Inspiración
It was at Phoenix International Raceway, the next to last race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase, and Kevin Harvick of the Richard Childress Racing No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil team had worked his way up to 4th place from 29th when he pitted his car. Since he was in 3rd place in the overall Chase standings, just 59 points behind Denny Hamlin, there was a lot of money and prestige riding on the race. Unfortunately, as Kevin drove away, one of the pit crew spotted a lug nut on the ground that was supposed to be holding the wheel on. The result was that Kevin had to pit again, dropping him back to 19th place. With a bit of luck, Harvick eventually finished 6th, 45 points behind Hamlin in Chase points and still in the running.
A great place to work!
This is a great place to work. Of course as CEO, you might expect me to feel that way, but I really do.
Managing Expectations
Ever played the game "telephone"? It starts with a circle of people and a wacky story whispered from person-to-person around the circle. The fun comes when the last person in the circle says aloud what they last heard, and the initial person says what they originally started with. Without exception it's completely different from what started the cycle.
Managing expectations can be very similar.
From the LA Auto Show
I love going to the auto show. As a kid growing up in the Detroit suburbs, it was an annual affair. I can still remember the excitement of seeing all the new models (both the 4-wheel and 2-leg versions), the lights, the music, the electricity in the air. These annual treks probably had as much to do with me being a "car guy" today as anything else.
Roland DGA Cartridge Recycling program
I recently saw a post on our Facebook restyling page asking if we had a recycling program. Yes! The Roland DGA Cartridge Recycling Program, launched in early 2010, was met with cheers of excitement & enthusiasm from Roland DG owners. Over the last year, we’ve saved thousands of cartridges from the landfill. One Roland DG owner had been saving cartridges for years in hopes of a good recycling program…
Can you hear me now?
Quick, run into an empty room, close the door behind you, and start talking out loud. That's kind of what writing a blog is like. Can you hear me now? Now? Now? How about now?
Your Creativity Is Our Inspiration
At the recent SGIA show in Las Vegas, I had someone approach me who read my name badge and challenged me, "Creative Director? What would someone with a title like that do when the entire company is so creative?"
What's the difference?
As you have probably noticed from some other posts, we have been spending a lot of time at trade shows lately. They are always exciting for me because I get to see all kinds of new technology in one place, but also because I get to meet a lot of Roland DG users all at once, and hear about their work. While I’d like to believe that simply owning a Roland DG is a competitive advantage, almost everyone I talk to has some additional way to differentiate their business. One user bragged that he could turn around 8″ x 10″ canvas prints, stretched and ready to hang, within 24 hours of an online order. That means event photographs get delivered while the event is still fresh in people’s minds. Some owners have found that focusing on and perfecting one application, like wall coverings or window treatments has made them stand out.
Better. Faster. Cheaper.
Not your father's CNC machine. Roland DG's 3D products are not an easy sell. First of all, there's so much buzz about 3D printing technology, that there's little discussion room left for the older CNC technology. Second, the market is so diverse, literally a hundred different types of customers in a variety of market niches. Trust me, from a marketing perspective, selling CNC is tough. But we believe in what we're doing. Unlike previous CNC machines that demanded that you know programming.
What happens in Vegas…
..stays in Vegas. What a great tag line, huh?