Only in Brooklyn?

After a week of contacting different rescue organizations and no kill animal shelters, then putting up a flier in my favorite coffee spot - Blue Marble, I finally found a foster home for the family of kittens. Brooklyn Animal Foster Network helped me capture the family (not without a few scratches and an intense bite) and will arrange for them to get their shots and spayed at a discounted price, working with the ACPCA. I met the wonderful young couple through Twitter. As I posted pictures and updates about the kittens, they realized, like me, that they couldn't not do something. So about two weeks after finding the kittens, I found myself in their living room in Brooklyn, checking up on the family while they were away at work. I get my kitten updates from the guy's Twitter feed. Happiness!

His Tweet "Fireplace repurposed #kittenpile Only in Brooklyn?

A few days prior, I attended an awesome casual Sunday dinner, that lasted till 1am. I was invited by a girl who lived in my apartment and whom I had met while feeding the kittens. By the end of the night, me, her friend, her and her boyfriend were laughing harder than I've laughed in months. I lived in Manhattan for five years and barely knew my neighbors, let alone broke bread with them -  three months living in Brooklyn and I know three neighbors, have had friendly conversations with my super and already have a favorite local barista.

Last Sunday, I came back from an afternoon date to my friend's insistent text messages that I join her for a drink. She told me she made friends while drinking alone at a bar. Hey! Don't knock it. Apparently you can make new friends drinking alone. So I joined her and her ten new friends at a bar a few blocks from my apartment. We went to dinner and learned more about one another. Then dinner turned into - let's go watch a movie back at my place. So me and five others trekked to Fort Greene to one of the nicest bachelor pads I've ever seen and watched a cheesy, 80's Kurt Russell movie. While there, I discovered that one of my new friends works at a company I used to work at and dated someone I interviewed with. You can hang out in Park Slope, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill or Prospect Heights, throw an iPhone and it will hit someone who works in the advertising/ media world.

Only in Brooklyn?

Men, Cats & Human Nature

Lately every other news story has been about a high powered politician cheating on his wife. This story has become so prevalent that people are starting to question the institution of marriage, arguing that it's simply human nature for men to want more than one partner. But the effects of their behavior can be devastating.Last week, I discovered an adorable kitten who came up to me as I was taking out the garbage. She was very persistent, begging me for food. So I ran up to my apartment and got some slices of turkey I had in the fridge. But then I couldn't find her. I asked a woman who was passing if she saw the cat and we both set out to find her. Our journey led us around the corner where we ran into a man who told us she was not a kitten, but rather, had five kittens of her own. Really puts ones problems in perspective when you meet a young cat living on the street with five mouths to feed.

Yesterday, I met the super who's yard the family of cats were living in. He told me that this was the third time this particular cat got knocked up and each time, she had a litter of 4-5 kittens. He had already taken in two and couldn't have any more cats. He was at the end of his ropes with the cat. I told him I'd take care of it. Later that night, I saw a large cat running full speed across the street, coming from the direction of the family of cats. He ran away from me, knowing what he had done and I scolded him, hoping he hadn't impregnated her once again. The animal shelter I had called earlier said it was unlikely she'd get adopted and the best they could do was spay her and release her. 

That same day, I had a chat with my new roommate who was subletting from one of my male roommates. She was stressed because her room was a mess and she had nowhere to put her clothes. She had a few cardboard boxes on the floor filled with clothing and proclaimed "He doesn't have drawers! How could you not have drawers?" Coincidentally, I have also had to make do without drawers, subletting from another guy. And I was equally as perplexed over how one could not have a set of drawers, particularly for their drawers. For men, it may be part of their animalistic nature, engrained in their very being to spread their seed. But we have evolved from mere animals. In New York, at least, we have evolved from simply surviving, to actually thriving. We're not living outside, or on the street, but in apartments where people have bedrooms, beds, desks, lamps, closets, and DRAWERS. Apparently, it takes having a woman to tell you that in order to be properly organized, you need a set of drawers. And men, you're not going to get that kind of advice from simply - "spreading your seed."

Saturday Night Live

Yesterday, I ventured into Queens for the first PS1 Warm Up Party in Long Island City. The 45 minute wait and $15 entry fee was worth it. Except for ex-boyfriends (thank god), I ran into people from every area of my past - a former college classmate, former MAS classmate, former coworker - you get the idea. And of course met some new, interesting people. But as is usually the case with a night out in New York City, my adventure did not end at the first stop, nor the second, or the third.Fast forward a few hours and one delicious burger later - I found myself sitting at a LIC bar with friends, talking to a very tall Kiwi and Cypriot (I had to look that one up). Naturally, the conversation very quickly evolved from "what do you do" to "where did you go to summer camp." Or something like that. To which my friend and the Cypriot discovered that they went to the same summer camp in Serbia the same year. And then all our heads exploded.

It never ceases to amaze me how everyday in New York, I experience a moment or two where people of very different backgrounds connect in the most unexpected ways.

A few beers later, I found myself waiting for the 7 train into Manhattan to take the long journey home to Brooklyn. No sooner had I sat down than 3 young, non-fratty guys, one holding a guitar, asked me "What song would you actually pay us to play?" I quickly saw an opportunity to knock off a line item from my bucket list and accepted their invitation to sing with them in Times Square. Oh, there's something I should add. The guys were taking turns holding a sign that read "I slept with Snooki last week. Please help." I knew this would be interesting.

We sat in the street, pulling up lyrics from our iPhones, surrounded by laughing, picture taking tourists as we attempted to do Katy Perry justice. One guy told me that in Chinese-American culture, when parents want to say something very important, they will say it in English. He described his mother very painstakingly, and carefully telling him in English that "He needs to go to college so he doesn't end up busking on the streets." Listen up kids, you can go to Yale and still end up busking in Times Square. These are hard times. Ten minutes in, a game of planking ensued, the tourists energetically arranging their friends' bodies into the letters NYC.

This is a story about how the internet has brought us closer together IRL.

The boundary between strangers and new friends has significantly diminished as social networks like Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare and Instagram have allowed us to peek into people's lives. Viral internet and pop culture phenomenons like planking, Snooki and the widely accepted meaning of PBR has given us a common language so that we can relate to one another. The knowledge that everyone is easily Googleable with a first name and a few key details allows us to more intimately connect with someone we've just met. We've taken the play mentality of the internet and brought it into our daily lives. Why go straight home after an already fantastic night when you can take a short detour sitting in Times Square, trying to sing, surrounded by tourists and a guy holding up a crazy sign?

Creativity Versus Ideas

On Thursday and Friday, I spent most of my time dealing with a very random, unnecessary medical issue brought on by accidentally inhaling a tiny particle of a Clif bar. As a result, I missed collectively 7 hours of work, spent $200+ on co-pays and questioned whether or not everything does, in fact, happen for a reason. In the end, I can say that I legitimately gained a new appreciation for the very act of breathing and was reminded of how much I love being alive. Okay. So it wasn't a total loss.I'd like to say that it put my ongoing problems in perspective, but of course they quickly reared their ugly head. I'll just say that a career change, recent school and various moves back and forth across the country does not help ones bank account.

That night, armed with a glass of red wine, I managed to tackle my in progress novel with gusto. Somehow, the frustration of the last two days, coupled with the fermented juices, got my creative juices flowing. How does one channel those near manic bouts of creativity without experiencing recent pain? J.K. Rowling created a masterpiece of an imaginary universe while desperately trying to support her family. It is commonlyknown that countless legendary artists and writers were alcoholics, depressed and experienced great tragedies in their lives. I just finished watching an episode of Californiacation where the writer, Hank Moody, spends most of his time avoiding writing until he seems he has hit rock bottom and the only way he can rise from his situation is by writing.

In Steven Johnson's latest book, [amazon_link id="1594487715" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]"Where Good Ideas Come From[/amazon_link]," Steven notes that the Age of Enlightenment began when people stopped drinking alcohol during the day, and came together in cafes to drink tea and coffee. Great progress came from the exchange of ideas between people of various backgrounds. How does the development of "good ideas" differ from the creative works produced during the Renaissance? Whether we're creating art or solving problems, great work comes when we let ideas slide through our brains, unfiltered.

As strategists, perhaps we're not the Da Vinci's, Michelango's, or Rafael's of the world, but rather, the Newton's, Franklin's and Jefferson's of the world. So find a scientist, an artist, a writer, an engineer, and maybe an architect and grab a cup of coffee.

Interview With Farrah Bostic: Advertising Women 2.0

Farrah Bostic is a Group Planning Director at Digitas whose insightful blog Pretty Little Head covers everything from brands to innovation and creativity. In addition to digital innovation, she's passionate about elevating women's status in the advertising and technology industries.The tech world is full of exciting new and innovative mobile and web products. How relevant is the tech world to planning?

