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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Coming to you live from the City by the Bay, beautiful San Francisco.  The weather is perfect, cool with breezes off the Pacific under sunny skies.  At night the fog rolls in to make for mysterious place. 

 

I had the opportunity to help launch a 30,000 ft series of strategic initiatives that will shape the organizations future.  You can’t get much more exciting than that!  The interesting thing about change is the immediate push back it gets.  The failure to see value, the idea of having to do something different and the thought that here comes something else to eat up my time are overwhelming and they set up a fear response.  The key then is to take the delivery model one step at a time and always start with value. 

 

Next week will mark my first week of 09 without travel!  I hope to get caught up on a wide variety of design projects sitting on my desk.  Despite all the travel I get to do I have never developed great work while on the road.  I need to have familiar surroundings.

 

The June newsletter will be ready to go on Monday.  If you want to get on the mailing list, drop me a note.

 

 

 

 

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

 

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

I am a student of the creative process and am constantly searching for information on new avenues and directions in this way of thinking.  Tom Kelley is the General Manager of IDEO, the great design firm offers a couple of suggestions that will help you with some right brain thinking:

 

• Hire a Coach (I’m available!):  Find someone that understands the process and offer you ways to tap into your human gift of creativity.
• Keep a Journal:  Not just a diary type document, record “why am I bored or when did I feel engaged?”
• Blow Your Curiosity:  Focus on what you love while at the same time looking in new directions.  Pick up a copy of a magazine in a new area or listen to a new subject podcast.  Think cross pollination.

The creative process is the birth place of innovation and transformation.  Work some of these activities into your schedule to kick start your new ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    UP:   Pixar may be the most successful movie studio in the world.  Grab a kid and go see their latest masterpiece.  If no kids are available, go see it anyway.

 

NetFlix Fans:  The Legend of Baggar Vance:   This is a great little movie directed by Robert Redford with two fantastic performances by Will Smith and Matt Damon.  You will love this wonderful story.

 

 

TV:    Trying to see the French Open and check out the fantastic games of the NBA semi finals.  There are some great USA Network shows making their summer debut next week.  Make sure to see Burn Notice.

 

BOOKS:  Conversation Piece   – By Lowrie & Nicholaus.  Keeping with the creativity theme, this book poses questions that are designed to kick start your creative juices.

 

MUSIC:   A spectacular Richie Havens cover of a Van Morrison and Bob Dylan song.  WATCH THIS!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah7d-sP7rDQ

 

WEB SITES:   To help your creative process -

 

 

http://creativity-online.com/   

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

Science is always interesting.  In the world of genetics, earth shattering news hit the papers when Japanese scientists decided the world would be a better place by genetically altering monkeys so that they glow green under fluorescent lights.  Yep, glow green.  I imagine a group of scientists meeting to decide what trait might be the most beneficial.  One would say; “what if we could increase their muscle strength so that they escape predators more easily.”  “Maybe we could work on their eye sight so they can more easily find food.”  Then some guy in the back of the room raises his hand and says; “dude, what if we made them glow green?”  Yea, great idea!    Read  the story here:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090527/sc_nm/us_monkeys_green

 

 

She’s as sweet as Tupelo Honey, she’s an angel

Of the third degree.

Van Morrison

 

 

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 a plain fantastic week.  Over the past weekend I was honored to have the opportunity to work with the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership group in Ft. Worth TX.  This is the largest youth leadership organization on the planet.  It was fantastic to share my ideas on leadership and answer their questions.  We often hear about the problems with today’s youth, well HOBY showed me our future is in great hands!

 

Had a rough stay at the Ft Worth Hilton with a loud party in the room next to us that went from 12:20 AM to 3:00 AM.  I contacted the hotel not really expecting much of a response, but had my faith restored in customer service when Tracy Gimbel their director of Sales and Marketing called to talk about the incident, take some advice and then offered to give Laura and I free stay to make up for a sleepless night.  Bravo!  The perfect response to a dissatisfied customer!!!!!

