Resources
IFTTT – “Put the internet to work for you”
Apple has taken Charmin-Ultra’s motto and mastered the notion that “Less is More;” championing a simple message with a plain white background, leaving their audience fiending for their latest product. Who can remember the iPhone 3g commercial discussing the vastness of the App Store? “Whats great about the iPhone, is that if you want to check snow conditions on the mountain, there’s an app for that. If you want to check how many calories are in your lunch, there’s an app for that. And if you want to know exactly where you parked the car, there’s even an app for that.” Before declaring, “Yup, there’s an app for just about everything, only on the iPhone.” Brilliant.
Four years have passed, and Apple has not backed down on its word, there literally is an app for everything: from voice translators, to Instagram, to Despicable Me video games, and Nike fitness trackers. And now there is even an application that can pick up on triggers from other apps and set in motion a series of actions through other applications.
This Rube Goldberg-esque application is called IFTTT, pronounced “Gift” with a silent “G” (Billy Madison would have a tough time with that one) and is, according to their website, a “service that lets you create powerful connections with one simple statement,” called a recipe. These “recipes” work on an “If This Then That” platform, the “this” being a trigger, and the “that” an action- in attempt to mimic, and even follow through on our impulses automatically.
An example of a IFTTT process would be identifying when you were tagged in a picture on Facebook and automatically saving the image to DropBox. (If I am tagged in a picture, then save it to DropBox.) IFTTT (Gift) currently has 67 channels, all with their own unique triggers and actions. Channels vary from Blogger to Craigslist, ESPN to Last.fm, and Google Calendar to YouTube. The possibilities seem endless. Shared “recipes” include, “Send me a joke when it rains so I won’t be depressed,” “Good morning Twitter at 8am,” “New movies on DVD, add to Google calendar,” and “When I post to Facebook, post it to Twitter as well.”
The apps that help manage our lives seem endless. Now if only there was an app for when I’ve misplaced my iPhone…oh wait, there is!
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Fireside Chat with Ralph Simon, President & CEO of Mobilium Global
I recently welcomed Ralph Simon on my Blog Talk Radio Show. Ralph Simon is acknowledged as one of the founders of the modern mobile entertainment industry. Over the last 15 years, he has been a prominent global mobile trailblazer and innovator. Ralph serves as President and CEO of the London-based Mobilium Global, which provides high-level strategic advice and guidance to mobile handset makers and others – and he co-founded the successful Zomba Group.
Ralph correctly predicted in 1997 that mobile phones would become indispensable, and he was dubbed ‘Father of the Ring Tone.’ In a world that is increasingly dominated by the needs, tastes and devices of what are called “Screen-agers” Ralph is well placed to continue spreading his and Mobilium Global’s expertise around the globe. In May 2013, Ralph was officially appointed to be the Global Ambassador for CTIA – The Wireless Association based in Washington DC. 2013 has been a hectic time for Mobilium Global and Ralph. Continuing to travel the world on a relentless search for the latest mobile innovation, there has been a lot of emphasis on Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Visit my website to hear the entire interview https://allaccessgroup.comunder the Resources Tab/ Blog Talk Radio.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
David Rohlander
Ralph Simon
Why You Should Learn From Steve Jobs, Not Idolize Him
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s not a winning-business strategy.
Steve Jobs not only revolutionized the way we listen to music and use a telephone, he also changed our understanding of a computer and even recaptured our ability to fall in love with films through his work with Pixar.
Without a doubt, young entrepreneurs can learn endlessly from Jobs’ example, but they shouldn’t adhere too closely to his image. After all, he may have been a design genius but he did ruffle a few feathers.
He disregarded every “rule” and regarded his mentors and role models loosely. Even he would hardly advise someone to emulate him. I think it’s far more likely he would say: “The best way to be like me is to be more fully yourself.”
Still, you can learn an awful lot from the man. Here are a few very specific things that up-and-comers can learn from Jobs’ example:
1. Keep the customer experience in focus. Jobs was a master at getting into customers’ minds. He knew what we wanted — and how we wanted it — often long before we did.
2. Have an eye for beauty. It couldn’t just work well. Steve knew that it also had to feel good to touch, be delightful to use, and be exceptionally beautiful to look at.
3. Foster innovation. Do you remember a time without an iPhone? How about an iPod? Steve created products and product categories no one even had a frame of reference for and made them central to our lives.
4. Insist upon excellence. Jobs had little patience for people who didn’t think things through, and he pushed the people around him to be their best. He accepted no substitutes and inspired great loyalty.
Finally, if there is one powerful absolute to learn from Steve Jobs, it is to focus on your customers and put them before everything else. Think about rabid Apple users — the ones who stand in line outside of a store for hours awaiting the release of the next iPhone. They’ve done more to grow the brand than Apple itself ever has.
You will never replicate that by trying to be Steve Jobs. But, if you ask these questions to apply his laser-focused attention to your own customers, you can definitely inspire that kind of brand advocacy.
Are we surprising and delighting our customers while also delivering a consistent experience?
Are our products and services frictionless for our customers to use and enjoy?
Are we meeting their needs each and every time they interact with our company?
Are we iterating and innovating with a product pipeline that’s in line with (or ahead of) the market?
Are we blazing new trails?
How do you inspire brand advocacy? Let us know with a comment.
Original blog posted on YoungEntrepreneur.com. View it here: https://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog/entrepreneurship/why-you-should-lean-from-steve-jobs-not-idolize-him/
I would appreciate your feedback in the comments section.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Q&A with Brent Wilkins
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Brent Wilkins, Vice President of Global Business Development at Skullcandy Inc., a company that markets and distributes performance audio and gaming headphones and other accessory related products.
Brent previously worked as the Managing Director in HTC’s Corporate Strategy Organization where his responsibilities included identifying and driving new strategic initiatives within the company for adoption into the HTC product portfolio. Prior to that, as the Managing Director of Cantor Fitzgerald, Brent was a key contributor in assisting Cantor Fitzgerald LP to rebuild its telecommunications infrastructure following the tragic events of 9/11. Brent’s work then, and now, is definitely something worth learning more about!
Visit my website to hear the entire interview https://allaccessgroup.com under the Resources Tab/ Blog Talk Radio.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Linda Tucker
Excel –Canvas or Spreadsheet?
When you first hear the word “Excel” do you immediately cringe? Does it remind you of spreadsheets, graphs, and formulas? For most people in the business world, using Excel can be compared to an alarm clock repeatedly beeping in the middle of the night with no shut off button; that’s a horrifying thought. But for one man, using Excel doesn’t coincide with rows and columns of numbers. For 73-year old Tatsuo Horiuchi, Excel is just another canvas to paint on.
Horiuchi uses Excel to create traditional Japanese artwork using Autoshapes. In an article in Yahoo! News Horiuchi explained that he often saw his coworkers using excel in the office. He said, “I could probably draw with that. Graphics software is expensive, but Excel comes pre-installed in most computers.”
Horiuchi was first noticed for his Excel artwork in 2006 when he won an Excel Autoshape Art Contest.
Upon hearing about Horiuchi’s creative use of the program, I of course had to try it out for myself. The program does provide a surprising number of drawing tools for a program whose uses don’t really align with drawing, until now I guess.
Horiuchi isn’t the only artist using Excel. Danielle Aubert uses Excel to make her own kind of art. On her website she explains, “Microsoft Excel is a program designed to track and compute information, but here I am using Excel as a drawing tool. These drawings are a part of a series that I executed on an irregular daily basis for 16 months. Each drawing is in a new ‘worksheet,’ which is automatically set up as a grid. The drawings were made by changing cell preferences for background color, fill pattern, and border styles and from time to time inserting ‘comment’ boxes and letters or words.”
