The Small Blog

Tue, May 24, 2011 - 3:54:49

One Little Detail Can Have You Laughing All the Way to the Bank

Recently, we came across a great article from Design Observer that discussed seven things designers can learn from stand-up comedians. And it got us thinking, “What lessons can the rest of us take away from the comedic process?”

When you stop and think about it, what do many of the greatest comedians have in common? Often, stand-up legends like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, for example, hone in on one tiny, trivial detail and turn their observations into a comedic gem. While, for them, the payoff is a big laugh, applying the same approach to business can have you laughing all the way to the bank.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, May 20, 2011 - 3:58:02

A Life-Saving Tweet

Recently, the New York Times’ managing editor Bill Keller caused quite a stir when he called social media little more than a diversion and speculated it could even be making us stupid. And while cat videos and other silly Internet memes certainly proliferate across social media channels, that’s only one aspect of our increasingly complex and nuanced digital world—a world in which your daily digital actions are by no means insignificant. Rather, something as small as a Facebook update can have an enormous impact. And as the Today Show recently reported, one little “tweet” can even save a life.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Thu, May 12, 2011 - 12:28:04

Work Less For Success?

Okay, so that headline is a little misleading, but we bet it caught your attention—and it’s not that far from the truth after all. According to a recent Business Insider article, the most successful people have something rather unexpected in common. They don’t slave away at the office for hours on end. Instead, they actually leave earlier.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Fri, May 06, 2011 - 8:53:22

Give it a Rest

Chances are that your office frowns upon the practice of employees sleeping on the job. But, recent research suggests that a taking a nap during your workday could actually make you much more effective during your waking hours. In fact, sleep experts at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorder Center believe that particularly for the kinds of positions that require maximum mental alertness—air traffic controllers and surgeons, for example—napping should be a required part of the workday.

Why? Because research has found that taking a short nap can play a powerful role in increasing the brain’s performance. According to a recent Baltimore Sun article, one study found that overnight workers, who took just a 20-minute nap halfway through their day at 3 a.m., could still be described as “vigilant” at the end of their shift at 7 a.m.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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Mon, May 02, 2011 - 8:50:10

Dancing All the Way to the Bank

Chances are, you’ve heard of the workout craze known as Zumba and you may have even tried it yourself. But, did you know that this popular routine—and big business—is the result of an accident? It’s true, and it’s a great example of how keeping your eyes open for the tiniest opportunities can help lead you to great success.

Posted by Linda and Robin
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