The tech world is hugely influential to the best & brightest in planning in New York. For one thing, start-ups took over our bars (Sweet & Vicious and Tom & Jerry's)!  For another, the industry is transforming in favor of digital, social and mobile experiences, and the thought leaders in our field (planners) need nerds to play with who really deeply understand these technologies and concepts.  Those who actively experiment with them and build businesses out of them are our best partners for this kind of thinking.  The tech world is shaping how people behave and interact, and offers a myriad of ways for us to develop better knowledge about these behaviors and interactions, so we can then develop better understanding of how it affects our clients' brands and businesses.

So many of the major companies that dominate our world like Apple, Foursquare, Twitter, etc. were created by a team of men. What are some examples of great products or websites created by a team of women?

There are so many unsung female heroes in digital!  The one most often thought of is, of course, Catarina Fake, who co-founded both Flickr and Hunch.  Emily Hickey, co-founder of Hashable, helped drive the pivot from a finance site to a networking app that was one of the many favorites at SXSW this year. Dina Kaplan cofounded Blip.tv, which is an awesome, newly-relaunched online channel for original video content created for the web.  I'm watching about three new series there these days, now that all the network shows are in the off season.  Birchbox is a terrific business started by women with a female technical co-founder.  A lot of people talk about fashion sites like Fashism and advice sites like HonestlyNow, or food sites like Foodspotting; but I think there are some great female-founded businesses like Slideshare and Layar that are lauded as businesses that transcend the more 'obvious' female businesses.

And there's hope for people in the ad biz!  Cindy Gallop (ex-BBH) has created two businesses online: Ifwerantheworld.com, a site that helps transform intention into action through small steps, and creates a social profile based on what you do rather than what you say; and Makelovenotporn.com, a site that is helping change the conversation between men and women about sex, and is promoting female friendly pornography.  Ale Lariu's work with SheSays.com is a fantastic example of a now ex-ad-woman building a business online that leverages her expertise in advertising and her advocacy for women in the business.

Above all of this, there are the advocates and change agents: two of my favorite ladies, Rachel Sklar and Emily Gannett at ChangeTheRatio - promoting women in startups; and the amazing Shaherose Charania and Angie Chang at Women 2.0 & Founder Labs who are actively incubating women founders.

I'm already inspired! You've recently started listing women in the advertising and tech world who have broken through the glass ceiling and are an inspiration to us all. Aside from their success, what other characteristics do these women have in common?

They're all doing ground-breaking work, driving business results, inventing new technology... and not getting nearly enough credit or attention for it.  The main reason for starting the list was to recognize these women in a way that obviated the constant conversations about how hard it is to find women to speak at conferences or judge awards programs.  As I've compiled this list, I've been amazed at the generosity of the people who've contributed great women to it, and shocked at how reluctant those same, equally accomplished women are, to nominate themselves.  These women work hard and smart and creatively, and then they forget to or avoid taking some of the credit. I think it's that nice, smart, creative people who make things, tend to be generous with their effort and their praise.  For women, this generosity of spirit can seem to conflict with credit-taking.  So I've been happy to be the one giving that credit.

There are so many different women's networking organizations in New York. Which ones have you found to be particularly helpful?

Change The Ratio has been a life-changer for me - I went to one event and everything changed. I made amazing friends, I was inspired to start the list on my own blog, and it's continued to fuel my desire to express my own entrepreneurial spirit.  Women 2.0 was the next group I encountered, because of some things I wrote after getting involved in Change The Ratio - and they are amazing: vibrant, growing, making change for women, fostering real businesses. But I think the tech scene is much more democratic than the VC dollars and TCDisrupt speaker lists would indicate: a lot of the best, most productive networking I've done here has been through Digital DUMBO (female co-founder!) and through StartUp Weekend.  I encourage more women to attend - you meet those nice, smart, creative people who make things, and it's incredibly inspiring.

I often find myself full of ideas, wanting to create something but need a partner to keep me on track. Can you recommend an organization that can help me find a future business partner.

Women 2.0 and Founder Labs! 5 weeks from nothing to a business - it's an amazing process, with fantastic mentors and a great track record.  Despite the name, they seek balance in the founder teams they assemble - 50/50 female/male, 50/50 business/tech.  It's awesome how they pull that diversity together.  Tech Stars is also an excellent program with committed mentors and founders.  But I also wouldn't discount StartUp Weekend - you meet a variety of people on the Friday, some who are committed and driven, some who are curious and dabbling.  But by Sunday, everyone is serious about making something and transforming that something into a business.

Keeping up with email, blogging and contacts can be an all-consuming process. What tools do you use that have helped you juggle all these tasks?

I'm a bit of a mess when it comes to all of this, but I have a few tools I love.  At home I use Sparrow as my mail client, but I'm only just getting used to it; the labeling options allow me to keep track of things relatively easily - but on the go, gmail is my savior. It's very good at knowing what actually is urgent to me, and the ability to star items helped keep this email, for example, on my radar.  But the truth is I do most of my communicating on a one-to-one basis in Twitter - through @-replies and direct messaging I can carry on a lot of conversations... Of course,this isn't appropriate for everyone, or everything, but it does keep the ideas pithy. :)

Blogging is tough - I probably didn't blog for about six months, until my boyfriend wrote a piece of middleware for me that allows me to favorite items in Twitter, and it goes through those favorites, scrapes the links, and deposits those linked sites/articles into ReadItLater, which I then go back to on my iPad.  I also use Evernote at conferences and as a place to save quotations or scraps of the articles I've read.  I always have something to write about, now.

Contacts... my iPhone holds everything, and increasingly I'm using Hashable and Twitter to capture contact information. When it comes to the list, however, we're building a CMS for that - I hope we'll finish it by the middle of July.

Was there a particular moment in your career or piece of advice that inspired you to get to where you are today?

I've had a few, I think.  My dad was a network consultant in the early '90s and installed the network at Wieden + Kennedy; he told me that this was the kind of environment I should work in.  When I was in college at University of Oregon, I took a copywriting class; the instructor, Ann Maxwell, did a mid-term check-in and told me that while I said I wanted to go into account management, I was a talented writer and should pursue a creative career instead.  She had Clios and gold pencils in her office, so I decided to believe her.  The next was when I was struggling to find work in an agency after the startup I worked in began to falter and sacked me; the head of the Apple account at Chiat/Day, Sean Hardwick, said that I belonged in an agency like that, and that while he didn't have the *right* job for me, he had a job, and that he was going to offer it because he didn't want to get in the way of my dream.  Who says things like that??

It was at Chiat that I saw what planning was really all about, day to day, and made the transition to that role.  A planner I worked with there, Elena Hale, told me that planning was about making advertising effective, and I really warmed to the power of that idea.  And then Robin Hafitz, my mentor and friend, hired me to be a brand strategist; I could see myself in her, and I suppose she might have seen a bit of herself in me.  She's been an amazing advocate.

Rachel Sklar inspired me to make the list - with her energy and generosity and advocacy for women.  Cindy Gallop told me that an idea I had was too big to be 'just an app' and that it could really improve people's lives, which really energized me but also raised the bar for my own goals.  And the London-based agency, Made by Many, who I met through my great friend and champion, and entrepreneur, Noah Brier, has inspired me to think about innovation and strategy and digital/mobile/social experiences through the lens of the Lean Startup.

I think our lives are a series of these kinds of moments.  For every one of them, I've also been told something negative - that I'm commitment-phobic, that I 'can write, but not think', that I can give up if I want to, that I should just get a job in sales, that I should've taken the bar (I went to law school), that I'm cynical, that I push too hard or work too independently or give up too fast.  The trick, I think, is to keep people around you who you trust to be honest, who love you because of and despite your faults, to love them and trust them back, and to seek what you really want.  And if you don't know what you really want, knowing what you really DON'T want is useful, too.

The Earth Is Full - NY Piece On Climate Change

As I sit in the well airconditioned headquarters of Internet Week while it's a sweltering 93 degrees outside, I thought it was imperative that I re-posted this op-ed piece by Thomas Friedman, The Earth Is Full. As he writes, decades from now, will we look back on these last few years of tornados, extreme heat, floods and other natural disasters and think, "How could we have ignored these warning signs?" I certainly hope not. On Monday, I listened to a presentation by Arianna Huffington and Johnson & Johnson's VP of Corporate Affairs, Brian Perkins speak on the intersection of cause-related marketing and how it relates to brands. Both Arianna and Brian strongly agreed that it's not enough for companies to only think about the bottom line. Consumers want to look into the soul of your brand and see that your brand stands for doing good and giving back to the community. As an account strategist, I strongly believe that for profit organizations have the ability to make a great impact on world issues while still turning a profit and that consumers will want to buy from these organizations. The pendulum from mindless consumerism and "evil" corporations is shifting to a more thoughtful, sustainable future. What a great time to be in advertising!

