According to neuroscience studies, the adage that you should “be careful what you ask for” has more teeth to it than you might imagine. Your brain is very good at attending to whatever you direct it to. It’s kind of like when you go to buy a car and you think you’re the only person in the world who will have that shiny, bright purple VW Bug; then you drive it off the lot, and it seems every other car is just like yours. The Bugs were always out there, but it took a focusing event to get them onto your radar screen and noticed by you.
Thoughts, goals and ideas work the same way, and you can increase your brain’s considerable input on them if you learn to ask your brain nicely and deliberately to get involved. You can create your perfect world if you know what you’re looking for and–perhaps more importantly–if you pay attention to how your brain is fed.
This process works with negative thoughts, as well. As I teach in classes on emotional intelligence, crap will find you all day long, especially if you expect it. It will parachute into your office without an invitation and typically won’t leave when you want it to. You don’t have to go looking for it. It will find you. If you are dwelling on the bad stuff, it will find you more quickly and readily, and you won’t be primed for the things that will make you successful. Good things need to be noticed. We generally have to be more deliberate about the positive. Your brain will help you find innovative ways to do it. Just prime it, and it will be there for you.
Here are a few tips on how to make your thoughts work for you: (more…)
Brightons iconic West Pier was restored to its former glory for one night only – “A Pier Appears” took place on Wednesday, February10, 2010, and was the first of a series of events curated by Josef Valentino on behalf of Tiger Beer as part of their Chinese New Year Celebrations. French lighting studio Creatmosphere used computer-controlled lasers for the project, which stopped traffic and drew a huge crowd on the beach, despite the brief arctic blizzard!
The myth of futility leads to internal depression in the face of external, economic depressions. It makes us feel like since there’s nothing we can do to influence the economy, then we’re just doomed to suffer along with everyone else.
The reality is that while national economic forces do impact you, you still have control over your prosperity. It’s a myth that the Great Depression was a time of suffering for all Americans; for many it was a time of great prosperity. James Gregory, Associate Professor of History at the University of Washington, says that, [During the Depression] about a third of the population suffered unemployment and difficulty. About a third of the population maintained their standard of living, and another third of the population did better in the course of the 1930’s than they had done before.
The question is which third will you be in during the current economic downturn? Will you wallow in poverty, thinking that you have little control, will you simply maintain your current standard of living, or will you seize the opportunity to prosper?
Of course I applaud the art director on this campaign because one can’t deny that it’s a very strong image that provokes thought which in turn definitely grabbed my attention…but once it had it, I was stuck on why?
Believing strongly in the power of imagery and that a picture says a thousand words, my mind raced to understand the intended message in this billboard advertisement AND more importantly how does it translate to someone eventually making a Calvin Klein purchase?
Pease share your thoughts on this one!
Sidebar: By no way am I being compensated for this…I’m just simply intrigued by the artistic expression in the advertisement.
The creative minds of 60 Layers of  Cake (www.60layersofcake.com) came up with a creative solution that I feel will be the new style of advertising.  It’s simple, dynamic, highly creative with out being too abstract, stayed focused on message and was extremely cost effect to produce.
To launch Puma’s new lightweight Travel Golf Collection, they suspended Puma clothing, shoes and accessories from thousands of golf ball shaped balloons in Antwerp city centre and let gravity demonstrate a unique ‘Travel Light’ concept. Â Passers-by were encouraged to reach up and grab the featherweight products…GENIUS!!!
I was reading fellow thinker Harry Webbers’ blog (www.madisonavenew.com) recently about how when you see something so freaking great, that a part of you hates that it wasn’t something that you created. Mr. Webber’s example was the Converse ad where Mos Def did the narration with just a CGI ball moving throughout a empty gym. The first thing that came to my mind was the this Apple Commercial that I originally posted in August of 2008. (more…)
Barney Pressman, founder of New York-based luxury chain Barneys, owed a lot of his success to his wife. When Pressman saw a small store in Manhattan going under in 1923, he wanted to buy it and open a clothing store of his own.
There was just one problem…he didn’t have the cash. When Pressman told his wife, Bertha, about this predicament, she slipped off her engagement ring and told him to pawn it. With the $500 Pressman got from hocking his wife’s diamond, he took over the failing store’s lease and bought 40 high-end suits, which were the original inventory when Barney’s Clothes opened its doors shortly thereafter.
What a trooper that Bertha was!!! I really like this story because it exemplifies perfectly the importance of your circle of influence. More often than not, it is the key factor that will have the greatest impact between your success or failure.
I leave you with the words of one of my best friends, Mr. Erik Canandy…success is a choice, so choose wisely!!!
