Everything I Know About Business I Learned From THE TOXIC AVENGER!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Early in my career I spent 7 years working for Troma, the low budget film studio probably best known for the cult Classic, The Toxic Avenger…  As I am sure you know, The Toxic Avenger is the heartwarming story of Melvin, a lowly mop-boy, who, teased and taunted, falls into a vat of radioactive waste and emerges as… The Toxic Avenger - The First Superhero from New Jersey! (And affectionately called "Toxie.")

Making movies is hard work, especially making movies on a shoestring budget… (OK, eventually we were able to advance from shoestrings to Velcro budgets!)  But I learned a lot… how to mix theatrical blood…  How to make a cantaloupe substitute for a head crush…  but making movies also taught me a lot about business and being an entrepreneur...

In truth, an independent movie production is like a start-up on steroids.  You go from screenplay (business plan) to product completion (launch) in a matter of months.  You have to hire, fire, build, tear down, raise money, spend money, rally the troops, fight deadlines and external forces, and make constant compromises all the while fighting to stay the course and make the best film (i.e. product) you can.

Nobody sets out to make a bad film, just like nobody starts a company with the intention of failing...

Ignite Toxie (Thanks to Ford)

I recently attended a great event for bloggers and online influencers sponsored by Ford (who paid for my trip to Detroit) in connection with the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). During a dinner event the Ford team organized an evening of Ignite Talks. If you are not familiar with Ignite, it is a great format for short, thought provoking and inspiring presentations.  The presenter has 5 minutes and 20 slides, and the slides advance every 15 seconds, no matter what the presenter is saying.  While I do quite a bit of public speaking, I've never given an Ignite talk... until now.

I thought the Ignite format would be perfect for sharing 5 lessons I learned from my Troma days that I think apply to all businesses and entrepreneurs:

1. Show Up (and be prepared)
2. Collaborate & Delegate
3. Be Passionate, Real and Believe
4. Sink or Swim
5. Commit To Your Culture and Vision

Here is a video of my Ford Ignite presentation, called "Everything I Know About Business I Learned From The Toxic Avenger."  Please let me know what you think in the comments!

Zen and the Art of Ultrabooks...

(Note: this is a sponsored post that originally appeared at Dadomatic.com, but the words and opinions are all mine.)

It is fitting that Asus calls their new Ultrabook line "Zenbooks."  Just one look and you can see that it is a device that exudes a sense of calm and balance, purity and power.   An early entrant in the Intel Ultrabook category, the Zenbook is thin and sleek, capable and fast.  It is the Ying and Yang of portable computing: thin and light enough to take with you everywhere, yet powerful and feature rich enough to function as a primary computer.  Actually, that is the essence of the Intel Ultrabook spec - to pack a full-featured computer in an elegantly thin package, supported by long battery life, best-in-class security, and the convenience of "instant on" (giving the boot to lengthy boot times), all at a reasonable price point.

Intel Inside

As long-time readers know, I have been an Intel Advisor and have written here about interesting technology and insights I have gleaned from attending various events and having the opportunity to peek inside Intel.  Now I am looking forward to bringing you more information about the ultra slick new category of Ultrabooks that Intel is the driving force behind.  Intel has provided me with an ASUS Zenbook, as well as an opportunity for one of you to get an Ultrabook through a Twitter give-away.  I am working hand in hand (or Ultrabook to Ultrabook) with one of my Intel Advisor and Cast of Dads cohorts, Michael Sheehan (also known as HighTechDad.)  If you want to learn more about Ultrabooks (and have a chance to get your hands on one) please follow me (@sass) and Michael (@hightechdad) on Twitter, and keep an eye out for our tweets with the hashtag #UltrabookDads. Michael and I will also be collaborating on some fun video reviews of the Ultrabook, so please stay tuned.

The Wow Factor

As the geek dad in my family, my kids are always waiting to see what new computing gadget or gizmo I will be bringing home.  It has been fascinating to watch over the years as the "wow factor" of gadgets has shifted to the point where the design, look and feel of a device is almost as important as its function and capabilities.  It wasn't too long ago when all we cared about was what a computer could do. Now, as we bring our computers with us to meetings, family gatherings, parks, coffee shops and airports, we also care about how our computers look and feel. That's the world our kids are growing up in.  For them, what their computers look and feel like will be just as important as the "kicks" they wear.  When I look at the Ultrabook as compared to the first laptop I ever had, the advancements, inside and out, are mind boggling.  I can only imagine what ultra amazing computers my kids have to look forward to.  With style, design and performance in mind, Ultrabooks definitely win on the wow factor, and seem to deliver on the promise of taking portable computing into the future.

What’s Next?

