Entrepreneurs Creative Edge

Japanology in Video

2010-06-06T09:29:35+09:00

A new video blog which will feature Nanba and Japanology free style, in High Definition video and photos.

While these videos will be mixed in narration between English and Japanese, the blog posts accompanying them will be in English.

If you are interested in an in-depth look at JAPANOLOGY, I have started an eLearning course at Otemae University in Osaka, which contains interviews in Japanese I did with some amazing people, including many of my own teachers. Download the PDF on my course in JAPANOLOGY.

A WebBrain for the Creative Career Path Column

2010-05-17T20:42:56+09:00

My column Creative Career Path has already got over 53 rings on the tree, making it a little over one year old. To commemorate and to make it easier to search, I created a 3-D Webbrain for Creative Career Path.

I will be updating this and adding new links each week. Each article is around 700 words long, and is published weekly on www.daijob.com and syndicated in the DAILY YOMIURI Newspaper in Japan.

There is plenty of meet on the bone, and the platform and discipline has been a constant source of inspiration and ideas for speaking and training, as well as for business and life.

Happy Birthday column, and Happy Reading!

Flexible Focus: A Zoom Lens for Your Life

2010-05-17T15:16:12+09:00

A great deal of information flows from English into Japanese in the form of books, translations, and interpretations by people in all walks of life.

However the amount of quality information that flows from Japanese into English is a mere trickle in comparison, and this is a shame, because there is so much we can learn from Asian culture.

I have recently been given a golden opportunity to reverse the process, and share something very significant from Japan that has never before been presented in any depth in English.

I have started a new weekly column as a guest blogger on www.activegarage.com called Flexible Focus, which will present the Mandala Chart as a tool for which can create continuous improvement in many areas of your life.

The first article is already online: Flexible Focus #1—Inside the Mandala Chart: A Zoom Lens for Your Life.

Future installments will appear weekly at mid-week, and will be listed under the category of Flexible Focus, as well as on the Series page at www.activegarage. I am planning at least 64 installments, and will probably continue after that.

As a bonus, I have created a WebBrain index which contains graphics and attachments.

If you are interested in innovation, life/work balance, and practical applications of Asian wisdom, the Mandala Chart is an essential resource.

You can subscribe to the blog for updates. See you on the other side!

Wax On Wax Off

2010-04-29T18:00:52+09:00

This classic scene from The Karate Kid is worth revisiting.

It makes intuitive sense to anyone with experience in the martial arts, or any art for that matter, because it is only by mastering the fundamentals that you can have a prayer in mastering the applications.

There are so many choices available today, so many alternatives to distract us from a chosen path, that like Daniel in the film, most people would reject this form of training as boring at best, and something like slavery at worst.

However, if the teacher has really mastered the process and knows how steps, it might be wise to follow without needing to rationalize it. Select your teacher and your path well, then follow it and see where it takes you.

To see how this applies to a Creative Career Path, read my article on that topic, Thinking Inside the Box.

There are also a series of related articles on this blog under the category of the Power of Ritual.

Wax On Wax Off

Wise words, if you get the breathing right!

Ace the Technical Presentation

2010-04-29T16:21:20+09:00

U.S. Military slide portraying the situation in Afghanistan, from NY Times article, We Have Met the Enemy, and He is PowerPoint.

In the article this slide is likened to a bowl of spaghetti, as a type of presentation described as hypnotizing chickens. It is clear that the situation in Afghanistan is not the only situation that is beyond comprehension.

What the world needs now is certainly not more technical presentations, but more ace presenters of technical information.

This is the topic of the latest article in my column Creative Career Path entitled, Ace the Technical Presentation, which looks at how this is possible, and presents 3 examples of people who are master storytellers, as well as masters of highly technical subjects.

If you are an engineer, scientist, professor, lawyer, doctor, or technical expert, or if you need to consume information or make decisions based on technical matters, then it will be worth your while to learn how to master this process.

The Art of Making Sense

2010-04-14T23:07:47+09:00

Five Channels of Communication

Life is not logical, at least for people who prefer to communicate through other channels.

You will reach more people if you know how to convey your thoughts and feelings flexibly through all five channels of communication, visual, auditory, kinesthetic, logical, and energetic.

