Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews BzzAgent founder and CEO Dave Balter. (part 4 of 4) about how Dave uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Initiative in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Initiative for you as well.

Dave Balter is the founder and CEO of BzzAgent. Dave, a serial entrepreneur, has created a platform that allows people to experience new products and services, share their honest opinions so marketers can directly see the results. The BzzAgent community, over 400,000 strong, brings consumers and markets together to organize and track honest word-of-mouth.

There are a number of valuable lessons available from Dave from a Personal Brilliance - Habit of Innovation perspective. In this month's podcasts, we look at the startup of BzzAgent and the psychology of word-of-mouth marketing.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• What is initiative?
• Is ignoring advice appropriate?
• Ya gotta believe
• Innovation is changing the rules
• Why discipline in conversing with the market is key
• The unexpected one-on-one personal touch is a differentiator
• Examples of word-of-mouth initiative

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews BzzAgent founder and CEO Dave Balter. (part 3 of 4) about how Dave uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Focus in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Focus for you as well.

Dave Balter is the founder and CEO of BzzAgent. Dave, a serial entrepreneur, has created a platform that allows people to experience new products and services, share their honest opinions so marketers can directly see the results. The BzzAgent community, over 400,000 strong, brings consumers and markets together to organize and track honest word-of-mouth.

There are a number of valuable lessons available from Dave from a Personal Brilliance - Habit of Innovation perspective. In this month's podcasts, we look at the startup of BzzAgent and the psychology of word-of-mouth marketing.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• How knowing what you're good at is critical to focus
• Why "bad" word-of-mouth may be a good thing
• How to take advantage of quiet advocates for your brand
• How dialogue contributes to success
• One word-of-mouth conversation equals 200 TV ads. Attention and engagement is key
• Word-of-mouth is not an interruption
• Why "breaking into" the mind-set of the consumer is not what marketing should be about
• Our top 40 list - can you appear on the list? Are you relevant?
• Why you can't ignore word-of-mouth

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews BzzAgent founder and CEO Dave Balter. (part 2 of 4) about how Dave uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Curiosity in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Curiosity for you as well.

Dave Balter is the founder and CEO of BzzAgent. Dave, a serial entrepreneur, has created a platform that allows people to experience new products and services, share their honest opinions so marketers can directly see the results. The BzzAgent community, over 400,000 strong, brings consumers and markets together to organize and track honest word-of-mouth.

There are a number of valuable lessons available from Dave from a Personal Brilliance - Habit of Innovation perspective. In this month's podcasts, we look at the startup of BzzAgent and the psychology of word-of-mouth marketing.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• Why would anyone want to be a BzzAgent?
• Questions that should be asked by all marketers
• Why word-of-mouth is the scariest medium
• How to use curiosity to enhance market awareness
• Word-of-mouth on a global scale - cultural differences
• What an artist in residence or something like it can do for your company
• The most important question

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews BzzAgent founder and CEO Dave Balter. (part 1 of 4) about how Dave uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Awareness in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Awareness for you as well.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• The basis for starting BzzAgent
• How BzzAgent works
• Three rules of buzzing - the ethics of good word-of-mouth marketing
• The closed loop
• The unique release of the Word of Mouth Manual Volume II
• The difference between word-of-mouth, buzz, and viral
• Helping clients with self-awareness
• The 90 day awareness experiment
• The ethics of word-of-mouth - the three things that cause a problem

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews. Product Design expert Jim Jacobs. (part 4 of 4) about how Jim uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Initiative in his successful life. Jim Canterucci has some ideas on Initiative for you as well.

Jim Jacobs is the founder of the Savvy Consortium, which helps product developers learn and integrate elements of the lean Toyota Product Innovation, Design & Development System in their product development organizations.

Jim's experience includes 14 new product launches in 15 years working for large and small manufacturing organizations. Jim worked for several famous inventors and engineering leaders from which he learned to live and breathe innovation.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• Making ourselves smarter before initiative
• The best approach to begin using the Toyota System
• Top down is not necessarily always the best way
• The 4 / 2 / 1 model
• Why the procedure is just as important as the result

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews. Product Design expert Jim Jacobs. (part 3 of 4) about how Jim uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Focus in his successful life. Jim Canterucci has some ideas on Focus for you as well.

Jim Jacobs is the founder of the Savvy Consortium, which helps product developers learn and integrate elements of the lean Toyota Product Innovation, Design & Development System in their product development organizations.

