Category Archives: Innovation

How to Recognize Opportunity

May 5, 2011 – 10:20 am
opportunity the freelancer janae lifestyle design

I have known Sam for years. But I also haven’t seen him in awhile, so getting together for a cup of coffee sounded great to me.
Sam is getting his MBA at a well-known institution in Cambridge (there are really only two choices, so I will let you decide which one you think he goes to). He was walking me through the curriculum when I asked, “What is the objective of most of these classes?” He looked at me like I had four heads and responded, “To solve problems, of course.” That’s when it occurred to me that this program (and many MBA programs) has it all wrong.
Life and in this case, business, isn’t about just solving problems. It is about recognizing opportunities. Those opportunities can come in many forms: some are where to present change and innovations. Some opportunities allow us to capitalize on a system that is currently working and integrate it into other areas or create derivatives of that model. That was why part of the Our Revolution team went on the road: to find the models that were working and share them with the world, so others could use them.
Not everything is broken. There are many things [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

It’s Obvious

May 4, 2011 – 11:23 am
it's obvious janae the freelancer lifestyle design

Jeff was looking for his glasses…again. This was the 3rd time this week. He had to find them and find them quickly because he was going to be late for a meeting. So, the search was on. He went through everything on his desk. He searched through his bags, tore up the living room, his bedroom and to no avail. “My jacket!” They must be in my jacket.” he scurried his way to the black jacket hanging there on the coat rack. He turned every pocket inside out. Jeff even shook the jacket.
Nothing.
After about forty-five minutes of searching, Jeff sulked down onto the couch furious with himself. As he glanced through the window, he caught something within the reflection. He saw a little glimmer from atop his head. He slowly reached up and realized that what he has been searching for had been with him the entire time.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation?
Most of the time, the answers we are looking for are right in front of us or within us. Keeping your eyes, ears and minds open to what is around you can help you find the resources you need or the solutions to your challenging [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

50+ Business and Leadership Quotes

April 26, 2011 – 9:35 am
business and leadership quotes janae the freelancer

Have you ever had the morning where two cups of coffee wasn’t even to get you going to tackle the day? The type of morning where your bed is so comfortable that you wonder why you ever leave it to do other things?
Yes, it is that type of morning.
We all need a little motivation from time to time. One way that always gets me going are quotes that I love. From Vince Lombardi to Lao Tzu, here are 50+ quotes to help kick start your day!
1. “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” -Lao Tzu
2. “Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character.” -Vince Lombardi
3. Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf
4. The golden rule for every business man is this: “Put yourself in [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Innovation 101: 13+ Ways to Spark Your Creativity

April 21, 2011 – 10:07 am
creativity janae how to be creative the freelancer

I was working on a rather mundane project last week when suddenly I was struck with a brilliant idea that stopped my work dead in its tracks.  I love it when this happens, even if it sidetracks the work at hand for a few hours.
But sparking your creativity is easier said than done.  It is usually a serendipitous phenomenon, but I believe there are a few techniques you can use to trigger that creative impulse.  Here are over 13 ways I get the creative juices flowing.
1.       Doodle.  You’ve heard of brainstorming and stream-of-consciousness writing to free your mind and unleash your creativity.  But even those activities are limited by conforming your boundless imagination to language.  Instead, just take out a blank piece of paper and a pen and doodle away.  Draw whatever comes to mind.  Just scribble anything and see what appears.
2.       Challenge Yourself.  People under pressure tend to surprise themselves.  Try giving yourself a deadline, say, coming up with 10 great ideas by the end of the week.  If your mind understands that there is a deadline to meet, it starts to work extra hard to ensure you meet it.
3.       Join with Fellow Creatives.  Creative people inspire each other.  [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Arts, Creativity, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Get Paid

April 13, 2011 – 8:50 am
starting a business the freelancer how to get paid janae

My buddy Luke is having trouble collecting from a client of his.  The client wants him to continue doing work, but has not paid him for the work he has already done.  As a freelancer, every single dollar means the world to him.  Like many small business owners, Luke has to feed his family at the end of the day.
Has this ever happened to you? Does it still. Well, you are absolutely not alone. Most of the entrepreneurs that I know deal with this in one form or another. Even me.
So, when you’re trying to do the right thing by your client and still keep yourself in business, where is the line drawn? What could you have done even before the work began?
Mike Monteiro doesn’t mess around when it comes to collecting payment.  In his Creative Mornings video, “F*ck You.  Pay Me” he shares some hilarious insight into his strategies for collective payment for creative service industries. Check it out:

2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.
Here are some familiar and irrational excuses he’s heard from clients. Do any of them sound familiar:
“We ended up not using the work”
“Really not what we wanted after all”
“We got [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Minimize Risk

