Sparkling wine, chocolate, pigs, and a man we would like to have dinner with…

…and not just because he looks like Robert Redford!

John Scharffenberger has a fascinating entrepreneurial story. He has been the founder and leader of 3 businesses (Scharffenberger Cellars – bought out completely in the mid 90s, Scharffenberger Chocolates – sold in 2006, and upcoming third venture focused on curated Iberian-like ham). Each of his businesses has focused making accessible American counterparts to exclusive international delicacies. He hasn’t sought to compete or replicate these international products but instead expand the number of people who enjoyed these like products.

Scharffenberger was recently profiled by Inc magazine writer Arthur Lubow in an article called "The Tastemaker" and another wonderful comprehensive piece was written in US News World Report in 2006. Both are an enchanting reads full of entrepreneurial lessons.

It seems that he has applied much of the same approach to each of the businesses: pursuit of a new idea, thoughtful tinkering to achieve product perfection, experimentation with several business models, tons of hands on involvement, (so far) using the Scharffenberger name, leveraging creative fund raising strategies among other things, and investing a tremendous amount himself.

But the stories are not without hiccups and challenges. His exit from the Scharffenberger Cellars serves as a cautionary tale of selling majority interests to larger companies and staying on. His partnerships in Scharffenberger Chocolate illustrate all the cliché pros and cons of partnership.

However, at the end of each venture (and each profiles mentions a handful of other entrepreneurial attempts and side ventures as well including EaglePoint Ranch Winery located on the Scharffenberger family ranch), Scharffenberger seems excited and determined to do it again. What an entrepreneur.

Food for Thought:

* How would you apply your same winning business technique to another venture?

* How are your business philosophy, mission, or vision transferrable to another venture?

* What lessons have you learned that would help you with your next venture?

Well Said - great example of company-to-customer communication

Yes, the publishing world is in turmoil. Newspapers and magazines are folding, journalists are shuffling to different positions, and the fate of each print publication seems to be up for debate. I have been admittedly more thoughtful about my magazine subscription renewals after my devastation over losing Domino and Conde Nast’s unwelcome substitution of Glamour in its place, but have continued to renew everything because I really want them to succeed and because I value their content tremendously.

Last week’s issue of Newsweek was an emotional one, I was initially distressed about the departure of Anna Quindlen and then I noticed "Reinventing Newsweek" a piece about the future of Newsweek and upcoming changes to the magazine. Bad news fatigue instantly made me suspicious but I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised! The article was written by Kathleen Deveny and was a terrific example of a company-to-customer communication.

Deveny did several things really well including:
* acknowledged the reality of the changing publishing industry
* restated newsweeks commitment to quality and reporting with integrity
* outlined the redesign that is soon to be launched
* reported how the changes have been designed to mirror customer feedback (more of this, less of that)
* indicated the requisite changes that will accompany the redesign (i.e. higher price, a more targeted audience)

Despite the higher subscription price, I am so pleased with this article. It is a well-articulated business case, which is equal parts reactive and proactive, focused on value, and grounded in strategic decisions. Even if you don’t read or subscribe to Newsweek flag this article as a great example to follow! We have!

Help An Entrepreneur Out?

Many of us are familiar with the fantastic PR lead email service, Help A Reporter Out, distributed by PR genius Peter Shankman. Help a Reporter Out (HARO) distributes about 100 free reporter requests per day!

Interestingly, we recently heard about HAEO, or Help An Entrepreneur Out, which distributes entrepreneurship Q&A as well as information on events and workshops hosted by entrepreneurs. It is free to receive the email and it is free to post your events, but most of the events have a registration or attendance fee. HAEO is an admitted copy of the HARO model and the emails look just about identical (though there is no single company sponsorship, instead it seems like there may be an opportunity to pay for your event/notice to appear in the first section labeled “featured”). The two men are very open about the similarity to HARO and talk about their initiative vis-à-vis HARO here.

We felt inclined to share this resource as many of you are always asking for great places to post your events and announcements, but we also wanted to garner some of your thoughts on this take-off.

* Do you think it is a good idea? Bad idea?

* In poor taste? Or totally fair game?

* Does the close modeling after HARO impact your thoughts about subscribing to HAEO?

