Dee Kumar’s ……… “VENTURE TO THE TOP”

Gladiators was a popular show in the UK whilst I was young (based on the show American Galdiators), and today saw the first episode of the remake..

I sometimes watch the reruns on Sky (satellite TV), when I am an in the UK, and they are always enjoyable, however todays episode for me was a huge marketing mistake.

When something works so well, why do people insist on changing it? I know it has been 10 years since the original, but its the show we all know and love, but today felt like a totally different show. Here are my main thoughts:

1) All the gladiators are new and will take time to get used to for sure but why are all the gladiators now mean? It seems they are trying hard to be personalities which is so unlike the original show.

 In my opinion what they should have done, is bring back some of the old gladiators as team mentors for the current gladiators. It will help the association process, and bring some continuity back to the show.

In Business we are always taught it is much more cost effective to retain a customer then to attract a new one. So with so many millions of previous viewers of the show around, why are they trying to isolate my generation and create a new audience? 

Read the rest…

Its been a little hectic for me this past month, moving to a new country again, trying to grasp the basics of the language and spending time getting to know my new classmates, some of whom I will have to work with on a 10 week project (so getting to know them is rather important).

So, I made a call and decided to get away to refocus my aims and remind myself of my priorities. Here are my top tips:

1) Get away from it all… 

Its very easy to be taken away by the moment and spend on other things but it is important to remember what is important to you in the long term. I found myself studying all week, and traveling at weekends which left my business projects no time at all…. 

So Yesterday I made a last minute decision to come back to England for a few days, to refocus and remind myself of my long term aims. 

2) Be Organised … it saves time!

Read the rest…

April Fools are great fun, and a great way of promoting yourself for Free on this day.

All the pranksters listed below have commercial sites which increase in traffic, and will be talked about in memory of this day. Creativity is inherent so if you have it, flaunt it as a way of distinguishing yourself from others.

April Fools Pranks 2008 (in no particular order)

Trustbanners - The concept of trust banners is hilarious.  After 18 months of research, the partnership between Australian Advertising Agency (Amnesia Group Pty Ltd) and Prof. Olaf Prilo PHD from the Mind and Brain Institute of New South Wales have released findings on a genuine breakthough in online advertising. The result is a revolutionary method of gaining consumer trust through high frequency (90fps) banner adverts which stimulate specific regions of the visual cortex (Visual area V5/MT) producing instant effects on consumers.

Google Australia - Gday trick -Apparently Google new technology can predict event which will occur tomorrow!

YouTube - Rickrolling - Rick rolling is where a link is redirects you to Rick Astley’s “hit” song Never Gonna Give You Up. Youtube made all its featured videos on the main page 'Rick Roll'

ESPN Election Deathmatch Coverage - Watch the deathmatch live between Clinton and Obama!

Virgle : Virgin and Google alliance - Its time to go to Mars with the help of these 2 companies!

Gmail Custom time feature - Never be late sending an email again, simply let Gmail change the send date to a previous point in time! 

Fontoon - My own April fools day prank. I announced to my free service users, that one of them will inherit the site for free. Massive spike in traffic caused server meltdown!

Steve Jobs to quit job as head of Apple as bored! 

Video Gaming pranks 

Halo 3 - insert an image of 'Master Chief' into the world map on multi player screen.

New World of Warcraft Race: Bard - WOW brings a new race that kills via a guitar!  

I will update this page as I find more. Note of caution, Google used April Fools day 2004 to announce Gmail and its incredible storage capacity. The world laughed but heard all about it. Months later it was really here… In Marketing not everything is what it seems on April fools day.  

World of Wacraft also announce today that the amazingly popular game is coming to consoles too. However I believe this is an awareness creating April fool as Ive heard of the plans for some time. (screenshots are a joke but the concept is imaginable)  

These are based on my recent travelling experience. As the rules for learning in management go, we only learn once we reflect and become knowledgeable about our previous events, in order to have a better experience in the future.  So here are my reflections on my recent adventure:

1) What ever you pack into your suitcase the first time, never seems to fit in again!

