Have a Very Mitchie Christmas!
If you are looking for easy-to-buy, inspiring, heart-warming holiday gifts to buy your loved ones, you are in the right place -- books, card decks and online brainstorming sessions written and produced by Mitch Ditkoff.
BOOKS
Unspoken Word: $4.51
Storytelling for the Revolution: $16.36
Storytelling at Work: $15.12
Full Moon at Sunrise: $5.47
Awake at the Wheel: $13.95
CARD DECK
Free the Genie: $49.00
ONLINE BRAINSTORMING
Free the Genie session: $199
Here's to a joyful holiday season to everyone! May this be a time of giving and receiving, gratitude, relaxation, renewal, celebration, health and happiness. Count your blessings, then lose count. And know that all of the powers of love are with you every step of the way. Breathe deep and open the gift that you are.
MitchDitkoff.com
SageCatalysts
Idea Champions
PHOTO: Kraken Images
Conference Keynote Testimonials
If you are looking for a dynamic keynote speaker who knows how to jump start conferences with style, wisdom, and positive energy, Mitch Ditkoff is your man. Easy to work with, customer-focused, and highly experienced, he knows how to engage even the most curmudgeonly of audiences. Take a look at what a sampling of his clients, from a wide range of industries, have to say about the impact he's had on their conferences."
"Mitch Ditkoff's keynote presentation was both entertaining and informative. Over 1,030 Merck employees attended and rated the session a 4.8 out of 5.0. In just two hours, Mitch not only got participants out of the box, he also helped us understand what it takes to establish a sustainable culture of innovation." - Jim Aubele, Associate Director of Organizational Learning, Merck
"Idea Champions made our annual conference on innovation a huge success. They not only expertly facilitated the process, but ensured that our company developed a culture that will foster innovation from here on in." - Rick Yockelson, SVP of People and Administration, Hudson Group
"Mitch Ditkoff's innovation keynote at our Developer's Conference was an energetic and engaging opening to our event. Thanks to the pre-work Mitch did with us, his themes were perfectly synchronized with the objectives of the conference -- increase innovative problem-solving and global knowledge sharing. Mitch's comments got our people thinking and prepared to tackle the interactive objectives of the meeting. After Mitch, it was 'Game on!'" - Andy Billings, VP, Profitable Creativity, Electronic Arts
"As the conference organizer for our annual innovation summit, I was looking for a dynamic speaker who could deliver an impactful message on fostering a culture of innovation. What I found surpassed my greatest expectations. Mitch Ditkoff was outstanding in every way.He captivated our audience by engaging them in his interactive keynote and workshop and provided attendees with useful tools to apply in their workplaces. They discovered new and helpful ways to unleash creativity. I lost count of people coming up to me after the event who were raving about Mitch." - Ben Quintana, Chairman, IdaVation
"Mitch Ditkoff's keynote at our annual conference was informative, inspiring, and entertaining. I know that keeping 128 executives, managers, and engineers engaged for five hours is a challenging task, but he pulled it off extremely well." - Gordon Thomas, VP, Hydrosystems
Ten tips for giving a great keynote
"Mitch Ditkoff brings a creative, energetic, and fun approach to creative thinking. The tools and techniques he has brought to Atlanticare are enabling us to build a true Garden of Innovation." - Terri Schieder, VP, Clinical Development and Integration, Atlanticare
"Mitch Ditkoff is a wonderful ambassador of the power of storytelling to transmit wisdom and has the rare talent to keep an audience riveted. His message is inspiring and authoritative, and his presentation, entirely entertaining. For a keynote or workshop that will leave your audience smiling and diving deeper, long after the talk, and in love with the speaker, don't miss this seasoned, skilled presenter." - Susan Page, Executive Director, San Miguel Writer's Conference
"Mitch Ditkoff's highly engaging approach, combining creative energy and business practicality, is a real winner. His process and practical tools helps people experience innovation in the moment and, more importantly, enables them to apply the learning back home with their own teams." - Mike Canning, Managing Director, General Electric
"I had the privilege of attending Mitch Ditkoff's speaking session at the Private Care Association's 46th Annual Conference, and it was truly inspiring. Mitch's insights on leadership and creativity were not only engaging, but also immensely practical. His ability to blend storytelling, humor, and actionable advice made his session a standout at the conference."
