by Annie Jackson | Jan 20, 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,’ rolling out one new rule each week. Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local Question: How did you get where you are today? Dave Kerpen: The story of my first company is pretty unique. We got married and started a company at the same time; we ended up getting our wedding sponsored and paid for—to the tune of $100,000 in sponsorships and $20,000 for charity. It was a great day because I married to the love of my life, but also turned out to be an incredibly successful marketing event for our business. At first, we were worried about getting married in such a public and unorthodox fashion, but we were able to move beyond that fear. I’m very happy we did. Q: On the topic of fear, do you think there’s always a certain amount of discomfort when you attempt something big? DK: Courage is perseverance in the face of fear. Recently, I was teaching a lesson on courage for my daughter’s Girl Scout troop, and I told this story of a girl who witnessed another girl getting picked on, and how she stood up to the bully. I asked everyone to tell me what courage meant to them, and one girl said, “It’s doing the right thing.” Then, my daughter said that the other part is “being afraid in the first place.” I was so proud of her for saying...
![Interview: BRIAN SOLIS [Business Innovator]](https://makechangeworkforyou.com/wp-content/uploads/Brian-Solis-Make-Change.jpg)
by Annie Jackson | Jan 15, 2015 | General
BUSINESS INNOVATOR Brian Solis – Principal at Altimeter Group Question: You’ve been tremendously successful in your career. Would you call yourself an overnight success? Brian Solis: In 1991, I joined an advertising technology firm in Southern California as a database architect. I was building these efficient databases around a paper-based system, which their PR team used to track analysis and publications for media buying. At the time, I was sort of in awe of how little my colleagues knew about technology, and its impact on business. So I went to the president of our agency and asked if I could help add a technology perspective to some of our marketing programs. Shockingly, he said yes. That’s where it all began. While I didn’t go to school for marketing, I knew what technology could do and I was very motivated by the performance metrics used in traditional marketing. Eventually, I was offered an opportunity at a big PR firm in Silicon Valley that was too good to pass up. I didn’t know much about PR, but I offered unique technology perspective and that led to some unconventional success. Q: You said you were programming, were you self-taught? BS: I taught myself when I was a young kid. I was mowing grass to buy my first PC, and I lived through the dot-com rise, where the real opportunity was working with big corporations like HP and Xerox or at startups. Q: How did you survive the dot-com bubble and the subsequent downturn? BS: There wasn’t as much demand during the dark times. You had to be creative. You took your retainers, but you also had to show that you would deliver dividends. There was an emotional element...
by Annie Jackson | Jan 13, 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 #2: Make Fear Your Friend – Featuring Jason Falls, SVP for Digital Strategy at Elasticity How did you get where you are today, and what tips would you give to people hoping to follow in your footsteps? Jason Falls: I spent 18 years in sports journalism and PR for college athletics, at small colleges like Georgetown and Birmingham-Southern University. Most had a relatively small budget and few staff, but I was expected to produce big results; very quickly I learned how to leverage technology and the web in creative ways to make that happen. When I jumped from sports to more mainstream PR, my agency wasn’t interested in social networks. At the time, no one knew what I was talking about, but they were smart enough to let me explore these areas with clients. One thing led to another, and soon I was promoted to VP and Director of Interactive and began speaking around the country about social marketing. My background in earned media has been key, because I know how to conduct outreach, pitch a story, and write compelling content. That’s part of strong social media marketing. If you’re interested in a career in digital marketing, here’s my advice: Learn to write. Study consumers. Learn to love data and find insights from it. That will put you on a pretty solid path. Q: What...
by Scott Steinberg | Jan 8, 2015 | General
What do hugely successful people do differently that allows them to win in their business or career time and again, even in the most uncertain and unpredictable of environments? The answers may surprise you. In our latest video, we take a closer look at what it takes to excel in the modern workplace – and just how simple it is for anyone to put themselves on the fast-track to success. A few simple tips include: Make yourself so valuable you’re impossible to replace. Constantly be learning and adding to your professional toolkit. Create your own opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to you. Go above and beyond, and see hard tasks through that others avoid due to their difficulty. Never stop reinventing yourself and finding ways to improve. Use off-the-clock-hours to pursue projects that will help you stand out. Take smart risks in your career and business. Check out the clip for a complete rundown of what it takes to succeed in the new normal:...
by Annie Jackson | Jan 8, 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,’ rolling out one new rule each week. Rule #1 Be Courageous with Mari Smith – Social Media Thought Leader, Premier Facebook Marketing Expert Question: How did you come to be to be a social media expert? What qualified you? Mari Smith: I am very much self-taught and I’ve always been tech savvy. I’ve always had a strong technical aptitude but I’m also very much an extrovert and a people person. Social media landed in my lap when I joined Facebook in 2007 and I fell in love with the platform. Prior to that, I’ve pretty much been an employee and then I got bitten by the entrepreneur bug and started email lists called “Parties and Events in San Diego.” People would sign up to find out the latest events. My email lists kept evolving from the mid-90s. I could never really get into MySpace. When I pulled up the Facebook site, I figured out it was such a great networking tool and I’m chit chatting with authors whose books I have on my shelves. Because I was so passionate about Facebook and because I understood it, the etiquette of it, people started asking me to teach them how to really use the site. The following grew from there. Q: How much is failure a part of your success? I’m...
by Annie Jackson | Jan 7, 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,’ rolling out one new rule each week. Rule #1 Be Courageous with Sara Zucker – Social Media Expert + Blogger Question: Give us a quick bio on your role. How did you get where you are today and what tips would you give others hoping to follow in your footsteps? Sara Zucker: I currently lead the social media team at Glossier and Into the Gloss. Previously a digital media manager at NARS Cosmetics with a Masters degree in Library Science and Archival Studies from Queens College, my ultimate hope is to be a forerunner in the beauty industry, digitally. If you’re looking to do the same, the first step is to engross yourself in the world of social and digital media and think about it strategically (“What does this activation mean for the industry as a whole?” “How will it change the way consumers see beauty?” etc). I wonder about the creation of a lipstick — its name, its formula, how it alters the way women think about themselves — each time I swipe it on in the morning. 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? SZ: There is no harm in trying something and having it not meet your expectations. You tried it!...
