Passion at Work
“Waiting to do work you are passionate about is like saving up sex for your old age.”
Warren Buffet

If you are reading this, you are probably an entrepreneur or working for a new or early stage business. For some of you, this career move was part of a master plan or you have always liked being part of the start. For others, it was the only alternative you had once you lost your job or your drive in the corporate world.
No matter how you got here, chances are you are working very hard at building something new and it may be time to just take a breath and ask yourself three important questions:

1. What are my interests? Interests include topics or courses of study that you are curious about. You can gain insight into your interests by looking at your internet history, the tv shows you watch or the books next to your night stand.

2. What are my talents? I define talents as those things you do well that also give you energy back. At this point in your career you probably have a lot of skills but of those skills, the ones that are a combination of enjoyable and challenging – the activities you may be resistant to delegate are probably your known talents. You also may have other talents you have not explored, developed or mastered yet—these hidden talents are important to consider as well.

3. How can I better leverage my interests and develop my talents at my current job? The more you engage in what you are curious about and do things you love, the better you will be at your job and the more energy you will have to get through the challenges you face.

In addition to asking yourself these questions, you may want to involve your team in this conversation. I worked with a team in Atlanta who discussed these questions at an annual team retreat and then used the answers to develop strategy. From this inquiry, they decided to make their recreational passions part of their marketing plan. They now develop client relationships through golf and blues events. In addition, a team member decided to make film making (formally a hobby) an integral part of his job with the support of the CEO who realized using this talent could improve the company’s website while motivating a key employee to be more engaged at work. Passion at work is good for morale and productivity.

Laurel Donnellan is president and co-founder of Three Giant Leaps. She has a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. Laurel’s work has been influenced by her assignments in Fortune 100 companies as well as the study of yoga and traditional Native American Culture.
If you are interested in learning more about our approach to leadership and career development, please contact her directly to set up a consultation at laurel@threegiantleaps.com. In addition, Three Giant Leaps are offering all Shiners a free advanced copy of Laurel’s new book/audio set called Born To Do: The Practical Guide to Loving Your Work. If you would like a copy, contact our CEO, Paul Lanzarotti at paul@threegiantleaps.com or stop by his desk at the Lafayette Sunshine location.

www.massideation.com
www.massideation.com/mi_reel.html

Featured Projects

Pepsi Mofilm Contest
Web Video Production & Post Production

Mass Ideation partnered with Profero NYC to produce a call for entries for
the Pepsi Refresh Your World / MoFilm contest starring an international
Pepsi executive. The project included shooting in multiple NYC locations on
a tight schedule, editing, animation, and flash banner ads.

Coke Zero Concert
Broadcast TV Spot Concept & Production

In partnership with a Jamaican ad agency, MI developed the concept and
produced an animated spot to promote a contest to win tickets to the biggest
concert on the island featuring Sean Kingston.

Upliv Interactive Experiences
Flash Animation & Interactive Experience

Working closely with Profero NYC, MI created immersive, interactive
experiences and animations based on stock photography. These experiences
were then incorporated into a large Johnson & Johnson ad campaign targeting
the relaxation of women.

Getty Whitepaper
Flash Micro site

Mass Ideation, working in conjunction with Profero, produced this website
for a new white paper by Getty Images. The site was built using Flash and
XML, which can be controlled to edit all content.

Lufthansa
Rich Media Banner Campaign

Mass Ideation, in conjunction with Profero, developed this rich media
campaign for Lufthansa using 3D and after effects to call attention to the
Lufthansa advertisement and brand.

This  conflict resolution advice comes from 25 years of experience as a divorce mediator, custody evaluator and conflict resolution educator for the New York court system. My best advice on conflict resolution is deceptively simple: if you can follow some simple rules, you can de-escalate any conflict, and by virtue of that skill you can also control the outcome of the disagreement. Here are the rules:

Rule One:

• All conflict is the same whether it occurs between two people, two groups of people or two nations of people
• When you become aware of the intensity and direction of conflict you can predict the outcome.

