Hasta La Gadget!

Leaving the corporate world to go out on my own was a life changing experience. I remain grateful to all the mentors I had the pleasure of working with during my time in a traditional role, as their guidance has proven to be invaluable. My corporate experience also has undoubtedly excelled me in all of my independent ventures. Over the last two years I’ve gained some instrumental knowledge, but have also faced some harsh realities that come along with being an entrepreneur.

(photo credit: Kerramel Sudios)

Here are the most valuable lessons I’ve learned along my journey so far:

• You’re never too old to follow your dreams or make a change. Whenever I discussed my dreams of being a writer with old co-workers, I’d always preface my conversation with: In another life I would have been a writer. I essentially had already closed the book on that dream. I thought I was too old, even only being in my late thirties. I had a family who depended on my income, and I had already spent the previous 13 years climbing up the ladder in my current industry. Why on earth would I leave that stability? Because eventually in order to feel fulfilled — I had to. Dreams do not actualize without you daring to dream in the first place. Life truly is too short, and there is no better time than the present. Once I did jump, I realized my story was not so unique after all. People take this sort of leap of faith every day — and so can you.
• Make goals and write them down. The first day after my last day in Corporate America, I took a pen to paper and wrote down several goals. Three were short term and three were long term. I didn’t hold back on dreaming big, either. Even though I didn’t have the slightest idea of how to achieve these goals at that point in time, I knew writing them down would be the first step on my road map to success. Writing goals down also gave me something to continuously work toward. Goals are measurable and each time you meet them your confidence grows. Making goals, and more importantly writing them down, works. I encourage you to put yours to paper — now.
• Success is a marathon not a sprint. Starting your own business, or branding yourself as an independent contractor, is a lot of work. More than I ever imagined. Unless you’re a celebrity, unfortunately many people do not know who you are — or what you do. It’s your job to spread the word and get noticed. You also have to learn patience. As someone who missed this virtue when they were being handed out, this was a very hard lesson to learn for me. We all want results yesterday! When building your brand, time is your new best friend. You have to make the most of your time by doing daily activities to promote growth. These small daily activates are what lead to success. Short cuts do not exist in entrepreneurial land. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
• Some people will not support you. Many think being an entrepreneur or an independent contractor is not a real job. Your job is very real and convincing non-believers should not be a part of your job description. You can’t take these opinions personal. Your dreams may not be theirs, so they don’t get it. The good news is — they don’t have to! That’s why it’s your dream, not theirs. There will be many others who do support you and will appreciate your desire to follow your dreams. Plus, if your friends will not support you — you always have the option to find new ones.
• Successful people were once failures. People give up on their dreams every day due to the fear of failing. I’m here to tell you that you will fail many times. Successful people fail their way to the top. Don’t look at failure as defeat; look at failure as the opportunity to learn and persevere. Each rejection or hurdle you face is only going to make you stronger. Failure is just part of the game.

As an entrepreneur you’ll work harder than you ever did before, but the difference is you’re working toward your dreams — not someone else’s. Ultimately, the sacrifice is worth it.

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What if, upon graduating from college, grad school, or even high school, you had the opportunity to sit down with thirty of the world’s most fascinating and accomplished leaders and have an intimate talk? What if these role models shared their unfiltered tales of navigating the rocky road to success, then distilled the most essential advice and wisdom they have to offer? That’s what sitting down with Getting There: A Book of Mentors is like doing. It is a must read for everyone trying to launch a career or forge their path in the “real world.” Here’s just a small sample of what’s inside:

WARREN BUFFETT — Investor

“When you start out, try to work for whomever you admire most and don’t worry about the salary. It won’t necessarily be the job that you’ll have ten years later, but you’ll have the opportunity to pick up so much as you go along. You don’t want to take a job just for the money, and you should never work for people who make your stomach churn or who keep you up at night. If you are in a situation like that, think about changing it.” When Buffett graduated from Columbia Business School he took a job with his hero, Benjamin Graham, and only found out what the salary was going to be when he got his first paycheck at the end of the month.

