 |
 |
|
Posts from the 'Brainstorm Blitz' Category
August 8th, 2008 by Allen Voivod
 I’m not sure how we got on their mailing list, but we got a postcard from Getty Images not too long ago, announcing the debut of a new brainstorming tool called Moodstream. From their materials:
“Whether you want images, footage or audio, or you just need a stream of fresh ideas, tweak the Moodstream sliders to bring a whole new creative palette straight to you.”
I’ve been playing with it here and there today, and I’ve gotta say, it’s very distracting - in a good way. It’s like watching a mashed-up slideshow of thousands of people’s photos and videos, in brief snippets, accompanied by 10-15 second snippets of music. And if you want to buy any of it for use in your business, it’s clickably simple.
I started by switching the Preset Wheel from settings like “Excite,” “Inspire,” and “Simplify” (be sure to click “Refresh Stream” button to get those changes to take effect - unlike me, who took about a minute to figure that one out). I didn’t play in depth with the Happy/Sad, Calm/Lively, Humorous/Serious, and other sliders, but the couple tweaks I made resulted in noticeable differences in what was presented visually and aurally.
Even for a non-designer type like me, this proved to be a very cool new tool - inspiration for content doesn’t just come from reading other people’s words, after all.
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz, Tools to "A-Ha Yourself!" | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Friday, August 8th, 2008 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz, Tools to "A-Ha Yourself!".
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 14th, 2008 by Lani Voivod
During our three-week dilly-dally in Malibu, CA last month, we squeezed in a lot of great visits with friends who love and support us both personally AND professionally. (Friends like: Lisa Steadman, Rick Sanchez and Tara Zucker, Sheri Menelli, Shona Gupta, Gretchen De Castellane Wright, Lou Esposito, Matt Stevens, Brett Hedlund, Maximina Juson, and Melanie Benson Strick.)
When you get to know people on a personal level over many years, you can forget how incredibly talented, diverse, and ambitious the people in your own circle really are. For example, in that little list above there are several published authors, an award-winning screenwriter, an A-List film editor AND an A-List sound editor, the next “Oprah for Kids,” a professional musician, several big-thinking entrepreneurs, empire builders, producers, a few actors, writers, bloggers…and all-around lovely peeps.
Gee whiz, that’s a lot of talent and inspired action in one place!
Here’s the reason I’m posting. I just read a great article on Brainstorming by Melanie:
6 Keys to Solving Any Challenge With Out-of-the-Box Thinking
They’re great tips. Don’t miss ‘em.
If you’re looking to shake up your thinking, razzle-dazzle your opportunities, or annihilate any limiting beliefs or crummy mindset habits once and for all so you can finally build your dream lifestyle business, Melanie’s the one you want. Guaranteed. (Scan her site for five minutes and you’ll see what I’m talking about.)
And don’t forget to take inventory of the like-minded friends in your life right now, too. Too often we micro-biz owners think we have to go it alone, when advice, wisdom, and support can be had by the people in your life who’d love to help you out.
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 4:48 am and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
February 2nd, 2008 by Lani Voivod
The mind is an amazing tool, ain’t it? Finicky, for sure, but amazing as all get out.
I was “re-minded” of this when I read Lisa Wilder’s blog post about a tip she read on Tamar Wallace’s “Business of Design Online” - or BoDo - blog, in her “Angels and Demons” post.
Next time you’re stuck on a problem, or searching ever DNA strand within you to come up with a solution or an idea, think about this:
“Remembrance was a Buddhist philosopher’s trick. Rather than asking [your] mind to search for a solution to a potentially impossible challenge, [you] ask [your] mind simply to remember it. The presupposition that one once knew the answer created the mindset that the answer must exist…thus eliminating the crippling conception of hopelessness.”
Both Tamar and Lisa said that this trick worked for them several times in the hours and days following their read of the tip. It’s certainly easy enough to stick in your stash of Active Brainstorming tools. I, personally, can’t wait to test drive it over the next few days.
So have some fun with remembering how smart your really are, and share a comment here if it comes in handy for you anytime soon.
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | 1 Comment »
This entry was posted
on Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 at 10:13 am and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 28th, 2008 by Lani Voivod
Buried deep, deep, deep down in my inbox, I found an email from Sir Kevin Skarritt (Chief Nut at Acorn Creative) containing what appears to be the ultimate one-stop resource for killer mind-mapping resources (more than 30 links in all!), kindly shared by Mashable.com.
If you’re not familiar with mindmapping, it’s VERY cool. Whether you do it with a fancy online tool or with good, old-fashioned paper and pen, it’s a way to:
- Organize your thoughts visually
- “Imitate” the brains non-linear approach to considering problems (and opportunities)
- Share information in a more powerful way
- Capture ideas quickly and constructively
- Summarize, consolidate, and present concepts efficiently and effectively
- BRAINSTORM - by yourself, or with groups!!!
Here are a couple of visual examples:
If you want to know more about mind-mapping and how you could use it in your own life and business, check out this good article, Mindmapping for the Quick-Witted, by self-declared “mindmapping enthusiast” Dr. Vj Mariaraj, or see what Wikipedia has to say about it.
