Rana wants to upgrade you. As CEO of The Creative Class Group and author of the best-seller “Upgrade, Taking Your Work and Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary“, Rana Florida knows how to pump originality into the every day. She’s upgraded business development, marketing and global operations for the likes of BMW, Converse and Johnson & Johnson. Today she shares 8 things that make her smarter, from jet-setting iPhone apps to her favorite wireless gadgets.
Virtually all of the published research on the subject shows that most economic development incentives are a senseless waste of taxpayer money. My own analysis found no connection between incentive dollars spent per capita and such measures of economic success as wages, incomes, human capital levels or unemployment.It’s time to put an end to incentive madness once and for all.
As CEO of the consulting firm Creative Class Group and author, Rana Florida thinks outside the business attire box.
Starting with just $150,000 in venture capital and a $50,000 line of credit, Warby Parker has emerged as a fashion giant, selling over a million pairs of designer eyeglasses. More than that, it’s made the world a better place, donating an equal number of eyeglasses to needy people in the developing world while maintaining a net zero carbon footprint — and earning a substantial profit for its investors. I sat down with co-founders Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa in their New York headquarters and talked to them about start-ups, risk-taking, collaboration, creativity, and entrepreneurialism.
If you are afraid to ask for a raise, you are not alone. Most people, no matter how self-confident they are, feel quite anxious about this issue. But good work should be rewarded and most companies know that great talent is hard to come by and turn over costs are expensive. If you’re doing an outstanding job, your bosses will do what it takes to keep you. All that you need is a plan. Here’s one you can carry out in ten easy steps.
Richard Florida’s The Creative Class and Economic Development most read article during July 2014.
The Creative Class video series celebrates innovative creators across disciplines. This week features Bob Ezrin, one of the most commercially successful producers of all time. He’s worked with many of the world’s most important contemporary artists including: Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, U2, Peter Gabriel, Deep Purple, KISS, Jay-Z, Julian Lennon, Nine Inch Nails, Taylor Swift, K’naan, will.i.am, Elton John, Lou Reed, Rod Stewart and many others.
We all need to change our mindset and get up off our behinds. Whether your office is in a suburban industrial park, an urban skyscraper, or in your own home, it’s slowly but surely killing you. Be sure to schedule your next meeting as a walking one.
August is the most popular month for summer vacations, and if you are lucky, you have some friends who will invite you to visit them at their beach house, their mountain cabin, or their lakeside get-away. Before you accept their invitation, please make sure you’ve mastered these simple rules for house-guest etiquette, especially if you want to increase your chances of being invited again next year.
