Jeremy Scheller | DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS, FOOD, & OTHER THINGS THAT MATTER TO ME

Feb 18, 2010

Another Recent Identity Package from Redwire Creative.

My company Redwire Creative recently helped give a visual identity to the EnterChange, a consultancy that helps organizations learn about themselves and navigate into seasons of change.

Here’s the Visuals:

Feb 18, 2010

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I don’t want my kids to get fat and die early. Foodie Week #1.

So, you may know that I do have a mild obsession with food…

Eating it. Cooking it. Thinking about where it comes from. Loving it. Hating it.

For the next week I’m going to take a few posts to talk about food. If you’re not a foodie, feel free to tune out or tune in to get a few ideas.

About 3 years ago, I watched something that every so inexorably changed the course of my life. No really. It was a half hour TV show and it did just that; it changed me.

It was Jamie Oliver’s cooking show called “Jamie at Home,” on the Food Network. It was all about getting real food (or growing it yourself) and cooking fresh meals that are relatively easy, sometimes gourmet, always tasty. Admittedly, I was not a cook at the time and I had little understanding about “food” other than what the current diet fad was. We ate Lean Cuisine’s and McDonald’s regularly in the same day as if they offset each other.

Within watching this show about 2-3 times, I was bitten by a cooking bug and a personal food revolution that persists all these years later.

We cook nearly everything we eat from scratch (with the exception of a few quick meals out and some pregnancy emergency foods we’ve got on hand at the moment). We buy vegetables, try to buy our meat straight from the farmer whenever possible. We’ve rid the house of corn syrup and as much of the other crap that gets called food that you can buy at the grocery store. We even dug up a bit of the yard last year and grew some of our own herbs and veggies.

Last week, I watched with anticipation as Jamie Oliver received his 2010 TED Prize and talked about his TED Wish that he wants to mobilize people around. It’s an issue I totally agree with and want to find ways to support.

Take a minute to watch his talk and engage in the conversation around keeping our kids from getting fat and dying from the foods we let them eat.

I would love to hear your thoughts…

Jamie Oliver is on twitter @jamie_oliver

Feb 18, 2010

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Excerpt from my conversation with author Dan Pink

A few weeks ago I gave away a copy of Dan Pink’s new book, “Drive.” I’ve had the chance to get through most of it at this point and it’s quite good. If you’re interested in a synopsis of the book take a look at his TED talk from last year. Great info.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about wanting to dive deeper into my blog and deeper into writing in general. I had the chance to correspond with Daniel Pink, about his evolution into writing and what keeps him motivated.

Me: When did you decide to write?

DP: It was a pretty slow evolution. I wrote for school newspapers and the like, but never envisioned becoming a writer. In my mid-20s, though, I found that writing was what I was doing during my discretionary time. In law school, I wrote magazine articles and op-eds for newspapers. When I worked in politics, despite some pretty demanding jobs, I also wrote magazine articles on the side. That gave me a hint about what I really wanted to do. But it wasn’t until I left politics to work for myself that I began to consider myself a writer.

Me: What motivates you to write and write better?

DP: There are lots of motivation. I sometimes write to figure things out — and the process of discovery is one of my favorite things in the world. I also write in a small effort to influence — to change the way people think and perhaps even how they act. When I get an email from reader telling me one of my books made a difference in that person’s life, I’m motivated for another week! As for writing better, it’s constantly on my mind. Writing is the sort of undertaking that is impossible to master fully. That’s one of the things that makes it both frustrating and alluring.

I found his thoughts encouraging. I love my job. I love a lot of things. Sometimes that’s a problem for me because I don’t always feel settled being in one place. I want to do some writing though. Even if it’s just on this blog or in a few other places, I want to feel like I have something to contribute to the greater good of this world. I’m definitely motivated by making a difference in people’s lives and I think I can have an impact in some way great or small through my desire to write.

Is there anything you’re itching to do, but have been hesitating to give yourself over to? Are you slowly evolving into that passion? What’s motivating you?

BTW: Read his book. Go get yourself some Drive at Amazon or listen to Dan Pink read it by getting the audio at Audible.

Jan 26, 2010

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Brainwashed: Seven ways to reinvent yourself.