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) — Michael and Steven Roberts didn’t have two quarters to rub together a couple of decades ago. Now, the two African-American business leaders estimate their holdings — from hotels to TV stations — are worth $1 billion. One St. Louis hotel they own once barred black people.
“Black folks need legacy. We have to have examples of successes in order for us to be able to let the generations to come know that many of the successes that occurred by African-Americans in this country can be seen and pointed out and can be emulated,” says Michael Roberts, the chairman and CEO of The Roberts Companies.
Michael and his brother Steven, who is three years younger, stroll through their office, complete with wood-paneled doors, large leather chairs and a pool table fit for a king. Their office sits along a busy street in St. Louis called Kingshighway.
“They used to call us the Kings of Kingshighway, because we own so much on this street,” Michael Roberts says. (more…)
“The entrepreneur is our visionary, the creator in each of us.  We’re born with that quality and it defines our lives as we respond to what we see, hear, feel, and experience. It is developed, nurtured, and given space to flourish or is squelched, thwarted, without air or stimulation, and dies.”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009Â
1290 Avenue of the Americas New York City
6pm – 9:30pm
Join Publishing Prep for an evening of honest dialogue where winning strategies to self-publishing success will be disclosed. Get all your pressing questions answered by myself as well as other distinguished panelist of self-published all-stars!!!
The following is a response posted by Ben Goldstein of Ketchum PR Agency on behalf of The Clorox Company:
On behalf of The Clorox Company, I would like to respond to Amy Tennery’s article titled “The Four Biggest Enviro-Scams,â€� in which she criticizes the Green Works brand. It is our belief that Ms. Tennery misinterpreted key product information about Green Works Natural Cleaners, and I would like to provide the following facts to put her conclusions into context.  (more…)
In greenwashing, as in life, there are seven sins. There’s the sin of the hidden trade-off, for example, the sin of vagueness, and the sin of no proof. So says sinsofgreenwashing.org, which takes on companies that offer seemingly green benefits — often at a hefty price tag — with little results. As the green trend continues, companies in almost every industry vie for a piece of the green market, even the embattled General Motors has taken a chance on its own green product initiative.
But as the field of green products grows, so does the number of impostors. The following is a list of some of the most perplexing green products out there-and an assessment of just how scammy they might be:Â Â (more…)
Lets see here…say something positive, say something positive…uhmm although I might not always agree with what someone does, I will always acknowledge the effort. Whew…that kind of hurt…LOL!!!
Fellow thinkers, use this picture of an ear-cleaner tending to his customer on a street in Mumbai as a source of motivation in finding your value in the world…NO EXCUSES!!!
Before a football match between Argentina and Brazil, an Argentinean condom company came up with this ad to show the Brazilians what they were going to do to them.
However when Brazil won the match, their Football organization replied with… (more…)
First let me say that I’m in no way condemning the Inauguration of Obama, but I do believe in the concept of overkill. When I read the article by Scott Mayerowitz of the ABC News Business Unit about how much money was spent, my mind initially went into entrepreneur mode and was like YES, this is why I love this country, it will capitalize on any and everything!
Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
The villagers, seeing that there were loads of monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them left and right. The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.
He then announced that he would now buy monkeys at $20 each. (more…)
The entrepreneur in us sees opportunities everywhere we look, but many people see only problems everywhere they look. The entrepreneur in us is more concerned with discriminating between opportunities than he or she is with failing to see the opportunities.
If your answer is yes…this is the opportunity for you!
I’m pleased to announce that I will be offering “Thinking Like An Entrepreneur Changed My Life!” Group Sessions. I will be conducting my group sessions in various cities in the upcoming months.
My group sessions are designed for serious individuals who need that extra spark in getting their ideas out. Whether you’re at the beginning, middle or tipping point of bringing your ideas to fruition, you’ll be able to take advantage of my clear, step-by-step plan for success based on proven skill sets of taking ideas from concept to completion.
If your answer is yes…this is the opportunity for you!
I’m pleased to announce that I will be offering “Thinking Like An Entrepreneur Changed My Life!” Group Sessions. I will be conducting my group sessions in various cities in the upcoming months.
My group sessions are designed for serious individuals who need that extra spark in getting their ideas out. Whether you’re at the beginning, middle or tipping point of bringing your ideas to fruition, you’ll be able to take advantage of my clear, step-by-step plan for success based on proven skill sets of taking ideas from concept to completion.
If your answer is yes…this is the opportunity for you!
I’m pleased to announce that I will be offering “Thinking Like An Entrepreneur Changed My Life!” Group Sessions. I will be conducting my group sessions in various cities in the upcoming months.
