NEP Sweetwater’s Post

21 minutes to make an impact! I've got to admit that this really surprised me. Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Terminator - 1985. Total film length 1 hour 48 minutes. Arnold's screen time as The Terminator = 21 minutes. Think about that. The main character. The headline act. On screen for less than 20% of the total film length. Yet who do you think of when picturing this iconic film? That's the beauty of making an impact. In sports, substitutes or special teams can change a game. You too can change the game. Your impact in business can have the same effect. How you lead. How you perform. How you deliver. How you think. How you act. How you communicate. We can all have a bit of Arnie magic in us. PS Arnie's famous line was of course "I'll be back." What would yours be to best describe your impact? Share in the comments below 👇

🎥✨ Our new brand film, "It All Starts Here" is now out! Capturing our innovative and humanistic spirit, this film embodies what makes our over 200-year-old institution truly unique. Produced in collaboration with creative agency v(room)) and audio-visual production company Premier Cri, the film embodies relatability, representation, and remarkability. Dean and Executive President, Leon Laulusa, states, "This film encapsulates the essence of our world today—a world that demands accountable and agile leaders ready to confront major environmental, technological, and societal transformations." Founder of v(room)), paul conquet, adds, "More than a visual representation, it's a powerful cultural imprint, anchored in compelling stories and images." This brand film marks a pivotal moment in ESCP's journey, showcasing our commitment to training accountable leaders and entrepreneurs who drive positive change globally in key sectors. 🌐 We invite you to explore the world through the lens of the hashtag #ESCPcommunity. 🎬 Check out the links in the comments for more on this film and the behind the scenes video. 🔗

Thanks to Rolf Assev for sharing the inspiring (and crazy) journey of Opera - and to Jon von Tetzchner for checking that the story was correct 😎 (as well as providing awesome advice on how to build a successful business from Norway!) Some takeaways I had to write down: 1. If your motivation is about getting rich you won't be in it for long. 🤑 (Make your mission count, and make it fun!) 2. Think global culture and sales from the start. 🌐 (Opera had a rule that every 2nd employee should be from outside Norway) 3. Hire people who share your vision and values. 💛 (and that do stuff better than you!) It's a great feeling being reminded on what's really important when building a company together - and what works if you are in it for the long run. Trying to live up to these at Factiverse! Forskningsparken - Oslo Science Park Startuplab

There are so many lessons from Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" that are applicable to the corporate world. The movie was a big Oscar winner, sweeping seven awards (out of 13 nominations); Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Actor for Cillain Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downing Jr. as well as prizes for Editing, Cinematography and Score. These plaudits have done more justice to the quality of the movie than any review, so I wouldn't even bother. What is left largely unsung are the lessons for executives / leaders. Here are a few; Successful Leaders Are as Imperfect as the Rest of Us! - Don't beat yourself up over your shortcomings. We lionize our leaders but a leader does not have to be perfect. No individual is entirely good or bad. Oppenheimer was a brilliant scientist, but a mere mortal struggling with personal conflicts, one of which was the tendency to stray, even into the bed of a friend's wife. Fortunately, his personal conflicts did not get in the way of his work. Unintended Consequences! - Development and deployment of the atomic bomb was supposed to bring an end to war, rather it ignited the cold war's nuclear arms race. Leaders often have to live with the unintended consequences of their decisions. Assemble the Right Team and Half the Work is Done! - The greatest team of scientists on that half of the globe, Oppenheimer's team is reminiscent of Jason's Argonauts. Be Prepared and Believe in Yourself! - Oppenheimer was a 38-year old theoretical physicist when he was chosen to be the director of the Manhattan Project. Yet he led a group of Nobel Prize-winning scientists in an operation unlike the world had ever seen. For someone who some people thought couldn’t “run a hamburger stand,” he turned out to be the perfect project director. Oppenheimer was able to bring some of the greatest minds (with possibly very big egos) together by forging consensus. Reminds me of the note Quincy Jones taped over the arch of the doorway to the studio where "We Are the World" was recorded. It read “Check your ego at the door". You Can Be a Master of One Trade But Be a Student of All! - As a leader, you can be an expert in one field but it helps to be a generalist. Have a helicopter view and understand how all the different moving parts collaborate to achieve the objective. Oppenheimer had a wide range of interests thus he could communicate effectively with all the specialists. A Mind is a Terrible Thing to waste! - The constant pursuit of knowledge and innovation kept the team thinking of new ways to achieve their objective. Finally, Everyone Has an Agenda. Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty! - While you may be working together towards the same objective, others may have different agendas. Prepare for any pitfalls set for you once the project is delivered. Did I miss anything? What lessons did you learn from the movie Oppenheimer? #Oppenheimer #moviereview #amindisaterriblethingtowaste #CEOnuggets #OderaAwka

The majority of Directors aim to have their film (short or feature) screened in a cinema. But, at the development stage, how often are we considering what drives audiences today to part with their money and carve out time to go to the movies? From Brisbane’s Australia Independent Film Festival to the Gold Coast’s Australian International Movie Convention, this week I’ve observed that accessing audience is more important than ever when it comes to the promotion, marketing and messaging of films. Here are three things to consider: 1. Post Covid, data reveals that more than 20% of audiences first hear about a film from a social platform. 2. Younger audiences creating content on social platforms can market direct to the audience - ie direct to the consumer. They have access to their audience and can understand exactly what they want.  3. Technology speaks to young audiences, and has been a trend for films releasing in cinemas in 2025 Let me know your thoughts.