Jim's experience includes 14 new product launches in 15 years working for large and small manufacturing organizations. Jim worked for several famous inventors and engineering leaders from which he learned to live and breathe innovation.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• How laser focus can cause us to miss opportunities
• The basis for focus in the product design community
• How going slower can get a faster result
• How the result can explain and justify the process
• How a designer spends their time contrasted with a better way
• LAMDA relationship to focus and setting scope

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews. Product Design expert Jim Jacobs. (part 2 of 4) about how Jim uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Curiosity in his successful life. Jim Canterucci has some ideas on Curiosity for you as well.

Jim Jacobs is the founder of the Savvy Consortium, which helps product developers learn and integrate elements of the lean Toyota Product Innovation, Design & Development System in their product development organizations.

Jim's experience includes 14 new product launches in 15 years working for large and small manufacturing organizations. Jim worked for several famous inventors and engineering leaders from which he learned to live and breathe innovation.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• The key questions to ask in the design process
• LAMDA - Look, Ask, Model, Discuss, Act
• The most important question
• Learning as part of the design process
• The paradox of wonder and doubt

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews. Product Design expert Jim Jacobs. (part 1 of 4) about how Jim uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Awareness in his successful life. Jim Canterucci has some ideas on Awareness for you as well.

Jim Jacobs is the founder of the Savvy Consortium, which helps product developers learn and integrate elements of the lean Toyota Product Innovation, Design & Development System in their product development organizations.

Jim's experience includes 14 new product launches in 15 years working for large and small manufacturing organizations. Jim worked for several famous inventors and engineering leaders from which he learned to live and breathe innovation.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• An overview of the Toyota design system
• Success defined for the designer
• How identifying multiple solutions to a problem benefits the process
• The concept of Go See - Going to the source

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Serial Entrepreneur Wil Schroter. (part 4 of 4) about how Wil uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Initiative in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Initiative for you as well.

Wil Schroter is the author of Go Big or Go Home and founder of The Go Big Network. Wil is proudly a serial entrepreneur. He teaches the process through his syndicated column, which is in front f over 4 million professionals in 42 major markets. Wil is brilliant of course but most importantly he has a proven track record of taking an idea and turning it into a viable company that creates value.

At 19 in the dawn of the Internet era Wil started a web development company called Blue Diesel and quickly moved it to $65 million per year in billings. He sold Blue Diesel to In Chord Communications, founded a few more companies, picked up some entrepreneurial awards along the way, joined the company Swapalease as CEO, and currently has launched The Go Big Network.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• Great ideas without initiative???
• Don't confuse great companies with great ideas
• Can you pull it off is the real question
• Sustainability
• The advantage of staying broke
• The role of discipline
• When to seek investment and the best time to ask for money
• A case study of how the innovative entrepreneur thinks through an idea

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Serial Entrepreneur Wil Schroter. (part 3 of 4) about how Wil uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Focus in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Focus for you as well.

Wil Schroter is the author of Go Big or Go Home and founder of The Go Big Network. Wil is proudly a serial entrepreneur. He teaches the process through his syndicated column, which is in front f over 4 million professionals in 42 major markets. Wil is brilliant of course but most importantly he has a proven track record of taking an idea and turning it into a viable company that creates value.

At 19 in the dawn of the Internet era Wil started a web development company called Blue Diesel and quickly moved it to $65 million per year in billings. He sold Blue Diesel to In Chord Communications, founded a few more companies, picked up some entrepreneurial awards along the way, joined the company Swapalease as CEO, and currently has launched The Go Big Network.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• Attention span - details to big picture
• Why you have to understand the little details
• Reacting to trends and patterns takes focus
• When to bring in help after start-up and the best technique
• The concept of going big

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Serial Entrepreneur Wil Schroter. (part 2 of 4) about how Wil uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Curiosity in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Curiosity for you as well.

Wil Schroter is the author of Go Big or Go Home and founder of The Go Big Network. Wil is proudly a serial entrepreneur. He teaches the process through his syndicated column, which is in front f over 4 million professionals in 42 major markets. Wil is brilliant of course but most importantly he has a proven track record of taking an idea and turning it into a viable company that creates value.

At 19 in the dawn of the Internet era Wil started a web development company called Blue Diesel and quickly moved it to $65 million per year in billings. He sold Blue Diesel to In Chord Communications, founded a few more companies, picked up some entrepreneurial awards along the way, joined the company Swapalease as CEO, and currently has launched The Go Big Network.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• An example of how questions lead to successful company ideas
• Formula: Complaint + Questions = Innovation
• How questions can shift a business
• Questions entrepreneurs better be able to answer
• What you should be looking for instead of a great solution
• Wil's guiding question

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Serial Entrepreneur Wil Schroter. (part 1 of 4) about how Wil uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Awareness in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Awareness for you as well.

