Laura Longsworth: Thanks for the Documentary

Thanks once again to Sundance Channel, I recently had another life-altering experience from a documentary film they chose to program. This time, the film is entitled “Luckey,” it was produced, written and directed by filmmaker Laura Longsworth, and it documents the challenges faced by sculptor Tom Luckey to carry on with his life, his artistry and his business after experiencing a major spinal injury. Read more

Creative Entrepreneurs: David Bouck

While attending the Boards Summit last October, I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending David Bouck (IMDB, LinkedIn), a veteran producer working in commercials, television and feature films. David is the founder and executive producer of Means of Production in Vancouver, a production services company specializing in television commercial production and still photography servicing all of Canada. After recently sending me his latest company reel (featured above), I peppered him with questions which he has kindly answered below. Read more

Among many people I’m thankful for, my big brother Scott

We’re taking off to go spend some quality time with our families in the St. Louis and Milwaukee areas over the days ahead, and I thought I’d make a quick nod to one of the people I’m most thankful for, my big brother, Scott Darnell. Scott and his partner David Gotter established a company in 2003 named Further OPTIONS, as a developer of innovative mobility systems for wheelchair-bound individuals. After debuting its first product at the 2006 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the company’s Patent-pending DMS-4 was unveiled at the 2009 National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association Annual Conference, where it was honored by NMEDA and the Adaptive Driving Alliance with their 2009 New Technology Award for Innovation in Engineering and Technology for the physically challenged. Read more

MVP of Communications: Your friend, Twitter

Most of my friends are well aware that I spent a couple of days last week at this year’s Boards Summit conference in New York. The publishers and editors of Boards Magazine have been producing this event for 10 years now, to support and help lead people from all points around the globe who are actively involved in the commercial production industry, and other sectors directly engaged in creating breakthrough marketing initiatives. The organizers outdid themselves this year, at a time when changes are playing out faster than ever, requiring us all to rethink, revisit, and then redouble efforts to seize any potentially viable opportunities, even those where there is little or no expectation of profit. Read more

Positivity, on the subject of climate change

Blog Action Day is an annual event every October 15th that unites the world’s bloggers in writing about the same issue on the same day, with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Nearly 10,000 people from 150 countries are participating in Blog Action Day 2009 and focusing on the theme of Climate Change. I have many friends and colleagues around the planet, and although I wish we could all agree on what’s important, I’ve come to realize the impossibility of that goal. Still, I do hope that everyone can agree that the current focus in our country on “Green Jobs” represents a lot of phenomenal opportunities that everyone has a chance to participate in. Read more

I’m all about learning, friending at the 2009 Boards Summit

Calendar year 2009 has been a constant challenge for me, and I consider myself very lucky compared with many I know who are facing difficult times. My thoughts remain with them as I carry on daily in what is truly my dream job, and while I’m hoping things will get easier for everyone who’s struggling, I’m also doing more to benefit others. Through this process, I’m finding that strengthening myself and my capabilities is impacting a growing circle of friends and colleagues. A large share of my business now occurs within the commercial production industry. Read more

We Are Plus relaunches, drives positive brand movement worldwide

Since first launching Plus et Plus in New York City in 2002, company founder Jeremy Hollister, his co-creative director Judy Wellfare, projects director Zu Al-Kadiri and their colleagues have built a reputation as a go-to company for fashion brands seeking to create sexy, marketing-savvy visual content for high-profile promotional uses ranging from live and in-store events to online, offline and traditional broadcast marketing campaigns. Recently relaunched as We Are Plus, over the past several months the company has delivered innovative projects for AMC, Shu Uemura Cosmetics, and Kidrobot, among many others. Read more

Behind the lens with ATTIK’s Simon Needham

As the co-founder of global creative agency ATTIK, and the creative director for ATTIK U.S., Simon Needham has already made an impressive impact on the marketing industry. ATTIK recently published NoiseFive, the latest of its self-guided, experimental, collectible design publications, and with each passing day, Simon continues to innovate alongside the world’s premier marketers — and the extremely talented artisans and craftspeople working with or within ATTIK on its latest campaigns. Read more

Business ventures of your dreams…

I remember being 12 years old and being very impressed by a young guy I met, Tommy Ewasko, who at that time (1978) was well on his way to becoming a professional photographer. Tommy was the first professional creative person I ever crossed paths with, and after getting to know him a bit better, I began to see the world in a different way. Last month, my successful English entrepreneurial comrade Rob Ford of Favourite Website Awards (TheFWA.com) shared a story with his friends on Facebook where he was included in a 10steps.sg feature by Johnson Koh entitled “Interviews of Ten Accomplished Founders.” If you have not visited TheFWA.com before, I can easily imagine you having a kind of epiphany when you do, and there are other domains within Rob’s empire which are equally inspirational, including FWATheater.com and FWAPhoto.com.

To me, because his business model is original, creative, seemingly very fun, and largely self-guided, Rob represents the kind of successful entrepreneur that one only dreams of becoming. Do please read the “Interviews” article linked above to learn more about the origins of Rob’s business, and those of the other talented young gentlemen listed below. There’s enough inspiration here to change many people’s perceptions of the very nature of business… and represent new approaches to how resourceful individuals can build their own unique success stories independently.
. BuySellAds – Todd Garland
. Envato – Colliss Ta’eed
. Good Tutorials – Zach Holman
. Abduzeedo – Fabio Sasso
. Tutorial9 – David Leggett
. DeviantArt – Angelo-Sotira
. iStockPhoto – Bruce LivingStone
. Pixel2Life – Dan Richard
. SmashingMagazine – Vitaly Friedman & Sven Lennartz

Om Malik on Glam Media, Fundinistas…

David Kaplan of paidContent.org reports today that international ad network Glam Media has raised a $10 million fifth round from investors to expand its operations in Japan and Germany. Here’s GigaOm.com founder/writer Om Malik’s coverage… naming Glam to a short list of “fundinista” companies “relentlessly pursuing” (and getting) venture capital.
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