Cliff Michaels's Blog

20 YEARS GO, I walked into a Manhattan deli. Robin Williams and Billy Crystal strolled in behind me. I looked at Billy and said, “You look Maaaahveous!” Billy winked at me. Then I turned to Robin and said, “Carpe Diem.” Robin smiled and said, “Carpe diem kid … make your life extraordinary!”

I was crushed by Robin’s passing this year (1951-2014). He was more than a comedy genius. As co-founder of Comic Relief, he also helped raise over $50 million dollars for the homeless. He was an iconic mentor and king of “The Crazy Ones.” He also navigated the comedy-actor gauntlet with unique aplomb. He was Mork, Garp, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire and psychologist Sean from Good Will Hunting. But if I had to choose one performance that struck us most, it was Professor Keating in Dead Poets Society (Best Original Screenplay in 1989). In that role, Robin pushed the Latin phrase “carpe diem” into our pop culture lexicon and inspired millions worldwide.

SPOILER ALERT: In 1990, I wrote the following review of Dead Poets Society. It reads as true today as it did then. Let’s all watch it again. Let’s SEIZE THE DAY!
To The Virgins

Dead Poets Society introduces us to a group of teenage boys attending elitist Welton Academy, a conservative prep school with a tradition of honor and discipline. On day one, the students meet their poetry teacher, Professor Keating (Robin Williams). In a powerful scene, Keating encourages the boys to “make their lives extraordinary.” He begins by asking a student to read a verse from a poem titled: To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time.

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a flying,

and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying.”

“The Latin term for that sentiment is carpe diem,” says Keating. It means, “Seize the day.” He then instructs the students to rip out the boring introductory pages of their textbook because the author suggests poems be rated on a mathematical scale. This offends Keating’s artistic soul. Keating then cajoles each student to stand on a classroom desk to illustrate that “the universe is wider than our view of it.”

Discovering an old yearbook, the boys soon learn that Keaton was once a member of a secret literary club called Dead Poets Society, whose members dared to live extraordinary lives. The boys decide to revive the club and embrace its carpe diem spirit.

Tragedy and Triumph

In a series of trips to a secret cave, the boys read from great poets and become inspired. Todd will find his sense of self worth. Knox will pursue the object of his affection. But when Charlie breaches school etiquette by submitting an anonymous article to the campus newspaper suggesting girls be admitted to Welton, he’s gone too far. The boys are soon threatened by the headmaster with expulsion but Charlie refuses to reveal the names of his fellow Dead Poet members.

When Keating hears that his students are in trouble, he tempers the carpe diem mantra with more fatherly advice:

“Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”

The boys must now come to grips with their actions and parents. In the film’s climax, Neil Perry, a student with a passion for acting, ignores his father’s instructions and takes the lead in a Shakespeare play. On opening night, Neil’s father discovers appears unannounced and withdrawals Neil from Welton in front of his peers. Mr. Perry tells Neil the next ten years will be spent studying medicine. Feeling hopeless under his father’s rule, Neil commits suicide.

Mr. Perry demands the Academy launch an investigation into Neil’s death intimating that Keating is to blame for planting seeds of independence in Neil’s mind. One by one, Neil’s classmates are shuttled into the headmaster’s office and threatened with expulsion if they don’t implicate Keating. Keating is fired without a hearing.

In the movie’s final scene, the headmaster is teaching from a boring poetry text as Keating stands at the doorway prepared to leave Welton forever. In a single act of loyalty, Todd stands on his desk and says to Keating. “Oh, Captain, My Captain.” It’s a verse from a Walt Whitman poem that Keating taught the boys on day one if they ever chose to address him with a bit of daring. One by one, half the class has the courage to stand on their desks in solidarity.

The headmaster screams, “Sit down!” But the boys have chosen to seize the day.

RIP Robin Williams

The post Virgins & Dead Poets > A Tribute To Robin Williams appeared first on Cliff Michaels.

Make Your Life Extraordinary!

RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)

A tribute to a fellow crazy one - By Cliff Michaels

20 YEARS GO, I walked into a Manhattan deli. Robin Williams and Billy Crystal strolled in behind me. I looked at Billy and said, “You look Maaaahveous!” Billy winked at me. Then I turned to Robin. I said, “Nanu-Nanu & Carpe Diem,” his catch-phrases as Mork from Mork & Mindy and Professor Keating in Dead Poets Society. Robin said, “Kid, make your life extraordinary. If you can’t do that, be funny. Nanu nanu and carpe diem to you!”

Like everyone, I was crushed by Robin’s passing. He was more than a comedy genius and Julliard actor. He was an iconic mentor to millions. He was King of The Crazy Ones … in a good way. He was insecure like all of us, yet he fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. As co-founder of Comic Relief, he helped raise over $50 million dollars for the homeless.

Robin navigated the comedy/actor/humanitarian gauntlet with unique aplomb and lunacy. After all, he was Mork, Garp, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire and sage psychologist Sean. But if I had to choose just one performance that echoes in my soul, it would be his role as Professor Keating in Dead Poets Society (DPS). The film won Best Original Screenplay in 1989 but it was Robin who pushed the Latin phrase “carpe diem” into our pop culture lexicon.

SPOILER ALERT:

In 1990, I wrote a review of Dead Poets Society. Like Robin’s life, DPS shockingly ends with a suicide. However, the entire movie, especially the inspirational final scene, affirms Robin Williams carpe diem spirit. Watch it again and BE INSPIRED!

 

To The Virgins

Dead Poets Society (DPS) introduces us to a group of teenage boys attending elitist Welton Academy, a conservative prep school with a tradition of honor and discipline. On the first day, students meet their poetry teacher, Professor John Keating (Robin Williams). In a scene for the ages, Keating encourages the boys to “make their lives extraordinary.” He also encourages them to think for themselves.

On the first day of school, Keating asks a student to read a verse from a poem titled: To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time.

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a flying,

and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying.”

“The Latin term for that sentiment is carpe diem,” says Keating. It means, “Seize the day.” Keating then instructs the students to rip out the boring introductory pages of a poetry textbook. The author suggests poems be rated on a mathematical scale, offending Keating’s artistic soul.

Keating’s third lesson of the morning challenges each student to stand on a desk at the front of the room to see the world from a new vantage point. As Thoreau wrote, “The universe is wider than our views of it.”

Discovering an old yearbook from Keating’s Welton days, the boys learn that Keating was once a member of a secret literary club called Dead Poets Society, dedicated to poets who dared to live extraordinary lives. The boys revive the club and embrace its carpe diem spirit.

Tragedy and Triumph

In a series of trips to a secret cave, the boys read from the great poets and become inspired. We soon learn their fears, foibles, and dreams. Todd is uncommonly shy with no path to break out of his shell until Keating shows him how. Knox will now pursue the object of his affection with romantic overtures inspired by Keating’s class. Determined to rock the boat, Charlie submits an anonymous article to the school newspaper on behalf of the Dead Poets Society, suggesting girls be admitted to Welton. Unfortunately, he’s gone too far and is threatened by the headmaster with expulsion for his prank. On his honor however, Charlie refuses to reveal the names of his Dead Poet members.

When Keating hears that his students are in trouble, he tempers the carpe diem mantra with this pearl of wisdom:

“Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”

The boys must now come to grips with their actions when defying rules, and in some cases, their parents. This is true for Neil Perry who has a passion for acting, a serious conflict with his father’s plans for him to be a doctor. In an effort to live his dream, Neil secretly takes the lead in a school play. When his father finds out, he pulls Neil from Welton and tells him the next ten years will be spent studying medicine. Hopeless under his father’s tyrannical rule, Neil commits suicide.

In denial over Neil’s death, Mr. Perry demands the Academy launch an investigation. One by one, Neil’s classmates are shuttled into the headmaster’s office, threatened with expulsion and forced to implicate Keating for planting the seeds of independence in the minds of his students. Keating is fired without a hearing.

