Successful kickstart for MIND ZONE

Last November, I received a request from my friend Christopher Cowen, who is VP of original programming for Herzog & Company, asking me to consider taking-part in a Kickstarter for his latest documentary film project. He wrote:

“The film is called MIND ZONE: THERAPISTS BEHIND THE FRONT LINES and it’s the story of the U.S. Army Combat Stress Control Units that are going behind enemy lines and trying to help soldiers deal with life in a forward position, and the horrors of war which they attempt to cope with on a daily basis. Some supporters believe these therapists might help ebb the effects of PTSD, and some critics believe we are weakening soldiers’ fortitude and putting them even more in harm’s way.”

As you can see if you look here, the film was able to meet its fundraising objectives through Kickstarter. Congratulations to Christopher, producer, director and clinical psychologist Jan Haaken, and everyone involved, and “break a leg” in moving forward on this important project you can also check out at www.mindzonemovie.com.

Style Frames Buenos Aires May 2012

Join Stash Media principals and a stellar group of design, advertising and media professionals at STYLE FRAMES, a new series of design conferences dedicated to the art of the pitch. The first event will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 10 and 11. EARLY BIRD tickets are now available.

Presented by Stash Media and produced by FITC, STYLE FRAMES will showcase outstanding pitch art and the talent behind it, while demystifying the pitch process, Read more

Stepping on stage

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. Read more

2012 ReCourses New Business Summit

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, Read more

Sharing Secrets: Public Relations Expertise

The publishers of Brand Republic, the UK’s leading online destination for people working in the advertising, marketing, media and communications industries, offer an editorial on their website entitled “What’s the secret of a long ‘marriage’?” In that, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO chief executive Farah Ramzan Golant offers these wise words: “The key to long-term client relationships is constant reinvigoration…. You should constantly be looking at how you can do things differently, keep freshening the account teams and stay ahead of the game.” As a PR practitioner providing ongoing, dedicated counsel to a small roster of clients, I firmly believe in these vows, and back in December, I participated in an enlightening webinar hosted by Vocus and presented by PR industry thoughtleader Deirdre Breakenridge, who is the author of “PR 2.0” and “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations.” Entitled “Eight Techniques of the New PR Champion,” the knowledge and insights Deirdre shared really blew me away. Read more

CES 2012 Spotlight

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. Read more

Primer for the new year

For me personally, this is the time of year when business takes center stage after many weeks of relative inaction. In my experience, strategic focus is essential at this moment in order to maximize the best opportunities while also understanding all the real imperatives of success and ensuring they are given top priority today and tomorrow.

Fortunately, I have many wise, experienced friends and counselors who have provided a virtual MBA of priceless information, motivation and inspiration over the past few weeks for free. Here are six links I feel are very likely to help your upcoming actions soar in the right directions. Some lead to articles, some to eBooks; each is highly recommended. Read more