It starts with a phone call. The one moment in life that every parent dreads. A nightmare every parent prays will never happen. A mad rush to the hospital. An anxious eternity. You finally arrive and burst through the doors. A doctor comes out, maybe two. Their faces tell you what you don’t want to know.
To win at business or life, adversity has to be encountered, faced, fought and defeated. There is no other way. No options. You either beat it, or it beats you. Win, or you lose. Simple. Right?
No. Never. It’s never black and white. Never win or lose. Something always bleeds over. Always. Sometimes good – sometimes bad. Sometimes funny – sometimes sad. Most times a little of both. This is one such story.
A step ahead. A step behind. A blink of the eye at the wrong time. And … it’s over. A memory bouquet to the loved and lost who faced the unfathomable unknowable on the way to their Last Post in 2008.
What do you get when you mix Nikola Tesla, quantum physics, Paul Dirac, Marc Seifer Ph.D., author of the Tesla biography, Tim Eaton, the visual effects editor of Forrest Gump, Twister, Roger Rabbit (and others) with questions from Tim O’Reilly, the founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media via Twitter? A fascinating look at how social network sites like Twitter could act as a new “collective conscious” for business or life. Oh … did I mention a surprise visitor, Dr. Michio Kaku?
Featuring an interview with Dr. David Abshire, President of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and author of “Saving the Reagan Presidency.”
The story and interview that follows is not about avoiding a scandal or crisis, but how one American President through strength of character dealt with a situation that threatened his presidency, his reputation, his place in history and … America’s credibility.
Mark Miller, legendary writer, actor, producer and director, used a social media news release to announce a newly available, digitally remastered DVD of his classic movie, “Christmas Mountain: The Story of a Cowboy Angel,” was created from an original 16MM master film that had been lost for nearly twenty years. So what? Well Mark is 83 years old. So — it’s the world’s 1st social media news release by an Octogenarian!
Robert McKee, the best-selling author of “STORY” and legendary guru of Hollywood storytelling, explains in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand interview, how STORY principles can be used in business presentations. Learn from the man that wrote the book on story (literally) – how to stun, dazzle and leave your audience craving for more.
But what does “Love” have to do with it?
What’s the “Perfect Customer Experience?” When your service and product deliver such a 1-2 knockout punch that your customers become your biggest fans and advocates – and your business soars. Here’s how a company named Animoto turns their customers into Fanimotos … along with seven real-world Animoto examples you can check out.
Writing for a living is a tough job – depending on your perspective. This was used in a presentation for some business writers. They hated it. Some loved it. All disliked me for bringing it up. However … it’s a quick, empathetic, realistic road-map to how a writing masterpiece gets turned into a “disasterpiece.” And what to take from it?
Is there a new breed of entrepreneur rising? Building and leading companies large and small, foregoing revenue and geographical growth to focus on, of all things, being the best at what they do?
Is there really an emerging breed of entrepreneurs that don’t plan to build, or want to build the next Microsoft or Google, then “take the money and run”?
This is a response to the “I’m not an American” blog post by Robert Scoble, a “tech-geek blogger” and Managing Director at Fast Company.TV. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Everyone has the right to express that opinion under the auspices of free speech protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. It’s [...]
Donkey O’Tee and Me I have a writing partner. Better than me. Smarter. Cuter. Real scene-stealer. And he’s an ass. A real bad burro. His name is Donkey O’Tee. People ask about him all the time. I get tired of hearing … “How’s your ass?” So, I put together this puerile, solipsistic donkey montage. It [...]
I’m asked a lot about the Kilt I wear. Do I really wear one? If so, why? And why don’t I shave my legs? Good questions, all. To be completely honest I started wearing the kilt after I lost a bet. One I was sure I would win. In fact, I stacked the odds so [...]
Dare You Try to Solve … Decipher the Da Donkey Code and win a “Shoot the Donkey” ball cap! High-Fashion Object of Desire That’s right, you’ll be on the cutting-edge of the elite fashion vanguard, considered the eclectic gravitas of chic, the future rage of out-of-vogue, and … you’ll be able to proudly, pompously, March [...]
