AchieveMax® Blog

Are you creative?

The answer is a definite “NO” from 90% of those asked!

How accurate is that answer? Not very!

Are those who answered lying? Not at all!

The majority of people today honestly don’t believe that they’re the least bit creative. Yet, that opinion is disproved almost daily. Some of the most creative and productive ideas on record have originated from the most unassuming people in the organization.

Consider the following examples:

• The McDonald’s “Happy Meal”
• The UPS “Right Turn Strategy”
• The Nike waffle iron sole for running shoes
• The dial telephone invented by an undertaker
• The Birdseye Frozen Food quick-freezing process

These are just a few of the many breakthrough ideas which have changed our way of life in this country. The opportunities abound. Most are simplistic in nature. They’re all around us and continue to surface daily. We simply credit their discovery to those who are more creative than we are … which is usually untrue. The credit actually goes to those who are curious, confident, eager to expand their comfort zones and unafraid to take calculated risks.

Here’s another perfect example:

In 1991 a group of investors came up with a novel idea. After the NCAA championship basketball game between Duke and Kansas in Indianapolis, they invested $65,000 to buy the floor on which the final four games were played. That was a “calculated risk”! Would you have gambled on such an idea?

They then cut this brand new basketball floor into 22,000 little pieces. These investors then sold those little 6×5 pieces of floor to 22,000 loyal fans as souvenirs for $24.95 each. This creativity turned their $65,000 investment into $548,900 in less than one week! A profit of more than half a million dollars in one week!

Again, those opportunities are everywhere and we need to recognize them and take action. So, keep your eyes open, unleash your imagination, and be open to new concepts, strategies, products and services. Be one of those “creative minds” who continuously changes the world we live in!

Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

The ingenuity of the American entrepreneur never ceases to amaze me! The tougher times get for our country financially, the more creativity and innovation surface to cope with it. The tenacity of our great people is unequaled anywhere in the world.

John Deere is credited with the phrase, “Find a Need and Fill It” … but two men from the Holland, Michigan, area are credited with taking it to heart in a way which satisfies a lot of boaters and just may prove to be very profitable for themselves.

The two friends have created a very simple Hot Dog Stand on Pontoons. They bought a 1976 25-foot pontoon boat and 50-horse Johnson outboard last winter and have been busy rigging it with a stainless steel grill, steam tables, and a full-sized refrigerator and freezer—and the generator to run them.

They painted the pontoon and fitted it with 15-foot flags from the stern shouting “ice cream” and “hot dogs.” They recently hit the waters of Lake Macatawa, not far from Lake Michigan. They sell hot dogs, bratwurst, chips, ice cream, pop and water to boaters who pull up to order or call ahead. They’ll be able to pull up to people’s docks, as well, although Coast Guard regulations won’t allow any customers onboard.

They said they ran the gamut of official OKs, from Coast Guard to sheriff’s department to health department to townships.

Meanwhile, the two are keeping their day jobs. They plan to be open for drive-through, weather permitting, 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, likely with extended days and hours on holiday weeks.

Personally, this venture makes so much sense that I struggle to understand why it hasn’t been attempted on every lake in the U.S. to some degree. It’s a great money-maker for those who initiate such a venture but also great for all of those who are served! Good luck, gentlemen and congratulations for thinking “out-on-the-lake”!

Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I lost both of my parents at a relatively young age. I sometimes smile at the thought of them returning for a single day to sit and chat in the comfort of my home. I am totally overwhelmed at the speculation of trying to bring them up to date on the many changes which have taken place in just the past 20 years alone!

Can you imagine trying to explain even one of the following concepts to someone who’s totally unaware: cell phones, e-mail, GPS, iPods, Blackberries, Kindles, HDTV-TV, Wii, Facebook, Google, eBay, printing photos at home, spray on lawns, TV signals from a satellite, square watermelons, computer dating, indoor ski resorts in the desert, dinner in the sky, robotic surgery and the list goes on and on.

Well, now we have something new to add to the list. I remember fondly sitting at our kitchen table as a child helping my mom cut out grocery coupons from the daily paper. She had a file box in which she filed the coupons alphabetically. It was a weekly tradition which I enjoyed as Mom and I chatted light-heartedly as we clipped our way to savings on our grocery bill.

Well, that’s now coming to an end with the advent of electronic coupons. Who would have ever “thunk”?

Here’s how it works. Free coupons load directly to your participating grocery store savings card, so there are no paper coupons to lose or forget.

Shortcuts.com electronic coupons are a convenient way to save money at the grocery store. Free coupons load directly to your participating grocery store savings card, so there are no paper coupons to lose or forget.

