How to Make 2017 a Great Year for Your Business | Duct Tape Marketing

December 29, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

I’m afraid this isn’t going to be the typical end of the year wrap-up/prediction post.

Nothing wrong with those, I’ve done them in the past, but today I simply want to share what I hope.

I hope this for my own business, and I hope this for anyone struggling to make meaning, get unstuck, grow, change, reconnect, start, or stop.

So often we take stock at the end of the year and for a brief moment may even experience something like optimism for the upcoming year. But, then the same patterns sneak back in, and by the end of January, nothing seems much different.

For 2017 to be the year that you breakthrough or out the only thing you really need to change is your mind.

How Entrepreneurs Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable | Entrepreneur

December 29, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You can’t be a successful entrepreneur if you’re afraid of being uncomfortable. Strange as that may sound, it’s a reality you’re going to have to face if you want to own and grow a business. Countless entrepreneurs, from Richard Branson to Mark Zuckerberg, have professed the importance of taking chances and pushing yourself past your “comfort zone,” but what does that actually mean? And how on earth are so many entrepreneurs able to tolerate immense mental discomfort and do things that scare, intimidate or otherwise cause them distress?

Remembering Carrie Fisher, Princess of Hollywod | WIRED

December 28, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

OF ALL THE dramatic introductions in the Star Wars series, few are as mysterious, or as crucial, as the very first scenes of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 1977’s A New Hope. Standing amid a fog of smoke, she deposits a mysterious object into R2-D2 before retreating back into the dark, only to emerge later to fearlessly blast a stormtrooper—all moments that set the original trilogy into motion, and which helped make the then-21-year-old actress one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

How Smart People Deal With People They Don’t Like | Life Hack

December 28, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a perfect world, each person we interact with would be nice, kind, considerate, mindful, generous, and more. They would get our jokes and we would get theirs. We would all thrive in a convivial atmosphere where no one was ever cross, upset, or maligned.

However, we don’t live in a perfect world. Some people drive us crazy, and we (admittedly) drive a few mad as well. Those we dislike are inconsiderate, rushed, malign our character, question our motives, or just don’t get our jokes at all — but expect us to laugh at all theirs.

You might wonder whether it is possible to be fair to someone who ruffles you all the time, or someone you’d rather avoid eating lunch with. You might wonder if you should learn to like every person you meet.

Source: How Smart People Deal With People They Don’t Like

5 Ways Museums Are Using Technology for New Experiences | ABC News

December 27, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Museums are always looking for ways to make their exhibitions more exciting. Now, new technologies are making that easier.

From 3-D scanning and 3-D printing, to virtual reality and special apps, these technologies are being applied in a multitude of ways. Still other technologies are being tested and developed as museums seek to ever broaden public access.

“Where we used to have one way of visiting and experiencing a museum, people now expect a variety of ways,” said Catherine Devine, chief digital officer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “It’s about exploring technologies.”

A look at some of the ways museums are integrating and developing technologies to engage their audiences:

How to Spot Student Loan Forgiveness Scams | The Simple Dollar

December 27, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

After completing college, you may feel overburdened by your student loan costs, but don’t fall victim to student loan forgiveness scams that offer false promises of easy debt relief.

That’s not to say there’s no such thing as student loan forgiveness — federal loans really can be forgiven under certain conditions. But debt relief companies know that millions more people are struggling to repay student loans and, in response, they’ve set up programs that offer to help reduce your debt — for a fee.

Often they offer services that you could perform yourself at no cost. According to the U.S. Department of Education, such companies solicit business through mail, mobile phone ads, social media, and direct phone calls.

UN Will Take on ‘Killer Robots’ in 2017 | Live Science

December 27, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Good news, fellow humans: The United Nations has decided to take on killer robots.

At the international Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, 123 participating nations voted to initiate official discussions on the danger of lethal autonomous weapons systems. That’s the emerging designation for so-called “killer robots” — weapons controlled by artificial intelligence that can target and strike without human intervention.

The agreement is the latest development in a growing movement calling for an preemptive ban on weaponized A.I. and deadly autonomous weapons. Last year, a coalition of more than 1,000 scientists and industry leaders, including Elon Musk and representatives of Google and Microsoft, signed an official letter to the United Nations demanding action.

This Is the Future of Retail, According to 1 Silicon Valley Engineer | Inc.com

December 22, 2016December 22, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The retail shop might be beleaguered in this era of convenient online shopping and free returns, but it’s not dead yet. Far from it: just look at the storefronts operated by formerly online-only brands such as Bonobos, Warby Parker, and Rent the Runway.

But e-commerce has definitively changed the way people shop–and according to one Silicon Valley engineer, retailers are failing to adapt.

Most bricks-and-mortar shops are never going to be able to beat the Amazons of the world at supply chain efficiencies, says Vibhu Norby, formerly a lead engineer at the smart thermostat company Nest. So, he concludes, “the future of retail has to do with discovery and customer relations.”

Washington, D.C. Passes 8 Week Paid Parental Leave Bill | Forbes

December 22, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On Tuesday, lawmakers in Washington, D.C. passed one of the most generous paid parental leave laws in the U.S.

The new legislation will grant all full- and part-time workers in the city eight weeks of leave at up to 90% of their full weekly wages for birth, adoption or fostering. The bill also provides for six weeks of family leave to look after a sick relative and two weeks for a personal medical emergency.

The law will only cover private-sector workers, excluding those on city or federal payroll. To qualify, a worker need only be employed in D.C.; residents of other cities and states with jobs in the capital are eligible. Non-profit workers and the self-employed are also covered.

4 Surprising Words That Should Define Your Digital Strategy in 2017 | Adweek

December 21, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The tree-decorating selfies have inundated Instagram, you’re receiving multiple festive discount emails each day, and you’re already having flashbacks to office holiday parties from years past.

That’s right, it’s the end of the year for marketers, and that means it’s time to look ahead to what trends, obstacles and issues we can expect in the coming year.

Instead of pointing you to some of the more popular acronyms of late—IOT, OTT, VR, AR, AI, etc.—I’ve instead boiled it down to four deceptively simple words that should help you focus your digital strategy in 2017.