"Thank you for a wonderful presentation and taking the time to share your gift." - Maria Keesling, Dupont
"Your interactive keynote presentation was not only the best session at this year's meeting, I think it is the best one we ever had." - Tom Gowan, Emmis Broadcasting
"What a fabulous session! Your contribution to making the 10th Anniversary Sales Conference a success was superb. I have heard nothing but rave reviews." - Anne Bendalin, Radio Ad Bureau
"Your keynote was very engaging and helped participants derive significant understanding about how to solve the 'innovation conundrum' and how game changing practices need to be adopted in order to grow." - Krishna Nacha, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, EXL
"Your presentation was received with the highest of ratings. I especially appreciate how your services, methods and products clearly reflect your understanding of adult learning and practice." - Carole Weinstein, Associate Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers
"Great job! Well-planned. High energy. Outstanding value." - Samuel Bruce, Assistant Dean, Fuqua School of Business
"You helped transform our meeting into a truly dynamic and worthwhile experience." - Abbe Raven, CEO, A&E Television Networks
CONTACT: Mitch Ditkoff, mitch@ideachampions.com
Idea Champions
My clients
My most recent keynote
FREE THE GENIE KEYNOTE: The Art & Science of Going Beyond Limiting Assumptions
If you are looking for a kickoff conference keynote that will energize, inspire and establish the kind of mindset conducive to real learning, engagement and commitment, keep reading...
As an internationally acclaimed thought leader in the field of innovation, I know how to spark breakthrough in even the most curmudgeonly conference attendee.
My Free the Genie keynote is a time-tested way to help audiences unlock and unleash their innate brilliance.
Since 1987, I have been working closely with more than 100 organizations in 11 different countries to help them go beyond the status quo and achieve extraordinary results. My keynotes go well beyond mere pep talks or inspired public speaking.
Yes, attendees become better informed about what it takes to innovate, but more than that they begin to transform -- navigating their way forward into new realms of possibility and solution-finding. I don't talk at people. Instead, I provide the kind of experience that enables people to participate in meaningful ways that translate into actionable business insights.
Each keynote includes the following elements:
- Establishing a culture of listening to ensure full engagement
- Building a solid case for the need to go beyond the status quo
- Topic-specific storytelling that makes it easy for attendees to remember key learning points
- Identification of individual limiting assumptions interfering with breakthrough results
- Identification of compelling questions that jump start insight
- Ideation and small group brainstorming
- The practice of at least one powerful creative thinking technique
- A 16-page guidebook to support the keynote learning process
- A sampling of Free the Genie cards to spark original thinking
- Cross-fertilization of best practices and newly articulated ideas
- Action planning and identification of next steps
What my clients say
Idea Champions
Ten Tips for Giving a Great Keynote
CONTACT: Mitch Ditkoff (mitch@ideachampions.com) -- 845.389.9096
How to Go Beyond the Team Leader Overload Syndrome
Most people who are in a leadership position often find themselves overloaded and overwhelmed. "Too much to do and not enough time," is their mantra. And here's why:
1. They haven't established clear expectations with their team
2. They don't totally trust the people they lead
3. There are insufficient standards of excellence
4. They want everyone to like them
5. They don't know how to delegate
6. They have unclear boundaries
7. They are addicted to rescuing people
8. They think their way is the best way
9. They are impatient for results
10. They don't know how to empower others
Not good for business. Not good for the team. And not good for the health of the leader. But it doesn't have to be that way. And the "fix" is way simpler than you think.
Next time a member or your team tries to dump a problem at your feet, shirks responsibility, or wants you to "save the day," STOP and ask yourself any of the following questions:
1. "Who's problem is this, really?"
2. "How can this issue be framed as a HOW CAN I question?"
3. "Does this person understand what I expect of them?"
4. "Is this person clear about their roles and responsibilities?"
5. "Do I have the time and interest to take on this project?"
6. "If I do have time, what support can I offer?"
7. "Who else, on the team, might be able to help with this?"
8. "How can I empower this person to own the project?"
9. "How can I let the person do it their way?"
10."What's the simplest thing I can do to lend support?"
PS: Leadership doesn't mean doing everything yourself. Leadership means helping other people lead -- and take ownership for results.
