Mitchel's posterous http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com Most recent posts at Mitchel's posterous posterous.com Thu, 24 May 2012 08:59:00 -0700 11 Things http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/11-things http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/11-things

11 Things: A Michael Hardaway production

I'm 30-years-old. I've launched 3 companies; I've worked for the President of the United States and two U.S. Senators; I founded one of the most powerful networks in our nation's capitol; I've worked in 4 different sectors; I've picked up friendships with professional athletes, janitors, U.S. Ambassadors, titans of industry and old men who play chess at the park on Sunday afternoons.

Along the way, I've learned a few things:

  1. Timing is everything - a good idea at the wrong time remains just that - an idea.
  2. Your reputation follows you - meticulously construct and protect your reputation, it’s all you’ve got.
  3. A little integrity goes a long way - the only way you’ll succeed in life is if people know you’re reliable and trustworthy. Nobody respects a liar. Act accordingly.
  4. Be interesting - I didn’t grow up with money, but my interest in an array of pursuits allowed me to connect with people whose bank accounts had far more zeros than mine. Common interests trump differences.
  5. Be your own (wo)man - Stand on your own two feet. Don’t waffle. Don’t complain. In the end, there are no asterisks - only scoreboards.
  6. Stubbornly persist - Anything worth doing is hard, otherwise everybody would do it.  If you have a vision, making it a reality will be one of the hardest things you ever do. It won’t be easy, it won’t be quick, but it will be worth it.
  7. Develop reliable relationships - Relationships are priceless. Work hard at building new relationships and maintaining previous ones. Be genuinely interested in people. Never ask for a favor unless you’ve been in touch at least three times (1 ask = 3 touches). Your relationships are often the deciding factor in your success. Work hard to maintain them.
  8. People buy into you - View yourself as a commodity. Expanding your skills, rolodex, ancillary knowledge base and creativity will enable you to always earn a living. Always.
  9. Trust your instincts - They're usually right.
  10. Be respectful - Respect everyone regardless of their position in life. Today’s intern could be your boss one day.
  11. Under-promise; over-deliver - Your word is everything. Don’t make promises you aren’t 1,000% sure you can keep. It’s best to manage expectations and exceed what’s expected of you.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 10 May 2012 12:18:00 -0700 iTunes: Yale Courses x Test Prep http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/itunes-yale-courses-x-test-prep http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/itunes-yale-courses-x-test-prep

There's an app for that. Amazing.

Yale x SAT, GRE, & LSAT

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 10 May 2012 12:12:00 -0700 Mitt http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/mitt http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/mitt

Interesting article. I recieved it from a friend and was close to deleting it, but I'm glad I read it.

 

Mitt Romney’s prep school classmates recall pranks, but also troubling incidents

By ,  Updated: Thursday, May 10, 8:02 AM

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Mitt Romney returned from a three-week spring break in 1965 to resume his studies as a high school senior at the prestigious Cranbrook School. Back on the handsome campus, studded with Tudor brick buildings and manicured fields, he spotted something he thought did not belong at a school where the boys wore ties and carried briefcases. John Lauber, a soft-spoken new student one year behind Romney, was perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality. Now he was walking around the all-boys school with bleached-blond hair that draped over one eye, and Romney wasn’t having it.

“He can’t look like that. That’s wrong. Just look at him!” an incensed Romney told Matthew Friedemann, his close friend in the Stevens Hall dorm, according to Friedemann’s recollection. Mitt, the teenaged son of Michigan Gov. George Romney, kept complaining about Lauber’s look, Friedemann recalled.

A few days later, Friedemann entered Stevens Hall off the school’s collegiate quad to find Romney marching out of his own room ahead of a prep school posse shouting about their plan to cut Lauber’s hair. Friedemann followed them to a nearby room where they came upon Lauber, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. As Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help, Romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors.

The incident was recalled similarly by five students, who gave their accounts independently of one another. Four of them — Friedemann, now a dentist; Phillip Maxwell, a lawyer; Thomas Buford, a retired prosecutor; and David Seed, a retired principal — spoke on the record. Another former student who witnessed the incident asked not to be named. The men have differing political affiliations, although they mostly lean Democratic. Buford volunteered for Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008. Seed, a registered independent, has served as a Republican county chairman in Michigan. All of them said that politics in no way colored their recollections.

“It happened very quickly, and to this day it troubles me,” said Buford, the school’s wrestling champion, who said he joined Romney in restraining Lauber. Buford subsequently apologized to Lauber, who was “terrified,” he said. “What a senseless, stupid, idiotic thing to do.”