From Horiuchi and his beautifully mounted Japanses artworks and Aubert who created an eclectic coffee table style book of excel artwork a whole new world has been opened up to those of us who thought excel was just a program to create spreadsheets. Who knew!
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
*Images from www.spoon-tamago.com
Brent Wilkins
Working Behind the Scenes with Dave Stewart
Watch the video below as I share with you some insight on just how fun it is working with artists like Dave Stewart as a producer.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Search Resources
Topic Areas & Guests
Categories
Join our mailing list
For insights on industry trends, and for details on special projects/events. We respect your time and your privacy.
Cathal Furey
Is a Joint Venture Right for Me?
Once you’ve embraced collaboration as a means to achieve your highest potential in your project or venture, at some point you might start to see potential for more formal partnership.
Entering into a Join Venture is not something to undertake lightly. It is a major decision and requires careful consideration. Here are some of the basics of how Joint Ventures work and some key points to keep in mind when considering whether or not it’s the right move for your business.
The ultimate goal of embarking on a JV is to expand your business, whether by developing new products or moving into new markets. JV’s are particularly relevant for those hoping to expand their business overseas.
No matter the size of your business, Joint Ventures can be utilized to strengthen long-term relationships or to collaborate on short-term projects. A joint venture enables you to share risks and benefits with a partner and can supply you with access to established markets and distribution channels, more resources, greater capacity, or increased technical expertise.
Entering into this type of collaboration with another business is complex; building the right relationship takes time and effort. If you do not have a clear understanding of the goals and the way value will be shared moving forward, a Joint Venture can burn you in the long run. (Just ask IBM when it partnered with Microsoft in the early 1980’s.) Success in a JV depends on the right relationship, a clear and thorough understanding of the goals, and effective communication of the business plan. Here are a few things that could be deadly to your Joint Venture:
> Goals are not 100% clear
> Different objectives among respective partners
> Friction and poor cooperation due to different management styles
> Insufficient leadership and support in the early stages
> An imbalance in levels of investment, assets or expertise brought in by respective partners
Flexibility is at the heart of what makes a JV such an attractive option. For example, a JV can cover only part of what you do and have a limited life span, therefore limiting the commitment and exposure for both parties; or alternatively, you might decide to set up a new company altogether to handle a particular contract.
To help you decide what form of JV would best serve you, ask yourself how involved you want to be in managing it, and consider what could happen if the venture fails.
Understanding how much risk you are prepared to accept is a key element of choosing the right JV approach. Take the time to develop clarity around this central question and you will thank yourself down the road!
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.
Want to Take Your Project to the Next Level? Collaborate!
Although our culture tends to celebrate the idea of the “lone creative genius,” the truth is that a look behind the scenes of any success story will very often reveal the work of a stellar team; a group of passionate people who worked together to challenge and motivate one another. Steve Jobs famously promoted collaboration to increase productivity and creativity at Apple. It was one of the benchmarks of all the work that went on during my years there, and it continues to be a best practice of the corporation, and the alum that worked there.
How does this apply to you? Here’s the truth: If you want to take your creative project to the next level, it’s time to give the focus on individual productivity a break and shift toward harnessing the amazing power of effective collaboration.
Remember this rule as you go forward: A team is more than just a group of individuals. Creating a cohesive team unit depends on a variety of factors that, if properly understood, can help you optimize your team selection and work habits. Here are a few facts to get you started:
1. The mere presence of others can boost your performance.
Ever wonder why so many creatives seem to enjoy working in a crowded café, surrounded by strangers? Evidence suggests that the energy of other people can act as a surrogate team, even if we’re working solo. In a 1920 experiment by social psychologist Floyd Allport, a group of people working individually at the same table performed better on a whole range of tasks even though they weren’t cooperating or competing, This is now known as the “social facilitation” effect – the way the mere presence of other people engaged in the same task as us can boost our motivation.
2. Team effectiveness depends on social sensitivity.
The ability of teams to perform well across a range of challenges is referred to as “collective intelligence,” and interestingly it is not based on the average IQ of individual team members. Rather, the collective intelligence of a team is derived from the way team members take turns during conversations – and this often correlates positively with the proportion of women in the group. Which brings us to number 3…
3. Teams perform better when they include both men and women.
A 2012 analysis of nearly 2,400 international companies found that those with at least one woman on their boards tended to be the strongest performers, and the benefits were especially apparent in tougher operating conditions. According to a 2011 experiment by European researchers, the optimum gender balance is 50-50.
4. A good team needs a balance of extroverts and introverts.
Our culture tends to idolize the extrovert, but evidence suggests that the perceived value of introverts in a team setting increases as time goes on, whereas the perceived value of extroverts actually falls – as demonstrated in a recent study by UCLA. While extroverts tend to grab our attention and introverts tend to take longer to showcase their abilities, often it is a balance of complementary personalities that makes for the most effective mix.
The Grand Takeaway? The best teams are built from diverse perspectives and abilities. When creating your dream team, seek out people with different specialties, personalities, and problem-solving styles. If there is friction, don’t give up; instead, train them in better communication.
If you’re building a team to move your best projects forward, remember that the music to making it all work is your mentor. A powerful mentor should be an ally who sees your vision, a leader who brings the very best people and advisors, and a clear picture of how to get from starting point to end game. If you’re looking for that, I’d love to have a conversation with you.
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.
The Who What Where When & Why of Startups
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
4 Steps to Ace an Early-Adopter Culture
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.
When Corning’s “A Day Made of Glass” video series went viral in 2011, the company leaped in the spotlight. In the process, consumers and businesses alike found themselves considering the company’s role as an innovator in specialty-glass technology for a wide range of uses.
For consumers, the roles of early adopter and a thought leader often become intertwined. Customers tend to gravitate toward companies that can speak credibly about new technologies and apply them to product development and business processes.
Related: Why Every Employee Needs to Be Part of Your Tech Team
Being at the forefront of emerging trends will make your business more sought after by the media as an authority within your industry sector and your staff will be viewed as capable of speaking with intelligence about the latest developments’ impact on your niche or sector.
But being an early adopter doesn’t come naturally to every business — nor can it be achieved overnight. Creating a culture of early adoption and keeping your business ahead of the curve requires a change in mindset at the leadership level. To grow a thriving business on the bleeding edge, savvy leaders would be wise to take some of the following steps:
1. Make the latest tools available to employees. Having the latest gadgets available for staffers to play with encourages a culture of innovation, experimentation and evangelism. It gets employees thinking about how new technology can be used and it encourages a cross-pollination of ideas. For example, when Google Glass was released, forward-thinking businesses made the product available for their employees to try and discuss.
Related: How to Motivate Creative Employees
2. Encourage team members to engage with new technologies. For its own part, Google requires its employees to take days off to simply experiment with the latest technologies and test ideas. Ensure that your employees engage with the latest from Silicon Valley by asking them to take an hour from their workday to acclimate themselves with a gadget or tool. Or have an employee do a presentation summarizing the applications of a new device so your team can focus on its possible impact on your industry.
3. Create incentives and reward innovators. Give your employees a reason to keep up with tech news and drive innovation by rewarding those who do so. Grant the employee who discovered and implemented a new task-management platform a paid day off. Reward the staffer who forwarded the latest news to the rest of your team with a free lunch.
4. Lead with an early-adopter spirit. Cultivate a company mindset of curiosity by being a leader who embraces change and risk in the name of progress and cutting-edge disruption. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz revealed his hunger for innovation when he invested $25 million in Square — a startup few knew about at the time. What seemed like a risky and questionable move to some ultimately paid off. Through collaboration with Square, Starbucks now accepts mobile payments globally, paving the way for other companies hopting to implement mobile-payment systems in their operations.
