Well, after several interviews, it seems I’ve got the “Right Stuff” to make it at Think Up Consulting. I started two weeks ago and they already threw me into the rotation for writing a blog post. So I thought what better topic to write on than my arrival “On the Block.”
Ok, I will stop with the New Kids references (for now). I’ve had some time within the past two weeks to gather some interesting observations about the Think Up crew. One of the first things I notice was the strong sense of passion and ownership each employee has. Everyone holds stake in each project. They seem to all be genuinely interested in meeting their clients’ needs, not to mention they know how to have a good time while doing so.
The second observation that was apparent was their ability to train a new employee. During the first week, I learned every facet of the operation from the organizational structure to the brand voice and style guides. The whole team stopped at nothing to make sure I felt welcomed and comfortable. So comfortable that during week two, the great Emily Padgett (Social Savant), started up a prank war. Needless to say, my eyebrows will grow back and she will always be in my pranking crosshairs. Read the rest of this entry »
tags: company culture, lessons learned, nkotb, prank war | posted in thought you'd like to know, what I'm thinking | 4 comments
Learning is a tricky topic to discuss with friends or colleagues—perceptions can range from uncomfortable metal desks in elementary schools to musty lecture halls with professors to match. As generational preferences and expectations have shifted, thoughts about what constitutes learning has changed as well—from static text on printed page to hyperlinked, individually curated content. This shift is especially evident as one experiences learning or training in the contemporary context; no longer is learning a confining experience, but rather a vision of new contexts and establishing links to existing concepts.
It is within this framework that I readily admit, I am one of those geeky kids that actually enjoyed going to school…and not for any of the typified reasons—structure, tests & quizzes, or studying—but rather, because I truly enjoy making new and unexpected connections to new (and old) concepts. I am truly convinced that there is no such thing as boring content, only boring (or bored) teachers. Assuming that content is not boring—which is a big leap, I agree—the modern concept of learning, with all of the individual curation and user-led learning experiences that the moniker entails, actually reconciles the learning process as connection-building instead of rote memorization.
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tags: academia, connections, curated experiences, instructor led, learning, thinking, training | posted in learning | 1 comment
It’s just another typical summer day with my family. My sister and I are sitting by the pool catching up on all the local Greenville gossip and my 6 year old nephew, Liam, is jumping in and out of the pool…and in and out, again and again. And as Liam gets out of the pool he jumps into our conversation (children are always listening) and says, “Now wait, is she your real friend or your Facebook friend?” Moments later my nephew yells over to us, “Take a picture of me on your phone so you can upload it to Flickr.” Out come the iPhones and “kah! plunk!” goes Liam cannon-balling into the pool.
Later on that day, we take a trip to one of our favorite stores—Costco! It’s time to get some food to put on the grill…and maybe a few new pool toys too. As we walk through the massive entrance of Costco, Liam asks my sister, “Did you ‘check-in’ here yet? You must be the Foursquare mayor of this place by now.”
Okay, so Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa are you following along? Are you keeping up with my 6 year old nephew? Or are you asking yourself…What is a Facebook friend? What is Flickr? What is Foursquare and why would you ever want to be mayor of Costco?
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tags: facebook, flickr, foursquare, gen y, millennials, social media | posted in what I'm thinking | 2 comments
Do owners really look like their pets? Well, we have all kinds of pets here at Think Up and we would like to introduce you to them. We have dogs that look like they could serve as dust mops, and dogs that look like they should be wearing a saddle and giving rides to small children. We have cats that insist on perching themselves on the highest shelves in our homes (high altitude cats), and cats whose idea of a perfect Christmas present is a mutilated animal on the back porch, wrapped up nicely with a red bow.
It takes creativity (which fortunately is in abundant supply around here) to garner ideas from these wacky cats and spastic dogs. For example, when Franklin, my Springer Spaniel, sees a squirrel in the backyard, he does the same thing every time. First he barks loudly, giving the squirrel plenty of warning, and then he sprints toward it. He never comes close to catching a squirrel, but he does this dozens of times a day. His squirrel routine is a daily reminder for me that perseverance goes hand in hand with ingenuity.
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tags: game, look-alike, owners, pets | posted in for your information, thought you'd like to know | 2 comments
So I convened a group of friends and we set out to find the best lyrics ever written. …Turns out the assignment was HARD. Lyrics don’t seem to be very memorable in isolation of other things.