Too Soon, Anna Quindlen

It has been a rough couple of days. A jam-packed week and then weekend and then a long Monday in NYC left me with an impossible to-do list and an over-crowded email box. To make matters worse, I woke up on Tuesday morning with a shooting pain in my neck that has left me pathetic for the last two days. (Most likely the pain was caused by splendidly face-planting in bed, exhausted, on Monday night and neglecting to move for 6 hours.) Still, on Tuesday, I was buoyed by the prospect of working from home and catching up on my reading. Then I got my latest issue of Newsweek in the mail. “Anna Quindlen’s Farewell” glared from the cover in bold letters. Crap. Not this. Not now.

For years I have privately consulted Anna Quindlen’s essays for pretty much anything that mattered. Social issues, politics, matters of policy and etiquette, and of course for issues of feminism and social equality. Her books have served as references for current events that came before me, and I regularly await her column to confer about the issues of today. (The time from Sarah Palin’s nomination to the time my next Anna Quindlen-penned Newsweek arrived seemed like eternity - Can You Say Sexist?.) I have long said that she is the one famous person I would choose to have dinner with if given the opportunity. As a younger woman who is stuck in the midst of GenY and GenX, Anna has been a critical source of wisdom for me. Her focus is always appropriately urgent, her tone measured, her perspective compassionate and insightful. Reading her pieces consistently leaves me feeling both confirmed and challenged.

So, magazine in hand, I quickly headed to my favorite chair to get the scoop. I skimmed the two page article, entitled "Stepping Aside", reading the first sentence in each paragraph and absorbing key words: Boomers, GenY, technology, step aside. This rationale’s skeleton annoyed me. The last thing I need is more GenY voices, and tech buzz, and self-centeredness. Who would be the voice of reason? Who would bring the relevant history to the critical issues of today? Would I respond to someone else’s call for action? Would anyone make them? Or would she just be replaced by another source of cheap political banter? Why do Boomers think that my generation doesn’t need them? (We do!).

I refused to be cut off. With a stroke of genius I decided to find her blog. She must have one, right? I have looked before so I knew that the answer was no. Or at least it had been. But now, surely, she will continue with a blog, right? Nope. Nothing. Nada. And what’s more, I was SHOCKED to learn that Anna Quindlen doesn’t even own annaquindlen.com (though it is a tribute site). As far as I could tell, no fan page, no my space, no blog, no website, no pipeline. Anna, where are you?

I spent the rest of the day thinking that it seemed unfair that at a time like this that such a positive voice and force was being taken away. There is so much turmoil and so much room for guidance. There is still need for Anna Quindlen. Why step aside? For who? I complained to my business partner and others who are close to me. Devastated was the word I used.

I’d say that my pouting has lasted the last two days (as has my neck pain by the way). But tonight I picked up the well- and frequently- skimmed article again and read it for real - slowly and thoughtfully, like it was written. And, of course, I was swayed. I don’t want Anna to be right, but she is with a message that is ever graceful and thoughtful.

She is right that her generation is “fighting aging to the death. Literally.” And she is right that my generation has created the online outlets where the action is, and not because anyone stepped aside for us, but because we made the space ourselves. And she is right that we are in a time of change and people need to consider what that means for them. And she is right that my generation holds a lot of very thoughtful, conscientious and wonderful people. And she is right that she has been speaking to readers for 40 years.

I hear her points, and she is convincing. Am I really surprised? I guess not. Bitter and disappointed, but I understand. And I am reluctantly up for the challenge of finding some new resonant voices. However, while I understand the significance of senior generations stepping aside, I believe that I have much to be gain from the women who have more experience than me, and so I am pretty sure that some of those new resonant voices will be Boomers all the same.

posted by Adelaide

Well Edited…

Recently, I have been giving thought to the concept of curating and how that applies to small business. Often, what is referred to as “well edited” is really about creating an experience. Tastemakers are those who are naturally endowed with curating and editing talents. They seem to effortlessly be able to cultivate an experience and a following.

It is tastemakers who are tasked with creating so many of the familiar experiences that we enjoy. Think about art, music, movies or fashion.

In art, you go see a show and the work that is selected and hanging on the wall is meant to make a statement. The curator hopes that by looking at the sum of the collection that you will a certain reaction. Editors for movies do the same. They choose from hundreds of hours of footage to piece together a story, so that when it reaches the theater you feel you are “experiencing” it.

Fashion is a classic opportunity to edit – think of your favorite store – it is your favorite because of how the buyer is “curating” the collection. You feel like they “get you and what you like” and you return to see what other things they have found for you.

In essence, curating makes things less overwhelming and allows a business owner to make a statement about who they are, what their business is about, and most importantly it allows them to connect more closely with their customer and cultivate a following. As a business owner, you are seeking a reaction, often in the form of a purchase or a client or repeat business. Your editing will help you attract your clients but also, find your community.

