by Annie Jackson | Feb 17, 2015 | General
Finding the courage to embrace change and take chances is the only way to succeed. We’ve asked some of our favorite industry power players and business innovators to share stories of how #MakingChange worked for them, as it relates to the ’10 Rules to Future-Proof yourself, fearlessly innovate, and succeed despite uncertainty’. Rule #7 Experiment Constantly with Steve Rubel – Chief Content Strategist, Edelman Question: How did you get where you are today – and what tips would you give others hoping to follow in your footsteps? Steve Rubel: As Edelman’s Chief Content Strategist I am charged with studying how digital content flows from the people who create it to the people who ultimately will consume it and how this impacts how companies must now communicate. Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with more than 5,000 employees in 65 cities, as well as affiliates in more than 35 cities. My role is to help all of our employees and our clients connect the dots in new ways that ensure they will be heard. I have been in the public relations field for 20 years. I joined Edelman in 2006 to help accelerate the firm’s embrace of social media as a new way for our clients to engage their various stakeholders. (In my prior role at another firm I launched some of the earliest social media programs in PR.) For the last three years I have been focusing on how our clients can embrace systems thinking to connect paid, earned and owned content programs into a memorable constellation. I would advise others who want to do the same to...
![Interview: STEVE MYERS [Business Innovator]](http://makechangeworkforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/Steve-Myers-Make-Change-1080x675.jpg)
by Annie Jackson | Feb 12, 2015 | General
BUSINESS INNOVATOR Steve Myers – Chief Technology Officer, Optum Specialty Networks Question: How do you and your organization adapt to fast-changing times and trends? Steve Myers: Personally, I take the approach of trying to listen to key market players, folks introducing new disruptive technologies or business processes, and staying informed to market trends. I apply the knowledge to look at opportunities and solutions for ideas that mix our culture, mission, and vision, and would better prepare our business for the future. Organizationally we do similar processes globally, and work to solidify the foundations of our core business – constantly looking for improvements and business innovation that will give both incremental positive change but afford us the opportunity to gain significant market share through internal and external development of those ideas. Q: What’s the best way to innovate and stay ahead of the curve? SM: I try not to focus on today; it is almost over. I look at the future with our consumers – what their future needs are – through actively listening, watching and monitoring the market, and by planning for future action that has both short term and long term effects. Innovation cannot be accomplished without creating a culture of change within the organization, that is monitored and guided for positive movement forward. Couple these things with your vision and a plan, and you will be successful. Q: The trick to getting ahead in an increasingly uncertain world is…? SM: Actively listen and hear the world around you, then adapt, act and lead in a way that supports your journey in life. Always do the right thing,...
by Annie Jackson | Feb 11, 2015 | General
We recently asked the twitter-verse to show us where they are #MakingChange, and the breadth of results were fantastic! From fashion, to music, to non-profits changing the world, here’s a glimpse at some of our favorite spaces shared. 1) Designer Chelsea Sheridan in the lobby of Seattle’s W Hotel. #MakingChange knows no (travel) bounds. Twitter: @chel_sher 2) Art History PhD student at Brynn Mawr, Lola Arellano-Fryer shows us her desk-side charm cheerleader & #MakingChange motivator. Twitter: @runlolarun 3) There’s no place like #MakingChange at home for pop-culture writer Regina Lizik (and what a beautiful home it is!). Twitter: @ScarletRegina 4) Orange is the new #MakingChange at Percolate – as seen on Taisa Veras’s desk. Twitter: @Taisa_Veras 5) Tammy Tibbetts is #MakingChange for herself and others at She’s the First HQ – as a non-profit adopted by NextJump. Double the change! Twitter: @TammyTibbetts 6) Music to our ears – Theo Aronson of La Ooh La La Records is literally #MakingChange to songs, remixing at his favorite studio. Twitter: @TheoAronson 7) Moda Box is #MakingChange in the way people find and try fashion – from their offices to your home. Twitter: @myModaBox 8) Arielle Shipper, Content Strategist at dining payment app Cover, reminds us that the key to #MakingChange is fueling our bodies. Twitter: @ArielleShipper Use the hashtag #MakingChange to share your stories or photos with us and find them on makechangeworkforyou.com/blog, along with inspiring interviews from industry...
by Annie Jackson | Feb 10, 2015 | General
Finding the courage to embrace change and take chances is the only way to succeed. We’ve asked some of our favorite industry power players and business innovators to share stories of how #MakingChange worked for them, as it relates to the ’10 Rules to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed Despite Uncertainty’. Rule #6: Playing the Odds – with Jen Rubio, Digital Innovation + Entrepreneur Question: How did you get where you are today – and what tips would you give others hoping to follow in your footsteps? Jen Rubio: I started out as an analyst at a massive company, Johnson & Johnson, and became passionate about social media in my personal life. I decided to channel that passion into my job, and eventually left corporate life to become a social media consultant. At the time, very few people even knew what that meant. I wound up with some big-name clients and worked on the agency-side, before moving to Warby Parker. After some incredible years at Warby Parker working on social media and marketing, I moved to London to build a global digital innovation team for AllSaints, a fashion retailer. My advice? Don’t accept the idea that you’re set in a certain path. With each move in my career, I followed what I was good at, combined with what I was passionate about. It made for a completely untraditional career path with very natural progressions. Now, I’m starting my own company, which has been a longtime dream of mine. Q: What does being courageous in life and business mean to you? JR: Being courageous is a matter of dealing with things with...
by Annie Jackson | Feb 3, 2015 | General
Finding the courage to embrace change and take chances is the only way to succeed. We’ve asked some of our favorite industry power players and business innovators to share stories of how #MakingChange worked for them, as it relates to the ’10 Rules to Future-Proof yourself, fearlessly innovate, and succeed despite uncertainty’. Rule #5 Master the Art of Improvisation with Ann Handley – Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and the author of the WSJ bestseller, Everybody Writes Question: What’s your background? How did you get where you are today, and what tips would you give others hoping to follow in your footsteps? Ann Handley: When I was 8 years old, I wrote in my diary that I wanted to be a “writter.” Eventually I learned to spell the word, and I became a writer, journalist, editor and (when the internet happened), a content publisher. I worked at newspapers, magazines, and became the first Chief Content Officer at ClickZ (a company I founded in 1997). I now hold the same title at MarketingProfs. I write for fun at AnnHandley.com, and I speak all over the world. I’ve always relentlessly focused on my audience. I try to make whatever I write or speak about a little clearer and more accessible to the people in the audience. I still do that now. In other words, focusing on others is a key to your own success. Ironic, perhaps. But true. Q: What does being courageous in life and business mean to you? What are some of the biggest concerns and fears you’ve faced and how have you overcome them? AH: Wow. How much time do we have? I was a...
