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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Coming to you live from Miami Beach.  Great spring weather, but thunderstorms on the way.

 

Spring travel from Texas is always “iffy” as horrific, end of the world type thunderstorms are pretty much the norm.  I always try to leave a day before my engagement to make sure I get there!

 

Though this was a short “in office” week it was really fun and interesting. 

 

First, I actually got a fashion makeover as one of my dear friends and clients owns a magnificent clothing store.  He has seen me perform dozens of times and I have done a number of projects for his various businesses and teams.  The manager of his clothing store told me; “your content and delivery is always amazing, but, you could really look a lot better!”  OUCH.  Being an ex-surf bum, I am fashion challenged when the wardrobe goes beyond Levi’s and t-shirts.  Now, I have a new look that I debuted on a new video we shot this week!  Way Cool!

 

When in Dallas, shop at Sebastian’s Closet.

 

We shot a “company story” video in a couple of different formats that will give the client a wide and creative series of options for delivery.  Our strategy includes training, recruitment and marketing.  Video is a surprisingly inexpensive and fully expressive method of communicating. 

 

Next week it’s off to Houston.

 

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER – CREATIVEVENTURE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

People always define leadership in the terms of, well, leaders!  The reality is the principles of leadership are used at every level of every organization. 

 

No matter where you are in the “pecking order” think about these core ideas:

 

·        Establish Goals:  Accomplishments group around clear objectives.

·        Think Systemically:  Leaders see and leverage connections.  Don’t just jump in, instead layout your data and look for causation.

·        Engage Others:  When in doubt, ask some one.  Think about enlisting the support of others.

 

Leadership is a REGULAR activity for EVERYONE, not a practice isolated by everyone in a suit!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    Duplicity will make the list when I get back from Miami.  It has two of my favorite stars in Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.

 

NetFlix Fans:  The Princess Bride:   This is pure movie lover crack!  Now available in Blu-Ray!!

 

TV:    Nothing out their for me except March Madness and House.

 

BOOKS:  Vertical Run   – By Garber.  This is an oldy but goody and sets a frenetic pace from the first page.  A great read.

 

MUSIC:   Some great person has just posted a series of videos of Jackson Browne and the great David Lindely.  Jackson is one of my all time favorite songwriters and this is a great version of For Everyman.

 

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

 

WEB SITES:   Interested in the stars in the night sky?  This will help with the identification.

 

 

http://www.earthsky.org/skywatching/

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

California Technical Institue (Cal Tech) just did a really interesting study on movies and music to make you smart.  They used those with SAT scores of 1371 or better for the smart group and 889 or lower for, well, the other group.

Smart Group:  Music Choices – Counting Crows, Radio Head, U2 and Led Zepplin – Books included 100 Years of Solitude,  Freakonomics, Lord of the Rings and Catcher in the Rye

The Other Group (OK,the not so smart group):  Music Choices – Nickleback, Justin Timberlake and All American Express -  Books included Fahrenheit 451, Fight Club and Of Mice and Men.

Not that this was necessarily the best use of Cal Tech time, but the results are certainly South of Normal!

Everybody’s got their ticket in their hand

Jackson Browne

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Just back from a great teaching experience in Atlanta, where I had the honor of teaching the updated version of our Interpersonal Communications Workshop.  This deals with the power you have in 1 on 1 communication interactions.  Debuted a new learning game and updated a series of exercises that enriched the content.  This is a time for skill building and those organizations that stress skill sets will have a strong team in place for both existing and future opportunities.

 

A couple of really interesting projects are on the table:

 

• MARKETING – We are working as part of a team on a complete simplification (my role) and redesign of marketing materials including print and electronic deliveries.  This is a great time to look at the desired outcome and ways to reach those who make actual purchases.  Most organizations can save a ton of money while increasing their effective impact.
• SALES PROCESS – When was the last time you actually connected the dots that create sales, both from an existing client and new client strategy?  Most sales processes are so individually driven that the actual ability to manage them to an effective outcome is limited at best.  We are working with three clients to actually identify and simplify the life blood of the organization – sales.