Bottom line: It’s FUN, it’s EFFECTIVE, and it’s a great tool for BRAINSTORMING!
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Monday, January 28th, 2008 at 11:27 am and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 25th, 2008 by Lani Voivod
 I like Mike Levy.
I don’t know this guy. In fact, I just “met” him here at my kitchen table, while I was drinking my coffee, breastfeeding my 3-and-a-1/2-month-old baby boy, scanning my email, and thinking about my day. You know, the usual.
But from this brainstorming article I just read - combined with a hasty scoot over to his own company’s homepage - I can tell he’s a guy with a signature style, a can-do spirit, and a deeply rooted reverence for the power of brainstorming.
Mike advocates “private thinking campaigns” as a way to make business brainstorming sessions far more productive and successful than what they become when a group of people show up assuming someone else has done the preliminary brain work. Or worse, when they think an hour of cross-yapping is supposed to give birth to the one single shining idea that’ll then be shoved into the turn-key marketing system and expected to perform by a certain date and time, or else its plug is pulled forever.
Now, don’t get me wrong, one single shining idea CAN be born in a typical corporate petri-dish brainstorming session (”The Petri Dish Method,” I call it)…IF the planets are properly aligned, or else the room is filled with consummate brainstorming pros who know how to play, trust, focus, jibe, bounce off each other, loosen up, accept-and-add, and go along for wild-toad ride that is a kick-butt brainstorming session. (*Or, if a good, strong, seasoned brainstorming coach like myself or Mike comes in and leads the team to brainstorming victory. ;-)*)
But Mike knows and respects the real rules of the game. Which is to say, creativity can be fluffed and optimized, but it plays by its own rules - NOT those of the linear-thinking majority.
As the owner of a company that champions brainstorms - and as the “Chief Scribbler” of the Wild Quills Blog, and thus an active champion of writing and creativity and its power to transform lives - I know Mike’s recommendations work.
Laying the groundwork. Clarifying your goal(s).
Setting your intention(s). Voicing expectations. Using a timer.
Obeying the rules of “free writing.” Riffing off your writing’s “center of gravity.”
These tools work. They may sound simplistic, but they’re not. They take commitment, discipline, belief, trust, and the ability to LET GO and TRUST THE PROCESS.
So thanks, Mike. I enjoyed our time together this morning. And if you don’t mind, I’m going to paste an excerpt from your article, including your rules of free writing.
Whatever the goal, fix it firmly in mind, and start the timer. You now have seven minutes to talk to yourself about the goal.
Delve into it any way you see fit. If you want to write about your company’s history in pursuing the goal, great. If you want to write about the people involved in reaching it, do it. If you want to talk about your dreams or fears surrounding it, here’s your chance.
The only thing you must be sure to do is obey the simple rules of free writing:
-
Write quickly (without slowing or stopping for any reason)
-
Write honestly (no one but you will see what you’ve written)
-
Write discursively (our best thinking often comes indirectly)
-
Write without worrying about style, punctuation, or grammar
And with screaming baby on my lap, I say to you and the world at large: PEACE OUT!
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Friday, January 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pm and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 18th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
 In a September 11th blog post, Mr. Purple Cow marketer himself explained to an inquiring mind why he’s never stingy with his ideas.
Since our Company - Epiphanies, Inc. - is all about using the “A-Ha!” (Bold Insight PLUS Joy-Filled Action) to catapult your life and biz to new heights, passions, and profits, I thought his eloquent response was worth sharing here on our “A-Ha!” blog:
…[I]deas are easy, doing stuff is hard.
My feeling is that the more often you create and share ideas, the better you get at it. The process of manipulating and ultimately spreading ideas improves both the quality and the quantity of what you create, at least it does for me.
History is littered with inventors who had “great” ideas but kept them quiet and then poorly executed them. And history is lit up with do-ers who took ideas that were floating around in the ether and actually made something happen. In fact, just about every successful venture is based on an unoriginal idea, beautifully executed.
So, if you’ve got ideas, let them go. They’re probably holding you back from the hard work of actually executing.
Right-eo, Sir Godin. Right-eo! So many people get stingy with what’s going on in their brains. “If I share the stuff I know openly, my competitors will steal it!” or “My clients won’t pay me for my services!” or “Someone will run with my million-dollar idea, and I’ll be bitter for the rest of my life!”
Yes, all that may happen, it’s true. But if you haven’t committed to an idea enough to put some actionable OOMPH behind it, you can’t be that in love with it, can you?
By all means, BRAINSTORM. Experiment. THINK. Dream. WONDER. Imagine.
Work it out in your head, talk with trusted friends and colleagues, do research, poke around the Internet and see who else is doing something similar to what’s on your mind. (And if it’s a good idea, 9 times out of 10, there ARE others playing in your idea’s territory!)
But if you find yourself dwelling in the Land of Ideas for weeks, months, and even years and never actually DOING something about ANY of your brilliant thoughts, chances are there’s a reason for your obsessive hoarding, and it’s a four-letter word that starts with “F.”
