Tools — The Nucleus Group

The key to building a strong network that will support you throughout your career is generosity. Giving to others and being open to receiving as well.I’ve learned from Kelly that creating a network is much like weaving and with her sage advice, my network has become the warp and weft of my life. It is a beautiful tapestry that represents the celebration of mutual accomplishment and doubles as a warm blanket when the need arises.

For years I would say that I work with, and for creatives, but my creativity exits at the elbow. NONSENSE. Being strategic is a creative act and the key to success is SHIPPING the work - getting it out of our heads and into use. That takes practice and this book is both a guide and the kick-in-the-pants to do just that. Summed up beautifully on page 3 and in Seth’s own words, “The practice demands that we approach our process [work] with commitment. It acknowledges that creativity is not an event, it is simply what we do…”

This book, along with The Pirate Inside, are required reading for brand strategists, organizational change-agents, product managers and innovators. With a focus on challenging the status quo, these two volumes provide step-by-step instruction along with exercises to form collaborative teams and guide them through a methodical process to achieve complacency-piercing positioning and innovation.

My recommendation of this book comes with a caveat - I rarely believe that a brand, an idea or a person can be reduced to an archetype. It is reductive and almost a cliche. I like to use this book, not as an endpoint or answer but as a starting point to gain a greater understanding of an ethos or set of connected behaviors. What makes it particularly useful is the combination of explanation and

To be in conversation with people who share our point of view is exhilarating but problem-solving often requires working in concert with people who hold opposing viewpoints. Productive dialogue balances talking with deep listening, and opens us up to both learning and changing our minds. Kahane demonstrates how, by harnessing vulnerability as a strength, we can create meaningful connections and an atmosphere of psychological safety to create more sustainable solutions to tough problems.

The essence of wonder lies in our ability to translate our awe into stories that inspire, inform and instruct. Language matters, the way we put together words and each and every word. This book has been my language bible, my guide and my constant companion. (BTW: while I’ve had many copies, the one illustrated by Maira Kalman will make the corners of your mouth turn up and entice you to read this grammar book like a novel!)

Say the world “brand” and people immediately nod but rarely agree on what it means. Some conjure an image of a logo. Others insist it is whatever a consumer says it is. It is a set of behaviors, right? Yes, and… My own definition of branding has evolved, with the help of the 22 expert essays in this book. For me, branding is the study of why people do or do not connect to an idea and defining solutions that shorten the distance between the desire for connection and the achievement of it.

Wonder is the emotion that sparks curiosity and leads to asking questions. It takes us from a state of awareness of our own existence and becomes the driving catalyst of our desire to learn. Wonder brings imagination to life and becomes the rocket fuel for invention and problem solving. This book takes the mystery out of wonder and hands you the keys to living a life of awe!

Indulge your wonder.