 

Next week it is off to Miami.

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

YES, March Madness is here, the biggest sporting event of the year.  You will be reading a lot about the impact this annual right of spring has on business and the classic productivity drain it brings.  It is said that more time will be spent on brackets than spreadsheets. 

 

This year it might be a little different.  Workers are really concerned about keeping their jobs and might not feel so bold as to watch the live stream on their computers during the work day.  I’m hoping good employers might cut their team members a little slack.  Think about this:

 

• COMARADERIE:  This is great opportunity to create a little morale boost:

 

• • Set up an office pool with the entry fee going to charity.  The winner gets a gift certificate.
  • Keep a big bracket posted in the office so people can follow the results.
  • Put a TV in the break room and allow them to watch during lunch and breaks.  Don’t worry about monitoring the watching time, when given a chance most team members won’t abuse this.
  • Have a team color day when they can wear their team’s logo gear.

 

Hey, now and then HAVE A LITTLE FUN!

 

By the way, I just watched President Obama fill out his bracket on ESPN.  Now you may not agree with his recent decisions, but he is a populist guy who knows how to touch people.  I didn’t know he was a lefty!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    My wife is a big Nicolas Cage fan and we will see Knowing on Saturday.  I can not tell you how sad I was to learn of Natasha Richardson’s sudden death.  The wonderful actress and wife of Liam Neeson died from head injuries received in what at first was thought to be a harmless fall on a beginner ski slope.  As a movie person, I am saddened by losses like this.

 

NetFlix Fans:  In the Line of Fire:   A great little Clint Eastwood movie about an old secret service agent who knows the President is in danger from crazy John Malkovich.

 

TV:    Better Off Ted is an entertaining new comedy on Wednesday nights.  Worth the watch.

 

BOOKS:  Fault Line   – By Barry Eisler.  Eisler is one of my favorite thriller writers whose main character is the assassin Jonathon Rain.  This book introduces a new character and is next on my Kindle.

 

MUSIC:   Bon Iver is a band that my son Colin turned me on to.  Very different sound, but I really like them.  Also try a band called The Tallest Man in the World.  A very Dylan like group.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pelzrd1wWIA

 

WEB SITES:   We are getting into the “movie season” with the Watchmen being the first really big movie.  To keep up and get excited about movies coming out go to the best of the best trailer site.

 

 

www.apple.com/trailers

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Every March, Austin TX hosts the famous South X Southwest music conference.  This is the largest and hottest music scene in the world and Austin is flooded by music and movie folks.  There are over 150,000 attendees (can’t even get BBQ at the Salt Lick), 80 music/movie venues with over 1,800 musical acts performing and there are a ton of WOW, seat of the pants jam sessions.  SXSW is HUGE.  One of my favorite bloggers, Church of the Customer (www.churchofthecustomer.com) posts a great survey of what’s going on at SXSW and came up with a couple of really out there websites – WARNING – WARNING – some bad language may be found in these sites, but they are still really funny!

• www.passiveagressivenotes.com – Funny stuff.
• www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com  -  This guy has a book!
• www.sxsw.com/interactive -  Get a feel for the conference.
• www.urbandictionary.com – Find out what the heck all the new lingo means.

When I was in Sunday school

We would hear about the time

Moses split the sea in two

Jesus made the water wine

Used to make me sad to think

Miracles don’t happen still

But everywhere I look is a miracle

Peter Mayer

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . . 

IN OUR WORLD WOW, a whole week in town.  Do you ever see a gap of time where you have planned to “get caught up” evaporate like a wisp of smoke?  Happened to me.  A series of unexpected projects gobbled up my nicely designed time plan.  I chose to spend time in unanticipated areas, all of which were the right choices, despite the frustration. 

