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The Best Advice I Ever Got – From Katie Couric, Barbara Walters and Steven Spielberg

Posted by Lyndsi | Filed under Great Thinking, On The Ball

I am always looking for advice. Not the – bring a jacket, it might be cold advice, but something substantial. Something that helps you grow as a person. So I started reading a book by Katie Couric called, The Best Advice I Ever Got. Within the book contains stories from Madeline Albright, Maya Angelou, Morgan Freeman, Drew Brees, Barbara Walters and much much more. It was if these leaders individually told me bedtime stories each night, allowing me to dream big.

bestadvice_katiecouric

I start to dream and wonder, what makes a leader? How does someone rise above the mediocrity? I ask these question as I head to the Gold Coast Magazine 40 Under 40 ceremony. In fact, our very own On the Ball thinker, Jonathan Brownfield, Director of Everything Digital is one of the nominees! Here are 40 talented, smart and ambitious individuals within South Florida. What attributes cause them to succeed?

I thought I would share some of the most salient and valuable stories within the book by Katie Couric, in hopes it can help you through a difficult time, motivate or simply entertain. Think of it like the Cliffnotes we all read in high school, instead of the 1400-page War and Peace novel.

Stand Out

Katie Couric: “When it comes to going for a job, a promotion, or just about anything in life, I’m pretty convinced that the meek will not inherit the Earth.” You need to stand out from the pack.

Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy

Bill Cosby: When Cosby was given the opportunity to perform at San Francisco’s hottest comedy club, he completed bombed it. “I was not funny and I had no business performing,” he would think to himself. The second show he decided to change his mindset. He knew he was better than that. “And then Bill Cosby – the Bill Cosby in me – came out.” The entire experience allowed him to realize not to be so hard on yourself, and not be your own worst enemy.

Pay Attention

Chelsea Handler: “As long as your paying attention you’ll grab inspiration from everything and create something that’s a little different and a little new.” Oh and she also suggests not to sleep with your boss.

Listen

Steven Spielberg: “When you listen, you learn. You absorb like a sponge – and your life becomes so much better than when you are trying to be listening to all the time.” (I have to work on this one.)

Follow Your Bliss

Barbara Walters: “Decide what you really would love to do. Start at any level. Get there first thing in the morning. Leave last at night. Fetch the coffee. You will succeed.”

Take Time to Know Yourself

Beyoncé Knowles: “Take at least twenty minutes everyday to be still and quiet. Think. Reflect. Choose something you learned that will make you a better person.”

It Doesn’t Matter Where You Start

Colin Powell: Colin graduated from City College of New York with a 2.0 average. Now he is four-star general and the United States Secretary of State. To him, “it doesn’t matter where you start in life but where you finish and, along the way, whether you do something that you love and enjoy doing.”

Be Grateful

Michael J. Fox: ”None of us is entitled to anything. We get what we get not because we want it, or we deserve it, or because it’s unfair if we don’t get it, but because we earn it, we respect it, and only if we share it do we keep it.”

Sometimes You Gotta Go Off Course

Matt Lauer: During his senior year Matt was given an opportunity to intern at a local television station. However, there was a big issue. Accepting the internship meant missing core classes to graduate. Faced with the decision to postpone graduation or continue school, Matt decided to take the road less traveled and accept the internship. “Every bone in my body told me to stay on campus,” he said. He saw the internship as a chance to learn things that textbooks could not teach. The internship resulted in a valuable experience. Opening doors to the television industry and where he is…Today.

Say Yes

Eric Schmidt (Executive Chairman of Google): “Find a way to say yes to things. Even if it’s a bit edgy, a bit out of your comfort zone, saying yes means that you will do something new, meet someone new, and make a difference.”

With that said, I will say yes to the jacket if it’s cold, and accept the advice given by those who rose above, and made a name for themselves. I would like to congratulate all the young men and women nominated for Gold Coast’s 40 under 40. Who knows maybe after this advice you could be next on the list…

Are You Addicted?

Posted by Lyndsi | Filed under Articles, Great Thinking, On The Ball

I feel empty without it.

I feel lost.

How could I go an entire day?

This is part of my life, and today the separation anxiety begins.

We have all done it. Forgotten our cell phones at home, causing us to reach for our purses or pockets for another glance of emptiness. Not having a phone is lacking oxygen. Ok, that may be a little far fetched, but its pretty darn close.

As our On the Ball Thinkers, Steve, Michelle and Jonathan attend the largest technology convention, the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas this past week, I cannot help but realize the reliance we have toward technology. I awoke this morning to the alarm on my phone, drove to work, surfed the web, made phone calls, emailed, and watched TV, with the intent to do it all again tomorrow.

The Today Show decided to highlight this addiction by conducting a very risky experiment. They took away the technology of five teenagers for ten days. No texting, no computers, no IPods. What happened? Well for starters, they did survive. In fact, according to the teens, the experiment resulted in a positive experience. They completed their homework, acquired new hobbies and increased communication with their family. Instead of texting at the dinner table, they contributed to the conversation.

So what does this experiment say about our day-to-day activities? Am I suggesting going cold turkey?

Absolutely not.

Social media is a foundation of my job responsibility, communicating a brand and sharing knowledge. Technology is essential to our advancement, our happiness and yes, our sanity. Just browsing through the images and keynote speakers at CES, I am so excited to see the future and how these technologies can make our lives even better. (To get a sneak peak, visit http://www.cesweb.org/Home.aspx).

Therefore, I preach balance. Knowing when to put the phone aside and when to have it handy. A Date? Leave it aside. Driving? Definitely leave it aside. It’s learning to turn off technology, and enjoying the moment. But also taking advantage of what technology can offer. By balancing communication via phone and one-on-one communication, we can all become more well-rounded people.

Adweek’s 10 Best Commercials of 2012

Posted by kassie | Filed under Great Thinking

Two Heads Are Better Than One

Posted by kassie | Filed under Great Thinking

On The Ball: Eat-Drink-Think

Here at On the Ball, we pride ourselves on being thinkers. Not just good thinkers, but great thinkers.

As such, we recognize the importance of networking. We even host our own ‘Eat-Drink-Think’ networking event the last Tuesday of every month. These events allow other entrepreneurs and similarly minded businesspeople to enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere, grab a drink and most importantly, exchange ideas and make contacts.

In addition to ‘Eat-Drink-Think,’ we all make it a point to attend a variety of other networking events… and you should, too!

There is the odd event where you might feel like people are just trying to sell you something, but generally, social and business networking events provide an atmosphere that fosters informal conversation. And it’s these informal conversations that often lead to great ideas and potential business opportunities.

To help get you started, here is a link to 45+ networking events for those in advertising, digital marketing and media.

If you’re in the South Florida or Tampa areas, be sure to attend our next Eat-Drink-Think event. Visit www.eatdrinkthinkflorida.com for more information.

Try something new for 30 days

Posted by Jonathan | Filed under Great Thinking, On The Ball, Steve's Corner

Take A Sheet!

Posted by Jonathan | Filed under Great Thinking, On The Ball

We are helping our newest client, Sheets, with a national product launch today. You have to check out their YouTube videos staring LeBron James of the Miami Heat, Danilo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets, and Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks: