Here is a quick rundown from the Re-Set Business conference.
VANITY FAIR and HARPERSTUDIO Invite You to a Business Forum with a Difference
re-Set: The Business-Models of Tomorrow
April 20, 2010
Where Disruptive Ideas Meet Provocative Insights
Mission Statement: re-Set Business is an innovative speaker series designed for senior-level executives to share thoughts with the world’s leading visionaries about how the world does business in a variety of fields, today and in the future.
Full disclosure: I attended the event as guest media.
The event was held at the Harvard Club in midtown Manhattan. First of all when you go to an event at the Harvard Club consider your wardrobe. I went in full pedestrian attire and was badly under dressed for the event. How you feel and look helps in how you interact with others. This is my piece of unsolicited advice for today. To the forum…
Seth Godin (Host & Moderator/ Marketing Provocateur moderated a stellar panel that included Tom Peters (Business Iconoclast, Anna Bernasek (Financial Journalist), Michael Eisner (Media Mogul), and Gary Vaynerchuk (Social Media Sommelier) in a loosely structured panel conversation with a Q & A following.
My skill set is listening not detailed note taking so I’ll be giving the tidbits that I picked up and hope they will be relevant for you.
Tom Peters started off by asking that the “damn lights” be turned down so that he could see the audience. Seth Godin said this, “Resumes are a list of brand names that proves you are compliant” setting the theme for the forum. Tom talked about a general lack of manners, saying people don’t listen. He mentioned a great smile as one of the great qualities of a leader. He pointed out that Nelson Mandela’s guard’s spoke of his great smile.
Gary Vaynerchuk spoke about the Internet and interaction. According to him most people don’t take a chance. If you want something then do it. He said, “There is opportunity in the rubble.”
Anna Bernasek said that we take integrity for granted. For the most part we don’t question whether the milk we are buying is OK. We trust that it is safe despite the fact it most go through many hands once it leaves the cow until it gets to us. In her book, The Economics of Integrity, she says, “… we need to understand integrity as not simply a virtue, but a shared asset that brings financial and economic rewards.”
Michael Eisner said that partnerships in life were “a good concept” whether it was in business, or friendships. He said to associate with people who are better then you. My favorite- a brand is not one act but act upon act, upon act.
Next week I want to drill down a little deeper on to some of the things said. Michael Eisner talked about envy. We don’t hear much about that.
This was my overall take on the forum. It was an eclectic collection of the old school business guys like Tom Peters and Michael Eisner, offset with new models of business offered by Gary Vaynerchuk and using social media and some deep thinking about economics from Anna Bernasek. Of course Seth Godin is just creating new roads. They each talked about getting out there and doing something, think beyond your own limitations and most of all be engaged with everyone.
Tom Peters left us with this, “… be kind to everyone”; we are all fighting a great battle.
Meet the speakers.
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Anna Bernasek |
Michael Eisner |
Tom Peters |
Gary Vaynerchuk |
Seth Godin
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