Getting Attention vs. Getting Respect

Make an impression.  That is the goal.  Whether you are an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a company, or just a person at an event or party.  But how? Be different. There is a need to stand out and be different. No one will ever notice you if you are the same as everyone else. But here is…

Book Review: Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.

How to win the competition? You can challenge your opponents on a head-to-head competition. Suppose that your target is to book 200 contracts each month. In order to fulfil the target you can compete on pricing. It means that you should give bigger discount than your opponents. But head-to-head competition has its own limitation. There…

The Art We Make: We Are All Artists

Art is the work of a human being, something a person does with generosity to touch someone else to make a change for the better. We can see art in the way the nurse in a doctor’s office treats us when she knows how much pain we are in. She is not just doing her…

The Art We Make: Art is Personal.

  Back to my definition: Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. An artist is an individual who creates art. The more people you change, the more you change them, the more effective your art is. Art is not related to craft, except to the extent that the craft helps deliver the change.…

The Art We Make: Artists Who Can’t Draw

Roy Simmons (a painter) coined that phrase and I like it a lot. “Most artists can’t draw.” Seth Godin in his book Linchpin added: “But all artists can see.” Meaning we can see what’s right and what’s wrong. We can see opportunities and we can see around corners. Most of all, we can see art.…

The Art We Make: Cupcakes

The first time you bake cupcakes, you will certainly follow the recipe to the letter with energy. The third time, you might improvise and screw up a bit. Learning your lesson, you will follow the recipe again and again as closely as you can. By the fifth time, some people actually learn to bake. They…

The Art We Make: The Evolution of Art

James Elkins points out that schools of art used to divide the arts into two categories: fine art and industrial art. Then the intellectuals expanded the categories to: painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry. From there a quick leap to: performance, video, film, photography, fiber, weaving, silkscreen, ceramics, interior architecture, industrial design, fashion, artists’ books,…

The Art We Make: Creating Your Art

My definition of art contains three elements: Art is made by a human being. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else. Art is a gift. You can sell the souvenir, the canvas, the recording... but the idea itself is free, and the generosity is a critical part of making art. By…

Gradually and then suddenly

This is how companies die, how brands wither and, more cheerfully in the other direction, how careers are made. Gradually, because every day opportunities are missed, little bits of value are lost, customers are ignored. We don't notice so much, because hey, there's a profit. Profit covers many sins. Of course, one day, once the…

The Writer Files: Lucas Moloi

The Writer Files is an online interview I conduct with various writers about their books and their writing styles. It is a form of getting to know the writer, their writing style and to tell their stories. The Writer Files will be featured on my blog (rochemamabolo.wordpress.com) once a week featuring various writers. ABOUT THE…