My group sessions are designed for serious individuals who need that extra spark in getting their ideas out. Whether you’re at the beginning, middle or tipping point of bringing your ideas to fruition, you’ll be able to take advantage of my clear, step-by-step plan for success based on proven skill sets of taking ideas from concept to completion.
First let me say that I think stress is a state of mind and not a state of being. A great quote by Wayne Dyer says, “when you change the way you’re looking at something, what you’re looking at will change.”Â
Although the days of profitable short term investments are long gone , I think the economy is in the midst of announcing a sale on long term investments. There are many long terms investment opportunities out there if you open your mind to them.Â
This was a informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Budapest October 10, 2008. Georgia and NATO carry out an Intensified Dialogue on the countrys membership aspirations.
This is the first episode of the BMT (Business Minds Thinking) Series. Episode 1 features the mega successful, yet very low key artist KAWS.
In the BMT series, the objective is to have a conversation based on the same 3 questions with various people who are successful in their field. The goal is to reveal that behind every success…there is a business mind thinking!
Friday, October 10, 2008
By JEFF THEODORE
JOURNAL ARTS EDITOR
As young men, Sakiya Sandifer and superstar rapper Kanye West traveled in the same circles while growing up in Chicago. Eight years ago, their paths crossed yet again in New Jersey.
“I was living in Perth Amboy and Kanye was in Hoboken,” says Sandifer. “We created an adult friendship. Later on, I was behind the scenes, helping him get his ideas out.”
This summer, Sandifer, a businessman and writer who at his core defines himself as “a natural thinker,” helped West get his ideas out in a big way co-authoring the rapper’s first book, “Thank You and You’re Welcome,” (self published, $10).
The book, available online, has sold more than 500,000 copies so far.
“We wanted to write it in one voice,” says Sandifer, who now resides and maintains an office in Downtown Jersey City. “We wanted to share with people some of the skill sets and tools we’ve applied to attain success. It’s about getting people to know that it’s up to them to think about building their own houses.” (more…)
Marlboros were originally marketed to women. Advertisements went as far as having babies ask their moms to have a cigarette instead of scolding them. It plays up the “women-being-hysterical” stereotype and also showed the changing expectations about good motherhood.
In today’s world, we can hardly believe that this was a real advertisement…but yep, it was! A point to consider is at one time this advertisement was not deemed offensive and was seen as normal. Take that same mindset of current advertisements.  Are there any that you think will eventually look as crazy as the Marlboro does know?
Please note: Political advertisements should be included!!!
Tap’dNY is a New York City bottled water company with a local twist and knack for honesty. They don’t travel the world from Fiji to France seeking water or offer the usual bottled water gimmicks. They work with NYC’s public water system to source the world’s best tasting tap water, purify it through reverse osmosis and bottle it locally, leaving out ludicrous transportation miles.
They claim that this is a honest and local alternative to thirsty New Yorkers, giving them a smarter choice: to drink their own (award winning) water.
So I strongly suggest that you really pay attention to your surroundings for the countless opportunities to explore. And if you don’t see any…MOVE!
The object which ‘landed’ on the grass next to London’s City Hall was emitting smoke and a noise that got the attention of many pedistrians. The men guarding the “Silver Thing” refusing to explain what exactly was going on created even more curiousity.
It was known later that the Potters Fields Park was hired for a campaign to promote the launch of the Vauxhall Insignia car (sold under the Opel brand outside the UK) as a creative & interesting way to promote their new product. (more…)
There was a time when I really feared sharing my ideas because I wasn’t confident enough that I could produce more. This is why this quote by Howard Aiken really hits home with me.
“Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.”
Good thing I got passed that…and trust, the more you have to fight for it, the more likely it will end up being worth it!!!
“…success to me is not about money or status or fame, its about finding a livelihood that brings me joy and self-sufficiency and a sense of contributing to the world.”
Fairfax County in Virginia has the distinction of being a “green county” so this is not surprising:
“Board of Supervisors member Gerald W. Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) yesterday proposed studying whether Fairfax should follow the lead of Utah and some other governments in adopting a workweek of four 10-hour days instead of the traditional slate of five eight-hour days.
Fairfax could save energy costs by powering down computers and heating and cooling systems one additional day a week, Hyland said. Employees could save fuel costs by commuting four days instead of five. And the county could reduce its contribution to global warming by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, he added.”
Speaking from the perspective of someone who hasn’t had a “traditional” job since 1995, I’m not sure if the pros out way the cons. What will happen to small business owners that would in effect lose one day of income per week?
This is the brainchild of Richard Wharton and Mandy Mayes. The Shit Box is a cardboard toilet for outdoor use.
According to the press release, “The box pops up from its convenient 14″ flat pack to a rigid reusable box, you pop in a degradable poo bag, do your business, seal and then dispose.” (more…)
