social entrepreneurship

Create A Playbook of Successful Strategies

Kaihan Krippendorff — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:04:51 -0500

Tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST (9 a.m. PST) I will be holding an executive briefing on ePrize, the world’s largest interactive promotions company. Sign up now for this FREE webinar by clicking here.

In Defense of Tact: A Reply to Strong

Gregory Ferenstein — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:47:31 -0500

I have come to be at peace with the way anonymous naysayers treat the Internet as some kind of unending playground. So-called Internet "trolls" roam comment boards trashing articles in what I can only assume is a desperate outcry of boredom, something to fill the void between flash games and checking their email for the 1000th time. So, I was shocked when Michael Strong, an author (with a semi-professional profile pic) decided to slander Danielle Sacks' feature on John Mackey.

Unconscious Conditioning Can Make or Break Your Business

Kaihan Krippendorff — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:31:12 -0500

As I finish my review of Vistaprint, I wanted to provide a link to the Vistaprint executive briefing webinar I held a couple of weeks ago.

Smile at Your Competitors to Gain Market Share

Kaihan Krippendorff — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:57:16 -0500

We like to view the world in black and white, good and bad, friend and foe. But as industry lines blur, such clear distinctions become even more difficult to see within our complex reality. This creates an opportunity for those willing to seize it. You can befriend enemies.

Vistaprint Disrupts a Six-Century-Old Industry

Kaihan Krippendorff — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:59:17 -0500

To understand how Vistaprint has become the world’s leading provider of printing services to small businesses, you need a brief overview of the printing industry.

Panama: The Future Hong Kong of Latin America?

Kaihan Krippendorff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:20:07 -0500

I just came back from conducting my program in Panama, and while I have been through the Panama City airport several times, I had never stepped outside its walls. This is a fascinating country. We had 150 attend the seminar including government leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs.

Vistaprint: Completely Changing the Printing Industry

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:39:58 -0500

Robert Keane had one year to plot out his business.

Rage Feeds Rage: So Take A Bite Of Some Happy Pie

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:35:23 -0500

A while back I wrote about how angry America seems to be and how as business people, we need to make sure our products don’t wind up on the forefront of consumer rage. The piece got me thinking about another question – why are we so angry?

Why We Beat Our Heads on Walls

Carel Two-Eagle — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:03:47 -0400

I've made so many job applications since March 7 I finally started listing "job applicant" as my current job. I've heard the dumbest collection of excuses for not hiring me, & I get no unemployment & I don't want welfare! Excuses include: you know too much; you have too much experience; you were in business, we can't hire you; you have a limp. Lessee - the Army advertises "be all you can be". Hm. Must be just a slogan, not real encouragement.. After over 30 years of work, I should have lots of experience! I do - at a high level, too. I've never been a slacker.

Iraq’s Official New History Provides Insight On Crafting Company Narratives

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:25:18 -0400

Last week the Iraqi government launched a new version of its official history.

Rosetta Stone: Uniting The World Through Language Learning

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:01:24 -0400

We see over and over that companies that are thriving are pursuing something good. While many traditional companies try to paint themselves “good,” under a thin veneer they maintain near exclusive commitment to growing short-term shareholder value. While many “good” organizations try to make a profit, they remain rooted in a traditional non-profit mentality.

Fix It--Even If It Ain't Broke

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:49 -0400

When something works, people grow fixated on it. They stop looking for alternative options. And this fixation creates an opportunity for those willing to reconsider the accepted approach. The company I introduced last week, Rosetta Stone (RST), hasn’t been satisfied with the fact that its products work. Instead, it continues to challenge the norm.

Sometimes Old Stuff is Best

Carel Two-Eagle — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:40:23 -0400

Hanh mitakuyapi / hello my relatives. Long time no hear. I've been so far behind the 8-ball, I had to take it on faith that it was still out there ahead of me. "Making a living" has been incredibly tough this year & last. Try a gross in of maybe $9000. It's enough to make a person think of welfare!

Sometimes Old Stuff is Best

Carel Two-Eagle — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:38:58 -0400

Don’t Be A Chicken Little: Rosetta Stone Knows The Sky Isn’t Falling

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:20:17 -0400

The market has fallen two weeks in a row and the analysts are already running around like Chicken Little. While it is so tempting to get caught up in these daily dramas, it is also short-sighted.

Don't Let Your Product Get Booed

Kaihan Krippendorff — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:40:39 -0400

Every night from June to August, we watched as town hall meetings erupted into screaming matches. On September 9, South Carolina Republican Rep.

By Serving Many Ethonomics Happens Naturally

Kaihan Krippendorff — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:05:39 -0400

One of greatest Union generals in the U.S. Civil war, William Tecumseh Sherman, described the goal of effective military strategy as maneuvering so that the opposing general finds himself “on the horns of dilemma.”

That means you should force your competitor to choose to defend target A by sacrificing target B or vice-versa.

Make Them Need You – Become Indispensable To Your Clients

Kaihan Krippendorff — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:29:41 -0400

Last week I introduced Ajit Prabhu, the co-founder and chief executive officer of QuEST Global. My interview with him was fascinating, and during our discussion, I learned that the basic idea behind QuEST was born while Ajit was working at General Electric.

Find Inspiration And Create Aspiration

Kaihan Krippendorff — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:50:11 -0400

Most successful people are somehow inspired to do things differently. For some it is an innovative idea, and for others it is identifying a need and filling it. For Ajit Prabhu, the co-founder and chief executive officer of QuEST Global, it was a car.

Barack Obama Is Tapping Into Your Brain

Kaihan Krippendorff — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:15:40 -0400

The best communicators are the ones who can create and share a strong narrative story. The best novels are the ones with the most interesting plot and the best speeches are the ones that arouse an emotional response from a crowd.

Born To Be Good - Mirror Neurons Help Us Empathize

Kaihan Krippendorff — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:53:07 -0400

Several months ago, I was browsing through a bookstore in Seattle looking for something to read on my flight back across the country. After having spent eight hours on stage working to keep a mental step ahead of 250 smart executives, I was really looking for something mindless. Perhaps a murder mystery or maybe even something from the vampire genre, which seems to be expanding beyond all logical propositions these days.

Operation Street Kidz Helps Turns Inner City Youths into Entrepreneuers

Karma Martell — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:59:59 -0400

Grassroots organizations like Young Entrepreneur Net http://ycen.fliggo.com/ and 4 Entrepreneur Net are raising the bar on supporting entrepreneurship and exposing youth to positve, confidence-building experiences that will show them a path to realizing their dreams.

Power Comes From Coordination

Kaihan Krippendorff — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:01:58 -0400

I’ve interviewed hundreds of business outthinkers, and one of the most common patterns of success is “coordinate the uncoordinated.”