Buffett not only stresses the importance of following your passion (“you want to be excited when you get out of bed in the morning”), but he also stresses that it’s essential to understand your strengths and weaknesses and pursue something within your “circle of competence.” He says, “The most important thing in terms of your circle of competence is not how large it is but how well you define the perimeter. If you know where your edges are, you are way better off than somebody who has a circle five times as large but is very fuzzy about the border. Knowing what to leave out is as important as knowing what to focus on. Tom Watson (the founder of IBM) put it best. He said, ‘I’m no genius, but I’m smart in spots, and I stay around those spots.'”

HANS ZIMMER — Composer (The Lion King, etc.)

“If you look at the downside of any vocation, you can find a million reasons not to pursue it. But if you try to play it safe and pick a career because you think you should, it most likely won’t end well. Whenever I need legal or medical advice, I stand up in front of my orchestra and announce my problem. Half of the musicians are doctors and the other half are lawyers whose parents forced them into those jobs.”

“Take the time to know your technology. I see many musicians completely relying on recording engineers and producers because they are not up to speed on the current tools. I think, This is your baby and you are letting other people do all that stuff to it? The last thing you want to do is to be at the mercy of someone else.”

JOHN PAUL DEJORIA — Patrón and John Paul Mitchell Systems Co-Founder

“The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people do all the things unsuccessful people don’t want to do. Most people don’t want to work more than they have to. They do the minimum they are paid to do. That’s not the way to get ahead. Always do the best you can, not the least you can get away with. When you do your job, even if its just cleaning an office, do it as if somebody you want to impress is watching your every step.”

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG — Bloomberg L.P Founder/Former Mayor of NYC

“Be the first one in and the last one out. If you are there early and stay late, you get a chance to talk to people who would not otherwise take your call. I built many relationships by being early. You can call the chairman of the board of almost any company early in the morning. If he’s a good chairman, he’s there. The secretary’s not, so he’ll actually answer the phone. The best time to strike is when gatekeepers aren’t there!”

KATHY IRELAND — kathy ireland Worldwide Founder

This former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model failed for years at various startups (a skin care line, a beer company, several art projects) before finally launching her own brand with, of all things, a line of socks. Ireland now runs a 2 billion dollar enterprise and her name graces over 15,000 products.

“People frequently tell me about business ideas they started but then abandoned — often because they encountered rejection or someone in their lives didn’t like the idea. I say, ‘You stopped because of that? If you never fail, it means you are not trying hard enough!'”

JILLIAN MICHAELS — Health and Wellness Expert

“In every business and in every facet of life there are people who decide whether or not you get past them to do what you want to do. If they won’t let you pass via the traditional route, your job is to get around them in whatever way you can. For example, if you want to sell a product and can’t get a retailer to take it, sell it yourself on the Internet. If you have a message you want to get across but can’t get your own TV show, put your material on YouTube or iTunes. Play by your own set of rules and defeat the naysayers and gatekeepers by forging your own path to success.”

“No one likes to feel vulnerable, and I’m no exception, but the reality is that you can only know as much depth, happiness, and success in your life as you can know vulnerability. If you don’t ask out a girl or a guy on a date, you won’t get rejected, but you won’t fall in love either. If you don’t apply for the job, then you won’t get the position you want. If you don’t try to start your own business, then you’ll never be the entrepreneur you always dreamed of being.”

WENDY KOPP — Teach For America Founder

“I tell everyone who is charting new territory or pursuing big ideas that the best way to think about getting support is to view it as a search for allies. You don’t need everyone to stand behind you; you only need a few people who really believe in you and your ideas. So don’t worry about all the nos. Stay positive and keep up the pursuit for those few yeses.” When Kopp was first attempting to gather Teach For America supporters, she had to reach out to about one hundred people for every couple of meetings she would actually get.

DAVID BOIES — Highly Acclaimed
Trial Lawyer

“No matter what you do, there will be times when things go well and times when things go badly. The only thing for sure, in either scenario, is that things will change. It’s important not to be either too encouraged or too discouraged by what’s happening at any particular moment. When something good happens in my career, I try to enjoy it. When something bad happens, I try to understand why it happened. But in either case, the next day I’m on to something else.”


