybe even entering a recession, we fully expect that our nest egg might stop growing for a while and maybe even shrink. So what? We also believe the economy will sooner or later resume its growth as it has after every downturn for the past 200 years. Why should this time be different? When the economy starts growing again, so will our investments. (Indeed, our nest egg may never stop growing, but that remains to be seen.)

About the only way Kathy and I could lose our savings is if the economy goes away, and I don’t see how that could happen. It’s a $3.2 trillion economy. Where would it go? Americans love to work and work hard. We make stuff or we provide services and then we take our compensation and spend it. That’s the economy in a nutshell. And it’s not going to stop. In fact, with the population growing and our productivity increasing, the economy will get bigger in the future. So we’ve bet on the long-term growth of the American economy and nothing that has happened in recent months suggests our bet is misplaced.

That’s not to say we never do anything with our investments. We rebalance when growth of one sector or another alters our intended allocation. And if we thought there was a massive readjustment ahead, we might change our allocation. We moved some money out of stocks and into bonds in January 2000 just before the tech bubble burst and that move preserved some value for us. But we don’t see any distortions like the tech bubble in our portfolio today. And while the recent downturn has been marked by dramatic losses to some firms and a lot of psychological angst, otherwise it’s a pretty ordinary correction so far. So, as I was saying, long-term investors sleep better. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

My function in life was to

Render clear, what was already

Blindly conspicuous.

Quentin Crisp

 

 

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

 

As a still suffering Cowboy’s fan who should be used to the disappointment of post-season runs, I am sucking it up and dealing with all my East Coast clients, gloating over the Giants win. 

 

This week I was in Atlanta teaching 1 on 1 Interpersonal Communication skills to a fantastic group of energized and participatory students.  We introduced new exercises and delivered information that was updated as recently as last week.  The impact of building skills is huge on both a company and a personal career path.  My challenge is to keep the information as current as possible as well as creating new exercises that allow participants to demonstrate their newly gained knowledge through the opportunity to apply them in a variety of creative methods.

 

I am launching 6 new rich media strategies for 3 different clients.  This is fantastic to see organizations grasp the strategic significance of utilizing all the creative and impact methods available in today’s connected world.

 

I have been in Boston, Chicago and New York lately all with perfect weather, but take a trip to the South and guess what, trapped in snow and ice in Atlanta!  Geez, aint travel wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

I follow organizational strategy in a wide variety of industries looking for cross over ideas that will benefit my clients.  Lately, I have been fascinated by the military like approach being used by the Screen Writers Guild in their strike against the media and movie giants.  The new world of instant distribution and the explosion of internet availability has made the writers feeling a little left out  in getting their piece of this new and expanding pie.  They want some money for stuff that they have written being sent out over alternate methods of distribution, methods that only a few years ago didn’t even exist.

 

The studios understand the writer’s desires, but finding common ground as to the economic impact to their models has been more than elusive.

 

The writers now have pulled out the big guns and the pressure on the old guard is really being felt.

 

• Actor’s have been reluctant to cross any picket lines set up by the writers.  This knowledge of solidarity has had a huge impact on The Golden Globes, which were, for all intent and purposes, cancelled.  The Golden Globes is one of the biggest party and celebration dates in Hollywood and its absence was devastating to actors, studios and producers.  Nice strong arm strategy.
• Next on the writers atomic bomb strategy will be the Oscar’s.  What, are you kidding me, NO OSCARS.  Could be.  Picket lines and hard core political pressure against the actors will cause havoc with this old established celebration of their art.

 

Rumors say that there may be a break in the stalemate, but meetings are more secretive than a Tom Clancy plotline. 

 

This is a strategy of intense pressure that writers hope will get the public mad enough to scream.

 

In the meantime, independent film makers are having a field day.  With movies debuting at The Sundance Film Festival  already ” in the can”, Hollywood will be in a buying mood.  This will spell tremendous opportunity for young creative filmmakers.