I look forward to spending some time with the Asus Zenbook Ultrabook and then sharing my thoughts with you.  Meanwhile, here are a few shots from my "unboxing" of the Asus Zenbook:

 
 Can't see the video? Click HERE.

UPDATE:

As part of our Ultrabook promotion, Michael and I will be doing both a Hangout on Google+ and a live Twitter Chat.  These are just for fun and information.  You don’t have to participate in either to be eligible for the giveaway, but if you want to get our first impressions of the Asus Zenbook Ultrabook we have been playing with, the hangout and chat will be a great opportunity.

Here is the schedule for the Twitter Chat: Google+ Hangout:

Google+ Hangout: Thursday, December 22 at 10pm EST / 7pm PST
Twitter Chat: Friday December 23 at 10pm EST / 7pm PST

We’ll be talking Ultrabooks, etc. for about an hour each night and we hope you can stop by!

Disclosure:  In accordance with the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration and/or am being otherwise compensated by Intel in preparing to create this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period. My opinions about Intel, Asus, and Ultrabooks are entirely my own and not those of Intel, Asus or any other party.


Photo Credit: © Robert Spriggs - Fotolia.com

A Hollywood Tale: From Screenplay to Podcast to...

(Disclosure:  This post is a shameless plug to ask you to consider subscribing to my new podcast, Wunderkind! and, if you are so inclined, help me to spread the word about it.  Wunderkind! is the podcast of an original comic-adventure screenplay, written and performed by me.)

If you've enjoyed my posts here at over the years, I'd greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about my new fiction podcast, Wunderkind!  Since it was originally written for the screen, I am performing Wunderkind! as a screenplay and generally retain the protocols of a screenplay format, with INT. and EXT. scene settings, camera angles, dialogue directions, etc. (a choice inspired by author and podcaster Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff.)  So far the feedback on the format has been very positive, with most listeners agreeing that the screen instructions quickly fade away and help shape the visualization of the story.  I have published 4 episodes so far, which is close to half-way through the story. If you listen and enjoy Wunderkind! please consider leaving a review on iTunes, and feel free to leave me a comment at www.wunderkindpodcast.com.  I am having a lot of fun recording Wunderkind! and I hope you'll enjoy listening.  Thanks!

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY... 

Wunderkind! was the first screenplay I ever wrote... I can still remember the day I had the idea for it, walking down Broadway, breathing in the energy of the street, the vibe that is so uniquely New York, alone in a crowd in the heart of Times Square, day dreaming about the industry I loved. At the time I had just left a 5-year stint at an independent film & TV distribution company, determined to branch out on my own...

Since then, I've had an illustrious ride through the worlds of entertainment and technology, but I've never lost my love for words and stories. Along the way I've written other screenplays and television scripts. A few have been sold and some even made their way onto screens large and small. But like many of us, I've always had a sweet spot for my first...

I think everyone who loves the movies at one time or another dreams of being a Wunderkind... the darling of Hollywood, the Steven Spielberg... the J.J. Abrams... maybe you're next?

I hope you enjoy this story of one kid's Tinseltown dream, and the unusual way it gets fulfilled...

Photo Credit: © Andy - Fotolia.com

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• New Podcast Fiction: Wunderkind! (sassholes.blogspot.com)

Feeling Full After A Half-Marathon

There is something incredibly human about running.  According to many articles, books and talks, we are made for running.  Our erect biped being makes running as natural for homo sapiens as flying is for birds.  We used to run as a tribe, chasing our prey over vast distances until it collapsed from exhaustion and the running man conquered the savage beast without a blow. Whole villages ran to follow the hunters to the fallen spoil.  Perhaps that is why I found running in a race to be such a deeply satisfying experience, and a deeply emotional one...it is in our DNA...

Back To Basics

Running is so simple.  Put one foot in front of the other.  Again, and again and again. You don't need any special equipment... just the shoes on your feet (unless you opt for barefoot running).  You don't need to belong to a gym or a club, or take lessons, or hire a trainer.  You just need to be human, and be willing to move...

Alone In The Crowd

I recently ran in my first race, a half-marathon, and it was an experience I will always remember, and look forward to repeating.  The camaraderie of strangers, coming together for a common, yet individual goal is the embodiment of inspiration.  The human race was represented in the race by every imaginable shape, size, ethnicity and age.  So many different people gathered for such a singular goal - to run 13.1 miles.  Each runner fully aware that everyone of us is a winner the moment we cross the finish line, whether the first or the last to do so...