F-E-A-R.
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz, Insight + Action | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 9:09 pm and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz, Insight + Action.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 11th, 2007 by Lani and Allen
(A special thanks to MicroCredit-NH’s Tara Dolphin for writing such a wonderful news release for this event!)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boost Business Sales with MicroCredit-NH Workshop
Franklin, NH, July 10, 2007 – Does your small business need a sales boost, but you’re not sure how to achieve it? MicroCredit-NH will sponsor a “Creating Added Value” workshop in Franklin for small business owners and the self-employed. It will be held on Friday, July 20th from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Franklin Public Library on 310 Central Street.
This hands-on session will focus on brainstorming fresh ideas to increase the revenues of small businesses. Participants will also access effective goal-setting, prioritizing and planning strategies to make their ideas realities. Lani and Allen Voivod, co-founders and ‘Content Lovers’ of Epiphanies, Inc., will lead the workshop and assist participants with analyzing their businesses in creative and new ways.
“When the same old marketing and sales methods aren’t working, brainstorming can break through the barriers to change,” said Lani and Allen Voivod. “Done correctly, brainstorming incites new product lines, marketing tactics, and revenue streams for businesses.”
Registration for this event is required. The workshop registration fee is $15 for MicroCredit-NH members and $20 for non-members. To register, contact MicroCredit-NH at 1-800-769-3482. For more information about MicroCredit-NH and its statewide business development events, visit http://www.microcreditnh.org and click on “Calendar.”
To accomplish its mission of increasing the income and economic stability of microbusinesses and the self-employed, MicroCredit-NH provides statewide business development programming, loan capital up to $15,000, and expanded marketing and networking opportunities. MicroCredit-NH delivers its services through local Business Groups that are comprised of self-employed individuals and small business owners. Since program inception, MicroCredit-NH has loaned more than $850,000 to New Hampshire’s entrepreneurs. MicroCredit-NH is a program of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, Inc., a statewide non-profit charitable organization headquartered in Concord. MicroCredit-NH is generously supported by Citizens Bank, NH Community Development Finance Authority, the Community Development Block Grant Program, among others, and is endorsed by all New Hampshire County Commissions.
# # #
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz, Press 'n Such | 1 Comment »
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 at 5:54 am and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz, Press 'n Such.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 12th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
One of our clients is a resume writing and distribution service, and in the midst of doing some content research for them, I came across an article at Monster.com about ways to unleash the creative inside you.
It led off with this quote, which I really liked:
“Real creativity in marketing isn’t about just creating differentiation,” says Alain Thys, a representative of Management Centre Europe, an executive strategy consulting firm in Brussels. “I think it’s about really affecting the consumer with a proposition that moves him beyond the traditional role of features and benefits. In short, real creativity is about creating meaning.”
The content of the article is very much related to the concept of brainstorming and the power it holds for you - and you don’t have to be in marketing to make use of the six tips Francesca Di Meglio provides in the article.
And on a related note, Lani will be co-facilitating her fourth brainstorming event in five months on July 14th, this one on developing new products and services for existing businesses. We’ll give you all the details soon!
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 8th, 2007 by Allen Voivod
 Hmmm…why a picture of a ceiling fan? Well, apparently this has something to do with expanding my creativity.
Not the ceiling fan, per se, but the high ceiling in our new outside-the-home-office. According to this article I stumbled upon, someone actually did a study where they tested the problem solving skills of people in rooms with low ceilings versus high ceilings. Wild, huh?
And as I sit and finish this post, I’m back in the home office, with its seven-foot ceiling, and I’m beginning to think that the non-home office is going to be great for brainstorming, and the home office is going to be great for putting nose to grindstone.
What does this mean for you? Well, if you’ve got a laptop, go outside. Can’t get a much higher ceiling than that! If not? Knock out the acoustic ceiling tiles above your head. I bet you never liked them anyway. 
Posted in Brainstorm Blitz | No Comments »
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, May 8th, 2007 at 5:29 pm and is filed under Brainstorm Blitz.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
December 22nd, 2006 by Lani Voivod
 Over there in the branding and design powerhouse that is Acorn Creative, Mr. Kevin Skarritt is sharing spectacular tips and advice on naming things: Products, your business, your next swing-out venture, marketing campaigns…the works. He’s on tip #10 right now, and he notes a fine brainstorming tenet I’ve never heard of before. (Rare, indeed.) Behold:
The “phoenix effect” … where your great ideas rise from the ashes of the previous days heated brainstorming session. The point is that time (especially restful sleep) can give you a completely different perspective on any creative process. Including name generation. Consider all of those hundreds of ideas as seeds. Overnight, the healthy ones will grow and evolve. They’ll be different. Before, they were just a pile of seeds. Now you can tell which ones are viable. NAP TIME!!
Yes, yes, and YES. (And not just because it’s another excuse to nap, either.)
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
| |
I’m not sure how we got on their mailing list, but we got a postcard from Getty Images not too long ago, announcing the debut of a new brainstorming tool called Moodstream. From their materials:
