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Abundance Governance
It is time for abundance governance. Our public resources can be used more efficiently by more people when we focus less on ownership and more on utilization. This model is at the heart of the sharing...
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13 Proven Strategies to Build a Massive Mailing List
Here at 9 Clouds, we have long preached the importance of email marketing and created an entire course about that. We are, thus, very excited to welcome two email list building experts to share tips in...
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3 Ways Obama Will Notice You
This month, my home of Brookings, S.D. was chosen as one of 25 startup communities to win the Startup in a Day competition. Seeing my small community of 25,000 alongside entrepreneurial powerhouses...
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Clear Position Grows Your Business – Here’s Why
Customer service is not what makes your business succeed. In fact, it may be a crutch. So says David Baker of ReCourses. This week I had the chance to hear Mr. Baker speak at Inbound, a massive...
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1 Million Cups Blueprint – How to Caffeinate Your Community
Caffeinate Your Community A vibrant community needs a “town square,” the place where ideas are shared and serendipity is welcomed. In many communities, 1 Million Cups is now that town square. In my...
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Don’t Build Buildings, Develop People
Building infrastructure is not the solution. In our communities, we build buildings and cut ribbons. In our businesses, we create systems and processes around our products and service. We identify how...
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The Future of Work: Business and Community in the Information Age
The Information Age Reverses the Industrial Age Sleeping next to a snoring dog ensures better sleep. So says evolutionary biologists who argue that for millennia, snoring dogs meant safety. If your dog...
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The Courage to Follow
The first follower turns a lone nut into a leader. So says Derek Sivers in his hilarious and insightful 3 minute TED talk. Two weeks ago, I changed from a lone nut into a leader thanks to the diligent...
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Find Your Inner Drake: How Collaboration Grows Your Business
This week, Drake broke the Internet. The rapper released a new music video, not for consumption, but for creation. The video was a series of short scenes capturing Drake awkwardly grooving through open...
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5 Ways to Crowdsource Creativity
The surprising part of living above the Arctic Circle is not the lack of sunlight. It’s the fact that you can see the “sun” even on the darkest of days in the form of the Northern Lights. The Northern...
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In Defense of Paper – How to Create Work that Lasts
There are two challenges to creating work that lasts. Systems are brittle and change quickly. Context changes. Our work must adapt to changes in system and context. The best way to do so is integrating...
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4 Ways to Fight Concept Rot
The moment a business or product launches is when it is most relevant. Most businesses conduct research, ask for input and test their product before launch. Then, a powerful force takes hold: concept...
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Business Sprints – One Thing Usain Bolt Doesn’t Want You To Know
The most efficient way to grow your business and reach a personal goal is a sprint. A sprint, whether a business sprint or personal sprint, helps you avoid task switching, break Parkinson’s Law and...
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2015 Annual Review: Reflections on Growth and Chaos
My two year old daughter remembers everything. Everything that ever happened to her and everything that was ever said to her. She should. She only has two years of events to remember. For the rest of...
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The Year of Professionalism – Choose Your Word
2016 is the year of professionalism. Every year, I choose one word that is the summation of all of my goals. Even if I forget my specific goals, this one word keeps me on track. Here’s how you can...
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7 Steps for a Professional Online Presence (Worksheets Included)
It’s not enough to show up online. A business needs to be professional online. Here’s how (in seven easy steps). (If you want to skip the post, you can download the worksheet here.) Since the beginning...
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One Business Lesson from Bowie and Picasso
Great artists are not bound by a single style or media. Instead, their life’s work is grouped into periods, like Picasso’s Blue Period or Bowie’s “Berlin Era.” The work we do is art. Like great...
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1 Million Cups Blueprint – How to Caffeinate Your Community
Caffeinate Your Community A vibrant community needs a “town square,” the place where ideas are shared and serendipity is welcomed. In many communities, 1 Million Cups is now that town square. In my...
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Should Your Dealership Advertise on the Weather Channel?
Car dealership are under constant attack. Between third-party lead providers, local media and new tech companies, there are always new ways to spend money. A hot pitch we have noticed recently is the...
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How to Measure the ROI of Third Party Lead Providers
Third party lead providers like AutoTrader, Cars.com, CarGurus, CarSoup and others, vie for dealer’s attention and budget. Sure, they will get you views, but what is the actual ROI of third party lead...
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