Ode to Rachel Maddow
Whatever your politics, take a minute check out this soulfully hip song of praise to Rachel Maddow by one of Woodstock's own, Marc Black. Marc is a treasure in my home town, but too few people know of him. Now you do.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:42 PM | Comments (2)
August 28, 2012Mitch Ditkoff Now a Huffington Post Business and Innovation Blogger
Dear Heart of Innovation Readers:
I am happy to announce that the Huffington Post has invited me to become one of their business and innovation bloggers. Twice a week. How cool is that?
If you like it, LIKE IT -- and tweet it -- and anything else you care to do with it to share it with your friends, co-workers, boss, chiropractor, mother, ex-spouse, accountant, clients, or neighbors.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:23 PM | Comments (1)
August 26, 2012Savvy Book Agent Wanted
That's me, folks, the author of this blog. Any recommendations?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2012Autistic Artistic Fantastic!
UBS "Stephen Wiltshire" from HUMBLE TV on Vimeo.
Michelangelo on effort
Idea Champions
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:12 AM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2012Insane or Brilliant? You Decide.
Full disclosure!
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our little effort
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Our virtual interview
Idea Champions
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:24 AM | Comments (0)
August 16, 2012A Breakthrough in Higher Education
This is a very important video to watch. Huge implications. HUGE. Fast forward a year or two and imagine that Coursera has added another 500 courses to their online curriculum. Colleges will go the way of Blockbuster, unless they get their business model more together -- and make higher education way more affordable.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:22 PM | Comments (0)
The One Voice for Laos DocumentaryHere is a remarkable 8-minute video produced by Garland Berenzy (16!), documenting the One Voice for Laos project -- an inspired humanitarian effort spearheaded by Hudson Valley teens, committed adults, and my amazing wife, Evelyne Pouget, to support 600 orphans in Luang Prabang, Laos. If you want to donate to the orphanage, send a check to the Windhorse Foundation (P.O. Box 26582, San Francisco, CA 94126) and write "Deak Kum Pa Orphanage" in the memo line.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:44 PM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2012Flowers First! Business Second!
Today, in a sudden fit of love and appreciation, I bought a dozen roses and brought them home to my wife.
Usually, when I think of buying roses, I go through a predictable sequence of events. First, I surrender to a wonderful feeling of expansiveness that takes me over. Then I get curious and smell the flowers. Then I ask the shopkeeper how long she thinks the roses will last.
Then I ask the per stem price, do the math, and reach the pitifully male conclusion that $46.95 is way too much too spend on something that won't last out the week and is probably less expensive somewhere else and it's obviously indulgent of me to be buying so many roses when I've got two kids to put through college in a few years and besides, beauty is within.
All of this, of course, is my inner Woody Allen taking the low road in response to what is obviously a Johnny Depp moment.
So I dig deep and bring the roses home -- my entire living room taking shape around them.
I then become very aware that there are definitely not enough flowers in the room. In a curious way, the recent appearance of roses has made the rest of the room seem barren. Tabletops and shelves that only minutes ago were doing just fine, are now utterly flowerless.
So I do the only thing a man can do when faced with such a paradox -- I return to the flower shop.
But the shop is closed. Closed? Impossible! I need flowers!
So I get back in my car and speed my way to the other flower shop in town.
It, too, is closed -- or, should I say, closing. The owner is shutting the door and giving me the "too-bad-you-didn't-get-here a few-minutes-ago" look.
But I will not be denied. And he knows it.
"What do you want?" he asks.
"Flowers," I reply.
He signals me to enter and I buy way more flowers than makes sense. A ridiculous amount.
Let's put it this way: if I was in the federal witness protection program, my sudden flower buying behavior would have put my government handlers in a tizzy.
Fast forward ten minutes to my wife in our kitchen.
She is looking at me as if I am totally insane -- me, the guy who, only days ago was making an airtight case for a more modest household budget.
Here's my philosophy:
Flowers first. Business second. If money is tight, buy more flowers. The more flowers you buy, the more money will appear. And if not in this lifetime, then the next (or maybe the one after that).
OK. There you go -- my not very financially sound, flower-centric view of the universe. You, my friend, are a witness. If I forget, please remind me.
