I received "Webs of Power" from a Texas publicist and took it to the beach to read over a long weekend. I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reads like a great chic flick!
I loved the way the author really worked on having each main character in the book be at the precipice of a major decision in her life. It truly kept the suspense going throughout the book.
What is also interesting in this book is the backdrop of the corporate world and corporate takeovers. It's also an insider's view on the retail environment as Ms. Quinn worked in that arena so knows it well.
I highly recommend this book.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Zen and the Art of Happiness
Seven Questions with Chris Prentiss, Author of “Zen and the Art of Happiness”
Q: In your book, you reflect on the idea that everything that happens to us is the best possible thing that can happen to us. Can you talk about that?
Chris: The Universe doesn’t make mistakes. Everything is happening just as it should. It’s only our perception of difficulties that causes us the distress and the difficulty we experience. Everything that happens to us is for our complete benefit. Even if an incident hurts us, shames us, or takes something from us, it will always work to our benefit since the Universe will not let anything bad happen to itself, and we are part of “itself.”
Put another way, knowing that you are part of the Universe and that the Universe is aware, acutely aware, of you is more empowering than any other single aspect of your life. It means that the most powerful force that exists is aware of you, and it is as concerned for your welfare as it is for its own because you are its own.
Q: Why did you write this book?
To help people all over the planet to live a better life. I want to share what I’ve come to learn through years of searching and testing in my own life. We are powerful beings, but many of us have learned to think and act in just the opposite way, as if we are not in control. We do control the events in our life by the kind of personal philosophy we adopt, because our philosophy determines how we respond to events. We can learn to be happy. Events are just events. How you perceive those events and respond to them determines their outcome in your life.
Q: Can you talk about thinking in terms of good or bad and how the way we see things matters so much?
Shakespeare said it best: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Our tendency is to see the events in our lives through our own lens and our own expectations. To change the conditions in your life, begin by changing how you see your world and how you think about what you see.
Here’s a simple example I use in my latest book. Suppose you and I decided to see a movie. We have been told it is a great thriller, the best one ever made. We go to the cinema, buy our tickets, find seats, and the film begins. We sit there looking for clues—a murder, a theft, a plot, a crime of some kind—but we don’t see any of that. After twenty minutes of watching, we are confused and baffled. It’s definitely not what we were told to expect. Nothing we are seeing makes sense. Then the person in the next seat leans over and whispers, “Isn’t this a wonderful love story?” Suddenly, everything makes sense. All the events of the film fall into place because we are seeing it for what it really is rather than what we were told it was. That’s the same kind of transformation that will occur as you start seeing yourself, the world, and its events for what they really are rather than what you were told they were.
Q: Can you talk about conditioning yourself to see beyond the events and find power in everything that happens?
Because of the way we’ve been trained, we think that some of the unpleasant things that happen to us are “bad.” But have you ever had anything happen to you that seemed really bad at the time but later turned out to be beneficial? Everyone I’ve ever posed that question to has been able to remember several events like that. Start to look at all events like that. If you can condition yourself to see that truth—that everything happens to benefit you—at the moment each event occurs, happiness will become your constant companion. And you will save countless hours, days, and weeks of useless lamenting over situations that will always turn out to be for your benefit.
I have had seemingly bad things happen to me: beatings, abandonment, lying, cheating, deception, betrayal, lost opportunities, lost money, position, power, respect, and all the thousand and one things that come into the average person’s life. As I look back on them, each brought its benefit, its wisdom, its information, its strength. A diamond is polished by grit and a man by adversity.
Q: Can you talk more about how we create events and situations?
You are always using your power to create and influence events. You’re like a radio station that constantly transmits. Whatever you broadcast goes out over the airwaves in every direction, affecting everyone and everything around you. If you’re broadcasting fear, fear is projected to everything around you, and your fear brings to you those things that are attracted by fear. If you’re broadcasting power and confidence, everything and everyone around you is affected positively, and you draw to yourself the things that are attracted by power and confidence. The conditions of your life are not the result of what is happening “out there” but what is happening inside of you
This story from my book shows the power of our beliefs. Max owned a thriving sandwich shop. People were almost always waiting in line to eat there. He gave away free pickles, free potato chips, sometimes a free soft drink, and his sandwiches were famous for being overstuffed. One day his son came to visit and told his father, “I have to tell you for your own good that you’re making a big mistake giving away all those extras. The country’s economy is in bad shape. People have less money to spend. If you don’t cut back on the free items and the portions, you’ll be in a bad way before long too.” After his son left, Max followed his advice. Before long, after many of his disappointed customers had stopped coming, he wrote to his son: “You were right! The country’s economy is in bad shape, and I’m experiencing the results of it right here in my sandwich shop!”
