Over the years, I've heard countless stories of ideas for new businesses that were scribbled on cocktail napkins or came to life at an entrepreneur's kitchen table.
Every business starts with an idea. Every company's growth into new ventures, product lines or services starts with another idea.
So, the question becomes, how do companies foster the creativity that will produce that next great business idea?
Josh Linkner believes he has the answers to that question.
Linkner's new book, "Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity" (Jossey-Bass/Wiley), will be published in February.
You also will have a chance to hear Linkner's ideas about generating ideas when he comes to Milwaukee to be the keynote speaker of the Executive Strategies Breakfast to kick off the BizTech Expo and Conference to be presented by BizTimes Media LLC May 11.
Linkner's presentation is tailor-made for Milwaukee's creative class, and that's why the Cultural Alliance Greater Milwaukee will co-present his appearance.
"One idea is all it takes. One idea is all it takes to change your career. One idea is all it takes to change your company. One idea is all it takes to change your state. One idea is all it takes to change America. One idea is all it takes to change the world. And if you think about, one idea is the only thing that ever has," Linkner said.
Linkner is the founder, chairman and former CEO of ePrize, the largest interactive promotion agency in the world. Over the past 12 years, ePrize has grown to have more than 1,200 employees and provides digital marketing services for 74 of the top 100 brands in the world.
Linkner's insights are helping companies in a variety of applications:
- New product innovation.
- Building and leading creative cultures.
- Creative approaches to sales and marketing.
- Crafting differentiated competitive strategies.
- Expanding into new markets.
- Unorthodox problem solving.
- Applying creativity to startups and high-growth companies.
Linkner has been featured in hundreds of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, AdAge, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and AdWeek, and he is a frequent keynote speaker at industry events and conferences.
He has won multiple business, technology and design awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, The Inc. 500 (six years in a row), Crain's Detroit Business 40 under 40, Fast Company's Fast 50, the Detroit Executive of the Year and the Automation Alley CEO of the Year. By age 30, Linkner had started four companies and sold three of them.
Linkner recently launched his fifth company, Detroit Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. Along with business partners Dan Gilbert and Brian Hermelin, Linkner is actively investing in early-stage technology companies looking to help rebuild the Detroit region through entrepreneurship.
To learn more about Linkner's creativity mission, read his blog at JoshLinkner.com.
Attendees of the Executive Strategies breakfast will receive a copy of Linkner's new book.
For more information and to register to attend the event, visit biztimes.com/strategies.
Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes in Milwaukee and is past president of the Milwaukee Press Club. BizTimes provides news and operational insight for the owners and managers of privately held companies throughout southeastern Wisconsin.
Steve has won several journalism awards as a reporter, a columnist and an editor. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
When he is not pursuing the news, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristi, and their two sons, Justin and James. Steve can be reached at steve.jagler@biztimes.com.
