Dennis Seeds: What happens when you share an idea or vision from your imagination
Sometimes when a dream occurs, it vanishes almost immediately, or it evolves into something more. What brings this to mind are recent efforts to update aspects of Cleveland’s Group Plan of 1903, an iconic vision that helped shape the heart of downtown Cleveland. While it took the next 30 years or more to see it […]
What you can do now to avoid outliving your retirement savings
America is facing a crisis, as the baby boomer generation heads into retirement and realizes — too late — it may not have set aside enough assets. Most Americans have an average savings of only $3,000 to $10,000, and the Social Security Administration says 34 percent of the workforce has no retirement savings. A reasonable […]
Phil Hoyt: Four reasons every company needs a mobile-responsive website
Once a term reserved for the most innovative of digital companies, “mobile friendly” has become an outdated way of thinking about mobile communication. Consider this: By the end of 2013, there were more mobile devices on Earth than people, according to a new report. With the universal adoption of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, […]
A book can be an effective way to get your message out to your peers, customers and employees
Being able to tell your story is critical in today’s fast-paced world. Media options fight for attention, making it imperative to identify new channels where you can stand out. We launched Smart Business Books to provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to tell their stories in greater detail and share lessons learned. Over the past few years, […]
Jean Bourgeois: Using employee-led teams to advance business initiatives can bring impressive results
Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” It is also true that a small group of thoughtful, committed employees can change your company for the better. Every business has myriad initiatives it would like […]
At the top of his game: Pat Riley defied the odds to build a championship team
Many organizations can point to one defining moment behind their success. For President Pat Riley and the Miami Heat, that came in 2010 when LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade signed as free agents. That trio led the Heat to the NBA finals three years in a row, winning championships the last two seasons. […]
Healthy dose of flavor: Kara Goldin and Hint Water are converting more people into H20 drinkers
When Hint Water CEO Kara Goldin decided to get healthier and kick her diet soda habit, she couldn’t find a suitable substitute. At first, she decided to switch to plain water, only to discover that approach didn’t work for her. “I just really wasn’t a water drinker,” she says. “Then I started slicing fruit and […]
Dropping off drawers: Why business leaders collected 7,500 pair of underwear
You wouldn’t expect to see 40 business leaders spending their time gathering 7,500 pair of underwear. I would have been surprised as well if I weren’t part of the 2014 Leadership Pinellas fundraiser. “Drop Off Your Drawers” benefited Clothes to Kids, which collects clothing for needy and in-crisis children in Pinellas County. All clothing is […]
Why you always have to be thinking about the next step in life
Chris Clawson knew that it was the end of his baseball career, even if his father wasn’t ready to admit it. The future president of Life Fitness had put together a great spring training performance in 1986 with the Houston Astros. He hoped to use it as a springboard to a strong season in the […]
Making the connection: How Tim Schigel and ShareThis brought Internet users together
Tim Schigel sensed where the Internet was headed and developed a platform that changed the way people connect. “I had this notion that people were going to become the center of the Web, not domains or websites,” says Schigel, chairman and founder of ShareThis Inc., a widget featured on more than 130,000 websites that allows Web […]