When conflict is de-escalating, the outcomes are:

win/win

win/compromise

compromise/win

compromise/compromise

When conflict is escalating, the outcomes are:

win/lose

lose/win

lose/lose

When conflict is quickly and powerfully escalating, the outcomes are:

win/destroy

destroy/win

destroy/destroy

If you can become aware of the direction your conflict is taking, you can take steps to control the outcome.

Rule Two:

Escalation is driven by insult. When people are in conflict and conflict is escalating, poor communication results in people perceiving insult where none was intended, delivering insult where none is intended; and of course, insulting people intentionally. To effectively de-escalate conflict you must direct the conversation from “you” statements to “me” statements which seems very counter-intuitive (usually talking about yourself can be perceived as arrogant), but should be squarely focused on your own contributions to the conflict. For instance, one way to change the direction of an escalating argument is to simply say:

“I am embarrassed at how I am arguing with you. What can I do to make this conversation less adversarial?”

or

“I wish I could find a way to make this conversation easier for the both of us. What do you think I could contribute to make this conversation more positive?”

Often, (but not always because there are incurably difficult people in this world) you will see that this dynamic will bring discussions, negotiations and arguments to a much more manageable place.

Learn these skills, develop your ability to de-escalate conflict and you will be more successful in every aspect of your business and personal communications.

Good luck,

Dr. Peter

Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author of more than fourteen books and developer of the Self Enrichment Model of coaching. Dr. Peter’s office is at the Tribeca location. Contact him at pfavaro@aol.com

I see a lot of presentations. Every month at the NY Tech Meetup I see at least 7 or 8 presentations, in the other community events I attend I see more, and as a VC, first at Rose Tech Ventures and now at Flybridge Capital Partners, I see even more.

Last month, while I was attending another meetup, I saw almost every “demo sin” imaginable… so I took notes.

Let me say, I’ve been guilty of most of these sins at one point or another. I present this list less to make fun of people, but more to remind everyone — including myself — what breaks an otherwise great demo. (Feel free to add to this list in the comments!)
Powerpoint.

Seriously, you have an web company. Need a few slides? No you don’t. Demo your effing product. Really, really, really need a few slides? Put them on a website somewhere. You’re an effing web company.
Winging it.

Oh you’re sooo comfortable with your product and that crowd, to you, that crowd was born naked — who needs to imagine them so?! Well, no matter how comfortable and confident you are, you should still practice and plan your demo. It’s not about your confidence, it’s about a good show for your audience. (Disclaimer: I am most guilty of this sin. Correcting this is my resolution of 2010.)
Using your time on stage to try and save a buggy demo.

Bugs happen. If you use your time well and explain what you do, roll with it because people trust you it works. If you spend 4 of your 5 minutes trying to “save” your demo, people don’t trust you actually know what to do in time of crisis.
Out of all of your clients or content, demoing the scantily clad cheerleaders.

That’s just lame. Maybe that was okay with your colleagues in the Mad Men era, but today we just think you’re a anachronistic asshole.

Going over allotted time.

There are two main reasons this is bad: 1) it pisses off the organizer, who is your best friend for putting you on stage; 2) it pisses off your fellow demoers, who are your potential evangelists and business partners.
Turning down the opportunity to use a microphone because you think you have a loud enough voice.

You don’t — and especially not to that person sitting anywhere but directly in front of you.

Keeping video volume up while you’re talking about your product.

Everyone knows video has sound in 2009. Nobody heard you say what your company does.

Testimonial from David Tunstall, of the Tunstall Organization

So, I’m renting a cubicle at Sunshine Suites in Tribeca…NYC. A lot of small businesses here doin’ they thing. Not only is the price right: $375/month for my own cube, use of all the building facilities & file cabinets but they have this great social media tool called Yammer.

Yammer is like Facebook but on an intra-net. So basically the only way to access it is through the Sunshine network. To say that there is talent in the building is an understatement. Some of the regular contributors to Yammer range from Miss Florida (Jenna Edwards of Queen For A Day) to Vaynermedia to Green Soul Shoes and many others in the mix!

So not only am I inspired to be surrounded by such quality people, but I’m learning a ton from the yam posts and doing some business in the process…and in NYC the price is tough to beat. So, if you’re in the area pop in here and check it out!

