November 28, 2012
Flowers First, Business Second

You work hard.
I know that.
You get things done.
I know that, too.
You plan for the future,
organize your day,
and think of bold new ways
to market your service,
product, or business.
I get it.
But what about flowers?
Do you bring them
to the people you love?
Do you show up with roses,
not just take out food?
Here's my latest rant
on the Huffington Post.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2012
What Do You Want to Create?

I Wanna Create cartoon.jpg

Well, then, my friend, WHAT IS IT that YOU want to create?

Cartoon

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:39 AM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2012
The Top Ten Reasons Why The Top Ten Reasons Don't Matter

I'm sure you are a reasonable person -- thoughtful, analytical, and rational. Nothing wrong with that now, is there? Indeed, these very popular mental faculties can come in handy. But there is something beyond them that needs more breathing space in your life. Reason, no matter how reasonable,
can only take you so far. Anyway, here's my fun list, on the Huffington Post, of why we need to go beyond reason.

Idea Champions

Keynote presentations
Unreasonable cards

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:36 AM | Comments (0)

November 19, 2012
Layne Redmond's Kickstarter Project

Here is a link
to a very inspired Kickstarter project
originated by my good friend,
Layne Redmond,
author of
When the Women Were Drummers
and all around renaissance women.
Layne and her team
of talented musicians
and film makers
are making a documentary
celebrating the dance,
drumming, and chants
of traditional and sacred
Brazilian culture.
Click here to donate.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2012
ANNOUNCING: Full Moon at Sunrise

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If you have enjoyed the writing on this blog, you will very likely enjoy the soon-to-be-published book of Idea Champions' Co-Founder and President, Mitch Ditkoff.

Full Moon at Sunrise is not a book about innovation. It's a book of poetry.

Is there a relationship between innovation and poetry? Yes, there is. Both push the envelope. Both are infused with deep feeling. And both open up new realms of human experience.

If you'd like to receive an email alert when the book is published, simply send an email to Mitch (mitch@ideachampions.com) with your request. If you'd like to read some early reviews, click below.

"In Full Moon at Sunrise, Mitch Ditkoff channels Rumi and Kabir in a 21st century voice. The best poems anchor elation and bliss in the physical world as the poet converses with the Divine like a rabbi from the 4th century writing Midrash. He stumbles closer to God, a modern-day ecstatic seeking to tongue the unspoken in words. Drop everything, read this book!" -- Jennifer Boire

"Compelling, uplifting, a heartwarming treat. More delicious than chocolate!" -- David Passes

"In the timeless tradition of Gibran, Rumi and Hafiz, Mitchell's words reveal that hidden in our ordinary lives, lives a place of extraordinary beauty. Known in silence by few, but available to all." -- Stuart Hoffman

"Mitch Ditkoff is a poet's poet. His deep love and appreciation for the written word is profoundly received through his poetry." -- Steven Ornstein

"You'll find, in Full Moon at Sunrise, the adventure in your heart. Wizards and magic, Sufis and Buddhas, drunken Dervishes, the Great Friend, and perhaps hear whispers of the endless dance between the Master and student. You'll greet old friends, Kabir, Rumi, Moses and Hafiz, touching illuminated hearts, long before speech existed, and catch the fire in children's eyes as they sled down a city hill in the soft rays of a setting winter sun, all speaking of the enchanting moment called Now: Enjoy!" -- Jonathan Lloyd

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2012
How 13-Year Old Girls Can Wipe Out Terrrorism

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This just in! World Peace is just around the corner -- or, at the very least, terrorism will soon be a thing of the past. It's official! And the Huffington Post has just validated my unique stance on this very important issue.

Click here to find out how 13-year old girls can help wipe out terrorism and restore this great planet of ours to a more peaceful way of life. I know my take on the matter may seem a bit radical, but it's likely to work a whole lot better than the TSA and all those goofy airport scanner machines.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2012
VOTE FOR ME (I will not raise taxes, start a war, or give a boring speech)

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Good news! A leading Speaker's Bureau has just nominated me as a TOP FIVE SPEAKER in the field of innovation & creativity. To win, I need your vote.

So... if you believe I've added value to this field and am speaking about it in a way that inspires and educates, I humbly ask for your vote.

All you need to do is click this link , then scroll down to the fifth category and check the box next to my name (MITCHELL DITKOFF). Then scroll to the bottom and enter your name etc. The whole thing will take you less than three minutes.

