Finding Forrest: 29 March 2009

Be the best

It makes sense to be the best in the world at what you do. If you are not going to be the best in the world, then you are just average.

What if you fail at being the best in the world? You just become average.

So, what's the harm in trying to become the best, if all you are right now is average?

It would seem there is more to gain than lose.

I'd recommend reading Seth Godin's The Dip.

Junk is good

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
- Thomas Edison

When something needed to be fixed, created, or improved, my parents' first thought was never "let's go to the store." It was always, "let's see what we can find in the basement." I never knew what we were looking for, but if it wasn't there, I'd hear, "Let's go check the carport and then maybe the shed."

Sooner or later they would manage to find two random things that didn't seem to go together and somehow combine them.

My grandmother saved every scrap of fabric she saw. Whether it was an old worn out t-shirt, a torn towel, or a ruined chair cover, she would take the bits and pieces and about once a year take over the living room by sewing together a bright and colorful quilt. The fabrics looked awful, but something magical happened when they were sewn together.

Innovation is seeing old things in new ways.

My New Adventure

Last week I had the opportunity of meeting with some very good people. Not only are they good people, they are very sharp. Nothing gets past these guys and they are always on their toes.

Anyway, over the last few years I have been working on a few business plans for a few ideas, and I had my chance to pitch it to these guys. I have to say that it was an incredible experience. They were very respectful of my ideas, helped me spot some of the holes, and gave me some good advice.

Even though they didn't like all my ideas (in fact they seemed a little annoyed by one idea) they did like one - a lot! This morning I got the call from their venture capital firm, letting me know they are going to invest $1.8 million into one of my ideas.

I took a big risk and it paid off! I can't tell you any details at this point, but we're pretty excited about the next 3 months as we start putting legs on this idea. I'll let you know how things shake out.

WOO HOO!

Town Hall for Hope

April 23, 2009, Dave Ramsey will be doing a nationwide (possibly worldwide) event called Town Hall for Hope. Currently the capacity of attendees is sitting at 1 million people. I imagine that will continue to grow.

If you're tired of the doom and gloom of our economy, this 90 minute event will help you change your perspective. You'll begin to hope again and perhaps learn how NOT to participate in this recession.

Watch the videos below then go check out the above web site to learn more.

This event is big. Don't miss it.