You may have heard that a good news article or broadcast answers the who, what, where, when, why, and how. The same goes for event planning! Just like we did for this spectacular Broadway themed 30th Birthday Extravaganza overlooking NYC, your event plan should answer who’s coming to the event, what kind of event it is, where is it happening, when is it happening, why is it happening, and how are others going to hear about it. Need help answering those 6 questions? Send me a message! I would love to help you brainstorm!

#Storytelling What has entertainment to do with the serious business of business?   Apart from the fact that entertainment is a business in itself, the art of entertainment used to have very little to do with corporate life, which was, if anything, modelled on the military one. We still talk about corporate divisions, corporate units, about penetrating markets and capturing market share. I think that's all old hat, totally twentieth century, and a dinosaur's way of looking at today's universe.   The one constant across all economic sectors - including the public one - is the rise and rise of customer power - citizen empowerment, through education and information. The military model of corporate life, which deploys the rhetoric of strategy, is rapidly eroding nowadays, largely because of the dissipation of human attention. There's no captive audience anymore, neither inside nor outside the walls of the organization, and rhetoric only really thrives with a captive audience. So whereas politics and religion still hold out for argumentative rhetoric, clever business people have already grasped long ago that it's all about stories. Not sound bites, or bullet points, but sequential narrative. An argument in rhetoric doesn't have a causal plot between its points. It's a paradigm of logical deduction or induction. This is where the entertainment comes in, entertainment in its deepest sense. It's a throwaway term today to many people, especially people in business who are fond of saying "It's no game", but the deeper sense of the word is where all businesses must navigate now. Entertainment, which has a disposable, bubblegum association, really means to hold the attention between two moments of time. And attention, as we know, is the name of the game.

We’re excited to share that our panel, "Film Creator and Production Company Disruptors," is in the running to be featured at SXSW 2025! This panel will explore how production companies and creators are challenging the status quo to democratize the filmmaking process and create impactful stories that defy social norms. But we need your help to make it happen! The panels with the most votes will be officially invited to present, and your vote can make all the difference. Voting ends on August 18th, 2024—cast your vote here: https://lnkd.in/e3EfybSw As major networks work to correct the imbalance between creators and networks, the spotlight will soon be on how production companies select and support original content. This session will bring together industry leaders who are paving the way for more inclusive and innovative storytelling. Our incredible roster of panel speakers include: Vishaal Reddy, CEO, Snarky Elephant Productions Leo M., CEO / Founder, Decentralized Pictures Foundation Sarah Wharton, Director of Development, BFD Productions / The Lower East Side Film Festival Raeshem Nijhon, Founder / Executive Producer, Culture House Media Neal Ludevig, CCO of Snarky Elephant Productions, will be organizing this session. Your vote doesn’t just help us get to SXSW—it supports the mission of breaking down barriers in the film industry and amplifying diverse voices. Let’s make sure our stories are heard! #votenow #SXSW2025 #filmdisruptors #supportcreatives #diversityinfilm #sxsw #sxsw2025 #equity #equality #inclusion #impact #indiefilmmaking #independentcreator #indiecreator #narrativechange #socialimpact #storytelling #access #originalstories

These short films are an excellent example of how powerful technology can be for people living with disability. Check them out at the links below.

Dove’s recent campaign addressing the impact of AI on beauty ideals is a great example of why maintaining a clear, consistent brand role & strategy can be so powerful in connect with an evolving cultural context. By successfully identifying an area of evolving cultural change which resonates strongly with the brand’s longstanding central ideals and purpose, Dove are able to demonstrate the tangible cultural impact of their 20 year campaign for ‘real beauty’ as well as highlighting that the problem of unrealistic beauty standards and its effect on the ongoing and evolving self-esteem of people everywhere. This allows Dove to authentically re-assert the importance of their central values and set the tone for the path ahead. At once celebrating positive impact and raising a call to action for more positive change. Restating their unwavering commitment in a changing world. Culture is the blind spot that can make or break your strategy. Does your brand have a clear strategic role in culture? Do you know how culture is evolving, and what impact that will have on your strategy over the next 5 years? We can help you harness culture to define clear and relevant ways forward in an ever changing world. Get in touch to find out more! https://lnkd.in/eQfM_6Et