Q: What do you believe is the most important law in the Universe?
The most basic, most important law in the Universe is “cause and effect.” Very simply, every action produces a reaction, and the reaction is in exact accord with the action that caused it. Based on that law, you cause the effects that come into your life by how you are being at every moment. The way I like to say it is: You are the author of every next moment.
Q: In your book, you talk about stress, fear, and our imaginations. How can we begin to look at fear in a more healthy way?
One of the greatest obstacles to happiness is stress—that feeling of fear, anxiety, or foreboding. Yet many fears are born in your imagination and have no basis in real life. Beyond that immediate feeling of fear is your expectation of a bad result. If you were completely certain that the situation would turn out perfectly—in fact, to your greatest benefit—fear would be absent. You would proceed with confidence. Is fear present within the situation itself? Of course not. Without you using your imagination, fear cannot exist. So stress comes from the way you relate to situations. The next time you feel fear, imagine a beneficial outcome rather than the one that is causing your fear. Say to yourself: “The fear that I feel is aimed at my weak area so I can strengthen it. There is some information in this situation that I need, and I will get it by going through this. Even though I’m afraid, I have enough courage to act.”
Q: In your book, you reflect on the idea that everything that happens to us is the best possible thing that can happen to us. Can you talk about that?
Chris: The Universe doesn’t make mistakes. Everything is happening just as it should. It’s only our perception of difficulties that causes us the distress and the difficulty we experience. Everything that happens to us is for our complete benefit. Even if an incident hurts us, shames us, or takes something from us, it will always work to our benefit since the Universe will not let anything bad happen to itself, and we are part of “itself.”
Put another way, knowing that you are part of the Universe and that the Universe is aware, acutely aware, of you is more empowering than any other single aspect of your life. It means that the most powerful force that exists is aware of you, and it is as concerned for your welfare as it is for its own because you are its own.
Q: Why did you write this book?
To help people all over the planet to live a better life. I want to share what I’ve come to learn through years of searching and testing in my own life. We are powerful beings, but many of us have learned to think and act in just the opposite way, as if we are not in control. We do control the events in our life by the kind of personal philosophy we adopt, because our philosophy determines how we respond to events. We can learn to be happy. Events are just events. How you perceive those events and respond to them determines their outcome in your life.
Q: Can you talk about thinking in terms of good or bad and how the way we see things matters so much?
Shakespeare said it best: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Our tendency is to see the events in our lives through our own lens and our own expectations. To change the conditions in your life, begin by changing how you see your world and how you think about what you see.
Here’s a simple example I use in my latest book. Suppose you and I decided to see a movie. We have been told it is a great thriller, the best one ever made. We go to the cinema, buy our tickets, find seats, and the film begins. We sit there looking for clues—a murder, a theft, a plot, a crime of some kind—but we don’t see any of that. After twenty minutes of watching, we are confused and baffled. It’s definitely not what we were told to expect. Nothing we are seeing makes sense. Then the person in the next seat leans over and whispers, “Isn’t this a wonderful love story?” Suddenly, everything makes sense. All the events of the film fall into place because we are seeing it for what it really is rather than what we were told it was. That’s the same kind of transformation that will occur as you start seeing yourself, the world, and its events for what they really are rather than what you were told they were.
Q: Can you talk about conditioning yourself to see beyond the events and find power in everything that happens?
Because of the way we’ve been trained, we think that some of the unpleasant things that happen to us are “bad.” But have you ever had anything happen to you that seemed really bad at the time but later turned out to be beneficial? Everyone I’ve ever posed that question to has been able to remember several events like that. Start to look at all events like that. If you can condition yourself to see that truth—that everything happens to benefit you—at the moment each event occurs, happiness will become your constant companion. And you will save countless hours, days, and weeks of useless lamenting over situations that will always turn out to be for your benefit.
I have had seemingly bad things happen to me: beatings, abandonment, lying, cheating, deception, betrayal, lost opportunities, lost money, position, power, respect, and all the thousand and one things that come into the average person’s life. As I look back on them, each brought its benefit, its wisdom, its information, its strength. A diamond is polished by grit and a man by adversity.
Q: Can you talk more about how we create events and situations?
