This page contains a summary of all of the past shows in the form of an archive. They are presented in date order starting with the newest. If you are looking for a specific topic, I would suggest you use the search function to the right.
Do we have what it takes to innovate the education system? S11 Ep21
It is always the start that requires the greatest effort. ~ J.C. Penney Many believe we are facing one of our largest and most important challenges – the education system. We are transitioning from an information and knowledge economy to that of the creative and innovation economy which requires a different skill set. Many are […]Read More »What is the impact of innovation investment on stock price?
“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” ~ Zig Zigler Some believe that innovation is not something that you can manage much less measure. I don’t agree. Over the years, those of us in the innovation space have been looking […]Read More »Be Unreasonable And Change The World S11 Ep19
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him… The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself… All progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw This weeks show was broadcast live from the Unreasonable Institute in Boulder, Colorado. The mission of Unreasonable is: … gets entrepreneurs what they need to scale solutions […]Read More »Doing The Impossible S11 Ep18
“It’s kind of fun doing the impossible” ~ Walt Disney Doing The Impossible Have you ever felt like you did something that others said couldn’t be done? There is not better feeling than completing something that the antibodies said couldn’t be done. Even when they try to use government regulations as a roadblock. When you look […]Read More »Perseverance and Pivots S11 Ep17
Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. ~ Winston Churchill Perseverance and Pivots When we first come up with what we think is a great idea, we have a clear vision of how things are going to go. We see the idea being wildly successful. Then guess what? We get thrown a […]Read More »You Were Born To Innovate S11 Ep16
It’s really astounding how many people I meet who tell me, “I’m not creative” or “I wasn’t born an innovator.” How many times have you told yourself this story? No matter how convinced you may be that you are not creative or you were not meant to change the world, I believe that EVERYONE is […]Read More »Killer Innovations Is Now A Syndicated Talk Radio Show
When I started the podcast, I had no idea where that path would lead me. Over the 11 years, the show has gone through a number of transitions. The latest being that it is now a weekly live talk radio show syndicated on the BizTalk Radio Network of AM and FM radio stations across the US. […]Read More »To Innovate You Must Have A Beginners Mind S11 Ep15
A very brilliant professor was invited to see Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912) to inquire about zen. The professor bubbled with enthusiasm sharing his research and knowledge, the doctrines he had extensively studied, the sutras he knew by heart. Nan-in poured tea while the professor spoke. The master kept pouring, pouring […]Read More »Can't Not Do Innovation S11 Ep14
There are moments in every innovator’s life when they become sure of the path that lies before them. An idea has come into their minds that they can’t escape. It’s there 24 – 7 whether they are awake or asleep , popping up in everyday thoughts and as they go about their work. It’s impossible […]Read More »How To Use Constraints Of Time Money & People For Better Innovations
Creativity is usually associated with open spaces, uninhibited freedom, and a lack of anything to stifle expression. However, sometimes it can be beneficial, even essential, to build walls, make rules and impose constraints on ourselves in order to get our creativity flowing. The fact is that unlimited options are very difficult to contend with – […]Read More »
Unintended Consequence That Became A Childhood Innovation S11 Ep12
In the middle of the second world war, James Wright was hard at work, trying to invent a synthetic rubber substitute. He was employed by the U.S. War Production Board who were very interested in cheaper options for rubber as the war had led to severe shortages. World War II Innovations During World War […]Read More »How To Realistically Achieve Your Innovation Goals
Everyone dreams of a better future. Some of those dreams are more commonplace, like getting a better job; while others are bigger challenges, such as creating something innovative that will change the world or writing a bestselling book. I believe everyone should dream big. Unfortunately, for some people, achieving those dreams feels impossible from the […]Read More »What Is The Relationship Between Dissonance And Innovation?
A music theory book might seem like an unusual place to find inspiration for innovative thinking, but there is a musical principle that provides a useful metaphor for how innovators find inspiration – and also happens to separate the great composers from the mediocre ones. That principle is dissonance. The Power of Dissonance In its […]Read More »5 Innovation Blind Spots That Nokia and Kodak Overlooked
When the mantra “innovate or die” is invoked, two companies who are often mentioned as examples are Nokia and Kodak. But in what ways, exactly, did these two companies fail to innovate? and what lessons can we learn from their failures? Here are 5 innovation blind spots that I identified that ultimately doomed them to […]Read More »Lucid Dreaming Can Help You Be More Creative
In the 1984 movie “Dreamscape” starring Dennis Quaid and Christopher Plummer , government researchers found a way to have people join another persons dream and then actively participate, and in some case disrupt it. The core of the movie is to use this new found ability to do both good and evil. After I watched […]Read More »How To Create Innovations By Re-purposing Old Ideas
If you look up the Merriam-Webster’s definition, it says that innovation is “the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods.” However, in a world of continuous technological and ideological advancement, how much is really new? The truth is we are creative beings, but we don’t create alone. While some will try to […]Read More »12 Tips From Elon Musk On How To Be More Innovative
For many innovators, making a splash through social media is the subject of long thought and a lot of trial and error. On the other hand, innovators like Elon Musk tend to have the Midas touch when it comes to combining innovation and social media. For example — on March 30, Elon made a vague […]Read More »How To Use Crowdsourced Creativity for Innovation
Everyone knows of the old saying “Great minds think alike,” usually said as a kind of joke when two people have the same idea at the same time. But just how true is that statement? In fact, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that bigger, better innovations happen when people of wildly different backgrounds and […]Read More »See Your Frustrations As Inspiration For Breakthrough Innovations
Had enough of Barbie’s Dream House? Ever wonder why dolls and tiaras and pink party dresses fill the “girl” aisles of the toy store? After one such stroll down the isle with one of my grand daughters, I was reminded about the stereotypical thinking around “girl tech”. In one of my previous roles, a team […]Read More »How Brave Do You Need To Be To Innovate?
Do you consider yourself a brave person? A person of courage and conviction in the face of a challenge? Most of us don’t, but as an innovator, you practice bravery every day. Bravery means opening oneself up to criticism and overcoming the fear of failure in order to do something extraordinary – to create a […]Read More »Here Are The 3 Skills Needed For The Emerging Innovation Economy
A few years back, I was invited to participate in a meeting with leaders from the US Department of Education. Others in attendance at the meeting included university presidents, representatives from the teacher unions and a handful of others. All told, there was about 20 people in the room. The objective of the meeting was […]Read More »How Can Boredom Be A Spark For Innovation?
It might happen while you’re taking your morning shower, or maybe you’re in the middle of your morning commute when a flash of creativity strikes: a great idea for a mobile app, a way to hack your Ikea bookshelf to solve a pressing storage problem or a brand new business idea. Why does it seem like our […]Read More »Is There Anything That Is Truly Original?
In a recent discussion among patent attorneys and engineers, the question was asked about the requirement of originality before something can be issued a patent. Younger engineers tend to have the belief that only truly original ideas can be patented. That is not the case. In fact, when you file a patent application, you have to present the “prior art” — […]Read More »Is STEM enough to win in the innovation economy?
Is STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) the answer to preparing our kids to be the innovators of the future? That’s the question I was recently asked during the Q&A session at the end of a speech. Based on what other attendees said, I got myself wound up about the question and my belief on what […]Read More »