OK. Stop reading this blog. Go out and get some flowers, already.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:50 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2012Web Workshops from Idea Champions
Here's a 3minute video overview of Idea Champions newest service -- Web Workshops -- highly engaging 60-minute tutorials to help your workforce raise the bar for innovation, collaboration, and communication.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:11 PM | Comments (0)
August 08, 2012Shouldn't Hallmark Create an International Dancing Day?
Thanks to my sister, Phyllis Rosen, for this link.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:49 AM | Comments (0)
August 05, 2012The "L" Word in Business
Big thanks to Sarah Jacob, Idea Champions' Dutchess of Business Development for this fine post.
I recently had the delightful privilege of attending HSM's World Innovation Forum in New York City -- two days of luminous speakers on a broad spectrum of innovation-themed topics.
With tickets at $2,500 a pop, attendees were heavy-hitters at major corporations from around the globe -- a no-nonsense crowd.
Jean-Claude Biver was one of the first speakers.
Not many CEOs have helped their company grow revenues from $24 million to $100 million in two years. Biver did at Hublot Geneve, a Swiss watchmaker that sells ten thousand dollar watches -- a product which he admits are now "totally useless" since most people these days use their smartphones to check the time.
Gesturing to the glittery watch on his wrist with a slightly baffled look, he shrugged and laughed.
The silver-haired entrepreneur began his presentation by letting us in on a little known fact: he was a hippie in the 60s, shaped by the Beatles and his many visits to Woodstock.
"First, we have to share," he explained. "Giving employees a bonus at the end of the year is not sharing. It is justice. It is important to share experiences, knowledge, doubts, and the process of success."
And then he dropped the L-bomb.
"Sharing," he declared, "is an act of love."
I was intrigued that this man was brave enough to speak that depth of truth to an audience of businesspeople.
I looked around and noticed a few people shift in their seats.
Biver went on to pitch us Principle #2: Respect, making note that self-respect was primary.
"If you don't respect yourself," he asked, "how can you respect others, or your customers, suppliers, or the earth? A person who respects himself is guided by love."
There it was AGAIN, the word "love"!
I glanced sideways.
A man got up and awkwardly sidestepped his way to the aisle. Then a woman. I stayed put, captivated.
Principle #3: Forgiveness.
"We must forgive every mistake," he explained, "but only once. You cannot make the same mistake twice."
At Hublot Geneve, Monday was the day for sharing mistakes, and for every mistake shared, employees received a bonus. The result? People got used to sharing mistakes, and everyone got the benefit of the lesson.
"Forgiveness," he said, smiling, "is an act of love."
BOLD. This man was talking about LOVE at a global business conference of people who controlled billions of dollars! He was not talking about metrics or social media or ROI. Love!
And I was loving it.
In my experience, love is at the core of any kind, generous, authentic interaction.
A corporate culture that fosters the values of freedom, autonomy, purpose, mastery, integrity, and responsibility is a culture that is really about love -- a feeling that starts with inspired leaders who care. These leaders want to make the world a better place and deliver something great, while valuing the well-being of every person they employ.
I know this inside and out, having left a six-figure job in an investment firm three years ago to do what I loved: to travel the world dancing tango.
But did others in this sophisticated business crowd know this? Could they hear Biver's message? Business movers and shakers are often distracted by the depths of data, deadlines, and deliverables and miss the chance to be authentic.
I'm guessing the word love doesn't come up too often in their weekly staff meetings. But maybe it should.
"If people act from love," Biver explained, "then they are strong."
A company with this kind of culture, Bivre continued, is one where people are comfortable, ethical, enjoy themselves, and are happy to share. They help each other, and that support makes each person stronger and the organization great -- not to mention profitable -- even if they sell incredibly expensive, useless, luxury items in a soft economy.
Jean Claude Biver's closing comment?
"My biggest asset is that I was a hippie. Thank you Woodstock, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones."
Hallelujah! As the Director of Business Development for an innovation consultancy actually headquartered in Woodstock, I thank you, Mr. Biver, for unapologetically using a word that is taboo in American corporate culture.
Let's start a revolution.
Sarah's post on tango in business
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:18 PM | Comments (2)