It as if you clothes also relax on holiday and expand… nothing fits in the same way it did before. The advice is to allow some extra room on the outward journey for this uncanny problem.

2) Be completely flexible but have a plan.

Being rigid to a set timetable on a holiday can take away all the fun, and leave you missing the incredible spontaneous adventures which often are the most memorable. However, there should be a basic plan or you will miss out of obvious attractions and waste time backtracking over previously explored territory, in order to find the 'must see' you missed. Advice, have a plan, always but be fully prepared to be spontaneous.  

Read the rest…

Ive written my first ebook and managed to work it so that it is both an assignment I will hand in for my MBA course and something I will be able to use!

Ive had this idea for a long time, and I finally got round to it, by making a plan, putting my aim on the wall and making time to do it.

It's a very simple ebook on the risks involved in online marketing that can spell the

END OF YOUR CAREER.

I need some people to review it, so if you would like a sneak peak at version one please mention it in a comment below and I will send you a copy to review (note I expect feedback!)

Its a very simply guide but hopefully it will prove very practical.

My Venture to the top is truly beginning… 

I started this website to track my progess on my Venture To The Top. The top of where? The top of the world of course! The skies the limit, but the first milestone is being financially free (so if I wish I can retire) within FIVE years.

 Possible? ABSOLUTELY, and I even have a plan!

 So Im going to use this blog to chart my progress, challenges and successes. 

I came to America with the sole aim of getting this plan running. Thus far I've been a little sidetracked so its time to refocus. I have selected a few people I would like to work with to get my plans running faster, but without action it will always remain a dream. So todays actions include:

1)   WRITING MY AIM ON PAPER AND STICKING IT ON MY WALL

so its always there for me to look at and reminds me of my vision.

2)   WRITING MY PLAN

Plans change, agreed but unless i define a starting point and milestones of progress, there is little chance of Success

Read the rest…

This concept is based on the Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman film named 'Bucket List'. These two cancer ridden folk, decide to create a list of things they want to do before they 'kick the bucket'.

A Bucket list is thus a list of things you want to achieve before you die. I was introduced to this concept last year at Warwick whilst on the first term of my MBA. I haven't really created a list as such but I know there are a number of things I want to achieve by 30…. not quite 'Bucket' age, but a target neither less.  

So, I started playing rugby this week (with the Thunderbird Rugby Club), which has always been one of my ambitions, and today I played in my first competitive game and it was AWESOME!

We played a team called Storm, which consisted of very big players… so big in fact that some of our team didn't mind being left out till the second half where hopefully they would hurt us a little less! I played wing, which is a relatively safe position but was able to get in a few good tackles whilst defending my line well, and if I hadn't fumbled the ball yards from the line, I would have even scored a try on my debut. It was great to be spurred on by my teammates and my mini supporter group in the crowd, and a greater feeling to be part of a team that won the game 114-0 (yep thats right!). I guess I'll spend the rest of the weekend nursing my swollen finger and toe, but heck, it was worth it!

But, my bucket list doesn't end there, plenty more things to do, and plenty more things to add…

So why not write your 'Bucket List' today. 

In January we had the opportunity to attend a local event titled 'Glendale Glitters'

They block off the main square in Glendale and fill it with hot air balloons and stalls. The scores of Hot-Air balloons  create an amazing backdrop of colors, which together with all the flashing accessories on sale, give rise tot he name 'Glendale Glitters' party.

(if you look closely you will see some of the other balloons in the background) 

The heat from the burner was incredible, and the colors… well you had to be there to truly appreciate them. 

It was striking how friendly everyone was. Whilst posing for a photo with some friends by one of the balloons, we were invited into a conversation with the owner and his family.  After a very fun few minutes, he got us to stand real close to the balloon and look up at the burner as he fired it… wow that was hot!

