When I misbehaved as a young lad, my mother was the one who almost always reprimanded me. After lecturing me on the rights and wrongs, she’d ask, “Did you do that on purpose, son?” and then hand out the punishment. My actions were almost…
One of first things Stephanie Burns said to me when I interviewed her for a job at Bulldog Drummond a few years ago was that one day she wanted to own her own company. About five years later, she’s done just that. Chic CEO is a free web…
I’ve admired Southwest Airlines for many years, and I’ve cited them as a company with a clear focus, a vibrant soul, and a culture you can see in all areas of their business and reflected in their business performance. And as a ridiculously…
The offices of Bulldog Drummond look exactly like someone’s really awesome house that you would envy. It also happens to be located right here where I live (in San Diego)! Bulldog Drummond is an innovation and design consultancy whose clients…
Brand is misunderstood, underappreciated and very often underutilized. When brand comes up in a meeting, it often means different things to different people, and many executives speak the language of brand the way some of us speak Spanish: with a limited vocabulary and rotten accent. And while being fluent in another language…
“Brand” as a concept is misunderstood, underappreciated, and very often underutilized. When brand comes up in a meeting, it often means different things to different people, and many executives speak the language of brand the way some of us speak Spanish: with a limited vocabulary and rotten accent. And while being…
As one year comes to an end and a new one begins, it really is a special time. The madness stops for a few days: The phones are quiet, emails abate, and there is time to relax and reflect. In the always-on, always-connected world we live in, we rarely…
An unhealthy corporate culture is like an unhealthy individual. It’s overweight, cumbersome, and burdened with a number of self-destructive habits. Recognizing that you need to get your culture into optimum health is one of the most important…
When you build a brand, one of the most important measures of success is the actual engagement and connection of your loyal customers, followers, supporters, partners, fans and friends–your community. With the arrival of the digital age and 24/7…
Partnering with name brand talent to create original content has enabled Believe Entertainment Group to forge valuable partnerships with some of the industry’s…
Innovation is like surfing—scary, challenging, and ultimately exhilarating. Here’s how to dig deep and find the courage to actually do it. I started surfing about 10 months ago, and it has been one of the most challenging and rewarding learning journeys…
Seven years ago, Scot Chisholm’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. Not being one to sit around and swim in sadness, Chisholm did what he knew best. He got busy raising funds for cancer research to get involved and work toward a cure, not just…
When I heard about DailyCandy’s 3rd annual “Start Small, Go Big” competition, I thought I’d investigate to see what I could learn, as it focuses on discovering…
As a part of my job, I have the absolute privilege of guiding and coaching executives and their teams to solve their own challenges. Part of our focus at Bulldog Drummond is to design and facilitate learning experiences for many of our clients. Our main…
In any good business, a story has to be told that resonates with the consumer. Natural High founder Jon Sundt talks about how he’s using Madison Avenue techniques to bring drug-free culture to the forefront. Jon Sundt lost his two…
When most people think of Italy, the first things that come to mind are mouth-watering pasta with sweet tomato sauces and basil, Tuscan farm houses, artisan craftsmanship, atrfully designed automotives, lovingly crafted housewares…
Nature is the perfect inspiration for truly disruptive innovation. It is where we can find examples of both exquisitely simple, and complex, designs anywhere we turn. The banana doesn’t need packaging or protection; it has a clear system to show…
We read a lot about regional radio being a struggling media format. It certainly does have its challenges, including the transition (or expansion) from terrestrial to digital. But by taking a strongly branded and highly curated approach, some stations…
If I’ve learned anything over the past 10 years, it’s that the old saying, “It’s far more rewarding to give than it is to receive” is very powerful. I was recently invited to mentor a group of emerging social entrepreneurs, all of whom are focused on…
How many industries that were around 100 years ago–and are still around today–are making their products almost the exact same way? Can you think of an industry that uses almost the identical methods of production they did 100 years ago…
There has been a lot of talk about “intersections” lately–intersections of business and art, intersections of marketing and nature, intersections of technology and health…
I met three incredible young men named Jason Russell, Laren Poole, and Bobby Bailey almost seven years ago. Just out of college, they had decided to use their newly acquired film-making talents to go to the Sudan and document the…
Step inside any company, no matter the size, stage of development, or level of success, and the culture is either driving the strategy or undermining it…
By definition, “craft” is an art or occupation requiring special skill and, if my taste…
I recently spent the day with author Andrea Kates, who was challenged to connect the relevance of the working philosophy found in her best-selling book, Find Your Next, with real solutions that can help move businesses forward…
Get on a Southwest flight to anywhere, buy shoes from Zappos.com, pants from Nordstrom, groceries from Whole Foods, anything from Costco, a Starbucks espresso, or a Double-Double from In N’ Out, and you’ll get a taste of these brands’…
Believe it or not, at one point we actually fed our pets real food. That was, until people-food companies realized they could maximize their resources by mashing together all of their scrap meat, leftover grains, eggshells, and bones, injecting some vitamins, and cooking it up into “kibble.”