The pace of technological change is faster than ever before and businesses that wait too long to embrace innovation can easily be deemed irrelevant by consumers. Instead, infuse the early-adopter mindset throughout your company’s culture — and you may well end up being celebrated as a forward-thinking visionary within your industry.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, President, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletter https://bit.ly/AAGNewletter
Chris Dotson
4 Tech Dinosaurs That Will Finally Die in 2015
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.
Here are the tech trends that are coming to an end in 2015.
1. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
With cable-cutters everywhere, cable and satellite providers across the country are scrambling to lock consumers into their tiered contracts. Millennials, however, aren’t as attached to their TV sets as older generations. Netflix, Hulu, Apple, and Amazon already provide great streaming options, while cable favorites like HBO and ESPN are moving to mobile devices.
By 2015, content providers will have much more control than cable companies. Cable companies won’t go down without a fight, though — the majority of them also provide digital cable, DVR, and Internet services. However, with lightning-fast Google Fiber expanding into more major cities, it’s only a matter of time before these services will need an upgrade, too.
2. Home Entertainment Is Entering a New Dimension
Your television set won’t end up a nostalgic antique like your grandfather’s eight-track cassette player, but the TV industry is upping the ante in the age of high definition.
- While Nintendo focuses on integrating its content into mobile platforms, Sony and Microsoft are pushing forward with ways of integrating their gaming consoles into your entire home, allowing for interactive entertainment options we’ve never seen before.
- Glasses-free 3D and curved screens are changing the way studios create and release both theatrical and home content.
- Set-top boxes and streaming options by Apple, Google, and Roku even further blur the line between our TVs and computers. By 2015, there will be little (if any) difference between your television set, mobile phone, and computer as cloud computing creates a seamless web experience.
3. Call Somebody Who Cares
Millennials have come of age with cell phones. Gone are the days when you couldn’t get reception unless you were directly underneath a cell tower. These days, landlines are used strictly for emergencies such as Hurricane Sandy, and most are Internet-based VoIP services.
The days of Ma Bell and her Baby Bells are a distant memory, as those former communications giants struggle to maintain the outdated infrastructure of their phone lines. Cell phones are as likely to drop a call as a landline, and less than 10 percent of households in the country have only a landline phone. As current generations age, landline telephones will disappear altogether.
4. Goodbye, Gutenberg
When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, the machine made it possible to put magazines on every shelf, books on every desk, newspapers on every porch, and Bibles in every hotel nightstand.
We all know the newspaper and magazine industries are struggling, but 2014 looks to be the year when we drive the final nail in the coffin and bury these struggling industries for good. After J.K. Rowling authorized the release of the Harry Potter series on Amazon’s Kindle, the publishing industry essentially crumbled. Major magazines and newspapers started shutting down, and the only holdouts seemed to be textbook publishers.
Apple took this market by convincing McGraw-Hill, Pearson Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to create iBook textbooks to integrate the iPad into schools, while Dynamic Books allows instructors to create customized textbook content for their SMART Boards.
It’s not just books, either. The whole world has gone paperless. Your tablet and smartphone allow you to travel without a boarding pass, publish your own e-books, attend concerts without a ticket, and even pay without cash, a credit card, or coupons. Gutenberg must be rolling over in his grave.
Much like video killed the radio star, the Internet is demolishing them both. Every innovation we come up with disrupts another. Nobody knows where we’ll be in 2015, but I’m sure we’ll have our smartphones in hand, ready to check in on Foursquare to prove it.
A highly sought-after consultant, mentor, speaker, producer, coach, and author, Kelli Richards is the CEO of The All Access Group. She and her team facilitate strategic business opportunities in digital distribution between technology companies, established artists and celebrities, film studios, record labels, and consumer brand companies in order to foster new revenue streams and deliver compelling consumer experiences. Kelli is also the author of the bestselling e-book, “The Magic & Moxie of Apple — An Insider’s View.”
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, President, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletter https://bit.ly/AAGNewletter
4 Steps to Ace an Early-Adopter Culture
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
How to Vet a Crowded Industry for Hidden Innovation Opportunities
Few people look at a thermostat and think, “Now there’s an exciting business opportunity!”
As a device, it’s a boring commodity — a relic of a stagnant, saturated market. So why did the co-founders of Nest decide to build a multimillion-dollar company around the reinvention of the thermostat?
Where others saw an industry that offered no room for new ideas, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers saw potential. Most of the 10 million thermostats sold every year throughout the U.S. were clunky, inefficient, and impossible to program, but a simple, Wi-Fi-enabled device that could be programmed via a smartphone — that could be a game changer. Fadell and Rogers saw this opportunity, left their jobs at Apple, and got to work.
Within just three years of unveiling the Nest Learning Thermostat, the company has reduced energy usage across the U.S. and Canada by at least 225 million kilowatt-hours. They’ve saved consumers more than $29 million in heating and cooling bills. And earlier this year, Google bought Nest for $3.2 billion in cash.
What gave Fadell and Rogers the confidence to dive into an overcrowded market? They saw room for innovation. Here’s how you can see through the crowd to the opportunity.
How to Vet a Crowded Industry
When a market has a reputation of being fully saturated or crowded, many potential entrants will steer clear without a second thought. But popular perception isn’t always reality. Though it may not be immediately obvious, there’s often room for innovation and more than one player in the most stagnant of industries.
If you’ve got an idea that you think could disrupt a crowded market, it’s critical that you vet the industry before launching.
Do your homework. Who are the key players in the industry? What are their strengths and weaknesses? A comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape is vital for determining your strategy.
Clarify your value-add. What makes your idea different? Are you cheaper, faster, better, or more innovative than everyone else? You can’t survive in a saturated industry without clearly being different and better.
Know your customer.Are consumers satisfied with the current market? If your product or idea can effectively address unmet needs and pain points, you’ll be able to capture significant market share.
Position yourself as a trailblazer. People aren’t expecting innovation in a stagnant market. Find the gap by researching industry trends, then stake a bold claim as the “next big thing.”
Prepare for scale.When you unveil a great idea on a commodity market, you have to be ready to handle a sudden wave of demand. Had Nest not been able to keep up with the brisk pace of adoption, the company would have tanked. They were prepared, though, and rode the wave all the way to a multibillion-dollar acquisition in a relatively short period of time based on mass adoption by consumers.
Surviving the Changes in Your Industry
Once you’ve made the leap into the market, you need to be proactive to survive your industry’s lifecycle changes. Achieve the following, and you’ll not only keep your head above water — you’ll thrive.
- Stay up to speed on the latest trends and technologies. That way, you can remain nimble and capable of edging out competitors.
- Get the word out. Make sure customers know about you — and know that your solution is superior.
- Make sure you offer the best possible customer experience. You’ll garner loyalty and brand equity, and you’ll reduce the churn factor.
- Optimize key elements: pricing, service, process, and customer satisfaction. Piece these components together in a way that tells a compelling brand story to attract your target audience.
- Always strive to stand out from the crowd through your marketing, products, and customer experience. When you delight your customers, they’ll become brand advocates and stay with you in the long run.
A Matter of Perception
When an industry undergoes a fundamental transformation, many people wrongly assume it’s vanishing forever.
Consider the entertainment industry, for example. Just 15 years ago, film studios, record labels, and media distributors believed that file-sharing technology would ruin their entire livelihood. Those who were stuck in their ways wanted to put an end to the technology.
Savvy, forward-thinking tech entrepreneurs, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to pioneer change. While everyone else was lamenting the death of entertainment, they harnessed the disruptive power of technology to meet market needs.
Now, decision makers in the industry are embracing next-generation distribution technology because it enables them to reach global audiences and create new revenue streams.