In the movie’s final scene, the headmaster is teaching from the boring text Keating encouraged the boys to ignore. Keating stands at the doorway. In a daring display of solidarity, half the students look to Keating, and one by one they stand on their desks to say, “Oh, Captain, My Captain.” It’s a verse from a Walt Whitman poem that Keating taught the boys to use when a sense of purpose was called for. While the headmaster screams “sit down”, the boys have already seized the day in loyalty to Keating.

THANK YOU ROBIN

We cherished your maniacal humor and timeless wisdom.

You were a friend to all and will be dearly missed.

~ nanu nanu and carpe diem ~

The post RIP Robin Williams ~ Carpe Diem & Dead Poets appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.

Make Your Life Extraordinary!

RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)

A tribute to a fellow crazy one - By Cliff Michaels

20 YEARS GO, I walked into a Manhattan deli. Robin Williams and Billy Crystal strolled in behind me. I looked at Billy and said, “You look Maaaahveous!” Billy winked at me. Then I turned to Robin. I said, “Nanu-Nanu & Carpe Diem,” his catch-phrases as Mork from Mork & Mindy and Professor Keating in Dead Poets Society. Robin said, “Kid, make your life extraordinary. If you can’t do that, be funny. Nanu nanu and carpe diem to you!”

Like everyone, I was crushed by Robin’s passing. He was more than a comedy genius and Julliard actor. He was an iconic mentor to millions. He was King of The Crazy Ones … in a good way. He was insecure like all of us, yet he fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. As co-founder of Comic Relief, he helped raise over $50 million dollars for the homeless.

Robin navigated the comedy/actor/humanitarian gauntlet with unique aplomb and lunacy. After all, he was Mork, Garp, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire and sage psychologist Sean. But if I had to choose just one performance that echoes in my soul, it would be his role as Professor Keating in Dead Poets Society (DPS). The film won Best Original Screenplay in 1989 but it was Robin who pushed the Latin phrase “carpe diem” into our pop culture lexicon.

SPOILER ALERT:

In 1990, I wrote a review of Dead Poets Society. Like Robin’s life, DPS shockingly ends with a suicide. However, the entire movie, especially the inspirational final scene, affirms Robin Williams carpe diem spirit. Watch it again and BE INSPIRED!

 

To The Virgins

Dead Poets Society (DPS) introduces us to a group of teenage boys attending elitist Welton Academy, a conservative prep school with a tradition of honor and discipline. On the first day, students meet their poetry teacher, Professor John Keating (Robin Williams). In a scene for the ages, Keating encourages the boys to “make their lives extraordinary.” He also encourages them to think for themselves.

On the first day of school, Keating asks a student to read a verse from a poem titled: To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time.

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a flying,

and this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying.”

“The Latin term for that sentiment is carpe diem,” says Keating. It means, “Seize the day.” Keating then instructs the students to rip out the boring introductory pages of a poetry textbook. The author suggests poems be rated on a mathematical scale, offending Keating’s artistic soul.

Keating’s third lesson of the morning challenges each student to stand on a desk at the front of the room to see the world from a new vantage point. As Thoreau wrote, “The universe is wider than our views of it.”

Discovering an old yearbook from Keating’s Welton days, the boys learn that Keating was once a member of a secret literary club called Dead Poets Society, dedicated to poets who dared to live extraordinary lives. The boys revive the club and embrace its carpe diem spirit.

Tragedy and Triumph

In a series of trips to a secret cave, the boys read from the great poets and become inspired. We soon learn their fears, foibles, and dreams. Todd is uncommonly shy with no path to break out of his shell until Keating shows him how. Knox will now pursue the object of his affection with romantic overtures inspired by Keating’s class. Determined to rock the boat, Charlie submits an anonymous article to the school newspaper on behalf of the Dead Poets Society, suggesting girls be admitted to Welton. Unfortunately, he’s gone too far and is threatened by the headmaster with expulsion for his prank. On his honor however, Charlie refuses to reveal the names of his Dead Poet members.

