For me, the enemy is structures. It’s systems [of thinking].
-Prexy Nesbitt: Civil Rights Activist
Read the full story of Prexy’s visit to Firebelly U here!
Reflection on Shark Tank
“Da-Dum… Da-Dum… Da-Dum Da-Dum Da-Dum!!!”
Just the phrase “shark tank” makes the Jaws theme pop into my head, which is not a comforting sound when you are pitching your business idea for the first time in front of a panel of esteemed judges and critics!
Before the holidays (Happy 2012, by the way!) the Fellows all had a week to prepare a presentation before a panel of unknown critics for a “shark tank” pitch. We had fifteen minutes to make our case and then some time for Q&A afterwards for feedback and comments. It was sort of like the American Idol of the business world and leading up to the event rumors of more than one Simon Cowell were circulating strongly!
However, despite the fear and nerves, and perhaps because of them, the “shark tank” pitch went by quickly (and relatively painlessly) and ended up being really beneficial.
Describing my (somewhat unconventional) collaborative design studio for-benefit business model in a concise and articulate manner was a challenge. I realize now how important it was that we had a concrete deadline for presenting this so early on. Even though I was uncertain of some aspects of my business model, I made decisions and stood by what I presented. No more wishy-washy maybes – this was it folks! It was a relief to have something definitive together, even though it was nowhere near perfect.
My business has evolved since this presentation, and some aspects and elements have changed or been removed completely, but it was helpful to try the different ideas on for size and see how they fit – and to see how people reacted. The “shark tank” panel zeroed in on things I had hardly even considered, or had taken for granted as “givens”. They challenged me to rethink some of my preconceived notions and tendencies. In the end, that is what will make my company stronger in the long run. So, while someone pushing you on something that is incredibly personal and precious to you may be slightly uncomfortable, it is worth it. Hands down.
So next time the “Da-Dum, Da-Dum” starts up again, I will probably be just as nervous, but I know it will be worth it.
Getting out of the design bubble!
Photo Credit: redbubble
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of attending a few of the events surrounding Chicago Ideas Week. It was a tough choice, since many of the events took place during the same time as the AIGA Pivot conference, which I very much wanted to attend. In the end, I rather reluctantly stayed due to the cost of traveling to Pivot– and I think this ended up being a good thing.
It is so easy to get caught in the whirl-wind of the design community and forget that there are other innovators and thinkers out there, and even more, that those other people are the ones we should collaborate with! While most of the events I attended at Chicago Ideas Week did not directly correlate to my interest in starting a socially-responsible design studio, I found all of them tremendously inspiring and motivational.
Over the last week I heard from Mayor Bloomberg, Dave Gilboa of Warby Parker, David Bornstein, Jeff Nelson (Urban Students Empowered), Leila Janah (Samasource), Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Scott Harrison (Charity: Water), Emma Clippinger (Gardens for Health International), Thomas Friedman, Dr. David Agus, Fran Drescher (the Nanny! and Cancer Schmancer), Glen Tullman, Dr. Rick Hanson & Sanjay Gupta (CNN)… and more… phew!
I guess what I am trying to say, is it is important to get out of the bubble of your industry (whatever it is) and listen to the ideas and innovations coming out of other sectors– because some of this stuff is pretty damn inspiring.
Surround yourself with awesome people // Because they are awesome // And so are you!
Last week I attended a lecture by the neuroscientist Dr. Rick Hanson on training your brain to “take in the good”. It was amazing. There is scientific reasoning behind all those motivational quotes and inspirational posters (okay, maybe not all of them). I think I will have to do a full write up on his talk and some of the take aways when I can wrap my mind around it a little better. It really got me thinking.
One of the things that stuck in my mind was the old adage that surrounding yourself with positive, inspirational people will make you a more positive, inspirational person. It’s not that I doubted it before, but I am really starting to feel the effects of this notion. I don’t feel as though I am different that I was before, but I feel empowered and inspired to be whatever I want– which is a pretty amazing feeling. I think it is a direct result of being around people every day that are taking risks and starting projects to make the world a better place.