It takes a keen eye and a great idea to capitalize on lifecycle changes in a crowded market. The risks, however, are often a matter of perception. By seeing potential where others don’t, you can access a world of opportunity and profits.
A highly sought-after consultant, mentor, speaker, producer, coach, and author, Kelli Richards is the CEO of The All Access Group. She and her team facilitate strategic business opportunities in digital distribution between technology companies, established artists and celebrities, film studios, record labels, and consumer brand companies in order to foster new revenue streams and deliver compelling consumer experiences. Kelli is also the author of the bestselling e-book, “The Magic & Moxie of Apple — An Insider’s View.”
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, President, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletter https://bit.ly/AAGNewletter
Search Resources
Topic Areas & Guests
Categories
Join our mailing list
For insights on industry trends, and for details on special projects/events. We respect your time and your privacy.
Thomas Reemer
Chairman of 88TC88.com Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-thomas-reemer-ceo-of-88tc88com
Ty Roberts
Chief Technical Officer of Gracenote
Matt Ramey
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-w-matt-ramey-creative-director-of-black
Peter Rafelson
Musician, Writer and Producer Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/2011/04
Jeff Price
CEO of TuneCore Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-jeff-price-ceo-of-tunecore
Jon Potter
Founder of ADA, Apps Developer Alliance and Founder Fan Freedom Project Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-and-jon-potter-entrepreneurial-attorney
David Pakman
Partner at Venrock and Digital Media Entrepreneur Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-david-pakman-partner-at-venrock
David Pack
Musician, Songwriter and Lead Singer for Ambrosia Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-david-pack
Finbar O’Hanlon
CEO, Rocker, and Revolutionary Listen to the entire podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVPCz4RC0D4
Ian Miller
Founder and CEO of The Brand Practice Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-ian-miller-rocket-branding
Brian McGarvey
Vice President, Business Development of Rhapsody Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-brian-mcgarvey-of-rhapsody-0
Terry McBride
CEO Nettwerk Music Group Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/podcast/qa-kelli-richards-terry-mcbride-ceo-of-nettwerk-music
Eric Martin
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k84tzmwOPDM
Steve Macfadyen
Live Event Producer, Producer at Pollstar Magazine Listen to the entire podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-macfadyen-event-producer/id420295332?i=1000332691802
Evan Lowenstein
Founder of StageIt.com Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-evan-lowenstein-founder-of-stageit
Wendy Lipton-Dibner
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/qa-with-wendy-lipton-dibner-of-professional-impact-inc
Esther Lim
Founder and CEO of The Estuary LLC Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-esther-lim-digital-strategist-the-estuary
Gerd Leonhard
Media Futurist, Keynote Speaker and CEO of The Futures Agency Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/qa-kelli-richards-gerd-leonhard-of-the-futures-agency
Marina Jacoby Leonard
Relationship Coach, Woman’s Coach, Life Coach Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-marina-jacoby-leonard
Dave Kusek
CEO Berkleemusic and co-author of “The Future of Music” Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/a-live-qa-with-dave-kusek-of-the-berklee-school-of-music-and-the-co-author-of-the-future-of-music
Noel Kelli
Musician, The Hush Now Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/a-live-qa-with-kelli-richards-and-noel-kelly-lead-singer-of-acclaimed-indie-pop-band-the-hush-now
Andrew Keen
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-w-author-and-culture-critic-andrew-keen-0
Dave Jaworski
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://jeeni.com/track/kelli-richards-interviews-dave-jaworski-3rd-ever-employee-of-microsoft-canada
Scott Humphrey
Producer & Founder of Jammit.com Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-w-producer-jammit-ceo-scott-humphrey
Jim Griffin
Digital Music & Tech Visionary Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-jim-griffin
Hollywood Producer, Gary Goldstein
Mentor, Author, Speaker, and Innovator Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-hollywood-producer-gary-goldstein
Libby Gill
Branding Expert and CEO Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-bestselling-author-libby-gill
Libby Gill
Branding Expert and CEO Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/qa-with-kelli-richards-libby-gill-branding-expert
Mike Galaxy
Of Band Promote Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-mike-galaxy-of-band-promote
Rick Frishman
Publisher at Morgan James Publishing Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-w-rick-frishman-publisher-morgan-james
David Fishof
Creator of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-david-fishof-of-rock-n-roll-fantasy-camp
Michael Fishman
Entrepreneur, Advisor, Speaker Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/2012/02
Brian Felsen
CEO of BookBaby and CDBaby
Azeo Fables
Founder of VizLingo Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-azeo-fables-from-vizlingo
David Dufresne
CEO of BandZoogle Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/live-qa-with-david-dufresne-ceo-of-bandzoogle-and-a-big-inspiration-in-the-world-of-musicians
Ed Donnelly
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-ed-donnelly-founder-of-aderra-inc
Thomas Dolby
Musician, Producer, Music Director for TED Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-musician-and-artist-thomas-dolby
Dave Cool
Documentary Film Maker, Blogger and Advocate for Indie Artists Everywhere. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-dave-cool-indie-artist-champion
Alan Cohen
Million Dollar Coach and Author Listen to the entire podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIhj079WPXE
Freddy Clarke
Renowned Flamenco Guitarist & Singer with Wobbly World Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-freddy-clarke
Craig Chaquico
Lead Guitarist & Songwriter for Jefferson Starship Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/2012/05
Irene Cara
Academy Award Winner, Musician and Actress Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-chats-with-academy-award-winner-irene-cara
Olivia Fox Cabane
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-olivia-fox-cabane-charisma-expert
Jack Buser
Director of PlayStation Home Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-jack-buser-of-sony-playstation
Jeff Brandstetter
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/live-qa-with-kelli-richards-jeff-brandstetter-esq-noted-hollywood-attorney-financing-expert
Jason Benlevi
Author of “Too Much Magic – Pulling the Plug on the Cult of Tech” Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/qa-kelli-richards-jason-benlevi-author-of-too-much-magic
Drew Anderson
CTO of HitLab Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-with-drew-anderson-cto-of-hitlab
Marc Allen
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/podcast/kelli-richards-qa-w-marc-allen-author-musician-publisher
Ziad Abdelnour, International Dealmaker and Author
Ziad Abdelnour is President & CEO of Blackhawk Partners, Inc., a New York based private equity “family office” that focuses on originating, structuring, advising and acting as equity investor in management-led buyouts, strategic minority equity investments, equity private placements, consolidations, buildups, and growth capital financings in companies and projects based both in the US and emerging markets.
Nick Adler
Nic Adler single handedly saved the Hollywood Sunset Strip and saved way more than The Roxy. Listen here for the story! Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-nic-adler-of-sunset-strip-music-festival
HITLAB – Reinventing Music Discovery and Distribution, One Artist at a Time?
What’s new in the world of Music and Technology? The world-renowned multi-platinum artist Akon and a key Canadian Internet Company have joined to create something new and very interesting: HITLAB.com. Hitlab is a new media company focused on reinventing the way music is discovered, produced, marketed and distributed.
Happy Holidays from Kelli
With so many wonderful things coming to fruition in the coming year, and so many beautiful friendships and great business alliances and success stories in 2012, I just wanted to stop and take a moment to say how much my friends and colleagues mean to me.