 

Then I was off to Minneapolis to lead a full day teaching opportunity on THINKING.  70 people from a single client, all committed to long term learning.  I designed the program around a dynamic learning experience filled with team and individual exercises, strong visuals, and connected content.  I loved the energy of the day.

 

Thursday evening was a client party hosted at a fantastic venue (another client) in Dallas.  This was a great marriage of value for both and everyone had a chance to be part of a real experience filled with opportunities to interact.

 

Just a little time to catch my breath and then off to San Francisco.

 

I love being busy and having the opportunity to contribute on so many different levels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

 

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

I am reminded once again that design is king when I read the annual Fast Company list of The Top 100 Creative People in Business (once again I did not make the list – can’t seem to get out of the 101 position).  It is interesting that design has supplanted R&D in many companies as the age old Frank Lloyd Wright saying of “form follows function” becomes the road to profits.  Here are a few ideas from the creative juggernauts:

• Design happens at the beginning:  Don’t wait until the end of an idea cycle to think what should this look like or how would someone actually use this.  Design is a Genesis process.
• Design is economically impactful:  11% of all consumer electronics are returned, but only 5% are defective.  The rest are brought back because of poor design, resulting in a $14 billion problem.
• Design fixes disconnects:  Most people disconnect from an idea because of complexity.  If I don’t understand, I’m OUT.  Think about how someone will connect with your idea – that’s a design mentality.
• Simplicity, honesty and enjoyment:  The creed of good design.  You know you have hit the right button when your product becomes an adjective to describe how something should be; “I want our showerhead to be the iPod of the plumbing world.”

It doesn’t matter what you do, there is an aspect of design in your day.  Spend some time focusing on it.  Don’t spend a lot of time as the competition for that damn Top 100 list is tough enough!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    Terminator – Salvation:   The summer hits just keep on rolling.  This film, directed by Hollywood rebel McG is a must see for me.  I will have to make it a guy’s night out as Laura is out on this one.

 

NetFlix Fans:  Necessary Evil:   My little brother, Christopher’s movie finally hits the American market.  Check out the trailer – http://www.fangoria.com/home/news/16-dvd-a-blu-ray/2384-lionsgates-evil-and-dead-trailers-exclusive-first-look.html

 

 

TV:    Now that American Idol is over, what will become of TV?  The show, despite its recent 8.5% drop in viewing audience is a cultural phenomenon.  Last year it generated almost a billion $$$$ in ad revenue.  It has a 69% larger audience than any of its time slot rivals.  We have a break until next January, when my Tuesday nights are again lost to this powerhouse of (predominately female viewing) TV.

 

BOOKS:  Gone Tomorrow   – By Lee Child.  Jack Reacher is the best reoccurring character in book business – PERIOD!  This is number 13 in the Reacher series and I am a day one buyer every time.  The best part about a Reacher story is that you don’t have to read them in order.  Each is an independent adventure! 

 

MUSIC:   Last Friday night Laura and I with a group of friends went to hear some music.  You know I am a sucker for the singer/songwriter and though I had listened to some Ellis Paul in the past and thought, hmmmm pretty good, when I saw him live I thought – WOW!

 

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

 

WEB SITES:   Very funny stuff.

 

 

www.americanhell.com   

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

Hey, it’s wedding season:

 

• 2,200,000 couples were married in the US in 2008.
• Zelmyra and Herbert Fisher celebrated their 85^th anniversary in 2008 making them the longest married couple.
• $707,051,208 of wedding cake was consumed last year.
• The average American wedding costs almost $30,000.
• During a recent wedding gown sale, shoppers picked up 3,000 dresses in less than 37 seconds (possible Olympic event?).
• December is the most popular month to pop the question.

