http://ja-nae.net/blog Adventures In: Experimentation, Imagination & Sophistication Tue, 15 May 2012 17:22:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://ja-nae.net/blog/3-life-lessons-from-the-boston-marathon http://ja-nae.net/blog/3-life-lessons-from-the-boston-marathon#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:14:03 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=5157 Between revolutionary reenactments and the marathon, Boston is all abuzz today. I know several people that are running today and they have been training for several months just for this day. With all that goes into running a marathon, here are three life lessons we could all learn from today’s runners: Find Your Stride and Quickly: When beginning a race, it is very easy to start off so fast that you cannot keep up the pace. Throughout training, a runner explores where to find his or her stride. Finding your stride is not an easy thing. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that sweet spot where you can keep momentum and continue to thrive. However, you won’t know until you experiment. Find your stride and keep it. There is no need to rush. Consistency is the key in any aspect of life, professional or personal. Overcoming “The Wall”: During a race, all runners will hit “the wall.” It could happen at mile 17 or 21, but it does happen. Well, the same goes for those times when you hit the proverbial “wall” within life. What happens when it does?  Do you give up, even though you have come so far? No. [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/3-life-lessons-from-the-boston-marathon/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/game-changer-transmedia-storytelling-for-the-little-guy http://ja-nae.net/blog/game-changer-transmedia-storytelling-for-the-little-guy#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:52:36 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=5152 Game Changers. They come in all shapes and sizes. Today on my Game Changer segment on The Pulse Network, I dug into the definition of transmedia and how brands are using it today. Check it out: But there is a major misconception when it comes to transmedia storytelling. Many believe that you have to be associated with a film or a large brand. That just isn’t the case. You can be a small business, an entrepreneur, a group, non-profit, volunteer organization…you name it. And for you “little guys” out there, here are three ways to get started: What is Your Story: Before you can do anything, you must decide what your story is about. What is the journey? What obstacle(s) do your “characters” face and how do they overcome them? Pick 3 Entry Points: Once you have your story in place, pick three entry points for into your story. These entries points can be a segment of time, a sub storyline that compliments the world you’re trying to create, or the introduction of a supplementary character. Pick 3 Channels: For each entry point, use a different channel to tell the story. Maybe a piece of the story is told through video, where [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/game-changer-transmedia-storytelling-for-the-little-guy/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-technology-can-help-you http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-technology-can-help-you#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:38:27 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4667 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-technology-can-help-you/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:55:21 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4474 Recently, I have been asked by my clients on how they can use Google Plus for their businesses while waiting for the business pages to be opened to the public. Here is my post for Overdrive Interactive giving my thoughts: In just one month Google+ has continued its exponential growth reaching 20 million users last week. A few days ago, Google removed several business accounts from Google plus (such as Ford and Sesame Street), but left other brands such as Mashable (because it transferred the brand to a person – Pete Cashmore) to play in beta. Though there has been an announcement that Google+ will be open to the public shortly, many businesses are wondering when they can create their own proper business page. Let’s explore the importance of preparing your brand for that eventuality and some things you can do in the mean time to prepare. The Importance of Google+ for Brands So why should your brand really care about being on another social platform anyway?  Is this just another channel for engagement? Well, if you care about your company’s online reputation and its search ranking, consider these things: Google Plus VS. Facebook Facebook faces a major challenge from [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-use-google-plus-for-business/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:04:25 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4424 This weekend, I came across two articles that made me step back for a moment. The first was the Wall Street Journal’s blog post, “Addressing The Lack of Women Leading Tech Start-ups.” In the post, WSJ tries to address the question of “Where are all the women in tech?” They mention that there is no shortage of opinions about the issue but the core of the article isn’t really being addressed. It must be noted overall that equality has come a long way even in the short time that I have been in the professional world. Where the disparity seems to be is why there are so few women in the technology industry. The next article I came across was a TechCrunch response by Michael Arrington entitled, “ Too Few Women In Tech? Stop Blaming The Men.” In the article, Arrington tries to sympathize with the issue but is fed up with the blame game. Can you blame him? I don’t. Below is an infograph compiled by Socialcast.com that looks at a number of dimensions in the technology industry comparing male vs female ratios. A few key insights: According to Dow Jones VentureSource, 11% of U.S. firms with venture-capital backing in 2009 [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology/feed 6 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-breed-a-team-of-innovators-2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-breed-a-team-of-innovators-2#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:01:18 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4413 It’s been several months since the Our Revolution road trip, but the experience has stayed with me and often finds its way into my conversations with others. Although Our Revolution is about promoting social change with revolutionary ideas and actions to change perceptions in lives in communities, my friend Lucas asked me an intriguing question – “How did the experience change you?” I have to say that in retrospect, one of the most important takeaways I have from the road trip was an improved technique for coming up with innovative solutions. The technique is similar to what Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, says, “We run the company by questions, not answers.” Innovation does not spring up out of nowhere. Innovative solutions and answers come first by asking the right questions.  