Get Fresh Minds

Don't buy this if you don't want attention.

I'm in Germany right now for a 2 week visit, and spent the last two days traveling.  (Actually, I traveled all Wednesday, arrived Thursday morning, and then slept away half the day.)

Flying internationally is never fun, especially when the trip involves 2 lay-overs (9 hours in airports) and 757 jets without seat-back videos.

But recently, my trips have started getting a little longer because I keep getting delayed during my security checks.

I've traveled a lot, so I know how to get through as fast as possible normally.  I wear slip-off shoes, pack my bags so I can easily pull out my electronics, and forget about belts, jewelry and hair clips.

But lately, I've added a troublesome accessory that always gets me pulled aside for questioning.

It's... the protective screen on my laptop!

Couple months ago, I discovered Schtickers - a company that makes colorful "skins" for laptop computers.  They have pre-loaded designs, or you can upload your own.  The skin can be made to size, and is easy to remove.

I ordered the Starry Night print for my laptop and I love it because it makes my laptop a lot more fun.  (Let's face it, matte steel grey is "so not creative"!)

But it has been the worst traveling decision I've made!  Every time I go through security, at least one of the scanners pulls me aside and questions me:

"Where did you get that laptop cover?"
"Did you make it yourself?" 
"Where did you buy it?" 
"Can I get it in Europe?" 
"Do they have other pictures?" 
"Does it come off?" 
"How much did it cost?"

And my favorite question:
"Do you get a lot of attention with that cover?" (Asked by one of three extremely-interested security officers who were peering at my laptop instead of screening passengers.) 

I've been pulled aside in Minneapolis, in Chicago, in Connecticut, in Amsterdam and in Hamburg.  Always with the same questions. 

It now takes me longer to get through security than the time I accidentally brought an apple into the US (don't do that!), or the time security searched my laptop for dynamite  (yes, dynamite!)

It's hilarious - because everyone is completely enthralled by my laptop.

Schtickers are not the kind of ideas that change the world.  Instead, they are the kind of solution that most people don't even know they want... until they see them! 

That's what makes them brilliant - the fact that they tap into customers' deep desires for individuality in a way that most people would never even think of on their own.

There's danger in thinking within the box.

Everyone who talks about creativity goes on and on about "thinking outside the box".  But what does that really mean?  And why is it so important?

Well, learning to think outside the box can really make a huge difference.  Trust me on this.  I know!

A couple years ago, I suffered through a horrible, torturous reminder about how important it is to think outside of the box.

Here's the story!

It was one of my first times visiting Germany, and I understood almost no German.  So, every time we went out to eat, I had to spend a ton of time poring over every single menu item with a dictionary in hand.  Then I'd ask my friends to translate - and of course, forget half of the menu by the time they finished.

It always took forever.

One night, we decided to order pizzas and, rather than spend my normal 30 minutes staring at the available toppings and making my German friends translate everything twice, I decided it would just be easier to order a normal, old-fashioned Pepperoni pizza.

I should have been warned when everyone asked me, "Just pepperoni?"

But no, being a confident American who has successfully ordered pizza hundreds of times in the US, I charged blindly ahead. 

"Just pepperoni!"  I said with a smile (thrilled there was a type of food I could order easily in Germany.)  After all, how hard could it be?

Then the pizzas arrived and boy, was I in for a surprise!

When I opened the boxes... I didn't see any pizzas that looked like mine.  Of course, there was a very simple explanation for that. 

In German, "pepperoni" does not refer to the style of pizza we Americans normally envision.  No, in Germany, a "pepperoni" is the topping you see on the right.

Wikipedia explains the source of my confusion:

Pepperoni is frequently used as a pizza topping in American-style pizzerias. It is the most popular pizza topping in North America....Pepperoni is a corruption of peperoni, the Italian plural of peperone, referring to the bell pepper, so that ordering "peperoni" pizza in Italy is often an unwelcome surprise for North American tourists." (read it here)

Exactly. I was just a little surprised!  It never occurred to me that pizza toppings were different in different countries.  My thinking was so stuck inside the (pizza) box that I couldn't imagine anything else was possible.

This is exactly the sort of thinking that happens in the real world too.  Most people never think beyond what they already know.  If you had asked people what they wanted most in transportation options at the beginning of the 20th century, they probably would have said they wanted a faster horse.

So, while you hopefully won't ever end up in the same situation as me - picking minuscule bits of hot pepper out of your overly-spiced pizza while your "friends" roar with laughter - remember that thinking only inside the box can blind you to the possibilities that are really out there.

(And, if you're ever in a foreign land, and your friends ask "are you sure you want that?"  PAY ATTENTION!)

81 Insights About Creative Careers

An enigmatic figure named Dr Zoltan sent me an interesting list of thoughts about creative careers.  With 81 points on the list, it was pretty impressive!  (I'm not even sure I have that many thoughts about creativity... and I think about it all the time!)