LESLIE MOONVES — President and CEO of CBS

“Don’t automatically be intimidated by people who have achieved more professional success than you, and don’t let your own insecurity bog you down. Move upward if you have the opportunity. Once you have the chance to survey the lay of the land, things are often not as hard to tackle as you might have imagined, and the people you assumed were so smart might not be.”

MUHAMMAD YUNUS — Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

Muhammad Yunus wanted to help the poverty stricken people of Bangladesh by starting a bank that would lend to them. He was repeatedly told that his idea was foolish and would never work. Yunus founded the Grameen Bank anyway, revolutionized the banking industry, and won a Nobel Peace Peace Prize for it.

“If you observe something that bothers you, make your own action plan to fix it. There are many things that have been designed in the wrong way. Don’t take existing theories for granted. Don’t think that other people know more than you or that everything has been done. Your theory may be right and you can become the new expert. I made up my own rules of banking and they worked.”

IAN SCHRAGER — Hotelier/Real Estate Developer. (Responsible for the boutique hotel revolution — and before that he was the founder of the legendary nightclub, Studio 54.)

“You don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel to be successful–the key is to do whatever you do in an imaginative, original way. Walt Disney and Steve Jobs pursued their visions and accomplished feats that others couldn’t even imagine were possible. When Disney did his animation in the 1920s, the same techniques were available to everybody else–he just did it in a magical way. Same with Jobs. Other people were producing technologically advanced computer devices when he was, but the way he put his products together had a certain spark.”


MATTHEW WEINER — Mad Men Creator

“When you have a meeting with somebody, look that person up and know everything you can about him or her. It’s pretty effortless and can pay dividends. This might seem basic, but for some reason it took me forever to get it.”

“Remember people’s names and don’t be insulted if they don’t return the favor. If you know someone’s name, you can own them. I read that Napoleon used this trick. He spent huge amounts of time committing his soldiers’ names to memory–and they would die for him.”

DANIEL BOULUD — Chef/Restaurateur

“Many businesses are built on connections. Don’t take any relationship for granted (you never know where your coworkers will end up down the road) and always leave each job on a good note. Throughout my career, I went above and beyond what was expected of me. In turn, my bosses respected me and wanted the best for me. Every new job I got was with the help of the chef I had been working with. A good reference from your previous employers is essential.”

Check out this inspirational Getting There video for another sample of what’s inside:

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From his earliest days, JP Labrosse says, “I’ve been interested in doing work that has the potential for positive impact.” Labrosse was the engineering team lead for two of the early Apple iPod products. He recalls, “Working at Apple was a highlight in my career. Our team was called ‘Special Projects’ with about 35 of us working in a separate building apart from the main Apple campus.” He has since moved on to become a serial entrepreneur. His most recent innovation is the Stir Kinetic Standing Desk which launched in 2012. But his vision goes far beyond the office.

Labrosse says:

“At Stir, we see ourselves as a pioneer focused on the ‘User Experience of Place’ (UXoP). We want to positively amplify what people are doing, wherever they are. That first place is a desk.” Labrosse coined the term ‘User Experience of Place,’ which sums up the vision that is leading his team in their goals for future innovations and products. He explains that “Within the User Experience of Place, it’s not all about the product, it’s about the interaction of technology without interruption. It’s about how technologies can be there when we need them, yet be invisible when we don’t.”

Putting that principle to work with the new Stir desk involves their personalized technology coupled with the way the desk quietly moves for the user based on the user’s preferences. Labrosse first used a height adjustable desk at Apple in 2002 and says the long work days didn’t feel so exhausting while using that desk. He has been using height adjustable desks since then but the key to good health in regard to desks is actually in the movement of changing positions and most people (Labrosse included) don’t adjust it frequently on their own.

He began to research and says, “I found this was very prevalent, about 70% of people with height adjustable desks were never moving them out of the seated position. It’s analogous to exercise equipment, we all have good intentions but having the desk with a button doesn’t mean we’ll use it. I figured there was an opportunity to develop a desk that would be more much more engaging.”

