http://ja-nae.net/blog Adventures In: Experimentation, Imagination & Sophistication Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:43:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 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 Google. Check out TechnoBomb’s [...]]]> 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 had current or [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/7-ways-to-help-women-in-technology/feed 4 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 [...]]]> 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 business owner needs an arsenal of tools [...]]]> 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 short animated stories, worked in tangent [...]]]> 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 [...]]]> 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 the offer were [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-start-a-million-dollar-business/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-recognize-opportunity http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-recognize-opportunity#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 14:20:42 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4018 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 [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/how-to-recognize-opportunity/feed 0 http://ja-nae.net/blog/its-obvious http://ja-nae.net/blog/its-obvious#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 15:23:18 +0000 Ja-Naé Duane http://ja-nae.net/blog/?p=4008 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 [...]]]> http://ja-nae.net/blog/its-obvious/feed 0