By Jen McClure, Chair, SNCR Advisory Board, and CEO, JEM Consulting JEM Consulting has launched a new survey-based study to measure organizations’ adoption of employee advocacy programs. The study will explore trends and best practices for program adoption and management, goal-setting and measurement, growth, training and tool usage. The purpose of the study is to […]

Good to Great, the bestselling book by Jim Collins, offers timeless insights into what it takes to become great.  It applies not only to businesses, but also to brands, people, churches, non-profits, governments, communities, and more.  I recently revisited the text, along with the monograph accompanying it, Good to Great and the Social Sector, and was reminded of how greatness is a choice.  In light of my own books, What Great Brands Do, and Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do, I thought it would be helpful to consider what choosing greatness means specifically in brand-building.

Collins conveys fundamental points about greatness that are particularly true in building a great brand — here are three that rise to the top for me:

1. Greatness is characterized by superior performance, distinctive impact, and lasting endurance. These are outcomes of greatness as well as inputs to it, reflecting choices that aspiring brands make.

Superior performance, most clearly indicated in businesses by higher gross profit margin, means a brand is creating value for the organization.  In social sectors and other cases, superior performance might be measured by greater demand for services or better outcomes.  Regardless, a great brand chooses to drive toward superior results instead of accepting modest outcomes or believing there aren’t adequate metrics to measure performance, as some non-commercial groups wrongly conclude.

Distinctive impact means uniquely contributing to your target group — creating unique value for target customers if you run a business, for target people or communities if you run a nonprofit, etc.  A great brand aspires to make a certain contribution that no other can — something it is the best and only in the world at — instead of simply trying to be better than existing options.

And, lasting endurance is about sustaining that distinctive impact.  Great brands do this by attending to timeless fundamentals like excellent execution and clarity about what is on-brand and what is not.  Collins calls this “clock building” and contrasts it with the short-term ability of “time telling.”  Unlike pursuing a hit product or a buzz-generating campaign, great brands commit for the long-term and therefore last through market changes, changing trends, multiple product cycles, and generations of people.

2. Greatness is achieved through relentless focus and commitment. As I travel around the world to speak to businesspeople about great brands, I’m amazed at how many people expect me to extol the virtues of a new social network or cool digital tool.  As if, they seem to believe, these are the keys to building a great brand.   But I make no apology for explaining that greatness is only achieved through a comprehensive, long-term management approach — brand as business.

The brand-as-business management approach involves putting your brand at the center of your organization — and keeping it there — using it to drive, align, and guide everything you do,  While it’s important to consistently innovate and explore new ways to connect with your target and many cool ways to do so emerge every day, no one single, short-term action is going to create a great brand.  Great brands choose brand as business.  As Collins states, “In building a great institution, there is no single defining action, no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment.”

3. Greatness is an inherently dynamic process, not an end point. Collins explains, “No matter how much you’ve achieved, you will always merely be good relative to what you can become.”  This isn’t just some empty platitude about the journey vs. the destination, it is a reflection of the reality all organizations operate in today.  Great brands recognize they have competition — whether for people’s dollars, attention, loyalty, mindshare, or advocacy; whether close and direct or distant and indirect — and any leadership position they’ve been able to achieve can be fleeting.  So they adopt a posture of dissatisfaction with their current state and continuously make the choice to be great.  And if you truly aspire to make a difference in this world, you know there is always more difference to make.

There are plenty of good brands out there.  People buy, use, support, and belong to them — and that might be enough for you.  But great brands are the ones people go out of their way for, the ones people admire, the ones people bond with.  If that’s the kind of brand you want to have, you must choose greatness.  “Greatness is not a function of circumstance.  Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.” — Jim Collins

The post choosing greatness appeared first on Denise Lee Yohn.

In recent years, official estimates of labor productivity growth have shown a significant slowdown. But many argue that the government has failed to correctly estimate productivity. This argument was made recently in a Wall Street Journal article featuring Hal Varian, Chief Economist of Google. The piece prompted an elaborate discussion in the blogosphere.[1] Mismeasurement of […]

A while back I interviewed radio host, author and music marketer David Hooper about his book Six Figure Musician. We did the interview in Nashville about a week prior to the launch. At the time he told me about his plans for the book and how he intended to market it. I thought it would be interesting to follow up with him and find out how his marketing strategies were working and what he had learned about his audience. The book is available for free as well as a number of paid versions too. Would people value them differently? Was there any unexpected insight as to what people would go for? I have noticed that free can often result in less interest due to a lower perceived value of the content, whether it is a free music industry panel, workshop, webinar, concert or album download… What can David tell us about the world of book marketing within the music industry?