“It was a hack job,” recalled Maxwell, a childhood friend of Romney who was in the dorm room when the incident occurred. “It was vicious.”

 

source: the washington post

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 10 May 2012 11:53:30 -0700 Yale's Women Campaign School http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/yales-women-campaign-school http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/yales-women-campaign-school
Rdot to Yale.pdf Download this file


A colleague, Renee Johnson, has been accepted to the Women's Campaign School at Yale. This is very exciting news, as this program is highly selective and the most prominent political training program for women in the country.

Yale is expensive and this program does not offer 'student loans'. She's hosting a fundraiser to help get her there. I'll be there. Join me.


Friday, May 11, 2012
Recess Lounge
727 15th Street NW
Washington, D.C.

If you can't make it, donate here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YUUHNRWC8FGTY.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Tue, 08 May 2012 13:46:00 -0700 QOTD http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-97950 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-97950

"If you want to fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down."
-Toni Morrison

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Tue, 08 May 2012 10:17:38 -0700 QOTD http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-27089 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-27089 “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”

- E.B. White

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:18:53 -0700 "Stars for Trayvon" http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/stars-for-trayvon http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/stars-for-trayvon
Stars_for_Trayvon_Flyer.pdf Download this file

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:19:00 -0700 "Bully" http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/bully http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/bully

 

Following five teens and their families throughout the course of a year, Bully, from Sundance and Emmy award winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, is an insightful look into the previously taboo and social epidemic of bullying, an act that will affect over 13 million American children this year. In this exclusive clip, Life + Times takes a look at Alex Libby’s life on his bus ride to and from school. Bully (rated PG-13) opens nationwide this weekend. Learn more about Bully on Facebook and Twitter.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:23:00 -0700 QOTD http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/121501143 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/121501143

If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.

— Simon Sinek

 

source: Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:25:00 -0700 Quote Of The Day http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/121501780 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/121501780

If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.  

— Ken Robinson

 

source: Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:53:25 -0700 QOTD http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-14433 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-14433 "Patience is a virtue and timing is everything."

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:20:00 -0700 Fear, scarcity and value http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/fear-scarcity-and-value http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/fear-scarcity-and-value

The things we fear are probably feared by others, and when we avoid them, we're doing what others are doing as well.

Which is why there's a scarcity of whatever work it is we're avoiding.

And of course, scarcity often creates value.

The shortcut is simple: if you're afraid of something, of putting yourself out there, of creating a kind of connection or a promise, that's a clue that you're on the right track. Go, do that.

source: seth godin

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:12:00 -0700 Five Ways to Drive True Innovation and Increase Sales http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/five-ways-to-drive-true-innovation-and-increa http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/five-ways-to-drive-true-innovation-and-increa
March 15, 2012

Mike Asche, Vice President, Nielsen

Gaining increased retail shelf space can provide a major boost in driving sales growth for the brands and product portfolios of consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers. Yet, increased shelf space—which requires significant retailer support—can be difficult to achieve.

While hundreds of new products are launched each year, many tend to be closer to in-line extensions that, at best, persuade consumers to switch brands within a product category. While this approach benefits the winning brand, it does little for the retailer who would have made the sale anyway. Thus, retailers are often less invested in these types of product launches and have little incentive to award valuable increased shelf space. To overcome this challenge, new product innovations must deliver true category growth that will offer material benefits to both the manufacturer and the retailer.

Category Growth = True Innovation

There are two ways to increase category sales: bring new consumers into the category (traditional “category growth”) or persuade current buyers to spend more within the category (“category expansion”). When manufacturers launch truly innovative products that offer something new to consumers in a category, retailers are far more likely to offer support by way of  increased shelf space and fast distribution, which gives brands the best opportunity for significant gains.

Unfortunately, category growth can be elusive. A Nielsen analysis of nearly 300 new product launches in over 100 CPG categories found the overwhelming majority resulted in brand shifting—existing category consumers switching brands within the category—rather than pure category growth or expansion.

CPG Category Growth

However, a small percentage of studied launches did achieve category growth, and an examination of those successful product innovations provides five guiding insights to help achieve true category growth from new products.