Something Special About Apple and iOS
The special needs community is rarely the target demographic for the tech industry. Many of the wonderful new gizmos and gadgets that come out simply aren’t designed for them. There are an increasing number of companies that are developing products and technology to make computers and mobile devices more accessible for the special needs community, however – and one of those companies happens to be Apple, Inc. Apple’s VoiceOver technology was introduced with OSX 10.5 – better known as “Tiger.” It’s an accessibility feature that allows blind or visually impaired users to interact with a computer through sound. A user can use the trackpad or keyboard to scroll through the applications on the docked menu at the bottom of the screen. It can literally read the user any text that’s displayed on the screen and allows users to edit text where applicable. VoiceOver is also available on iOS devices such as the iPad. Visually impaired users have been incredibly receptive and appreciative of this, especially considering the fact that it’s a feature many other tablets and readers lack. As more and more publishing companies, universities, and corporations look to switch to readers and tablets in the future, accessibility features for the visually impaired certainly help Apple market its products as the superior choice amongst the competition. Another feature that benefits the members of the special needs community is a new feature in iOS 6 called Guided Access. Guided Access allows parents and educators to “lock” onto an app so that children can’t accidentally exit out of it by pressing the home button. While this may seem like a very basic feature, it’s incredibly useful for children with Autism or learning disabilities who may become distracted or lose focus on tasks. There are a number of educational apps available in the App Store but it’s often hard for learning disabled students to stay focused on them long enough to actually benefit. With Guided Access, the task of keeping a child focused has gotten a little easier for teachers and parents. While full accessibility is an on-going battle as technology continues to evolve, Apple is certainly taking steps in the right direction. Many other companies in Silicon Valley are taking their lead and continuing to improve accessibility features for different technologies and we hope to see this trend continue. My own time at Apple saw many of these technologies discussed and drawn out on desks and white boards under the tireless leadership and direction of my colleague Dr. Alan Brightman, who was Director of Apple’s WW Disability Solutions for 12 years; and is now a VP at Yahoo focusing on Global Accessibilty. To see these things come to life and create impact all around the world is simply astounding (then and now). Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
The Cupertino Connection: iTunes 11 and iCloud
iTunes may be one of the best products that Apple ever developed, or at the very least, one of the smartest. Just a few weeks ago Apple released iTunes 11 with a myriad of visual and technical changes and improvements. iTunes will turn 12 years old in January, and in those years Apple has found a way to streamline, connect, condense, and centralize a user’s content and multimedia experience. With that in mind, I think it’s worth looking at a few of the existing features, the new ones in iTunes 11, and the future ones planned for next year to see just how they’ll continue to do that. First let’s look at how Apple already connects users and their content across multiple devices. One of the earliest features that did this was the “Library Sharing” feature that enables users to share their library across 5 devices connected to the same network using the same Apple ID. This was great because a user could have a whole collection on their desktop computer and access that same collection on their laptop. With this feature, users can also share content with other people on their WiFi network. A similar feature that’s been out for a few years is AirPlay. AirPlay allows users to stream media from one device across multiple devices on their WiFi network. For example, a user can start listening to an album or playlist in one room and stream it to their home stereo in their living room. Users can even adjust which devices are playing at what time and the volume of those individual devices. Apple TV even lets users stream a movie from their computer on their Apple TV. Of course, all of these devices are controllable with an iPhone, iPod, or iPad. Finally, with iTunes 11 and the updated iTunes store, all of a user’s downloads are automatically synced to the iCloud and accessible by any other iCloud capable device. This means a song downloaded in the iTunes store on your computer will be available on your iPod or iPhone. A similar service, iTunes Match, was released last year and allows users to pay an annual fee to have any of their music in their library uploaded to the iCloud, whether it was purchased or available in the iTunes store or not. These services could prove to be interesting competitors for Spotify, Rhapsody, Amazon, and other streaming/cloud based music delivery services. Lastly, Apple recently announced that it will launch its own streaming radio service to compete with Pandora in the first few months of 2013. Like the aforementioned services, it will be available across iPhones, iPods, iPads, Macs, and PC’s as part of iTunes. With all of these developments that have made Apple products so seamlessly integrated into a person’s life, it seems Tim Cook is moving forward to fulfill Steve Jobs’ goal of having an Apple device in every home. Cloud storage and online streaming is all the rage right now, and Apple’s solutions could prove to be big problems for its competitors. With so many solutions to a user’s content needs, why would they bother going elsewhere? Kelli Richards CEO of The All Access Group
Beamz Interactive – Play Music with Ease and Add A Visual Element
Are you one of those people who think they can’t play music or will never learn to play an instrument? I have heard people say things like “I’m too old now” or “I’m just not musically gifted.” Thanks to the great products from Beamz Interactive, you’ll never be able to use those excuses again. Beamz has created a great new interactive music system that uses lasers to enable users to create music. And I cannot think of a better stocking stuffer for anyone in your life.
Please click through and comment on my recent article on Fast Company
Hi everyone, I am thrilled to share that last week my article, “How Apple’s Culture Seeped Into Silicon Valley’s DNA,” was featured in Fast Company. I would be grateful if you would click through and comment on Fast Company’s site and join the discussion there.
Cyber Monday – Digging for Digital Dollars
The holiday season is upon us now that Thanksgiving has come and gone. If you’ve just surfaced from the post-Thanksgiving turkey overdose then you’ve already missed Black Friday, which is probably for the better. However, many e-commerce sites are extending Cyber Monday deals through the entire week. This blog isn’t going to tell you where to find the best deals or give you any general tips, but rather it will highlight the importance of Cyber Monday to the tech industry and its influence throughout the globe. The term “Cyber Monday,” was first coined in 2005 by Shop.com as a parallel to Black Friday. Scott Silverman of Shop.com created the concept based on research that the Monday following Thanksgiving was the biggest online retail day of the year, presumably for anyone who missed out on Black Friday deals. In its first year, Cyber Monday generated over $600 million dollars in sales from U.S consumers. It has since grown to double that and is now “celebrated” in countries across the globe such as the U.K, Portugal, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia. One of the reasons Cyber Monday has grown so steadily over the years is because the rapid advancements in tech. In 2005, few people were browsing Amazon.com on their cell phones, now however, more than 12% of Cyber Monday purchases are made from a mobile device. Similarly, the rate at which technology is released has sped up in every direction, meaning more cool new gadgets for people to buy. As online sales soar with Cyber Monday, some brick-and-mortar locations and small businesses have complained that the deals online are taking money away from local economies. The sad (and great) news is that really, as technology and e-commerce rapidly evolve, everyone along the retail trail will have to find a way to keep up. So happy hunting! There are so many cool new products on the market – from the iPad Mini to the Kindle Fire to all the great new laptops that have come out. Hopefully you won’t go overboard and max out all your cards, though I know it can be tempting! Kelli Richards CEO of the All Access Group.
A Message of Thanks and Giving
Greetings everyone, With Thanksgiving almost here, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday, abundant with loved ones. One of the many things I’m grateful for is your definitely your friendship this past year. 2012 has been amazing and successful for me, and that definitely doesn’t happen in a vacuum. I continue to work on new and exciting things to foster that same success and abundance in your own companies and projects. I am launching a new coaching program to help companies and brands adopt best practices and implement them into their goals and initiatives. If you’ve read my latest book, “The Magic and Moxie of Apple: An Insider’s View” then you’ll be familiar with some of these best practices (but not all of them). If you have struggled to hit your goals, successfully launch your projects, or create the relationships you need to truly move forward, this is the program for you. A new, updated edition of my bestselling book “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud,” comes out on 12/12/12. This eBook will feature new chapters on Pinterest, the new Myspace, and on funding sources for musicians (and any of us with a great project that the “crowd” could get behind. In addition to the new chapters, I will be updating all of the book’s topics to account for updates and renovations on the various social networks, such as promoted posts on Facebook – and the ability to share video on Linkedin. While this book does cover some very advanced capabilities, I always endeavor to approach each space with a beginners eye, for those of us who need that point of view as well. Best wishes, Kelli Richards CEO of the All Access Group.