After wrapping up an article titled “Saints, Scumbags, Storytellers … and Business,” with Dr. Elliot McGucken, I was about to finish with the typical “About the Author” section. Any “About” section is usually fluff and puffery. Full of taradiddle twittle twattle. Whether it’s for a company or person. Rarely memorable. Even more rarely read. Boring-Boring [...]
Latest “Shoot the Donkey” Coverage The Hollywood ReporterThe New York Times What Does “Shoot the Donkey” Mean? The term “Shoot the Donkey” refers to a classic scene in the movie “Patton” (based upon a true life event) where the Third Army gets critically held up in battle on a bridge, by a cart-pulling donkey that [...]
Hal Sherman is a friend of mine. Was a banker. Passion was always painting. So he quit banking. Started painting. Here’s an Animotorized version of his artwork, including paintings of Blue Jacket, Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone, Cornstalk, Moluntha, Simon Girty, William Henry … Harrison, Half King, William Crawford, Captain John Perry others. I uploaded the [...]
CONTINUED FROM: Social Media and Social-Media News Releases Are Absolutely Worthless! Noteworthy Note First:For an industry (PR) that’s supposedly full of a bunch of puerile, solipsistic, flack-spinning imbecilic hucksters trying to infect the world with corporate gobbledygook, the people I’ve dealt with in this industry, and especially the people mentioned below, are exceptional. Courteous, honest, [...]
This question came to me from an Expert Access reader. Question: We’re a medium-size American company with limited resources. Because of that, we have to be economically creative to get our news and information out. Been hearing a lot about a new type of press release that uses social media to share news and information. [...]
I visited a lot of social media newsrooms (SMN’s) for the “Social Media News Releases Are Absolutely Worthless” article. Below are examples of real newsrooms engaged in real business, and just not some theoretical treatises on the joys and efficacies of a social media newsroom concept. The companies spread out among different industries – a [...]
CONTINUED FROM: Social Media and Social-Media News Releases Are Absolutely Worthless! Social Media News Release Articles Brian Solis: The Definitive Guide to Social Media Releases Todd Defren: A Radical Suggestion for the Social Media Release Shannon Whitley: The Wire and the Web Geoff Livingston: Social Media Release Criticism: Nine Points to Consider Jeremiah Owyang: How [...]
CONTINUED FROM: Social Media News Releases Are Absolutely Worthless!There aren’t a lot of SMNR’s out there. Cost, complexity, risk, usefulness? Some of the more recent ones have multimedia and social sharing capabilities – but no comments section. Why, if you did the work, bore the costs of distributing a SMNR, would you not use the [...]
Confession. I’m a bad bad boring blogger. Any of you reading this blog irregularly already know that. I don’t blog consistently. Just not that prolific of a pontificating pontificator. I’m not that interesting. Don’t have the urge to blog daily “sweet nothings.” (Emphasis on nothing.) Only do it when I have something to say, or [...]
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.” ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon I Never Met Him But I knew him. Lived about 15 miles from [...]
Marketing. Advertising. Is there any more expensive way to throw away money with such arrogant disregard for common sense? Or, to do it with such condescending, confounding, disparate, and creative personalities? Is there any more effective way to get people to scratch their heads with befuddled looks and say, “What marketing bonehead thought up that [...]
What is this thing called the Complex Sale that makes seasoned salespeople tremble at the mere mention? That causes two-to-three-year sales pipeline nightmares? What could it possibly have to do with a donkey and Hollywood? The Complex Sale typically refers to a high-value purchase ($100,000 and up) involving a Buyer’s Committee, consisting of anywhere from [...]
My Darling, Is That Manure Stick You Have on?
Marketing. Advertising. Is there any more expensive way to throw away money with such arrogant disregard for common sense? Or, to do it with such condescending, confounding, disparate, and creative personalities? Is there any more effective way to get people to scratch their heads with befuddled looks and say, “What marketing bonehead thought up that commercial?”