 

Laura and I will be celebrating our 30^th anniversary in August!  Not bad, since every other relationship I had experienced ended in me being dumped.  Laura often reminds me to watch myself, the day is still young!

 

 

Weren’t you the kid
Who just climbed on a merry-go-round
Hey, look, the world ain’t slowin’ down

Ellis Paul

 

 

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

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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Just off the plane from Atlanta where I had another fantastic class of sales professionals to work with.  I taught a revised version of Interpersonal Communication skills.  As you know my style is very unusual driven on a multimedia / interactive delivery.  People love to learn this way.

 

The weekend was great as a bunch of family spent time in Fayetteville to celebrate Colin’s graduation from the University of Arkansas.  What a proud time for parents.  Fayetteville is a wonderful college town.  It was a perfect fit for Colin.

 

It’s thunderstorm time in Dallas and thinking your flight will get anywhere on time is a fools position.  Be ready to hunker down with a good book and your tunes. Yesterday we left the gate in Atlanta only to turn around and wait 2 ½ hours for the storms to clear in Dallas.

 

Next week it’s off to Minneapolis to teach a custom designed class on thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

 

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

In touch times, when fear is the driving emotion, you need to tap into the power of the “touch”.  Now is the time people are looking for connections, for ways to feel involved and part of your relationship.  This is the time to cement your relationships and push your sphere of influence outward.  The formula for this plan is surprisingly simple and, if managed correctly, not very time consuming.

• Soft Touches:  Sit down on a designated night each week and write 5 – 10 HANDWRITTEN notes.  The power of this simple task is amazing.  People open a different sized envelope with their name handwritten before they open anything else in their mailbox.  Let your clients know that you are a valuable resource to them and available to help in any way they deem appropriate.
• Newsletter:  Create a simple newsletter that you can send to your clients that gives them some industry insight as well as a little fun.  Make it visual and not just text.  This pushes your influence further into their world.
• Social Networks:  I know, I know, you hear about FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and so on, but think it will be a pain in the butt to do, but that’s not true.  With a simple little management plan, you can become a player in the world of social communities.  Their power is increasing exponentially.  You may think your clients are not involved in this silly viral behavior and that may be true.  If so those are your customers of TODAY.  Your customers of tomorrow are as comfortable in the world of social networks as you are in your favorite pair of jeans.

 

Don’t go silent when fear is in the air.  It provides you an opportunity to stay connected and INCREASE the equity of your relationships.

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    Angels and Demons:   The summer hits just keep on coming.  I loved this book and early buzz says it is way better than The DaVinci Code.  Star Trek was as good a movie as I have seen all year.  Is there a more valuable entertainment franchise than Star Trek?  There have been 6 television shows, 11 feature films, countless conventions,  books, video games, comics and a serious cult following.

 

NetFlix Fans:  The Wrath of Khan:   This is the second of the Star Trek films and one of the best with William Shatner as Kirk.  A lot of homage was paid to this film in the new JJ Abrams movie. 

 

TV:    Hanging around the History Network and you will find just about everything you want to know about WWII.  There is a series of shows now playing that are fantastic.

 

BOOKS:  How to Really Stink at Work   – By Foxworthy and Hartt.  I have only read excerpts of the book, but they made me laugh. 

 

MUSIC:   I am a huge Randy Newman fan and this is one of my favorite tunes by the king of movie and theme music.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jiLL2d-alc     

 

WEB SITES:   A fantastic web site resource for some of the best leadership and management trends.

 

 

www.coachingourselves.com  

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

Some stuff I noticed:

• All states are looking for some new revenue sources but come on you guys at the Lone Star State Senate; a new tax on nude dancers that falls under the Occupation Tax structure.  They call it the “stripper tax”.  As John Prine said; “I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve.”

 

• Sikhs serving in the UK police force are looking to develop a bulletproof turban so that they can meet the requirement to wear protective headgear of the force’s armed response units without having to break their religious prohibition not to remove them.