Wil Schroter is the author of Go Big or Go Home and founder of The Go Big Network. Wil is proudly a serial entrepreneur. He teaches the process through his syndicated column, which is in front f over 4 million professionals in 42 major markets. Wil is brilliant of course but most importantly he has a proven track record of taking an idea and turning it into a viable company that creates value.

At 19 in the dawn of the Internet era Wil started a web development company called Blue Diesel and quickly moved it to $65 million per year in billings. He sold Blue Diesel to In Chord Communications, founded a few more companies, picked up some entrepreneurial awards along the way, joined the company Swapalease as CEO, and currently has launched The Go Big Network.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• The Go Big Network as a resource
• Wil's definition of success
• Building a strong team for a venture
• Being self aware of your weaknesses
• Why it's both harder and easier these days to evaluate the market for your idea

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Angel Investor John Huston. (part 4 of 4) about how John uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Initiative in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Initiative for you as well.

John Huston, founder of US Private Companies is an Angel Investor, corporate board member, and advisor to private companies bringing innovation to market. In this role, John sees and evaluates brilliance and innovation every day.

John was instrumental in galvanizing the Angel Investor community in his home state of Ohio working closely with investors, entrepreneurs, and the Governor's office to fuel innovation. See http://www.ohiotechangels.com/ John believes that private companies are the heart of American business and that their continued growth is the lifeblood of our country's commercial greatness.

He also believes in the entrepreneur. He says, "People invest in people. They don't invest in business plans."

Some of this episode's highlights:

• John's favorite definition of entrepreneurship which involves perserverence
• An increase in middle age entrepreneurs
• Persistence to Breakthrough
• The requirement for both support and challenge to create action
• Embracing the challenge

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  Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Angel Investor John Huston. (part 3 of 4) about how John uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Focus in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Focus for you as well.

John Huston, founder of US Private Companies is an Angel Investor, corporate board member, and advisor to private companies bringing innovation to market. In this role, John sees and evaluates brilliance and innovation every day.

John was instrumental in galvanizing the Angel Investor community in his home state of Ohio working closely with investors, entrepreneurs, and the Governor's office to fuel innovation. See http://www.ohiotechangels.com/ John believes that private companies are the heart of American business and that their continued growth is the lifeblood of our country's commercial greatness.

He also believes in the entrepreneur. He says, "People invest in people. They don't invest in business plans."

Some of this episode's highlights:

• How an entrepreneur should focus their time
• A paradox of focus - running the business while maintaining an eye on the marketplace
• The change of focus necessary when looking for investment
• Why getting outside help to prepare for the pitch is a wise thing to do
• Advice for building the scaffold of experience around your venture
• Matching your passion to your business - the most important pitch ingredient
• How focus needs to shift over the business life cycle

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Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Angel Investor John Huston. (part 2 of 4) about how John uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Curiosity in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Curiosity for you as well.

John Huston, founder of US Private Companies is an Angel Investor, corporate board member, and advisor to private companies bringing innovation to market. In this role, John sees and evaluates brilliance and innovation every day.

John was instrumental in galvanizing the Angel Investor community in his home state of Ohio working closely with investors, entrepreneurs, and the Governor's office to fuel innovation. See http://www.ohiotechangels.com/ John believes that private companies are the heart of American business and that their continued growth is the lifeblood of our country's commercial greatness.

He also believes in the entrepreneur. He says, "People invest in people. They don't invest in business plans."

Some of this episode's highlights:

• Why it's important to be skeptical about your business plan
• Some important rules of thumb
• The actual cause of success usually has nothing to do with the idea in the original business plan
• Why serial entrepreneurs are more valuable even if they have failed previously
• The three most important questions for a business
• What the Angel Investor is most concerned about
• The 5/4/3 Rule

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Angel Investor John Huston. (part 1 of 4) about how John uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Awareness in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Awareness for you as well.

John Huston, founder of US Private Companies is an Angel Investor, corporate board member, and advisor to private companies bringing innovation to market. In this role, John sees and evaluates brilliance and innovation every day.

John was instrumental in galvanizing the Angel Investor community in his home state of Ohio working closely with investors, entrepreneurs, and the Governor's office to fuel innovation. See http://www.ohiotechangels.com/ John believes that private companies are the heart of American business and that their continued growth is the lifeblood of our country's commercial greatness.

He also believes in the entrepreneur. He says, "People invest in people. They don't invest in business plans."