Before parting company, they found out that we were from Thunderbird Graduate School, and being local they were very proud of us. He then told us he would ask one question that we each had to answer before we parted… and to promise we would be truthful and remember it.

He then asked:  What will you be doing and where in 10 years time…

My friends went first, answering with pretty ambitious positions within companies and in exotic locations.  Then came my term to which I replied with the answer I firmly believe…

IN TEN YEARS TIME I WILL BE RETIRED AND EXPLORING THE WORLD WITH THE ONE I LOVE.

My colleagues laughed, retired in ten years never (!) …. but the Balloon owner and his wife smiled…. shook my hand and reminded me to keep my dream.  

You see, the balloon owner like myself had dreamed to do something different. My colleagues seem to think that their life is planned out in corporate office till they are in their 60's, but for me, Im thinking outside the box, and have been working for the past few years, to set myself up for the eventful few years ahead. The balloon folks rather then discourage me, encouraged me to be different… after all, as my daily motivational comment on my Facebook plugin says:

Only those who dare to fall greatly can ever achieve greatly… (Robert F Kennedy)

heck..I don't even need 10 years to be where I want to be…. I will do it in 5….

Why else would I have named my blog 'Venture to the Top' 

WOW,is what comes to mind, when thinking about Wednesday night here in Pheonix, Arizona.

 We assembles outside the IBIC (library) on some outdoor study tables in the evening to catch the lunar eclipse. I love this sort of stuff, so encouraged a few people to join me. It was unusually cloudy that night, although surprisingly pleasant in temperature. 

(Pic courtesy Flickr)

Shortly after seeing the rare sight of a red moon, it started very lightly to rain, so we moved ourselves  into the library to actually do some work. However minutes later I was outside again in amazement of what i was seeing.

I once played a game, Final Fantasy X, which had an area named the 'Thunder Plains'. In this area, you saw nothing but flashes of lighting as you traveled through it.  Surreal as it sounds, I witnessed almost the same thing in real life. There was so much thunder and lightening, that the sky was a constant flash of light, where you could actually see the lightening and its various branches as if it was a lazer show. The storm was so intense that the thunder did not stop sounding…. it was like one continuous loud rumble. 

I stood and watched in awe, as this was simply amazing.

The sound of thunder was so intense, that at one stage, the stand alone shelves in the single story IBIC building, which were full of books and thus quite heavy, actually started rocking. This scared people so much that many left the building and the rest of us stood and gathered by the windows in amazement. I kid you not, I would not have believed it myself if I had not seen it.

I honestly kept thinking to myself, is this real or am I in some kind of computer game….

I guess this goes to show, that I didn't learn the lesson from my previous post of Phoenix weather… to always carry an umbrella.. 

Been here in the US of A for a while now and although there are some cultural adjustments that still need to be made, I'm really enjoying my stay here. 

I've found so many things that have both shocked me and then made me laugh… one of which is the 'Drive Thru' ATM machine! Yep, no need to get out you car in this place, simply drive up to the ATM, which for your added convenience is roofed (almost like a petrol or gas station), and even though they are situated right next to the bank, and the ATM in the wall is never being used, people will still queue in long lines for the drive-thru, rather then go inside!

A picture of the Bank of America, Drive-Thru ATM at night. At the back is the actual walk-in bank.

But it doesn't stop there, besides the standard Drive-Thru Pharmacies and the expected Drive-Thru liquor stores (well how better to promote the message of 'Dont Drink and Drive!'), Ive also seen a Drive-Thru 'Throw your rags away' type charity store. Yep even giving to charity now is made 'convenient'. I even hear there is a Drive-Thru church here…

I guess this goes to show, in business, sometimes just think about the unimaginable… however strange it may sound, as in America there is a market for almost anything… 

But more importantly, convenience seems to be the 'key' theme of any successful business. If people can do things faster without having to interact with staff, then they will. This is a key theme in the success of the internet, and the success of this next generation of drive-thru shopping. So remember, Convenience, Convenience, Convenience, nothing is ever convenient enough..