You are always using your power to create and influence events. You’re like a radio station that constantly transmits. Whatever you broadcast goes out over the airwaves in every direction, affecting everyone and everything around you. If you’re broadcasting fear, fear is projected to everything around you, and your fear brings to you those things that are attracted by fear. If you’re broadcasting power and confidence, everything and everyone around you is affected positively, and you draw to yourself the things that are attracted by power and confidence. The conditions of your life are not the result of what is happening “out there” but what is happening inside of you
This story from my book shows the power of our beliefs. Max owned a thriving sandwich shop. People were almost always waiting in line to eat there. He gave away free pickles, free potato chips, sometimes a free soft drink, and his sandwiches were famous for being overstuffed. One day his son came to visit and told his father, “I have to tell you for your own good that you’re making a big mistake giving away all those extras. The country’s economy is in bad shape. People have less money to spend. If you don’t cut back on the free items and the portions, you’ll be in a bad way before long too.” After his son left, Max followed his advice. Before long, after many of his disappointed customers had stopped coming, he wrote to his son: “You were right! The country’s economy is in bad shape, and I’m experiencing the results of it right here in my sandwich shop!”
Q: What do you believe is the most important law in the Universe?
The most basic, most important law in the Universe is “cause and effect.” Very simply, every action produces a reaction, and the reaction is in exact accord with the action that caused it. Based on that law, you cause the effects that come into your life by how you are being at every moment. The way I like to say it is: You are the author of every next moment.
Q: In your book, you talk about stress, fear, and our imaginations. How can we begin to look at fear in a more healthy way?
One of the greatest obstacles to happiness is stress—that feeling of fear, anxiety, or foreboding. Yet many fears are born in your imagination and have no basis in real life. Beyond that immediate feeling of fear is your expectation of a bad result. If you were completely certain that the situation would turn out perfectly—in fact, to your greatest benefit—fear would be absent. You would proceed with confidence. Is fear present within the situation itself? Of course not. Without you using your imagination, fear cannot exist. So stress comes from the way you relate to situations. The next time you feel fear, imagine a beneficial outcome rather than the one that is causing your fear. Say to yourself: “The fear that I feel is aimed at my weak area so I can strengthen it. There is some information in this situation that I need, and I will get it by going through this. Even though I’m afraid, I have enough courage to act.”
END
Don't miss Chris' latest book, "Be Who You Want Have What You Want", it's brilliant, insightful and a MUST READ!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Skip Press Interview
Skip Press On Creative Writing
Skip Press writes screenplays, novels and non-fiction guide how-to books on the writer's craft.
In this interview, he gives us the scoop on creativity, writing and what makes a good premise.
Q. Describe what you think creative writing is?
Press: Coming up with ideas or new slant on ideas that people have not seen before.
Telling a story – getting people engaged in the story –
Better start with a good premise whether it’s revealed immediately or not. You have to know what the story is and what the premise is.
Some people will argue and they’ll say just write and let whatever comes to mind flow out but I’ve never known anyone who is a successful writer who has done that. Maybe they’re out there, I’ve just never met them.
Q. How do you describe the term “premise”?
Press: An immediate and compelling hook, the best, premise I ever heard in a Hollywood movie was Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters – immediately knew what it was about when I saw the poster with those three guys, knew it was complete goofballs and I knew it would be fun.
Another good example is with “The Firm”, one line explained it all, “The mafia had its own law firm and it’s in Memphis, Tennessee.”
A good premise is all right there or it’s so intriguing you have to find out about it.
Q. What about in reference to business writing?
Press: You either have to say “here’s what we do” right up front, or you say, “Are you tired of those other insurance companies that lied to you?” you’re intriguing them and you’re making them want to listen to you or find out what it is you’re offering.
Q. What is a common mistake that most writers make?
Press: From my experience the biggest one is not acting on a good idea when it’s the right time. That means there have been many instances where someone will say, “Oh, I had that idea.” And they didn’t act on it.
There are authors won’t act and there are great ideas that float around in the ether and someone else will get there before you because they acted on them. If you have an idea that is truly excellent, jot it down and figure out a place you have that you can sell it.
Q. What do you tell people who ask how to make a living as a writer?
Press: Keep regular office hours, be a fulltime writer even if you’re not a full time writer. Find a way to set aside an hour that you can write no matter what.
You have to keep doing it and after awhile people around you will leave you alone and you can do your writing.
It’s almost like the Universe will nod down on you and give you the ability to do it.
There are so few people that will take on great tasks that it becomes highly visible when you do it personally. And that’s why those people who know you well might have similar aspirations who like to think you’re no more talented than they are, they will notice you first and they might be kidding around as they put you down, but they see the Universe in you.