Some of this episode's highlights:

• The distinction between Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists
• The story of creating a statewide Angel Investing community
• Why failure could be a great thing
• Where the growth of our economy will hinge going forward
• Why technology is the best investment
• The first measurement of success for an innovative company
• The benefits of CFBE
• Why self-awareness is so important to entrepreneurs
• The danger of the confirmation bias, the entrepreneur's most common flaw
• The rare ability of most to see a problem/solution that can become an innovation
• The three choices available to the entrepreneur for startup planning and how your choice enlightens the future

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Starbuck's former president Howard Behar. (part 4 of 4) about how Howard uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Initiative in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Initiative for you as well.

Howard Behar, is the former President of Starbucks and author of It's Not About the Coffee. His leadership role with Starbucks since 1989 was critical to the organization hanging on to their unique culture while growing exponentially. Howard believes as we do here at Personal Brilliance Advisors in the individual contributors and their personal habit of innovation - their Personal Brilliance.

Howard talks in this podcast, all month, about how he has dealt with the challenge of keeping people first and growing the company simultaneously.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• Frappacino - a lesson in initiative and leadership courage resulting in billions of dollars
• How breaking the rules can make innovation history
• How to promote initiative while the latte has to taste the same in Seattle and Tokyo
• Who should buy the broom?
• Recipes vs. Rules
• The critical part of any manual that is usually missing
• The best way to dampen innovation
• A big flop that became a catalyst for a huge success
• An example of being true to the people goals even when it costs a ton of money - an unusual innovation

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Starbuck's former president Howard Behar. (part 3 of 4) about how Howard uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Focus in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Focus for you as well.

Howard Behar, is the former President of Starbucks and author of It's Not About the Coffee. His leadership role with Starbucks since 1989 was critical to the organization hanging on to their unique culture while growing exponentially. Howard believes as we do here at Personal Brilliance Advisors in the individual contributors and their personal habit of innovation - their Personal Brilliance.

Howard talks in this podcast, all month, about how he has dealt with the challenge of keeping people first and growing the company simultaneously.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• An example of how the micro and macro view of Personal Brilliance focus works
• The missing ingredient for many leaders in the problem solving discussion
• Purpose and dealing with the chaotic life we all lead
• Ways to align our purpose and passions with what we do
• How our overriding purpose can allow us to enjoy the spontaneity of life
• Listening to our little voice to build relationships
• Looking for what's left unsaid
• How internal and external competition contributes to focus

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Starbuck's former president Howard Behar. (part 2 of 4) about how Howard uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Curiosity in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Curiosity for you as well.

Howard Behar, is the former President of Starbucks and author of It's Not About the Coffee. His leadership role with Starbucks since 1989 was critical to the organization hanging on to their unique culture while growing exponentially. Howard believes as we do here at Personal Brilliance Advisors in the individual contributors and their personal habit of innovation - their Personal Brilliance.

Howard talks in this podcast, all month, about how he has dealt with the challenge of keeping people first and growing the company simultaneously.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• The concept of compassionate emptiness
• Why not having the answer is necessary
• The questions that lead to a legacy goal
• The surprising question that led to Starbuck's goal
• A message for young people
• How curiosity was key to being president of Starbucks North America
• The conflict of the desire for action orientation vs. finding the right direction and being true to the people first
• Me vs. We
• The one most important question
• The things to think about before seeking a job

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.

Join Jim Canterucci as he interviews Starbuck's former president Howard Behar. (part 1 of 4) about how Howard uses the Personal Brilliance catalyst Awareness in his successful life. Jim has some ideas on Awareness for you as well.

Howard Behar, is the former President of Starbucks and author of It's Not About the Coffee. His leadership role with Starbucks since 1989 was critical to the organization hanging on to their unique culture while growing exponentially. Howard believes as we do here at Personal Brilliance Advisors in the individual contributors and their personal habit of innovation - their Personal Brilliance.

Howard talks in this podcast, all month, about how he has dealt with the challenge of keeping people first and growing the company simultaneously.

Some of this episode's highlights:

• A view into the corporate suite of one of America's top companies
• How to maintain a small company atmosphere when you are experiencing exponential Starbucks-like growth
• Starbuck's Big Hairy Audacious Goal
• The conflict of financial performance vs. growing people. Is it really a conflict?
• The walls talk - How having an awareness of what they say is critical to success
• Why waiting for people to tell you what they want is a mistake
• The role of the leader - Listening to what's not being said
• Wearing one hat - How some early bad advice provided a great lesson
• T-shirt Fridays - Working on the right problem and the affect of communication
• How the antennae of awareness contributes to solving problems

Click the ODEO icon to go to the main Podcast page for Personal Brilliance - Up Close and Practical. Subscribe via iTunes, or subscribe via RSS.