How Business Professor Mentors Entrepreneurs - Mike Germano

In Chapter 8 of 13, Quinnipiac business professor Dale Jasinski draws parallels in his own lessons learned to mentor Carrot Creative co-founders Mike Germano and his partner Robert Gaafar on business fundamentals, including cash flow, managing people, and scaling operations. The relationship provides Germano and Gaafar reinforcement they are not alone on their journey, a key element for entrepreneur confidence-building.

How to Create an Economic Development Zone - Mike Germano

In Chapter 6 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano applies lessons learned working in Hamden, Connecticut politics to defining and positioning for a DUMBO, Brooklyn economic development zone. Germano shares his approach, from identifying the area, bringing attributes together in a template, and using grassroots to organize and excite community, in advocating for the New York City Digital District (www.nydd.us).

Why Public and Private Sector Risk Profiles Differ - Mike Germano

In Chapter 4 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano shares difference in risk tolerance and profiles between government and business.  Using his experience as a public sector elected official and a private sector entrepreneur Germano frames the conversation in context of risk and failure. Whereas business innovation and risk-taking can push businesses to fail, learn, and reinvent, governments and municipalities cannot fail. As a young, idealistic, passionate person applying innovation to create change, Germano finds public sector risk profile a better fit than private sector at this stage in his career.

How to Use Youth as Asset in Business and Politics - Mike Germano

In Chapter 3 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano reflects on entering Connecticut politics.  He embraces his younger perspective and learns valuable lessons about preparation managing relationships and presenting arguments to older peers and constituents. Germano, co-founder of social media agency Carrot Creative, now applies these lessons learned when engaging brand manager clients. He positions youth as an asset in social media while keeping mindful of his responsibility to develop credibility in dealing with large, multi-million dollar marketing budgets.

How to Apply Political Skills in a Business Job - Mike Germano

In Chapter 2 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano is elected to public office at 23 in 2005 and uses the experience and confidence to apply different perspectives to solve traditional problems. Campaign experience in 2003 and 2005, coupled with political office lessons learned, shape how Mike Germano builds trust and communicates he now values as an entrepreneur and business owner at Carrot Creative.In Chapter 2 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano is elected to public office at 23 in 2005 and uses the experience and confidence to apply different perspectives to solve traditional problems. Campaign experience in 2003 and 2005, coupled with political office lessons learned, shape how Mike Germano builds trust and communicates he now values as an entrepreneur and business owner at Carrot Creative.

How Community Development Project Participation Enables Purpose - Mike Germano

In Chapter 1 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano shares why community development projects allow him to apply his enthusiasm to his purpose.  As a result, Germano, a driving force behind the New York Digital District (www.nydd.us) is able to create positive changes and outcomes.

How Yahoo Marketer Creates Community Programs - Jason Anello

In Chapter 1 of 13, running Yahoo's experimental marketing team allows Jason Anello an opportunity to develop programs by mixing new technologies, trends, niche audiences, and timing. With a personal aspiration to find the new and the next, Anello's professional role takes him across the world to places like India, Vietnam, and Brazil to absorb cultures while interacting with local communities.

How Behavioral Science Applies to Marketing - Jason Anello

In Chapter 4 of 13, beyond his role as a Yahoo! experimental marketer and experience builder, Jason Anello constantly finds behavior shaping elements in his life. What most fascinates Anello about behavioral science is the opportunity to recognize those moments as they assemble and play out.

How Yahoo Unites London, Mumbai, and NYC - Jason Anello

In Chapter 5 of 13, Yahoo experimental marketer Jason Anello gets tasked with concepting, designing and building the Yahoo Yodel Studio across New York City, London, and Mumbai.  Through the experience, Anello embraces the unexpected, including Mumbai Domino's pizza, to unify different local interactive experiences across a global theme.

How to Apply Creative Skills in Direct Mail Marketing - Jason Anello

In Chapter 7 of 13, designer Jason Anello joins a direct mail marketing firm after finding an entry-level advertising agency job creatively too restrictive. At the direct mail firm Anello connects a new found creative freedom with client business results. This then empowers Anello to stretch and experiment creatively within this measurable framework and learn more about how people behave when presented with differing stimuli.

How to Rethink Wedding Gift Registries - Jason Anello

In Chapter 12 of 13 of his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, experience marketer Jason Anello created his company, Giftello (www.giftello.com), to redefine wedding and gift registries and enable experience gift-giving.

How Entrepreneur Learns Not to Take Rejection Personally - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 14 of 14, business owner J.T. Allen has faced the greatest confidence-building tests raising capital to finance business operations over his 10-year entrepreneurial career with www.myfootpath.com.   Evolving the bussiness concept over time, Allen has learned to not take rejection personally. By believing in his business and purpose, Allen has managed highs and lows and built momentum.

Learning to Dream Big from Michigan Professor Noel Tichy - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 13 of 14, entrepreneur J.T. Allen shares his formative college experience working with University of Michigan Business School (www.bus.umich.edu) professor Noel Tichy (www.noeltichy.com). Tichy, a renowned leadership scholar and author, challenges Allen to think creatively about problem-solving. Watching 100s of hours of footage with Tichy, Allen learns how to dream big with confidence.

How Improving Education System Shapes Purpose - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 10 of 14, entrepreneur J.T. Allen gets inspired to create his educational services firm, MyFootpath.com, after experiencing frustration seeing political inefficiencies at work in education.

How to Apply a Business Education to Politics - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 9 of 14, J.T. Allen chooses to attend the University of Michigan to study political science but soon learns he finds business classes more interesting. Years later, as an entrepreneur, Allen applies business concepts, including incentive structures championed by author Ayn Rand, in identifying ways to address political problems in the education system.

How Ayn Rand and Howard Roark Motivate Entrepreneur - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 8 of 14, entrepreneur and MyFootpath.com founder J.T. Allen finds inspiration in author Ayn Rand's book, "The Fountainhead" and her underlying philosophy, Objectivism, and its capitalist society view.  Allen relates to Rand's work with experiences while consulting at Ernst & Young and dealing with flawed client incentive structures limiting risk-taking in business managers. Allen also highlights Rand's Howard Roark as a literary role model he, as an entrepreneur, uses to inspire decisions affecting his company.

How Startup Uses Cash Flow to Negotiate and Motivate - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 7 of 14, entrepreneur and MyFootpath.com founder J.T. Allen shares the role cash flow plays as a motivational tool in employee incentive structures as well as a means to better negotiate with the investor base.  Allen highlights how start-up companies in particular are highly dependant on cash flow to maintain and grow business operations.

Why Raising Capital Can Mislead Entrepreneurs - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 6 of 14, entrepreneur J.T. Allen learns raising capital to finance business operations can be a misleading topic for many new entrepreneurs.  Experience teaches Allen this can be an unnecessary distraction too often over prioritized. Founding MyFootpath.com in 2000, Allen learns fundraising is not always priority number one and, over time, shifts his view to balancing a business operations focus with a financing focus.