Tag Archives: 2011

Superstars vs. The Team: The NBA Finals

What’s the right way to achieve success? Build a unit of individuals or invest in a few superstars? This concept applies to sports and business, but what works better? We get a great example of this battle in this years NBA Finals between the Mavericks and the Heat.

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Categories: Musings
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This past Thursday we saw the Dallas Mavericks overcome a 15 point deficit in the 4th quarter to steal game 2 of the NBA Finals. It was an epic comeback and a brilliant effort by the Mavs as a team. The interesting thing about this series is that it once again brings up the debate between if championships can be bought by building a team full of superstars versus having a team that plays together as a unit.

We’ve seen championships won by spending the most money in other sports, such as soccer in Real Madrid and Manchester City, in baseball in the Yankees, and more recently in basketball, culminating with the Miami Heat with James, Wade, and Bosh. In this way, these NBA Finals are more than just a chance for redemption for the Mavericks, but also further proof between the right way to win: teams or superstars?

I think everyone appreciates a good team, its the romanticized way of achieving greatness, but in this day and age we see the philosophy has shifted towards focusing on the superstars, not the role players. The media has blown up the value of the individual over that of the team, which simply isn’t good for a sport that is so team oriented. Sure enough, every team needs a leader, and even the Mavericks have theirs in Dirk Nowitzki, but without the rest of his team, he knows they wouldn’t be where they are. I get the feeling the Heat don’t have the same mentality.

I believe the same ideas apply to the business world. Its the entire organization that os driving success for some of the top companies, yet all we hear about are the Mark Zuckerbergs and Steve Jobs of the world. Now this is of course just from what I can see from the outside and things may be very different behind closed doors. Even so, individuals working together, respecting and trusting one another, can achieve much more than any individual can on their own, and I hope that its this team chemistry that triumphs over the superstar mentality for these 2011 NBA Finals.

Top 10 Jobs for 2011

Jobs have been hard to come by lately, but in this infographic we take a look at the best career directions, the 10 most secure jobs, and the 10 best paying jobs for 2011. Does this play any role into where you may be looking for a job in the coming months?

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Categories: Media

Jobs have been hard to come by lately, but in this infographic we take a look at the best career directions, the 10 most secure jobs, and the 10 best paying jobs for 2011. Its quite an interesting infographic and can surely play a role in which career path you may look to, especially for all those graduating in the next few months. Enjoy!

What did you think?

Super Bowl XLV: Top 9 Commercials

A look at the top 9 commercials from Super Bowl XLV, with some great ones by Chevy, Doritos, Sealy, Coca Cola and more. What were your favorites?

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Categories: Media

Here’s my top 9 commercials from this year’s Super Bowl (you’ll notice I have a preference towards the funnier ones).

1. Chevy Camaro: Miss Evelyn

This one was just brilliant, hitting every cliche in the book, while making fun of itself and all the other ridiculous car commercials out there.

2. Volkswagen: The Force

How can you not like a commercial that stars a mini version of Darth Vader?

3. Bud Light: Hack Job

Bud Light is able to keep the laughs rolling with another funny Super Bowl commercial and I like the “Here We Go” tagline.

4. Sealy: After Glow

I was impressed with how Sealy used sex in this commercial, it was subtle, tasteful and well done.

5. Doritos: House Sitting

Doritos, along with Pepsi, held contests for fans to submit commercials and chose the top 3 to air during the Super Bowl. This one was by far the best from the Doritos campaign.

6. Pepsi: Love Hurts

Pepsi (the partner in the contest with Doritos), also had some decent submissions, but this one focused on something we can all relate to with some humor. You can watch all the submissions to the contest here.

7. Bud Light: Product Placement

Another good one from Bud Light, they seem to have a good formula for these commercials that keep on hitting the mark.

8. Bridgestone: Carma

Great little story here by Bridgestone and you have to love the animated beaver.

9. Coca Cola: Border

Coca Cola does it again, with the best commercial of the bunch, having a fantastic story that really captures the essence of the brand. Brilliant. There other one was great as well, you can see it here.

What were your favorites?

Sunday’s Top Links (1.16.2011)

In this week’s top links we have an interview with author Tim Feriss, a World Clock tracking stats of 2011, the best business models of 2010, a game focused on typing skills, and an article from Seth Godin on your true friends. Enjoy!

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Categories: Sunday's Links

Welcome to another edition of Sunday’s Top Links.

1. Tim Ferriss Interview – 37 Signals

An interview with author Tim Ferriss, writer of The 4 Hour Work Week and more recently The 4 Hour Body. In the interview he covers tolerable mediocrity, false idols, advice to startups and more.

2. World Clock 2011

An intriguing flash animation showing us what is happening in the world since the start of 2011. It covers a wide range of statistics, such as population, death, environment, energy, and more. Seeing the numbers makes many of the issues hit a lot closer to home.