You will find out in the world other people who have tried what you’re doing and failed and you need to avoid them or ignore them. You might run across people who have accomplished things and didn’t achieve it and are not bitter and they will see a spark in you and think “wow” maybe that person can achieve that and I will help them.
Q. How do good ideas come to you?
Press: The ideas are your vision of the world, Richard Donner when asked, “What makes you want to create a certain movie?” said, “If I really wanted to see it.”
Nora Ephron said the same thing, she picks movie projects that she feels no one else could make the movie that she wanted to see. She was talking about the movie “Michael.”
If I have an idea that I think is really obvious or really good and I’m fascinated by it – then that’s a keeper.
There’s no such thing as no ideas left. That’s ridiculous. You’ll see this books that say all the ideas have been used and I say that’s baloney. There are certain genres and rules and story structures but there is no lack of ideas and I don’t think there ever will be. Media saturation is possible, but we haven’t even come close to reaching a death of new ideas in this world.
Q. What other tips do you have for writers?
Press: If you stay ready, the opportunity will present itself even when you think you're out of opportunities.
Great things manifest in just the right time in the world for people. The Beatles would not have been as big a thing in the U.S. if they had not arrived right after JFK was assassinated. They really buoyed everyone’s spirits because they were young, talented and humorous. They let people find a way to be happy again and I think a lot of the media products come along and fill a necessary void.
Q. What are you working on right now?
Press: I’m writing the biography of Carmine Appice, who is the godfather of rock drumming.
Just finished Patti Page’s biography and writing a novel set on Wall Street and I’ve got a screenplay that I just rewrote that is a western, last screenplay written by Bill Kelly who wrote “Witness.”
Q. Thanks for the inspiration Skip.
Skip Press writes screenplays, novels and non-fiction guide how-to books on the writer's craft.
In this interview, he gives us the scoop on creativity, writing and what makes a good premise.
Q. Describe what you think creative writing is?
Press: Coming up with ideas or new slant on ideas that people have not seen before.
Telling a story – getting people engaged in the story –
Better start with a good premise whether it’s revealed immediately or not. You have to know what the story is and what the premise is.
Some people will argue and they’ll say just write and let whatever comes to mind flow out but I’ve never known anyone who is a successful writer who has done that. Maybe they’re out there, I’ve just never met them.
Q. How do you describe the term “premise”?
Press: An immediate and compelling hook, the best, premise I ever heard in a Hollywood movie was Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters – immediately knew what it was about when I saw the poster with those three guys, knew it was complete goofballs and I knew it would be fun.
Another good example is with “The Firm”, one line explained it all, “The mafia had its own law firm and it’s in Memphis, Tennessee.”
A good premise is all right there or it’s so intriguing you have to find out about it.
Q. What about in reference to business writing?
Press: You either have to say “here’s what we do” right up front, or you say, “Are you tired of those other insurance companies that lied to you?” you’re intriguing them and you’re making them want to listen to you or find out what it is you’re offering.
Q. What is a common mistake that most writers make?
Press: From my experience the biggest one is not acting on a good idea when it’s the right time. That means there have been many instances where someone will say, “Oh, I had that idea.” And they didn’t act on it.
There are authors won’t act and there are great ideas that float around in the ether and someone else will get there before you because they acted on them. If you have an idea that is truly excellent, jot it down and figure out a place you have that you can sell it.
Q. What do you tell people who ask how to make a living as a writer?
Press: Keep regular office hours, be a fulltime writer even if you’re not a full time writer. Find a way to set aside an hour that you can write no matter what.
You have to keep doing it and after awhile people around you will leave you alone and you can do your writing.
It’s almost like the Universe will nod down on you and give you the ability to do it.
There are so few people that will take on great tasks that it becomes highly visible when you do it personally. And that’s why those people who know you well might have similar aspirations who like to think you’re no more talented than they are, they will notice you first and they might be kidding around as they put you down, but they see the Universe in you.
You will find out in the world other people who have tried what you’re doing and failed and you need to avoid them or ignore them. You might run across people who have accomplished things and didn’t achieve it and are not bitter and they will see a spark in you and think “wow” maybe that person can achieve that and I will help them.
Q. How do good ideas come to you?
Press: The ideas are your vision of the world, Richard Donner when asked, “What makes you want to create a certain movie?” said, “If I really wanted to see it.”
