I find these two images go together very nicely.
Kudos to Holstee for having such a vision to begin with.
You can purchase a print copy of the poster on their site – or click the image below for a larger version. Or watch a video and read it below….
Entertaining and informative with some swagger and swearing for good measure.
Well worth your time.
Astute readers will note this is actually going live on Thursday.
Yesterday was spent dealing with a snow storm, attending a funeral and then spending the rest of the day with my daughter.
It was the first funeral I attended since becoming a dad. And accompanied an unfortunate realization that the majority of funerals I have attended have been for those under 25. So I instead of writing a blog post I came home and held my daughter.
I am fortunate to know what I want to do with the rest of my life. Even more fortunate to have the means to do so. The post below from Seth Godin today talks of the opportunities we all have (if you are reading this you are part of that we). yesterday’s funeral was the result of a car accident. No warning, no time to say good-bye, no expectation that there’d be no chance to say or do anything together again.
I almost wish there was a class in high schools teaching students how to be grateful. We have so much going for us. Even when all my plans backfire or blow up in my face, I shut down a business, money is tight – I still have little if anything worth complaining about.
And all that time complaining needs to be directed to important (to you) work. Because we have no idea when our chance to keep doing that work ends. It is Thanksgiving in the States now – but where ever you are reading this, I hope you take a moment to be grateful for all you/we have.
A great way to give thanks…for the privileges we’ve got is to do important work.
Your job, your internet access, your education, your role in a civilized society… all of them are a platform, a chance to do art, a way for you to give back and to honor those that enabled you to get to this point.
For every person reading this there are a thousand people (literally a thousand) in underprivileged nations and situations that would love to have your slot. Don’t waste it.
- Seth Godin
Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
This is by far one of my favorite TedX Talks. I watched this talk for the first time one night while in the hospital with my newborn daughter trying to stay awake while caring for her. Now I will blame hormones, new dad-ness and lack of sleep but by the end of his son’s perfect day water works were on. My wife woke up wondering what was wrong and I replied an honest: nothing, everything is going to be great.
And it has been and will continue to be.
If you visit the How We Work section of our site you will see the following: Work/Life Balance. This clip played a (small) part in the focus on living.
It is not all about the billable hour to us, but simply filling your life with the things you want to do. Easier said than done.
But this clip shows why working towards that goal can be so important.
Enjoy!
Wednesday’s “Watch This” will be a weekly presentation we feel is worth your time to watch that either educates you related to services we offer, reflects our values or occasionally simply entertains and provides you with a break.
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
—What Steve Jobs said to Pepsi executive John Sculley to lure him to Apple. Sculley mentions it in the documentary Bloomberg Game Changers: Steve Jobs.
And he did it.
He changed the way movies are made, the way music is sold, the way stories are told, the very way we interact with the world around us. He helped us work, and gave us new ways to play. He was a myth made man. – Gizmodo
I have yet to own an Apple product. But I will. Soon.
I am a fan all the same of Steve Jobs. Particularly his willingness in business to kill his darlings. He is a man who learned to control and be the cause of the social disruptions in his industry (and others). He did not rest on what he had done but focused on what he was going to do next.
Jobs constantly strove to be the force of disruptive change that would make the Steve Jobs of six months ago irrelevant. – Fast Company
Owner of Apple products or not; for anyone reading this, Steve Jobs has in some manner impacted your life.
It takes courage to make a product so simple that a child can use it. – Fast Company
Steve Jobs, 56, died peacefully today surrounded by his family.
“If you want to learn how to build a house, build a house. Don’t ask anybody, just build a house.” - Christopher Walken
No matter how many books I read on business, social media or music – they never deliver the lessons that actually doing something has. Nor can one say they are an expert simply because they have read everything on a given subject – though I imagine for some fields that IS how you become an expert. One can not be a musician though if they do not make music.
This is why we also run our own projects – to learn by doing. This is why we are eager to take on projects unlike those we have done in the past – that too is a great way to learn. As Plato said: Necessity, who is the mother of invention*.
“Without deviation progress is not possible.“ - Frank Zappa
While there are set standards for business and social media practices – blindly embracing them is not suggested. We`re willing to look at what the norms are, look at the what is needed and decide if the norms offer the best approach or if it is time for some of that invention.
By not focusing on any one industry we are able to cross-pollinate ideas from one industry to the next as well – helping innovations spread.
“Find the others.” - Tim Leary
One of the greatest inventions of our time is the ability to find the people – where ever they are – that share a belief in your cause or a need for your product or service. No matter what it is you are attempting to accomplish, the people you need to do so are out there. Thanks to social media networks, mobiles and technology not yet widespread the ability to find and connect with these people will only become easier.
So with a purpose, we can get to work finding the people to make it happen – innovating along the way where required. That is our philosophy on how to operate.
That is a quiet revolution.
* We already like you if you picked up on that segue
This will probably be the easiest blog post I ever write. Minus the time I spent looking for a quote I saw on the difference between starting a business and family mind you that eludes me still….
Earlier this year I became a dad. Unless you are a complete bastard – everything changes. And it has been one amazing change after another. Every morning for the past couple weeks now I wake up to her smile – I think I have one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. She started laughing recently – absolutely the most amazing thing I may ever hear.
I have always been future oriented, even before I realized what that meant. In high school I failed one class: physics. Properly so since I stopped attending classes. Math was never a strong point and physics was plenty of math. Math, that I knew even then I would never, ever have any need for based on my interests or possible career paths. And to date it stands I was correct about physics (thankfully).
The risks in failing this next chapter of life though are far greater. I am now forced to take a long-term approach to everything for my daughter’s sake. From what I do to how I do it. Gary Vaynerchuk has a great philosophy that he wants to live his life in a manner than his grand-children will be proud of him (because everything you do, they’ll be able to find via Google/whatever replaces Google in the future). I believe that’s a most admirable goal. Sadly, one lacking in the conduct of many people today.
So AQR is certainly geared towards scratching some itches of my own. But I feel it also represents the best opportunity for me to provide for my daughter. While also ensuring as she grows up I can be there and do it all in a manner that she – (and her kids ?) – will be proud of the way I did so.
Word of Advice for Parents Tempted by (Social) Entrepreneurship
I think anyone who wants to start a business or social organization that thinks they can’t – should know they certainly can if they’ve raised a child.
I cannot think of a greater responsibility than being completely responsible for another’s life. Running a business becomes a cakewalk in comparison. And the constant adapting that is required in parenting – from adjusting sleep habits and schedules to figuring out what makes your child laugh next – is perfect training for dealing with an ever changing business climate, adapting will be second nature to you.
There’s also no better reason to start something you see capable of improving your life or that of those around you than to leave a better future for your child. All the while serving as a role model for them, teaching them only they will set their limitations in life.
P.S. – If you ever started a business and you have a husband or wife or partner, you know what amazing people they are. It continues to amaze me that my wife stands by me as I pursue one (circumstantially) insane idea after another (AQR is the now the fifth time I have approached my wife with…I’m starting a….). I keep joking that I need to start a support group for partners of entrepreneurs and maybe I should – they deserve all the support they give us in return and then some.
P.P.S. – I am also surrounded by an amazing cast of friends. Their collective talents never cease to amaze me. They too provide the inspiration and support that allow me to continue pursuing my passions in concert with them. I hope those that have and will join my family for dinner know I consider them an extended family as well.