OP-ED COLUMNIST

The Earth Is Full

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: June 7, 2011

You really do have to wonder whether a few years from now we’ll look back at the first decade of the 21st century — when food prices spiked, energy prices soared, world population surged, tornados plowed through cities, floods and droughts set records, populations were displaced and governments were threatened by the confluence of it all — and ask ourselves: What were we thinking? How did we not panic when the evidence was so obvious that we’d crossed some growth/climate/natural resource/population redlines all at once?

“The only answer can be denial,” argues Paul Gilding, the veteran Australian environmentalist-entrepreneur, who described this moment in a new book called “The Great Disruption: Why the Climate Crisis Will Bring On the End of Shopping and the Birth of a New World.” “When you are surrounded by something so big that requires you to change everything about the way you think and see the world, then denial is the natural response. But the longer we wait, the bigger the response required.”

Gilding cites the work of the Global Footprint Network, an alliance of scientists, which calculates how many “planet Earths” we need to sustain our current growth rates. G.F.N. measures how much land and water area we need to produce the resources we consume and absorb our waste, using prevailing technology. On the whole, says G.F.N., we are currently growing at a rate that is using up the Earth’s resources far faster than they can be sustainably replenished, so we are eating into the future. Right now, global growth is using about 1.5 Earths. “Having only one planet makes this a rather significant problem,” says Gilding.

This is not science fiction. This is what happens when our system of growth and the system of nature hit the wall at once. While in Yemen last year, I saw a tanker truck delivering water in the capital, Sana. Why? Because Sana could be the first big city in the world to run out of water, within a decade. That is what happens when one generation in one country lives at 150 percent of sustainable capacity.

“If you cut down more trees than you grow, you run out of trees,” writes Gilding. “If you put additional nitrogen into a water system, you change the type and quantity of life that water can support. If you thicken the Earth’s CO2 blanket, the Earth gets warmer. If you do all these and many more things at once, you change the way the whole system of planet Earth behaves, with social, economic, and life support impacts. This is not speculation; this is high school science.”

It is also current affairs. “In China’s thousands of years of civilization, the conflict between humankind and nature has never been as serious as it is today,” China’s environment minister, Zhou Shengxian, said recently. “The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the worsening ecological environment have become bottlenecks and grave impediments to the nation’s economic and social development.” What China’s minister is telling us, says Gilding, is that “the Earth is full. We are now using so many resources and putting out so much waste into the Earth that we have reached some kind of limit, given current technologies. The economy is going to have to get smaller in terms of physical impact.”

We will not change systems, though, without a crisis. But don’t worry, we’re getting there.

We’re currently caught in two loops: One is that more population growth and more global warming together are pushing up food prices; rising food prices cause political instability in the Middle East, which leads to higher oil prices, which leads to higher food prices, which leads to more instability. At the same time, improved productivity means fewer people are needed in every factory to produce more stuff. So if we want to have more jobs, we need more factories. More factories making more stuff make more global warming, and that is where the two loops meet.

But Gilding is actually an eco-optimist. As the impact of the imminent Great Disruption hits us, he says, “our response will be proportionally dramatic, mobilizing as we do in war. We will change at a scale and speed we can barely imagine today, completely transforming our economy, including our energy and transport industries, in just a few short decades.”

We will realize, he predicts, that the consumer-driven growth model is broken and we have to move to a more happiness-driven growth model, based on people working less and owning less. “How many people,” Gilding asks, “lie on their death bed and say, ‘I wish I had worked harder or built more shareholder value,’ and how many say, ‘I wish I had gone to more ballgames, read more books to my kids, taken more walks?’ To do that, you need a growth model based on giving people more time to enjoy life, but with less stuff.”

Sounds utopian? Gilding insists he is a realist.

“We are heading for a crisis-driven choice,” he says. “We either allow collapse to overtake us or develop a new sustainable economic model. We will choose the latter. We may be slow, but we’re not stupid.”

Perfect Strangers

While packing and I don't get along, I love to travel. My adventures started a few hours before I hopped into a cab towards the airport bound for Minnesota. I sat in a cafe a block away from my new apartment. Moments after I sat down, the guy across from me struck up a conversation. He's a successful composer who's created some fairly famous music. He talked about how most New Yorkers have headphones permanently plugged into their ears. We're constantly surrounded by the sounds of the city - rarely left to hear our own thoughts.Recently, my friend came to visit me from Northern, NJ. He had taken an hour long subway ride without his headphones or even a book. "But what did you do? You mean you just sat there?" I asked him in complete disbelief. "I just listened to my own thoughts, let my mind go blank." I walked home from the cafe for one block listening to the sounds of the city and was promptly given a generous "hello" by an old man on my street.

My adventurous path had a slight hiccup. Others call it Laguardia Airport. This was one of the first times in a long while that I've flown on an airline other than Virgin America or Jet Blue. I can't tell if it's the type of passengers who were sitting next to me or the lack of personal entertainment systems - but I learned more about the lives of those sitting next to me than three year long Manhattan neighbors.

I met a banker who grew up in Norway but moved to Chicago for college. While raising his kids, he lived in Hong Kong and Florida. He joked about wanting to be independently wealthy and could no longer stand the constant travel his job required. Kind, well dressed and well spoken, he dreamed of a life beyond banking, a profession, he noted, that was now hated. It was interesting to see his perspective and even more interesting to note that he was sitting in coach.

The woman next to me was from Chicago but recently moved to Denver. She's a single mother of two college aged twin girls. Her dream was to start her own business but she was coming back from New York for a job interview. She constantly had a new question for the Norwegian who was equally as inquisitive.

I just finished reading this delightfully entertaining and inspiring book "Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding her Inner French Girl." It goes beyond superficial advice and delves into the cultural differences between the French and Americans. For instance, in France, one is not defined by their job. And one does not share their life story and private dreams to their fellow passengers during a two hour long domestic flight.

Finally, As I was waiting in O'Hare for my connecting flight to Minneapolis, I struck up a conversation with a young, friendly girl while waiting for the "charging station." She was from Texas and a recent college graduate who was on her way to Russia. She's visited a Russian orphanage as a volunteer through her church organization twice and this was her first trip going without church, to visit those children who are now her friends. Many of us cynical, non-religious New Yorkers tend to judge and fear conservative middle America or Southern church organizations. But it often seems that as we sit in a cafe, drinking our lattes and reading the New York Times about an article that's criticizing the far right, and role of the church in America, those church-goers are raising money so they can visit an orphanage in Russia and bring a smile on someone's face.

I got on my short flight towards Minneapolis sitting next to a young man who I suspected was in the army. We rolled our eyes as we listened to a two year old screaming with an unnaturally loud set of lungs but didn't talk. I thought, when we're left to our own thoughts, we dream about leaving the banking business, starting our own creative business, leaving Texas to go to Russia, leaving New York to live in Paris, or simply, realizing how similar a perfect stranger can be to ... ourselves.

"Dating" 3.0

Picture this. A new app comes out that's all the rage - at least if you're a nerd in the advertising/ tech community. We'll call this app "Color." Naturally, you try it out because you're curious. It takes you a good five minutes to realize this app can either attract stalkers, be used for dating or potentially expose you to some saucy material while you're sitting at work. A few pictures and comments later you realize you have a few admirers ... digital admirers that is. In fact, they're fighting each other for your attention and the chivalry that you've never seen in person suddenly comes out in their comments. A day later, one digital admirer outwits all the rest and you reveal a tidbit that shows your identity. Five minutes later, you get a Facebook request. As the old saying goes, curiosity usually gets the best of you - so you accept.In the weeks that follow, you have a series of back and forth Facebook messages with the intention of actually meeting in the flesh. Despite working for the same company, you haven't crossed paths. A slow response rate and abbreviated messages indicate that maybe he's not that interested. Okay.. you think. It's not like we've ever even met. You browse through a dating site wondering if you actually have time to date and spot an old message you sent to a dating profile weeks prior. It's him ... weird ... But he never responded. Hmm. A few days later there's no response to your message and you think whatever it was, it's over. But wait. He has just requested you on FourSquare.

Finally.. a moment you were completely unprepared for. It's a crazy day at work and you're running around, stressed and frazzled. And who do you run into - him of course. You can hear in his hello that he is pleasantly surprised. After one more round of Facebook messages, there's radio silence. A few weeks later, he has changed his relationship profile to "In A Relationship" which to my understanding, women have to practically withhold sex to get their boyfriends to do that or be dating for an extended period of time. So you wonder... is this what has become of "dating" in 2011? Dare I say dating 3.0? And you tell yourself that maybe next time, maybe you'll control your curiosity and not fall down the web 3.0 rabbit hole. 

Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg

I just moved into Prospect Heights yesterday and am kicking myself for not moving to Brooklyn earlier. So much of Brooklyn reminds me of San Francisco with their more laid back attitude, plethora of internet cafes and creative culture that's missing in Manhattan as a whole. I know this is all obvious but you don't realize it fully until you actually spend more time in Brooklyn. I guess I shouldn't kick myself too much because I spent 4 years on St. Mark's in the East Village and had a pretty sweet deal... but ..Yesterday I had a delicious dinner with a friend I met on Twitter - I know - hello 2011! The first bar we hit had outdoor seating AND, I ran into 2 people I went to Skidmore with who weren't together. Random. I'm excited to see the whole crop of people from my past that I'm likely to run into now that I'm in BK.

So a while ago, I posted pictures of the looks and styles of people in San Francisco. A few weeks ago, I hit up the Brooklyn Flea market in Williamsburg. I've never been that big on Flea markets. As much I love history, I often think that Flea markets are selling the stuff that I have around the house that I want to get rid of.. but as far as the BK Flea goes, I can come back every week and stay completely entertained. Aside from antiques and vintage clothing, there are indulgent, exciting food stands like lobster rolls! and novelty items that I wish I thought of, like a necklace carved out of a record! But a picture tells a thousand words right?

Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly

I met Steve Garufi about a year ago through the wonderful world of Twitter. I was drawn to his infectious energy and intrigued by his daily biking adventures. According to his website, he's a counselor by day, mountain climber, photographer, road bicyclist, adventurer, and most recently, writer living in Buena Vista, Colorado.In 2008 and 2011 you rode your bike across the country. What compelled you to take these trips?

I took on cycling in my 30s, and was really impressed with the cardiovascular workout it gave me. I’m not a guy who races others. In fact, I’m known as a “tour biker” – a guy who takes his time and goes long distance.

In 2003, I spent a week vacation biking across my state of Colorado, and the seed was planted in me to go cross-country. I figured if I can go across my large and mountainous state of Colorado, why not do a series of states across the nation?

Were there times that you were ready to give up? If so, how did you motivate yourself to get back on track?

Only once on my 2008 did I have a really bad day when I considered packing it in. I continued to have flat tires and mechanical problems in the Arizona desert and wasn’t sure I could keep going if I had all those problems. Thankfully, that one awful day was an aberration.

My short answer, as to how I motivated myself, was to constantly remind myself to “take one day at a time.” I know that is often used as a cliché, but it worked for me. Truly, I told myself everyday that I simply needed to focus on the day’s task at hand. Get from Point A to Point B … period.

I also told myself that bad days would inevitably happen, and that I shouldn’t be surprised or alarmed by them. To the contrary, I should expect them.

What did the trip teach you about America? Were there places and people you met that particularly stood out?

I learned much of America is a whole lot of nothing. Much of it is rural with a large amount of people living in cities. As for people, I met so many along the way. On my 2011 ride, I met three people who were also crossing the country – two were biking like me, and the other guy was walking!

You recently completed the trip again. How was your experience different from 3 years ago.

On this trip, I was fully involved with communicating with friends and sharing updates via social media websites, namely Twitter and Facebook. It made my ride feel much more as though people were right there with me. I took many pictures with my camera, posted it online within 24 hours and had numerous comments from friends and family. The immediate feedback helped me feel not so alone.

You're in the process of writing a book about your first bike trip. How is the process of writing similar to biking across the country?

Well, I don’t have a writing background so I’m learning as I go. The main similarity I see in both book writing and a long-distance bike trip is one must be patient. Never stopping believing in yourself. And never give up!

The plan is to complete and publish my memoir about my first bike ride by the end of 2011. It has become the biggest goal.

In some ways, life in general can be compared to a marathon bike ride; requiring strength, involving uphill climbs with the occasional easy ride and beautiful view. How have your trips helped you in your own life?

You are indeed correct. What a person might experience on a marathon bike ride is quite similar to the things we face in life.

Personally, I feel stronger and more confident in myself. I have less “self-talk” that shoots down big and wild ideas that come to mind. I’m also very grateful. Among my cycling friends, many would love to do a cross-country ride but don’t have the time and money (at the same time) to do it. And I have done it twice!

What kind of wisdom can you impart about not giving up to those of us pedaling towards our goals?

1)     Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

2)      Be willing to take risks (although easier said than done).

3)     Surround yourself with caring friends who will encourage you as you take things on.

A Sugary Treat

When in doubt, appeal to the senses. Scantily clad models, intriguing imagery and upbeat music make this ad a quick break from reality - which is what playing the lottery gives us, right? It reminds me of another recent ad that used the same strategy.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeejdzzlw_0&w=560&h=349]

Too Many White Men?

During my internet travels, I recently came across this great blog, Pretty Little Head by the planning director of Digitas New York, Farrah Bostic. Her recent post containing a list of inspiring women in technology and advertising. I've already worked with at least two people on the list and hope to work with more. Have you had the opportunity to learn from any of these women? Click here for original post.

Creatives

• Mary Beth Adduci, Creative Director, DDB Chicago
• Susana Albuquerque, Creative Director, Lowe Lisbon
• Sofia Ambrosini, Partner Creative Director, WLF Milan
• Suzanna Applebaum, ECD, Strawberryfrog
• Federica Ariagno, ECD, AUGE Milan
• Rosie Arnold, Deputy ECD, BBH London
• Vicki Azarian, Group Creative Director, OgilvyOne
• Sarah Barclay, ECD, JWT
• Kim Bartkowski, Group Creative Director & Creative Lead – Mobile Practice, Digitas
• Mariandreina Behrens, Creative Director, Vapro
• Serena di Bruno, Creative Director, 1861 United
• Katrien Bottez, Creative Director, Duval Guillaume Brussels
• Rebecca Carrasco, ECD, Colman Rasic Carrasco
• Tobi Carvana-Moore, Associate Creative Director, Matlock Advertising & PR
• Chiara Castiglioni, Creative Director, McCann Italy
• Janet Champ, Creative Director/Writer, Switzerland
• Fiona Chen, Creative Director, Ogilvy Shanghai
• Valerie Cheng, Executive Creative Director, JWT Singapore & XM-Asia
• Marian Cohen, Creative Director, Inbar Merhav Shaked Tel Aviv
• Vida Cornelious, VP Group Creative Director, GlobalHUE
• Susan Credle, CCO, Leo Burnett
• Augusta Duffey, Freelance Creative Director
• Katerina Esslin, Creative Director, Olympic DDB Athens
• Isabela Ferreira, Associate Creative Director, Energy BBDO
• Paola Figueroa, Creative Director, Ogilvy Mexico City
• Marie-Claude Garneau, Global Creative Director, DDB WW Paris
• Helene Godin, Creative Director, Sid Lee Montreal
• Alison Gragnano, Global Creative Director, Saatchi NY
• Carolyn Hadlock, Principal/Executive Creative Director, Young & Laramore
• Nancy Hartley, Joint Executive Creative Director, Sapient Nitro Brisbane/Sydney
• Frances Hatzipetrou, Creative Director, Fortune Athens
• Barbara Hernandez, Creative Director, BBDO Mexico
• Susan Hoffman, ECD, Wieden + Kennedy
• Jennifer Hu, ECD, Ogilvy Taipei
• Heather James, Director of Learning Services, Acquio Ireland
• Maria Carolina Jaso, Creative Director, ARS DDB
• Judy John, Managing Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Toronto
• Laura Jordon-Bambach, ECD, LBi London
• Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO/Chief Creative Office, Kaplan Thaler Group
• Pamela Kaplan, Creative Director, BADJAR Ogilvy Melbourne
• Kerry Keenan, Global Director Creative Content, Y&R
• Kris Kiger, SVP, Managing Director Visual Design, R/GA
• Elke Klinkhammer, Creative Director, Neue Digitale
• Tiffany Kosel, VP Creative Director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
• Becky Kozlen, Creative Director, DDB Chicago
• Natalie Lam, ECD, OgilvyOne Shanghai
• Jodi Leo, UX & Design, The Barbarian Group
• Elspeth Lynn, ECD, Profero
• Gerry Killeen, Managing Director-Creative Services, Kaplan Thaler Group
• Amy Markley, Creative Director, Tom Dick & Harry
• Kammie McArthur, Group Creative Director, Publicis West
• Suzanne Molinaro, Deputy Head of Interactive Production, BBH
• Charlotte Moore, Creative Director/Art Director, Switzerland
• Monica Moro, ECD, McCann Madrid
• Judite Mota, ECD, Y&R Lisbon
• Mehera O’Brien, Creative Director, AKQA New York
• Eleftheria Petropoulou, Group Creative Head, McCann Athens
• Christine Pillsbury, Creative Director, Beam Interactive & Relationship Marketing
• Suzanne Pope, Creative Director, John St Toronto
• Claudia Portela, Creative Director, Y&R Lisbon
• Katja Rickert, Creative Director, Scholz & Volkmer
• Fernanda Romano, Global Creative Director – Digital & Experiential, Euro RSCG
• Consuelo Ruybal, Creative Director, Kaplan Thaler
• Mariana Sa, Global Creative Director, DM9DDB Sao Paulo
• Catherine Savard, Creative Director, Cossette Montreal
• Bibiana Segura, Creative Director, Global Link Communications
• Jennifer Shreve, Creative Director, Razorfish
• Stefania Siani, ECD, D’Adda Lorenzini Vigorelli BBDO Milan
• Liz Sivel, Creative Director, R/GA London
• Eloise Smith, Creative Director, Euro RSCG London
• Nina Thelberg, Creative Director, B-Reel Stockholm
• Marianella Torres, Creative Director, TBWA/Venezuela
• Elizabete Vaz Mena, Creative Director, Grey Lisbon
• Isbelt Venegas, Executive Creative Director, Publicis
• Gabrielle Weinman, Group Creative Director, Ignited LA