 

• This summer AirTran will be offering the internet on all their flights.  WOW.  During the same week the adult entertainment industry put together a fly and buy package.  Ain’t capitalism wonderful?

 

 

Hold on tight with all of your might

You know it takes the time it takes to get it right.

Tony Lucca

 

 

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 Memphis for a day in the office, they off with a car caravan to Fayetteville AR for the graduation ceremony of my youngest son, Colin, from the University of Arkansas!  A big happening around the Harvill household as the house fills up today.

 

Memphis was one of the most memorable trips in my recent adventures.  I traveled with uber-agent Chris Ryan (always fun).  I delivered a brand new program on the power of fear and its impact on our thinking during tough times.  It was a HUGE hit.  Then couple that with the best ribs (pork) in the world at Rendezvous and Memphis was a gas!

 

While in Memphis Chris set up a tour of St. Jude’s Hospital, one of my top charities and one that Chris and I have been working on for a way to set up a function benefiting those holy folks.  I was humbled to my knees by this experience.  For those who are unfamiliar with St. Jude’s, it is a hospital (a poor description as they are so much more) for children suffering from cancer.  They are the state of the art facility in this field.  No family pays a single cent for bring their child there.  The place is holy.  We are faced with a blizzard of bad news everyday, but the truth is that the world is really filled with people like those at St. Jude’s  (www.stjude.org ).  

 

Next week off to Atlanta to teach Interpersonal Communication Skills.

 

 

 

 

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

 

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

The demise of the American auto industry is a fascinating model to study and many people will be writing books about it.  Some of it I find interesting and some of it, not so much.  But I was engaged by the value being placed on the Saturn brand as GM gets ready to start selling body parts.

A group in Dallas, Black Oak LLC, is very interested both in Saturn and in a new way to position car dealers.  They are thinking of converting them into an independent network of retailers that would be free to carry and sell any brand they wanted!  It would be like a department store that carries multiple lines of clothing.

Dealers would be free to choose products they WANT to sell.

Now keep in mind Saturn is not necessarily a shining star in the sky of car sales.  Sales were down 21.7% last year.  Creative money guys with capital to risk (few and far between these days) can attack a trouble market with bold and riskful moves that are somewhat mitigated by current reality.  Hey, how much worse would a new idea do?

Keep an eye on this model and watch a number of former restricted fields of sales begin to look at creating a value based option around the idea of real choice!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    Star Trek:   I really liked Wolverine (though it is hard for me to be objective since I am a comic book fan).  I can’t wait to see JJ Abrams treatment of one of my all time favorite franchise movies!

 

NetFlix Fans:  Last of the Dogmen:   Sitting in a hotel room I had the chance to see this great little movie again.  Check it out, you will dig it. 

 

TV:    Bad week coming up for me as House MD shuts down this season with a big finale on Monday night.  Good news is that the quirky shows I love on USA Network are getting ready to restart with the last season of Monk, then Psyche followed by Burn Notice.

 

BOOKS:  How to Really Stink at Work   – By Foxworthy and Hartt.  I have only read excerpts of the book, but they made me laugh. 

 

MUSIC:   This haunting tune of Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch has been featured on a number of TV shows and commercials.  I love the stark simplicity of the tune.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4-BCagHSz0    

 

WEB SITES:   I am constantly bombarded by people talking about science and am shocked at the HORRIFICALLY BAD science that is out there.  I could write a book on the subject.  So here is a fun look at some stuff.

 

 

http://www.fearofphysics.com/BadScience/index.php

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

Take a look at this way cool pre-fab house -  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090506/ap_on_re_us/us_clayton_i_house 

 

It is the first of a HUGE wave of pre-fab technology that will eventually dominate the housing market.  Simple and elegant these designs will reduce construction costs, improve energy costs and provide a wonderful living experience. 

 

 

It seems my brothers and sisters are standing by.

Alexi Murdock

 

 

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

 

 

 

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