The Our Revolution road trip was full of questions that needed answers. How can we improve a situation? And when you ask a question, it stimulates conversation. It is out of these conversations that come innovation. To stimulate innovation within your team, you need to create a culture of questioning. Here’s how: 1. Set an Example – The behavior of team members always gravitates to the behavior of their leaders. [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-breed-a-team-of-innovators-2/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-freelance http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-freelance#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:44:54 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4389 “If I had seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” -Issac Newton I’ve been down in D.C. for the week and have met a ton of interesting people, many of which are freelancers who are trying to build their businesses. Each of them wanted to know how what secrets I had for them. I have no secrets (expect be prepare to work your butt off and love it), but I can share what I have learned. Here are some items on How to Freelance: I. Fuel : Why Drinking Coffee is Great for You Before you begin, make sure you are energize and ready to take on the world.  Here is a few reasons why coffee is a great way to start you day and get you ready to build your business. To read the article, click here. II.  The Idea: How to Start a Million Dollar Business Every business, even a freelance one starts with an idea. Here are a few ways to find that idea and start a million dollar business. To read the article, click here. III. Freelancer Toolkit: 201+ Amazing Tools and Resources for the Freelancer Every freelancer and small [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-freelance/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/why-transmedia-storytelling-is-important-to-your-brand http://ja-nae.net/blog/why-transmedia-storytelling-is-important-to-your-brand#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:33:12 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4302 The following post is an article for Sparksheet, on brands and transmedia. Below is the extended version of the article. What is it about a great story that stays with us? In its simplest form, storytelling is an act of cultural preservation – from drawing on a cave wall to commenting on a friend’s Facebook status, the process of sharing information between two people is an innate part of being human. But in an age where the distribution and sharing of stories across multiple channels is increasingly accessible (and people’s attention spans even more divided as a result), how do organizations get their stories out to an increasingly fragmented audience? Enter Transmedia. A Transmedia refresher Transmedia storytelling, as explained by JWTIntelligence, “involves narrative threads tailored for different channels (from mobile to big screens, from social to traditional media) and audiences (gamers, readers, Tweeters, etc.)…For brand marketers, this means that rather than striving for consistency across multiple touchpoints, the goal is for different channels to communicate different things (within the overarching strategy), with an emphasis on putting the brand community at the center.” A popular example would be the companion media to 2003’s Matrix Reloaded. The Animatrix, an original series of [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/why-transmedia-storytelling-is-important-to-your-brand/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-be-curious http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-be-curious#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 15:07:03 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4060 Do you shy away from the unknown or do you welcome the unexpected? Ever since I was a little girl I have thrived on curiosity and questioning things. However, many colleagues I know in business stick like glue to the familiar. They rely on the routine things that have served them in well in the past, and avoid anything new and different. This attitude can maintain stability, but if you’re not curious you are doomed to the same experiences without ever growing in business or in life. This article by Donald Latumahina at Lifehack tells of the virtues of curiosity.  Curiosity gives you a fresh perspective, allowing you to discover fresh ideas. Being curious makes you more observant and opens up new worlds and possibilities you wouldn’t otherwise consider while also adding the spice of variety to your life. Some of my best ideas for projects, as well as some of my best adventures, have come from stepping outside of my comfort zone and following my curious nature. For these reasons, curiosity should be a quality you cultivate. So here are some things you can do to be more curious in your life: Do Not Ignore the Mundane.  We all [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-be-curious/feed 2 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-a-million-dollar-business http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-a-million-dollar-business#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 13:23:56 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4062 Yesterday I spoke at Spark and Hustle, on “No Money, No Excuse.” I love when I can share with people tips and resources that are in “How to Start Your Business with $100” and even my personal story. For example, I was on a Skype call yesterday while one of my coaching clients. He knows that I advise companies on open innovation and sustainability, but he wanted to know the million dollar question: How can a person start a million dollar business? At least he got right to the point!  But this is a good question that I encourage people to ask bluntly.  While creating a million dollar business is not easy, I believe starting a million dollar business is easier than most people think.  If you just have a great idea and a willingness to start, then you’re further along than most potential millionaires will ever get.  So, here are some of my best tips for anyone who is ready and willing to start a million dollar business: Actually Make an Attempt.  Groupon.com was started by a guy in his basement a couple years ago.  Recently, Google offered to buy the company for billions of dollars.  Many reactions to [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-a-million-dollar-business/feed 0