Strategists & Media Mavens

• Ingrid Bernstein, Digital Strategy Director: Experience Department Head, JWT
• Farrah Bostic, VP Group Planning Director, Digitas
• June Cohen, Executive Producer, TED Media
• Mimi Cook, Director of Creative and Brand Strategy, Mekanism
• Emma Cookson, Chairman, BBH New York
• Mel Exon, Managing Director, BBH Labs
• Amber Finlay, SVP Global Engagement Planning, Arnold Worldwide
• Robin Hafitz, Founder, Open Mind Strategy
• Brenna Hanly, Mobile Strategist/Catalyst, Mullen
• Katie Harrison, Head of Planning, BBH New York
• Sarah Hofstetter, Senior Vice President: Emerging Media & Brand Strategy, 360i
• Natasha Jakubowski, Managing Partner/Head of Innovation, Anomaly
• Kristen Maverick, Digital Strategist, BBDO
• Kate Miltner, Masters Candidate (Media & Internet Memes), London School of Economics
• Alli Mooney, Head of Trends & Insights/Marketing, Google
• Jaime Morelli, VP Account Director Media Planning, Zenith Optimedia
• Kelly Stoetzel, Content Director, TED
• Amelia Torode, Head of Digital Strategy, VCCP London
• Lindsey Weber, Social Media Lead, The Barbarian Group
• Alisa Leonard, Director of Experience Planning, iCrossing
• Judith Lewis, Head of Search, Beyond
• Constance DeCherney, Director of Strategy, iCrossing
• Shoshana Winter, SVP Marketing Strategy, iCrossing
• Shelby MacLeod, Group Director of Earned Media, The Barbarian Group
• Sarah Watson, Chief Strategy Officer, BBH New York
• Sarah Wulfeck, Director Content & Community, Beyond Consultancy
• Shelley Zalis, CEO, Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange
• Jennifer Zeszut, Social Strategist, Lithium (ex-CEO of ScoutLabs)

Creative Technologists

• Mary Flanagan, Founder, techARTS & Professor of Digital Humanities, Dartmouth University
• Tracy Fullerton, Head of Interactive Media Lab, USC
• JC Herz, Author, Joystick Nation
• Katherine Isbister, Professor/Head of Game Design Program, NYU-Poly
• Colleen Macklin, Fellow, USC
• Joanne McNeil, Sr. Editor, Rhizome
• Katie Salen, Professor, Parsons MFA
• Amanda Steinberg, Founder, Daily Worth
• Amy Stettler, VP Global Media & Engagement, Activision Blizzard
• Zeynep Tufecki, Asst. Prof of Sociology, University of Maryland

Marketing & Client Service Leaders

• Amanda Bird, Director of Marketing, Innovation Interactive (360i – IgnitionOne- Netmining)
• Susan Canavari, EVP Marketing, Digitas
• Eva Heyman, Managing Director, Digitas Health
• Lynn Lewis, EVP Global Managing Partner, Universal McCann
• Robin Koval, President, Kaplan Thaler Group
• Linda Piggot, EVP Marketing, Digitas
• Tracy Reilly, VP Group Director, Digitas
• Laila Schmutzler, Brand Director, Stag & Hare
• Stephanie Smeriglio, Executive Director Account Services, The Barbarian Group
• Andrea Sullivan, Executive Director of Client Services, Interbrand
• Joanne Zaiac, President NY Region, Digitas

Entrepreneurs

• Morra Aarons-Mele, Founder, Women Online
• Jenna Arnold, Founder, Press Play Production
• Anita Black, Co-Founder, The Magnetic Collective
• Leslie Bradshaw, Co-Founder, JESS3
• Carri Bugbee, Founder, Big Deal PR
• Diane Cook-Tench, Founding Director, VCU Brandcenter
• Kat Egan, Founder/CSO, Exopolis
• Sarah Fay, Free Agent, (ex-CEO Isobar & Aegis, ex-President Carat)
• Cindy Gallop, Founder, If We Ran the World & Make Love Not Porn
• Teresa Edleston, Co-Founder, The Magnetic Collective
• Emily Gannett, Founder, IRL Productions
• Liz Gumbinner, Founder, CoolMomPicks.com and Mom101, SVP Group Creative Director, Deutsch
• Emily Hickey, Co-Founder, Hashable
• Sara Holoubek, CEO & Founder, Luminary Labs
• Sonja Jacob, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, The Cultivated Word
• Nina Lalic, Founder, Brief Agency
• Alessandra Lariu, Co-Founder, SheSays
• Andrea Learned, Founder, Learned On LLC
• Holly Lynch, Founder, The Good Girls
• K.D. Paine, Founder, KD Paine & Assoc.
• Vivian Rosenthal, Founder/CEO, GoldRun and Tronic
• Elizabeth Talerman, CEO and Managing Partner, Nucleus Branding
• Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Owner & Creative Chairwoman, JEH United Bangkok

Advocates & Change-Makers

• Tiffany R. Warren, Chief Diversity Officer, Omnicom & Founder, ADCOLOR

Brand Marketers

• Beth Comstock, SVP/CMO, General Electric
• Rebecca Messina, VP Global Marketing Capability & Integration, Coca-Cola
• Jill Simmons, Marketing Director, The New York Times
• Julie Washington, VP & General Manager – Consumer Products, Jamba Juice
• Connie Weaver, CMO, TIAA-CREF
• Andrea Harrison, Director of Digital Engagement, Pepsi

Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly

Rupert Newton has worked as a creative strategist, with an expertise in communications planning in the marketing and advertising industry for nearly 20 years. After developing his career in the UK, Rupert brought Michaelides & Bednash's pioneering communications strategy approach to America. He co-founded a marketing strategy company called The Joneses, pairing brand and communication strategists to work with HBO, NBC Universal, Diageo, Virgin Atlantic, and a plethora of other notable clients. Most recently he has focused his energy on facilitating a different kind of growth, that which comes out of the ground, as part of an organic farm cooperative, Newton Farms, in the Catskills.

You've worked as a planner both on the media and brand side for almost two decades, bringing breakthrough ways of thinking and planning. How do you see young planners doing that today?

I think the role of young planners is to challenge conventions, rules and any formulaic process they are handed. Strategy is a creative exercise, it should be about open free-thinking while you immerse yourself in the topic, bring new cognitive models in when you've noodled around for a while. Read books on recent advances in psychology and neuroscience. Cultivate creative interests outside of work. I think if I'd really focused on articulating an insight, and the subsequent idea, very clearly and simply, it would have helped me earlier on. It's a fantastic discipline. The worst thing any planner can do is complicate things. Think practically about how to bring the creative strategy to life in the real world. Whatever it is would you participate in it? If not, it's probably crap.

What planners, agencies, blogs or activities inspire you?

Oh, hmmm, I was just reading Caught by the River, I think Fact Mag is great, I just read Infinite Realities which was fascinating, the other day I went to see Douglas Rushkoff speak, last weekend was Unsound in Brooklyn so lots of deep sub-bass action, I've read the Guardian for over twenty years, amazing to think it used to circulate less than 400k copies in the UK as a newspaper, and now has nearly 40 million readers digitally ...I started as a media buyer and used to take the piss out them for only being read by teachers and social workers (obviously I didn't say I was a loyal reader), so all I'll say is there are 40 million sandal-and-socks wearers in the world, (myself excluded).

I recently read [amazon_link id="1604443499" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Homage to Catalonia[/amazon_link], there is a funny moment where the Fascists and the leftists are entrenched opposite each other on a steep gorge, just too far for anyone to shoot accurately. So for weeks they resorted to hurling insults back and forth, except for one enterprising leftist who would use a megaphone to soothingly say things like, "Buttered toast...we are sitting down to delicious slices of buttered toast". Of course they were not, they barely had any rations or firewood, Orwell archly credits this man with persuading conscripted Facists to desert. Probably went on to be Spain's top PR man...