Crowd Funding for Musicians
One of the things that I do when I work with clients is help them find new revenue streams and funding sources. They’re two of the most important aspects when it comes to business growth and development. It’s not any different for musicians. If you want to take music from a hobby to a full-time job, you’re going to need funding to survive and support your music. One of the great ways to do this is through online crowd funding platforms. Crowd funding is essentially like having a fundraiser but it can be utilized to raise money for new companies and projects. There are literally dozens of companies out there, each with their own pro’s and con’s, that help raise money through crowd funding. Some of the bigger ones are: IndieGoGo, Kickstarter, and RocketHub. There are even crowd funding companies that focus exclusively on music such as ArtistShare, Sellaband, and PledgeMusic. One of the best and earliest examples of crowd funding is the rock band Marillion, who raised $60,000 for a U.S tour in 1997 and has since used it to fund the recording and marketing of 3 albums. The over-arching premise is simple: fans donate what they can with different levels of donations that get different gifts. For example, a $10 donation will get a free copy of the CD they’re funding, a $25 donation gets a CD and a shirt, and a $50 dollar donation gets a CD, shirt, and personally autographed poster. Don’t sell yourself short, even in today’s economy people are willing to shell out the few extra bucks to help local music and get something cool in return. Who knows, those signed posters could be worth big money some day because they helped fund the album that made you famous! Crowd funding is so much more than a simple fundraiser, it’s a really fantastic way to engage your fans. Many platforms allow, or even require, artists to post updates, pictures, videos, etc as a way of maintaining momentum during their campaign. Will crowd funding replace traditional funding sources and revenue streams? Probably not; but they are a great way to get those precious few extra dollars that you need to record, produce, distribute, tour, film, etc. With crowd funding, you no longer need a major label budget to put out a great record. Simply ask your fans for help and everyone wins. Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
New York, We’ve Got Your Back
Let me preface this piece by saying my thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people in the northeast who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy over the last week. I hope that everyone can quickly and easily recover from this tragic event. The human spirit is, as always, amazing. We’ve seen many events that showcase the spirit of brotherhood – and even heroism – through the media. Thousands of miles away on the West coast, the updates pouring in from social media were a vital lifeline of information for many friends and relatives for those affected. Two of my own team members are in New York, and I was grateful that even without electricity and internet, they both updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts to say they were okay.
The New Myspace: All or Nothing
Ah Myspace, the website that brought social networking and social media into the homes of the masses. Once the king of the internet, valued at $12 billion and becoming the most visited website in the world, it has since been dethroned and fallen from grace. Or has it? It was recently purchased by Specific Media and Justin Timberlake in June 2011 for $35 million with hopes of breathing new life into the company. But will they be able to reclaim the throne in a much more crowded kingdom? The answer to that remains to be scene but based on the preview it looks like something worth getting excited about. The obvious issue is that there are already enough, if not too many, social networks for the average user. Between Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube, Google+ and the many others, the internet has become inundated with social media. Billed as a way to connect artists and fans, the MySpace team at Specific media has taken a smart approach by letting users integrate their Facebook and Twitter accounts rather than having to create a new one. With celebrities and artists already connecting with fans via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram perhaps integration and consolidating is something we need more of. Seamless integration and creative design are two big things the new Myspace has going for it. Based on the preview video posted by Justin Timberlake, the website does look gorgeous and functional; 2 issues which plagued it in the past. Perhaps the biggest thing it has going for it is the music feature, which is something it actually always did exceptionally well. Once a great way for big names and local bands alike to post songs, event info, pictures, etc, it will now let users create and share playlists, listen to whole albums, discover new music based on recommendations, and more. A cool feature for the artists is an analytics page which provides demographic breakdowns of their audiences by age, gender, region, etc. Myspace currently boasts one of the largest music catalogues on the internet, albeit from mostly unknown artists, at 42 million songs. If they can get some big artists and labels on board or even integrate with other services like Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, or Rhapsody then it could very well come back to life. There’s still a lot that is up in the air for the new Myspace but if it can find a way to get over the hump, play nicely with the other social networks, and deliver great content then I think it will be a success. If it can’t create a pleasant, clutter-free, and unique experience for the user then it may be time to just let it die out. Kelli Richards, President and CEO The All Access Group, LLC
A Lennon Legacy
I’d like to think that we all have heroes, that everyone out there, no matter how successful they are, takes the time to have someone to look up to and admire. John Lennon was always that hero to me. He lived by his own rules and made a mark that only grows stronger over time. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to meet his oldest son, Julian, and to share a deeply moving conversation about his dad and the work that he did – and to discuss the work that Julian has created through his charity, The White Feather Foundation. The White Feather Foundation was started over 20 years ago and embraces environmental and humanitarian issues in conjunction with partners from all around the world, raising funds for a more sustainable, better world for every living being. White Feather has done everything from supporting artists to marching to end bullying to building an orphanage in Sri Lanka. One project at a time, Julian’s Foundation builds better lives and stronger communities. In 2008, he was honored by the Better World Environmental Award by Prince Albert of Monaco. It’s not easy for artists today – the entire industry has changed and then changed gain. While being fathered by a giant among men, Julian has never been one to stand on the shoulders of his dad, John. He has carved his own careers as both a musician and a photographer. He has brilliantly built the one thing ALL of us should define and design every day – an inspiring legacy that changes and betters the world of others. Julian’s latest album, Everything Changes, will be released worldwide early 2013. In the meantime, we will all wait impatiently, and hopefully support his great work with White Feather. To send a donation, go to https://WhiteFeatherFoundation.com
Politics 2.0: The 2012 US Presidential Election
Very rarely, if ever, do I talk about politics. It’s one of those taboo topics of conversation that’s best left unmentioned for the sake of your sanity and relationships. The internet however seems to disagree. Now more than ever, politics is being discussed very openly; whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, podcasts, etc. So why the shift? Where did it come from? What does it mean? Who’s driving it? These questions deserve a bit more investigation, so let’s take a quick look. Technology has always been used to shape and advance movements of political, cultural, and social change. From Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press of the 1400’s to the #Kony2012 campaign earlier this year, people have used technology to communicate and spread ideas in an effort to shape their culture and society. While Gutenberg’s printing press is undoubtedly more revolutionary than Twitter, both have the same end goal: to communicate and share ideas. Similarly, the advent of television played a huge role in modern U.S politics on September 26, 1960, when the Kennedy – Nixon presidential debate became the first presidential debate to be televised. Many people have said that Kennedy won the election based on that debate alone, being noticeably more calm, charming, and charismatic than Nixon. In today’s culture, the media landscape has already begun to shift. No longer are people tuning into the nightly news or watching the debates on television. Rather, they check the news on their smart phone or watch the debate streaming live on their tablets on the go – untethered. So while technology and the media have adapted to these changes, how has politics? And why is it important? For starters, the internet is here to stay. No longer are computers and the internet just for younger generations and tech geeks. 85% of adults in the United States use the internet, that’s 297.5 million people of legal voting age. According to SocialBaker.com, there are 167,913,500 U.S Facebook users or 54.12% of our total population. As you can see, that’s a huge chunk of people that are communicating their thoughts and ideas with one another. Similarly, that’s a huge chunk of people that can be reached by your ideas. If you were a politician, think about how powerful it would be to reach 54% of your target population. Imagine if you could even reach half of that, how those people could influence an election. The purpose of this blog isn’t to say whether or not using social media to promote a political campaign is worthwhile or not, I think that has already been decided. Instead, I’d like to get you to think about how social media influences politics in the U.S today.