There are just three steps to free coupon savings:

• Register your grocery store saving card.
• Select the grocery coupons you want.
• Swipe your card at the checkout and the coupon discounts are deducted automatically.

Save paper. Save time. Save labor.

If you’re still looking for more ways to save, there are actually thousands of electronic coupon sites you can choose from. Typing “(the store name) coupon” into Google will likely yield you thousands of hits, but not all coupon sites are the same. Some sites have a limited supply of working coupon codes and are a total waste of time. Others force you to weed through advertisements to find what you want.

Here are five sites to look for coupons and what makes them so great:

1. RetailMeNot.com: This site takes a community-based approach to electronic coupons. Users supply feedback about whether or not a coupon code worked and if there were any strings attached to the offer. Under each coupon the site displays stats on the success rate. This makes it easy to tell which coupons are worth trying and which are not. Many of the coupon codes listed are also user-submitted. Unfortunately, many larger retailers have requested user submissions blocked for their sites.
2. CouponCabin.com: This site monitors more than 1,200 online stores and has a wide selection of electronic coupons. The staff updates the directory three times a day, so most of the coupons are current. Users can receive a weekly e-newsletter on Mondays to see the best deals for the coming week. In addition to electronic coupons, CouponCabin also offers printable coupons and grocery coupons as well.
3. FatWallet.com: This site has more than 800 merchant partners and features both coupons and a cash back opportunity. Like all coupon sites, Fatwallet.com earns commission from stores for the purchases its users make. Unlike other coupon sites, FatWallet.com will share part of that commission with you. For example, FatWallet.com makes a 3% commission on Orbitz.com sales. That’s $15 on a $500 trip. To reward customers, a portion of that commission is transferred into customer accounts and paid out as cash.
4. CouponMom.com: This site features an easy-to-use interface so you can find the coupons you want faster. Besides online coupon codes, you can also get grocery coupons, restaurant coupons and free samples. Users can sign up for e-mail alerts to notify them when new coupons are posted for their favorite stores.
5. BradsDeals.com: This site has a slick design with virtual coupons complete with dotted cutout lines. There are sections for top deals, newest deals, online coupons and printable coupons. Additionally, BradsDeals informs you on the homepage which deals are about to expire so you don’t miss out. At BradsDeals you only see current offers and don’t have to sort through a lot of useless information.

There are many, many more options for you to choose from if you have the time to browse the Internet. It’s apparently well worth your time and effort to do so.
Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

You’d better sit down for this one. It’s amazing how creative juices flow when times get tough! It’s just sad that it takes tough times to initiate the flow. The following information should encourage you to pursue any and all creative ideas you may have been pondering but kept to yourself thinking they may have been a bit eccentric.

NOTHING is too far fetched today!

Lansing is Michigan’s capital city. Decades ago, the city’s downtown business area was a thriving metropolis. Then, like so many other downtown areas, it soon resembled a ghost town … no theaters, few restaurants and hotels, very little entertainment, and very little major retail. In short, no reason to go downtown.

Then, 15 years ago, they brought a minor league baseball team to town, building one of the largest state-of-the-art Class A Minor League baseball parks in the United States … currently seating 11,000 eager fans. If you could see that ball park today, you’d swear it was built last month. They’ve done a wonderful job of maintaining and enhancing that facility every year.

Even more exciting is that you can buy a ticket to a ball game for less than it costs to park your car for a Detroit Tiger baseball game. General Admission is only $8 per person. Then the prices skyrocket to $9 for a reserved seat and $10 for a box seat! This is affordable family entertainment and the caliber of play is unequaled. This beautiful structure also offers 20 luxury suites.

Due to the fact that the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors, then located in Lansing, purchased the initial naming rights for the stadium, they called it “Oldsmobile Park” and named the team “The Lansing Lugnuts.”

The team was a Class-A Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, later switching to the Chicago Cubs and currently the Toronto Blue Jays.

This is where the story gets both interesting and very creative. Oldsmobile is no longer a GM brand and, last July, the automaker broke the contract with the Lugnuts during its bankruptcy reorganization. The Lugnuts began an immediate search for someone interested in purchasing the coveted naming rights.

It certainly didn’t take long. The Thomas M.Cooley Law School, the largest law school in the United States and also located in Lansing, paid a whopping $1.5 million to rename the facility the “Cooley Law School Stadium.” THAT’s generating additional income. But wait … the Lugnut owners certainly don’t stop there.

This week they announced that they have also sold naming rights to the actual baseball field inside the stadium! Jackson National Life Insurance Company, an indirect subsidiary of Prudential plc (a company incorporated with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom) has purchased the naming rights of the field for the next 11 years! The price was not disclosed. Jackson National Life Insurance Company is an industry leader offering life insurance and institutional products in 49 states and the District of Columbia. They have agreed to donate $100 to one of a variety of Lugnut charities every time the home team hits a home run throughout the entire season!

