by Walt Carvalho

It’s quite amazing to watch the growth and abundance of ideas, once tools become commonplace in our society. We are becoming more and more mobile tech connected, with technical and human connection opportunities definitely on the rise. The status quo with their methods of operation, which they may have used for decades are now being challenged in a big way. Having your head in the sand pretending everything will be OK is probably not the best strategy in these changing times.

Smaller communities have used the model of “I will take care of you if you take care of me”. Although that is trustworthy and quite noble approach, there looms a great threat to that protection mechanism and it’s in the hands of the mobile app consumer.

An extensive period of comfort in their familiar method of doing business has caused a problem. For many of these business owners, their lack of awareness as to the magnitude of this new  market shift beginning to take place is placing them in a tough and maybe irreversible position. So many businesses today are ill equipped to compete with interactive online competitors.

The belief, even in smaller communities, that their customers share the belief of the business owners by remaining loyal (no matter what happens in a digitally enhanced marketplace) can prove to be a fatal observation.

Online relationships are necessary in today’s marketplace. They can produce rich interactivity as well as becoming a great communication environment for both businesses and their customers. It’s a great way for loyalty to grow despite the lure of new digital enticements.

The world of business today is an evolution of new ideas and technical innovation. It takes a sound online strategy for companies to set solid goals today to be able to stay abreast of the different opportunities and challenges which continue to evolve.

If your business has an ostrich mindset, you might want to reconsider its direction. It’s probably a good time to pull your head out of the sand and get busy getting yourself caught up with what your customers are already finding useful and exciting!

It’s time to build your very own, strong and vibrant online presence!

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo: Sean Hickin – Special thanks to Creative Commons

by Walt Carvalho

Sitting and listening to people share in a rich and productive environment fascinates me.

It seems that whenever people are given the opportunity to share dreams, ideas or life experiences in a discussion directed at the betterment of those attending, there appears that something quite special usually takes place. It’s the by-product of lessons learned, visions of great possibilities and the potential of achievement beyond previous comprehension. One of the group’s members says it’s like magic. Others share her feeling as well.

Our meetup group Reaching Full Potential has doubled in size by it’s second meeting. It’s attracted some truly remarkable people with a wide variety of skill sets. They are all willing to share and discuss great topics in a very open and free-flowing format.

There has been a lot of attention by television, internet and newspaper media sources placed on the negative aspects of recent economic trends. The members of Reaching Full Potential however, share a common focus of building on all of the opportunities, which exists today. This great steadfast mindset has been the driving force behind all of the innovative discussions so far. These group members are people who are determined to succeed and are willing to help others do the same.

Although I speak at the beginning of each meeting, I’ll also invite a guest, as I did with Jason Reedy at our last meeting, to speak as well. It’s a person who I feel has information, which is pertinent to helping the group succeed. The energy produced by the group following the talks has been phenomenal. I’ve enjoyed listening to great minds sharing great ideas.

Surround yourself with positive people. Achieve you dreams!

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo: nicola romagna Special thanks Creative Commons

by Walt Carvalho

I had the great opportunity once in my life to be able to walk beside some of the incredible sculptures and paintings created by the great renaissance artists Michelangelo and Rafael. That was an evening I’ll never forget.

A few years later I also had the opportunity to meet and listen to two great coaches, Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers and Bo Schembechler, former Head Football Coach for the University of Michigan. Both men shared insight and ways of thinking which gave me an appreciation of their depth and vision. There are some important lessons I’ve learned from all of them.

Many would say that trying to make a comparison between renaissance artists and modern football coaches is impossible. I totally disagree. They share a common bond that separates them from their peers. Each one of them reached a level of greatness not because of conforming to a template but instead their genius came from their originality.

Although Michelangelo used hammers and chisels for sculpting while like Rafael they used brushed and oils for their paintings, their brilliance truly came to light from their imagination, creativity and vision. Their tools simply assisted their ability to create.

So many men have walked fields with clipboards and whistles, Bill Walsh however designed teams to be where others weren’t. He broke the mold that all of the other teams were in. He demanded precision and perfection. His play calling thrived on uniqueness. He mastered the creation of open space in the game.

Bo Schembechler on the other hand was a man known for a gruff exterior with more Rose Bowl appearances than any other coach of his time. His strength however was his ability to be himself as a man who cared deeply about his players and their development as young men. His unique leadership created other leaders by osmosis. His teams success were the results of the unique bond and leadership he provided.

Social media success today is not a template activity either. It actually provides tools for people and business to flourish and prosper. It’s fertile ground for imagination and creativity to accomplish remarkable things. Just like the examples of those mentioned above, just having the tools is not enough. It’s combining and utilizing those tools with a creative strategy and a view of a larger picture.

Those who are willing to let go of old ideas and restrictions and make use instead, of the new opportunities surrounding them can accomplish great things today. These accomplishments are the result of not only our tools today but also our imagination, creativity and vision.

