Steve Kayser's Riffs, Tiffs and What Ifs » Featured

Are You Still Relevant?

Steve Kayser — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:41:48 +0000

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” - Alvin Toffler

I heard a couple of acquaintances talk about a person they work with that was "older" and no longer contributing to their business. This person apparently couldn't, or wouldn't, learn new skills. Or, for that matter, even keep up with the skill-set needed for the job. Age was mentioned, and not favorably. They thought this person should be "put out to pasture."

The Seven “New Rules” of Business Presentations I Wish I’d Been Taught in Kindergarten

Steve Kayser — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 13:28:27 +0000

Having seen hundreds of business presentations and given a stinky few myself, there are a few things I wish someone would have taught me in kindergarten. Seven things or “New Rules” of business presentations to be precise. I pass these on to anyone new to the dreaded gauntlet of the business presentation or any grizzled veterans who want to walk on the wild side and shake things up. Avoid lying-flying "Stink-o-potamus" presentation status. Use the principle of "Creative Limitation."

A Simple Timeless Tale: Lessons Learned from Legendary Hollywood STORY Guru Robert McKee

Steve Kayser — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:19:25 +0000

I interviewed Robert McKee, the best-selling author of “STORY” and legendary guru of Hollywood storytelling, several years ago. The premise of the interview was simple - can the principles of his classic book "STORY" be used in the complex sales process?

Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead

Steve Kayser — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:28:52 +0000

Did the Grateful Dead lift their iconic name from another band? Forensic investigation reveals ...

The Explosive New Reality Show … Content

Steve Kayser — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:31:46 +0000

How to connect through the chaotic cacophony and conflagration of content?

Who Were These Americans?

Steve Kayser — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:25:22 +0000

THEY WERE THE LOVED AND LOST Fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, wives, husbands, cousins, nephews, nieces, all. NOT BY ACCIDENT They passed on not by accident, not by bodily deterioration brought on by the mean ravages of time, but because they had a special job.

Turning it Around

Steve Kayser — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:11:32 +0000

"I'm a Loser. I'm a Looo-ser. But I'm not what I appear to be." - John Lennon. Times are tough. If you've lost your job, your house, or your hope for a better future it's enough to make you feel like a loser. Make you feel completely alone. How to turn it around?

The Big Presentation

Steve Kayser — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:20:57 +0000

A "Big Presentation" always has to address the two elephants in the room. Change and commitment. All the bold, creative thinking in the world won't get you to a successful future without the courage to change—and commit to that change.

Featured Interview: Titanic, Forrest Gump, Roger Rabbit, Twister, Now …

Steve Kayser — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:04:39 +0000

Who is this guy? He worked on framing “Roger Rabbit,” helped sink the “Titanic,” summoned the tornadoes in “Twister” and … put the visual chill in “Polar Express.” Also, along the way he’s worked on some of the highest revenue-producing movies in history, including; “Deep Impact,” “Back to the Future parts II and III,” “The Mummy,” “K-19: The Widowmaker.” and “Forest Gump, ” among many others.

Goldilocks and the Cosmic B2B Complex Sale

Steve Kayser — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:50:43 +0000

To win at the complex sale, one must be a storyteller, master strategist, philosopher, psychologist and have an innate understanding of the B2B Goldilocks Universe ...

Warm Summer Sun … Shine Kindly Here

Steve Kayser — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:39:47 +0000

In 100 years from now … when green sod lies above, when there is no one left to mourn for you, will something you have said or done, be ...

For the Fallen … We Will Remember You

Steve Kayser — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:12:58 +0000

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."

Logan’s Lament – Who is There to Mourn?

Steve Kayser — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:27:30 +0000

Who is there to mourn for Logan? No one. Not one.

Tecumseh – Like a Hero Going Home

Steve Kayser — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:02:34 +0000

“He is one of those uncommon geniuses which spring up occasionally to produce revolutions, and overturn the established order of things. If it were not for the vicinity of the United States, he would, perhaps, be the founder of an empire that would rival in glory Mexico or Peru.

New Year’s Resolution Dissolution – When Good Intentions Go Bad

Steve Kayser — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:11:20 +0000

Featuring an interview with Lynne McTaggart, author of “The Intention Experiment,” the first book to invite readers to take an active part in original research and featured in Dan Brown’s new book – “The Lost Symbol.”

An Inconvenient Genius

Steve Kayser — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:20:17 +0000

The Timeless Legacy of an Untimely Man How often has one person affected humanity to such a degree that were the fruits of his labor withdrawn immediately from our day-to-day existence, the world as we know it … would essentially stop? A True Story This story is about one such real-life person. And, we will [...]

How to Create a World Wide Rave … or NOT

Steve Kayser — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:34:52 +0000

How do you get your ideas, stories, products or services to spread like wildfire over the web by millions of people? Are the huge success stories you hear about the viral power of the web just flukes - or can anyone do it? Read on to learn the six rules of a “WORLD WIDE RAVE,” the newest book by David Meerman Scott, number-one bestselling author of “The New Rules of Marketing and PR.” The first 50 people to correctly answer the simple, yet existential question at the end of this article will win a copy of the WORLD WIDE RAVE.

Overcoming Resistance: One Tribe at a Time

Steve Kayser — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

For those of you that are, at this very moment, being slowed by Resistance, taunted by Resistance, need inspiration to fight Resistance, aspire one day to defeat the evil beast of Resistance, meet a very special person …

A REAL Business REALITY CHECK with Bestselling Author Guy Kawasaki

Steve Kayser — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:37:18 +0000

What do a billionaire shoeshiner, Bo Diddley, bad PowerPoint, worse e-mail, sabertooth tigers, the Dalia Lama, Starbucks, Donkey O’Tee, a miraculous feline resurrection, bloggers with nothing to say, why Twitter is wrong, and the only real-world reference guide to entrepreneurship and business you'll ever need have in common? Read on to find out. The first 25 people to respond to me by e-mail with the super-secret codeword (hidden and embedded in the story) will EARN (win) a copy of "REALITY CHECK" by Guy Kawasaki.

The End of Marketing and PR?

Steve Kayser — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:35:54 +0000

It's not PR. It's not Marketing. It's the evolution of business communications. It's a revolution in business communications. And it's ...

Accidental Creative Problem-Solving … on Purpose?

Steve Kayser — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:30:00 +0000

I was working on a story titled “All-Time-Worst Pitch … Made Me Rich,” when I ran into a perplexing problem. A total roadblock. How to simplify a complex story – one that involved quantum physics, cancer, depression, hope against all odds and the ephemeral topic of “miracles?” The story was about a terminally ill cancer [...]