How long will it be before they sell the naming rights to first base, second base, third base, home plate, the pitchers mound, the dugout, each individual baseball bat and each of the 11,000 seats within Jackson Field situated inside the “Cooley Law School Stadium”? WHEW!

This isn’t exactly a new concept. I wrote a blog article earlier in the year identifying 26 various football bowl games that have now sold their naming rights. While I certainly understand the logic behind such a move, preparing to attend the MAACO Las Vegas Papajohns.com Bowl just isn’t the same as going to the Rose Bowl game!

However, seeing an annual increase in this sort of creative advertising certainly encourages one to pursue just about any unique concept which may come to mind. Go for it!

Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

At any given time, you can find dozens of books on the subject of creative thinking in most any book store. Theories, principles, and strategies galore can be found to assist you in the enhancement of your creative potential. While these methods may very well achieve what they claim, we often overlook extraordinary resources much closer to home. All we have to do is be a bit more attentive to what and who we often take for granted.

There is much to learn from the simple observation of those we come into contact with daily. Here’s a short video that some might think focuses on a simple paper airplane. Actually, it’s about a young 6th grade boy who has learned in his short life span how to open his mind to new concepts, how to take simple calculated risks, and how to avoid the possibility of negative peer pressure in hopes of discovering new frontiers. The innocence of youth should be added to our list of creative resources.

Watch Jeff amaze his friends as he easily wins a paper airplane flying contest in a way most of us would never consider. In fact, some of us may even tell Jeff that his new approach can’t possibly work or that it’s against the rules. Rules are changing every day as the demands of our chaotic environment increase greatly and much faster than ever before. Are you willing to think out of the box as Jeff did? Your decision to do so could well be the decisive factor in your future success or failure. Take a look …

Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Let me get right to the point! What you see here is a simple garage door cover—a printed tarp made to attach to your garage door to make it look as if it’s actually showing the interior of your garage and what’s in it. The owner of this particular garage doesn’t own a boat … but you might think otherwise as you drove by his house.

If you’re not interested in a boat, you have your choice of dozens of other unique choices … a full-size race car, a giant dog, stacks of gold bars, a robot, a band room, a family room complete with fire place, a monstrous alligator, a sandy beach, a stealth jet airplane, a disco, a wine seller, a military tank, a locomotive, a semi-truck, a road grader and the list goes on and on. You can also send in your own image to be reproduced. You can use these covers as a mural inside your home or even add the look of wallpaper to enhance any room.

Each garage door cover retails for anywhere from $199 to $399 based on the subject you choose and the size you need (double door available). There are many manufacturers of this product so you certainly have a large variety of subjucts to choose from. Simply go to Google.com and type in “crazy garage door covers.” Here is one of those sites that will give you an idea of what’s available.

Consider the number of ideas you’ve witnessed over the years that caused you to think: “I could have come up with that!” The point is …. you didn’t! You could have—you had access to the same education, experience, and resources as everyone else. It’s just that someone else acted before we did.

Look around you—unlimited resources. Get creative, brainstorm, think positive, take action and make a difference!

Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

You might want to sit down for this one. This story is a cross between creativity and change. A powerful combination to be sure! Millions of dollars in ads, just as many tickets and fines, and far too much time and effort have fallen short in the never-ending campaign to get us to buckle our seat belts—a short and simple act that can and does save lives every day!

The increased probability of surviving a car crash hasn’t persuaded enough South Carolinians to buckle up, so the state’s highway patrol has turned to a more reliable incentive: Chick-Fil-A coupons.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol recently started rewarding free chicken sandwich vouchers to seat-belted drivers in three counties around Charleston. So far, officers have distributed 1,200 coupons.

But the coupons aren’t reserved for do-gooders. Officers typically size up drivers for seat belt use when they’re pulled over for moving violations, which means a South Carolinian caught speeding could end up with points on his license, a hefty fine, increased insurance premiums and a hand-breaded boneless chicken breast on a buttered bun.

Officers are also giving out coupons at seat belt checkpoints, and one officer reports he’s gotten into the habit of rewarding coupons to drivers who pull into gas stations with their seat belts buckled.

The program seems to be working: Local police officers say drivers, obviously aware of a seat belt’s worth, are now demanding Chick-Fil-A coupons when stopped.

The Highway Patrol hopes to take the program statewide next year.