You recently started a farm cooperative in upstate New York that grows organic vegetables. What made you decide to open the farm?

I grew up in rural England, my Dad was a forester, conservationist and musician. I also worked on dairy farms as a teenager, so I've "got form" as the British cops say in reference to a suspect's previous convictions. Then in 2010 I reached a point in my life where a few things fell apart and a few other things just fell into place. Overall I'd say it was just seizing an opportunity that presented itself and running with it. I've become very interested in "biological farming" a system for farming with a deep understanding of the ecosystem, that restores soil health while producing the best quality crops. You can read about it here, Remineralize the Earth.

Planners like to talk about human truths. It's a human truth that what we eat shapes our bodies, lives and culture. What insights about your own life have you discovered from organic farming?

Taken at face value most people think about rural life as a fantasy escape, as the anti-thesis of wired urban life. But the connectivity of nature is a metaphor for the internet, or vice versa, nature is electrically charged and vibrational, so more similarities than you might think. Nature was "connected" a long time before we were digitally, something the ancients used to understand very well. Did you know a single plant can move nutrients from up to 100' away? Did you know you can measure the electrical conductivity of soil and this will tell you how efficiently nutrient transfer is operating between soil life, bacteria, fungi and plants? I know someone in the midwest who pipes ambient techno into his greenhouses and swears the plants are havin' it. For me all this just confirmed what we always knew, that everything is just part of a larger whole.

As an organic farmer, you are going back to nature and essentially embracing simplicity, slow food and an older way of life. But as a planner in advertising, you are part of the fast moving cycle of consumerism. How do you balance these two worlds? Are they more alike than one would think?

Haha, I completely reject your first point, I think you're stereotyping there. Naughty planner! Organic is problematic in that I think it conjures up fantasy imagery of bucolic Thomas Hardy-esque farms, and, I think the organic movement plays up to it as a persuasive sales technique. Personally I question the smug middle class milieu of the farmers market, I find the organic food as luxury product/status symbol off putting and limiting. Long term I hope to be part of the change that makes quality, non-chemical, bionutrient-dense food sold in Walmart. I see this as progress, not "going back" or "an older way of life", why would anyone want to do that? There was no health care and people died young, often in excruciating agony.

Yes, I was stereotyping. What is your ultimate goal for Newton Farm Cooperative? What change would you like to see? And what's your strategy for trying to achieve it?

Well, it's a cooperative so it's a shared goal. If only I'd grown up reading the Daily Telegraph, it would be so different..

Finally, all this food talk is making me hungry. Where can we find the food grown at Newton Farm Cooperative and how can we get involved?

We'll be supplying The Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side, and any new locations they open, Diner, Five Leaves, Dressler, Marlow and The Bedford in Williamsburg, Two Boots pizza's downtown locations, there'll be others too. We'll get pretty busy with the Facebook and Twitter when the season starts so you can fan or follow for updates and contact us there.

We have a special deal this season, give us 5 hours of work and you get one free night's stay at the farm. It's a beautiful old farmhouse in a high mountain valley near Phonecia. We even have a recording studio in one of the barns, so you know, it might get loud.

Wisdom of a CEO

<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2458" title="6a00e54ed3f13788330133f1f0ef7a970b-800wi" src="http://www.curiosity-matters.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04 Thought this article in the Times about personality traits of a CEO was interesting, especially since naturally, the qualities are similar to that of an account planner. Article is re-posted in its entirety for your viewing pleasure.

Distilling the Wisdom of C.E.O.’s

By ADAM BRYANT

Published: April 16, 2011

This article was adapted from “The Corner Office: Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons From CEOs on How to Lead and Succeed,” by Adam Bryant, author of the weekly “Corner Office” column in The New York Times. The book, published Tuesday by Times Books, analyzes the broader lessons that emerge from his interviews with more than 70 leaders.

IMAGINE 100 people working at a large company. They’re all middle managers, around 35 years old. They’re all smart. All collegial. All hard-working. They all have positive attitudes. They’re all good communicators.

So what will determine who gets the next promotion, and the one after that? Which of them, when the time comes, will get that corner office?

In other words, what does it take to lead an organization — whether it’s a sports team, a nonprofit, a start-up or a multinational corporation? What are the X factors?

Interviews I conducted with more than 70 chief executives and other leaders for Corner Office in The New York Times point to five essentials for success — qualities that most of those C.E.O.’s share and look for in people they hire.

The good news: these traits are not genetic. It’s not as if you have to be tall or left-handed. These qualities are developed through attitude, habit and discipline — factors that are within your control. They will make you stand out. They will make you a better employee, manager and leader. They will lift the trajectory of your career and speed your progress.

These aren’t theories. They come from decades of collective experience of top executives who have learned firsthand what it takes to succeed. From the corner office, they can watch others attempt a similar climb and notice the qualities that set people apart. These C.E.O.’s offered myriad lessons and insights on the art of managing and leading, but they all shared five qualities: Passionate curiosity. Battle-hardened confidence. Team smarts. A simple mind-set. Fearlessness.

What follows are excerpts from chapters on each of them.

Passionate Curiosity

Many successful chief executives are passionately curious people. It is a side of them rarely seen in the media and in investor meetings, and there is a reason for that. In business, C.E.O.’s are supposed to project confidence and breezy authority as they take an audience through their projections of steady growth. Certainty is the game face they wear. They’ve cracked the code.

But get them away from these familiar scripts, and a different side emerges. They share stories about failures and doubts and mistakes. They ask big-picture questions. They wonder why things work the way they do and whether those things can be improved upon. They want to know people’s stories, and what they do.

It’s this relentless questioning that leads entrepreneurs to spot new opportunities and helps managers understand the people who work for them, and how to get them to work together effectively. It is no coincidence that more than one executive uttered the same phrase when describing what, ultimately, is the C.E.O.’s job: “I am a student of human nature.”

The C.E.O.’s are not necessarily the smartest people in the room, but they are the best students — the letters could just as easily stand for “chief education officer.”

“You learn from everybody,” said Alan R. Mulally, the chief executive of the Ford Motor Company. “I’ve always just wanted to learn everything, to understand anybody that I was around — why they thought what they did, why they did what they did, what worked for them, what didn’t work.”

Why “passionate curiosity”? The phrase is more than the sum of its parts, which individually fall short in capturing the quality that sets these C.E.O.’s apart. There are plenty of people who are passionate, but many of their passions are focused on just one area. There are a lot of curious people in the world, but they can also be wallflowers.

But “passionate curiosity” — a phrase used by Nell Minow, the co-founder of the Corporate Library — better captures the infectious sense of fascination that some people have with everything around them.

Passionate curiosity, Ms. Minow said, “is indispensable, no matter what the job is. You want somebody who is just alert and very awake and engaged with the world and wanting to know more.”

Though chief executives are paid to have answers, their greatest contributions to their organizations may be asking the right questions. They recognize that they can’t have the answer to everything, but they can push their company in new directions and marshal the collective energy of their employees by asking the right questions.

“In business, the big prizes are found when you can ask a question that challenges the corporate orthodoxy,” said Andrew Cosslett, the C.E.O. of the InterContinental Hotels Group. “In every business I’ve worked in, there’s been a lot of cost and value locked up in things that are deemed to be ‘the way we do things around here.’ So you have to talk to people and ask them, ‘Why do you do that?’ ”

It’s an important lesson. For all the furrowed-brow seriousness that you often encounter in the business world, some of the most important advances come from asking, much like a persistent 5-year-old, the simplest questions. Why do you do that? How come it’s done this way? Is there a better way?

Battle-Hardened Confidence

Some qualities are easier to spot than others. Passionate curiosity? It’s there for all to see. There’s an energy from people who have it. Other qualities are tougher to discern, especially the ability to handle adversity. Some people embrace adversity, even relish it, and they have a track record of overcoming it. They have battle-hardened confidence.

If there were some test to find out whether a person had this quality, it would be a huge moneymaker. But people, and companies, reveal how they deal with adversity only when they are faced with potential or real failure, and the status quo is not an option.

The best predictor of behavior is past performance, and that’s why so many chief executives interview job candidates about how they dealt with failure in the past. They want to know if somebody is the kind of person who takes ownership of challenges or starts looking for excuses.

“I think hiring great people remains extremely, extremely hard,” said Jen-Hsun Huang of Nvidia. “You can never really tell how somebody deals with adversity. When you have a difficult situation, some people just take it and run with it. Some people see adversity and they cower, as talented as they are. You could ask them about the adversity they had in the past, but you never really know the intensity of that adversity.”

Many C.E.O.’s seem driven by a strong work ethic forged in adversity. As they moved up in organizations, the attitude remained the same — this is my job, and I’m going to own it. Because of that attitude, they are rewarded with more challenges and promotions.

