Lewis Howes Relates Oscar Wilde

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David Karp on Essence of Tumblr Advertising

Tumblr Founder and CEO David Karp discusses his company's business model and mobile strategy. He speaks on Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers."

I am skeptical about the Yahoo! acquisition of Tumblr, and its efforts to monetize its platform.  But while he was cagey a bit, David Karp relates the essence of its business model vis-a-vis advertising: more like TV and print.  Not hyper-targeting, not Big Data and analytics driven.  But via brands that aim to impact us more evocatively, more sustainably.

Self Reflect Well Before You Start Your Week

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The title is catchy and pertinent enough for many of us - 15 Things Successful People Do on Monday Mornings.  So we run through it, in however way we run through articles like this.  It's meant to be run through, that is, quickly, as the points are in bold and their discussion a model of brevity.  

But its flaw is apparent from the get-go.  If your pattern, or inclination, is to get up at a certain time, and to work out at a certain time, and neither is early in the morning, then you are not likely to wake up earlier for exercise.  

The flaw is that an article like this neglects to ask how your Monday mornings go to begin with; what if any problems or aims you weigh at the beginning of the week; and what works best for your purpose, personality or circumstance.  Moreover, in the Middle East, the work week begins on Sunday, so it misses possible cultural and regional factors.

Beginning with these questions via a self-reflection, for instance, perhaps over the weekend, helps to ensure that you can have the best possible start to your week and in the long run carve out the best possible success vis-a-vis your purpose.

The Need for Speed, the Need for Context

Retail is built on customer service, but even top retailers sometimes have to pick their battles. Here's how these top 10 retailers perform in answering phones, resolving email inquiries, delivering packages and processing refunds.

I reminded others, when I posted this, that customers may value speed above all, but brand, convenience and cost are no doubt part of the purchasing choices.

I detest simplistic points of view on matters that defy simplicity.  I don't begrudge creators or editors for producing simplistic content, because that may be all that we as viewers or consumers can handle intellectually.

That said, this trailer for the new flick `Need for Speed dominated ESPN advertising for several weeks, it seemed.  So perhaps Forbes had an ulterior motive of letting a piece of content, that is, the above video, resonate with a popular film and thereby maximize its own viewership.  

Selfies for Health, Security and Fashion

What is the future of the selfie? We take a look at medical and business innovators that are using "selfie technology" to better our health, security, and even fashion sense.

If you thought selfies were just for fun, time to rethink that thought!

Selfies have been around a while now, especially with the advent of smartphones with features to take self-portraits easily and social media sites to post them on just as easily.  But it was Ellen DeGeneres at the recent Academy Awards ceremony who revitalized an old modern-day favorite among young people.  But clearly there is more utility to selfies than just social fun.

Kat Cole: From Hooters Girl to Cinnabon President

How Kat Cole Made It

When I posted this article on Google+ I prefaced it with:  The real story here is Kat Cole, President of Cinnabon, not those cinnabons per se; and it's an awesome one. 

In business circles, Cole’s origin story is becoming as well known as her rolls: She got her start as a teen waitress at a Florida Hooters, taking on increased responsibility until she was managing the location. At 19, the chain tapped her to open a restaurant in Australia — until then she had never left the country — and her days of working to pay for her engineering degree at North Florida were soon over. She was now working to work.

Cole was, and no doubt still is, a scrapper, even as a young woman, working at a joint - Hooters - that openly flaunted sexy women in both name and attire.  Her manager must've seen not just her go-getter attitude, but also her leadership potential.

I remember having read about her a year or two ago, and annotating the article in one of my journals.  She is intelligent and beautiful rolled up into one not-so-common combination.  Here are more about her:  How Kat Cole Went from Hooters Girl to President of Cinnabon by Age 32 and From Hooters To Hot Buns: How Kat Cole Turned Cinnabon Into A $1 Billion Brand.

Kat Cole

Passion a Necessary but Insufficient Condition

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Frankly I roll my eyes at notions that passion, inspiration or love is all you need to achieve great things, succeed in business, and live a meaningful life.  

So I commented recently on Google+:

Passion is a necessary but insufficient condition for success: You also have to make sure your business model works.