I’m fascinated by the different types of people I meet in the business world and the way that their personalities show up in what they do. I’m drawn to people who have a quiet inner confidence that is expressed in their interactions and their output. I am…
There is power in the perspective that comes from revisiting why you exist as a business and exploring the beliefs and operating values you live by. While the bottom line is a non-negotiable, how you get to it is. Make sure your entire organization understands your reason for being and that leading with values…
Entrepreneurs come from all over the world, but most share an innate passion for questioning the constraints of ideology and discipline, and identifying practical solutions to problems by combining ingenuity, resourcefulness, and dogged…
Kids have an insatiable appetite for knowledge and an unapologetic curiosity for all things new and misunderstood. When they don’t know the answer they actively seek the truth. They have a natural humility without posturing, pretense or ego wrapped…
The challenging economy has forced everyone to look at cutting unnecessary costs. From airlines charging for every bag, to restaurants not serving bread or table water unless asked, small cuts can have a deep-lasting effect. It’s easy for senior…
I was recently invited to participate in the inaugural The Intersection Event: Where Innovation Meets Social Change this coming January at Pixar’s headquarters, where a cast of leading business innovators and social change agents will discuss ways…
People who seem to have that spark, who are passionate about what they do and how they live their lives are fantastic to be around, and they seem to make what they do look so easy. It’s not a new thought, but doing what you love seems to be an…
As Britain was dangerously close to defeat in 1940, Winston Churchill put the English language into battle. He inspired the people of Great Britain with his defiant, heroic speeches, rousing challenges that were full of hope, humor and direction. By using language strategically, he delivered some of the most powerful and moving…
In the competitive space of philanthropy and philanthrocapitalism, how do you break through the clutter and get people engaged in an issue that isn’t the tug-on-your-heart-strings norm…
Taylor Swift is an excellent example of how humility can lead to success. She’s genuine. She connects and relates to her audience through her own experiences. She’s inoffensive, but above all, she’s humble. Almost too humble at times…
On the eve of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be interesting to chat with Shaney Jo Darden, the woman who has prominently displayed the…
Not so long ago, life for a chief marketing officer was a lot simpler than it is today. A brand’s narrative was a controlled monologue and the formula for awareness involved nurturing and building the brand, partnering with an amazing agency, diligently targeting the right consumers in the most impressionable places, and…
After leading a global innovation summit a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to venture out into London for a morning, doing what I love to do in big cities: be a cultural voyeur. Walking through the markets, the squares and arcades, I stopped…
Cause marketing has been proven to boost sales, engagement and customer loyalty, but are the new models of embedded generosity a passing fad or the new fundamental? Knowing what we do about the phenomenon in human behavior…
Executive team members can benefit significantly by putting customers first and getting to know them better. Here are suggestions for making the connections happen: 1. Move research from ignored to inspired. Elevate the importance of research and ensure it is a function that informs all areas of…
In our rapidly changing and complex world, one trend we’re seeing is a return to simple, homegrown, fresh food and with this in mind, I wanted to find out what John Foraker, the CEO of Annie’s Homegrown Foods, had to say about the future of food.