Nora Ephron said the same thing, she picks movie projects that she feels no one else could make the movie that she wanted to see. She was talking about the movie “Michael.”
If I have an idea that I think is really obvious or really good and I’m fascinated by it – then that’s a keeper.
There’s no such thing as no ideas left. That’s ridiculous. You’ll see this books that say all the ideas have been used and I say that’s baloney. There are certain genres and rules and story structures but there is no lack of ideas and I don’t think there ever will be. Media saturation is possible, but we haven’t even come close to reaching a death of new ideas in this world.
Q. What other tips do you have for writers?
Press: If you stay ready, the opportunity will present itself even when you think you're out of opportunities.
Great things manifest in just the right time in the world for people. The Beatles would not have been as big a thing in the U.S. if they had not arrived right after JFK was assassinated. They really buoyed everyone’s spirits because they were young, talented and humorous. They let people find a way to be happy again and I think a lot of the media products come along and fill a necessary void.
Q. What are you working on right now?
Press: I’m writing the biography of Carmine Appice, who is the godfather of rock drumming.
Just finished Patti Page’s biography and writing a novel set on Wall Street and I’ve got a screenplay that I just rewrote that is a western, last screenplay written by Bill Kelly who wrote “Witness.”
Q. Thanks for the inspiration Skip.
Friday, June 20, 2008
2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade
Are you a trendspotter? Do you know the secret forecasting secrets of professional trendspotters? Feel daunted by new ideas, trends, and the race to keep up?
Richard Laermer , author of the newly released “2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade” tells us everything we need to know about trends, customers, brands, and smart sellers. (You have to buy the book to learn about Fnords, couchsurfing, ubiquity, Fred Trump and how cities were overtaken by lingerie.)
Richard Laermer is the nonstop author of six nonfiction guides to business including the prophetic Trendspotting and award-winning Full Frontal PR. He is the CEO of veteran trendspotting public relations firm RLM PR. He is also the host of nationally syndicated Unspun Radio and his book Punk Marketing was one of the top selling business books of 2007.
Q: What keeps you inspired to write more books?
Richard: I’m really a writer at heart, I started as a writer, my early career was as a full-time writer for newspapers and then a magazine journalist. I love writing.
Q: Your book is such a decadent read in terms of all the information businesses can take from it and benefit by doing so…
Richard: The book took me a year and half to write because there was so much to do and I just wanted to do it all. I really got steeped into what I do, how I do it and why I do it.
Q. What are businesses missing out on in terms of customers and connecting?
Richard: They need to do more listening. They need to talk to people who fit the demographics they want to reach, ask people what they are doing. Sometimes people think too much about the numbers and don’t actually invite the customers to really tell them how they’re feeling. Say to your customers, “What do you need, what is the one thing that’s pissed you off most about your experience with us?” Even just pointed email questions can help you.
Ask them for honesty, when you find people who actually might be your customer, you can’t pander to them. And remember influencers are real and they are people who will take time to talk about the product, and the access they got to people that asked them what they thought about the product.
Q: How do businesses stay better informed in terms of trends?
Richard: Go to a book store, get off the sidewalk and go into a mall and buy ten different magazines and read them cover to cover. Get everything. If you’re only looking at your own vertical, you’re too limited.
Keep a diary on trends, ask people what they see when they’re out on sales calls, what they hear about, get anecdotes. Have a party online where you give away prizes and ask people to share the stories they’ve heard – that’s how trends come out. That’s how the best media coverage works as well.
If you share it and it gets out and everybody is using that information, it’s a differentiator and there are very few of those available in these days. You want to show why you’re different, why you’re useful, but more than ever is why they should care.
My Favorite Trendspotting nuggets of wisdom from Laermer’s book:
Trend: “Since we are the most networked people in the history of history, you can’t get away with stating anything sloppily anymore. When communicating with your customer, be careful.
“A good trendspotter knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff, how to distinguish today’s passing fancy or fading passion from tomorrow’s something hot.”
Trend: Mediocrity is ending in the next year or so, as soon as we amble out of the 2000s.
Trend: Fame is morally neutral, so learn how to be more famous than ever before, or you are going to fail at gaining attention.” (“Fame is morally neutral.” Edward R. Murrow)
Trend: Consumers will look askance at companies that seem like they’re cool, but in a sense are just marketing themselves to appear that way. They’re fakes.
Trend: In the future, people in charge are going to say, “Enough with the spell check,” and everyone is going to be responsible for the work they produce (or don’t bother showing up).
