The KIVA story

I was introduced to KIVA several years ago through a gift from a colleague. KIVA is a great example of how a simple idea and a tremendous amount of passion can truly change the world.

If you aren't familiar with KIVA it is an organization that through donations by individuals (average of around $25 per donation) they provide microloans to "entrepreneurs" in countries throughout the world. These small loans help provide aspiring business owners capital they can use to make an impact in their businesses.

It is an inspiring story of how a person's vision and passion can help ignite a movement of giving back in the new virtual world. Here is a clip featuring the co-founder, Jessica Jackley, telling about KIVA's start and the success story they have achieved.

Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money -- and love Video on TED.com

Is it my Favorite Movie (?)

No, but for me Almost Famous is certainly up there with the best.  Whenever I get into that conversation of "favorite movie" I almost always overlook this film, but when I am reminded of it I remember it is one of the best you will find from start to finish.

Generally I don't like movies that are set in real-life; I prefer my movies big, loud, and want them to transport me away to a different time and place.  Real life has enough challenges and I don't like to be reminded of them in my viewing time.  Almost Famous is one of my exceptions; you get a sense this movie is heavily grounded by its characters and the life of its director/writer, Cameron Crowe.  There's no spaceships, time machines, or medieval warfare here, just a fantastic movie about a group of people and the bonds they build.

The characters are all memorable, the story is tight, and for me there is probably not a movie that makes a better use of it's rock soundtrack.  Each song ties into the emotions of the moment and the music becomes a character itself.  No scene sums it up better than the this one, which reintroduced the world to "Tiny Dancer."

I "had a busy day today" this week and when I stumbled across this video on YouTube this weekend it helped lift a few troubles.

I've not sat through the movie more than a handful of times and it is not one I could easily jump into if I stumble across it while channel surfing on a Sunday, however if you want to get lost in the bygone rock'n'roll era of the '70's and watch a movie that will bring a smile to your face, Almost Famous can fit the bill.

What is your Brand?

I picked up a Tweet today that I thought was a pretty insightful:  Brand is what you say about yourself; reputation is what others say about you (thanks, Bob Aber, for the RT).  It got me thinking about how organizations and individuals both spend large investments to build their “brand” and how significant the acts and words behind it must be to maintain a reputation.  Brands can take years to build, but reputations can be made or broken in a single act.  It seems like a simple enough balance but I’m amazed at how often teams and organizations can miss how the individual acts determine this much more than dollars invested in branding.

For most of my career I’ve worked in two organizations that have been the pretty low on the public expectations:  rental cars and cable.  Going to social functions and mentioning you work in either of these industries can open up a fascinating stream of discussion.  With rental cars I’d hear the horror stories of long lines, questionable vehicles, reservations that went unfilled, and occasionally a reference to OJ Simpson (for those who remember the Juice) running through an airport.  And cable, need I say more.  Cable and telecommunications providers generally rank the lowest in overall service across industries (here’s a sample ranking) so it has been many a dinner I’ve had to discuss the service issues that friends and colleagues have experienced (which I hope generally I can resolve).  If you haven't seen it, check out this Conan O'Brien clip from his "Day in Cable."  Not a typical day but certainly an entertaining look.

The Cavs-An Eyewitness Account of the End of the Streak

Last night we attended one of the greatest games in Cleveland pro sports history.

Nope, not an AFC championship game…

No, not a World Series match up…

We didn’t even witness the return of the Cleveland Force…

This game topped them all.

Cavaliers are also not very wise on their mascot choices

Only in Cleveland can the crowd get jazzed like we just won a championship when we stop a 26 game losing streak.  Yes, we can breathe again…the Cavs are now 1-26 over their last 27 games.

Now Cleveland is still considered by Laura and I to be the “adopted” home; however, we are quickly creeping up to that age in life where we have lived in Cleveland longer than we have lived in what we will always call home, Pittsburgh.  There are still very distinct lines drawn when it comes to football, but in basketball and baseball we always hope to see the Cavs and Indians do well.

Measuring what makes life worthwhile | Video on TED.com

Chip Conley is the CEO of hotel chain Joie de Vivre as well as an author and speaker.  This video is a little longer (20 min) but if you stick with it he's got a good message about helping inspire all of your employees to achieve a point in their development where they are helping transform the organization. He shares some interesting statistics on the service industry in the world, too. I found those parts of his speech fascinating.

Chip Conley Speech: Measure What Makes Things Worthwhile

Key takeaways for me:

• Organizations that can find ways to measure the "intangible" measure of success are more likely to achieve their long term goals
• It is important as leaders for us to inspire our teams so that every individual finds a point in the organization where they feel they are "transformational"
• There is a need for change in how we measure personal and business success in the 21st century, and organizations that find different ways to inspire and measure that success will be better positioned in the future, service-orientated economy

There are some interesting views expressed in the post's comments on his political views which to some viewers may take away from the overall impact of his message.  That aside, taking his key points for what they are I found it definitely to be a good message reinforcing the importance of every member of the team understanding the significance of what they do.  Those are the organizations that have the cultures that help breed success.

My Super Bowl Memories

Ah, Super Bowl Weekend.

For anyone from the Steeler Nation there is nothing more enjoyable than getting to this time of year and knowing there will be Black and Gold colors all over the television.  All seems right with the world when we know the Terrible Towels will be waving over Dallas Stadium.

What have I gotten myself into?

I would argue that for anyone growing up in Western PA during the 70’s there were not too many greater cultural influences than football, specifically Steeler Football.  Families huddled around televisions every Sunday to catch the games.  Playing in the backyard we fought over who would get to be Terry Bradshaw, Franco, Mean Joe, or Jack Lambert.  The kid in the Coke commercial was the luckiest kid in the world and the most famous child celebrity in our neighborhoods right ahead of Mikey (“He likes it! He likes it!”) and the kid whose stomach blew up from having too many Pop Rocks and drinking Pepsi.  One of the greatest days in elementary school was when Rocky Bleier came to speak to us.  We really didn’t understand what his Fighting Back message was all about back then, but we knew we were seeing a real live Steeler in our auditorium.

Best (recent) Super Bowl commercial...EVER!

It definitely appeals to the geek in me.  This may just edge out the e-Trade babies!

Darth Vader v. the Volkswagon