Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .
IN OUR WORLD
A whole week in town, WAHOOOOOO! I had a fantastic week without travel, allowing me to get caught up on a whole slew of projects:
- 2010 Web Site Revision: Met with my web team to narrow down the look and feel as well as the navigation of my new web site. Launch is still on schedule for the 4th quarter, despite ME being the on the road most of the time.
- New Writing Opportunities: Darren Horwitz, my new PR team member has continued to provide opportunities for me to contribute to various publications and write articles continuing the expansion of my sphere of influence. I made the first paragraph of this article in INC: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/10-things-you-should-never-micromanage.html
- The Clarity of Teams Platform: I was able to develop my latest program on the need for clarity through the use of simple, powerful and elegant goals. Already have a client signed up for it!
- RSA Podcast: A new podcast on the Repeatable Successful Acts platform will be ready to go next week.
- Conference Calls: I had 10 different conference calls regarding various projects both confirmed and in the pipeline.
Whew, what a fantastic week!
Have a great Labor Day weekend. College football kicks off its schedule – Go Horns and Hogs!
HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE
AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Companies and organizations are all about motion, the movement of ideas and actions that connect their goals to their clients. This is the heart of developing value in a world where the seemingly only continuity if volatility!
I hate to continually use APPLE as the key example in this foundational aspect of business, because APPLE is an anomaly, a strange and oddly fascinating company that destroys the “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” saying, BUT here I go anyway.
September marks the annual APPLE “what’s new” press conference and I will be damned if they didn’t turn the consumer and investors head again. Imagine how tough it is to create such incredible “motion” every year.
- A new suite of hardware in the form of new and improved iPods and Apple TV.
- A “cloud” based iTunes platform. iTunes grows by an average of 25% annually! I kid you not!
- The App revolution: There are now over 225,000 various apps for the iPhone with over 11,000 just for the iPad. There have been +/- 5 billion app downloads to date.
- iPhone: Despite the iPhone 4’s “death grip” issues it still sells like crazy and over the next three years there will be over 1 billion smart phones all over the planet. Consumers change their smart phone every 2 years and with Verizon and others being able to sell and provide coverage, the iPhone is going to have a second EXPLOSION.
Damn and WOW.
I will end with this Wall Street quote: “Apples growth rate will shatter any historical precedent for a mature company of similar size.”
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES: The American: I have been waiting WEEKS for this Clooney thriller!
NetFlix Fans: The Big Easy: Last night friends dropped by and the girls started talking about the hottest love scenes in a movie and this one won!
TV: Nothing and I mean nothing but the greatness of the US Open from NY.
BOOKS: Employees First – Customers Second – Nayar: New business needs new focus. I constantly preach that you can never hope to make the customer your primary focus if you have not ALREAY focused on your team!
MUSIC: Lots of people have a bunch of bad things to say about John Mayer, BUT damn he is really good. This is a fantastic acoustic cover of Free Fallin. Sorry for the damn ad at the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Ov0cDPZy8
WEB SITES: Interesting stuff!
http://www.blueskysunburn.com/
SOUTH OF NORMAL
This is from the Springwise newsletter and as a beer lover I love the idea!
Beer connoisseurs like to try before they buy just as much as the next consumer; the only problem is that high-end bottles of the stuff can cost a pretty penny, making bartenders reluctant to open them. That’s where the BeerVault comes in. Designed by Australian design firm Jones Chijoff, the BeerVault gives bars a way to preserve and display their finest beers for sampling and beyond.
The innovation began when Victoria-based Jones Chijoff was hired by Melbourne-based bar Biero to solve its sampling problem, driven by the fact that some of its boutique bottles of beer can cost as much as AUD 200. Now, with the BeerVault, Biero can siphon its various bottled beers into UV-filtering clear acrylic canisters, which are backlit and suspended above the bar. There, each beer is kept under the same pressure as it was while in the bottle, thus preserving it equally well; it’s also kept cold via a clear volume of liquid glycol that surrounds it and circulates through a chiller. Bartenders can dispense quantities as small as they want, allowing patrons to not only sample Biero’s beers but also order them based on the colours of those on display. The BeerVault is currently available only for hire while Jones Chijoff readies its marketing plans.
With its preservation capabilities and capacity for creating an aesthetically engaging display, the BeerVault seems highly applicable to other beverage categories as well, including wine. Which bar in *your* neighbourhood will be first to claim this new, differentiating feature?
Drop me a note with your comments at steve@creativeventures.com
Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.
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