Happy Birthday Mickey! “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” – Walt Disney There’s a very special birthday this month (and no, it’s not yours truly). On November 18th, 2018, one of the world’s most iconic characters turns 90 years old. That character? The one and only Mickey Mouse! 90 years old! Mickey looks great for his age, wouldn’t you say? From a sketch of a mouse to a worldwide empire, The [...]
What's In A Name SuperCaliFragiListicExpiAliDocious. “Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious,” the power of this extraordinary word – and words in general – cannot be underestimated Take a minute to think about the power of words. In a world built on written and verbal communication, words are the lynchpin. Take for example: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." I don’t have to argue too hard that Neil Armstrong’s iconic phrase was significantly more impactful than: “Watch [...]
The future has finally caught up with Sears, who after 132 years in business, filed for bankruptcy this week. And while many are waxing poetic about the “good old days,” when their families could be found ordering everything from toys and tools to appliances and even houses from the iconic Sears Catalog, the fact remains: as a business, Sears was doomed. After years and years of ignoring the marketplace and failing to anticipate the changing needs of their customers, it was only a matter of time [...]
Who hasn’t stood in awe under a glittering night sky dripping with colour and pattern, and felt transported into a state of wonder and nostalgia? Fireworks resonate deeply with people around the world as they continue to draw crowds into the tens of thousands and are looked upon with both fondness and excitement by children and adults alike. It may come as a surprise, then, to learn that fireworks could be extinct in the next decade. This is a perfect example of an industry that [...]
It happens frequently after my Workshops or Keynotes on Innovation & Creativity that entrepreneurs will seek me out in search of tangible tips to guide them as they begin to navigate the often stormy seas of entrepreneurship. I am always happy to support in any way that I can, and as such I make my top eight tips for today’s entrepreneurs available to everyone, and in no particular order: #1. Do what you love - invariably your passion will translate to excellence in your [...]
Earlier this week I was humbled to share the stage at a conference on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) alongside both Sir Tim Berners Lee, the man who gave us the web, and Sophia, the artificial intelligence robot designed by David Hanson. As Sophia was about to commence her talk, the sense of anticipation and excitement among the audience was absolutely electric... palpable even, as people were vying for selfies and close up views of her. However, as Sophia was finishing her talk, the atmosphere had changed [...]
The countdown is on to September 4th where I'll be presenting on Artifical Intelligence, The New Reality of Business. My co-presenters include Sir Tim Burners-Lee (Inventor of the Internet) and Dr. David Hanson, who brings with him Sophia the Robot. This will be my second meeting with Sophia but I can relate to being nervous to meet her, just like Jimmy Fallon was in this episode on robots. "You can tell how awkward I am on a first date!" said Fallon. While Sophia is an [...]
Have you ever pitched an idea you were passionate about, only to have it shot down without an iota of consideration? Are you walking into pitching sessions expecting to hear “no because” / “we tried that last year” / “it’s not a strategic brand fit” or perhaps the most dreaded… “hmmmm that’s interesting” (possibly punctuated by an eye roll)? The reality is that great ideas are squashed regularly - either in their infancy or in less tangible terms of being a potential catalyst for an [...]
How To Open The Door To Your Creative Genius How many of us are encouraged to be playful at work? For most, the answer is a definitive NEVER! Yet, by invoking the power of play at the right time you put your brain into it’s best state for having those big, incredible ideas. Let me ask you to consider - where are you and what are you doing most often when you come up with your best ideas? The most common response to that question [...]
Crowd "Saucing" - The Secret Ingredient for Innovation Begin with the average boardroom of any major company in corporate America, and you’ll likely find a group of very like minded individuals, despite their genuine attempts at diversity. ‘Group think’ is one of the biggest threats to innovation, and yet these same minded groups are wondering why they struggle to innovate. Add Mums, who are estimated to account for ~ 80% of the household spend on everything from vacations to clothing, and domestic appliances to technology. [...]