In our conversation we talk about marketing, getting a #1 on the billboard charts and a best selling book on Amazon. We discuss the global business market and the ability to choose the best partners on a global scale. Although I am not one for talking about hype, on this occasion I ask David his opinion of the media around Miley Syrus from a marketing perspective.

As always the conversation takes many twists and at every turn David has some hugely valuable insight to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. 

www.playitloudmusic.com  www.abovethenoise.ca  @playitloudmusic

Interview with David Hooper

For more on David Hooper and his book Six Figure Musician please visit:

www.musicmarketing.com

www.musicianbook.com

Even though they weren’t scientists at the time–she had graduated from law school and his career was in transportation technology–they were determined to do whatever it takes to become medical researchers. It meant leaving their jobs, going back to school–and not just any program would do. They were accepted for PhD’s at Harvard, and that led to their current work at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The director of the Broad, Eric Lander, describes the couple as “full, card-carrying scientists. They really came in with a total plan of all the options, because failure is not one of the options.”

Can they help cure a disease that claims the lives of over 7,000 people each year? Sonia told Hartman: “We really think this is doable.”

The Ancient Roman poet, Virgil, wrote “Love Conquers all things.” We’re rooting for you, Sonia & Eric!

CBS Evening News, 1/1/16

The post Newlyweds become medical researchers to find cure for wife’s disease appeared first on The Good For You Network.

In March 2007, a handsome iron-haired man stepped onto the low stage at Monterey dressed in full leathers, and gave what might be the most beautiful 3-minute TED Talk of all time. Jok Church told a story from his childhood:

I was the class queer. I was the guy beaten up bloody every week in the boys’ room, until one teacher saved my life. She saved my life by letting me go to the bathroom in the teachers’ lounge. She did it in secret. She did it for three years.

Jok got a little older, escaped to San Francisco and became active in AIDS organizations, learning, as many did in the 1980s and ’90s, how to lovingly care for dying friends. And one day, that teacher, the one who’d saved his life, called him. Watch the talk, would you?

A longtime techie, Jok was the creator of You Can with Beakman and Jax,  a science comic strip for kids that ran in Sunday papers and inspired the long-running TV show Beakman’s World. As his friend Richard Bolingbroke writes:

Kids would write in with questions like “why is the sky blue” and he would create this amazing at-home science experiment to demonstrate how to prove this, along with an upside-down line of commentary, which often offered unsolicited personal advice on being a free thinker.

Which sounds exactly perfect. Jok died of a heart attack on April 29, 2016. He will be much missed.

Two years ago I started writing a book, today I am excited to tell the world about it.

I was fascinated with what set successful musicians in today’s music industry apart from those with talent but no music career in their future. Research for the book had me taking a serious look at successful musicians and artists through to CEO’s, athletes and the world of neuroscience.

I wanted to present a resource that gave the reader the mindset, tools and approach for success in music. And I wanted it to be a book that related to left and right brain thinkers alike, hopefully connecting the two. The result is Musicpreneur : The Creative Approach to Making Money in Music

Although it will be officially released in late January I would love you to take a sneak peek by clicking here.

Musicpreneur connects the dots between music and business. With a healthy dose of creativity, it provides the tools, knowledge, mindset and approach for you to get heard above the noise and build a successful career in music.

Aaron Bethune. Music specialist. Creative Collaborator. Musicpreneur.

“If you have a dream to turn your music into your career, this is a must-read. Today’s musician is part artist, part entrepreneur, and part marketing expert. Aaron covers all of the bases in this fantastic book.”

Steve Jones, author of Brand Like a Rock Star: Lessons from Rock ’n’ Roll to Make Your Business Rich and Famous

“It’s tempting, when you go into the music business, to think that all you have to do is write a great song. That certainly helps. It’s also a necessity to know all aspects of the industry, so you’re able to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face. This book might just be all you’ll ever need to read.”

Eric Alper, Director of Media Relations, eOne Music Canada

Flash back to the summer of 2014. Sunny skies, warm days, and consumers were paying, on average, $3.70 for a gallon of gas. But an autumn chill brought a rapid decline in the price of a barrel of oil that carried through the winter months. By the winter of 2015, the price of a gallon […]

This month (March 2014) my interview with photographer Mark Maryanovich is the cover story for the US publication “Regional Musician.”  Below is the interview with Mark. To read the rest of the magazine, see the photos and check out other editions you can go here: www.regionalmusician.com

Mark Maryanovich is a Canadian photographer based in Santa Monica, CA, born in Windsor, Ontario and raised on Canada’s rainy west coast.  He has won a number of awards for photography and is a referenced source of inspiration by many in the industry. His clients have included Chris Cornel, Randy Bachman, Gibson Guitars, Bob Rock, Chad Kroeger and Henry Rollins to name a few. His work has appeared on the cover of books, in Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Canadian Musician and that’s just skimming the surface.