When Keating hears that his students are in trouble, he tempers the carpe diem mantra with this pearl of wisdom:

“Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”

The boys must now come to grips with their actions when defying rules, and in some cases, their parents. This is true for Neil Perry who has a passion for acting, a serious conflict with his father’s plans for him to be a doctor. In an effort to live his dream, Neil secretly takes the lead in a school play. When his father finds out, he pulls Neil from Welton and tells him the next ten years will be spent studying medicine. Feeling hopeless by his father’s tyrannical rule, Neil commits suicide.

In denial and guilt-ridden over Neil’s death, Mr. Perry demands that the Academy launch an investigation. One by one, Neil’s classmates are shuttled into the headmaster’s office, threatened with expulsion, and forced to implicate Keating for planting the seeds of independent thought in the minds of his students. Keating is fired.

In the movie’s final scene, the headmaster is teaching from the boring text Keating encouraged the boys to ignore from day one. Keating stands at the doorway to say goodbye. In a daring display of solidarity, half the students look to Keating. One by one they stand on their desks to say, “Oh, Captain, My Captain.” It’s a verse from a Walt Whitman poem that Keating taught the boys to use when addressing him with a sense of purpose. While the headmaster screams “sit down”, the boys have already seized the day in loyalty to Keating.

 

THANK YOU ROBIN

We cherished your maniacal humor and timeless wisdom.

You were a friend to all and will be dearly missed.

~ nanu nanu and carpe diem ~

The post RIP Robin Williams ~ Nanu Nanu, Carpe Diem & Dead Poets appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.

For Your Giving Consideration

Of the 9 billion people on earth, 87% of us are blessed with food, shoes, shelter, education, medicine, and clean water. But somewhere, someone is suffering in ways we cannot fathom. A billion are hungry and homeless. Over 2 billion don’t have clean water. Just as many kids are at risk. Many are physically and emotionally challenged. There are communities without schools or books. We need urgent relief due to war, natural disasters, and diseases such as malaria to Ebola.

What’s Your Giving Pledge

The smallest contribution will change lives. Your $3 movement can feed starving babies or build schools. We can give away clothes. We can mentor youth. We can donate our time, money, products and services. So I’m challenging my friends around the world to give back even more than they already do. As one of my commitments, a portion of all proceeds from Cliff Michaels & Associates goes to global causes from cancer and the environment to kids at risk and animal rights.

I Pledge to Give Back by Learning Forward

I have a particular passion for changing lives through education. I think it’s the great equalizer, especially for students in need. So if you would like to join me in an education revolution, I’ll match your sponsorship with free training programs dedicated to careers, leadership. entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Just visit CliffMichaels.com and let me know how I can help a student, club or school in need.

Together, we make a difference.

Cliff Michaels

The post What’s Your Giving Pledge? appeared first on Cliff Michaels.

How lucky is 87% of the World?

Most of us are blessed with healthy food, shoes, shelter, education, medicine, and clean water. Over a billion people don’t have such luxuries. Kids are at risk. 1 in 7 are hungry. Millions are physically or emotionally challenged. There are communities without schools and schools without books. Disaster relief (War, Tsunamis, Hurricanes) and disease control (Malaria, Cancer, AIDS) are critical.

A Challenge to Make a Difference

Each of us can help others regardless of financial means. We can mentor youth. We can give away clothes. The smallest contribution of our time, money or resources will change lives. And to all my entrepreneur pals with products and services, please give until it hurts. Someone, somewhere is suffering in ways we cannot possibly imagine.

Giving Back by Learning Forward

With each sale at Cliff Michaels Academy, free books & courses are donated students and schools in need. If education is your passion and your school needs help, we have some free learning programs for you. If you or someone you know is in a position to sponsor a student or school in need, please contact us today!

Together, we make a difference.

Cliff Michaels

The post Giving Back by Learning Forward – Cliff Michaels Academy Mission appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.

Epic Lessons in Failure

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-Winning Lincoln is about a crusade to end slavery and Civil War in America. As a short period piece that focused on a tie of war, the film barely scratched the surface Lincoln’s arduous road to the White House. It’s a fascinating story every student, leader, and entrepreneurial thinker should know.