 

Every issue has strategic opportunity, you only have to peel away a couple of small layers to discover it.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:     Cloverdale   hits the theaters this weekend.   It is the latest from creative mystery genius, J.J. Abrams.  Can’t wait to see what the hell this movie is all about!  The 2007 Top 10 and Bottom 5 list is ready to roll, just send me a note.

 

NetFlix Fans:  Romancing The Stone  was on in my hotel room and I had forgotten what a wonderfully entertaining little movie this was.  Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner had great chemistry.

 

TV:    I am sure it is the end of the world regarding entertainment values on the old boob tube.  Reality TV has filled the huge gaps created by the writers strike.  House MD (my favorite show) has two episodes left, one of which will show this Tuesday night.  Time to abandon the regular networks and hang around the pay TV channels.

 

BOOKS:  Consent To Kill  by Vince Flynn is feeding my fiction addiction.  I have not read a Mitch Rapp adventure in a while.  Fantastic, thrilling fiction!

 

 

MUSIC:  Every so often I revisit some of my favorite singer/songwriters on YouTube to see if anything new has been added.  To my delight, I found some new David Wilcox and thought I would share this with you.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP1MNdpw0rE

 

 

WEB SITES:  I have been fascinated with design for the past few years.  This is a great blog to gain some perspective into this new and vital business function.

 

http://www.designobserver.com/  

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

In my regular review of the incredible videos at www.ted.com, I stumbuled upon Gever Tulley.  Gever runs the Tinkering School for kids, a place of UNORTHADOX learning.  In this kind of crude video, he speaks about the 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do.  He could head one of the class rooms at the University of South of Normal!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/202

 

You can get what’s second best

But it’s hard to get enough.

David Wilcox

 

 

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

 

This week had a surprise trip to Chicago to meet with a client who reminded me of the value of face to face meeting time.  Sometimes you just can’t get from A to B through phone calls and email’s full of attachments.  Sometimes nothing and I mean nothing can replace the energy and exchange of ideas that happens when two people sit down in front of a blank whiteboard.  What we accomplished in three hours was incredible and will help move a very critical project not only through 2008 but well into the future.

 

Every time I think I am slowing down, even it that means a couple of neutral days (not schedule for specific client projects) my perception proves wrong and all hell breaks loose. There is a ton of energy in these times of apparent chaos.  Just slow down, THINK before you act or talk and you can get through them.

 

Trust me!

 

Top 10 and Bottom 5 Movie list for 2007 is ready to go!

 

GO COWBOYS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

People often don’t put enough value on PERSISTENCE, on preparation and the impact it makes.  While cleaning out some files I stumbled upon one of my favorite articles written by one of my hero’s; Coach John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood and former UCLA coach.  Here are some of his comments on PERSISTENCE:

 

·        The Journey:  Derive pleasure in not only reaching the goal, but in the journey that leads you there.  The Journey is the preparation for achievement.

·        Don’t Become Infected by Success:  Don’t let your last success diminish your future preparation.

·        Redefine Failure:  You will never have a failure if you know in your heart you did everything you could to prepare.

·        Look for Worthy Competitors:  It’s easy to beat a mediocre opponent.  It gives you a false sense of security.  Challenges that force you to dig deep and produce your best are the only worthy ones.

·        Winners Make the Most Mistakes:  The more you achieve the more mistakes you make along the way.  Thomas Edison had more misses than hits.

·        Character Creates Longevity:  It takes ability to get to the top, but it takes character to keep it there.

 

Just a few ideas on preparation and persistence.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:     The Bucket List   finally breaks this weekend.  I have read great and horrible reviews.  It’s still on my list. 

 

NetFlix Fans:  Open Range.  One of my favorite westerns and one of those movies I stop to watch every time I run by it.

 

TV:    I am now watching shows I had no interest in when they were running current.  I saw the first episode of BONES and it was surprisingly good.  The writers are really pushing their position forward and may cause the cancellation of the Golden Globes by picketing.  The actor’s won’t cross their picket line.  They are also threatening to picket the Oscar’s.  Fun to watch the turning of the screw.

 

BOOKS:  Make the Impossible, Possible  by Bill Stickland is a cross between inspiration and innovation.  A good read with some solid stuff.

