Where do Big Ideas come from?
October 19th, 2008
Whether you want to craft the world’s next greatest novel, take the trip of a lifetime, or open a small business the initial idea to create or do “something” has to come from somewhere.
I have always wondered, why do some people come up with innovative ideas while others appear not to? Or, does everybody come up with thoughts for new initiatives and projects but only a few pursue them? For example, what on earth ever possessed me to come up with the post 97 Remarkable Ways to Diversify Your Network in a Down Economy?
Why do only some seem to have this mindset?
image source: TrainforHumanity tshirt concept from Joaquin R. Kierce
Right now I am sitting here cursing Becky McCray, not literally, heck not even figuratively…because Becky is one of the nicest, most helpful, small biz folk on the internet.
However, you see, Becky recently sent a twitter message saying, “Think I might need a trip to Culebra this Feb.”
Of course, being the opportunist that I am, and not wanting to waste access to such a great talent if she actually comes to Culebra, my mind instantly went into creative mode and I replied back:
“maybe we could do a small scale small biz/social media meet up and try to land some other keynote people”
I thought the messages would just end there and nothing would come of it, but within seconds Becky sent something back to the effect of “that’s a great idea….”
Then out of nowhere, and as if the stars were aligning perfectly, the next morning I got this message from the indefatigable Liz Strauss:
@lizstrauss I’m doing well, Mark! Every time I see you I get an urge to plan an event at your place.
Again my mind began racing with the possibilities.
Where this campaign will go, I really have no idea, but I very much like the idea of some type of Idea Incubation Workshop here in the Caribbean during, let’s say, the middle of winter.
Are you an Ideanator (my new term for one who regularly comes up with ideas)?
To help ease my curiosity about the origins of idea generation and innovative thinking I recently asked some folks on Twitter for their input on Big Ideas, and the following are the responses I got:
@josephrueter to start: intentional curiosity, confident humility, sharing, information consumption, diligence, smart/engaged people around.
@sweetsfoods You know Mark, that several times unexpected big ideas come from ….night dreams!
@toddwaller Big Ideas: From reading, applying and seeing ‘other’ ways: assimilation and preparation.
@bgswanson re: big ideas. I think they come from someone who has the mindset to see a problem as an opportunity.
Where do your big ideas come from?
I find it absolutely astonishing how many new project thoughts I have while I am running. The other day I was out for my evening run and I began to think about some features that I would like to see included as an email or Twitter application (and I would greatly appreciate it if YOU would develop them).
The first, GeoTwit (or GeoEmail), would give the geographic coordinates, current weather, and the time of day somehow contained within people’s Twitter messages. Of course there are inherent security risks but you could enable the feature only for trusted friends.
The second, and the one that I think could have real monetization potential, is TwitFlick (or EmailFlick). This application would somehow offer me the option to view the latest Flickr photos based on where my Twitter messages or emails were coming from. For example, let’s say Jarkko Laine sends me a Twitter message from Finland; well I think it would be cool to have a feature that would allow me, based on user settings, to view the latest Flickr photos from Finland. For those who are interested in traveling to a particular “messaged” destination the application could be monetized with hotel and rental car offers…anyway, just an idea.
How about you? What ideas have you got going? Where did they come from?
Five Questions With Non-Conformist Chris Guillebeau
October 11th, 2008
Would you like to travel the globe while financing those trips solely through your online efforts and income? How about attempting to visit every country that the world has to offer?
Right around the time we started to make final preparations for the launch of Train for Humanity, I came across the aptly titled website, The Art of Non-Conformity, which belongs to Chris Guillebeau.
His site’s tagline is:
“Unconventional ideas for remarkable people. Along the way, I visit every country in the world and profile other nonconformists.”
Certainly after starting a business in the Caribbean, all of my travels, and a pre-mature escape from the corporate world I thought that I led a somewhat non-conformist life…but I don’t have anything on Chris.
After going through his archives and reading about various travels and adventures, one thing that immediately struck was the fact that Chris had lived and worked on the ground in Africa as an aid worker.
Before the launch of Train for Humanity I decided to email Chris to see if he would provide some feedback on TFH. Almost instantly I received a reply with some solid input and I have been following his adventure ever since.
I think most readers of MyTropicalEscape are living, or are working towards living, a life that is outside of the traditional norm and to that end, Chris has recently published an ebook, The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself, which is intended to help people create personal freedom via a very small business.
Below, Chris answers five questions that I had for him regarding the direction he has chosen for his life and how he funds his travels.
1. Does nonconformity run in your family? If no, what started you on your path…?
I wouldn’t say it runs in the family, but my dad was really good at encouraging me to do whatever I wanted. He encouraged me to try new things and not be afraid of failure. I think those are essential prerequisites for any unconventional lifestyle.
2. Wouldn’t life be easier if you just got a 9-5 desk job, earned a steady paycheck, and lived like a lot of other people?
No. At least not for me — some people are happy to embrace the 9-5 life, but I would be miserable doing that. Most self-employed people I know would gladly trade money for freedom. Obviously you have to make a living to some degree, but once you’ve had the freedom to make your own choices, it’s hard to go back to the cubicle lifestyle.