My first year in college, I stumbled on a book titled Decision in Philadelphia. It’s a dramatic non-fiction about the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention and the shortcomings of America’s Founding Fathers who failed to abolish slavery or provide for women’s rights. That failure would haunt the Union for two more centuries.

In the early-to-mid 1800’s however, long before he became 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln became a resilient, principle-centered leader who would ultimately abolish slavery and end a brutal Civil War.

Where did Lincoln’s resolve begin?

Lincoln was born to humble and tragic beginnings. His parents were uneducated farmers. At age 7, his family was forced from their home. His father was illiterate and his mother died when he was 9. His only sister died in childbirth a few years later. His grandfather was killed when Lincoln was 23. At 24, Lincoln went bankrupt. He spent the next seventeen years paying off debts to friends and colleagues.

As a young man, Lincoln failed in business and couldn’t get into law school. He is one of ten Unites States presidents who never graduated from college but studied law and became a lawyer.

In his 20s, Lincoln was twice defeated for state legislature. At 26, he was engaged, but his fiancé died. Lincoln had a nervous breakdown. At 33, he was married to Mary Todd. They had four sons but three died at ages 4, 11, and 18 (not uncommon in the 19th century for illnesses we easily treat today).

Lincoln’s professional career was equally turbulent. At 29, he ran for speaker of the state legislature and was defeated. Once elected to state legislature, he was defeated several times running for Congress. At 45, he ran for Senate and lost. At 47, he ran for vice president and lost. At 49, he ran for Senate and lost again.

In spite of all the setbacks, Lincoln pressed on. Then in 1860, age 50, he ran for president. He won and changed the course of history. Today, Lincoln is the most quoted and revered of Presidents, fondly remembered as a statesman and civil-rights leader. If not for his assassination in 1865, he no doubt had so much more to teach. But his arduous road to the White House provides his most enduring legacy…

Never quit. Failure is your friend.

The post Never Quit! Abraham Lincoln’s Greatest Legacy appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.

The epic story of Abraham Lincoln most people don’t know!

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-Winning Lincoln is an epic journey about one man’s crusade to end slavery and Civil War in America. As much as I love Spielberg’s work, the film barely scratches the 16th President’s arduous road to the White House. It’s a fascinating story every student, professional, and leader should know.

My first year in college, I stumbled on a book titled Decision in Philadelphia. It’s a dramatic non-fiction about the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention and the shortcomings of America’s Founding Fathers who failed to abolish slavery or provide for women’s rights. That failure would haunt the Union for two more centuries. In the early-to-mid 1800’s however, long before he became 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln became a resilient, principle-centered leader who could ultimately abolish slavery and end a brutal Civil War.

Where did Lincoln’s resolve truly begin?

Lincoln was born to humble and tragic beginnings. His parents were uneducated farmers. At age 7, his family was forced from their home. His father was illiterate and his mother died when he was 9. His only sister died in childbirth a few years later. His grandfather was killed when Lincoln was 23. At 24, Lincoln went bankrupt, but he spent the next seventeen years paying off debts to friends and colleagues.

As a young man, Lincoln failed in business and couldn’t get into law school. He is one of ten Unites States presidents who never graduated from college but he still studied law and became a lawyer.

In his 20s, Lincoln was twice defeated for state legislature. At 26, he was engaged to be married, but his fiancé died. Broken-hearted, he had a nervous breakdown. At 33, he was married to Mary Todd. They had four sons but three died at ages 4, 11, and 18 (not uncommon in the 19th century for illnesses we easily treat today).

Lincoln’s professional career was equally turbulent. At 29, he ran for speaker of the state legislature and was defeated. Once elected to the state legislature, he was defeated several times running for Congress. At 45, he ran for Senate and lost. At 47, he ran for vice president and lost. At 49, he ran for Senate and lost again.

In spite of all the setbacks, Lincoln pressed on. Then in 1860, he ran for president at age 50, won, and changed the course of history. Today, Lincoln is the most quoted and revered of Presidents, fondly remembered as a statesman and civil-rights leader. If not for his assassination in 1865, he no doubt had so much more to teach. But his arduous road to the White House provide his most enduring legacy…

Show grit and never quit. Failure is your friend.