Idea Champions
WORKSHOP: Launching Project Teams
The two-hour, online brainstorm facilitation training
101 CreativiTeas for Innovators
No matter how many times I tell people there's no such thing as a "magic innovation pill," every one keeps asking.
This just in: I don't have the magic pill. But I DO have something even better -- a virtual potion that has the potential to liberate you from the bothersome obstacles that keep sabotaging your ability to innovate. Simply read the list below, pick the CreativiTea you most need to imbibe, and think about what it would take you to manifest more of this quality in your life these days. Bottoms up!
1. Opening Up to PossibiliTea
2. Easy Going FlexibiliTea
3. Gandhi-like HumiliTea
4. Well-timed AdaptabiliTea
5. Taking Care of Details Amidst InfiniTea
Continue reading "101 CreativiTeas for Innovators"
THE JOY OF WRITING: Breakthrough Coaching for Aspiring Writers
If you are thinking of writing a book or need support to help you complete the book you are already writing, my services may be of interest to you.
As an award-winning author (7 books), poet, editor, blogger, coach, and social media maven, I know what it takes for aspiring writers to navigate the often turbulent waters of the creative process.
Only 3 out of 100 people who begin to write a book ever complete it. Ouch!
Starting a book is easy. Completing it is a whole other story. All kinds of "things" tend to head their ugly rear along the way, making it challenging for even the most experienced of writers to turn their good intentions into reality:
-- Doubt
-- Perfectionism
-- Procrastination
-- Writer's block
-- Lack of discipline
-- Negative beliefs
-- Perceived lack of time
-- Fear of failure
-- Unsupportive significant others
-- Self-sabotage
-- Absence of meaningful feedback
-- Funky mindset
-- Distractability
-- Confusion about publishing options
If any of the above have their way with you, I can be of service.
I am very experienced at bringing out brilliance in others -- helping people turn theory into practice. I've done this with thousands of aspiring innovators and more than 100 organizations over the past 35 years.
Curious? Intrigued? Interested? If so, feel free to text, call or email me to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Call to see if your needs and my services are a good fit for you.
TESTIMONIALS
"Mitch knows what will work and what won't when it comes to dealing with writer's block, procrastination, or any of the myriad ways writers-to-be self-sabotage their own success. He'll get you off your ifs, ands, and butt and into doing the actual work of writing. If you truly want to finish writing your book, hire Mitch as your coach. You will end up with your book." - Val Vadeboncoeur
"For many years friends have been encouraging me to put down in writing some of my life experiences. On top of this, I've carried around a desire to leave behind, for my children, an account of the adventurous life I lived prior to their coming into this world. All this time I admired Mitch's prolific, witty and insightful writing. Knowing there was a writer hidden deep within my depths, I couldn't think of anyone else to help coax him to the surface. With Mitch's guidance and encouragement I was able to map out a strategy and begin putting my thoughts and memories down in the form of a blog. The positive feedback I've since received has boosted my ability to articulate myself in a compelling manner." - Ron Brent
"Mitch's coaching services were indispensable in helping me approach and organize my new book. Mitch is intelligent, discerning, compassionate and accountable. He shows up and helps his writing clients show up, too. It was both pleasurable and useful to work with him. I feel much more confident going forward." - Ellen Goldberg
My books:
Storytelling for the Revolution
Unspoken Word
Storytelling at Work
Full Moon at Sunrise
Awake at the Wheel
My websites:
IdeaChampions.com
MitchDitkoff.com
SageCatalysts.com
Four of my blogs:
Medium
Storytelling at Work
Unspoken Word
Heart of the Matter
Onward!
Mitch Ditkoff
mitch@ideachampions.com
845.389.9096
REIMAGINING DISCIPLINE
Soon after launching my new online course on the creative process, I began talking with the people who enrolled. I was curious to learn, from their perspective, what kind of obstacles they were facing -- the "stuff" that got in the way of manifesting their own creativity.
No matter how different the people I spoke to, how unique their background, experience, accomplishments, gender, world view, or astrological signs, they all said the same thing -- what I later came to refer to as the "D" word.
"DISCIPLINE."
That's what they all believed was missing from their lives. The lack of discipline was their Achilles heel, they confessed to me -- their problem, their weak spot, their #1 concern.