New ideas are gaining momentum with my clients and creating an unusual kind of energy, an energy based around “doing” something in an environment that makes one want to stop for fear that no direction is the right direction.  Here are a couple of examples: 

• Our ROUNDTABLE PLATFORM (quick idea generation around a single area of focus) is in play at half a dozen of our clients and we are hitting the first results in 09.  Topics include, cost reductions, value added platforms, marketing and sales strategies.  The bad news is that by launching these at approximately the same time means that all the results are hitting at the same time.
• REPEATABLE SUCCESSFUL ACT PLATFORM:  Now that we have added “buyer habits” this sales strategic platform is ready to launch with a couple of large sales force clients (200 and 350 producers respectively).
• CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT:  New skills programs are being added to help advance the capabilities of team members, positioning them to lead strategic efforts in their companies.  Thinking and communication remain the core elements.

 

Though the economy continues to read like a Stephen King horror story, you are not helpless.  As it always has been, it’s about doing something. 

My momma said it and it’s true, “that one once of action is worth a ton of words.”Martin Sexton

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 

Being a TED addict, I often watch videos that I don’t immediately like but gut it out only to discover gems, diamonds of knowledge that make my gray cells sing!  Here are some pointers from comic book artist Seth McCloud, who gave a very intellectual talk on the hidden reasons comic impact readers.  Lots of theory and not a lot of why they are fun, but his four key principles fall right in line with the way I think: 

• LEARN FROM EVERYONE:  I am amazed at how much of my knowledge I get all the time from everyone I know.  I have a tendency to be somewhat arrogant (it’s true) which unfortunately can block good input.  I had some this week where I rebelled against the idea and then slowed down to think about it and found the advice true.
• FOLLOW NO ONE:  Most of the time people lack a certain courage to believe in themselves.  Try this little piece of advice and forge a new path.  Pick one simple (lacking complexity) idea and watch the ripples flow.
• WATCH FOR PATTERNS:  I can truly lay my success at two key points, the ability to simplify complex issues and the thinking that allows me to discover patterns.  Patterns are great predictors of future events, but can also lull you into a lack of thinking.  There are patterns in almost all processes and systems.  Once discovered they allow you to focus on cause instead of effect.
• WORK LIKE HELL:  Plough deep while sluggards sleep.  ~Benjamin Franklin   Nothing beats hard work.  A strong work ethic will beat talent almost every time. 

 

Thanks Seth! 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT 

 

MOVIES:    Nothing out there to drive me to the theater. 

NetFlix Fans:  Woman on Top :  This movie launched Penelope Cruz and is a jazzy, sexy little story full of wonder and the power of love. 

TV:    I DVR’rd the new show on ABC, Castle and it was entertaining, but nothing I will hurry home for. 

BOOKS:  Lone Survivor   – By Luttrell.  The true story of Operation Redwing by the Navy Seals in the

Middle East. 

MUSIC:   It is no secret that I am a House MD addict.  Often readers will send me House stuff, most of which makes me laugh out loud, but this is a great video that shows House at his best.  It is a combination of a great song and shows the key aspect of the show – CRITICAL THINKING.  Watch how group think is better than one guy think and how you have to SEE the problem.  Every differential diagnosis is done on the whiteboard so they can see the symptoms. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9PJqacYUbk&feature=related  

 

WEB SITES:   One of my favorite bookstores in NYC and a good web site for mystery/thriller books. 

 

http://www.crimepays.com/index.htm  

SOUTH OF

NORMAL

St. Patrick’s Day fun:

• The average American consumes 30 gallons of beer per year.
• Americans spend about $4 Billion, yes BILLION on St. Paddy’s day.
• 1/3 who celebrates does so with special dinners.  You know the drill, corn beef and cabbage (YUCK!)
• 4 leaf clovers are really rare – only 1 in 10,000.
• The
  
  first St.

  Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland, but instead in

  New York City, 247 years ago!

Sip a green beer and have a little fun.There’s 24 hours maybe 60 good yearsYou know, it’s not that long a stay!Jimmy Buffett 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . . 

IN OUR WORLD I am coming to you LIVE from cool, but warming up

Chicago!  This is one of my favorite cities.  Here doing some work outside the usual business scope for a friend and his children’s school.  This is the continuation of teaching planning techniques for the schools volunteer board and faculty. 

This week we launched a HUGE Transformation project for a client with the idea that in order to shift, to change to meet fast and furious market conditions you need a place to start.  In order to transform (from the Latin – to cross over, it is a word of MOTION), you need to change the way you think.  Old thinking, the result of years of organizational equity will stonewall transformation every time.  So, we started with an introduction to Transformational Thinking.  Wonderful first step for a Fortune 100 client! 

Next week I get to have a full week in town to visit with my

Dallas clients and get some stuff DONE. 

The March newsletter is out.  If you didn’t get a copy, let me know.

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 

The dynamics of change have rapidly become a key player in every business.  The unique ability to know when to move forward, when to stay put and when to run are not positions in a horse race but instead the daily playground for business.  I have been blessed to work with one of the best at knowing this game; Southwest Airlines.  Here are a few ways of thinking and motion that set them apart: 

• Their history of success has been built on a firm commitment to a niche; low cost airfare generated by a proven system, supported by serving smaller cities and airports.
• This model has built them into the largest airline in the world by offering more flights and carries.
• But it became obvious that you can’t continue to feed this machine without heading into the big cities and airports.  Change to meet the needs.  They simply have run out of large, secondary airports that serve urban areas.
• They will be entering the Minn/St. Paul market and this summer hope to get gates at LaGuardia. 

 

The shift to major airports is a major move away from a foundation principle that has directly contributed to its success.   

Will this have a long term negative impact?  Moving into major airports increases gate fees and sets a competitive stage with long haul players like American and Delta. 

The future will hold the answer, but the ability to change, to take advantage of shifting opportunity should be a hallmark for any company. 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT 

 

MOVIES:    The Watchmen:  This is the first blockbuster of the season and like a kid in a candy store, I can’t wait! 

NetFlix Fans:  Finding Forrester :  This is now playing on a couple of the movie channels and I had forgotten how much I LOVED this little film.   

TV:    All my favorite USA Network shows are on vacation with the last episode of Burn Notice playing last night.  They do good work.  In TV Land there is a lot of buzz around a new series called THE UNUSUALS.  It is an ABC show and should be out soon. 

BOOKS:  The Film Club  – By David Gilmour.  The true story of a father who let his son drop out of school – if he watched three movies a week.  It was fantastic! 

MUSIC:   I was playing some music last night and stumbled on Pacing the Cage by Bruce Cockburn and it brought back a flood of memories.  I love playing and singing this tune.  Here is the best version I have found by Bruce.  The second video is a little two minute piece on the incredible guitar player that Bruce is.  Read the first comment! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAcqr3MYMmMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK64qc-Mbts   

WEB SITES:   You know you always wanted to learn something new! 

 

http://www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm  

SOUTH OF

NORMALWith the dicey economy and the ramped up fear of the average consumer, the “nesting” aspect is continuing to show niche market upturns.  Grocery shopping is up as we are staying home to eat, video rentals and purchases are at an all time high and guess what, we are watching more TV.

• According to Nielsen Rating Group we now watch an average of 151 hours of TV a month.  An ALL TIME HIGH.
• There are now more TV’s in the average home than there are people.
• There is a greater variety of programming than ever before.
• Advertisers are eating this data up and creating new methods to tap our ever dwindling wallets. 

So, sit back and watch the good old boob tube! 

Sometimes the best maps can not guide you, cause you can’t see what’s round the bend.Bruce Cockburn 

 

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

 

 

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