Five Paths to Driving Category Growth

  1. Remove Category Barriers
    Sometimes, consumers don’t shop within a category because of specific (but not insurmountable) barriers, such as a perceived lack in quality or inconvenience. In personal care categories, some new products successfully drove new consumers to the category by eliminating unfavorable side effects or providing better methods for administering the product. Similarly, some food products were able to draw new consumers into the category by eliminating some of the taste or quality barriers that existed in the category.
    Call To Action:     Invest in understanding the barriers to purchasing in your category. By understanding why consumers do not buy or buy infrequently in your category, you can develop new products that can attract these consumers and drive category growth.
  2. Add Benefits to the Category
    Augmenting products with additional benefits can sometimes attract new consumers into a category and/or entice buyers to spend more within the category. Adding convenience benefits and portability or fortifying foods with healthy ingredients and supplements can drive greater volumes.
    Call To Action: Understand what meaningful value added benefits can be brought into your category. Typically the successful value added benefits align with consumer trends in lifestyle and health; thus, understanding these macro trends can enhance your chances of bringing a meaningful category enhancement to market.
  3. Draw Purchases from Outside the Store
    Think beyond the closest competitor on the shelf and, instead, expand your competitive set. Packaged food producers have driven category growth by offering consumers meals previously considered restaurant options, and cosmetic companies are seeking to place department store-quality products on grocery and drugstore shelves.
    Call To Action:     Examine what consumers are buying outside of the traditional CPG retail outlets to satisfy their needs. For example, if you are a manufacturer focused on household care, explore what kinds of things consumers are doing to upkeep their home and consider your options for developing a more convenient or cost effective solution.
  4. Dramatically Enhance Product Performance
    Significant and breakthrough product enhancements can command a premium and expand category spends from consumers already buying within the category—“category expansion.” But, the product innovations must offer dramatic improvements to truly command a sustainable premium and upsize enough consumers to have a meaningful impact on the category.
    Call To Action:     When charging a significant premium, have a very high standard for product performance. When launching a product with true breakthrough performance, manage the price point carefully to ensure that you are not leaving money on the table.
  5. Tap Latent Consumer Demand
    Creating altogether new categories by serving unmet consumer demand is one of the most rewarding, if challenging, paths in the category growth game. While energy drinks and instant hand sanitizers are recent examples, many companies are leveraging social media intelligence to open new consumer demand pools.
    Call To Action:     Have sophisticated approach to analyzing consumer demand that incorporates macro trends, the market landscape, and consumer attitudinal segments. Use this platform to identify untapped places in the market and stretch your innovation efforts to fill these needs.
via blog.nielsen.com

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:26:00 -0700 Stand Up for Trayvon http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/stand-up-for-trayvon http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/stand-up-for-trayvon

Trayvon

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:09:00 -0700 Then and Now http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/then-and-now http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/then-and-now

Then-and-now-infographic

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:35:00 -0700 The ironic truth about sincerity http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/the-ironic-truth-about-sincerity http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/the-ironic-truth-about-sincerity

No one cares how much you care.

That salesperson who will surely die if he doesn't close this sale, that painter who is sweating blood to get her idea on the canvas, that student who just pulled an all-nighter...

In fact, we're hyper alert to the appearance of caring. We want to do business with people who appear to care, who appear to bring care and passion and dedication to their work. If the work expresses caring, if you consistently and professionally deliver on that expression, we're sold.

The truth is that it's what we perceive that matters, not what you bring to the table. If you care but your work doesn't show it, you've failed. If you care so much that you're unable to bring quality, efficiency and discernment to your work, we'll walk away from it.

And the irony? The best, most reliable way to appear to care when it matters--is to care.

 

source: seth

 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:35:00 -0700 The Road We've Traveled http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/112690828 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/112690828

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:51:00 -0700 QOTD http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-627 http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/qotd-627

"Modesty is the best accessory for skills that speak for themselves."

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:57:00 -0700 Quote Of The Day http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/quote-of-the-day http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/quote-of-the-day

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

Source: Henry Ford

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:58:00 -0700 We say we want a revolution... http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/we-say-we-want-a-revolution http://mitchbrooks.posterous.com/we-say-we-want-a-revolution

But of course, what we say doesn't matter so much. What we do is what matters, and we have far more influence that we'd like to confess.

We say we want local merchants to offer great service, deep selection and community values, but we cross the street to the big box store to save $3.

We say we want companies to honor their promises and act transparently, but one new product or big discount from a business that has deceived us in the past and we come right back for more.

We say we're disgusted with Congress, but almost all of us vote to re-elect the dufus we sent there in the first place.

We say we hate spam, but we send it. And sometimes buy from it.

We say we'd like people to think first and act later, but we get cut off in traffic and all bets are off.

We say we love art, the brave work that touches us, but we listen to oldies and rarely head out to hear live music or visit a cutting edge gallery.

Hypocrisy may be an epidemic, but the problem isn't in what we say. It's what we do.

 

Source: Seth Godin

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/554773/IMG_9933_big.jpg http://posterous.com/users/3sOfsWuC2CqJ Mitch Brooks Mitchel Mitch Brooks