The post Show Grit & Never Quit – Lincoln’s Legacy appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.

On Nov 22, 2011, a team of scientists at Facebook and the University of Milan released a study based on 721 million Facebook users. The study suggested 69 billion friendships could be formed by any two individuals connecting through just 4.74 acquaintances. Sounds like fuzzy math so I thought I’d explore the “separation theory” myself. Could it mean something more to modern innovators, game-changers, and social media mavens.

In 1967, a psychologist named Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment with 160 people in Omaha, Nebraska. It was seminal work that preceded the social media phenomenon. As part of his Harvard dissertation, Milgram asked participants to forward a package to a friend they believed could bring it closer to a stockbroker in Boston who was the subject of Milgram’s experiment. Each participant received instructions to mail a folder to a friend they knew on a first name basis. Each person passed along the same instructions, hoping an acquaintance might know Milgram’s stockbroker. Milgram tracked progress through return postcards in each letter. There was an average of “six degrees of separation” between the original sender and the recipient in Boston who received the package. Sound familiar?

Kevin Bacon’s 6 Degrees

In 1990, an American playwright named John Guare wrote a Pulitzer-Prize nominated play titled Six Degrees of Separation. It was inspired by a real-life con artist named David Hampton. The 1993 movie based on Guare’s play starred a young Will Smith as the lead protagonist. The story proposes any two of us are connected at most by five others.

In 1994, actor Kevin Bacon joked in an interview that he seemingly worked with everybody in Hollywood; or at least someone who worked with someone. The social buzz exploded that year when four college students invented a party game called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. They began speculating on the number of films Bacon had appeared in and how everyone was connected to the famous star one way or another. The students then wrote a letter to talk-show host Jon Stewart, telling him Kevin Bacon was the center of the entertainment universe in their “silly party game.” Soon after, the students found themselves on The Jon Stewart Show explaining the concept. A book and trivia game were released and “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” became a cultural juggernaut.

In 2007, Bacon also formed a non-profit called SixDegrees.org. His organization teamed up with a popular charity hub called Network for Good to power a website that linked users to over a million charities. Great concept. But I can’t help but wonder if we can improve on 6 degrees … maybe even lower the 4.74 degrees in the Milan-Facebook study?

Is 3 Degrees the New 6 Degrees?

The recent ALS Ice Bucket Challenge inspired millions of people to dump a bucket of ice on their heads to bring awareness to a debilitating disease called ALS (aka Lou Gherig’s disease). You shot a home-brewed video of yourself calling out three friends on Facebook or Twitter (maybe even 3 clubs or companies) and the frenzy began. Results? ALSA.org raised over $30 million dollars in just a few summer months of 2014 compared to less than a few million dollars in 2013 for the same period. People who had no idea about ALS didn’t want to miss the social train. Even those who didn’t donate supported the movement. In turn, ALS and other charities were rewarded with funding and global awareness. This begs a question: “Is the paradigm shift for social impact this simple? A Change Maven would say, “THE SHIFT ALREADY HAPPENED.”

What’s a Change Maven?

The average entrepreneur is not a boat rocker. He or she takes minimal startup risk to compete in an existing market the same way competitors do. Change Mavens on the other hand are disruptive innovators. They push the envelope and try something new. We know some of these mavericks as The Crazy Ones featured in the famous “Think Different” Apple commercial (Gandhi, Ali, Parks, Picasso, Earhart, Dylan, Dr. King, Jobs). They are the misfit pioneers in art, music, sports, science, medicine, business, civil rights, and education.

Chaos & Challenge in a Connected World

Now that the world is hyper-connected through social media, the biggest causes are harder to ignore, regardless of political, religious, or social positions. While 87% of us have access to food, shoes, shelter, education, and medicine, over a billion people are hungry, homeless or physically and emotionally challenged. Over 2 billon people don’t have clean water. There are communities without schools and schools without books. Our collective battle is as much against disease, disaster relief, and kids at risk, as it is with terrorism or dysfunctional governments. And the world is watching more than ever on Twitter, and Facebook as much as CNN.

