I’ve never pictured myself performing in front of a live audience. After all, I’m not an actor, musician, or lecturer (not yet anyway). However, last week in Nashville, my perspective was turned on its head. In this case, the stage was the Frist Center and the performers (if I can call them that) were two authors focused on creative service firms, David C. Baker and Blair Enns. They spoke of the dynamics of successful relationships between firms and their clients or prospects. Most importantly, when initiating new business.

I can’t wait to get back on stage!

Guest post courtesy of Steve Evans of Juggernaut Design.
8321 East Evans Road, Suite 101
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 USA
480-948-3700 voice
480-948-1094 fax
info@juggernautdesign.com

On January 25-27, I had the pleasure of joining nearly 100 other professionals representing dozens of creative services firms in Nashville to attend the 2012 ReCourses New Business Summit (NBS). Hosted by ReCourses principal David C. Baker, and Blair Enns of Win Without Pitching, the event’s subtitle reads, “Using Your Positioning for More Reward, Impact, Control, and Fun.”

When it was all over, I asked many of my fellow attendees to provide two words that best describe their takeaways from the event, and the word cloud embedded above reflects their input. For anyone who has not spoken with me or others about our remarkable experiences at the summit, this provides quick insight into its powerful impact.For a bit more background, ReCourses, Inc., is a management consulting firm that works exclusively with marketing firms/departments in the communications industry, including public relations firms, advertising agencies, interactive companies, and design studios. As its principal, David Baker is a frequent contributor to most major industry publications, and as the leading management consultant to the marketing field, since 1994 he has become a widely renowned speaker. He’s also the author of Managing (Right) for the First Time and Financial Management of a Marketing Firm, and the principal of RockBench, an independent publisher of courageous thought leadership content.

Co-presenter Blair Enns is the leading sales consultant to marketing agencies and author of The Win Without Pitching Manifesto. Prior to founding his own firm, he spent 12 years working in client-service and business development roles for agencies big and small. As proven once again during NBS 2012, Blair is a proven expert at selling in this niche and teaching others how to reposition their businesses, set themselves apart and build solid, sustainable business success.

Beginning right away on day one and right through the final session on day three, like every attendee, I was madly scribbling notes and compiling a new agenda that I fully expect to help propel my business to new heights over the months ahead. The epiphanies and surprises came in many forms, and one thing that really stood out to me was the number of attendees who had heard David and Blair present in the past, whether at a previous NBS, at the Mind Your Own Business conference, or elsewhere. Clearly, these gentlemen have an inside track on the key business areas of management and sales, and meeting them once is very likely to lead to a continuing dialogue… which both seem eager to explore.

I left the conference with both David’s and Blair’s books, as well as one from Mark O’Brien, who is the president of Newfangled, a web development firm that has been specializing in helping marketing firms build websites for themselves and their clients since 1995. The author of A Website That Works and also a very accomplished speaker, Mark and his well-known VP Christopher Butler were also on-hand throughout the summit, helping attendees apply lessons and learn more.

Taken altogether, having the opportunity to get face-to-face with David, Blair, Mark, Chris, their colleagues and all the attendees and sponsors was an extraordinary development for me personally and for my business. As a sure-fire recipe for learning how to build and maintain business success through sound, smart, focused strategic communications, I highly recommend that you subscribe to, read, track, follow — and whenever possible, connect with — these genuine innovators and their ongoing efforts. To all my new friends but especially the NBS organizers and presenters, many thanks for making this such a valuable and fun learning experience.

Every year, the International Consumer Electronics Show unites tens of thousands of consumer electronics industry leaders, journalists and fans in Las Vegas, and most major news outlets mount impressive campaigns to cover and analyze the most interesting new products, developments and hype. While I have yet to attend a single CES, I do follow much of the news that comes out before, during and after the festivities. Now that CES 2012 is behind us, here are a few highlights I thought you might appreciate.

. Each of the actual CES Keynotes is available here.
. Ad Age Staffers’ Biggest Highlights and Takeaways From CES
. As CES opens, what are the most wanted gadgets? by Chris Morris for Variety
. Best of CES Awards 2012 from CNET
. CES Exhibitor Press Pitch Videos ~ tip courtesy of Larry Dobrow for MediaPost’s VideoCritique.
. CES 2012: Here’s What The Music Biz Will Be Watching For by Andrew Hampp, NY and Glenn Peoples, Nashville, for Billboard
. Top 7 Green Gadgets To Debut at This Week’s 2012 CES by Diane Pham for Inhabitat.com
. Wrap-Up: Tech’s Effect on Behavior Underscored at CES from Creativity

We are immensely grateful for the service of Mr. King, his father and mother Martin and Alberta, everyone in his family, and everyone giving what they have to keep his dream alive.