The Internet of Things

The timing seemed right for the Stir desk as the topic of the danger of a sedentary lifestyle was front and center in the media. Not only did changing desk positions have health benefits but Labrosse found that there’s also an increase in productivity. He says, “There were opportunities within the ‘Internet of Things‘ space. We could bring in sensing and quantification to develop a better product. The best products in the ‘internet of things’ space are things you barely notice, yet they are having a positive impact.”

Music +Engineering = Innovation

Labrosse has always had a passion for music. He’s been a drummer and percussionist for 30 years and sees a real synergy between music and design. “The great musicians and creators of music are designers of experience. My training in music solidified my process as a designer. Music is about having a visceral response and great products do that too. Improvisation drives innovation. The skills that a DJ uses to get groups of people to move together symphonically is a set of skills that entrepreneurs can utilize for building companies and keeping people moving together while creating something.”

Labrosse has a degree in mechanical engineering and product design from Stanford. He started his first business when he was 19 yrs. old and has since been involved in building successful businesses in a diverse range of industries from toys to publishing and most recently a solar company acquired by First Solar in 2011.

Labrosse says all of Stir’s future products will employ a new set of design rules for the Internet of Things space.

“Desks are a natural place to create a better experience because it’s where a billion people spend something like half of their waking hours. It’s where things happen in today’s economies; where problems get solved, new ideas created, legacies built. We have solved the problem of getting people moving at desks and the roadmap moving ahead will be expanding the concept even more with glance-able access to information without attaching technology to your body.”

Labrosse’s New Set of Design Rules for Products in the ‘Internet of Things’ space:

1. Using Contextual Data for Personalization: There’s an opportunity to meet the needs of individuals better rather than meeting an average need of a group of people.

2. Adapting and Anticipating: Spaces can respond to what’s actually happening and make themselves better at meeting the needs of people within them.

3. Create Actionable Insights: There is the risk of data just for the sake of data but what matters is how it’s used to make actionable insights and create positive change.

4. Interaction Without Interruption: The analogy with Sitr Desk is that you’re working and the desk can communicate to you to invite you to move. We tried many different ways and landed on the ‘whisper breath’ technology. Its a haptic reminder to change things up and solves the problem of interaction without interruption.

5. Empowering the User: Our devices should be working for us.

Labrosse says, “70% of other desks don’t get moved at all. With Stir desks, 95% of users change position on average once an hour, which health experts say is the ticket.”

Connecting With Customers:

While Stir sells both direct to consumer online and wholesale through commercial dealers around the country, Labrosse is drawn to the online side because of the customer interaction. He says, “I look at all online comments. It’s a designer’s dream to see positive feedback about the impact the desk is having on people’s lives. It’s also been a great way to get ideas from customers. Connecting with customers and having a tight feedback loop is important in early stage business and a very rewarding part of our growth.”

Company Culture:

Several members of the Stir team have worked together for many years. Labrosse says, “One of the things we are great at from a company culture standpoint is building a culture of innovation.” Labrosse says this culture is beneficial because:

• It creates a pipeline of products that we can develop.
• We’ve found a way to engage every member of the team in creating a future for the company. We use an innovation database as an internal resource. Whether you are VP of Product or you are on front lines as customer service rep, there are great ideas and opportunities that come to light every day. It’s part of our daily practice to catch those ideas and to sift through them. Everyone isn’t just thinking about their specific area, they see the bigger picture. That’s the exciting part of this company.

Labrosse says that one other part of their company culture that’s effective is celebrating victories.

“When building a company, there’s daily challenges that can be very difficult. So, we celebrate both big and small victories. We simply highlight something good that happened. Victories can be a giant product launch or a big sales win or a even a great call from a satisfied customer. Every few weeks we have an all company meeting and celebrate all of those victories. It’s very invigorating and helps keep the focus on continuing to push the envelope.”

Future Goals:

Labrosse says:

“We are looking at what other things might enable a better experience for people wherever they are. For example, open office environments are very popular, but there’s lots of distracting sound. We have technologies that we are developing to address that issue. We also have a broader vision about how a product can recognize you and personalize your experience wherever you go. Whether you’re walking into your own office or walking into a shared public space for the first time, our future products will recognize you and provide a truly personalized experience. That is what’s exciting and this is the next frontier in terms of how these intelligent ‘user experience of place’ products can have a positive impact on daily experience.