So, out of sheer admiration for his tenacity and dedication, I read through it.  And, I'm delighted to say, the points were pretty impressive for their insight too  (and not just their number!)

My Personal favorite is #40:

Trust your own ability to consistently create new ideas in the future. Commit to yourself over your entire lifespan. Life expectancy is 80 years. Yet many people grow old and worn out at 30. Why? 1/3 of the way into life is a terrible time to stop being creative.

This really struck me because I think a lot of us do give up our ability to be creative as we grow older.  Whether it's "just time to grow up", or we learn that crazy ideas are often met with skepticism, or because we just get too busy to think... we can easily get to a point where being creative is a struggle.

And, at least for me, when I feel like I can't create anymore, I feel older and worn out.  (Not fun.)  When I'm bubbling with ideas, I feel like I can do anything - whether that's creating the hottest new idea ever, or skipping through puddles in the rain.  (Not that I, a grown-up, would ever skip...!)

So I definitely appreciate Dr Zoltan's list because it reminded me that growing old (and uncreative) is a choice.

Check out his list yourself!  With 80 other insights, I bet you'll find one that inspires you!

Amazing new letter opener!

Now, there are a lot of products and services that don't get a lot of attention because they're not "sexy". 

Like toilet brushes, silverwear, and the trusty old letter opener.

But wait, here's a completely new way to open letters - and it will completely amaze (and amuse) you.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present the newest evolution of the letter opener....

Have you heard about Starbucks' latest bad idea?

Big news in the world of coffee yesterday.  Starbucks has apparently decided to offer $2 coffees to reward loyal patrons. The Associated Press reports:

Looking to bring more value-seeking consumers through its doors for a late afternoon caffeine fix, Starbucks Corp. said it will now offer its morning customers any iced grande beverage for $2 after 2 p.m.

The price is a big cut from the normal price of most grande-sized iced drinks.... To get the discount, customers must present a receipt from their morning Starbucks visit.

Does this sound like a good idea to you?

To me, Starbucks represents a more exclusive atmosphere - with coffee that costs extra because their branded cup says something about the person carrying it.  It's a group that doesn't welcome all comers - only the ones who are willing to pay for the privilege of using their internet and drinking their coffee.  It's for successful professionals who have the disposable income to go there.

It hasn't been for me, but part of that's due to the fact that I recently spent a long time in college without much disposable income.  I couldn't justify joining their club.

But now, it seems like Starbucks is throwing the doors wide open for all comers.

They're passing out discounts right and left.  In addition to this new promotion, Starbucks offers discounted drinks on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in some cities. 

It even did the newspaper coupon route in NYC, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and Detroit: Customers got a free 12-ounce iced coffee on Wednesdays with a voucher from newspaper inserts.

Granted, the US economy is not doing too great right now, and customers want to get more for their money.  Nor is Starbucks doing too great right now - and they would definitely like to get more of customers' money!

This is what happens when a company stops generating its own ideas and just starts copying what works for everyone else. 

Discounts on coffee work for McDonalds and Dunkin' Donuts, right?  And customers also go to McDonalds and Dunkin' Donuts in the morning... so it should work, right?

Except it won't.  Because Starbucks sells an experience, not coffee.  People don't pay extra just for what's in the cup. 

Discounts and promotions might give Starbucks a boost for a while, but they risk implying to customers that their coffee isn't worth full price.  And if Starbucks' customers are no longer willing to pay premium prices for their coffee, the chain is in even bigger trouble than before.

Instead of revitalizing their brand, Starbucks could end up completely devaluing it. (And I'm not the only one who thinks so.  Great post on Brand Autopsy about this!)

That's not the kind of thinking they should be doing.  Starbucks should be thinking of ideas that can strengthen their image and attract more customers from their target markets.

It's not that hard.  I'm not a huge coffee drinker, and I immediately had an idea for them.

What are your ideas?  How would you revitalize Starbucks without offering discounts?

(Remember, comment for Kudos this month!)

Want Fame? Glory? Candy?

Roger von Oech reminded me yesterday of a funny mistake I used to make.  He wrote about how he misunderstood the meaning of the metaphor "the lowest common denominator" and then asked us which metaphors we got wrong. 

Well, until I studied ancient Greek in college, I thought that giving someone "kudos" meant rewarding them with a Kudos candy bar! So I was always disappointed that I never actually saw candy change hands, despite all the promises...

...Until I learned in college that "kudos" is actually the Greek word for "honor" and "fame"!  Whoops!

In honor of my big oops, I've decided that I'm going to start a new tradition on this blog...

Every month, I will reward one of my commentators with Kudos!

Not only will I give them fame on the blog, I will actually mail them a real Kudos bar - in whatever flavor they pick.

The Obligatory Rules:

• Each comment starting now until August 31st is an entry for Kudos.
• You can comment on older posts if available.
  