What an awesome mini-manifesto from Seth Godin over at ChangeThis.com

It’s like this: we were brainwashed. Brainwashed into believing a set of rules that aren’t true (any more). And because the brainwashing has been so complete, the shifts in our world and new opportunities they open up are easy to see as ways to shore up yesterday’s faltering system. Please, don’t fall for that. Don’t use the tools of today to support your effort to do yesterday’s job better.

This is an opportunity to completely reinvent your role in the system.

Here are seven levers available for anyone (like you) in search of reinvention:

Connect

Be generous

Make art

Acknowledge the lizard

Ship

Fail

Seth’s thinks this is the time. If you’re going to make a big move in life, if you’re going to live an extraordinary life, if you’re going to “do something with yourself,” now is the time.

Guess you’ll have to read it to figure out exactly what he means by “Acknowledge the lizard.”

It’s on you now…Go get the short, 15 page, BIG TYPE, easy read pdf.

Jan 25, 2010

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Leading Through Change: Thriving in the Unknown.

Many of you may know, my friend, pastor, and boss of 6 years has been called to a new position. Efrem Smith will be moving on from Sanctuary this summer to a new position as Superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. It’s a huge honor with a new realm of influence and a higher call on his life in leadership.

This is really awesome for him, and while transitions are really hard, I think great things can come to Sanctuary during this time.

Anytime time there is a major shift in leadership in an organization there are emotional, visionary and team dynamics that are affected by the changes taking place. So how do you survive?

During this time of leadership change I’m planning on focusing on 3 areas as we move into a new season.

Being a TEAM PLAYER
At this crucial moment, there is no room for sanding against the grain. When you sand against the grain, you leave deep wounds in the wood that requires you to remove even more layers to get things smoothed out again. Being a team player will make it less painful to readjust when new leadership is in place.
No Better Time for SELF EVALUATION
– How does my personal spiritual journey affect the spiritual journey of our community?
– What do I need to improve, let go, start or stop?
– Where have I been dropping the ball and what’s my plan for picking it up?
– Am I acting from my strengths and mitigating my weaknesses?
– How does my performance affect the whole team?
Finally, I plan on BEING HONEST about the future.
This will not be easy. In fact, if it is easy, I think we’re probably not living up to our potential. Being honest about what this team needs in order to fulfill the vision in front of us means we won’t dance around the holes. The holes in our team, the holes in ourselves and the holes in our faith.

Even though this will be a tough transition and I will miss Efrem and what he brought to Sanctuary, I’m looking forward to being pushed and pushing myself to grow in new ways.

What are your thoughts about leading through a leader change? Have you been on a team that lost a key player? How did you navigate?

Jan 25, 2010

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Freebie Giveaway: Kem Meyer’s Less Clutter, Less Noise.

The first book giveaway isn’t even over but I’ve got another one to give away for all you church marketing peeps.

You all know about our great teacher Kem Meyer, and most of you probably have the book. For the rest of you, you need to read it. I’ve got an extra copy or two laying around, so somebody else might as well benefit.

Leave a comment on this post and I will choose a random number to give one away to on end of day Wednesday.

Read my review of the book here.

UPDATE: Mr. Chad Maag has won the thesis of our responsibility.

Jan 21, 2010

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Freebie Giveaway: “Drive” by Daniel Pink

Last Monday, I drove down to Barnes & Noble to listen to Daniel Pink talk about his new book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.”

One of Pink’s previous books was a game-changer for me. “A Whole New Mind” was a fascinating look at how right-brained aptitudes will drive the future of our economy and culture. He analyzed the way in which the workforce of the future is already being created through 6 high touch, high concept senses of right-brain-directed thinkers.

Design. Story. Symphony. Empathy. Play. Meaning. These six senses increasingly will guide our lives and shape our world.Many of you no doubt welcome such a change. But to some of you, this vision might seem dreadful–-ahostile takeover of normal life by a band of poseurs in black unitards who will leave behind the insufficiently arty and emotive.

Unfortunately, Daniel Pink’s flight was delayed, delayed, cancelled, so he never made it to Minneapolis. He did however buy a copy of his new book for everybody who showed up to hear him. So, I’ve got my hands on a free copy of “Drive,” and I think you should too.

