There's a video store just a few miles from work and home called Videodrome. A tiny shop, it can't quite compete with Blockbuster (who now can't compete with Netflix). But it doesn't try to.
Introducing the all new Swift School!
I drive a scooter. Almost every day for the last two years - unless its below 22 degrees, icey, or a downpour - I'm riding on two wheels. For the first 3 months I loved it. Loved parking on sidewalks, paying $5 to fill up my tank, scooting past traffic jams. You can cheat a lot of road rules on a scooter. But after two winters & two wipe outs, the love has faded fast. I now see a different side to my scooter rides. No trunk, gearing-up, helmet head, exposure to the elements, no Interstates - all of these things had just about gotten on my last nerve. And then my muffler fell off.
Hello again! Daniel Cole here again with another guest post on the Matchstic Blog. Early last week, my colleague Craig Johnson introduced to me an interesting program called Mouse Path. What makes it so interesting is that it records mouse movements and then produces a visual outline of those movements. Resulting in stunning images such as this:
My wife and I traveled to Europe a little over a year ago. I do not speak French, but nonetheless, in some quasi-attempt to respect French culture and language I tried to engage the locals in French first...even if only to ask if they spoke any English. I ventured a bit too far into the language one night while trying to order dinner at a local cafe. Speaking to the waiter with a weird combo of French & English, I later found myself being served two full plates of food - two entrees for just me - by a very confused looking restaurant staff.
We like to pick a book out every couple months to read as a group here. It serves as a nice platform to start conversation about new ideas and how they might apply to what we do. We're currently about half way through with Linchpin, the new book from author Seth Godin. The basic premise is this: How to be remarkable. That is, the future is in ideas -- the ones who will succeed are the visionaries. Those who create the kind of value that can't always be measured by numbers. The Jobses, the Dylans, the Bransons.
We live in a branded world. Our world is full of swooshes, stripes, ovals, apples, and alligators (and even little tiny horses running wild on our shirts). And while many think that brands are for large corporations, like GE, Apple, Target and Starbucks, the ultimate brand that everyone’s after is YOU.
Came across these the other day. They're manhole covers in Japan.
I'm turning 30 next week. And as I reflect back on my 20's - and what I've learned so far in business and branding - I see one common theme that is increasingly important to me: being human. Let me explain...
As print and film continue to fade away, A Bryan Photo is turning what seems to be something negative into a competitive advantage. The medium has become more valuable, more niche. They've embraced it. It's a stubborn nod to authenticity. And it's exactly what we need more of.
