NEP Sweetwater’s Post

Just stumbled upon a fascinating vintage ad in the Wall Street Journal, from the Videorecord Corporation of America. It's a bold recruitment pitch comparing their 1970s venture to Xerox in 1959, Volkswagen in 1950 and IBM in 1946. While the ad exudes confidence, it also raises an important question: What’s the difference between 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘰 and 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴 when it comes to building enduring brands? VCR technology did indeed revolutionize home entertainment, but Videorecord Corp isn't exactly a household name today. On the other hand, Xerox, Volkswagen, and IBM didn’t just rely on daring ads and risk-taking. They built enduring brands by consistently delivering value, innovating across decades, and adapting to shifting market and consumer demands. Their success wasn’t just about the courage to jump into something new—it was about committing to the long, often difficult journey of building something that lasts. In today’s fast-paced world, we sometimes glorify the startup culture: big risks, quick pivots, and daring moves. But what we should be celebrating even more is the dedication required to build a business that stands the test of time. 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. What are your thoughts? How do you balance confidence with substance when building a solopreneur or personal brand? #Leadership #BrandBuilding #EnduringSuccess #BusinessStrategy #Innovation

"Launching a new venture? Corporality's Go-to-Market strategies are designed to ensure a smooth and successful entry. https://lnkd.in/g_r-YsbK #BusinessLaunch #MarketEntry #Corporality"

The Art of an Effective Shareholder Letter Here's how companies have evolved the classic format to produce updates more frequently, with expanded storytelling, compelling visuals, and improved distribution to investors. With 10+ examples from companies like Duolingo, Snap Inc., Siemens, hims & hers, Rivian, Block, Zillow, Carvana, Netflix, and Palantir Technologies Take note of all the best practices here: https://lnkd.in/eweyUPUs

🎤 Let's talk about what Level Up With Lighthouse is gonna be. We do a lot here at Lighthouse Technology Services. And what I've learned in my time here is that even though we do so many different things for our clients, and for our own business. It's clear from the inside how closely everything works together. Almost any challenge in business can be reduced to an issue of talent, technology, or even marketing - and as a recruiting and managed services firm, we take several different approaches to help Buffalo businesses grow in these areas. HR really deserves a seat at the table because talent is everything and it's the hardest part to get right - we have several team members who handle a lot of "invisible work" that keeps the engine moving. And I'd be remiss if we didn't mention career development as a critical part of how you get to do the work and make an impact in these other areas - EOS has actually given us several pathways to show how work gets done and where exactly team members can contribute. Level Up With Lighthouse is the story about all these different parts of the game controller that run a business together. How do they work, what can we learn from those overlaps. I really want to work hard to make sure people learn something new in every episode. And we'll make a ton of gaming references along the way. "Do marketing, have fun" 🎮 So when do you get to see it? September is launch month. First episode is in the books, we're gonna film a couple more, and we're gonna celebrate the heck out of launch week later this month. #BeALighthouse

Dive deep into the core of what it takes to be a creative powerhouse in today's dynamic landscape. From tactical efficiency to transformational creativity, Corey O'Brien, VP, Strategy & Solutions at Aquent Studios, unpacks the essential pillars that drive success: identity, process, structure, and positioning. Curious to learn how these pillars can empower your in-house agency? Read the full blog linked in comments. 🔗 #inhouseagency

Imagine walking into that meeting room, feeling the anticipation in the air. You introduce yourself, exchange pleasantries, and dive into a conversation about their business goals and marketing needs. As you listen attentively, you start envisioning how CMYK Studios can help them achieve their vision. The joy of meeting a new client lies in the opportunity to build a meaningful partnership. You get to showcase the expertise of CMYK Studios, share success stories, and demonstrate how our services can make a real impact on their brand's growth. It's a chance to connect with someone new, understand their unique challenges, and offer tailored solutions that will truly wow them. And when you see their eyes light up with excitement as you present your ideas, that's when you know you're on the right track.

Running an art gallery requires constant decision-making about new acquisitions, partnerships, or marketing strategies. Every choice you make at the gallery, no matter how big or small, has lasting effects. These choices shape your personal job satisfaction, client loyalty, the company culture, artist and employee retention, and, yes, your bottom line. (No pressure, right?) Need personalized help with the challenge of managing your art gallery? Why not schedule a call to chat? See the link on my profile to learn more about my advisory services. #ArtGalleryLeadership #galleryfuel #gallerymanagement #sellingart #gallerymarketing

It's a Strategic Discovery Week; a week where we bring an innovation team face-to-face with the people who they are creating solutions for. Later this week, we'll be going into their customers' locations. Today, we're bringing them together in virtual interviews to learn from their internal teams. At Ellberry, we know the importance of creating organizational storytellers for innovation and change. First, it helps them to become change advocates. Second, it helps them drive solutions that will make an impact for those they are designing for. Interested in learning more? Let's talk! #ellberry #innovation #digitaltransformation #changemanagement #humancentereddesign #designthinking

There is a well-known adage: "The best way to anticipate the future is to create it." Often, companies fall into the strategic trap of trying to make customers love their existing products, rather than exploring potential alternative scenarios to better serve their clients under different future conditions. Recently, I came across a compelling concept called Assemblage Space, which offers a fresh perspective on understanding the interconnectedness of various elements in our lives and their future trajectories. Developed by Smithery, this model expands on the traditional 'cone' of futures, which projects our present into Possible, Plausible, and Probable futures. Assemblage Space, inspired by John V Willshire and Scott Smith, reimagines this cone as a hyperboloid, emphasizing the importance of examining the past as thoroughly as we do the future. It cautions against the distorting effects of our contemporary viewpoints and advocates for seeking diverse perspectives to understand potential future developments. This approach, known as 'participative futuring', encourages a more inclusive and comprehensive strategy for anticipating and shaping what may emerge. Learn more about how Assemblage Space can transform your strategic thinking: https://lnkd.in/d-SH6Y7a #strategy #futurethinking #forwardlooking

For the product architects at Peacock Engineering, it comes as a great source of pride that Fingertip was one of the main attractions that encouraged BPD Zenith to purchase our company at the end of 2023. To this day, we firmly believe that Fingertip is the best mobile solution in the market. When your organisation is picking the best mobile solution for its needs, proof of user adoption and the ‘whole picture’ (cost of software, implementation, and ongoing support) are key considerations. You should also think about how flexible the solution is functionally – i.e. can it meet all your requirements? Fingertip has all of these qualities – it can flex to lots of different business processes, and the cost of ownership is relatively low compared to equivalent products. Our short video below summarises the product and explains how it could be of use to your company. If you’d like to learn more, please feel free to message me on LinkedIn. #fingertip #mobilesolution #functionality #mobileapplications