April 11, 2011 – 10:06 am
starting a business minimize risk janae

This morning, I spoke to a group of women entrepreneurs over breakfast.  After the talk, one of them came up to me and asked how I assess risk. She disclosed that she had a few businesses and they have never really taken off the way she thought they would. She asked me what I would do if I was in her situation.
That’s easy for me to answer, because I’ve been in that situation many times!  There are a ton of ideas that I thought would be good project and ventures – and they just weren’t.  I’ve had ideas crash and burn just like everyone.  It’s all part of the process and it led and led to a lot of trial and error (and a loss of money).
Fortunately, I have learned from these experiences and developed a system for what businesses I start and how I invest in them.  And now you can benefit from my mistakes and experience by following my rules:
1. Less is More. When I am assessing a new product or service, I determine the value of the minimum product or service I can create to shop around.  How can I bundle the most minimal version and [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

How Obama Can Use Transmedia Storytelling in Marketing His Re-Election

April 6, 2011 – 3:22 pm
transmedia janae obama marketing social influencers

Organizing people around a common goal and empowering them to act is no easy feat. However, Obama’s presidential campaign was a fantastic example of how it could be done using technology and social platforms. It is why he is one of the example in my upcoming book, “How to Create a Revolution: A Step-by-Step Guide from History’s Social Influencers.” So, when Obama announced his campaign for re-election, it started my wheels on how he could do things differently-really create an empowered experience for his supporters through transmedia storytelling. In the video below, I give three suggestions. Take a look.

What storytelling ideas do you have for this re-election campaign, or any campaign for that matter? We would love to hear from you.
Related Posts:
Social Marketing, Metrics and the Relationships They’re Built On
Why I Started Our Revolution
How Leaders Can Be Great By Asking The Hard Questions

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Marketing, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Why I Started Our Revolution

March 4, 2011 – 7:36 am
revolution social good

After a ton of planning, volunteers spending countless hours, and a ton of blood, sweat and tears, it begins. Today, is the first day of Our Revolution Road Trip.
The number why question I get  is, “Why did you start such a thing?” Here’s a short video with the answer. Take a look:

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen: Topher, Anya, Ashley, Jeremy, Ron, Brandie, Geo, Stu,  Ken, Candace, Laurie, Andy, Russell, Jenni, John, Uncle Jerry and Wojtek
A big thanks to our Sponsors and Partners: GreenVans, SnapGoods, Jeff Pulver and the 140 Conference, Engage Marketing and Design, Sony, Leica,  KIND Snacks, Pop Chips, Tripping, 33 Needs, and Rockethub.
Come and join us in one of our 20+ cities this month. We’ll be waiting for you.
If you’re interested in other areas of this project, here is a brief overall of the project ahead.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Adventure, Creativity, Spirituality, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Revolution! Solutions: Your 5 Minute Spotlight

March 3, 2011 – 9:20 am
solution revolution

Revolution! Solutions Contest for March: Your 5 Minute Spotlight:
People talk about change. They talk about how restless they are, how conditions are intolerable, how something must be done. They stamp their feet and holler and let anger, resentment, and disillusion fill their heads. And when the pressure has been building long enough and enough people are riled up, there is rebellion, revolution, dissent. This is usually the end result of something that’s been long overdue. But then what? 
Most people don’t plan for the end. They get caught up in a wave of emotion or swept away in a tide of personal attachment. They know something must change, but they’ve no idea what to do if that change actually were to take place. They have nothing to fill the vacuum.
So what about you? Imagine, for this exercise, that you actually got five minutes – before the President, a legislative committee, the mayor, the town council, the board of trustees – to convince them of the importance and validity of your project. Is there something in your town that’s an injustice? Is there a crisis that the locals are dealing with that you wish you could escalate to someone in a position [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Adventure, Creativity, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

How to be an Effective Risk-Taker

March 1, 2011 – 9:03 am
how to be a risk taker

As you may already know, I am a strong advocate for innovation and believe it to be the backbone of any successful endeavor – whether it applies to your business or your own life.  However, innovation is – by definition – risky.  New ideas do not always turn out to be good ideas.  And now with the economy the way it is, tightening budgets kill innovation because no one can afford any risks.
Yet, without innovation, we end up stagnating – always playing it safe without ever advancing.  I’ve always looked for areas in my company or my life that could stand withstand a little risk in order to find better ways of doing things.  The trick is to manage your risks.  You can optimize innovation to gain great new ideas while minimizing the effects of bad new ideas by following these steps:

Evaluate Risk-Taking:  How often do you or the people in your employment take risks?  Take an honest look at your business by holding interviews, skip-level meetings, or anonymous surveys to gauge risk aversion.  You may realize you have created an environment where people feel anxious and hold back ideas.

Open a Dialogue:  Invite anyone into an open dialogue where they [...]

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