A Tribute to John and Steve
In my newest book, The Magic and Moxie of Apple: An Insider’s View, I compared Steve Jobs and John Lennon; two iconic legends of a generation that are no longer with us today. Coincidentally, today is John’s birthday and last week marked the 1 year anniversary of Steve’s death. For that reason, I feel that it is only right for me to pay homage to two of the most inspirational men in my life. John Lennon was a rock star in every sense of the world. He had it all; the fame, the fortune, the glory, etc but you would never guess it from his bashful demeanor on the camera. Steve Jobs was also a rock star but in a less literal sense. He attained the same iconic level of fame and fortune as Lennon, but through technology. Their success can’t be attributed to themselves alone; they both had an amazing team around them. However, both had the courage and vision to try something new and it worked. I remember being a little girl when I was 8 years old and watching the Beatles doing a TV special (maybe it was “All You Need is Love”.) Apart from being electrified by their performance, the man behind the curtain playing with all the buttons and knobs (George Martin) lit a spark in me that set me on the career path that brought me to where I am today. As I watched Martin and the Beatles I thought to myself, “That’s what I want to do with my life,” and so I set out to make it happen. Similarly, growing up in Cupertino was the other half of my inspiration. At the time they started, no one knew how great Apple would be, but as the company started to take off I knew that working there would be a dream. So this is my “thank you” to John & to Steve. Without these two legends, who knows if I would have ever developed personally and professionally into the person I am today. If they’re up there watching over us, I hope they know what a profoundly wonderful impact they’ve had on millions of lives.
Rdio’s New Artist Program
As someone who has built their entire career around the convergence of technology and music, nothing pains me more than to see artists ripped off by advancements in technology. Whether we’re talking about the Napster days of the early 2000s or Grooveshark today, artists continue to be undercompensated (if compensated at all) for their work. While we’ve certainly taken some great strides towards fairly discovering and obtaining music, there is still a lot of work to be done. That’s why I was delighted to learn about Rdio, an ad-free music subscription service. Rdio was founded in 2010 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, whom you might remember from the illegal file sharing service Kazaa which followed Napster’s demise. Similar to other services like Spotify and Rhapsody, Rdio allows users to stream an unlimited number of songs from their computer or smartphone for a monthly fee. Artists are compensated based on the number of plays their songs get per month. Unfortunately we’ve seen through these services that this model results in artists being undercompensated; often times getting fractions of a penny per play or a check for 4 dollars at the end of the month. Some artists, such as Coldplay and Adele, have kept their latest work off of subscription based streaming services because they feel it hurts album sales. Today Rdio has announced a new program that aims to compensate artists more fairly and increase fan engagement while at the same time getting new subscribers. The Rdio Artist Program will use artists as recruiters and will compensate them $10 dollars for each subscriber they sign up. Rdio gives the artist the tools to customize their page and share their content on social media. One of my favorite features is the ability to have artists share their favorite songs and playlists that they’re listening to, a feature I always thought iTunes should have. Rdio CEO Drew Larner calls the program a “Win-win” for all parties involved. With only about 10 million subscribers around the world, it’s hard to say whether or not this program will sink or float but a few big artists are already getting onboard such as Snoop Lion, Scissor Sisters, A-trak, and Chromeo. Could this possible be the next big thing? If it gets artists paid fairly while giving the customer a better experience, let’s hope so.
Reminder to REGISTER for TUESDAY’s Apple’s Best Practices Webinar
Tomorrow, September 25th at 2pm PST I will offer an exclusive Webinar on incorporating Apple’s 12 best practices to enhance your business, client experiences, and personal brand. As we know, Apple is a global leader in creating an environment around achieving powerful goals, and boiling down how they became THE company to model, after experiencing one of the most well documented crashes in history, is an absolute MUST do for anyone in business today. To hold your space at this exclusive webinar, sign up immediately at https://www.appleinsidersecrets.com Warmly, Kelli Richards
Apple’s Laughing Straight to the Bank
The past month or so for Apple has been almost as eventful as the company’s first big success back in the late 70’s – early 80’s.
Apple’s 12 Best Practices – Training Webinar
Join me on Tuesday, September 25, 2:00pm PT/5:00 pm ET. I will share a detailed, insiders view into Apple’s 12 best practices to create the WOW factor that keeps your customers coming back and telling all their friends about why your product “kills” anything else on the market (my colleague Steve Jobs used every single one of these to great success)
Blog for Black: The Digital Agency
Black is a digital media marketing company that was launched just a year ago by Matt and his partner, Philippe Luchansky. The duo act as Creative Director and Director of Interactive, respectively, and bring years of experience working on massive, successful campaigns. While the company itself is new, Mat and Philippe’s work has been sought after by dozens of household names, such as Blizzard, EA Sports, Jason Mraz, Redbull, Betsy Johnson, and so many more.
Steve Jobs on Privacy and User Experience – An Apple Best Practice
Nobody can keep a secret better than Apple – AND the thousands and thousands of employees. And that idea translates far into how they work with their products, and especially, their users. For Apple Inc., user experience goes far beyond what the customer can see, feel and touch. It goes on behind the veil as well. Steve Jobs talked about this himself when he was interviewed at the All Things D8 Conference in 2010.
Wendy Lipton-Dibner – Elite Video Mastery and Move People to Action
I was joined on this week’s edition of “All Access Radio” by author, speaker, and coach Wendy Lipton-Dibner. Wendy has done amazing work as a leader in her field. She is the president of Professional Impact Inc., which produces seminars and courses such as the wildly successful “Move People to Action for Experts and Entrepreneurs.”
One Thing RIGHT in the Music World: CD Baby
CD Baby is an online distributor of independent music. But they’re not just any online distributor they’re actually the largest online distributor of independent music in the world.
EventFinda – A New Way to Find Events, Concerts, Gigs, Tours…
EventFinda is an amazing new way to market and promote events as well as purchase tickets. EventFinda goes above and beyond today’s standards for event marketing and ticketing. EventFinda distinguishes itself from the competition by not only being a place to buy and sell tickets to events but also syndicates and shares content, as well as offering a path to discover more events and interesting entertainment coming to your area. EventFinda makes the lives of everyone involved with a single event much easier; from the artist, to the promoter, to the PR teams, and ultimately, to the fans and spectators. As something that started from a kitchen table in 2005 in New Zealand (not exactly Silicon Valley) and spread across the globe to land in the USA this year, there’s no doubt that EventFinda will continue to grow and amaze fans and entertainers alike. Sure, there will always be other websites that you can go to to buy and sell tickets, discover new music or entertainment, learn more about your favorite artist or venue; but none of them will be able to package all of that together like EventFinda. Kelli Richards, President and CEO The All Access Group, LLC
A Peek Behind the Curtain… The Core Personal Interviews with Kelli Richards (and her Editor) that Became the Apple eBook…
The Core Interviews with Kelli that Became the Apple eBook… Tune in for this 15-minute interview with Kelli Richards, Apple Alum and author of the Amazon Bestseller, “The Magic and Moxie of Apple – An Insider’s View.”
Will we Retain our Confidence in Apple?
The newly launched iBooks Store recently signed on its sixth majorU.S. publisher in Random House, the world’s No. 1 English-language producer of books. Is there any doubt that iBooks is set on a course to become the world’s largest digital bookstore?
On July 20th at midnight, Kelli Richards’ long awaited eBook on Apple Inc., “The Magic and Moxie of Apple – An Insider’s View,” hit #1 in Kindle for Systems and Leadership and broke the top 100 in the Business and Leadership Category (our highest ranking was #70) on Amazon overall. This is Richards’ second #1 bestseller on Amazon.
Kelli Richards, Leader in Technology and Digital Distribution, Publishes New Book on Apple Inc., “The Magic and Moxie of Apple – An Insider’s View”
Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group and an alumnus of Apple Inc. (where she launched Apple’s earliest focus on music and drove all music initiatives during her 10 years with the market leader) has just published her long awaited eBook, “The Magic and Moxie of Apple – An Insider’s View.”