Are You a Change Maven?

Making a difference and making money has never been easier. A kid maven can start a lemonade stand for a local cause and friends across the globe will know instantly. Education mavens can teach anytime, anywhere through 24/7 e-learning. A lending maven can help small entrepreneurs in third-world countries with micro-loans as little as $25. In other words, personal, professional and community impact are no longer the start-up challenge they once were. In a socially conscious world of tech savvy Millenials, Change Mavens can also be Average Joe or Plain Jane. They don’t need to be genius outliers. A passion behind a worthwhile movement has already proven that purpose can be just as strategic as profit motive.

Gone are the days where success or ability are measured strictly in terms of money. Corporate responsibility is the new paradigm according to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. “If you’re not giving back to the communities you serve, you’re not building a sustainable business model in the 21st century,” says Schultz. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh echoes the sentiment with core values that “Deliver Happiness” to employees and customers. TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie spearheaded a 1-for-1 movement that encouraged individuals and companies to always give something back (with each sale, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need). Similarly, Cliff Michaels Academy provides free books and e-courses on life skills, leadership, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship to students and schools in need worldwide.

If you’re a Change Maven who believes in social impact, you don’t think in terms of “What’s in it for me?” You think in terms of “What’s sustainable for you and me?” You’ll join forces with leaders who share similar mission, vision, and values. You might bring together three like-minded students, teachers, or club presidents from different schools. You might challenge 3 competitive CEOs to fight for a common cause like cancer or the environment. You may even help three charities work together for a global event where the sum of their teams is greater than their individual parts.

Clearly, Change Mavens don’t need to be celebrities or social media moguls to launch powerful movements. The right movement with the right message attracts high-profile messengers. Meaningful movements can also generate huge profits and that’s a big part of the paradigm shift too. So find your 3 degrees of social impact, and don’t be afraid to make money while making a difference. If you can do that, there’s a good chance you’re already a Change Maven!

Cliff Michaels Academy Giving Mission – CliffMichaels.com

With each sale, we give FREE books & e-courses to schools & students in need.

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In The 4 Essentials of Entrepreneurial Thinking, I wrote a chapter on famous failures, highlighting one of my first mentors, Thomas Edison. Ranked #1 in Life Magazine’s hundred people who “made the millenium”, Edison wasn’t just a visionary inventor with over a thousand patents. He was the founder of fourteen companies and in every sense of the word, an entrepreneurial thinker who taught us that limitations inspire innovation.

In my study of Edison, I soon learned that there were few people who didn’t fail big before achieving success. But there’s a difference between those who fail and those who learn from experience. This was our greatest gift from Edison. After all, he didn’t invent the light bulb. He made it long lasting after countless experiments. He didn’t invent marketing but he understood the importance of solving a need. Technically deaf, he wasn’t born with a silver tongue but was certainly famous for quotes.

“I have not failed. I have discovered 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Ready … Set … Whoops?

In high school, I failed a chemistry exam and a friend called me “Edison.” Knowing nothing about the famous inventor, I made a trek to the library assuming he was a gifted scientist. Boy was I wrong. 

Edison was the youngest of seven children who didn’t learn to speak until he was almost four. He was a hyper and inquisitive kid like me, and so disruptive, that an early teacher told his mother he was “too stupid to learn anything.” She opted for home-schooling. Edison was not only considered dumb and dyslexic at an early age, he was technically deaf by his teenage years. His groundbreaking research in sound recordings with a hearing impairment was possible by inserting a piece of wood between his teeth in order to listen to vibrations. 

“Deafness has its advantages.” said Edison. “My own deafness enables me to

concentrate my thoughts  as I’d never be able to do if distracted by noise and conversation.”

His limitations clearly became his greatest assets. Today, insight to Edison legacies such as the phonograph, electric automobile, and long-lasting light bulbs, can be found through the Edison Innovation Foundation where his personal letters and company records still exist. From his factory of workers, thousands of notebooks were discovered, documenting everything from inventions to business theories and marketing ideas. At the core, we find a system of intelligent failure and resolve. And in his whimsical quotes, we find oceans of inspiration.

