Inc Magazine Names Mobile App Design One of

“The Best Industries for Starting a Business”

“Sure, iPhones have been around for a while. But with the advent of the iPad, explosive sales of Android phones and an ever-expanding market for mobile apps that work on any Web-enabled phone, there is plenty of fresh territory for programmers, developers, and designers. One tip: Keep location in mind. Venture capitalists and industry experts alike expect the location-aware economy to grow at the rate social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have over recent years. In the past three years, companies that make location-based apps alone have received $656 million in 67 deals, according to Dow Jones VentureSource.”

http://www.inc.com/ss/best-industries-starting-business-right-now#3

Do You Have What It Takes?

As CEO, I spend most of my days and many sleepless nights managing a variety of very different public profiles – spanning big industry, small business, and individual professionals.

However, as CEO, the job doesn’t stop there.  Quality leadership skills are also required under your own snazzy logo to ensure that the flow of  kinetic energy keeping your office running doesn’t become stagnant.

Unfortunately, this is no easy task and can sometimes leave even the best leaders feeling discouraged.

Since I’m in the business of publicity, I subscribe to numerous media outlets, blogs, daily news alerts, RSS feeds, you name it – I probably get it. One of the latest blogs that I read by the managing principal of The Advisory Alliance -  a company specializing in effective leadership selection, leadership and management development, and succession planning to Fortune 500 and mid-market companies – struck a small chord within, leaving me encouraged, yet questioning – a great combination in my book!

Real Leadership Development:
You Know It’s Not Easy; It’s a Struggle.

“In light of what we’ve all been through these past few years, struggling is almost a badge of honor, because if you’re struggling, that means you’re still in the game, still have the courage to find a successful way forward.  Being a leader or manager is tough enough these days without having to do it all on your own.  Whom do you have in your corner who will help you become the leader or manager you want to be?”

This is an email I received from a friend that I found very interesting.  Sometimes we could all use a little reminder about how the real world works.

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

If you can read this -Thank a teacher!
If you can read this in English - thank a soldier!!!

Going Lean- A Cultural Shift That Adds Value to Your PR Efforts

By Mike Green- The Strategist- Winter 2010

Spending time and money wisely are important concepts to live by.  In Greece’s article, he expresses the importance of using cost-effective methods in PR.

Some of the ideas included:

Conduct monthly meetings to implement improvements in process, use of time, products, and services.

Investigate techniques that will enhance measurability and quality.

Reward the best ideas and celebrate success.

Set up a war room (online or offline) so that employees can see deadlines, upcoming events, and work status- visuals.

Keep all relevant files in a central portal, such as client and account information – this will save a lot of time for employees.

By becoming more efficient, we can save ourselves time and money – and that is a must!

If you are familiar with Apple, you are probably aware of their newest product, the iPad. Personally, I am a very big fan of Apple products.  As an iPhone addict, MacBook Pro dummy, and iPad lover from afar (I bought my mother the new iPad) – I am hooked.

I recently read an article about the iPad in Entrepreneur Magazine May 2010.

Here’s what a couple of critics had to say about the new Apple technology:

Edwina Owens Elliott, via Facebook –“Perhaps using it as a portfolio, to show potential clients images of your work.  Smaller and easier to manipulate than a laptop.”

Focalpointaz, via Twitter– “I own a media business and think the iPad is a sexy way for me to show clients content.  It needs Flash, though.”

My thoughts: Interested. Definitely interested! However, I’m waiting to see what my mom thinks first.

Lessons in Leadership- and Life: A PR Leader’s Words of Wisdom

By Ed Menninger- Tactics- April 2010

So what does in take to be a leader in the PR industry?  Great people skills?  High-profile clients?  Well, yes, those attributes definitely help, but do not make a successful PR professional.  Ed Menninger, a publicist and fellow PRSA leader describes what be believes to be the most important lessons he has learned over his 20 years in the communications industry.

Lesson 1: Context always trumps content. The context of the the firm and the professional must be positive. Potential and current clients want to work with people they feel comfortable around.  As Menninger puts it, “Would we want to journey around the globe with these people?”

Lesson 2: Give them what they ask for.  Build trust.  Then give them what they need.

Well said. I most certainly agree.                                                                                                                                                                       JAP

Five Things Great CEOs Do

The Strategist- Winter 2010

Bill Gates' Aquarium

There are three letters in the business world that hold a lot of value: CEO.

In a recent article in The Strategist, CEO’s such as Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Pierre Omidyar (eBay), and Michael Dell (Dell) -  were all interviewed to determine what it takes to get to the top.

Here’s what they had to say in a nutshell:

1.  Question: Ask the hard questions that challenge everyday assumptions. Ask “why not” and “what if.” This increases creative thinking.

2.  Observe: A great question to use when observing is, “what’s different?”  Watch how customers use products in a natural environment and how the results are perhaps different from what you expected.

3.  Experiment: Delve into the unfamiliar.  Examine a product or service just to see how it works.

4.  Network: Connect with people to simply test new ideas.  See how different people come up with unique ideas (think Type A /Type B) – this might inspire your right-brain a little.

5.  Associating: New knowledge =  the combination of questioning, observing, experimenting, and networking.  This is how innovation and execution successfully work together.

Simple.

Recruit and Retain the Best Talent- Why Companies Should Encourage Personal Brands

By Ed Schipul- The Strategist- Winter 2010

In an article I recently read, I was reminded how important PR really is and why I love my job.  Corporate branding is now passé and personal branding is in!  Working in public relations, we are often helping businesses establish and increase brand recognition.  The real fact of the matter is that branding is now reliant upon individuals rather than only corporations.  Especially with social media today, it is important for employees to stand out and represent their company and themselves in a positive light.

Here are a few of my favorite points:

Promote the employees on the company website.  Many times the company website will feature information about the employees.  By using their social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook, the organization automatically becomes more personable.  ”Helping employees build their brands makes them feel valued and highlights the unique thinking and experiences that your organization can deliver,” writes Schipul.

Keep them in the loop.  It is just as important for the employees of your organization to be in the loop as it is for the clients.  The employees are more likely to be involved and singing good praises about the company when they are in the know.

Group participation is key. Everyone should be targeted when making a personal brand, not just the best communicators.  Since social media is fairly new, there is a large group of society that is not completely comfortable using it. Everyone in the group has a passion so teach one another how to use Twitter, Facebook, and blog sites so that they can become familiar and share content and build a personal brand.  The key is to collaborate!

Implement the best practices. It is best for you and your company to listen to what your publics are saying and what they are most passionate about.  Create your brand and publish your story through the best media channels.  Express yourself through words, images, video and sound-  the possibilities are ENDLESS!

Remember:  Each individual employee is an asset to the corporation and they should be treated as such!  At the end of the day you are more likely to leave your employees with good things to say and a more personable company.