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo: lauren special thanks to flickr.com / creative commons

by Walt Carvalho

Your online presence is becoming an issue that is now determining your employment opportunities. It is one of the many ways in which things are changing around us. Human Resource personnel are now searching online to discover talent from such places as Linkedin, Razume, VisualCV, Emurse and Xing to name a few.

If you are in the creative field, you better get to posting! Behance.net hosts many individuals who’s work meets their standards. They display accomplishments from Art Directors, Creatives and Designers. Conventional resumes are sometimes overlooked by those looking for contemporary talent. Sites like Behance.net showcase the experienced as well as the up and coming artists who display a wide range of skills and vision.

If you haven’t noticed yet, we are moving into a mobile society based on digital communication and information. It’s transforming the way we’ve done things for generations, at a pace we haven’t witnessed before. It is no mystery why Apple has had such good earnings this last quarter, since they lead in the mobile communication and information arena. The iPad presents the tablet option, again, ease of use and visibility for the mobile digestion of information.

In comparison, July 20,1969 saw the first manned landing on the moon. That mission, Apollo 11, included an earth launch, a moon landing, a moon launch, three separate orbit paths and a re-entry. Today’s hand held iPhone is more versatile with greater memory than the onboard computer used on that mission.

Many in the business world hold on, waiting for the right time to make their move, at the same time, their competition has been building their online presence to meet the new needs of our changing society. One farmer plants his seeds while the other doesn’t.

The wheels have begun to turn. The new industry is made up of innovation, creativity and ideas. The rapid pace of mobile devices, the apps that run on them and the new experiences these devices enable will only make our world more mobile and informative than it already is today.

It’s time to plant your seeds for the harvest that this new industry will bring!

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo: Gant Robertson

by Walt Carvalho

I had the opportunity to participate in a wonderful experience last Thursday night. There were eight of us that got together as the inaugural group of the first meeting of Reaching Full Potential.

While being the speaker at our first meeting I decided to touch on a few previous articles, which I had written for the Carvalho Group website. I talked about history and how it relates to these times, I expressed the importance of finding your creative source which I feel lies between fear and comfort, I also spoke of the difficulties which historically always matched transitional periods in cultures. The focus however was what really lies before us. Opportunity is everywhere today and as we discover ourselves with an extensive look within, we can see the possibilities, which may have been unseen all this time.

I talked a little about the importance of finding whatever it is that makes you unique. We have such flexibility with the tools available today in this new era of information yet so many simply check into the Return Box (a term I use to describe rebuilding an old idea on a new platform, usually where people herd together instead of developing their unique self).

Finally I shared my belief that our perception of the workplace will change as people become more aware of their newly found independence. There is no coincidence as to the reason iPhones, Droids and iPads have sold at such a phenomenal rate.

The Information Age is upon us and it’s in full gear!

The group had a discussion following my twenty minutes of sharing. It was astounding!

I was amazed by the insight and candidness as to people related to each other with experiences they’ve had as well as dreams and ideas they share.

I was the speaker that evening yet left their feeling as though I had gained so much from those I had shared with. It was remarkable how such a diverse group in regards to professional experience, could relate in human terms to produce such insightful ideas.

I am very excited with what I’ve seen thus far. I can see this group accomplishing great things together.

We’re in it together Reaching Full Potential!

Get Creative. Get Social

Photo: Dedecek

by Walt Carvalho

We started a meet-up group on June 25th, 2010 called “Reaching Full Potential”.

It is a continuation of our website; theCarvalhoGroup.com, where we discuss the impact social media is having in our lives, as well as the potential it provides. There are many social media sites which talk strictly about social media tools. I feel the power of social media lies mainly in strategy and mindset while using the tools. Therefore; many of my articles deal with topics which are more diverse. That is the reason I invite others to join us with their own set of skills and experiences to build a network of opportunity and knowledge.

The launch of this meeting group has come about after writing many articles as well as having numerous discussions with readers, for which they felt many of these topics would make interesting and worthwhile discussions in a live meet-up venue. This combining of social media with live meeting venues should vitally enrich what we have started.

In the process of designing the format, I looked at many options. I think considering the situations many people are finding themselves in recently, a great option would be to create a network of people sharing their experiences to uplift others as well as giving them tools and missing skill sets to accomplish their own personal goals. The benefits of this alone could prove to be huge in many members ability to succeed.

This group is a meeting of individuals, which in turn will learn from, as well as be able to share with others. The members will potentially have an opportunity to become a speaker as well in this informational environment.

I would love to see a few innovative start-ups as well as personal success stories evolve from “Reaching Full Potential”. From talking with some of the people interested in participating, I see that as a definite possibility.

We are starting our meet-up group in Contra Costa County in the San Francisco region of California. Although all meetings will be held there for now, you may still become a member of the group to be updated on events as well as having a schedule of upcoming meetings which you may be able to attend in the future.

