YOU
You are…
Innovative [+]
You’ve got Renaissance tendencies, always eager to learn, apply and improve. You know that incremental and even radical change is good. It enables, and sometimes forces, businesses to adapt or risk extinction. So you solve problems and meet challenges daily, and the people with whom you work share a wellspring of significant ideas. Maybe you’re home-growing bladders (like Dr. Anthony Atala, Innovator of the Year 2006) or restructuring molecules to fight disease (and win). You’re seeing poetry in Java script or the opportunity to generate power from recycled plastic. You’re shaving seconds off a process, creating new conduits for communication or finding solutions in nature that can help humans in cities. Regardless, whether you’re guided by Six Sigma, inspired by Skunk Works or smiled upon by Einstein and Feynman, just the sight of a blank whiteboard or CAD screen brings a smile.
Green [+]
That’s not to say you’re inexperienced. In fact, quite the contrary. You know that limited resources and accelerated population growth present major health, economic and environmental challenges to people everywhere. You’re concerned, yes, but not so much that you would block an oil tanker with a dinghy or drive cross-country to picket the Capitol steps. You simply know that the little things add up and you’re game for anything you can do to make more informed choices and live smarter day to day. So you simplify; you buy less “stuff.” You take a shorter shower. You recycle when you can (but you don’t burn three gallons of gas to drop off a bag of cans). Maybe you’re actually working green. Helping companies harness wind, solar, biodiesel and other alternatives. Developing or distributing recycled and recyclable building materials. Designing a hydrogen-powered family sedan. Whatever it is, you’re in step with the times … and doesn’t it feel great?
Entrepreneurial [+]
Maybe you’re serial, constantly scoping opps, equally proud of the deals that went public and battle scars from those that went south, with plenty of base hits under your belt to keep you swinging for that first (or yet another) home run. Or maybe you’re betting the farm on a big idea for the first time, breaking from the proverbial pack and the gray corporate hallways you used to traverse between meeting, after meeting, after meeting, all the while wondering when you’d have time to actually “do the work” and make a difference (and maybe a fortune). Either way, you work long hours (albeit on your terms), but it rarely feels like work. Your friends and family think you’ve become obsessive. You’re constantly talking about ‘it’. Or at least thinking about ‘it’. And you lie awake knowing if you don’t do ‘it’ somebody else will. So you do your homework, buckle down, surround yourself with the best people you know, or at the least the best people your stretched dollars can engage, and you follow your bliss. Hats off to you … you’re fueling the American dream.
Supporting the Arts [+]
You believe art feeds the soul. Seriously, you’ve seen it change lives. You’re an impassioned patron, gallerist, curator, musician, filmmaker, fundraiser, lecturer, catalog publisher or museum director. Or maybe you’re in a profession, creative or decidedly not, that benefits from the instrumental role the arts play in innovation across disciplines and industries. So you fly the flag for freedom of expression, particularly the visual and audible communication of new ideas and unique perspectives on the human condition. You want to see more public exhibitions, funding for artists, art taught in schools, and people discovering their sweetspot for self-expression. (Not to mention more art hanging on your walls, filling your bookshelves and even saving your screen.) Above all, you want to explore the ideas that shape society and ignite the imagination on a daily basis. And though you don’t always know exactly what “it” is you’re looking for, you know it when you see it.
On the Air [+]
You’re broadcasting great stuff via satellite, cable and even Ethernet. What exactly? These days anything goes. Maybe you’re running a national campaign to launch, brand, re-brand, inform or entertain. Coveting an 8.1/14 with adults 18-49. Co-branding spot 30′s to jet One Lucky Couple to a remote paradise (i.e., capturing data and scratching backs). Placing your product on Tony and Carmela’s granite countertop. Driving tune-in for a block. Coaching franchisees via VoIP. Or YouTubing a short featuring your product and hoping it spreads like wildfire via email, IM, SMS and WOM. Mainly, you’re looking to dial in an effective A/V mix with production values and resonant stories that really connect with your demo. Or will. Soon.
Not For Profit [+]
Maybe you’re working the concessions booth for a charitable 5K this weekend. Maybe you’re sending clean water to a Kenyan village (or lugging it there yourself). Mainly you’re motivating people to take action, whether it’s to view a film, attend a lecture, increase enrollment across a community of schools, or help find that cure for cancer. Your non-profit is run like a business because, well, that’s what it is. Only, the purpose is not to maintain a healthy margin but to truly make a difference, big or small. So every day you communicate or otherwise embody the mission and vision of the organization so that it can operate smoothly, grow bountifully and sustain itself in perpetuity. You “brand” with personality, reputation, relevance and all the unique reasons for a diverse range of constituents to support the cause. And yes, the world is a better place, thanks to you.
Remarkable [+]
Don’t be afraid to say it. There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance, but not crossing it comes easy for you. If you or your company is doing an exemplary job in your field, community or industry, more people need to know about it. And sometimes not just your prospects and peers, but also within your own walls a strong “daily” brand stands on the shoulders and is fueled by the value of everyone involved. We’re here to help.
[Expand each topic by clicking the [+] button next to it]