7 Success Principles of Steve Jobs

Soulclap to Donald White for sharing these seven principles with us. I thought that our blog readers would enjoy these insights from the late Steve Jobs.

Principle One: Do what you love. Steve Jobs once told a group of employees, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Jobs has followed his heart his entire life and that passion, he says, has made all the difference. It’s very difficult to come up with new, creative, and novel ideas unless you are passionate about moving society forward.

Principle Two: Put a dent in the universe. Passion fuels the rocket, but vision directs the rocket to its ultimate destination. In 1976, when Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple, Jobs’ vision was to put a computer in the hands of everyday people. In 1979, Jobs saw an early and crude graphical user interface being demonstrated at the Xerox research facility in Palo Alto, California.

He knew immediately that the technology would make computers appealing to “everyday people.” That technology eventually became The Macintosh, which changed everything about the way we interact with computers. Xerox scientists didn’t realize its potential because their “vision” was limited to making new copiers. Two people can see the exactly the same thing, but perceive it differently based on their vision.

Principle Three: Kick start your brain. Steve Jobs once said “Creativity is connecting things.” Connecting things means seeking inspiration from other industries. At various times, Jobs has found inspiration in a phone book, Zen meditation, visiting India, a food processor at Macy’s, or The Four Seasons hotel chain. Jobs doesn’t “steal” ideas as much as he uses ideas from other industries to inspire his own creativity.

Principle Four: Sell dreams, not products. To Steve Jobs, people who buy Apple products are not “consumers.” They are people with hopes, dreams and ambitions. He builds products to help people achieve their dreams. He once said, “some people think you’ve got to be crazy to buy a Mac, but in that craziness we see genius.” How do you see your customers? Help them unleash their inner genius and you’ll win over their hearts and minds.

Principle Five: Say no to 1,000 things. Steve Jobs once said, “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.” He is committed to building products with simple, uncluttered design. And that commitment extends beyond products. From the design of the iPod to the iPad, from the packaging of Apple’s products, to the functionality of the Web site, in Apple’s world, innovation means eliminating the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

Principle Six: Create insanely great experiences. The Apple store has become the world’s best retailer by introducing simple innovations any business can adopt to create deeper, more emotional connections with their customers. For example, there are no cashiers in an Apple store. There are experts, consultants, even geniuses, but no cashiers. Why? Because Apple is not in the business of moving boxes; they are in the business of enriching lives. Big difference.

Principle Seven: Master the message. Steve Jobs is the world’s greatest corporate storyteller, turning product launches into an art form. You can have the most innovative idea in the world, but if you can’t get people excited about it, it doesn’t matter.

Wordless Wednesday: Usain Bolt - Fastest Man in the World

 

SOURCE: Pinterest - 'Let The Games Begin'

Wordless Wednesday: Gregory Hines (1946 - 2003)

Wordless Wednesday: Kerry Washington

Wordless Wednesday: Maurice Ashley, First African American Chess Grandmaster

Obama's Weekly Address: Averting a Government Shutdown and Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare

In this week's address, President Obama says that on October 1, a big part of the Affordable Care Act will go live and give uninsured Americans the chance to buy the same quality, affordable health care as everyone else. It is also the day when some Republicans in Congress might shut down the government just because they don't like the law. The President urged Congress to both pass a budget by Monday and raise the nation's debt ceiling so that we can keep growing the economy.



I think that the Republican Party is out-of-control and I don't doubt that they will shut down the government because they don't have a clue how to govern. What do you think?

VIDEO: Review of 2013 BDPA Technology Conference

35th Annual BDPA Technology Conference was held in Washington DC on August 14-17, 2013. The event marked the largest gathering of IT professionals of color in the nation ... and also included over 50 major corporate sponsors. The 4-day event included an awards gala, career fair, corporate hospitality receptions, IT Showcase, live entertainment, plenary sessions,workshops and a youth technology camp. This video gives a glimpse of the people and activity from this annual conference!



BDPA exists to advance the careers of African Americans in the IT industry from the classroom to the boardroom. There are 46 local BDPA chapters located around the nation. Visit http://www.bdpa.org or call (301) 584-3135 to ask questions or discuss further.