My ten tips for giving a great keynote.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:12 AM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2012
Because I'm the Mom

This is so funny and so true -- I think I just peed in my pants. For all you moms out there, enjoy this 2:55 second paean to parenting.

A related riff
Idea Champions

Big thanks to Paul Alexander for the heads up.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:07 AM | Comments (1)

November 14, 2012
Getting Into the Webinar Business?

Like working
in your pajamas?
Have something
meaningful to communicate?
Want to compete with
a million other people
with the same aspiration?
Enter the fabulous world
of webinars.
But at your own risk.
It's simple, but success
doesn't necessarily come easy.
We are learning this,
having thrown our virtual hat
in the ring nine months ago.
Our top ten tips
now on Huffington Post.

See what we mean
3 minute video intro
Four kinds of offerings

Big thanks to Sarah Jacob for all her insight and savvy!

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:13 PM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2012
50 Awesome Quotes on Risk Taking

Is it time
to try
something new?
Get out of
your comfort zone?
Take a new step
or leap?
Feeling
a little queasy?
Need some
inspiration
to go beyond
the status quo?
Here's the ticket.
50 quotes on risk taking,
my latest piece
on Huffington Post.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2012
What You Can Learn From W.C. Fields

Is it possible
that a youthful,
summertime
best practice
of W.C.Fields
could be
the catalyst
to help you
get a major
project
of yours
untracked, unstuck,
and on it's way
to a breakthrough?

Newest article of mine
on Huffington Post.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2012
Good News! Wisdom at Work!

I am thrilled to announce that a wonderful NYC literary agency, Levine/Greenberg, has just taken me on as a client and will be leading the charge to find just the right publisher for my next book, Wisdom at Work.

Wisdom at Work
is a fresh look at the phenomenon of "moments of truth" on the job, like this one or this one-- extraordinary glimpses of "the real" that show up, unexpectedly, in the midst of ordinary circumstances.

The end game with my book is to launch "wisdom circles" in organizations -- engaging forums that allow employees to share their own wisdom with each other, via the telling of their own remarkable stories. If you want to know when the book will be available, simply enter your email address into the "Our New Book" box on the Idea Champions homepage.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

Who Are We?

Idea Champions is a consulting and training company dedicated to awakening and nurturing the spirit of innovation. We help individuals, teams and entire organizations tap into their innate ability to create, develop and implement ideas that make a difference.

MitchDitkoff.com
Click here for the simplest, most direct way, to learn more about Idea Champions' semi-fearless leader, Mitch Ditkoff. Info on his keynotes, workshops, conferences, and more.
Storytelling for the Revolution
Storytelling for the Revolution is Mitch Ditkoff's newly published book about the power of personal storytelling to elevate the conversation on planet Earth. Provocative. Evocative. And fun. YOU have stories to tell. This book will help you tell them.
Storytelling at Work
"The world is not made of atoms," wrote the poet, Muriel Rukeyser. "It's made of stories." Learn how to discover, honor, and unpack the stories of yours that show up "on the job" in Mitch Ditkoff's award-winning 2015 book, Storytelling at Work.
Top 5 Speaker
Mitch Ditkoff, the Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions, has recently been voted a top 5 speaker in the field of innovation and creativity by Speakers Platform, a leading speaker's bureau.
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Workshops & Trainings
Highly engaging learning experiences that increase each participant's ability to become a creative force for positive change
Brainstorm Facilitation
High impact certification training that teaches committed change agents how to lead groundbreaking ideation sessions
Cultivating Innovation
Your "best and brightest" are the future leaders of your company, but unless they know how to foster a culture of innovation, their impact will be limited. A one-day workshop with us is all they need to begin this journey.
Our Blog Cabin
Our Heart of Innovation blog is a daily destination for movers and shakers everywhere — gleefully produced by our President, Mitch Ditkoff, voted "best innovation blogger in the world" two years running.
Team Innovation
Innovation is a team sport. Brilliant ideas go nowhere unless your people are aligned, collaborative, and team-oriented. That doesn't happen automatically, however. It takes intention, clarity, selflessness, and a new way of operating.
Awake at the Wheel, Book about big ideas If you're looking for a powerful way to jump start innovation and get your creative juices flowing, Awake at the Wheel is for you. Written by Mitch Ditkoff, Co-Founder and President of Idea Champions.
Face the Music Blues Band The world's first interactive business blues band. A great way to help your workforce go beyond complaint.

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