Inevitably, you think of the music—the melody that plays in your head and the way the song makes you feel. Two good examples that made this point for me were from my brother Hoopes and my friend Ben. Hoopes picked “If I had 1,000,000 Dollars” by the Barenaked Ladies and Ben picked “I Feel Good” by James Brown. For melodies and feeling, these songs are among the best, but as for lyric poetry…
You also think of the memories associated with the song: The awesome live concert, the music that inspired you in school, old feelings of love, adventure, friendship. This became especially clear after my friend Craig earnestly professed the best lyrics ever written were: “she wore an itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot bikini.”
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tags: lyrics, music | posted in different perspectives | 4 comments
I just returned from a whirlwind vacation of visiting friends, sightseeing and of course – some much needed relaxation. What a trip… we started in Seattle, visited Vancouver Island, took a beautiful (but long) train ride through the Pacific Northwest to San Francisco, and then hopped on a plane to Las Vegas (remember – what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas). Talk about planes, trains, and automobiles!
The lllooonnnggg train ride marked the midway point of our vacation. As a side note, if you have never taken an overnight Amtrak excursion—I recommend it. It is a nice way to see the countryside and a way to make new friends (you have a captive audience; no one can escape you on a train). There is really not that much to do on a train except talk. Unfortunately for my husband, I’m a talker! About six hours into our trip, he politely asked if we could have some quiet time. Without my husband to distract me with his incessant listening, my mind began to drift towards work. I found my phone—yes I had “bars” and yes I had 3G! My heart beat quickened and my hands were shaking. What sort of emails would I have? Were there any problems that needed to be solved (after all, I am the Solutions Engineer)? Please, please let me be needed! Just as I was about to press the “email” button on my phone, when I caught a glimpse of the snow capped mountains out of my window. I almost, almost, gave in and checked emails. Instead, I turned my head and watched the beautiful scenery go by and started thinking about the importance of taking a vacation.
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tags: train, workaholic | posted in different perspectives, thought you'd like to know | 1 comment
Hi, I’m Justin and I’ve spent the last four months as a graphic design intern with the affable crew at Think Up. I came hoping to learn how to be a more efficient and clearheaded designer. And boy, I got that by the truckload. Sure, I’ve picked up Photoshop tips and InDesign tricks along the way. But what I’ve really learned was the art of condensing.
To better say what I mean, I offer Massimo Vignelli’s words from his recent talk at SCAD: “Keep sifting until you get to the essence of things. The essence never changes.”
And that’s what both learning and designing is about—getting at the essence of things. From that top-down view the next steps become clear (or clearer, anyway). Of course ideas still need some dressing up. That’s where style and interpretation come in. But we build on a framework, not heap style on top of arbitrary style. This internship has helped me understand that. I already knew how to make stuff out of ideas but I wasn’t as practiced at making ideas themselves.
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tags: intern, originality, process, rockstar | posted in learning | no comments
Did you know from a language development standpoint it’s actually easier for a child to say the word “no” than “yes?” Suddenly that explains why my two year old’s favorite word is “no!” Unfortunately, as adults that scientific fact doesn’t change much. We live in a world full of rules, red-tape, processes and procedures. If we are truly honest with ourselves we should also admit that we live in a world in which the buck rarely stops with us. This ultimately means we all answer to someone else. Translation: to truly create something radical and revolutionary, you are going to have to overcome a heaping stack of “no’s!”
Before you get discouraged, let’s look at the facts. These days innovation is not only a fundamental source of competitive advantage for organizations but as recent times suggest, a necessity for survival. As a sign of the times, a quick Google search populates over 44 million hits. Research indicates that thousands of organizations are investing in innovation programs every year and yet, only a handful of companies out there are truly innovative. What gives?
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tags: 3M, Apple, innovation, thinking | posted in learning, on thinking, what I'm thinking | no comments
Creating and maintaining a company’s culture can often be a daunting task. From mission statements to events, and values to phone greetings, there are a variety of components that comprise a company’s culture. At Think Up Consulting, we like to maintain our company culture by scheduling regular events. As the resident Social Savant for Think Up Consulting, I am constantly coming up with new ways to enhance our company’s culture, while relying on old standbys like our monthly themed potluck (this month’s event pays homage to Alice in Wonderland.) I like to think of planning an event like creating a soup—there are certain ingredients that you must have in order for the event—or soup—to be successful. The video below reveals my secret recipe for cooking up company culture. Now, I’m no Julia Child, but this recipe has yet to fail and can be used for a variety of cultural events. Enjoy!
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tags: culture, events, potluck, recipe | posted in different perspectives, what I'm thinking | 2 comments
I’ve never been one for conventions. So, when I was asked to write a blog I decided I would submit a vlog. Here’s my story about my journey all the way from Southern California to Greenville, SC and my insight on why I now call this beautiful city home. Read the rest of this entry »
tags: dude, greenville, southern california, southern culture, ya'll | posted in different perspectives, local | 10 comments