 

 

MUSIC:  Every once in a while I stumble upon someone really unique.  Brett Dennen is one of these performers.  I love this kids style and hope this live introduction will convince you to give the kid some of your iTunes Christmas gift certificate money.

 

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RTvqEf0m-o

 

 

WEB SITES:  So, you want a little more spice in your life?

 

http://www.hotsauceblog.com/

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

I have a few projects that will take me to Orlando this year, so I thought I would share some unusual (a very important word in the South of Normal universe) statistics:

• Disney World is 47 sq. miles or about the size of San Francisco.
• 60,000 cast members (employee’s) making it the largest single site employer in the world.
• Mickey has 175 different outfits.
• When some one gets sick – the notice for clean up is called a “protein spill”.
• Did you know that the password for the invasion of Normandy during WWII was – Mickey Mouse?

There you go – a little trivia to noodle on.

People demand the freedom of speech

As a compensation for the freedom of thought,

Which they seldom use.

kierkegaard

 

 

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

 

That’s it.  They’re gone.  All the ornaments, all the filled champagne flutes, all the good wishes and houseguests, are victims of the past.  It is now time to hit the ground running!

 

Those projects that a few short weeks ago were a thing of a new year are now on top of me.  New rich media, travel, custom teambuilding workshops and the like are consuming my time.  By the way, they are SO COOL with new graphics and exercises.

 

I’m not sure what chord my January newsletter struck, but I received about 50 emails from new people who want to get on the monthly distribution list!  I must be doing something right!  If you are interested and don’t receive it now, drop me a note and I will add you to the list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

Psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi recently published an interesting study into the phenomenon of “flow”.  Flow is when you become engrossed in anything to the absolute highest level.  Athletes often find themselves in the flow when everything seems to slow down and they are operating at the peak of their ability.  Others find themselves engrossed in anything from a movie to a video game or knitting or music and find that time has passed them by during these intense moments of involvement.  Mihaly (hope he doesn’t mind me using his first name, but there is no way I’m typing that last name every time!) characterizes it as:

 

• A distorted sense of time
• A lack of self consciousness
• A complete engagement of the task at hand.

 

So how can we make use of this stuff?  It‘s hard to absolutely recreate it, but we can inspire that feeling by:

 

• Clarity – Make things easy to understand.  That’s the starting point for engagement. 
• Feedback – Elicit feedback and apply it.  This type of flexibility creates dynamic engagement.
• Make Speed an Issue – There is a famous saying by former UCLA coach John Wooden, “be quick, but don’t hurry”.  Find opportunities to speed up the impact.
• Allow for Discovery – Provide a chance for people to wander around an idea.  They will discover their own points of engagement.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:     There Will Be Blood   is the latest from Daniel Day Lewis, an actor that I wish did more work.  The previews make him look very creepy.  Critics are loving this one, but I’m not sure about it.  YES, the famous Top 10 and Bottom 5 list will be available upon request next week!

 

NetFlix Fans:  Three Days of the Condor.  This classic Robert Redford spy flick is making the movie channel rounds and is a MUST see.

 

TV:    If it aint football, I aint seen it!

 

BOOKS:  Make the Impossible, Possible  by Bill Stickland is a cross between inspiration and innovation.  A good read with some solid stuff.

 

 

MUSIC:  I love when bands do something really different.  Here is a cut from the “Bathroom Sessions” by Barenaked Ladies.  They set up a camera in an attic bathroom and recorded some acoustic songs.  This is Beautiful.

 

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbhobMChkl4&feature=related

 

WEB SITES:  Want your politics from both sides?  Try this web site.

 

http://www.skewz.com/

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

A few passings:

·        Vincent DeDomenico – He invented Rice-A-Roni (if you know the tag line you as old as me!)

·        Roger Armstrong – Gave us Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig, just to name a few.

·        Edward Traisman – Invented the greatness of the McDonalds French Fry and was the first person, as a McDonald’s franchisee, to hire women.  He also invented Cheez Whiz.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Having not read great books

Makes you no different than the man

Who can not read.

Mark Twain

 

 

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

 

 

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