South Carolina has lost 394 people on its roadways from not wearing their seat belts. Now citizens know the South Carolina Highway Patrol wants you to wear your seat belt, and Chick-Fil-A wants you to eat more chicken. It’s obviously a win-win-win situation, and it appears to be working. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

So many times we have the potential to solve the problems and/or challenges which face us daily. We simply don’t tap that potential by taking just a moment to pause and consider our many options. It’s also important to realize that common sense can often be as creative and productive as a higher education. Here’s a perfect example:

Son Helps Father Plant Garden

An old man lived alone in the country. He wanted to plant a tomato garden, but it was difficult work and his only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man described the predicament in a letter to his son.

Dear Vincent,
I’m feeling bad. It looks like I won’t be able to put in my tomatoes this year. I’m just too old to be digging up a garden. I wish you were here to dig it for me.
Love, Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Sorry I’m not there to help, but whatever you do, don’t dig up that garden. That’s where I buried the BODIES.
Love, Vincent

At 4 a.m the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding a single body. They apologized to the old man and left. The same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love, Vinnie

Note: It’s amazing how a little critical thinking can not only solve a problem but eliminate manual labor in doing so!
Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Talk about creative thinking. Here’s a prime example. How would you like to get paid anywhere from $300 to $900 a month for simply driving your own car to work, to church, to your kids’ soccer games or any of your other normal destinations? It’s happenings all over the country at this very moment.

Of course, you know there’s got to be a catch to such a sweet deal. However, this one is quite simple while, at the same time, can easily be a deal breaker. It is, in fact, a no-brainer. You’re either going to love it or hate it—jump at the opportunity or laugh at the suggestion of something that, to you, is out of the question.

There’s a special segment of the advertising industry today offering what they call “brand driver” promotions. They actually pay regular people to affix vinyl decals to their cars—decals that, at first glance, appear to be painted on the vehicle.

These decals are known as “auto wraps” and they typically consist of the logo of a particular company or brand. Or, the “wrap” may have a message, like the “Follow Me to Find Great Furniture Prices.”

This has been going on for more than 10 years but seems to be refined every year or so. For instance, initially, cars were leased, painted as needed and then offered to drivers along with a nice paycheck to be driven around town or on freeways.

This obviously was not very cost-effective so a new approach had to be devised. Soon they simplified things by merely offering to wrap a driver’s personal car with 3M vinyl decals which eliminated much of the previous hassle.

The only requirement is that a driver must log about 1,000 miles a month depending on the location of the car’s owner. Other factors considered include where you live, where you drive, the location of your commute, whether you have children, their ages, your favorite activities and what kinds of events you attend. Needs of the clients and their target audience are also factored into the decision.

Brand names such as Proctor & Gamble, Coke, Tang and Vault energy drink have adorned cars from coast to coast. They often request drivers who are stay-at-home moms, those who are active in their kids’ school, attend soccer games, church activities and other community events.

When you think about it, having your car “wrapped” can easily provide you with a monthly income that can easily cover your car payment, gas and oil, and any necessary maintenance to keep your car on the road—in short, you end up with a free car.

On the other hand, many people simply can’t picture themselves being seen behind the wheel of a car covered with corn flakes, tennis shoes or dog food. To each his own but you must admit this approach to advertising is cutting edge and certainly thinking out of the box!
Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I’m often told how lucky I am to be able to travel as much as I do … airports, hotels, town cars, convention centers. It does sound exciting … to those who don’t have to do it every week. Trust me when I tell you how quickly the routine can grow old and tiresome!

One of the monotonous rituals a traveler must deal with involves the simple shuttle bus which takes you from your parked car to the terminal. That’s the easy part of the necessary ritual. The challenge emerges when you return from your trip … often tired, suffering jet-lag and simply wanting to return to the comfort of your home after a long and demanding trip.

In most of your larger airports, you have a choice of several places to park … each with their own fleet of shuttle buses. You’re immediately given a parking slip to tell the returning driver where your car is parked. Your job of course is keep that slip in a safe place until you return as losing it will mean cruising every aisle of the massive parking lot in search of your car. Another annoying challenge arises when you have to remember what your shuttle bus looks likes as so many of them seem to look alike. Hop the wrong bus and you add embarrassment to inconvenience!

Well, one company has obviously mastered the task of TLC (“Thinking Like the Customer”). The company calls itself The Parking Spot … an obvious reminder of where you left your car. It got even more creative customizing its shuttle bus as an obvious visual reminder for its patrons.

Each shuttle by is a rolling Parking Spot. How could you possibly NOT recognize that bus! And yet what’s more simplistic than a cluster of giant spots splattered against a bright yellow background!

The Parking Spot is the leading near-airport parking company in the United States, getting its start at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental airport. Since then, The Parking Spot has grown to 19 locations at 12 airports serving 10 metropolitan areas. It enjoys a solid, loyal customer base and much of it can be attributed to its creative approach to a mundane service!
Harry K. Jones is a professional, motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.