3. How do you fund your travels?
I support myself entirely through my own work. I create information products and occasionally consult for other small businesses.
4. What has been your favorite country to visit so far and why? What place will you never return to and why?
I don’t have a single favorite. I especially liked South Africa, the Netherlands, Ghana, Macedonia, and Hong Kong — but there’s usually something to appreciate (as well as something not to like) about anywhere you go. As to where I will never return, well, that’s a long list. It can be unpopular to say so, but there are a lot of countries that are deeply impoverished in large part because they lack good governance or because the foreign aid system has let them down. When I go to Africa, for example, I’m usually reminded that there are some things I really love about being there and other things that are a lot easier in North America.
5. What inspired you to write your latest ebook, “The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself?”
All of the emails! People ask every day about how I got started and what they can do to create a lifestyle that allows them to pursue their own goals and dreams. I don’t claim to have all of the answers — one of the things I try to be clear about is that there is no quick-fix system to any of this — but I hope the product will help get some people going in the right direction.
Searching for Business Growth in a Speedo
October 6th, 2008
Are you a small business owner? The teeny weenie mankini could possibly provide you with a business growth solution.
A couple of months ago while walking on the beach we spotted a gentleman strutting towards us wearing the ever popular, masculine enhancing, Speedo bathing suit.
As we continued to stroll along the water’s edge, and upon closer inspection when our paths finally crossed, the gentleman (surprisingly) turned out to be one of our guests…
Three thoughts immediately came to my mind:
- Dude – I would never be caught dead in that!
- This conversation could be difficult and I am glad that I’m wearing sunglasses.
- What would possess someone who is male to go out in public in a couple of cubic inches of 50/50 blend fabric sitting taught around their midsection?
That Was Then and this is Now
While I was out swimming today, please don’t ask me why, but I began to contemplate the Speedo from a completely different angle, from a business perspective. Perhaps, I was missing something? How can we attract new customers beyond providing great customer service and value while not relying wholly on social media?
10 Tips to Help You Overcome Wallflower Syndrome
September 28th, 2008
I just wrote a guest post for social media guru Chris Brogan discussing how I have been able to move beyond feeling shy at conferences. If you have a presentation coming up the tips really apply to public speaking engagements as well:
Heading to the BIG Conference - 10 Tips to Help You Overcome Wallflower Syndrome
The post discusses some steps that have helped me and will hopefully help you before and during the conference to make you feel more comfortable so that you can maximize your time and investment at large scale professional gatherings.
If you find the post valuable, I’d really appreciate it if you helped spread the word by sharing it on StumbleUpon or Digg.
Also, don’t forget, Chris recently published a free ebook on personal branding that is packed with valuable information, “Personal Branding for the Business Professional“
Launch Your Next Project Using Social Media
September 26th, 2008
I just wrote a guest post for Darren Rowse of ProBlogger discussing how we launched Train for Humanity using only social media:
Launching Your Next Venture Using Social Media - 5 Lessons Learned
The post discusses five lessons that I learned along the way, and what I would do differently, if I were to launch a project solely with social media again and includes:
- Launch timing
- Utilizing community influencers
- Using your SM time well
- Prepared messages
- Redundancy
If you find the post valuable, I’d really appreciate it if you helped spread the word by sharing it on StumbleUpon or Digg.
Also, don’t forget, Darren has a fantastic book out right now, "ProBlogger: Secrets Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income"
What’s the Value of Your Indirect Network?
September 18th, 2008
We all place great value on the importance of our various networks, whether it’s people (friends) who comment on our websites regularly, or a Twitter follower who says hello every morning. This is indeed your direct network.
image source: nadya
But, what about the network of the person that left a comment, or the “followers” of the follower who “retweeted” your message about the launch of your new project?
By default, this is your “indirect” network.
Today I was reading a post on Aaron Brazell’s website, The Rise and Fall of Friends. In the article he mentioned a recent interview that he had done with @newmediajim about Twitter, so I decided to check out his profile.
When I went to his page and checked out some of his messages, I thought…this is someone I should be following and did so right then. About two minutes later I got a note in my email saying that “newmediajim” was now following me, too. Which got me to thinking about how my network had just increased again, because not only was @newmediajim now following me but, through him, I now have the potential to reach his followers as well. Should I post a message that he deems “retweet” worthy.
Which leads to my question, thought really, regarding the almost infinite indirect value of our online (and offline) social networks. And let me qualify, I am talking about intrinsic value and not monetary, as well as, the value of what *I* can hopefully do for them and not necessarily what *they* can do for me.
The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Success
September 2nd, 2008
Be HUMAN.
What a nice surprise to be featured in Islands Magazine this month in their “Ten Best Islands to Live On” article. Almost exactly one year ago Terrie and I purchased the Palmetto Guesthouse after living overseas for many years.
We are both originally from Massachusetts and we had the dream of owning our own business for many years and finally saw that goal come to fruition with the purchase of the Palmetto here on Culebra.
Our travels have taken us to Europe, Central and South America, the South Pacific, and of course, the Caribbean.