Video Credit: Sharrarne Morton (Morton Media) and Steve McMillan (Cape Fear Productions).

Good News Tuesday: Carson Huey-You

Child prodigy, Carson Huey-You, just started his freshman year at Texas Christian University, and he is the youngest person ever to attend the private university in Fort Worth. Carson was in high school at the age of 5, he was reading chapter books at age 2 and could multiply and divide a year later.

Carson scored a 1770 on his SAT, was co-valedictorian of his high school senior class and speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Today Carson is 11 years old and taking a full college load, including physics, calculus, history and religion. His mother, Claretta, is attending classes with him.



Carson’s feet barely touched the ground when he played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" on the piano during his admissions interview.

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This blog will continue to seek out Good News stories about people of African descent and share them with you each Tuesday. We need to tell the positive and upbeat information about OURstory. We can't depend on others to do it for us. Please pass along any Good News story that comes your way. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to join our Good News parade every Tuesday.

Don't Let Your Teen's Future Go Up In Smoke

I notice that the laws and restrictions on the use of marijuana have been going away in many places around the country. I don't sense much happening with those types of laws here in Ohio. I have two teenagers ... so I'm glad. Personally, I don't think that marijuana and teens are a good mix -- especially when it comes to learning and academic success.

We know that all young people face challenges as they grow and mature and that the dangers and temptations of drugs are all around. We also know that as a parent or someone who cares about young people, you want the very best for them; you want them to do even better than you did and lead productive lives.

While overall drug use among teens continues to drop, there are still too many brilliant young people whose potential is ruined. Don't let drugs destroy their chance of going to college or landing a good career.

• A teenage marijuana user's odds of dropping out are more than twice that of a non-user. [SOURCE]
• The short-term effects of marijuana use can include impaired memory and ability to learn.

Parents and family are still the most important influence in young peoples' lives so keep the lines of communication open, set a clear, 'no marijuana' rule, stay involved, and continue to discuss the dangers and consequences of drug use. You make a difference. Knowing that education is the key to a better tomorrow, you have the power to protect their potential and help lead them on the road to success.

Village Tip: Improve Your Credit Score

Many villagers have no idea what their credit score is. A credit score is a number that is used to predict how likely you are to pay back a loan. Your credit score starts with the information about you from your credit report. A mathematical formula – called a scoring model – is then used to create your credit score.

You can get a free copy of your credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. The information in your credit report influences your credit score. Unlike your credit report, which you can get at no cost to you, you usually have to pay for your credit score. There are certain instances in which you are entitled to your credit score for free, for example if you are denied a loan on the basis of your credit score.

Studies show that the average person could save about $80 a year on interest by raising their credit score by just 30 points. Here are some ways to improve your credit score:

1. Pay more than the minimum payment so your balance doesn't build up.
2. Pay bills on time. If you have been late, paying on time for six to nine months can raise your score. One way to make sure your payments are on time is to set up automatic payments, or set up electronic reminders.
3. Don't borrow the maximum on any one card, even if there is a low-interest offer. If you ave card with $10,000 in available credit, don't owe more than $6,000. Credit scoring models look at how close you are to being 'maxed out', so try to keep your balances low in proportion to your overall credit limit.
4. Don't open two or three new cards within a couple of months. This will lower your score.
5. A long credit history will help your score. Credit scores are based on experience over time. The more experience you have with getting credit and paying your bills on time, the more information there is to determine whether you are a good credit risk.

A credit score of 730 or more will get you favorable rates on credit cards, auto loans and mortgages.

Broke-A$$ Brotha Tip #5: Retirement Planning and Investing

It is never too late to begin a program of retirement planning and investing. It would be better if you started sooner ... but, today is the first day of the rest of the life for any Broke-A$$ Brotha (or Sista)!   This blog likes to share tips with y'all about ways to increase revenue and decrease expenses ... we call them Broke-A$$ Brotha Tips.

Part of how Broke-A$$ Brothas get broke is procrastination. There is still time for you to make a commitment to a program of retirement planning and investing to plan for your future ... and the future of your progeny.