After working with every major artist, label and management company in Canada, Mark’s logical next move was to expand his career south of the border. His personal preference being to shoot outdoors made California the ideal place to relocate. Working in cities like Vancouver often required numerous days to be set aside in order to ensure one day of good weather!

While shooting in LA has the advantage of the weather it has the disadvantage of being home to many, many photographers. So how do you stand out from the crowd and what can artists learn from Mark’s success and experiences?

The reality is that there is little difference between achieving success in music, photography, art, acting or any line of work for that matter. It takes undeniable talent and expertise along with commitment, dedication, passion, work ethic, persistence, self worth, belief, among other things and all of which are traits that Mark has learned from his mentor Raphael Mazzucco.

I have known Mark for a number of years. I was already a fan of his work before we met and didn’t even know it. I had albums with his work on the cover, not to mention some of the most recognizable photos of bands I dig have been taken by him.  It was a pleasure to get the chance to ask Mark some questions about his career, what artists can do to have a more successful photo shoot and from his perspective what stands out about successful musicians. Here is the Q&A:

Aaron Bethune: When did you first have an interest in photography? 

Mark Maryanovich: My interest in photography started late, I wasn’t introduced to it as a career until I was 25, when I met artist and fashion photographer Raphael Mazzucco while I was living in Montreal.

AB: What inspired it to become a career?

MM: The first portrait I ever shot was printed in Ocean Drive magazine. It was of musician David Usher, and seeing it in print was incredibly inspiring.

AB: Why music and how did you get into photographing musicians?

MM: Raphael taught me that you should photograph what you’re passionate about, and I was always passionate about music. To me it combined art and style, and capturing that made for good pictures.

AB: What was your first big break?

MM: My first big break was photographing The Tea Party at Le Studio Morin Heights for Canadian Musician Magazine.

AB: Where did that lead?

MM: I moved to Vancouver shortly after that and started my career on the west coast. I began by assisting fellow friends and photographers Johnathon Vaughn Strebly and Gregory Crow. I also learned about the importance of personal style from Tracey Pincott, a brilliant stylist. In the early days, we were still using film, so testing and learning how to shoot was much different from today. Expensive for one thing, as we had to pay for film for each shot we took. Photographers these days are extremely lucky to have the freedom of digital both creatively and financially, to test, learn and grow.

AB: Has the work always been word of mouth? Are you a hustler? 

MM: Pretty much, the work has been word of mouth. I’ve been really fortunate over my career, in that most of business comes from repeat clients and referrals. I guess the hustling part would come in with the fact that on every shoot I hustle to make sure the client’s expectations are exceeded.

AB: What are your keys to networking? How do you build relationships?

MM: One thing about choosing to be a music photographer, is that my clients are incredibly cool people. I always enjoyed going to shows, meeting and hanging out with musicians. I’m interested in music and getting to know them so a lot of my relationships build organically, but they’re always about the work, which is what I most enjoy.

AB: What do you feel beyond talent makes people want to work with you?

MM: I usually try to make each shoot different, and usually it’s on location and somewhere interesting and new to the artist that makes it compelling for both of us. Also, I shoot very differently from other photographers, I think. I prefer to work one on one with the artist, and a lot of artists have said that they appreciate that, and find that it makes the shooting process a lot easier and more enjoyable for them.

AB: What does a typical shoot consist of?

MM: A typical shoot consists of collaborating with the artist beforehand in terms of locations and style, researching the client and their music to fully understand the direction they’re looking to go, scouting locations, planning set ups, then executing the shoot. Beyond that, every shoot is different, which is another aspect I really enjoy about my job.

AB: What makes an enjoyable experience working with an artist? 

MM: Good energy and an open mind, a willingness to try something different, even if it’s not been planned beforehand make for an enjoyable experience, because you never know what might work on the day.

AB: From your perspective as a photographer, what stands out about artists that have achieved a high level of success? Is there a certain feeling you get from them, a particular personality, recognizable traits?

MM: Artists that have achieved the highest level of success are usually the most professional, and are focused on getting the job done in the time allotted. Also, good business skills or management with good business skills are really recognizable traits.