If you are a speaker or a teacher, you will be able to relate to what Edgar Dale described as a Cone of Learning, in which we remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we hear and see, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we say and do.

But there is more to the art of making sense than just accessing the channels of communication. You also need relevant and engaging content and dynamic delivery. This is the topic of the article in my column on Daijob.com, Creative Career Path, entitled The Art of Making Sense.

When you start making sense, you are ready to start making magic.

Finding Your Flow

2010-03-31T09:18:23+09:00

Chuang Tzu (369~286 BC) was a Taoist sage whose parables and metaphors which speak to us today with equal relevance.

The story of Prince Hui's cook, whose finesse with the chopper initiated the Prince into the Way of Life is a compelling picture of how to find your path of least resistance. When we force things, we not only dull the blade, but we actually lose the Way.

This applies to the way you work, and can give you insights as to whether or not you are on a Creative Career Path, which is the topic of my recent article Finding Your Flow.

This article shows that today the science of motivation is moving in a parallel path, or perhaps beginning a return to the ancient Way.

To learn more about this timeless sage, read Thomas Merton's book, The Way of Chuang Tzu.

Short History of Visual Thinking

2010-03-25T11:14:44+09:00

SXSW 2010: Dan Roam on Visual Thinking from Teehan+Lax on Vimeo.

Dan Roam has widened the window for all of us by getting back to basics in visual communication.

His concept is solving problems with pictures, but his method is revolutionary in its simplicity.

This is evident the moment you arrive at his website, The Back of the Napkin.

The site invites you to diagram and draw your way out of any problem you can conceive of, and bring others with you on the journey.

And while you are at it, subscribe to Dan Roam's Blog for updates that will send you hints on how to solve complex problems with simple pictures.

Join the Next World Class Speaking Course

2010-02-10T10:02:38+09:00

Today I am excited to announce one of the most beneficial programs I have been through in years...(and that includes a lot of programs and a lot of years!)

WORLD CLASS SPEAKING COACH CERTIFICATION COURSE:

Taught by the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig Valentine and Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coaching, Mitch Meyerson, two powerful mentors to put on your side.

In a nutshell, World Class Speaking will help you communicate your core message, and inspire your team to support your success.

In a hurry, get the full story here:

World Class Speaking Coach Certification

Starting March 16, 2010 at 7pm to 8pm Eastern Time

*************************************************

Who is this course for?

Speakers and speech coaches who want to earn a high income coaching others to become World Class Speakers

Business owners who want to learn to create and deliver compelling communications about their products and services that generate more sales

Entrepreneurs who want to create a new revenue stream coaching others to become World Class Speakers

Why is World Class Speaking essential to your business?

Now more than ever how you communicate your message is critical. The marketplace is cluttered and you need to STAND OUT.

And now more than ever it is essential to have more than one stream of income.

By the end of this 12 week intensive you will:

* Have the credibility that comes from being certified under the World Class brand.

* Acquire the skills to help everyone from beginners to CEOs to professional speakers and take their presentations to World Class levels.

* Have unlimited access to use all of our proven World Class step by step structure models, templates, assessments, and resources as you coach others to success. You will not have to reinvent the wheel when you use our turnkey system.

If you are interested, click now because our first course sold out in three weeks.

World Class Speaking Coach Certification

For further information, visit my website and learn more about the benefits of World Class Speaking.

"Don't reinvent the wheel! Follow their advice and you will cut years off your learning curve."
---Patricia Fripp, Hall of Fame Speaker, Past President of the National Speakers Association

Make Your Message Memorable

2010-01-27T19:12:37+09:00

Join me at the Ginza Apple Store for my talk for JMEC on

How to Make Your Message Memorable

I will be presenting on Wednesday February 3rd from 19:00~20:00, on how to create and deliver memorable messages in personal branding, marketing, and business plans.

Although the talk is the Kickoff Keynote for JMEC's Open Lecture Series in 2010, I will include tips from Guerrilla Marketing and Social Media that can be useful to anyone on a Creative Career Path.

The talk will be in English and free of charge, although space is limited.

If you want to join us for an informal social networking with a 2-hour food course and all you can drink at the Ginza Lion afterwards (cost 4000 yen), an RSVP is required to reserve your spot.

Hope to see you there!

Will Reed