I’ve decided to turn his gift into your gift. So this week, I’m going to be giving away not one, but 3 books. I was going to buy Drive anyway, so I decided I’ll buy a copy for one reader of my blog. In the coming days, I’m going to have two more books that I’ll be giving away. (Hey, i can’t help it, people keep giving me dupes.)

Drive is the first book up for winning. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you’re in the running. Because it’s late in the week, I’ll let this contest roll until Monday. You don’t have to say something witty, funny or intelligent to win (though I wish you would). One winner will be picked by random number. If you win, I’ll email you for your address and ship it to you. Comment away.

UPDATE: Winner is Josh!

Jan 8, 2010

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I'm a sucker for high efficiency…

With our new furnace:

we heated 1 extra bedroom
had a lower electric bill (1 room switched from electric baseboards to gas)
used 32% less natural gas over the same time period last year.

The average temperature was roughly the same, so I’d say this is going to save some money in the long run. I should mention too that we’ve been keeping the house a little warmer this year. Chilly toes don’t agree with my pregnant wife so much this year. Thermostat is set to 71 when we’re home compared to 67/68 like I like to have it.

For this month alone, using last year’s natural gas rate as a comparison, we saved approximately $76 on natural gas for the month of December with our 95% efficiency furnace.

Good for budget, good for earth. Of course, I’ll be paying off the furnace/air conditioner/air filtration system for the next 5 years, but what the heck, huh…

Dec 18, 2009

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Have you created a "they" are the problem mentality?

In Tom Kelley’s book, “The Art of Innovation,” he writes,

ABOLISH “THEY”

One of the things that struck me the most about my first days at IDEO–other than the fact that I had no desk or office–was that try as I might, I couldn’t find a “they.” At my old job as a consultant at for a large international firm, there was always a spoken and unspoken “they.” If the coffeemaker was broken, “they” should fix it. If you were entangled in bureaucracy, “they” were the problem. “They” do not innovate. “They” leave less elbowroom for you and other individuals to solve problems from the ground up.

Technology has in some ways exacerbated this problem. I’m confounded at how many companies bring “they” in reach of your every keystroke. I think those large corporations who snoop on their workers’ e-mail are nuts–and not just for ethical reasons. If you practice monitoring or surveillance, your employees may end up being less productive and certainly less creative. But “they” companies can’t help themselves. They’re control freaks–even when they imagine they’re loosening they’re grip.

So who is the “they” in your team? Are you building trust or building a spirit of US VS. THEM?

I will admit it. I have always had an ego problem. Sometimes my head is too big to fit through the door. It has made me believe that I live in a Me Vs. Them world and workplace. I’m in a daily battle to believe and rely on my teams knowing we’re all in this together.

Kelley goes on to quote famous Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz:

“The team changes every year, but each team member’s three implicit questions for him remain the same: Do you care about me? Can I trust you? Are you committed to the success of the team?

Trust is essential. I have to know that you care about me, that you’ve got my back, and that you’re in it for the success of the team and not your own personal gain. When all team members share this spirit of trust, they’ll move faster and more effectively towards the team’s goals.

So, have you identified the “They” in your organization? How are you working to make “they” all about “us?”

Dec 17, 2009

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Allow your team to be Mischievous

There’s a great short post on the Signal vs. Noise blog this week about creating a culture of trust with your teams.

A lot of companies seek to control employees. They have handbooks and policies. They monitor emails. They make rules about what’s allowed and what’s forbidden.

But “control” is a tricky thing. The tighter the reins, the more you create an environment of distrust. An us vs. them mentality takes hold. And that’s when people start trying to game the system.

read the rest of the post…

One thing that has been a continual learning process for me over the years has been to give up control to my teams. I generally know how I want to do things and I’ve always kept a tight reign on my teams to make sure things fall in line.

This type of control generally leads to

me over-working myself
my teams feeling un-empowered to serve
a stifling of creativity

Over the last two years, I’ve been working to give up control to allow room for others to lead and for others to serve in freedom. I’ve been working to widen the boundaries and allow people to be mischievous. What I’ve gotten is

teams that are more committed
teams that do better work
teams that feel empowered to be creative
I also end up not feeling like I have to do everything.

It’s a win/win.

Even though I’m still the lone staff member over IT, Communications, Media and the Web and I have more teams that I’m responsible for, we’re actually producing more outcomes and I’m not feeling as stretched thin with church work as I used to.