Corporate Thought

Joan mentioned that her lack of management skills when she and her husband first started out in business.  She uttered the phrase “Adapt or die”.  I found this book on leadership with the same title and plan on reading it. Joan used to own the Starling Diner in Belmont Heights, California and it appears the menu has not changed much.  One of my favorite breakfast spots in the country. In describin...

Incidentally, the bells you hear in the background are from The Tide, light rail train that runs past my new office!  Please let me know if it is distracting. Nicole and I started discussing what is social media and ways to utilize it including her use of LinkedIn. We plugged Zack Miller and his book, Anomaly.  He was on my podcast – check out his episode . Context and tone in texting is...

Maya and I had a great conversation almost initially about the books sitting on her nightstand, all of which I will be reading too: Becoming by Michele Obama Scaling Up by Verne Harnish Rise and Grind by Daymond John The Holy Bible Maya mentioned a Facebook Group she started for small business owners, Leading through Crisis .  It is described as a private group for small business owners and e...

We discussed not working for the weekends and the question of work/life balance along with the question of pursuing a paycheck (job) vs. passion .  See this TED talk too . We talked about pricing models and 6 minute increments (Time & materials) vs. widget pricing (unit basis).  Here is a detailed dive into pricing. Dan used the opportunity of money he inherited from his Grandfather...

Please excuse some of the background sounds evident in this episode. Almarie mentioned liking Live with Kelly & Ryan .  I don’t watch daytime television so I have nothing to add here. Definition of Normal according to Merriam-Webster Almarie mentioned 50 Shades of Grey Almarie was excited to discussed Competing Values Framework.   Here is a primer . Almarie is currently reading Diagn...

Richard discussed the importance of having three plans: Business Plan, Marketing Plan and Financial Plan. Read this for the basics of a plan. We discussed the idea of having concrete goals in uncomfortable settings and the benefits of a   micro goal . Don’t ask people what they do.  I have referenced this article in the past but it bear repeating.   27 questions to ask instead of Wh...

In the introduction, I introduced Dana Todd as formerly The Queen of SEO.  I found this old interview with Dana about Search Engine Optimization. Dana talked about people missing live experiences because they are too busy with the technology.  She specifically referenced the idea of recording a live concert and watching through the tiny screen rather than absorbing it in real time. &nbsp...

Lots of links in this episode: Including Gary Vaynerchuk including his old Youtube show Wine Library TV . The " iron man" book,   Finding My Voice by Mike Reilly. It turns out that the phrase “Welcome to the Thunderdome” from Mad Max has been uttered in numerous films and TV shows including Waiting,  and Superbad. The Poster of Old Yankee Stadium made of words that hangs in my office. Co...

Please excuse the echo – we recorded this in a public room with some ambient noise and bare walls. Sheryl talked about the difference between structure and rules.  I found this great blog pos t about it.  The amazing book The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan entered our conversation several times.  One of my favorites!   We lamented the grow...

David mentioned Millard Fillmore – the 13th President of the United States (1850-1853) and the last President not to be affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties.  We discussed the Iranian hostage situation which began in November 1979 and lasted not for 100 days but rather for 444 days.    That same link confirms that indeed, it was the start of the show Nigh...

I spoke incorrectly referencing the USNS MERCY.  That hospital ship was enroute to Los Angeles.  The hospital ship berthing in New York was the USNS COMFORT.  Here is more information about the history of the USNS COMFORT . Laura mentioned turning off the water when brushing teeth.  I found this statistic about turning off the faucet: two gallons of water flow from a faucet eac...

Please excuse some of the audio quality issues.  During the time of the pandemic, some of the niceties of recording studios are sacrificed for getting the information out timely. Chad and Lauren are reading Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson.  They essentially formed their own book club, as described by Lauren. – I found this great article about the g...

A new podcast is coming this week - 31 Minutes with Kisha, Jim, Marc and Marcus plus an update on the Corporate Thought podcast with new episodes coming soon

Just a quick update that we are working on lots of great stuff at Corporate Thought and we will have new conversations, new events and lots of other things to tell you about soon!

Ruth is a realtor with Keller Williams Real Estate .   Once a musician, always a musician. Here is another example of musicians not working in music.   Ruth mentioned that Saying yes to one thing is saying no to another.   Ruth speaks extensively about being a survivor of domestic abuse and violence. Ruth said that every day she had to find something to hold onto. I found this artic...

The dinner occurred at Virginia Beach Recording Arts which was formerly Thomas Crown Studios owned by Timbaland  It was part of the Corporate Thought A-HA! Dinner Series. The evening was generally about disruptive innovation, the term coined by Clayton Christensen and was attended by 8 thought leaders.    Collin spoke of mobile clean room labs or production facilities able to bring the facility to...

A quick note about the episode dropping tomorrow!

Just a short hello and question about growing up. It hit me as I was driving past the home I grew up in.

We fail to recognize the impact of an entrepreneurial life upon our families, who often don’t sign up for the same lifestyle. We need to thank them often for all the do and for putting up with us.

Tonight the A-HA! Dinner is gathering a group of strangers for a conversation about adversity in life and in business. We are dining under the stars at a winery in Northern Virginia.

Show Notes Chris is the owner of a company called Prime 3 Software   Chris describes himself as a Reluctant Entrepreneur.  I found this article about the phenomenon.   https://bit.ly/2naaUII/  I also found this book, The Reluctant Entrepreneur: Turning Dreams into Profits Chris mentioned his prior employers labeling people as resources and found the idea abhorrent.  I foun...

I read a short parable last night that I was previously unaware of and thought I would share it!

The first of the A-HA Dinners was held in New York and was a smash success.

Today is the first in a series of dinners with strangers centered around specific topics. Listen to learn more about what Corporate Thought is doing!

Today we move into a collaboration space in Norfolk called PerCOlator