Weekly Challenge 10/13/14: Paul Hebert, Why do we fail?

Fall

Quote:  “Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.”-  Alfred Pennyworth

Challenge: Everyone is going to fail sometime at something, the key is getting back into the saddle and continue to ride on!  How do we we gain this resilience? First make connections, just as Bruce Wayne had Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman mythos, we need individuals and groups who can listen and give us those small words that hold us up and keep us going when the times get tough!  You maybe already tough, but if you need a helping hand connect with a group or motivated individuals to help you build your dreams.

Napkin Doodle and Quote inspiration from Beer and Napkin Board of Advisor Paul Hebert

Paul is widely considered an expert on motivation and incentives and has been interviewed by the BBC, quoted in USATODAY, published in Loyalty360 magazine, published whitepapers and articles for HRM Magazine, is a contributing author on the Fistful of Talent blog, founding member of the editorial advisory team at HRExaminer.com, writes at his own company’s blog and is the Social Media Editor for the Enterprise Engagement Alliance.

Paul’s Digital Footprint:

 

 

 

Weekly Challenge 6/8/14: Bobby Rettew: Get your Story in the “Zone”

Quote: “TheA little brainstorming zone is the place where the author meets the audience, and they dance to this merry little song where you can recite the words just the way the writer meant for you to sing. That moment at a concert where the singer on the stage pauses during a common part of the song and the audience sings without skipping a beat…you know the zone.” -Bobby Rettew

Challenge:  To get your idea in the zone so others will listen, consider three key elements to your story, your purpose, your audience, and your delivery.

Bobby Rettew is the “Chief Storyteller” for Gray Digital Group, based in San Antonio, Texas. Bobby works with groups all over the country and is based in South Carolina where he calls home. (btw…bobby loves writing about himself in third person…not!)

Bobby is a multimedia producer known for his creative talents, interpersonal communication skills, and new media experience. His background includes corporate marketing communications, PR, social media, new media, television news and expertise in producing compelling visual stories on all digital platforms.

Bobby works with hospitals, higher education institutions, healthcare advocacy groups and small businesses to identify compelling messages and communicate these messages at the right place and the right time. His background in multimedia development, video production, web delivery, and email marketing are the many tools Bobby uses to help build communities around a message.

Bobby has won 6 Emmy’s for his creative work at KPHO-TV and WCNC-TV. He has also been awarded the International Best of Show for Online Communication by the Society of Technical Communication.

Bobby also serves as an Adjunct Instructor at the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University and Clemson’s MBA Program. He also serves as Visiting Adjunct Instructor in the Advanced Writing Program in Clemson University’s in the Department of English.

Bobby was educated at Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1997 and a Master of Arts in Professional Communications in 2003. His graduate work specialized in audience analysis and user-centered design. He has been trained by the Poynter Institute in Storytelling and Visual Communication and by the National Press Photographers Association in Visual Storytelling.

You can reach and learn more about Bobby at  www.graydigitalgroup.com

 

Weekly Challenge: June 2, 2014: Stay Hungry and Humble

Challenge_2014-06-02

“Don’t be cocky or flashy there’s always someone better than you” -Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos.com

Challenge: Stay hungry and humble; disruption is always around the corner

Just because things are working for you now doesn’t mean they will in the future. Keep learning, growing, and have that ear to the ground. Mastery of a skill is extremely important in stabilizing your process for quality products and services. However, changes in the competitive landscape and how others are learning new ways to do things less expensive, better, faster, or in a more novel ways can quickly obsolete a business model, product, or service. This can be especially disheartening if caught by surprise due to not  being tuned into your environment.  Continue to perfect your course of action, but always be on the guard for those dynamic shifts.

 

 

 

 

Weekly Challenge May 19th, James Thomas, Unplug and Get Active

JT-beer-and-napkin-2 In celebration of National Bike Month  our challenge comes from industrial designer James Thomas.  Studies show that even a moderate amount of activity can increase creativity for hours. Get on your bike and ride! Challenge: Break up your daily routine with a bike ride, run, or walk. Be open to inspiration along the way allow the creative energy to shape your work for the rest of your day. James Thomas, an industrial designer with an interest in cycling, photography, architecture, lighting, active transportation, sustainability, and art & design in general. You will find content about all of those topics and more here. If bicycles are your main interest, check out my old blog at BicycleDesign.net. That one is no longer updated, but there are 8 years worth of archives that are worth exploring. You can follow James here JCTdesign.net and Twitter/JCTdesign