What’s the Trend? Successful entrepreneurs and companies create “on-the-side” consulting models to help others duplicate their success. For decades business owners and MBA students alike have used case studies to learn about business processes and strategy. The problem with case studies is that they are just stories on paper and can’t usually offer any sort
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What’s the Trend? Business leaders, pop culture and ground-breaking new research intersect to prove that our ideal future will be led by women. We can finally put the old debate to rest … men and women are not equal: women are better. In the coming year, a combination of highly successful female role models, pioneering
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What’s the Trend? Crowdfunding evolves beyond films or budding entrepreneurs to give anyone the opportunity to seek “me-funding” to do anything from taking a life changing trip to funding a college education. One of the biggest growth areas online last year was crowdfunding – and many “projects” involved helping people to start businesses, or create
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What’s the Trend? Finally changing years of growing distrust, banks finally uncover their human side through simplifying their offerings and changing the tone of how they communicate. After years of negativity, brands in the financial sector are finally beginning to rebuild trust and even inspire loyal customers by taking a more simple and direct human
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What’s the Trend? Aspiring authors and publishing professionals team up to create a new “do-it-together” models of publishing. In between traditional publishing and do-it-yourself online publishing is a new form of partnership that is pairing proven publishing industry experts with new authors. The result is a new kind of partnership where every member of the
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What’s the Trend? Technology helps optimize the process of buying everything from fashion to medical prescriptions. As consumers become more conscious about what they buy, where they buy it, how much they spend for it, and how much time shopping takes – retailers and app-makers are discovering that the ultimate competitive advantage may come not
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There has been a single pink folder on my desk since January 15th of this year. That day matters to me for two reasons – first because its my birthday, and second because it’s the day when I start an empty folder with the intention of collecting ideas for my year end trend report. Then
Continue reading »Last week I had the chance to deliver a keynote presentation at a merchandising event put on for some of the largest retailers in the US by the trade association Shop.org. I shared some trends built upon consumer behaviour and incorporating some startups that are getting a lot of attention right now. I don't share
Continue reading »Let me tell you a little secret. I look forward to putting together an annual trend report the same way that some people look forward to having Turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I realize that may sound a bit strange, but ever since I did my first trend recap last year I was hooked. This year,
Continue reading »This past weekend at the Mashable Connect conference in Orlando, I offered a sneak peek at my next book project which I recently signed a deal to complete with a new publisher (Wiley). The working title for the book is "Likeonomics" – a book on how to be more believable in the affinity economy. What
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