John Updike once said, “Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity…any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better.”

As I was reviewing the Top 50 Most Creative People of the decade in Ad Age, this quote came to mind.  I have learned, as Mr. Updike did, that being creative doesn’t necessarily mean you are the most artistic, but that you did your piece of the job better and in a new way than ever before.    The people featured in … read more

I recently decided that I wanted new cookware for my kitchen so I started the search for the best cookware.  My search started when I saw Julia Child’s kitchen in the new movie “Julie and Julia”.  I needed that kitchen! The staple cookware set in the movie was a brand called Le Creuset which I have seen many times at Williams-Sonoma for the astronomical price of $1,990.  I decided then and there to start saving for my dream cookware – the 12 piece set in … read more

Unless you are living under a rock, you have now heard about the 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti early last week.  As the death toll continues to rise, our thoughts and prayers turn to the small country and our day to day grumblings seem to lessen.  Our complaints about traffic and bills seem to disappear as we hear heartbreaking stories of loss and inspiring stories of goodwill.

Just like many of you, I looked for a meaningful way to help.  My time was limited and my credit card number … read more

Take a look at the YouTube video embedded in this post of an experiment conducted in Sweden.  In an effort to get more people to take the stairs, the experimenters developed a musical staircase, reminiscent of the giant keyboard in the late 80s film “Big.”  As a result, more people chose the stairs instead of the adjacent escalator. This got me thinking about the effect of fun on human behavior and how fun can impact our business strategy and, ultimately, our brand…. read more

My parents bought a Wii.  My parents who haven’t seen a video game since they bought my brother and I the original Nintendo in 1990. My parents who are approaching retirement, yes, they bought a Wii.  Not only have they bought a Wii, they use it.  They have created Mii’s for every member of the family and sometimes they call to let me know I just hit a home run or that they beat my husband and me in a doubles game of tennis.

Nintendo Wii, unlike any other gaming … read more