Shine Advisor - Ideas on Packaging, Design and Possibility

Blog Series — Find a Translator to Turn Technology into Strategic Gold In this four-part series I’m exploring the ways to bring powerful differentiation to market with more seamless processes: building a strong bridge of communication between R&D and Marketing, exploring and leveraging product claims, using both the left and right brain in development, and ensuring a continuous influx of fresh technology insights. Part 3: Developing in Your Right Mind There’s an old joke that only left handers are in their right minds. As a left-handed person I appreciate the sentiment. While it isn’t accurate to say that we only use one side of our brain, there is a tendency to lean heavily on one side or the other. The “left side” being more logical and fact driven, and the “right side” being more abstract and creative. The corporate realm tends to push us into the left hemisphere, relying on data, formulas and standard practices, and the crafting and reporting of results tha

Blog Series — Find a Translator to Turn Technology into Strategic Gold In this four-part series I’m exploring the ways to bring powerful differentiation to market with more seamless processes: building a strong bridge of communication between R&D and Marketing, exploring and leveraging product claims, using both the left and right brain in development, and ensuring a continuous influx of fresh technology insights. Part 2: Leveraging Claims Say more than you thought you could say, with more power and impact When you have a robust bridge of communication between R&D and Marketing, you have access to the full story, the technology and the market insights, to maximize the impact for customers. This story is everything, because it not only guides the internal direction for product development, it guides the message that you share with the market about your product. It isn’t just what you do. It’s all the things you can say about what you do. Th

My shocking and scandalous launch into an unplanned career detour Taking a sabbatical isn't something I ever associated myself with actually doing. Sabbaticals are dreamy and indulgent, not a thing that my career plans would ever make time for.  I was on an ambitious path that involved hard, steady work. I was going places and I was determined to prove myself and see how far “up” I could go. And then I got that strange phone call from my boss. The one where her voice sounds far-away and a little too sweet. I met her in the meeting room to immediately hear I was let go. Call it “laid off” or “separated” or “dismissed.” It’s really all the same thing, because it meant that I was suddenly and inexplicably kicked off this fired-up path that I was pounding out in front of me. It took me 21 years to get there, but I never saw it coming.  A thunderbolt hit me, in all its mythical greek significance as a destructive force. For everyone who’s been through this event in the

Blog Series — Find a Translator to Turn Technology into Strategic Gold In this four-part series I’m exploring the ways to bring powerful differentiation to market with more seamless processes: building a strong bridge of communication between R&D and Marketing, exploring and leveraging product claims, using both the left and right brain in development, and ensuring a continuous influx of fresh technology insights. Part 1: Working with R&D Building a brilliant connection Dilbert cartoons are funny for a reason; they resonate. We’ve all been on the frustrated end of a conversation about product features or technology implementation. Felt the aggravation of trying to get a layman’s explanation of the science behind the product performance. Seen the annoyance of R&D when key market insights shift the requirements for the product formulation. The reason these cliché cartoons resonate is because everyone is so darn good at what they do. And we are