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CONTRACT
By Sheheryar Sardar, Esq., Sardar Law Firm LLC
www.sardarlawfirm.com

Social media has grown exponentially in the last decade, with enterprising companies creating uncontested market space in the world of online and digital industries. Whether its new search engines or unique services offered to niche markets within the browsing population, social media has transcended all ages, incomes and geographic regions. Due to the fast-paced nature of social media, ambitious entrepreneurs often overlook the need for contracts for their business. While staying ahead of the competition is paramount, creating and maintaining contracts will only enhance your edge.
Before you even start a company, or else plan on developing professional relationships with external agencies, prospective partners and employees, it is critical to understand the laws of contract. When there is a dispute, and often there is at least one during the development phase, all parties will look to the contract. As such, having a lawyer on board from the outset will always be an advantage for your business. Here is a brief list of issues to consider:
• Non-Compete Clauses: you want to protect your business by impeding your partners’ or employees’ rights to directly compete with your business if they leave. This would be framed within a specific time period, limited to a geographic area, but is very important because they possess inside knowledge of your competitive advantage.
• Non-Solicitation Clauses: you don’t want your partners or employees soliciting your colleagues or your customers away from your business.
• Non-Disclosure Agreements: NDAs are no unreasonable, so long as the language in the contract is clear on protecting your right to confidentiality.
• Moonlighting and Loyalty: This may or may not be necessary, depending on the nature of your business. A lawyer could assess its need once you discuss your goals.
• Ownership of Intellectual Property: You may want to protect any processes, templates, systems, or methods created by an employee by retaining any IP rights over them. A contract on the outset will provide necessary protections so that work product created under your business does not ultimately go to a competitor.
• Use, Licensing, Technology Transfer: Social media companies will likely need to outsource its products or services through other digital or online mechanisms, usually other companies. Often, partnerships are created to facilitate such business development. In this context, having contracts to protect the use and licensing of your work product, so that it doesn’t leak or be misused, will make your transitions to the next stage much more efficient. Similarly, if you are interested in commercially exploiting your methods, processes or inventions (Technology Transfer), you will need contracts to protect your financial interests.
Spending a little time on developing a legal structure through contracts, while slightly time-consuming, is a real investment in your social media business. Your business will make or break based on the contract, often when you must make strategic decisions for the success of your business. Retaining a contract lawyer will only enhance the probability of that success.

Up first: Hedgeable, the online trading and portfolio management company who base themselves out of our NoHo office. In their own words:

Are you feeling frustrated that you have some money, but have no idea how to manage it? Don’t have time to look after your current portfolio? Tired of paying for a broker that you never talk to, and who is content with letting you lose money? These are questions that everyday Americans with IRAs and 401Ks are increasingly asking themselves as they review their retirement in the wake of the financial crisis. There are really no good solutions for those looking to get cutting edge investment advice, while not shelling out a large amount in fees.

This is why we created Hedgeable.com. We bring sophisticated and powerful investing tools to everyday Americans to help them manage their portfolios. Hedgeable’s tools are easy to use and cover the entire lifecycle of investing, from investment education, to portfolio construction, analysis and management. Investing can be a very confusing and daunting task, which is why all of the resources on the site are extremely simple to understand.

Hedgable has the following three product offerings:

Portfolio Analyzer- 100% Free

• HPH Score Report™ acts similarly to a credit report, and provides an instant analysis on the health of a portfolio.
• eQuant™ tool provides detailed performance and risk reporting as well as interactive charts.
• Flash Advisor™ provides simple trade recommendations and fee savings.

Portfolio Builder- $49.99

• Custom built ETF portfolios based on our investment team’s market expertise
• Users aren’t placed into predetermined “buckets” like most products on market

Portfolio Manager- Free for 30 days; $19.99 per month thereafter

• Powerful technology platform giving those who want expert advice the ability to manage their own money, with professional oversight.
• Users receive periodic trade alerts to protect and grow their portfolio, which they execute at their discount broker.
• The platform also provides real-time performance and risk reporting, commentary, and dedicated customer support.

Hedgeable has been featured in The Economist, and on MSNBC, NPR, and numerous technology and finance blogs.

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