• Comments have to be real to count.  So no "nice post" lazy-type comments.
• You can tie in your own website if it's relevant, but no spam.
• You must have a real email address to win.
• Blatant flattery is nice, but won't get you extra points.
• If you're not in the US, we might have to get creative, but we'll figure something out.
• Really, really good comments will get two entries!

So, if you want to get recognized on this blog while still getting the kind of Kudos you can actually eat, start commenting!

Keep it simple to convince people of the value of an idea!

Coming up with ideas isn't always the problem.  Most people have come up with a great idea, only to have a horrendous time getting anyone interested in it.  (Even when the idea truely is fantastic!)

Guy Kawasaki, who is no stranger to pitching new ideas, explained last week why a lot of ideas wither and die when they're presented to others:

In the venture capital business, many people think that a short pitch is thirty slides and a short business plan is fifty pages. My how they are mistaken.

The more slides and pages that you need to explain your business, the less likely you will succeed. Truly, the best pitches and plans require nothing more than one page or a picture to explain them.

It's true!  The harder an idea is to explain, the less likely it will get others excited about it! 

For example, when I was in grad school, my entrepreneurship class was split into groups and then challenged to come up with a business idea and a business plan. 

As expected, most groups launched into furious planning.  They came up with intricate schemes to form business, and planned out their business actions for years to come.  Their business plans stretched far over 25 pages.

Ours didn't.  Most of the students in our group were international students, who had noticed an interesting issue that plagued all the international students in our residence. 

Basically, the tap water wasn't safe to drink, nearby shops were expensive (a 1L bottle cost almost the same as a 6-pack elsewhere), the closest grocery store was over a mile away and made deliveries only for purchases of over $40, (and the delivery truck came when it wanted and just dropped off purchases in the communal entryway if the buyer wasn't there to pick them up!)  Most importantly though, six 1L bottles of water are HEAVY and most students bought at least two 6-packs a week!

So, our group created a service that would purchase 6-packs of bottled water in bulk and deliver them at a specific time either once or twice a week to the student residence.  To add some more revenue, we also offered vital, non-perishable essentials like toilet paper.  (Because who wants to walk over a mile down a busy street carrying a 24-pack of toilet paper?)

The business was in-demand - since over 150 car-less international students lived at the residence.  It was low-risk - since we offered only non-perishable items that everyone needed.  It was viable - since we could make bulk purchase and therefore make money by charging the same price.  It was a no brainer for students - since it made their lives much simpler without costing more.

And, it was easy to explain and understand! 

We called it KIS Enterprise: for "Keeping it simple."  Our business plan was 4 pages.  Our presentation was longer (since all members of the group had to speak in the presentation for a grade), but it was to-the-point and clear.

The other groups presented 25+ pages about their businesses, worked really hard to explain why their hair-cutting sports bar was in demand (ok, I made that one up, but a lot were very complicated), and had overwhelming Powerpoint presentations.

Not all of them convinced us about their business idea, despite the tons of research they had obviously done.  Not all of them did well on their grade, either.

But our teeny business plan and snappy presentation was so successful that that we not only got A's, the head of the student organization at the University approached us afterwards about making the business real.

Of  course, not all businesses can be explained in four pages - and they shouldn't be. 

But if someone with an idea can quickly and simply explain why their business solves a genuine need, they are much more likely to get support for that idea than if they compiled 50 pages of supporting documentation.

"Keep it simple, stupid" is a great phrase to remember when coming up with ideas.  Because, if an idea's worth can only be understood after tons of explanation, it's highly likely that potential customers won't get the message either.

Want to learn more about innovation and creativity? Here's the best resource around!

Finding the best blogs out there is not easy!  Sure, there are some big names that everyone subscribes to: Boing Boing, Lifehacker, TechCrunch, Seth's Blog, and so on.

But how do you find the best blogs in the areas you're really interested in?

After all, not everyone wants to read the exact same thing as everyone else!  (Boring...!)

From my experience, it hasn't been easy!  For the last couple years, I've done blog searches, combed through social bookmarking sites, and checked out bloggers that other bloggers recommend.  It's been a lot of work finding the best bloggers in innovation, creativity, and marketing!

That's why I am completely thrilled with a new website by Guy Kawasaki. 

Called Alltop, it lists the best blogs in almost 150 categories - with subjects ranging from ADHD to Careers to Sales to Yoga. It's a fantastic and easy way to make it easy for people to find blogs in the areas they want to read.  And I love Alltop.com from an innovation standpoint because it solves a very real need.

But most importantly for all of you, they have a brand new innovation category! 

Just put up this week, innovation.alltop.com features the best of the best creativity and innovation bloggers:
Roger von Oech, Gregg Fraley, Paul Sloane, Mitch Ditkoff, Chuck Frey, Jeff De Cagna... and ME!

(That's right, getFreshMinds.com is ranked as a top innovation blog.  And I'm so excited about it!)

Alltop.com is a resource I'd recommend highly even if I weren't in it.  But since I am, you all should definitely go there and check out the other amazing innovation blogs!  There are so many that are worth reading.