Full Circle:

Labrosse says his parents have always served as a great inspiration. They have owned a French restaurant in Acton, MA. for 44 years. He started working there at a very young age and would spent his paychecks on music equipment. When he was 16 yrs. old., he moved from behind the scenes into the dining room as a waiter. He says his mother taught him right away about how to be the best waiter.

Labrosse says, “She explained that the best experience for customers is when they are in the mix of conversation and have no sense that the wait staff is very close by but the moment that their napkin drops, someone is there to catch it before it hits the ground.”

It seems that his mom taught him way back then about what he now calls the ‘User Experience of Place.’ He says,”That restaurant interaction without interruption was the same principle. Now it’s about how technologies can be there when we need them and be invisible when we don’t.”

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As an independent, transparent marketplace for student loan refinancing, Credible will be producing a series of articles profiling lenders in the refinancing space. 

Student loan refinancing has recently emerged as an option for graduates to explore in the last three years. Big banks are no longer the only players as young innovative companies, like CommonBond, can also provide relief to graduates facing high interest rate loans.

CommonBond Student Loan Refinancing Highlights:

• Flexible repayment terms, rates as low as 1.93%*
• Deferment and forbearance, social promise, CommonBond community
• Must have graduate degree

Overview

CommonBond initially launched in 2012 as a loan program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School to help its MBA graduates receive lower interest rate loans. The company has grown rapidly, now offering loans to over 100 graduates programs across masters, medical, law, and MBA degree programs. To date, CommonBond has received over $250 million in private equity funding to help finance and deliver low interest rate loans to graduates.

Mission

The company prides itself on its social promise and the CommonBond community as secondary benefits to refinancing. When a borrower’s loan is funded, a Pencils of Promise student will also be funded for an entire education year. As part of this social promise and creation of a borrowing community, CommonBond has also created a “CommonBridge” program for borrowers who are in between jobs, to receive a consulting opportunity at a mission-driven company. Additionally, borrowers can also take part in social events, dinners, and receive professional introductions for career growth all through the CommonBond community.

 Product Offerings

 CommonBond offers competitive rates for graduate professionals. Loans are currently only offered to U.S citizens or permanent residents, but they are looking to expand loan offerings to international students in the future.

Rates: (Valid as of May 18, 2015)

*Lowest rates include auto-debt discount.

CommonBond also has a rather unique hybrid product: a 10-year loan where the first five years are at a fixed rate and last five years are variable. The fixed rate of this hybrid product is offered 0.5% lower than on the 10-year standard repayment term making this offer tempting to borrowers who receive offers.

Details

Borrowers may receive up to $220k and can add a cosigner if they would like to further enhance their borrowing profile (interest rate will depend on whoever has the higher credit score.) CommonBond currently does a soft credit pull as an initial qualification estimate, but will conduct a hard pull in order to validate the interest rate and continue with the application. CommonBond also states the entire process can be completed in just a few days.

Benefits

For borrowers concerned with losing federal benefits, CommonBond does a great job of passing on key deferment and forbearance options to their borrowers. Currently, borrowers can take part in grace period deferment as well as education deferment if he or she is currently in grace period or wishes to go back to school. If the borrower is experiencing financial hardship, forbearance is available as an option much like federal loans.

Who Should Explore CommonBond?     

Borrowers must have a graduate degree from a qualifying institutional program. If you meet their initial qualifications, CommonBond has broad product offerings if you are looking to optimize for monthly payment or overall total repayment. CommonBond has the most unique and forward social mission and community approach across refinancing lenders; if these benefits are important to you, CommonBond may be your lender of choice.

If you are interested in refinancing with CommonBond or exploring other refinancing options from other great lenders, visit Credible to see what options may be available to you.

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Scientists in Finland have achieved record-breaking 22.1% photovoltaic efficiency using a nanostructured material known as black silicon. In a field known for progressing in minute steps, this result, which is a full 4% higher than any previous black silicon cell is particularly remarkable and brings this new photovoltaic material very suddenly into the mainstream.