For the first few weeks of listening to their lament, I agreed. After all, discipline was important, right? I mean, who could write a book or start a business, or launch a product without discipline? Plus, I was disciplined, and if I, the creator of the course, was disciplined, then discipline must be important, eh?
Well, sort of. In the end, it all depends on WHERE this so-called "discipline" is coming from.
Continue reading "REIMAGINING DISCIPLINE"
20 Reasons Why People Get Their Best Ideas in the Shower
During the past 25 years, I've asked more than 10,000 people where and when they get their best ideas. I get all kinds of answers, but the one that has always fascinated me is "the shower" -- maybe because I also get so many of my good ideas there. And so, at the risk of overstating my case, I hereby offer you 20 reasons WHY the shower is so conducive to idea generation.
1. Showering signals "a new day" or "new beginning."
2. You're usually alone, with time to reflect.
3. Interruptions are rare.
4. The rush of water creates a kind of "white noise" that makes concentration easier.
Continue reading "20 Reasons Why People Get Their Best Ideas in the Shower"
Breakthrough Brainstorming Online
If you are looking for a breakthrough, quantum leap, or a way to open the floodgates, I can be of assistance.
For the past 35 years, I have been an "innovation provocateur" for thousands of people around the world -- most of whom worked in big organizations. Now, I am offering this service to individuals.
And it's simple -- a 60-90 minute online "Free the Genie" session.
Here's what others say about it.
Idea Champions
Brainstorm Champions
CONTACT: mitch@ideachampions.com
One of the Biggest Obstacles to Genuine Communication
"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." -- Ernest Hemingway
One of the biggest obstacles to good communication between two people can be summarized in four words: "I already know that."
This all-too-common phrase heads its ugly rear when the listener, having heard as little as a single sentence from the speaker, assumes they already understand what the speaker is going to say. It is this snap judgment, often made unconsciously, that subverts even the faintest hope of communication. But even more than that, it subverts trust, intimacy, connection, and the possibility of meaningful collaboration.
And while it's possible, of course, that the listener does know what the speaker is about to say -- especially if the two of them have a longstanding relationship -- all too often, the listener does not, at least at the depth of what the speaker wants to express.
Continue reading "One of the Biggest Obstacles to Genuine Communication"
Are You Looking for a Creative Breakthrough?
If you are in the process of creating something wonderful and have hit the proverbial wall or simply need a jiggle, jolt, goose, nudge or spark, you have come to the right place. Here!
My online Free the Genie service provides aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs, and mavericks with just the right kind of mojo to open up the floodgates of creativity, clarity, and courage.
Simply put, Free the Genie is a 60-90 minute online brainstorming session that sparks brilliance, breakthrough, and bold new ideas.
The process I use to help people manifest their inspirations has been developed over the past 35 years of facilitating creative thinking sessions with thousands of people all over the world, including some of the most iconic organizations on planet Earth.
Bottom line, the Free the Genie experience is fun, engaging, empowering, and gets results.
Here's what a sampling of people have to say about it's benefits.
Intrigued? Send me an email and I will send you all the information you need to decide if what I am offering is right for you.
If you are more than intrigued and want to see what the first step of the process looks like, click here.
CONTACT: mitch@ideachampions.com
100 awesome quotes on what it really takes to innovate
MitchDitkoff.com
Ethan Hawke on Creativity
Sun Tzu on Preparation
"Every battle is won or lost before it is fought." - Sun Tzu
What challenge or opportunity is coming up for you that will require a higher level of preparation than you usually make? What extra effort are you willing to make in order to prepare? What might prevent you from making the kind of effort you know you need to make?
How can you create the support you need to ensure that your preparation efforts succeed?
MitchDitkoff.com
FREE THE GENIE: Breakthrough Online Brainstorming Sessions
If you (or your team) need to get out of the box in an engaging way in order to originate bold, new, actionable ideas, keep reading.
This is precisely why Idea Champions has created Free the Genie -- a simple, affordable, time-efficient way for aspiring innovators to put their heads together to go beyond the status quo.
The service we've created is the distillation of 34 years of being innovation provocateurs for a wide variety of forward thinking organizations.
Bottom line, we've extracted the essence of three decades worth of real world experience and are making it available, online, to you and your team. In effect, we become the online catalysts of your creative process, greatly increasing the odds of you and your team tapping into its collective brilliance.