A couple of weeks ago I met Victor of The Leap Year Project, who’s single goal is to hear about the risks others would take if they could, hear about the risks people have engaged in, encouraging others to participate in the movement. I think he is really on to this idea that surrounding yourself with inspiring folk will rub off on you in some way. We don’t live in a vacuum! The experiences of those around us obviously influence us, why not make sure it is in a positive way? Love it.
The cool thing about connecting with other social entrepreneurs is that everyone I meet has a palpable amount of passion fueling their projects. Not too long ago I had a conversation with Matthew Manos of a verynice design studio. His advice to me was to (and I paraphrase) not to get tangled up in the financial details and budget, but to stay passionate and just jump. Okay, he also had some more serious suggestions about setting goals and calculating costs, but over all, the main take away I pulled from it was to just get started. And everyone I’ve talked to, no matter where they are in their careers now, had the same message to share. If you don’t try, you can’t succeed.
Ideas can’t be random… they must have INSIGHT & BE IMPLEMENTED.
-Maris Grossman of Gravity Tank
The Firebelly U team had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with Maris from Gravity Tank last friday. She is a pretty incredible person & I thought she had some great advice on managing the balance between work & life… definitely something I struggle with!
She also addressed one of the big problems that has been identified with ideation. Remember those IBM commercials that came out a while back, poking fun at the creative industry? They actually had a good point. Idea-generating, or ideation, can’t happen in a vacuum. Furthermore, what good is a solution if it is not implemented? I think she said it pretty concisely above, and its a good point to hold on to.
PS. Have you checked out the Gravity Tank studio space before? Talk about an amazing place to work!
Working characters aren’t designed to enhance value, but rather communication.
Matt Alt & Hiroko Yoda on Kawaii “working characters” in Japan, from their book: Hello, Please. These characters may look cute and adorable, but their visual attributes serve a very real function– communicating important information to the young, visually impaired, illiterate and those with short attention spans.
Marketing and design are crucial assets to any businesses, but especially non-profits…
…due to the necessity of engaging an audience in order to spread awareness around a cause, or build trust in order to raise donations or recruit volunteers. Now a very problematic aspect of working with a non-profit client on a pro-bono basis is a lack of sustainability — just launching a brand or website really is not enough, and can lack the consistency in brand awareness and marketing tactics that are necessary in sustaining a successful social enterprise or non-profit organization.”
-Matthew Manos, of A Very Nice Design Studio
This essentially sums up why I want to start my own studio & what I will be doing. Teach the importance of consistent branding & design (and how to get funding for it!) then provide the work. Simple as that.
May I introduce, Tilt Shift
Things at Firebelly University are in full force! The ‘school’ side of things has been amazing! We spent the day with Debbie Millman, enjoyed a lovely morning coffee with the inspiring Julie Ghatan of Dovetail Chicago, participated in a surprisingly interesting how-to-write-a-business-plan workshop, did some soul-searching and set some goals, made some friends on skype, made more friends on facebook and the list goes on.
But, the thing that really makes Firebelly U unique from other educational institutions is the studio component. So in addition to all our school work, the five of us have also established a new design studio. Without further ado, may I introduce: Tilt Shift! The placeholder is up at the moment, but the full-fledged site will be up shortly. We are looking to work with clients that are seeking to make a positive impact in the world in whatever way they can. Our schedule for the next nine-months is already filling up quickly, so if you are interested in working with us drop a line soon!
We define ourselves as “an interdisciplinary design studio inspired by a new way of thinking and doing.” I think that description is pretty darn accurate, too. My partners at Tilt Shift are Johnathon Strube, Carley Mostar, Amy Guterman & Jince Kuruvilla. And not to be forgotten, Deborah Alden & Dawn Hancock are heading up the program, along with the rest of the Firebelly family. They are all pretty freaking amazing; I can’t wait to see what we create over the next few months!
Our ID cards arrived! I guess that means we are official students now. (Too bad they aren’t real… I could use that public transportation discount!)
Two of my best friends got married today. Congratulations to the Rileys!