Garry Ridge, the CEO of WD-40, is a bold Australian and the steward of one of the world’s most iconic and unusual brands. He believes that effective leaders have a clear, teachable leadership point of view and are willing to share it with, and…
There is no doubt that we are living in one of the most revolutionary times in history with significant changes in economies, demographics, democracies, energy, communication, creativity, connectivity, technology, and food supply. And while I know John Foraker, the CEO of Annie’s Homegrown Foods, has opinions…
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is the Nike of self-defense. It has reached a level of notoriety as the most effective, fastest growing form of self-defense that people are learning to confidently protect themselves. Executives are starting to reference…
Rumour has it that we’re becoming a service-based economy. Some say we’ll be a country doing nothing else in the not-so-distant future…
Not sure about you, but I couldn’t live in a world without hope. A life without optimism, imagination and hope would be like a life without a smart phone. You couldn’t live a day without it. Think about it. We live in a world where individuals and governments are constantly providing the media with opportunities to…
Many brands seem to find it hard to make a real connection with their consumers and they end up selling to them rather than inviting them into a compelling conversation. Teams who manage brands often lack a deep understanding…
During a recent visit to Michelin, their CEO was proud to share an initiative where Michelin had allocated $2 million for lending to local small businesses in light of the economic crisis. Its success got me thinking, “Why hasn’t the domestic micro…
Some of us live our lives without knowing who we really are, bumping through days without understanding what makes us tick at our core, or why we react to situations and people the way we do. Put another way, there’s a large percentage…
Where there is happiness you will find success
The path to personal or corporate happiness can be found in the simple, yet powerful, equation of mixing a healthy dose of generosity toward others, with…
Flying to Greenville, South Carolina and taking time away from my family wasn’t on the top of my list of must-dos, but Food for Thought, an event produced by Erwin Penland, was an amazing experience to fuel the mind. From the opening speaker to the closing performer, it was a marathon of inspiring learning…
I met Alex Bogusky at the FearLess Cottage earlier this year and discovered that we have a number of things in common: we share a deep interest in climate change, the food system, and early-stage venture investing. We have some differences…
On the surface, startup companies and large organizations are very different. But small entrepreneurial ventures can learn from the best practices perfected by seasoned companies. Here are five dos and don’ts gleaned from…
There’s a stark contrast between sitting in an endless meeting with 10-15 people on a product development team in a multi-national, listening to rationale and pontification versus the focused energy of a small team in a entrepreneurial…
People are organic, fluid and emotional, while companies are structural, rational and linear (and, oftentimes, lack a soul). C-suites are acutely focused on the rational, practical, metric-outcome side of running business…
Pitching your business to potential investors is like dating. It’s time draining, incredibly stressful and an emotional roller coaster. And like dating, the overall process seems to be in desperate need of an overhaul…
Sometimes, I get really jealous of large corporations. Not often mind you, but occasionally.
Like you, I used to work for the Man. Mostly, I hated working for the Man…
Rumor has it that we’re becoming a service-based economy. Some say we’ll be a country doing nothing else in the not-so-distant future. While I don’t buy into that extreme, if it’s remotely close to the truth, then most of us have an enormous amount of work to do. Either way, service and serving others is central to the success…
What’s all the fuss about embedded generosity, triple-bottom-line capitalism and social responsibility? Is it a new trend? Is it the latest manifestation of the human spirit? Corporate giving is definitely not a new concept. Large companies…
There’s something rather invigorating about this time of the year. We’ve said goodbye to last year; we’ve got all of our lessons, successes and failures processed. Now we’re back to work with vigor, ready to learn and to produce. We’re armed…
Branding guru Shawn Parr is paid millions of dollars by global corporations — such as Adidas, Virgin and Starbucks — to shake up their marketing teams, tell them bluntly what he thinks of their products, and get them thinking like a…