The support of strangers as you pass them and as they pass you is remarkable, matched only by the support of the volunteers at the water stations and the passing cars honking their support and the passersby who just happened along as a race crossed their path.   Running is such a personal pursuit - you and your body and your thoughts - yet running in a race is such a communal feeling at the same time.  You are truly one with yourself and one with the crowd - an amazing, empowering, combination. I was overwhelmed by emotion on more than one occasion as I plodded forth to run, non-stop, farther than I ever had before.

If I Can, YOU Can!

Still I bit winded, in the video below I share my initial thoughts after running in the Miami Halloween Half-Marathon. Inspired by my son, I began my running journey in February, first by running a minute, then walking a minute for 3 to 4 miles... rinse, repeat. Over weeks and months I gradually increased the time running, until I was running the entire 3-4 miles non-stop. Then it was a matter of slowly and surely increasing my distance...

A year ago I never dreamed I could run 4 miles, let alone 13.1. Any goal is possible if you take it step by step, in smaller, attainable bites. If I can become a runner, so can you!!! If I can become a runner, I can probably do anything I set my mind to... and so can you!

New Podcast Fiction: Wunderkind!

For almost two years now I have officially been a podcaster as a co-host of the Cast of Dads podcast along with C.C. Chapman, Michael Sheehan, Brad Powell and Max Kalehoff.  While I love being one of the Cast of Dads, I have always wanted to try my hand at podcast fiction.  Finally, I have have dusted off something I've written that I think will lend itself well to the podcast medium, and I am announcing the launch of a new serialized podcast of an original comedy screenplay, "Wunderkind!"

I am very fortunate to consider many of the highly creative and innovative podcasters friends of mine, including Scott Sigler,  J.C. Hutchins, C.C. Chapman, Seth Harwood, Tee Morris and Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff, all of whom have been great examples and an inspiration to me.  I've learned a great deal from listening to them, and have enjoyed countless hours of entertainment from them (along with tens of thousands of their other loyal fans).  They've set the podcast bar pretty high, and I am sure, especially at the beginning, my attempt may be a little rough around the edges, but I am excited to dive in with the story and look forward to honing my podcasting skills along the way.

"Wunderkind!" is an original screenplay I wrote a while back.  It is an inside Hollywood comedy about a young film buff who unexpectedly becomes the next Hollywood wunderkind.  I was inspired to turn it into a podcast after I listened to Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff's fantastic podcast reading of his screenplay "Number One with a Bullet" (affiliate link), the first podcast of a screenplay read in screenplay format.  Listening to Mark, it dawned on me that I, too, had some potential podcast fodder in the form of my screenplay "Wunderkind!"

I hope you'll consider listening to "Wunderkind!", and if you do, I would love getting your feedback.  You can learn more about "Wunderkind!" and listen to it at www.WunderkindPodcast.com, and you can also subscribe in iTunes.

Hooray for Hollywood!

Be Insanely Great

I've lived my professional life in the entertainment, technology and mobile industries, and I am a conspicuous consumer, so, like so many of the humans on this planet, for the past 30 years my daily life has been touched in some way by the innovations and spirit of Steve Jobs.  When Steve Jobs resigned from his position as CEO of Apple, like most of you reading this, I took a moment to reflect upon how Jobs has impacted everyone who has a job in the industry I work in. How, for many years and in many ways, we have been touched by the Apple master.  Now, sadly, it is time to reflect again.

In Good Company

If you have ever started a company or worked for a startup, you know that going from good to great is not enough.  Today's best entrepreneurs want to go beyond, good, beyond great, to become an insanely great company.  The aspirations of a tech company to be "insanely great" are in part inspired by Apple's success and the term "insanely great" is most often attributed to Steve Jobs's description of his company and its products (some say he first used the term when introducing the Macintosh in 1984).

There's no question that Apple's iTunes has influenced the music industry and MP3 distribution in ways that have trickled down into every aspect of the music business.  Working in the mobile industry for over ten years, my world has certainly benefited from the positive impact the iPhone has had on pushing forward mobile web usage and handset innovation across the board (as I wrote about in Forbes). The entire mobile ecosystem has been directly and beneficially changed by the mobile app marketplace that the iPhone and iTunes App Store jump started.  The iPad, and all it has inspired, is leading the way to the "post PC" era, that Steve Jobs envisioned, and that our children will inherit and thrive within.

Be Insanely Great

We can certainly appreciate all that Steve Jobs accomplished, and tip our proverbial hats in honor and remembrance as we continue to enjoy the products and inspiration that are his legacy.  However, perhaps the best way to remember and honor Mr. Jobs is to recognize, once again, that our time here is limited, and that every single day we have the choice, in everything we do, to be good, to be great, or to be like Steve Jobs and be insanely great.

I am going to aspire for the latter.  How about you?

Above image: Hugh MacLeod