Friends of Dave #146: Any Questions?
Lots going on this week...including another concert....any questions???
Had a full plate this week here, Friends, so I apologize for not having much of an original, well planned, cohesive preamble for you this edition.
First, I guess my intro last week touched a nerve with some readers -- I received a bunch of unexpected messages and emails on the topic of partners vs. vendors. All great stuff and I always appreciate the feedback and side banter with Friends. Interesting to hear different takes on the topic from those coming from the service provider side and the client buyer side.
Next, many thanks to those of you who have recruited new subscribers to the newsletter. There has been a nice uptick over the past few weeks. Many of you may have seen my post on LinkedIn as well -- hope we can maintain the upward trend in adding members to the wolf pack!
By the way, a quick related follow up for those interested in personal branding: it was easily my most viewed post on LinkedIn yet. Pictures of actual people get lots of engagement on LinkedIn, Friends. And I guess sharing pics of people with beer in their hands cuts through the noise. I'll probably post more about this in upcoming intros, but reach out if you want to learn more firsthand about what I am seeing.
Finally, as you read this, my wife and I will likely be recovering from attending another concert -- this time it is The Black Keys. Interestingly, this comes almost EXACTLY a year since our visit to the cauldron of terror that is the Boston House of Blues. If you missed my harrowing tale of our night in the mosh pit with Social Distortion, it ended up being the most read preamble of last year.
So, if you have some time and would like to be entertained (or re-entertained) by my detailed account of our evening last year, >CLICK HERE<.
And with that, I leave you with this week's links. You know what to do. I'm David A. Frankel....Any questions?
XOXO
Dave
Think on These...
Long time readers know I have shared a lot about empathy and mindfulness. Here is a different take on empathy and how trust may be the better ideal on which to focus.
A Few For Your Day Job...
Why Social Media Could Amplify the Next Economic Contraction
"With social media, the dissemination of information happens so quickly it allows that viral element to take place,” notes one investor.
Quick read -- thought provoking.
Where Companies Go Wrong with Learning and Development
Companies all want their employees to improve their skills, but retaining knowledge is just as important as learning it. A quick look at "lean learning" and how it ensures that employees not only learn the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reasons, but also retain what they learn.
Zero Cost Marketing Hacks To Boost Your Brand
You don't have to be at a startup to be nimble in your marketing. This is another quick one with some good tips and ideas how companies of all sizes can easily be more nimble with their marketing.
No Banking Charter? No Problem. Fintechs Team Up With Small-Town Banks
In Cedar Falls, Iowa, the 117-year-old Lincoln Savings Bank, which works with Cambr, has boosted its revenue by partnering with fintechs, said Mike McCrary, who runs e-commerce and emerging technology for the bank. McCrary said that when Lincoln Savings Bank considered how it could best position itself for the next 10 years, fintech partnerships were an obvious answer.
I have some experience with this and when done right, it can be a match made in heaven. Startups have the latest tech, the community banks have the existing customers -- partnerships can alleviate significant costs for both.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
Signs Your Personality Is So Intense That It’s Intimidating To Others
Here's one: co-workers all have a stress ball at their desks with your name on it....or so I have been told....
Why the self-pour beer revolution is here to stay
Self-pour beer? I suppose next they'll be saying that I can do that in the comfort of my own home!
I Replaced My Oven With a Waffle Maker, and You Should Too
In related news....reportedly the author also replaced his clothes dryer with a George Foreman grill....where's the end zone dancing now?
And The Last Word....
I Can’t Stop Thinking About Whatever Is Going On With Jeremy Renner — www.buzzfeednews.com
Renner tried, and failed, to insulate himself from the toxic reality of packaging a human identity for public consumption as a digital brand — and now he’s back out here in the swamp, with everyone else. Twenty-first-century stars: They really are just like us.
A surprisingly long, but oddly compelling and in-depth read about how Jeremy Renner went from action star on the rise to a guy with a busted app and an Amazon camping store....and yet, not one mention of the two arms he broke making the bro-comedy Tag that resulted in the need for CGI in a movie that did not need CGI....