1. Commit to saving for retirement. - Just hoping that you'll have enough money for retirement is not a smart strategy. Social Security alone won't cut it It's wiser to take control of retirement planning yourself by investing in company 401(k) plans and IRA accounts. Also, make a plan to save on a regular basis, whether you start with $50 a month or $5,000 a year.
2. Create and adhere to a financial plan. - Having a plan enables you to how you can help your family in the fugure. For example, opening and contributing to a college saving fund gives you a sense of relief. There are many people who earn good income but don't think ahead for college education until the children are ready for college. President Obama wants to reduce the cost of college education ... but, we need to do our part.
3. Don't waste your money. - You want to grow your money not throw your money away. Don't depend on winning the lottery as an investment or retirement fund. Look to investment vehicles such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Real estate is also a definite idea for you to consider.

How are you doing with your retirement planning? Investments? How about your savings plan ... do you save a regular amount each month? Being Broke-A$$ ain't something any of us want. Use these tips to jump start your commitment to financial empowerment.

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

Every year, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program selects 1,000 talented minority students to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. The program provides scholars with personal and professional development through our leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career.

Administered by the United Negro College Fund, the program was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since 1999, it has funded the education of more than 16,000 students, awarding them more than $614 million dollars to pay for tuition, fees, books and housing.

The program aims to reduce financial barriers for African American and other students of color with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need; increase the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented; develop a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; and provide seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs, for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.

The deadline for submission is January 15, 2014.

Click here to learn more about the 2014 Gates Millennium Scholars program.

Obama's Weekly Address: Commemorating Labor Day

President Obama discusses Labor Day and reflects on the contributions of the working men and women in our country. The President says that by recommitting ourselves to the values of working Americans and coming together with common purpose, we can ensure that everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.



The Electronic Village joins our president in wishing a blessed Labor Day to all those who read our blog!

Am I Not Human? Emmett Till (1941-1955)

Emmitt Till was murdered on this day in 1955. Till was a 14-year-old African American boy who was beaten and shot to death by two white men. These men then threw the Till's mutilated body into the Tallahatchie River near Money, Mississippi. Young Till was killed for talking to and perhaps whistling at a white woman at a Mississippi grocery store. Later that year, Roy Bryant, whose wife Carolyn was the white woman at the store, and his half brother, J. W. Milam, were tried for Till's murder and acquitted by a jury of 12 white men.

In March, 2007, the FBI released a summary of its 8000 page report of its investigation of the murder of Emmett Till. This report also includes the 354 page transcript of the 1955 murder trial of J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant.

This gruesome photo of Emmett Till helped spark the civil rights movement. It demonstrated the brutality of southern violence towards African Americans, and created outrage across the nation. Emmett's mother, Mamie, insisted at his funeral that he be given an open-casket, so others could see what they had done to her boy.

The truth of what happened that night became public knowledge several months after the trial. William Bradford Huie, an Alabama journalist in Mississippi to report on the aftermath of the case, offered Bryant and Milam money to tell their story. Since the two could no longer be prosecuted for a crime of which they had already been acquitted, they gladly told for a fee of how they had beaten and killed young Till. Huie reported what the killers told him in Look magazine. Now publicly exposed as murderers, Bryant and Milam were ostracized by the community, and both moved elsewhere within a year. Emmett Till in death became a martyr for the civil rights movement, a symbol of the racial hatred African Americans had yet to overcome.

America has moved quantum leaps in terms of both civil and human rights since 1955. African Americans are no longer murdered for giving wolf whistles to white women. However, our gains are not guaranteed. All Americans need to be vigilant in protecting our national commitment to equality for all. All it will take for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.

Roots of Humanity feels that each of us can fight against human rights abuses in the world. We simply need to do something. Protest. Meditate. Pray. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to blog on the 27th of each month. Just share information on behalf of our human siblings in all suffering areas who are either barred from communication by their governments, or lacking in technology to ask: Am I Not Human?

