Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore are at it again -- Breaking old paradigms and defining the next big thing. First, it was in their groundbreaking book The Experience Economy, which, nearly a decade ago, redefined the marketing landscape. Now it is with their new best-selling book Authenticity. This dynamic duo of "must do & must read" are featured in the March TIME Magazine issue on "10 Ideas that are Changing the World". It seems that in the realm of paradigm shifting, Joe and Jim only do heavy lifting. In this Innovise Guys' interview, the authors themselves tell all -- oh, well almost all -- so you still have to buy the book. Pine and Gilmore also offer a life-transforming event annually in the fall, which they call "Think About". For more information on that, go to: http://www.strategichorizons.com/SHthinkAbout.html. Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore can be reached at Strategic Horizons, LLP and at Pine&Gilmore@StrategicHorizons.com; 330-995-4680. You should find this interview, well, "authentic", if nothing else. Suffice to say, if these guys have an idea that is changing the world, you want to know about it. To link to more about their new book go to: http://authenticitybook.com/ 

Gushing with Gusto! To our Innovise Guys podcast listeners: "You are an immeasurable life force, saturated with infinite creative potential at this very moment ... From Siberia to the Serengetti, you are the ne plus ultra, the instantaneous creative, the best of the best at your best ... All of you --precedent- setting and paradigm shattering, bold and clever Argonauts tastefully continuing through the space-time continuum ..." How does that feel? Good, huh? These are but a few of compliments gleaned "Wickhead's Guide to Verbal Gusto" by JK (Jim Kelly) -- with whom we discuss the art of "dishing the upper" to one another, by finding the perfect compliment. JK is a former advertising copywriter turned author and a creative juggernaut and good-will ambassador who never travels life's highway without a Motherload of positive vibes and oodles of inventive energy. In the book he quotes Booker T. Washington -- "If you want to lift yourself, lift up someone else" and Bill & Ted -- "Be excellent to one another." And JK shows us how. In this interview, the author guides us through his motivations, the creative process and the uplifting content of his book. (Groundbreaking Press 2007) When he is not "dishing compliments" with the panache and flourish of "surf-speak" versions of Jame T. Kirk or Ace Ventura, Jim Kelly is an "Irishman at Large", stationed outside of Petaluma, California -- near Sonoma Creek -- at the Larson Family Winery. If you consider yourself even remotely "A deftly-skilled professional, thinking outside the box -- The Commissioner of Can-do", then this podcast is for you. For more information go to: www.groundbreaking.com, www.amazon.com and www.larsonfamilywinery.com.

Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein first met as Harvard freshman in 1957. Their book, "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes" (2007) is presently a best seller in both the humor and philosophy categories. Not bad for a couple of philosophy majors who tried on various careers after graduation. Tom worked with street gangs in Chicago, doctors at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and dropped in and out of divinity schools. Dan has written jokes for various comedians, including Flip Wilson and Lily Tomlin. Tom lives on Cape Cod with his wife. Dan lives in the Berkshires with his wife. Together, they are also authors of the politically incorrect book of daily affirmations, "Macho Meditations". This interview is littered with jokes (WARNING: some are PG-13) with illustrative examples of how jokes are able to connect to a better understanding of philosophers and their philosophies. Of course, humor is an essential ingredient of creativity and old friends Dan and Tom briskly banter back and forth on their collaboration and also tell the story of their "Aha! Moment" -- that spawned the book idea. Not surprisingly, that moment took place in a light-hearted conversation over a couple of pints in a pub. So successful is this book that their publisher demanded an encore -- the newly published "Aristotle and an Aardvark go to Washington" -- offering humorous insights into political jargon employed by the real jokers in DC. The Innovise Guys assume you will guffaw, chortle, howl, abstractly "he-haw!" and even titter as much as did we through this rousing romp through the thoughtfully theoretical and silly cerebral philosophical phootnotes from Plato to modernity. You'll laugh 'til you think! www.platoandaplatypus.com

Tim Hurson is one of the class acts in the creativity and innovation field. In this interview with The Innovise Guys he provides real insights into creative thinking and you get a slice of one of the best “thinkers about thinking” providing innovation services today. He has a lot going on, he’s written a fabulous new book -- Think Better, an Innovators Guide to Productive Thinking, he’s also the prime mover behind the MindCamp conference in Toronto (http://www.thinkxic.com/mindcamp/tastings.php), and Facilitators Without Borders, a group that provide pro bono facilitation services for communities in need. Tim talks about all these things, but mostly about how to “think better,” the challenges of writing and publishing, and the responses he’s received so far to his book. Tim is a founder of ThinkX Intellectual Capital (www.thinkxic.com) and an in-demand innovation consultant and public speaker. He is also is a great story teller with a great sense of humor, so this interview goes by in a flash.

This is an interesting and informationally dense interview, be prepared to take notes! Over 70 books have been written about Thomas Edison, "Innovate Like Edison" is different, it's the first to elucidate how Edison did Innovation. This book puts forward more detail about how he worked and his methods with teams, research, and more. This is a book that we can learn from and adopt. The Innovise Guys talk to the great grand niece of Edison, Sarah Miller Caldicott, an innovator in her own right, and co-author of this important new book about innovation process. As usual the Guys have fun with serious content and they explore the books ideas with Sarah. Included are a review of Edison's "five competencies of innovation," his innovation and problem solving assessments (that you can access in the book), various other Innovation tools and techniques, and what it was like to work with illustrious co-author Michael Gelb. For more information about Sarah and the book, visit www.sarahcaldicott.com.

Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, had this to say about the authors of This Is Not the Life I Ordered: "Kudos to the amazing strength of these women! This book is the needed inspiration to survive the worst luck and circumstances that catch women unexpectedly. Stories of almost unimaginable pain and tragedy: the death of loved ones, being witness to mass murder, the loss of an esteemed job after years of loyalty, and the reversal of fortunes. But more importantly, these are stories of individual strength to transform shock, despair, and paralysis into sheer will and guts. It contains the innate resources we have to climb out of the abyss and into a new life with unexpected happiness." In this podcast, The Innovise Guys talk to two of the authors, Deborah Collins Stephens and Michealene Cristini Risley about their book which celebrates sisterhood, community and creative re-framing of lives gone horribly awry -- and how hope, optimism, humor and acceptance can open the way to gratitude and acceptance of what life deals you. The guys want to also mention that they think, on top of everything else, these brainy, resilient, funny women are "major babes".

The Los Angeles Times – once wrote, “Fresh out of college, Marty Sklar was overwhelmed to find himself as Walt Disney's newest writer.” Sklar, in awe, dutifully followed Disney around, scribbling down Disney's orders, ideas and, occasionally, one-line gems. Many years after Walt’s death, Sklar recognized this treasure-trove of wisdom and created “Mickey's Ten Commandments”, one of the most widely circulated creeds and a bible of the theme park industry.“The lessons became a cornerstone of Sklar's own iconic reputation at Walt Disney Co., where he is among the last of a generation of creative minds who worked with the founder--so closely in his case that he became known as the Sorcerer's Apprentice”. "When people see Marty, they see Walt," says a former colleague. "When Marty says something is good, it's almost like Walt says it's good." He has also been called “the Jiminy Cricket” of Disney. Sklar led Disney Imagineering for over three decades. The Innovise Guys tracked down Marty at the ACA conference in Austin this past spring where he keynoted (American Creativity Association meeting). In this short but sweet interview, we learn of brainstorming and creativity Disney-style and about some of the methods behind the fairy dust. "There are two ways to look at a blank piece of paper," says Sklar, "One way is to see it as the most frightening thing in the world because there is nothing on it, and you have to make the first mark. The other way is to see the blank sheet as the greatest opportunity in the world.... You can let your imagination fly in any direction." Let’s “Wish upon a star …”, shall we?

Bijoy Goswami is an interesting man. He's the author of The Human Fabric, CEO of Aviri Corporation, and a founder of the Austin Boostrap Network. He's well educated of course -- Stanford -- but what makes him interesting is his diverse background and his ability to blend eastern and western concepts into new ways of being effective in the business world. A highly creative individiual Bijoy is very articulate when it comes to talking about start-ups, and creativity and innovation. Gregg caught up with Bijoy at Cafe Caffeine in Austin, Texas while there on his own book tour for Jack's Notebook. This is a concise and information packed interview, for more about Bijoy see: www.http://www.aviri.com/bijoy.htm and for more about the Austin Boostrap Network, see: http://www.bootstrapaustin.org/.

Are you a Clarifier, an Ideator, a Developer, an Implementer, or a Driver? In this instructive podcast, Dr. Gerard Puccio discusses FourSight, the breakthrough creative thinking style preference assessment which he developed through years of field testing and comparative research. The simple, user-friendly 34 question self-assessment tool is deceptive in it's simplicity, because it yields profound insights with far-reaching implications for personal development and how we work together as teams to accomplish complex objectives. Gerard keeps the Innovise Guys on their toes in this informative and jocular interview, wherein he sometimes upstages the Guys with some subtle and some not-so-subtle one-liners. Anyone who is involved with creative process, change management, team building, organizational development or dating will find this interview useful.

The Innovise Guys recently caught up with Dr. Gerard Puccio, program chair at the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College (SUNY) and his faculty colleague Dr. Mary Murdock at the American Creativity Association Conference. Together, with Marie Mance, they have just published a brilliant book, entitled Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change. In this fast-paced, fun and substantive interview, Puccio and Murdock discuss the connection between leadership and creativity. As the introduction to the book explains: “Change originates in creative thought, and the ability to engage in creative thinking or foster it in others is a skill that separates those who lead from those who follow … Creative thinking is the fuel that makes leadership work.” Leveraging more than 50 years of research in characteristically thorough fashion, the authors have written this book from the perspective of creativity as a core leadership competence. This is an informative and fun interview – at some points our affable guests even “out goof” The Guys, while covering the breadth, scope and seminal thinking behind the book, sharing their insights with aplomb. They also weigh in some of the challenges of the collaborative effort it took to write the book and fusing three authors into one, authentic voice. In the end, Puccio, Murdock and Mance have produced a book that is at once an extremely accessible, eminently readable, while a thorough, detailed academic resource for the latest thinking on Creative Problem Solving and Leadership – a hot topic du jour. Also discussed is their substantive reframing of the always resilient CPS process model. This is an engaging an informative interview that’s right for anyone facing the challenges of change, leading others through it and who want access to lucid, straight forward, state-of-the art thinking on the Creative Problem Solving model. For more information on the Buffalo State program see: www.buffalostate.edu/centers/creativity