AB: What are the key elements to a successful shoot? What can artists do to ensure the best experience and result?

MM: Being on time is a key element for a successful shoot. Waiting for one band member to show while the light is perfect and you have 10 set ups to achieve is no way to start the day.  Bringing lots of options in terms of clothing is a great idea. Getting a haircut or doing anything that radically changes your appearance right before a shoot is probably not a great idea, in case you’re not happy with it. Hitting the gym doesn’t hurt either!  And as mentioned earlier, good energy, an open mind and a willingness to try something different that may involve working a bit for, are also key elements.

AB: Where do you get your inspiration? 

MM: Most of my inspiration comes from listening to the artist’s music, and discussing the themes and things that went into writing and making the songs.

AB: What is your favourite medium to work with? Posters, album covers and portraits/band shots seem quite different in terms of space and dimension.

MM: I like working with bands because it’s challenging to come up with something different, and to have two, three, five or sometimes more people all looking great and interesting at the same time. I love the format of 12 inch vinyl, there’s nothing like seeing big artwork. Bands that are putting out vinyl in this day and age, to me, it adds a touch of class and nostalgia that I love.

AB: Have there been any disaster shoots or exceptionally good ones of note?

MM: Chris Cornell for Gibson Guitars was a definite highlight. I’ve been really lucky, there haven’t been any disaster shoots I can think of.

AB: What kind of music are you listening to?

MM: I usually listen to every kind of music, as I work with artists from a lot of different genres, from rock to country or hip hop and dance. Right now, I’ve been listening to a lot of Terraplane Sun.

AB: Are you a fan of anything?

MM: I’m a fan of old cars, music, art, photography and film.

AB: Who hires you?

MM: I usually get hired by bands and artists themselves, management companies, record labels, magazines, or marketing departments at product companies.

AB: You have received a Canadian Country Music Award not once but twice, had your work featured in major magazines including Billboard, Rolling Stone, ION, Canadian Musician, Modern Drummer, Guitar World, and Regional Musician to name a few, Randy Bachman’s autobiography has your photo of him as the cover… what’s next? Where are your sites set?

MM: My sites are set on developing artMARKet and clothingMARKet. I’m branching out into art photography, and down the road into some select clothing items. It’s new for me, the art part, because I’ve never really considered my work to fall into that category. I’ve been really fortunate though, to have been recognized by the California art community recently, with placements in two juried art photography shows, and a few of my clients have commissioned some personal work of mine, so I thought that maybe this would be a good idea.

AB: How has the internet affected photography?

MM: When I began in photography, the iconic album cover and one or two promo photos/ tour posters were what people identified with the music for one to two or even three years. Now the constant demand for new visuals is phenomenal. As a photographer, I love it, as I love shooting a lot of photos and getting a lot of different pictures from one shoot, and I love it when artists update constantly, it’s a treat for their fans.

AB: Who do you respect in your industry?

MM: Raphael Mazzucco, Anton Corbijn, and Annie Leibovitz I completely respect in the industry, and I’m a huge fan of their work.

AB: Who have been some of the people that you have most enjoyed working with?

MM: I’ve been really fortunate to have worked with amazing clients across the board. I always learn something from each of the artists I work with. One of my favourite experiences was working with Randy Bachman( Guess Who, BTO) at his home in Salt Spring Island. The place was amazing, I remember I was moving some things around his studio to set up a shot & I uncovered a set of bongo drums that were signed “To Randy, Wow, Ringo Starr”… that was pretty cool. Shooting Chad Kroeger(Nickleback) for his custom Gibson guitar at his house in BC was a great experience. He’s a true class act, incredibly intelligent, generous and fun to be around. One of my favourite shoots with 54*40 was our first one together, when we shot 8×10 polaroid. Pulling apart that big sheet of film on the day after running it through a processor hooked up to my car battery with Neil & the guys was a once in a  lifetime experience. Having producer Bob Rock in my studio with his son was overwhelming & the interest he took in my work was incredibly inspiring. One of my first ever shoots I’ll always remember was with Henry Rollins. Super intense.

AB: What drives you? What gets you excited?

MM: The picture I’m going to shoot next.

AB: How do you approach photography of people vs. of product/instruments?

MM: My experience with shooting product has been that usually the musician is included with the instrument. Then it becomes more about the person, more of a portrait.  Photographing people is about building confidence with them, whereas in shooting products and instruments I’m always looking for how to be creative with it.

