Posts Tagged "entrepreneur"

Steve Jobs, The Best Friend I Never Met

Posted by Larry Pollock on Oct 6, 2011 in Entrepreneur | 8 comments

Where to begin? Such incredible sadness in our house today.

Steve Jobs made that dent in the world that he was looking to do. He affected almost everyone on the planet in one way or another. Either directly by a product or indirectly by virtue of changing the technology industry forever.

Our journey with Apple and Steve began the day I received my first Mac in 1991. A used SE. Prior to that I would not touch a computer. I was not enamored with DOS. But a Mac… Now I could do this.

I didn’t’ know anything about computers, Apple, Steve or Woz. I only knew I liked this box and it made my life as an entrepreneur easier. Over the years I have had a number of Macs. We currently have 3 Macs in our house, 2 iPhones, 2 iPods, and Airport Extreme and a lot of Mac Software. The iPhone 4S will be a member of our family when they arrive later this month.

Notice I said “member of our family”. I know… It’s an inanimate object. But, it is integrated into our life so closely and everything we do each day that it is like a part of us. Our Macs are our window to the world and a way to communicate across continents with folks we would never meet otherwise. However you slice it, our Macs make us money. They are part of the business and the virtual world we work in. The connections we make are real and many times lead to meeting in person or via online live video. With the iPhone 4S we will even more closely knit ourselves together around the world with new or better communication abilities.

Did Steve see this in the beginning? Did he know with is uncanny sense that we would arrive here and find him waiting for us to catch up? Is he now leading the way to a place we all must go someday?

I don’t have proof but it seems somehow fitting that the new iPhone is called the 4S. Many folks where disappointed that it’s not called the iPhone 5. In retrospect I imagine they are feeling a bit sheepish right now. 4S = For Steve

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Being part of the Apple Family for 20 years and attending events like MacWorld, watching Steve give his famous Keynotes we, Faith and I, felt like he was a friend and neighbor. We drank the coolaid, dove into being Mac Fans and loved every minute of it. We will continue to do so.

I never met Steve in person, shook his hand or thanked him directly for his contribution to my life. Maybe someday in some far off dimension I will have that chance. But I think he knows. How could he not? Today, just 24 hours since his passing the world seems shook to it’s core and not just Apple Fanboys are feeling it.

I have read only a small portion of the blogs and news article as well as the videos talking about Steve Jobs. I will link to a few at the bottom of this post for you. Walt Mossberg is one of my favs. If I could only have been a fly on his shoulder all those years he had with private, off the record meetings with Steve…

In the end, we are still here. And Steve would like us to keep moving forward like the Apple Team did, led by Tim Cook, at the Tuesday event. They knew the score for Steve. They even had a chair with a reserved sign on it for him.

People like Steve Jobs challenge us to be better, be creative, to make the world a better place. To bring magic into it. This is what Steve did for many of us. Helped us be like little children again and believe. For those who never understood the culture and fanaticism around Apple there is no explaining. You feel the magic or not.

No, there won’t be another Steve Jobs. Apple will be fine for the next 5 years as the plan is set and the vision imparted. After that the team at Apple will have to come into their own. Just like each of use must if we want to achieve anything in life.

Thanks Steve for inspiring us and giving us great tools and toys to play with. You will be missed!

“Don’t be sad because it ended, smile because it happened” Dr. Seuss

The WOZ on Steve 

Wald Mossberg – The Steve Jobs I knew

Ars Technica Article

Popularity: 90% [?]

Richard Branson on Entrepreneurship – Interview

Posted by Larry Pollock on Jul 7, 2011 in Entrepreneur | 5 comments

I Love Marketing has a great interview with Richard Branson. I’m alway struck with a sense that few people could do what he has done. Then I listen to him and realize that anyone can, if you learn some of the things from this interview…

Popularity: 35% [?]

Richard Branson – 10 Life Lessons

Posted by Larry Pollock on Nov 29, 2010 in Entrepreneur | 2 comments

Richard Branson clearly knows a thing or two about success. At 20, he started a mail order shop, and opened a recording studio a short while later. Now, the Virgin brand boasts dozens of companies and Branson’s net worth is estimated to be more than 3 billion pounds sterling.

As well as immense business success, Branson has personally broken a number of world records for high-speed boat and balloon journeys.

Often witty, always insightful, here are some choice Branson quotes to ponder. Motivation often comes from unique places so if one of these strikes a chord, use it!

Read the Rest of the Article Here

Popularity: 32% [?]

Why Do I Need a Company Blog?

Posted by Larry Pollock on Nov 8, 2010 in Blogging | 0 comments

This is a question Faith and I get asked all the time. It use to be “Why do I need a website?”. Today most people in business, or going into business, understand the need for having an electronic brochure; a website. What is not well understood is the way traffic, customer loyalty and mailing lists are built today. And this is just a short list of the reasons.

This morning woke up to a post on “Why Do I Need a Company Blog?” from the great folks over at e-Junkie.com, providers of an inexpensive and nice shopping cart online.

20 great reasons were given. I have listed the first 7 below. To see the rest, click on the read more button at the bottom.

With that clear, lets begin…

1. Blogging a clever and passive way of promoting your company.
2. A good blog with quality content will not only attract new customers, but will bring existing and ex-customers back.
3. Helps in building business email list.
4. It proves that you are an expert in your field and adds to your credibility.
5. Through your business you keep your customers satisfied, through a blog you keep them educated.
6. A company blog brings brand recognition.
7. Before buying you products/services, people like to know you better and your blog reflects your company and your personality.

Read More…

Popularity: 19% [?]

Are You a Concept Worker?

Posted by Larry Pollock on Aug 31, 2010 in Entrepreneur | 3 comments

Scott Skibell got my attention again this week with this video about the new economy. Are you part of the old or new. Are you looking backwards to find security in the industrial age or are you part of the new entrepreneurs forging a new path in a global economy?

If you have not done so all ready, go to Skillcasting.com and bookmark the site. I have and will be checking regularly…

Popularity: 22% [?]