It’s HERE! Get “The Magic and Moxie of Apple” + An Invite to my Launch Party in Silicon Valley
What’s Apple Inc.’s best kept secret goal? Apple insider Kelli Richards reveals how Apple built a company and a brand that reaches across Fortune 100 companies and small business owners. You the book launch for “The Magic and Moxie of Apple – An Insider’s View” at https://AppleInsiderSecrets.com and peek BEHIND the curtain to look at the best practices of Apple Inc., and how it created a climate that ultimately changed the world forever. Help Best Selling Author, Kelli Richards Reach #1 on Amazon AGAIN. Get “The Magic and Moxie of Apple” + Bonuses https://AppleInsiderSecrets.com Through interviews with other alums and my own experiences at Apple for over a decade, I’ve created a compelling view of what makes Apple Inc. the company it is today. Get the book TODAY for an insider’s look at Apple’s failures, its successes, and the people who will continue its course toward greatness. https://AppleInsiderSecrets.com THANK you everyone for your support!
“Our North Star is to make the best product.” Tim Cook Continues Apple’s Best Practices
Tim Cook gave us a bird’s eye view of how Apple plans to stay the course and continue their role as tech leader of the world. Asked about the competition many times, Cook responded at one point with a statement that completely embodies one of Apple’s Best Practices. He said, “Our North Star is to make the best product.”
I talk about this best practice in my upcoming eBook at great length. How despite being the richest company in the world, the best practice of “Excellence, not Revenue” IS that North Star – and truly has been since Apple’s rebirth when Steve came back to the company.
Apple Alums – A “Class” Unto Ourselves and an Education and Collaboration for a Lifetime
Not long ago the LA Times ran an article about an executive training program at Apple called Apple University. This was one of Steve Job’s most poignant legacy projects – literally how he hoped to continue his presence, in the company he founded, long after he left this realm. Apple University is the program where Apple literally educates its executives on how to embrace the oft-referenced “Apple DNA” and think like Steve Jobs himself.
Apple – Building a Brand, Leaving a Legacy
Seeing Steve Jobs battle through the fight of his life to restore Apple to greatness – a graceful, courageous and obviously successful battle – doesn’t hold a candle to seeing him fight for his life now. He’s obviously ill. But what he’s creating, despite (or because of) that illness is mind blowing. Naysayers can address the iCloud any way they want, but what we all know is that it’s pretty damned likely to be successful.
Fun & Games: Cross Digital Distribution Takes Movies into a Whole New Realm
As the digital revolution reaches what seems to be an absolute frenzy of technological advances and debuts, more and more we’re seeing the cross-platform promotion and collaboration around product distribution. The latest (and one of the biggest) entries into this virtual world is set to be Suzanne Collins’ popular novel, “The Hunger Games.”
Hulu’s Latest Hot Ticket
So why, after four years of great digital distribution, am I writing about Hulu? Because they are about to take a huge leap of faith and add another original production to their arsenal – original content is a journey that even Oprah Winfrey herself can tell you is fraught with danger.
The Next Big Thing: Apple WWDC
It’s no surprise to see Apple race on, barely missing a beat since Steve’s passing – leading global innovation as it has this entire new millennium. In just a few hours the next Apple WWDC (Apple WorldWide Developers Conference) will take place. A stage that has announced true global game changers, like the iPhone and the iPad.
Digital at it’s Best: Live From Daryl’s House
Today’s world is fickle, and one of my favorite examples of digital avenues bringing new audiences to the best performers of our time is definitely Live From Daryl’s House, started by Daryl Hall in late 2007. This is music discover at its best, with Hall taking a simple idea and turning it into web gold.
Kelli Richards Interviews Evan Lowenstein, Founder of StageIt!
Join Kelli Richards for her great Q&A with Evan Lowenstein . Recently named to Digital Media Wire’s list of 25 Execs to Watch in Digital Entertainment for 2011, Evan Lowenstein launched StageIt with the goal of creating a web-based platform that would empower artists to deliver and monetize interactive live experiences.
A Discussion with Jim Griffin and Bill Patry, the Father of Copyright at Google
At Digital Music East Jim Griffin sat down with Bill Patry of Google and valiantly sought to stake out a solution to tangled web that is copyright. What we got, however, was a rich insight to what makes Bill Patry click and how he became known as the Father of Copyright.
Kelli Shares a Fireside Chat with Jim Griffin, Digital Music & Tech Visionary
Kelli is thrilled to interview Jim Griffin, entertainment tech visionary & one of the sharpest minds in digital music. Jim Griffin is the Managing Director of OneHouse, a company dedicated to the future of music & entertainment delivery.
Life and The Love We Make
Working at the crossroads of music and technology, and being a talent producer for a couple of decades now, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a long list of amazing artists. The most meaningful interactions are often the unscheduled, random conversations that just seem to happen randomly. Some of those occur behind-the-scenes at events like Pollstar, where I got to shoot the breeze with my childhood idol, Davy Jones.
I’m very excited to interview Nic Adler tonight on All Access Radio! Nic is a band manager, promoter, and restauranteur who has been at the helm at the infamous Roxy Theater on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood for almost 15 years. He’s also become a leading name in social media, using Facebook and Twitter to revitalize not only The Roxy, but the entire Strip!
NEW DIGITAL ECONOMICS SILICON VALLEY – Executive Brainstorm & Innovation Forum
NEW DIGITAL ECONOMICS SILICON VALLEY – Executive Brainstorm & Innovation Forum
March 27-28, 2012 – Marriott Hotel, Union Square, San Francisco
Press Release: Kelli Richards, Expert in Music, Technology and Digital Distribution to Speak at Capital Club
Cupertino, CA Kelli Richards, a thought leader in digital music and entertainment, and one of only a few select members of The Futures Agency and Alan Weiss’ Master Mentor Program and Thought Leadership Summit, has been invited to be an esteemed guest and presenter at the Silicon Valley Capital Club.
Whitney Houston – Connecting the Dots to a Legacy
The ultimate question becomes: What do artists need to create to keep themselves safe from becoming undone? Because stories like Whitney Houston’s are not uncommon. Stars rise and fall with the fickle tastes of fans, and when an artist is as meteoric as Whitney, the fall to the ground is far and long. Her difficulties were not only exploited in the media, they were – to some degree – exploited by Whitney herself, choosing a reality show as a vehicle for her brand. Under the best of circumstances, that road is twisted – just ask the long list of reality stars held up to public scrutiny (and editing and distribution).
Where is Kelli?
While being on the cutting edge of the tech and digital revolution is not at all new to me, the next year is poised to present some of the most innovative and exciting opportunities to participate at top industry events. I look forward to seeing some of you at the San Francisco Music Tech Summit today, at Digital Music Forum East in less than two weeks in NYC, plus at the many other exciting gatherings and summits already on the calendar AND yet to be developed (including Digital Music Forum East in NYC, Alley to the Valley Summit, Silicon Valley Capital Club, New Digital Economics, Digital Hollywood, among others!) If you have an event you’d like me to participate in, or a panel or keynote to deliver, please reach out to me directly at Kelli@AllAccessGroup.com
Search Resources
Topic Areas & Guests
Categories
Join our mailing list
For insights on industry trends, and for details on special projects/events. We respect your time and your privacy.
Kelli’s monthly newsletters are her direct line of communication to clients and friends. Each edition includes a personal note, an overview of recent activities, book recommendations, and more.
Some past newsletters are included on this page. To become part of this community, and to receive the most current communications from Kelli, you can sign up by clicking the button below.
We’re thrilled to have you join us!
Search Resources
Topic Areas & Guests
Categories
Join our mailing list
For insights on industry trends, and for details on special projects/events. We respect your time and your privacy.