Together with my family, I am sending my warmest thoughts to many friends and colleagues worldwide, and feeling a lot of gratitude. I truly appreciate your help in sending daily clicks to www.hungersite.com, where our simple mouseclicks can benefit a number of vital causes each and every day.

I have done some research on homelessness over the years, and we all know that there are displaced people living on the city streets everywhere in America. The organizations and initiatives highlighted below represent just some of the many phenomenal community efforts supporting homeless people in the U.S. and elsewhere. I found many of them through JustGive.org, and I’m also proud to point you to this list JustGive publishes, entitled 35 Ways You Can Help the Homeless. They list as item 7, “give money,” and to that, I’ll add my plea to give whatever you have to spare (from loose change to your time), to those people you see in need.

Also, it’s the time of year when I invite you to join me in sending daily clicks to www.hungersite.com, where our simple mouseclicks can benefit a number of vital causes each and every day.

Thank you!

. World Hunger Year (www.worldhungeryear.org) is a non-profit that fosters numerous programs and activities to effectively advance long-term solutions to hunger and poverty by supporting community-based organizations that empower individuals and build self-reliance.

. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Coalition (www.lahsc.org) and the San Francisco Homeless Services Coalition (www.sfhsc.org) have raised millions of dollars to support shelters across California, specifically benefiting homeless women, children, and families. Along with linking residents and their resources with area shelters needing donations, these groups also educate their communities about the causes of homelessness to raise awareness and understanding, and to enlist them in aiding homeless individuals in need.

In August of 2011, The Index Festival took place in New York City with the goal of bringing together individuals and groups who cognitively engage media culture. Among its offerings were four panels, each of which was held at the Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center.

Panel 1: Festival Opening
Panel 2: Mediated Landscapes
Panel 3: Make Ready
Panel 4: Digital Born and After

The Index Festival’s organizers are committed to continuing to explore how media and technology impact our lives. For more information, please visit indexfestival.com

Today is World AIDS Day… and as made clear in these words from Nobel Peace Prize winner and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, today’s mission demands that each of us take part:

I expect you already know about (RED) — the innovative, private-sector initiative launched in January of 2006 to enlist leading companies to channel a percentage of profits to assist in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which kills three million people every year. The money generated by the sale of (RED) products supports Global Fund-financed programs which positively impact the lives of women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Global Fund is a unique global public-private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities represents a new approach to international health financing. The Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts dealing with the three diseases. Programs supported by (RED) and the Global Fund have reached over 5 million people to date. Around half of the funding is being spent on medicines, mosquito nets to prevent malaria and other products, while the other half is for strengthening health services.

For more information on the work of the Global Fund or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.theglobalfund.org.

Please visit (RED) to read about partners and take advantage of their offers, to learn more about the organization, Global Fund and World AIDS Day, and to learn more about what you can do to make an impact today and tomorrow.

Today, please take at least one action to help turn the tide for those suffering from AIDS in Africa. We can make a difference!

I’m not sure of its exact origin, but I’m indebted to ESPN SportsCenter star Stuart Scott for introducing me to this phrase: “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.” Tomorrow (Nov. 24) is Thanksgiving Day here in America, and on the occasion, I am feeling deeply grateful.

Like many other entrepreneurs in America and elsewhere, I find a great deal to be thankful for in my occupation. Writing for OnStartups.com, Dharmesh Shah has posted an excellent short article today entitled “12 Things Entrepreneurs Should Be Thankful For,” which I encourage everyone to read.

Among the story’s growing list of comments, here are a few of my favorites.

. Sean Rosensteel: “I’m thankful for the small (but meaningful) windows of freedom you experience while being an entrepreneur and blazing your own trail.”

. Kathy: “I’m thankful for the folks I’ve met that are willing to help me out, even though the returns for them will be a couple more years down the road!”

. Artin Youssefian: “It’s nice to stop and be thankful once in a while. It reminds us all about why we started down this path to begin with. I’m thankful for everyone that has come before me and being able to stand on the shoulders of giants.”

. Chris Wachowiak: “Another reason I’m thankful for being an Entrepreneur: Giving me the ability to be the change I want to see in the world around me.”

I hope you also have lots to be thankful for today and in every day to follow. With clear eyes and full hearts, together, I believe we can achieve anything, and that optimism is just one of the many blessings I am counting today.

Back on September 6, ATTIK creative director Ron Lim and ten more of San Francisco’s greatest creative minds were invited by the editors of The San Francisco Egotist to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime gathering.

Over the course of the evening, they discussed all aspects of creativity. Thanks to the SF Egotist, you can be a fly on the wall throughout all 10 episodes, and take advantage of this rare opportunity to learn from some of the top minds in one of the world’s most creative cities.