Related articles

• Family of Emmett Till Discusses Zimmerman Verdict: 'Hard to Say That We've Moved Anywhere From 50 Years Ago'
• Money 1955: The Emmett Till Murder Trial - trailer by Rob Underhill
• Sumner facing tragic legacy of the Till case

Obama's Weekly Address: 'Making Higher Education More Affordable for the Middle Class'

In his weekly address, President Obama notes that while college education has never been more important, it has also never been more expensive -- which is why he proposed major new reforms this week to make college more affordable for middle class families and those fighting to get into the middle class.



College is expensive. I appreciate President Obama for bringing this issue into the public discussion. I wish that Congress would participate in this discussion.

Online Petition: Call on Federal Government to Regulate Tasers

Morgan Brown is an activist who wants to eliminate taser-related deaths in America. He recently created an online petition to 'Call on Federal Government to Regulate Stun Guns'. The petition reads as follows:

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Although it might be true that neither bullets or gunpowder are used in the deployment of Tasers or other stun guns, and even when the intention of the shooter is not to seriously maim or kill, nonetheless, these weapons are still deployed much like firearms and other lethal weapons in use by police and civilians, firing projectiles and also, no matter what the purported causes given whenever serious bodily injury or deaths occur after their use, these weapons employ enough energy with which to be lethal; either that or serious bodily injury or death can result afterwards, whether from the impact of a fall or other circumstance involved. This can particularly be the case when these weapons are used on certain populations who are at greater risk of serious bodily injury or even death.

It is deeply disturbing about how, more often than not, these weapons are deployed on unarmed citizens and most especially on people with disabilities, people living homeless, young children, senior citizens and so on, including when these individuals have not been a danger to others or themselves.

In fact, it has been the case that these weapons are being used for matters of mere non-compliance as well as convenience and, sometimes -- particularly when used in 'drive stun' mode -- apparently even to inflict pain as a means of torture.

It is obvious that this is a matter sorely in need of proper governmental intervention, oversight, regulation and enforcement.

How much serious bodily injury or how many more deaths are necessary in order to finally have something meaningful and real happen in order to change how and when Tasers and other stun guns are used?

Is it not time to call on the federal government to govern and regulate the law enforcement and civilian use of Tasers or other stun guns, just as they do with the law enforcement and civilian use of firearms and other lethal weapons?

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Tasers kill. That is why I signed a petition to President Barack Obama and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont), which reads:

"The undersigned petitioners call on the Government of the United States to govern and regulate the law enforcement and civilian use of Tasers as well as other stun guns in the exact same manner it governs and regulates the law enforcement and civilian use of firearms and other lethal weapons."

Villagers, if you agree with the above petition language, please sign onto this petition calling on President Obama and the U.S. Congress to take action: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/call-on-federal-government

Taser Death: Michael Ruiz (Phoenix AZ)

Michael Ruiz

It happened again! Michael Ruiz, an unarmed 44-year old man, may have needed help ... he didn't need to be electrocuted by these unidentified Phoenix police officers. What was their hurry? Were they missing a meal at the local doughnut shop?

Video taken by witnesses show 44-year-old Michael Angel Ruiz on the roof of his apartment building and police trying to talk the man down. Police then used a taser to kill him.

Ruiz jumped down from the roof and was quickly surrounded by police — who carried him down the stairs in handcuffs. Video shows his unsupported head hitting the stairs repeatedly on the way down.




Police are much too quick to use 50,000 volts of electricity from their taser guns to try to solve situations like this. Why would you tase an unarmed man on a roof? What is the rush?  Michael Ruiz will never see his two children again ... and that simply is wrong!

Wordless Wednesday: 1941 Kansas City Monarchs

SOURCE - Pinterest: 'Baseball Field of Dreams'

Say It Plain: Shirley Chisolm (1924-2005)

"I was the first American citizen to be elected to Congress in spite of the double drawbacks of being female and having skin darkened by melanin. When you put it that way, it sounds like a foolish reason for fame. In a just and free society it would be foolish. That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I think, that our society is not yet either just or free." ~~ Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm

Wordless Wednesday: Barack Obama, Harvard Law School (1990)