What people are saying about it.
It's fun. It's simple. And it works. Here's a simple (free) way to get started.
What Does It Really Take to Learn Anything from Somebody Else?
Since 1987, I have been providing consulting and training services to a wide variety of forward thinking organizations who have recognized their need to raise the bar for creative thinking, innovation, and teamwork. An optimist, by nature, I have always assumed that the people attending my sessions had an innate ability to benefit from whatever it was I was teaching, conveying, or imparting.
And while this optimistic point of view continues to be my default position, I have also understood that there are obstacles that often get in the way of people receiving the maximum value of what I (or any teacher, instructor, or facilitator) has to offer.
It is, shall we say, an occupational hazard.
Some of these learning obstacles are internal (i.e. participant mindset) and some are external (funky organizational culture). But no matter where these obstacles originate from, each of them can be decreased or eliminated with the right kind of effort.
Continue reading "What Does It Really Take to Learn Anything from Somebody Else?"
Today is the Launch of "Unspoken Word: Love, Longing & Letting Go"
Dear Friends:
If you have been reading The Heart of Innovation for a while, there is a very good chance you will enjoy my just-published book of poetry,"Unspoken Word: Love, Longing & Letting Go."
Today is the day it launches on Amazon.
If you are thinking about buying it (or even if you're not), today is the day to buy it. Why? Because the more people who buy the book on the same day, the greater the chance the book will rank high on Amazon's NEW RELEASES list. And the higher it ranks, the more visibility the book will get. And since my vision is that millions of people read this book, visibility is a good thing.
PS: If you read the book and enjoy it, please consider writing an Amazon review -- one more way to help me get the word out there. Gracias!
Buy on Amazon
What ChatGBT says about my poetry
The website
The Awesome Power of Immersion
"If I had an hour to solve a problem," explained Albert Einstein, "I'd spend the first 55 minutes thinking about the problem, and the last five solving it."
Translation? One of the secrets to having a big breakthrough is immersion -- "the state of being deeply engaged, involved, or absorbed."
Immersion is the ocean in which our fabulous insights, ideas, and illuminations are swimming. That's why Yogis seek out caves, embryos gestate, and writers go on retreat.
And that's why my business partner, Steven McHugh, and I rented a townhouse in Boulder, Colorado for 30 days and 30 nights when it was time for us to start up Idea Champions. We knew we had a great idea for a business, but we also knew that ideas were a dime a dozen and that unless we really immersed we'd end up with nothing much more than a charming story to tell at cocktail parties -- the idea for a business, but not the business itself.
Continue reading "The Awesome Power of Immersion"
What Does It Really Mean to be an Effective Team Leader?
On planet Earth, there are millions of teams. They are everywhere -- in schools, businesses, communities, sports, organizations, armies, religions, and jails. If you are reading this, it is very likely that you are either a member of a team or a leader of a team.
Some of the teams you belong to are achieving their goals. Some are not. In either case, there is a 95% chance that somebody is playing the role of leader, captain, coach, coordinator, or director. You know, the person where the buck supposedly stops.
While there are thousands of books on the subject, very few people have the time or desire to read even one of these books. And, even if they did, reading a book doesn't guarantee success. Because, in the end, the reader of even the best book on team leadership will need to translate what they read into action.
The reality is this: very few team leaders understand what it really means to be a team leader and how to be a team leader -- especially those who have been drafted into the position by someone further up the food chain.
Continue reading "What Does It Really Mean to be an Effective Team Leader?"
Three Ways to Breathe Life Into Your Most Passionate Creative Venture
If you are on the cusp of a new venture that fills you with both excitement and doubt, welcome to the human race.
Most aspiring innovators on the brink of a breakthrough assume they need to be in a doubt-free state if they are going to succeed and that anything less is a sure sign that they are either imposters, fools or losers-in-waiting.
Not true.
The experience of doubt (and it's twin cousins, fear and dread) comes with the territory of starting a new venture. What's needed, wrote Rollo May in his extraordinary book on the topic, is courage -- the courage to create.
How will you develop the courage YOU need? In many ways.
Continue reading "Three Ways to Breathe Life Into Your Most Passionate Creative Venture"
Here is an inspiring Valentine's Day slide show for you. Includes 21 wonderful quotes on love and vocals by Daya Rawat.
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