“Hell, there are no rules here … we’re trying to invent something.”

Edison was known to dance when experiments failed, working into the night with teams who shared his passion. We see the same principles in highly innovative corporate cultures who compete in the 21st century. So whether you’re a student, artist, tech wiz, small biz guru or global leader, the Edison thinking model proves that limitation is your inspiration for innovation.

This blog is from a chapter in The 4 Essentials of Entrepreneurial Thinking

Essential 1, Skill 7 – Never Quit – Failure is Your Friend (also see blog on Abraham Lincoln)

The post The Genius Gift of Thomas Edison – Limitation Inspires Innovation appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.

In The 4 Essentials of Entrepreneurial Thinking, I wrote a chapter on famous failures, highlighting one of my first virtual mentors, Thomas Edison. Ranked #1 in Life Magazine’s hundred people who made the millenium, Edison wasn’t just a visionary inventor with over a thousand patents. He was the founder of fourteen companies, including General Electric. He was, in every sense of the word, an entrepreneurial thinker.

Case in point, Edison didn’t invent the light bulb. He made it long lasting. He didn’t invent marketing but he understood the importance of solving a need, then branding a solution. He was equally famous for quotes on perseverance:

“I have not failed. I have discovered 10,000 ways that wo’t work.”

I realized from Edison there were few people who didn’t FAIL BIG before achieving success. I was no exception. The memoir portion of my book chronicles what I did right and what I learned the hard way. But there’s a difference between those who fail and those who learn from experience. That was the true genius of Edison.

Ready … Set … Whoops?

Im high school, I failed a chemistry exam and a friend called me “Edison!” Knowing nothing about the coy reference, I made a trek to the library. I soon learned that Edison was the youngest of seven children who didn’t learn to speak until he was almost four. He was also a hyper and inquisitive kid like me, and so disruptive, that an early teacher told his mother he was too stupid to learn anything. Confident in his abilities, she opted for home-schooling. I soon embraced this kindred spirit and fellow trouble maker as a mentor.

Fail » Learn » Try again.

Learning from failure is what I gained most from Edison but it was his back story that enabled me to understand his true grit. After all, Edison was not only considered dumb and dyslexic at an early age, he was technically deaf by his teenage years. How was he able to create groundbreaking research in sound recordings with a learning challenge and hearing impairment? Turns out he used a piece of wood between his teeth to listen to vibrations. Genius!

“Deafness has its advantages.

My own deafness enables me to concentrate my thoughts

as I’d never be able to do if distracted by noise and conversation.”

His limitations clearly became his greatest assets. Insight to Edison legacies such as the phonograph, electric automobile, and long-lasting light bulbs, can easily be found through the Edison Innovation Foundation or the vast museum that houses his personal letters and company records. In fact, from his factory of workers, thousands of notebooks were discovered, documenting everything from inventions and business theories to marketing ideas. And at the core, from Edison’s own words, we find a system of intelligent failure and resolve.

 

“To invent, you need a pile of junk. Hell, there are no rules here … we’re trying to invent something.”

 

Edison was even known to dance when experiments failed, working well into the night with teams who shared his passion. We see the same principles in highly successful innovation cultures who compete in the 21st century — they must be willing to not only fail, but reinvent themselves on occasion as entrepreneurial thinkers and marketeers.

Whether you’re a student, creative artist, tech wizard, small biz guru or global leader, the Edison model proves that failures can be groundbreaking. You simply have to believe first that failure is your friend.

Footnote: I recently met Edison Innovation Foundation, Chairman John Keegs, who shared the latest book on Edison and amazing history of archives at the museum collections of Thomas Edison National Historic Park in West Orange New Jersey. If you’re an Edison fan, you have to go! The tour includes his residence and your entrepreneurial mind will thank you!

This blog is from a chapter in The 4 Essentials of Entrepreneurial Thinking

Essential 1, Skill 7 – Never Quit – Failure is Your Friend (see also blog on Abraham Lincoln)

The post Failure is Your Friend: The Genius of Thomas Edison appeared first on Cliff Michaels Academy.