“I like hiring people who have overcome adversity, because I believe I’ve seen in my own career that perseverance is really important,” said Nancy McKinstry, the chief executive of Wolters Kluwer, the Dutch publishing and information company. “I will ask them directly: ‘Give me an example of some adverse situation you faced, and what did you do about it, and what did you learn from it?’ The people I’ve hired who have had that ability to describe the situation have always worked out, because they’re able to sort of fall down, dust themselves off, and keep fighting the next day.”

The chief executives’ stories help bring to life a concept known as “locus of control.” In general, it refers to people’s outlooks and beliefs about what leads to success and failure in their lives. Do they tend to blame failures on factors they cannot control, or do they believe they have the ability to shape events and circumstances by making the most of what they can control? It’s a positive attitude mixed with a sense of purpose and determination. People who have it will take on, and own, any assignment thrown their way. They say those words that are music to a manager’s ears: “Got it. I’m on it.”

Team Smarts

At some point, the notion of being a team player became devalued in corporate life. It has been reduced to a truism — I work on a team, therefore I am a team player. It’s a point captured in a cartoon, by Mike Baldwin, in which an interviewer says to a job candidate: “We need a dedicated team player. How are you at toiling in obscurity?”

The most effective executives are more than team players. They understand how teams work and how to get the most out of the group. Just as some people have street smarts, others have team smarts.

Mark Pincus, the C.E.O. of the Zynga Game Network, the online gaming company, said he learned lessons about teamwork playing soccer in school. Even today, when he plays in Sunday-morning games, he said, he can spot people who would be good hires because of how they play.

“One is reliability,” he said. “There are certain people you just know are not going to make a mistake, even if the other guy’s faster than they are, or whatever.  And are you a playmaker? There are people who have this kind of intelligence, and they can make these great plays. It’s not that they’re star players, but they will get you the ball and then be where you’d expect to put it back to them. It’s like their heads are really in the game.”

Team smarts is also about having good “peripheral vision” for sensing how people react to one another, not just how they act.

George S. Barrett, the chief executive of Cardinal Health, described an example of how he assessed managers when he moved into a new role.

“We were sitting with a group of about 40 to 50 managers, and people were standing up to raise certain issues,” he recalled. “And I watched this one executive. People were riveted to him, really listening and engaged. And then this other executive addressed the group, and I watched everyone’s eyes. And their eyes went back down to their tables. It was a clear signal that said, ‘You’ve lost us.’ So sometimes you don’t know what the messages are that you’re going to get, but you have to look for them. They come from your peripheral vision.”

Companies increasingly operate through ad hoc teams. Team smarts refers to the ability to recognize the players the team needs and how to bring them together around a common goal.

“Early on, I was wowed by talent, and I was willing to set aside the idea that this person might not be a team player,” said Susan Lyne, chairman of the Gilt Groupe. “Now, somebody needs to be able to work with people — that’s No. 1 on the list. I need people who are going to be able to build a team, manage a team, recruit well and work well with their peers. The people who truly succeed in business are the ones who actually have figured out how to mobilize people who are not their direct reports.”

A Simple Mind-Set

There is a stubborn disconnect in many companies. Most senior executives want the same thing from people who present to them: be concise, get to the point, make it simple. Yet few people can deliver the simplicity that many bosses want. Instead, they mistakenly assume that the bosses will be impressed by a long PowerPoint presentation that shows how diligently they researched a topic, or that they will win over their superiors by talking more, not less.

Few things seem to get C.E.O.’s riled up more than lengthy PowerPoint presentations. It’s not the software they dislike; that’s just a tool. What irks them is the unfocused thinking that leads to an overlong slide presentation. There is wide agreement it’s a problem: “death by PowerPoint” has become a cliché.

If so many executives in positions of authority are clear about what they want, why can’t they get the people who report to them to lose the “Power” part of their presentations and simply get to the “Point”?

There are a few likely explanations. A lot of people have trouble being concise. Next time you’re in a meeting, ask somebody to give you the 10-word summary of his or her idea. Some people can do a quick bit of mental jujitsu, and they’ll summarize an idea with a “Here’s what’s important ...” or “The bottom line is ... .” Others will have trouble identifying the core point.

Another possible explanation is that a lag exists in the business world. There was a time when simply having certain information was a competitive advantage. Now, in the Internet era, most people have easy access to the same information. That puts a greater premium on the ability to synthesize, to connect dots in new ways and to ask simple, smart questions that lead to untapped opportunities.

“I’d love to teach a course called ‘The Idea,’ ” said Dany Levy, the founder of DailyCandy.com. “Which is, basically, so you want to start a company, how’s it going to work? Let’s figure it out: just a very practical plan, but not a business plan, because I feel like business plans now feel weighty and outdated. It seems, back in the day, that the longer your business plan was, the more promising it was going to be. And now, the shorter your business plan is, the more succinct and to the point it is, the better. You want people to get why your business is going to work pretty quickly.”

Steven A. Ballmer, the C.E.O. of Microsoft, said he understood the impulse in presentations to share all the underlying research that led to a conclusion. But he changed the way he runs meetings to get to the conclusion first.

“The mode of Microsoft meetings used to be: You come with something we haven’t seen in a slide deck or presentation,” he said. “You deliver the presentation. You probably take what I will call ‘the long and winding road.’ You take the listener through your path of discovery and exploration, and you arrive at a conclusion.

“I decided that’s not what I want to do anymore. I don’t think it’s efficient. So most meetings nowadays, you send me the materials and I read them in advance. And I can come in and say: ‘I’ve got the following four questions. Please don’t present the deck.’ That lets us go, whether they’ve organized it that way or not, to their recommendation. And if I have questions about the long and winding road and the data and the supporting evidence, I can ask them. But it gives us greater focus.”

Fearlessness

Are you comfortable being uncomfortable? Do you like situations where there’s no road map or compass? Do you start twitching when things are operating smoothly, and want to shake things up? Are you willing to make surprising career moves to learn new skills? Is discomfort your comfort zone?

In other words, are you fearless?

Risk-taking is often a quality associated with entrepreneurs, the kind of people who make bet-the-farm wagers on a new idea. But risk-taking doesn’t quite capture the quality that many C.E.O.’s embody and look for and encourage in others.

With the business world in seemingly endless turmoil, maintaining the status quo — even when things appear to be working well — is only going to put you behind the competition. So when chief executives talk about executives on their staffs who are fearless, there is a reverence in their voices. They wish they could bottle it and pass it out to all their employees. They’re looking for calculated and informed risk-taking, but mostly they want people to do things — and not just what they’re told to do.

“One of the things that I characterize as fearlessness is seeing an opportunity, even though things are not broken,” said Ursula M. Burns, the C.E.O. of Xerox. “Someone will say: ‘Things are good, but I’m going to destabilize them because they can be much better and should be much better. We should change this.’ The easiest thing to do is to just keep it going the way it’s going, especially if it’s not perfect but it’s not broken. But you have to be a little bit ahead of it, and you have to try to fix it well before you have to. Companies get into trouble when they get really complacent, when they settle in and say, ‘O.K., we’re doing O.K. now.’ ”

Many executives said fearlessness was one of the top qualities they’re looking for when they were interviewing job candidates.

“Specifically, in this culture I have to have people who not only can manage change but have an appetite for it,” said Mindy F. Grossman, the C.E.O. of HSN, the parent company of Home Shopping Network. “They tend to be more intellectually curious, so they don’t just have vertical climbs. I ask for those stories. I love hearing them and it gives me a real sense of the person.”

Like the other four keys to success, fearlessness is an attitude, and because attitude is one of the few things over which everyone has complete control, it is a character trait that can be developed. It can be fostered with a simple approach to taking more risks.

Chief executives advise that you will be rewarded for fearlessness, because so few people live that way and bring this attitude to work. It is risky. You may unsettle people by shaking up the status quo. But if you have the best interests of the organization in mind, you can unlock new opportunities for the company and for yourself.

These five qualities help determine who will be chosen for bigger roles and more responsibility. Those promotions will inevitably bring challenges that require learning through trial and error.

C.E.O.’s can act as mentors to speed people along that learning curve. They may not develop silver-bullet theories, but they are experts in leadership because they practice it daily. And many of them have spent years honing their leadership styles, studying what works and what doesn’t, and then teaching others.

Chief executives face criticism from many corners, and it is often deserved. But there is no arguing that they have achieved a great deal.

Through their stories, lessons and insights, they have much to offer beyond the hard numbers.

The Big 3-0 Is Here

Lesson 1: Trust your instincts. Jobs are like relationships; if you have a sinking feeling that things aren't working, it's probably best for you to move on out or else you might be left standing on the curb (or at Whole Foods eating sushi and a cupcake by yourself on your birthday).

Lesson 2: Leave with dignity. I can proudly say that when I was laid off, I did not shed one tear and although I was shocked, I also felt relieved.

