Taking Time Off for You

Next week I will be up in Big Bear, CA staying in a little cabin writing as much as I can without distraction. My expectations are to get many articles, press releases and maybe even a book out of it. When I get back I'll be refreshed and ready to network like crazy. So, what does this have to do with taking time off for you?

In the past ten or so years, employees of large companies started to take 'working vacations', or going somewhere where you can have fun, relax and recharge, but also would be available online or via phone if anything came up. Some people even make their vacations true working vacations.....see the previous paragraph. So, what happened to real vacations? The one where you really forget about work for a week or two and truly rejuvenate? In a corporate world where speed is everything, being away for even a couple of days could mean the difference between a successful or disastrous product launch. You might think with that logic I would recommend working vacations. Not so. Just the opposite. Take that vacation every year. It's there for a reason, to give you time away to spend however you want, away from work. Go do something fun with your family. G write that book you've been meaning to write for the past ten years. Do what FEELS good. That's how to make a vacation work for you.

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to write a book.

Cheers,

Kurt

Welcome to the World of Speed

I'm sitting here in my rental minivan in a Best Western Parking lot at the Bonneville Salt Flats, thinking once again about speed. My radio is tuned in to the course commentator as he yells out mph well over 200, 300 and above. The interesting thing about this 'world' is not the speed, but it's the camaraderie of all the participants. Everyone wants their vehicle to go as fast as it can, but it's not a competition. It's about everyone getting their 'personal best' and everyone else cheering them on. Think of a marathon, where thousands of volunteers cheer on every participant, whether they are near the front challenging for the lead, or someone who is trying to complete a marathon for the first time.

The camaraderie here reminds me of the successful business team. Everyone has their area of expertise, but only when they all work together, pulling for each other to succeed, can a project be completed on time and budget. Think about it; are you in a company that wants to see everybody do their 'personal best', or is it all about you getting your 'personal best'? The answer may lead you to one of the keys to high performing teams.

Cheers,

Kurt

Speed Doesn't Kill......Lack of Speed Does

Evening everyone. It's Sunday late pm out here on the left coast and I am getting ready to make the annual pilgrimage to the land where speed knows no limits. I'm talking about the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and Speed Week. If you've never heard of Bonneville, the place itself is pretty boring. It's one long (23 miles I believe) dried up salt bed. It's flat, it's hot, and it's where just about every land speed record has ever been set. And this week the 'amateurs' get a crack at setting their own personal best speed records. Anyone can come out, and, for a small fee, race their car across the flat and get an official time. People from all walks of life come out here, with some of the craziest vehicles you will ever see. Last year a guy tried to set a land speed record.......on a unicycle! On the other end of the spectrum there are cars that look more like bullets that are built purely for speed, and will get up there well over 600 mph. Now THAT'S fast!

So, why all the talk about fast? Simple. In life and in business being first or fastest to the market can be the difference between making millions and being an also-ran. You have a great idea for a product, you may even have a prototype or even a production run, but how can you get it out there fast? You need people on your side that understand how to do this, how to work the system to your advantage. Find those people, and speed to market will be on your side.

Open Innovation is Alive and Well

...and living in Palm Desert! We just finished the 2008 Food Evolution Summit and I have to say, the scope of definition of Open Innovation is huge. Some rather large companies (General Mills, Nestle, Hershey to name a few) spent time on the podium telling the audienced of their successes, challenges and future of Open Innovation in their companies. The one point that kept coming up was that Open Innovation is here to stay, and will be the way companies will grow.



Organic Growth, or company growth from internally developed products, can only take you so far. Leveraging the talents and skills of outside entreprenuers will help a company grow in directions that would not have been otherwise possible with internal resources.



t's an exciting time to be an entreprenuer with Open Innovation. You may find yourself in a position to get the help and resources you need to get that great new idea to the market faster than you ever could on your own.



Cheers,



Kurt C Schneider

Lead Product Accelerator

Tech Bridge West

Hot, Hot and more Hot

Hi All,

I'll be heading out to the Food Evolution Summit 2008 at the Desert Springs Marriott in Palm Desert Sunday. I drove out there today to deliver some literature for the event; it was 113 degrees. It got me thinking about the storage conditions required for all the restaurants' food in the resort, and how much energy is required to keep our food supply safe. In a world where sustainability is becoming not just a buzzword, but a way of life, I wonder how we can reduce the energy consumption for fresh food storage? Freeze Drying? RF? Any way that moisture can be removed, then added back without changes in taste, color or texture would net some enterprising innovator a fortune.

What other ways can we reduce our energy consumption for fresh food storage? I'd welcome your comments.

One Word Defines it All

Hi All,

As I slowly get myself back into the work mode after a long holiday weekend, I started to think what would be a useful tidbit of information I could impart to you in the shortest number of words. It didn't take me long to come up with the answer:

Passion

Yup, everything you do, say or don't say is a direct result of the passion you have for that task. You can't fake passion, you either have it or you don't. Do you get up on a weekday morning eager to get to work to help make a difference? That's passion. Do you spend the weekend coaching your daughter's soccer team? That's passion. In short, if it something we WANT to do, the passion flows from it. If it is something we HAVE to do, there is no passion.

Do you want to make a difference in the world? In your life? Your family's? The answer is passion. If you have passion for a task, nothing is insurmountable.

Now get out there and find your passion!