If you sell a product(s), re-examine your collection to see if it is well edited. Does it make sense to the consumer? Is it overwhelming and impacting your ability to close a sale?

If you have a service business, is your service offering clear? Do you offer too many services which are not “well edited” and may confuse your potential customer?

In either case, are you curating the experience you want your customer to experience? If the answer is no, then start editing!

posted by Amy

photo courtesy of Thistle&Clover

Great Business Case for Sleep

A recent Newsweek article, Sleep Now, Remember Later, underscored a couple really interesting takeaways about sleep and memory. I have always been pretty good about getting a healthy amount of sleep but this article helped to underscore the business benefits of doing so!

What we all know: Sleep is good. Our body tells us we need it by getting tired and starting to shut down. And our recommended daily dosage is about 8 hours.

But what is actually happening when you sleep? Why do we need it? How does it relate to our body? How does it relate to our minds?

When I get tired I start to forget things, I am less sharp, and my brain does not work the way it should. I go to sleep and wake up refreshed and clear headed (well, at least after coffee I am clear headed). Given these few pieces of data, you might think that your brain is resting when you are sleeping. Actually when you are asleep your body is resting but your brain is not. Your brain is really quite active.

Apparently, when you are sleeping your brain is, among other things, “down-loading” memories from the day to be stored in a more permanent place and making linkages between the memories of the day and other stored memories. This integration process often leads to those great aha! moments in either dreams or just after waking up. It also really gives credence to the phrase “let me sleep on it”. Basically our brains need us to shut down for a period of time each day to “make sense” of all that has happened. The article reports that for each 2 hours awake, we need approximately 1 hour of sleep.

The article also discusses that when we are sleep deprived we have a harder time hanging on to the positive emotions attached to memories that we do the negative ones. Perhaps this is because from an evolutionary perspective it was more important for us to imprint and record memories associated with fear or loss for protective purposes. However, in our modern day existence, this tendency sheds some light on why sleep deprivation can led to depression among other health problems.

This article served as an interesting prompt to reframe sleep as a time for mental processing and sorting reminder on why things that are so mentally taxing make you physically exhausted!

(image courtesy of prettyfnmess)

Here's to Avoiding Service Charges!

In line with our LookBook from last week (on the PixelHotel), we wanted to share another taken for granted concept that has turned convention on its head.

MiniBar in Amsterdam asks you to serve yourself! Upon entering you are given keys to 45 minifridges and given the green light to help yourself to all food and drink. It is unclear how the pricing works (hopefully it is not as exorbitant as hotel minibar pricing!!) and whether reservations are necessary but it is an interesting idea all the same.

What makes self serve so appealing? When would you want to use this service?

What other aspects about basic services and institutions do we take for granted? I believe we have heard of a restaurant where you are able to cook for yourself/ make it yourself...Anyone? Think this would work? Would you want to go?

Password Mania

"Your password must be 16 characters, include 1 letter, 1 symbol, and 3 characters, and mustn’t spell an actual word or have any resemblance to anything recognizable to you or others!"

Does trying to remember your various passwords to sites drive you crazy? Are you constantly requesting to change your password or user name, like us?

Welcome Clipperz! Clipperz is a fantastic resource that helps you to manage your digital life but storing all your passwords in one place online. You can even set it up so that Clipperz will automatically log in to sites for you. Store as many as you want and pay NOTHING! It is a free service. Of course, you do have to remember your Clipperz password in order to access the rest, but remembering one is not so bad!

Playing for Change

Check out Playing for Change, a project that seeks to connect people through music. Mark Johnson, the director of the project, travelled the world recording street musicians and singing the same songs and then created fantastic compilations, including this one of Stand By Me.

I found this video through a favorite blog: OneFloorUp - I always seem to learn about wonderfully interesting and different things thru them.

Time vs. Money

Thanks to the state of the economy we are all inundated with recession specials and discount pricing. In fact, many of us are loathe to buy something that ISN’T on sale. However, a new study from Stanford Business School entitled “The Time vs. Money Effect” learns that pitches that focus on the value of time are far attractive, enticing, and appealing than those that focus on money. The study, detail in the Wall Street Journal Article, Why Tie Marketing to Time Not Money, also seems to indicate that even post-purchase, consumers report about their belongings more favorably when prompted to consider their time and experience with the item rather than the value or monetary investment associated. This finding certainly seems worth taking into account when rethinking your marketing messages, pitch language, and promotions!

(photo courtesy of bluebicicletta's etsy shop).