dreaming

Brace Yourself: A Brand-Building Reality Check

Corey Blake — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:13:46 -0500

I’ve talked before (and will continue to talk about) my growing impatience with clients and potential clients who think we’re ready to call Oprah because the first draft of their manuscript is written. Not only is this expectation both naïve and grandiose, it’s completely based in fantasy. This childlike look at the book industry would be completely laughable if it weren’t so frustrating. What people need to understand is that, yes, it’s possible to get Oprah’s attention. Yes, it’s possible to get on the bestseller list. But it will not happen overnight.

Corey’s Book: From the Writer’s Perspective

Corey Blake — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:41:03 -0500

Hello! I’m the third member of Corey’s book-writing, storytelling, epiphany-creating team—Katie, the writer. Corey has asked me to contribute one blog per week describing our unique process from my point of view, and I’m happy to do it. The truth is that, to many, the writing part of this equation is quite mysterious. I’d like to shine some light. But, first, a little history.

Fierceness

Corey Blake — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:54:19 -0500

My big take away from today was an attribute that I have recently labeled about myself as impatience, but that my story guide Annie Hart redirected this morning as fierceness. As my business is growing and our authors and company are gaining more popularity, more and more people are contacting me to help them with their branding.

Got Courage? Then You're in Business

Corey Blake — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:52:05 -0500

I blogged recently about how important-no, invaluable-integrity is in business. As you may know, I believe that integrity should be the linchpin of every business, no matter how large or small. But tied up in integrity is something else: courage.

The weight of Story

Corey Blake — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:59:44 -0500

This morning on my call with Katie and Annie I spoke mostly about my recent trip with Daniel Cardwell and our work together on “A Question of Color”. I told them about my first trip to the grocery store with Dan to stock up our cabin in preparation for our five days together and how unusual it was to go shopping with someone for the first time. The experience opened my eyes to how stories are often told between the lines. Imagine how much I learned about Dan when he reached for a dozen tins of sardines, four boxes of Nutrigrain bars, two cans of beans and three onions.

Day 3: A Question of Color

Corey Blake — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:35:30 -0500

Because we are at the bottom of a small valley in the Solomon Islands, the rain from behind us and from across the street in front of us was all flowing beneath our cabin on day three of this tropical storm. Not the best week to choose to hang out on an island off the coast. The water was raising on us so quickly, that we were forced to put garbage bags over our boots and walk through the foot deep water to get to the car. See Dan’s German born; he likes German cheese and he drives a Mercedes.

Day 2: A Question of Color

Corey Blake — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:17:00 -0500

Yesterday began early again and was one of those creative days that flowed from the get go. Dan and I hit a groove and Erin was awesome about getting me back transcribed material we were recording. We had a couple of striking epiphanies about origin vs. destination, about Dan’s experience in the military, and I figured out how to fit his unprecedented work with cancer into the story in a way that drives it forward.

A Question of Color

Corey Blake — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:12:23 -0500

Yesterday was day 1 of a 6 day trip working with Daniel Cardwell on A Question of Color.

Alesia Shute and Everything’s Okay: Another Story Inspiring Change

Corey Blake — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:04:39 -0500

As some of you know, our client, Alesia Shute, was diagnosed with cancer when she was seven years old. At a time when most kids are learning to ride bikes, Alesia was overcoming obstacles that knock adults to their knees. As a child, she survived six major surgeries and several minor ones and endured years of pain and uncertainty. But Alesia didn’t want to tell a story that focused on the pain and struggles of her journey; she wanted to tell a story about overcoming, a story that would inspire other patients and survivors to live openly and joyfully.

From Mission to Marketing, How to Show Integrity in Everything You Do—and Why You Should

Corey Blake — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:18:46 -0500

What’s More Important Than Exceptional Work? Integrity.

Corey Blake — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:06:49 -0400

If you ask me, integrity is the backbone of any good business—no, great business. But it’s a broad term, one that people find more difficult to define than, say, “results-oriented.” And without knowing what integrity is, it’s almost impossible to live it.

So, what does integrity mean to me? Well, to start:

Why You Should Prioritize Your People Above the Product

Corey Blake — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:27:53 -0400

When I lived in L.A., I was fortunate enough to take part in a number of really fantastic film projects. Either as an actor, producer, or director, I dove headlong into making these projects a success, and to some extent, they all were. I worked on one film, however, where the environment was completely different from all the rest: It was all about the product.

Annie Hart Strikes Again

Corey Blake — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:15:10 -0400

After our morning call with Katie, Annie reached out to talk privately with me to check in and see if there was some unresolved tension from last week. I admitted that last night I had gotten nervous about our call today because I’m starting to feel how these calls impact my week. With so much else in life feeling all over the place (especially my own businesses), my anxiety struck late last night and I jumped in to dictate the direction of today’s call without letting Annie in on the “why”. I usurped her role as story guide and jumped in to lead. I was feeli

Back on Track

Corey Blake — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:15:38 -0400

Last night I shared with my story guide Annie Hart that I needed us to have a structured call today. Since our call last week I was beginning to feel a bit desperate and depressed, like we had fallen off track. Thankfully, because I am a story guide myself, I was able to pin point quickly that and ask Annie for structure.

