Published inControl Your Destiny·PinnedFour things to grow an amazing $100 million company.If I can do it you can do it too. — In the mid 1990s, I was running a large angel capital group in Greenville, SC. An associate heard about an organic grocery store chain in Asheville, NC seeking to grow. We called on the founder, Roger, who gave us a tour of his store and convinced us he had a…Entrepreneurship3 min readEntrepreneurship3 min read
Published inControl Your Destiny·PinnedWant to Know the Profound Leadership Lesson a High School Music Teacher Gave Me?Define what is essential, attract an outstanding team, hold them accountable for results, and let them do their jobs in ways only they can. — I had the privilege late in her career of interviewing Virginia Uldrick, the long time founding President of the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. From early in her life Virginia wanted to be a performer. Her mother inspired her to be an out-of-the-box thinker and pursue…Vision6 min readVision6 min read
Jul 11, 2021My Sermon: Find the bright spots and go do more of that.Initially presented as a Sunday sermon to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Greenville, South Carolina on January 9, 2011. Opening Reading Max De Pree, Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community. “Exceptional organizations are movements: Beth Israel Hospital in Boston — the first hospital in the United States to…Success10 min readSuccess10 min read
May 17, 2021How A Tiny Peanut Butter Business 20X’d Its Revenues Using Tiktok1.3K6Clément Bourcart"Ideas have no value until validated by the market.""Ideas have no value until validated by the market." https://bettermarketing.pub/how-a-tiny-peanut-butter-business-20xd-its-revenues-using-tiktok-47ccb0e7bdf21 min read1 min read
Mar 12, 2021Stop Chasing Followers — Chase This Ultimate Metric Instead4.93K54Paul Ryburn, M.Sc."As long as people keep telling me what I wrote made their lives better, I’ll keep writing.""As long as people keep telling me what I wrote made their lives better, I’ll keep writing." I absolutely agree. I have been doing a weekly update on South Carolina Public Radio for about fifteen years. Just about the time I get bored and decide to quit, someone will tell…1 min read1 min read
Published inControl Your Destiny·Mar 11, 2021I Was A Successful Social Marketer Long Before It Was CoolThe digital tools are new and the potential bigger, but people were social creatures before the Internet came along — There’s a great line in a country song, “I was country before country was cool.” I was a successful social marketer long before it was cool. The digital tools are new. The reach of the Internet is enormous. People were social creatures before the Internet came along. The basic social…Innovation6 min readInnovation6 min read
Published inControl Your Destiny·Mar 9, 2021I Got Double the Likes for a Local Hero Than I Ever Got BeforeThe Medium is the Message — I’m a pretty good amateur photographer living in the beautiful town of Greenville, SC. We have a wonderful 120 acre Cleveland Park downtown that I walk through regularly. Our Local Hero — Major Rudolf Anderson The park has a memorial to favorite son Major Rudolf Anderson, the only American killed during the 1962 Cuban Missle Crisis. His…Innovation4 min readInnovation4 min read
Published inInnoMobility·Mar 7, 2021It’s Heeerrreee! This Is A Big Deal!Honda’s is first with a self-driving car that pays attention to the road so the person texting while driving doesn’t smash into you — We have to start somewhere. The Honda Legend is the first production Level 3 autonomous car. 100 are available in Japan for a cool JP¥ 11 million (about US$ 102,000). Honda Legend Sedan with Level 3 Autonomy Available for Lease in Japan The Honda Legend Hybrid EX is available to lease in Japan starting today, with Honda claiming bragging rights for the…www.caranddriver.comInnovation3 min readInnovation3 min read
Published inControl Your Destiny·Mar 5, 2021Impeccable Integrity, Or NotThe saddest business experience of my career — A young entrepreneur started a manufacturing company to introduce an innovative superabsorbant gel to the market. He had one customer, who repackaged the gel into a potting soil mixture sold through garden shops. The product’s appearance as white crystals was very important to selling it at retail. Since this customer…Innovation2 min readInnovation2 min read
Published inControl Your Destiny·Mar 4, 2021Buck’s ListAn empathetic leader empowered an entire community for decades — One of the least appreciated elements of outstanding leadership is empathy for others — the ability to connect with people and understand their needs and desires before asking for anything from them. Most people are hungry for validation from someone they respect. The creative culture that feeds that hunger launches…Innoation3 min readInnoation3 min read