Trend: In a society where we know everything, beta testing is no longer viable. It’s hooey – let the new product loose on a public that is with it not being perfect.
Here are my favorite new trendsetting words from the book:
Intrigesting, Laermered, TechoStalgia, Neo Laziness, Practactics, Peerspective, SpontaNoEity, Postponation and Disruptitude.
Here is my favorite Trend from the book, "We will all begin to realize that "being different" outside of work, that is, trying to be one person one hour, another during another, is an implausible waste of energy. Welcome to finding a career to match our personalities, circa 2011."
And as Louis Armstrong sang, "And I think to myself...what a wonderful world."
Richard Laermer , author of the newly released “2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade” tells us everything we need to know about trends, customers, brands, and smart sellers. (You have to buy the book to learn about Fnords, couchsurfing, ubiquity, Fred Trump and how cities were overtaken by lingerie.)
Richard Laermer is the nonstop author of six nonfiction guides to business including the prophetic Trendspotting and award-winning Full Frontal PR. He is the CEO of veteran trendspotting public relations firm RLM PR. He is also the host of nationally syndicated Unspun Radio and his book Punk Marketing was one of the top selling business books of 2007.
Q: What keeps you inspired to write more books?
Richard: I’m really a writer at heart, I started as a writer, my early career was as a full-time writer for newspapers and then a magazine journalist. I love writing.
Q: Your book is such a decadent read in terms of all the information businesses can take from it and benefit by doing so…
Richard: The book took me a year and half to write because there was so much to do and I just wanted to do it all. I really got steeped into what I do, how I do it and why I do it.
Q. What are businesses missing out on in terms of customers and connecting?
Richard: They need to do more listening. They need to talk to people who fit the demographics they want to reach, ask people what they are doing. Sometimes people think too much about the numbers and don’t actually invite the customers to really tell them how they’re feeling. Say to your customers, “What do you need, what is the one thing that’s pissed you off most about your experience with us?” Even just pointed email questions can help you.
Ask them for honesty, when you find people who actually might be your customer, you can’t pander to them. And remember influencers are real and they are people who will take time to talk about the product, and the access they got to people that asked them what they thought about the product.
Q: How do businesses stay better informed in terms of trends?
Richard: Go to a book store, get off the sidewalk and go into a mall and buy ten different magazines and read them cover to cover. Get everything. If you’re only looking at your own vertical, you’re too limited.
Keep a diary on trends, ask people what they see when they’re out on sales calls, what they hear about, get anecdotes. Have a party online where you give away prizes and ask people to share the stories they’ve heard – that’s how trends come out. That’s how the best media coverage works as well.
If you share it and it gets out and everybody is using that information, it’s a differentiator and there are very few of those available in these days. You want to show why you’re different, why you’re useful, but more than ever is why they should care.
My Favorite Trendspotting nuggets of wisdom from Laermer’s book:
Trend: “Since we are the most networked people in the history of history, you can’t get away with stating anything sloppily anymore. When communicating with your customer, be careful.
“A good trendspotter knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff, how to distinguish today’s passing fancy or fading passion from tomorrow’s something hot.”
Trend: Mediocrity is ending in the next year or so, as soon as we amble out of the 2000s.
Trend: Fame is morally neutral, so learn how to be more famous than ever before, or you are going to fail at gaining attention.” (“Fame is morally neutral.” Edward R. Murrow)
Trend: Consumers will look askance at companies that seem like they’re cool, but in a sense are just marketing themselves to appear that way. They’re fakes.
Trend: In the future, people in charge are going to say, “Enough with the spell check,” and everyone is going to be responsible for the work they produce (or don’t bother showing up).
Trend: In a society where we know everything, beta testing is no longer viable. It’s hooey – let the new product loose on a public that is with it not being perfect.
Here are my favorite new trendsetting words from the book:
Intrigesting, Laermered, TechoStalgia, Neo Laziness, Practactics, Peerspective, SpontaNoEity, Postponation and Disruptitude.
Here is my favorite Trend from the book, "We will all begin to realize that "being different" outside of work, that is, trying to be one person one hour, another during another, is an implausible waste of energy. Welcome to finding a career to match our personalities, circa 2011."
And as Louis Armstrong sang, "And I think to myself...what a wonderful world."
Welcome to the Back Flap
Welcome to this eclectic book blog. We'll feature author interviews, book reviews and our love of books. And along the way we'll tell you about some inspiring books, beach reads, comic books, fiction, and non-fiction, all focused on helping you with our virtual library recommendations of what you don't want to miss!
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