One Exceptional Product Isn’t Enough

Corey Blake — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:27:08 -0400

It’s easy to get comfortable once you come up with an exceptional product. It’s easy to take that product—and the process that created it—and keep duplicating it, making small changes every so often to keep it “new” and “relevant” while pretty much leaving innovation at the door. “Why reinvent the wheel?” you might ask. Or, “If it’s not broken, why fix it?” Both of these rhetorical questions are, of course, clichés—what people fall back on when they’re too lazy to come up with original ideas. That laziness is also exactly what the questions represent.

Why You Should Pay Someone Else to Help Tell Your Story

Corey Blake — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:12:09 -0400

You know the old adage, If you want a job done right you’ve got to do it yourself? Okay, in some cases it’s true. But you probably wouldn’t perform open-heart surgery on yourself no matter how fervently you buy into the idea. Instead, you’d search diligently until you found a surgeon whose hands you’d trust to touch your heart.

Blog Talk Radio

Corey Blake — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:12:27 -0400

I'll be on Annie Hart's Radio show again tomorrow: www.blogtalkradio.com/inspiringchangethroughstory

A New Epiphany

Corey Blake — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:10:34 -0400

Today, in speaking with Annie and Katie on our weekly call to
develop my book we dove into some new waters. My book has started
taking on the appearance of a memoir as I change through the process of
putting it together. It began as a book very much about the two sides
of the brain and combining art and business. But that is such safe
territory for me. It’s overly comfortable.

The “It’s a Cop-Out” Cop-Out

Corey Blake — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:18:13 -0400

In the creative world, there’s often a stigma against paying for help to build your dream. The art loses authenticity, some feel, or you’re simply less of an artist if you need to hire out to get a job done. Writers, for example, sometimes feel it’s “cheating” to hire a collaborator, or to pay a company to publish their book instead of struggling blindly through the murky channels of commercial publication. I can’t stress enough how counter-intuitive this is!

Stop Relying on Others to Spread the Word—Be Your Own Literary Publicist!

Corey Blake — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:37:47 -0400

Writing a book is commitment. It’s like being a parent. First there’s the commitment required to develop an idea into a story. As the story grows into a manuscript, there’s the commitment to allowing that story to change if it needs to. Then you must find the right company to publish that manuscript and to serve you as the face of your conversation. After the book is published comes the greatest commitment of all—working your ass off to give it the opportunity to succeed.

Why Writers Must Experience Change During the Writing Process

Corey Blake — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:18:11 -0400

When readers go to their favorite bookstore (or, you know, Amazon) and lose themselves in the quiet pleasure of choosing a book, they’re probably not thinking, “I want to find a book that doesn’t change me through reading it.” By and large, readers want to change through the process of reading. They want to see a part of the world they’ve never before visited, or gain a perspective that challenges their preconceived notions about the way we live.

What’s the missing link in your storytelling process?

Corey Blake — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:06:22 -0400

Could it be accountability? One of the pitfalls of the typical creative process is that it’s a mostly solitary endeavor. You set your own goals and deadlines and are accountable to yourself alone if you miss them. Awesome, right? I mean, isn’t that what every storyteller wants—not answering to The Man? Absolutely. And for a remarkable few, this works. But it’s a major challenge for most of us, who engage in a balancing act between progressing our art and maintaining other commitments, including work, family, and friends. What’s the solution?

Storytelling is a conversation—will you join it?

Corey Blake — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:15:57 -0400

Think of having a good, deep talk with your best friend—could be your spouse, your old college roommate, or your childhood companion. You’re sitting together over drinks, most of your dinner eaten, and you’re talking candidly. Your best friend isn’t afraid to ask you tough questions, and you return the favor. How many discoveries have you made about each other in this way? How many discoveries have you made about yourself?

Why writing a book needn’t mean going it alone

Corey Blake — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:13:44 -0400

Most books have only one author’s name on the cover. And most people think of those authors as solitary creatures working alone in a dim room, surrounded by books and clutter and haloed in the glow of a computer screen. Although a bit clichéd, this idea is often untrue, as this type of creating works for few people. Our clients come to us because they are too busy, not writers, can’t find the damn words, or just can’t seem to get the job done—that approach it isn’t working for them.

Ready to Reinvest in Your Company? Use Social Networking to Find the Next New Great Hire

Corey Blake — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:28:52 -0400

In the immediate panic of a recession, most companies try to save money by reducing their labor force. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate remained steady at about 9.4% throughout June and July. This suggests that the most drastic cuts are done and perhaps, even more promising, that companies are becoming ready to move forward by reinvesting in quality employees. Are you one of these companies? Be creative in your new hire search by leveraging the power of social networking.