AB: Where have you had to travel to for photo shoots?

MM: All across Canada, from Salt Spring Island to PEI, New York, Texas, Nevada, Nashville, and all over California.

AB: What are some of the most unusual places/sets you have shot?

MM: Monahans Sandhills in Texas, Valley of Fire Nevada, Death Valley in August, Brooklyn Bridge at 5am, rooftops in LA.

AB: Who would you like to photograph?

MM: David Bowie.

To see Mark’s work visit: www.markmaryanovich.com

Interview by Aaron Bethune

Aaron is an author, music consultant, creative collaborator and musicpreneur.

Author: www.musicpreneur.ca

Podcast: www.abovethenoise.ca

The benefits of working remotely can go on and on – avoiding the dreadful rush-hour traffic, saving commute costs, balancing work and life and more. It is no surprise that Forrester predicts almost half (43%) of the U.S. workforce will be remote by next year.

But there is one major drawback. As convenient as working remotely can be, it often leads to a lack of culture that prevents it from becoming a truly desirable option. Working at home just does not deliver the firsthand experience that many people tend to seek – fun and lively ping-pong sessions, team bonding excursions, gourmet catering or even simple happy hours.

Companies big and small are investing heavily in culture to recruit technology talent, as demand for staff has surpassed supply. A recent Boston Consulting Group study found that the demand for software developers has outpaced supply by approximately 35,000 positions and is predicted to increase six fold through 2022. Culture has even been correlated to a company’s bottom line. In fact, companies with “performance-enhancing cultures” raised 682% in revenue growth and companies that did not have a culture only grew 166%, according to a research study conducted by Kotter International and Harvard Business School professor, James Heskett.

Understanding the importance of creating a sense of camaraderie for my staff, I knew I had to find ways to build culture at Unveillance, my first startup. The problem? We had a fully remote workforce. Given these unusual circumstances, it was no easy task – I had no idea where to start. However, after taking the time to get to know my employees, here’s what I’ve found to work over the years:

Bring the water cooler conversations online

The lack of face-to-face interaction can strip any kind of personality from the collaboration between team members. That’s why I started a Slack messaging channel and populated it with random articles, videos and humorous finds for the team to share. This affords us all a few (albeit remote) laughs during the day, an experience that would usually be reserved for the “water cooler” at a conventional company.

Game play: The new happy hour

If you know your technology teams enjoy video games, then encourage a weekend or off-hours virtual session to foster bonding beyond work and relieve stress. This sends a message to your tech teams that you care about their interests and genuinely want them to be happy working at your company. If your first off-hours gaming session is successful, expand it to other teams, providing employees of all kinds with opportunities to engage virtually with their coworkers by participating in activities they all enjoy.

Say goodbye to micromanagement

There is no way to micromanage remotely, so you might as well allow your team to manage their own time according to what works best for them. For example, if employees prefer to take longer lunch breaks and then clock in additional hours after 5 p.m., let them do it! You’ll likely find that your work force is more relaxed, more refreshed and more motivated to work while they are online. If you do not trust them to do great work at their own pace, why did you hire them in the first place?

Invest in face time

Having a remote workforce does not mean you should limit yourself to communicating only via Skype, GoToMeeting or other virtual meeting platforms. Every once in a while, invest in the time to meet key team players. These meetings can reset expectations, strengthen bonds and help you obtain feedback from staff to make the company culture better.? When you take the time to meet with your teams, they know that you value them and will, in turn, feel more motivated to do above and beyond for the company. In the end, nothing truly replaces the firsthand social experience of meeting up in person.

Acknowledging the importance of culture has been a key factor in my success to date – it has helped me increase productivity in a remote work setting and retain brilliant talent who played an integral role in the acquisition of Unveillance.

Now, I continue to focus on culture at my current startup, Tagspire, a social commerce platform that allows anyone to earn cash incentives when the products they “tag” have been purchased. Like at Unveillance, Tagspire has full-time remote staff working from all over Texas and the world, and I have found that a commitment to culture has been paramount in cementing our mission even further.

At the end of the day, there is no magical formula to crack the culture code in remote work. It is instrumental to pay attention to staff’s lifestyle choices, get to know their hobbies and come up with unique practices that will effectively build a culture that your staff will embrace.

This article was written by My Say from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Talent HQ is a premier information channel empowering professional development for recruiting and HR communities through regional events including Denver Recruiters, Wisconsin Recruiters, Oregon Recruiters and California Recruiters.

Remote Employees: Cracking The Culture Code

Remote Employees: Cracking The Culture Code