After celebrating my birthday with a great group of friends, I dove straight into the job search the next day. I updated my resume and emailed my contacts, even people I babysat for. Knowing that I couldn't just sit by the phone, I did everything I could to refine my online presence and volunteered my time with advertising organizations.

Lesson 3: Dive head on into your job search and don't be afraid to gracefully share with friends and former colleagues that you were laid off and are looking for work.

Lesson 4: Everything you do should be done well, from side jobs like babysitting to, of course, your full time job.

Less than two weeks later, I had one of my first informational interviews with a planning director who told me to go to Miami Ad School. In fact, I was introduced to him through a babysitting client. I took his advice and spent the next few months putting together my application. At the same time, I attended every networking, advertising and tech event I could hoping that my knowledge of the NY tech scene would help me with my job search.

Lesson 5: You make your own luck.

When I told people I was going to San Francisco for school, they told me that I was lucky. Actually no, I don't think getting laid off on ones birthday, having my kitten jump out of my fifth floor window to his death, and not finding my true career path until 28 makes me lucky. But I do think that being kind, pro-active and resilient has helped in things finally turning around.

Lesson 6: You only live once and life is short so don't put off big decisions like going back to school. There's a famous tag line that sums up that sentiment up nicely.

Just do it.

At some point, the prospect of moving across the country and uprooting my life scared me. What if I didn't get into the program? What if everyone was smarter than me? Was it crazy to take out a $6K plus loan? Put all my belongings in storage? But once I got into the program and worked my ass off, I realized I should apply to every opportunity given to me. My time should be spent having my mind blown away on a nearly daily basis and I should be surrounded by people I admire and respect. And right now, I am.

Lesson 7: You never know what the next day will bring and it only takes one "yes."

When I went back to San Francisco after the holidays, I spent most of my time stressed about trying to find a job instead of enjoying my surroundings. I don't regret that and think my time was well spent, but it was quite the emotional roller coaster. I continued to keep in touch with all my contacts and then it happened, someone said "yes," and without hesitation, I packed up my things and headed back to New York.

Lesson 8: Never underestimate the importance of kindness.

I sometimes think that I'm too nice and not strategic enough in my dealings with people. I'll accept a Facebook request for fear of hurting someone's feelings or offer up job advice that I spent months trying to figure out for myself. But I realize there's without a doubt an incredible importance to being nice and honest. Unfortunately, not everyone expects it! And I'm now surrounded by very successful people who I believe share that same philosophy. I may not be able to directly help those who have helped me, but I am happy to "pay it forward" to others.

And that pretty much sums up my thoughts for now. What did you learn after turning 30?

Can Psychology Help Us Understand Our Changing Relationships with Brands?

I always find it fascinating and exciting that the craft of planning requires so many different levels and ways of thinking. One must approach a brief from a psychological, creative and business perspective, to name a few. But one thing that remains constant is the focus on relationships; between the client and agency, planners and creatives, and most importantly between consumers and the brand. Max Spiegelberg points out how as advertisers, we should think about the relationship between our brand and the consumer in the same way we'd look at interpersonal relationships and note the implications.This article is re-blogged from Popsop Brand Magazine Online written by Max Spiegelberg.

You are welcome to share your thoughts on this article written by Max Spiegelberg, Brand Director at Bloom The saturation of markets, congestion of media and maturity of consumer understanding of brands has steered marketing practice in recent years beyond ‘image branding’ towards ‘relationship branding’. Loyalty is no longer simply won through passive respect. Consumers demand more.

The brand’s role today has evolved from being an object of desire to being a champion of its own philosophy. This is no easy feat for marketers. It takes time, confidence, continuity and a lot of money.

So it’s important to get it right from the start. It’s important to understand how we as consumers relate to brands and why we enjoy the relationships we have with them.

In 1997 Jennifer Aaker published the paper ‘Dimensions of Brand Personality’ in the Journal of Marketing Research. At the root of this paper, Aaker outlines a brand personality scale, mapping out 5 dimensions, or human characteristics that could be associated with brands. These are Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication and Ruggedness. This scale is often used to determine the current perceptions of a brand and to describe the desired future status of it.

This is all well and good but how do these traits strengthen a brand’s relationship with its audience? Should we profile consumer personality traits and map these against brand traits? Which characteristics are right for the brand?

These questions have led some academic marketers back to the Psychology text books to try to understand the affinity we as humans develop in our own relationships and whether this thinking can be applied to the consumer-brand relationship.

Social Psychology, put simply, is the study of how we perceive ourselves and how we interact with each other. Potentially there are some rich pickings amongst the research and models that this discipline has created.

As an example let’s look at a study of the development of interpersonal relationships. One of the most influential models in this field is proposed by psychologist, George Levinger (1983). According to his ABCDE model, the natural development of a relationship follows five stages:

1. Acquaintance: Becoming acquainted depends on a number of factors including, proximity, first impressions, attractiveness, similarities in personality, attitude, and interests and association to positive situations. Acquaintance may lead to the next stage or can continue indefinitely.

2. Build up: Beginning to trust and care about each other. Here there is a need for compatibility and filtering agents such as common background, cultural background and related interests. Compatibility will influence whether or not interaction continues.

3. Continuation: Following a mutual commitment to long-term relationships this is generally a long and relatively stable period. Continued growth and development will occur during this time.

4. Deterioration: Relationships deteriorate as a result of boredom, resentment and dissatisfaction. Individuals may communicate less and avoid self-disclosure. Loss and betrayals may take place continuing the downward spiral.

5. Ending: This marks the end of the relationship by complete termination or separation. There are some obvious parallels here with our own developing relationships with brands. Jooyoung et al (2008) point out that true brand loyalty is derived from brand credibility, attitude, strength and brand commitment, which form the basis of Levinger’s first three stages here.

There are plenty of other studies that could be investigated. For the purpose of this article I have explored one model as an example but it serves to demonstrate the potential of Social Psychology to generate interesting parallels and further develop brand models.

All of this is predicated on the assumption that brands carry human traits and that consumers interact with brands in the same way that we interact with each other. Could it be that our richer understanding of brands and more complex relationships with them justifies a closer look at the field of Social Psychology?

A Visual Life: Intel

Intel has this great video series where they create mini documentaries about varies artists; photographers, musicians etc., that I found via PSFK (of course). Michael Wolff, a designer, talks about the muscles of creativity. He shows that creativity takes childlike curiosity and an appreciation of ones surroundings - noticing how colorful and beautiful things can be, to develop the muscle of imagination and creativity. He is so right. The world is such a completely fascinating, beautiful place if we just open our eyes and really look.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTfAzjBTokc&w=640&h=390]

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Speaking of observing the world around you, I spent a lovely afternoon during my last week of San Francisco exploring the SF MOMA. I played around with slow shutter speeds, resting my camera on benches or ledges and just seeing what developed.

This Just Happened - Weekend Update

I interrupt my usual subject matter to bring you a weekend update. This was kind of an awesome weekend full of crazy, unexpected funnies.Let's start backwards. On Sunday. I'm sitting at breakfast, reading The New York Times, when I see Mischief the cat going into the pantry. This doesn't surprise me at all. He's done it plenty of times. Above him is Lola on the counter. Yes, my parent's cats basically have the run of the place. She delicately puts her paw on the door of the pantry, closing it on Mischief's tail until he cries out and I stop her from seriously injuring him. Classic. They make living at home (before I find a place in Brooklyn hopefully), bearable.

Last night, we had a special visitor at our house. Anne Marsen, the girl in the Girl Walk // All Day came after just getting back from India. I learned that not only is she a talented dancer, but a very talented film maker and actress. Dude. This girl is going places. Her dance moves and energy is riveting and I got a glimpse of her next project in production, done while in India. What comes out of her is thought provoking, entertaining and introduces you to a new world, whether it's the streets of India and Indian music or new music that makes you want to attempt to copy her dance moves. My sister sent me this link of a video she made last year. Check it out. Anne Marsen/ROYGBIV~ "Squeeze Me" by Kraak & Smaak (Music Video)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvVIkH44v8E&w=640&h=390]

So I can only attribute Saturday night's incident to what happens when you hang out with Anne Marsen. My dad kindly offered to drive her back into the city. Unfortunately, we were stuck in traffic the whole way through. So naturally, we put on Michael Jackson's Dangerous and started loudly singing and dancing to Black or White. The van next to us, full of twenty-something guys, rolled down their window and asked us what we were listening to. My dad proudly replied, and they told us to turn it up. It was completely hysterical and reminded me why I love New Yorkers. The best part was when the guy in the back seat rolled the van door open to hear the music better, making getting stuck in traffic completely worth it.

It's Friday and It's a Very Full Moon

I thought about assaulting your ears with the Rebecca Black video but then thought you'd appreciate this more. By the way, it's a full moon. Seriously, a huge full moon.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLPZmPaHme0&w=640&h=390]