3. 10 Business Models From 2010

TechCrunch presents a great Slideshare presentation showcasing some of the best business models of 2010. On a case by case basis, we see the company using the business model and details on what makes it work.

4. Z-Type

A mix of education and gaming. In Z-type you have to type the words (spaceships) to destroy them. I love the concept and expect to see more and more simple games such as these that truly implement the power of games to promote further education.

5. I’ve Got Your Back

An inspired post form Seth Godin talks about the value of having friends who truly have your back and will be there for you through the hard times, not jump on the bandwagon when things are easy. Whose got your back?

10 Tips for 2011

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Categories: Musings

Welcome back from the holiday’s! I’m sure everyone (myself included) is settling back in for work or school or what not after the holiday season, and here are 10 tips to think about for the new year.

1. Be Selfish

The only way for you to become more giving, to help others, and become a better person is to first be happy with youself. So prioritize, be selfish and make sure that you’re happy because that’s the only way you’ll be able to share that happiness with others.

2. Travel

The best experiences you’ll have and always remember are from the times you go abroad. You’ll learn so much from being in a new environment, understanding a foreign culture, and meeting people. If you get an opportunity to travel, take it.

3. Be Mindful

The world is moving 1,000 miles a minute nowadays and we often don’t have time to just be. Its important to give yourself some time, preferrably on a daily basis, to just sit in silence, reflect, and take in what’s happening in your life. You’ll be surprised how much you can get from such a simple exercise.

4. Always Carry a Notebook

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a notebook, it can be your smart phone, your laptop, really anything where you can note things down and keep with you. You never know when inspiration will strike, when ideas will arise, or when things will need to be remembered, so try and pick up this habit.

5. Stay in Touch

We often fall out of touch with our friends and family once they are no longer part of our everyday lives. When we go to college, when we graduate, when we travel, when we get a new job, all of it often changes our relationships. Try to make more of an effort to keep in touch with your good friends and family on a regular basis, even if its just an email or Facebook message.

6. Declutter

Your environment can really affect how you work and function so it’s important that it is just as focused and supportive of what you need to accomplish. This being the case, declutter your space, organize things, setup the ideal work area, and put yourself in the best position to achieve your tasks.

7. Dream

If you haven’t yet, think about your future, what are your goals, what do you want to accomplish, where do you see yourself in five years?Although this will most likely not be where you end up, it’s a great exercise to better understand what your ambitions are and uncover what you’re really all about.

8. Read More

There is so much to learn out there and the best way to educate yourself is through reading. Books, blogs, newspapers, and magazines, all of them are great sources for your own education that you should try and utilize. If you’re having trouble getting started, try setting yourself a quota for reading in a month, so you have a goal to strive for.

9. Leave Your Comfort Zone

As much as you may not want to, this is one of the best ways to grow as a person. Don’t completely shift focus away from what you’re good at, because those are where you have the best value, but building your skills, especially your weakest, can only be beneficial. Don’t miss opportunities to grow.

10. Pursue Your Passion

Finally, its important to pursue your passions because this is they key to loving your life. If you’re not sure what your passion is then start exploring and try to discover it. Either way, you need to be in pursuit of your passion, as it can completely change your perspective on life and how you live it.

Hope those were helpful and I wish everyone a great 2011!

Sunday’s Top Links (12.19.2010)

In this week’s Top Links we look at the Top 10 Lists from Time, a new way to look at the news, a fresh version of a classic game, a TED Talk on education, and a look at innovation trends for 2011.

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Categories: Sunday's Links

Less than a week till Christmas! Enjoy the links.

1. Time: The Top 10 of Everything 2010

Although I think the Time Top 100 Most Influential People is the biggest joke I’ve ever seen, the Top 10 lists are quite good with a wide variety of items including best web videos, music albums, news, books, and more.

2. Newsmap

Looking for a new way to keep up with the news? Well look no further as newsmap provides an innovative way to arrange all the top stories around the world. You’re able to adjust the content by category and region of the world, giving you a fully customized experience.

3. Super Mario Brother Crossover 2.0

Video games have come so far, yet the classics can never be replaced. In this remake of the original Super Mario Brothers, you are able to play with a number of familiar characters (such as Link, Samus, Megaman, etc) that brings a nice twist to the classic game.

4. TED Talk: How to Learn? From Mistakes

A telling talk from TEDxMidwest by Diana Laufengerg goes into her experience of teaching. She reveals some key insights into how kids truly learn and how the education system needs to adapt to keep up with the world.

5. The Top Six Innovation Ideas of 2011

From the Harvard Business Review, we get 6 ideas for 2011 that could shape the year. These include contests, touch screens, labs, coupons, games in business, and lobbyist. For more details check out the link.