Posts
So, my ambition back in January was to post one blog entry every day. I was doing well...until mid-March. Never mind. Blogging is the art of combining self-restraint with self-forgiving. Here's my list of top moments in 2009.
- Having my book published (please buy a copy if you haven't already, mortgage payments are a b**ch) and being quoted in a UK ad agency presentation. Stephen King was right, writing is telepathy.
- December 18 - Being named speaker of the year and having the office Christmas party on the same day. Kudo's to Kjell A Nordström who enlightened all of us with his infinite wisdom.
- Picking a fight with all of Scotland and then topping it off with a terrific morning session at Gleneagles on Future Possibilities for Scottish Tourism. Here's more about the event.
- Speaking at TED University in February. See the video of the event here.
- Good Morning 2019 in November where I, amongst other things, got to interview Stefan Persson, Chairman of H&M. Videos are here.
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Biotech Builders - an afternoon spent with some of Scandinavia's foremost experts on Biotechnology...dressed in a kilt.
- Getting to know the energy industry from the inside, thanks to assignments for ABB and Rejler's. Just consider Craig Venter's new biofuel; getting bacteria to shit diesel...how's that for solving our future energy needs.
- Seeing Dubai with my own eyes. I remain optimistic about its future in the long term.
- Speaking at Basel Zoo about how Darwin's ideas can be applied to
regional development. Thank you Bak Basel for giving me this wonderful assignment.
- Smashing up yet another ukulele at Dialogkonferanse in August. Watch it here.
Yesterday, it was announced that I was voted Sweden's Speaker of the Year in 2009. I am overwhelmed and overjoyed at Talarforum's announcement. If you voted, thank you. Below is a clip from an interview with me on Swedish TV (unfortunately in Swedish)
Dear Blog,
Is it any wonder, some people ask, that Sweden's productivity stats are so poor given that the entire country shuts down for over a month every summer? Well, I'll reply, given that there's nothing to do but work from October to April (when Californians will still take early afternoons off at the beach), we're worth it. Here's what I spent my off-time reading and what I thought of the works.
We are trendspotting creatures who spend our lives wondering what’s going on in the world around us. So why do so many changes pass us by or – even worse – take us completely by surprise? Why is our worldview always a little broken? What’s the learning of the many extreme events that have taken place over the past decade – from September 11th, 2001 to the financial crash of 2008? What long-term changes take place behind daily headlines and buzzwords? How can we understand the present and predict the future if we can’t even make sense of it?
These questions are the starting point of Everything We Know Is Wrong – The Trendspotter’s Handbook, an inspiring instruction manual to help you sharpen your trendspotting skills and navigate the many puzzling changes that make up life in the 21st century. Where other books about trends serve up ready-to-eat meals, this one will help you find, hunt and prepare your own “food” by giving you the tools and mindset needed for successful, in-depth trendspotting. It will help you distinguish between hype and actual insights, between fashion trends and megatrends. With seven insights about how our change-detecting minds work, Everything We Know Is Wrong will help you become an even better trendspotter in an age where we all need understand and adapt to changes in society, life and business.
The problem with following business biographies is that they tend to be written many years after events occured. Electric Car company Tesla Motors is an exception, however. Read a wonderful, scary account of what's been going down behind the scenes in the past few years here.
Call it the Heinz effect...
With Umbrellas!
Getting ready to speak about the future of regions and cities in a few weeks time, I've come across some interesting stuff in the past 24 hours.
A friend of mine sent me these pictures showing over 3,000 people making a pilgrimage to Dalarö, outside Stockholm, to watch the annual first outside grazing for about 20 cows. Is there a trend in this?
