Blog Archives - Page 32 of 58

The Who What Where When & Why of Startups

Kelli Richards March 31, 2014

Essentially, startups form because a group of rebels are fueled to the brim by enthusiasm, innovation and passion about their ideas and products. Sadly, those assets are not enough though. Without the resources, infrastructure, and / or the knowledge to develop it on their own, it’s very likely to go supernova before it ever develops a comfortable orbit. Mentoring is a core part of running a successful startup.

Too many startups are unable to move from the ‘pitch’ phase into the ‘construction’ phase and are lost as a result. Having a reliable sounding board to provide practical advice is one way to be smart about the startup process. In fact, many statistics show that startups with mentors are 90% more likely to succeed. The secret sauce, of course, is to find a mentor with the right expertise in your vertical, the bench strength in management and the powerful connections and relationships to accelerate the success. Expertise from a seasoned veteran can make all the difference.

Successful startup mentors start at the bottom with the companies and are strongly integrated into the vision and process. It’s natural to want to create your own spin on the product or add outside value from the get-go, but everyone on the team has to fully understand the project in its most basic form before moving forward. If they see the vision and the possibilities, the right mentor could come in at any time.

Every product is designed to address a problem, so you’ll need a deep understanding of both the cause, or problem, and effect, or product. With broad understanding and a level head, a mentor may have to deliver some harsh news, but it’s always for the good of the cause. As a mentor, it’s not your pride and joy on the line, it’s someone else’s success – their baby. So while any criticism must be delivered tactfully, it’s also important to remember that the project needs your guiding voice, no matter which direction it leads

Entrepreneurs and mentors have to create a solid bond and trusting connection if their relationship is going to thrive for the success of the endeavor. The mentor has to be knowledgeable, rational, and tactful – and the entrepreneur has to be willing to be mentored – to NOT have all the answers. Passion and drive only go so far when starting a business, and in order to learn from a trusted coach and successfully implement the ideas and changes discussed, the startup needs to be flexible and accept the information that’s given. Getting a business of the ground is difficult, but with hard work, positive thinking, and reliable advice from the right mentor, it is definitely possible – and far more probable than going it alone.

Until next time,

Kelli Richards
CEO of The All Access Group, LLC

PS, The right mentor will also have the right CONNECTIONS to move any effort forward. Be sure to ask who they think they can bring to the table around advisorship, possible collaboration and even funding.

John Amaral

Kelli Richards March 30, 2014

Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-dr-john-amaral

Chris Dotson

Kelli Richards March 21, 2014

Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-chris-dotson-inc

4 Steps to Ace an Early-Adopter Culture

Kelli Richards March 12, 2014

March 12, 2014,

Entrepreneur

In this era of rapid innovation, a new technological breakthrough can shake an entire industry in an afternoon, and consumers are hungry for the most advanced gadgets available. Businesses are constantly expected to be at the forefront of emerging technology.

Read the entire article here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/4-steps-to-ace-an-early-adopter-culture/232132

4 Tech Dinosaurs That Will Finally Die in 2015

Kelli Richards February 27, 2014

February 27, 2014,

Forbes

In recent years, technology has changed the way we view work, entertainment, media, and even our workout habits. While most people are focused on what’s next for wearables, cloud computing, and syncing gadgets, few have taken the time to consider the tech we’re going to be sending into retirement in the coming years.

Read the entire article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/85broads/2014/02/27/4-tech-dinosaurs-that-will-finally-die-in-2015/https://www.forbes.com/sites/85broads/2014/02/27/4-tech-dinosaurs-that-will-finally-die-in-2015/

Two Steps to Creating Collaborations and One to Surviving When they Go Wrong.

Kelli Richards February 24, 2014

Today I had the privilege of interviewing Ian Miller. Ian is an expert brand and marketing strategist with 30 years of experience building hugely competitive brands and the CEO and Founder of The Brand Practice, a business and brand strategy consultancy. A recognized expert / lecturer in Ingredient Branding, Ian Miller has led the creation and global launch of the ingredient brand, NutraSweet, and worked closely with over 50 partner brands, including Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi – creating great synergy and collaboration around the business world.

One of the most important questions I got to ask Ian was about the subject of collaboration – something near and dear to my heart, as a consultant in the music and digital arenas and as a coach. Today, I wanted to go over the two largest pitfalls of being involved in collaborations that just don’t work and what we do to get out of them.

1. Imbalance. One of the greatest pitfalls of any collaboration is that it is not reciprocal. There’s no win / win – just hard work for one party and limited rewards for the other. The truth is that any collaboration can only succeed if all the parties involved are givers AND takers. If any one party involved has nothing to offer, they’re simply a drain on the whole. Be sure that all parties invited into any project are clear about their deliverables – even if it’s just to bring a creative edge to the process – and that nobody is “dead weight” in the group, just along for the ride.

2. End Game. Another pitfall to successfully working with other artists, mentors or business alliances is that we are simply NOT all cut from the same cloth. We don’t all have the same work ethic or goals – just ask Beyonce about the original Destiny’s Child members. BEFORE any collaboration goes wrong, in fact, before it even gets started, you have to be very honest with everyone involved. Before you set out on any journey you must know that what is obvious to you may look like murky waters to the people you’re working with. In addition to making sure you have the right team (number one, above), definitely take the time to carefully go over the goals and endgame of the project.

3. What to do when it goes wrong? No matter how great the team, sometimes things start out fine but go way off course along the way. Before you jump overboard, step back and measure what you can do to salvage your part – to bring the best you can to the project. It might not be great, but it’s possible that showing up for your part of the work – to preserve your future relationship with the other artists or parties involved – might be the best solution.

Collaborations are definitely NOT easy, but they are worth it. The bottom line is that we are in the people business, and tapping into that most important resource – the HUMAN resource is an important part of our industry. So DO collaborate. Take the risk. But no matter how “big” the names and other parties are, be sure to keep it simple, to keep your goals clear and to have definite accountability for every collaborator, every step of the way. If you do, the rewards can be well worth it.

Kelli Richards
CEO of The All Access Group

You can sign up for an advance copy of my ebook at https://allaccessgroup.com/services/ (just click ebooks when you get the confirmation).