Reality is the best teacher. In business, love, and life — this is truth. Humans are idealistic. We create stories to entertain, to inspire, and to survive. But, oftentimes these stories do not serve us. What serves us is “paid sense”. This is a term I’ve only heard from my business partner, Donny, as he was told by men in his life. I searched online for the term but wasn’t able to find anything. Paid sense, essentially, is the cost of learning a lesson. …
There’s a cancer spreading in business today: a mismatch of opportunities that are costing companies millions. I couldn’t believe how elusive it was. I’ll let you in on the secret, so you can see if it has made it to your organization.
Companies are treating their marketing departments as an adult day care. They place a recent college graduate in a cubicle and label them a “marketer.” We all know this person. They haven’t marketed or sold anything in their lives. But, a hiring director needed to fill the role and, voila! in comes the newbie.
This plague is rampant. Peter Drucker, famed management consultant and author, once said, “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two — and only two — basic functions: marketing and innovation.” …
Generational Relationships
The BleuBelle Look
BleuBelle’s desire is to have lifetime customers. From your prom dress to your 40th Anniversary dress and everything in between, BleuBelle is here for you. The photography portion of the campaign we captured signature BleuBelle endorsed dresses against
Local Discovery for a Global Brand
An excellent local experience for the saavy individualist
The goal of this campaign was to showcase how the brand facilitates local discovery and exhibit all of the experiences that can be held at Hotel Indigo with their friends and family. Savannah’s unique neighborhood story told through several themes (e.g. cultural, culinary, historical, architectural, etc.). We added a pop of color and visual dimension to show the personality of this hotel.
Kevin Lawver is a superhero. He’s currently the CTO at NYC-based startup, Planted, an aspiring Social Capitalist, half of the Human API for Savannah’s Startups and Tech Community, and an all-around good guy.
What’s the one thing you grade yourself on? What about your company? How do you know if you are succeeding?
I’m going to take this in pieces because they’re all different to me, and “success” has wildly different definitions for me vs. the company.
For myself, I grade myself on two different scales: progress and usefulness.
Progress: I keep three ideas of myself in my head: Past Me, Present Me and Future Me. I judge progress on how much better Present Me is than Past Me at… everything. I then try, as Present Me, to make sure that Future Me doesn’t look back and think Past Me is a jerk. …
Stokey Cannady brings out the best in people. Whether he is forging partnerships with Puma or restructuring the brand at Shoe City, Stokey is at the center of progression in his city.
What’s the one thing you grade yourself on? What about your company? How do you know if you are succeeding?
I grade myself on being a good father.
My career is moving in the right direction and my goal is to grow my company in size and wealth by next year.
How do you learn?
I learn by watching others and from my mistakes. …
Patrick Bentley is a connector in Savannah, Ga’s economic development scene. Through entrepreneurship and creativity, he’s bringing people together from all over the world.
What’s the one thing you grade yourself on? What about your company? How do you know if you are succeeding?
I grade myself on how well I’m connecting others to the resources and answers they need. I think of myself as a connector. So when people in my network, or people that find me and come to me, are able to leave a meeting or conversation with more resources than when they came, I feel I did something right. …
Juwan Platt is a thinker that helps people and companies become better versions of themselves. He alongside two partners run a content creation company by the name of BCKYRD.
What’s the one thing you grade yourself on? What about your company? How do you know if you are succeeding?
I grade myself on in inner peace. If I’m at peace, everything else follows. I’m more energetic, loving, and creative. Peace to me is freedom — to do as I please. Anytime I feel constrained, especially for non-essential reasons, I’m thrown off and have to reevaluate what I’m doing.
I grade progress within my company on balance. There are several moving parts and to make sure everyone is getting the one thing that they want can be challenging. But when there is balance, everything is beautiful and progress has been made. …
BCKYRD is a content creation company; they make cool pics, videos and illustrations you see on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels. They specialize in the production of 15–30 second “micro videos” that catch the eye and lure in new customers for clients like Hotel Indigo. We caught up with Juwan Platt recently to talk about social media and why BCKYRD chose Savannah.
Creative Coast: Talk to me a bit about what BCKYRD does?
Juwan Platt: BCKYRD is a content creation company. Basically, we make the content that you see on Facebook and Instagram and all of these other social media channels, so photo, video, and design. …
This post is self-serving, but your answer will help others just like me.
How do you get that 25 minute coffee with people of wealth (resources, currency, connections, etc.)?
I moved from Savannah,Georgia (small-ish town) to Atlanta (a major US city) to gain proximity to wealth and after a year of constant emailing and hustling I’ve amassed an small network of people, but no game changers — just big enough to survive.
If you were a 24 year-old minority, with skills (design, business acumen, willing to work for free, etc.) how would you get that millionaire to take a meeting with you?
“Your network is your net worth.”
That’s it. That’s all we need.
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