Please consider our invitation for you to join us.

You can visit our “Reaching Full Potential” site by clicking here.

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo:

by Walt Carvalho

Graduation ceremonies seem to all share common traits.

There are a lot of people in the audience that may say that graduation ceremonies almost always take way too long. Well, I guess if you spent three or four hours sitting on a hard seat while staring into the sun on a hot June day you would probably agree.

The other traits, however, is what I would like to talk about here.

Graduation ceremonies give us all a taste of relived youth. We sit with memories of friends from school as we listen to student’s speeches as they relate to the world they have been so deeply knitted into. We watch realizing from afar that although it’s a celebration of accomplishment, it is also the end of a society they have built. The day we celebrate is also the end of the group in general. From graduation day forward they head off in many different paths and directions.

Graduation Day also is a day of dreams and promise. It’s an open door to life. A new life.

It’s the belief that anything is possible. Although the ritual of receiving a diploma represents the end of a journey it also represents the freedom of choice from that moment on.

As students step off that platform with diplomas in hand they take with them all of their beliefs, convictions, dreams and hope. There future now has begun.

As time passes for many however, beliefs are challenged, convictions get persuaded, dreams are crushed and hopes are diminished. So much of what we believe we can do is transformed into a life of compromise.

Unfortunately, defeat can be easy, till it finally numbs your ability to dream.

Defeat however, doesn’t have to be a life long, life ending disease.

It can be cured by finding your niche. Rediscover those things that are specially yours.

Dream the dream. Stand by your convictions and believe in time all of your hopes will become reality.

Get Creative. Get Social.

Photo: sppdalum

by Walt Carvalho

Excitement usually grows as summer nears.

We’ve been sharing ideas dealing with social media, positive mindsets, creativity and inspiration with you. Now, we are introducing something new on theCarvalhoGroup.com. website leading into the summer.

We are very enthusiastic about our plans to bring some real life stories to you.

It’s about people, who even in rough times, figured out ways to succeed. It’s about thinking in creative ways to become unique. It’s about dreams and following them.

We look forward to sharing these stories with you.

Get Creative. Get Social.

by Walt Carvalho

It appears that commercials, television spots and movie trailers are finding tremendous growth, not only on television and movie screens but instead as their views drastically multiply through its positioning on the Internet.

The previous interruption-advertising model used for so many years, has based its value on viewer exposure through broadcast delivery methods. Example: consumer sits watching intended program, advertisers present thirty seconds of message (while interrupting the program), consumer absorbs the message, the advertisers job is done. Although creative at times, this method based it’s success on the premise that if enough people were exposed to the interruption message there would be enough action by a percentage of the viewers to deem it successful.

There is nowhere, where the premium of large television viewer absorption is more evident as during the broadcast of major sporting events. Brands pay huge amounts of money for there prime spots within these gala events.

The wise marketers however, plan for life after interruption.

The savvy brand marketers plan their strategy, not to end at the broadcast of these sporting events, but instead have it begin there. They understand the power that social video sites like vimeo and youtube possess. They’re wise in the creative design and direction of their video pieces. They think beyond the television spot, instead, they think of having it as a living entity where the ground shakes by the enthusiasm of the audience. It’s where the audience is no longer strictly the absorbing viewer, but instead, an active participant as well, with the ability to share the message with friends and family.

As videos live on social media sites they have the potential to reach huge audiences as their viewers continue to multiply. The ground shakers make that happen when they are presented with something of value to them, which they in turn share with others.

Video as a social media tool has become a very powerful ground shaking messenger.

Let it become yours.

Get Creative. Get Social.

photo: fodus empire

by Walt Carvalho

When it comes to strength building, there is nothing like flexibility.

In ancient eastern philosophy, flexibility was thought of in relation to the flow of water. As the river flows and bends, it doesn’t fight the rock or the shore, it simply flows by adjusting to what exists at the time. The river is always adapting to its course. The cascading stream finds it’s way, not through resistance, but instead it advances forward through flexibility.

In physical terms, flexibility can promote good health. One of the benefits of yoga is to provide ease of movement, preventing the body restrictions that normally come with age. Mobility allows freedom that restriction eliminates.

Living experiences have the potential in promoting rigid responses. Problems are usually solved, however, with a calm mind and the ability to adjust. Obstacles can magnify in the world of resistance.

The ways of doing things in the past have new additional possibilities today.

In business the river was straight, smooth and easy. Today it has numerous turns with obstacles at every corner. We are provided with a test of flexibility and the ability to flow with creative, new and exciting ideas. Succeeding in challenging times like these requires the ability to take advantage of the ever-changing current.

It’s time to stretch muscles, lubricate joints, and learn to be flexible again.

It’s time to take advantage of the river of opportunities that lies ahead.

Get Creative. Get Social.

photo: Alleh Lindquist