November – Success
Jacqueline Byrd, President and Senior Consultant of Creatrix and virtual client at France OffiCenter, is our Success client this month! One of the primary motivations for developing the Creatrix Assessment in 1974 was to measure the creative sense and risk taking of individuals in organizations. Understanding the creativity and risk of individuals within an organization helps us to better understand why they experience success or fall into bankruptcy and fail. Find out more at www.creatrix.com and read Jacqueline’s answers to our questionnaire.
1) What would you like people to know about you and your business? I am an international consultant, speaker, and author. I am the brains behind the Creatrix Innovation Assessment and author of The Innovation Equation, Building Tomorrow’s Business Through Innovative Leadership and Voice of the Innovator.
2) Where did you get the idea for your business? My Father developed the first Creatrix assessment—which is all about creativity and risk taking. I took it to the next level and expanded it to a business platform: Innovation = Creativity * Risk Taking.
3) What makes your business unique? We cultivate innovation in individuals, teams and organizations. Innovation is not just about products, tools and techniques but people. Innovations don’t happen without the people.
4) What is your ‘elevator speech’? I link strategy to innovation, create cultures and environments that foster innovation, engage people in innovation and help leaders lead more innovatively!
5) What are the keys to your success? Constantly thinking of the next thing and building on my brand…innovation. It keeps me engaged.
6) What is the one piece of advice you’d like to give to others about running a business? All have their ups and downs—make sure you have cash in the bank for the downs…Have a passion for what you do-focus!
7) How long have you been at OffiCenters? Which location? I’ve been at France OffiCenter for one year.
8) How has your relationship with OffiCenters changed your business? Gives me some great meeting space. Jill has been so wonderful, coming in early and making sure that coffee and the rooms are ready to go!
9) If you could work from anywhere under the sun, where would you choose? St. Petersburg Florida.
10) Tweet, Blog, LinkedIn, Facebook? Blog: voiceoftheinnovator@wordpress.com; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinebyrd; Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CreatrixInc.
11) What piece of technology can you not live without? My iPhone.
12) What is one of your favorite quotes? (poem by Emily Dickinson)
We never know how high we are
Till we are asked to rise
And then if we are true to plan
Our statures touch the skies—
13) Who has been an inspiration in your life? George Elliot, Coco Chanel and my Dad.
14) When you have 30 minutes of free time, how do you use it? Research on the Internet about any subject that crossed my mind that day or grab a cup of tea and just sit and look outside.
15) If you had a long weekend with unlimited funds, where would you go? Paris Paris Paris.
16) If you could be any fictional character, whom would you choose and why? Tigger—just gets through anything or Neo (Matrix)—just gets through anything.
17) What is your favorite restaurant in Minnesota? Sofitel.
18) What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life? What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger. You’ll Never Walk Alone. Who Is The Best Friend To Yourself? Music from the Matrix. Big Girls Don’t Cry. Dolce Francia. You Gotta Have a Gimmick.
19) If you could paint a picture what would you paint and why? Positano, Italy—I think God arrived there first; although, the North Shore is a close second.
20) What is the best way for people to find out more about you and your business? www.creatrix.com, www.voiceoftheinnovator.com. Order my new book Voice of the Innovator @ www.voiceoftheinnovator.com. Attend the book launch on November 20th at St. Catherine University 5:30-7:30.
