Creative | How To Defeat Your Creative Slump

By Joe Piper III

Blogger for Johnson & Wales School of Business

Most of us experience what we know as a creative slump that wall we all hit where we can’t seem to create anything or brainstorm any good ideas, the computer screen stares back at us blankly for hours, the sketchbook is empty, we sit there staring back at our mediums pulling our hour out trying to create but nothing happens. I know for a fact I hit this slump once or twice a year and it I hate it, it is the worst when you expect yourself to create and have these great ideas come out  and then you get nothing, I’ve always consulted other creatives like myself, writers, and entrepreneurs about how they always get past their own respective slumps and they all tell me the same thing KEEP AT IT, so if you’re designing something and you can’t seem to sketch it, keep sketching, if you’re thinking of a slogan and you can’t seem to find the write one , keep thinking  eventually it’ll come to you. Personally I hate that advice and I know there has to be more ways to help you at least ease back into your creative space here’s what I do that helps me the most

·         Go outside– that’s right your creative Hubble that you’ve built in your office or room could in fact be stifling your overall creativity, that fresh air or change of scenery could be just what you needed  to put certain things in perspective or open up that creative space in your mind that may have been cobwebbed.

·         Exercise– exercising not only keeps you healthy but it allows you to take the focus off of other things and concentrate on a task at hand, The creative slump could also come from the fact that you’re focusing on the fact that you can’t create anything . exercising will ultimately let you take the focus off of your creativity/ lack thereof and put it into something that actually works your body and mind and eventually you will return back to the creative space refreshed.

·         Sleep– Sleeping can help you recharge mentally and physically and if you’re in that creative slump sleep may be the best thing because you have the opportunity to dream up new ideas and concepts, the mental recharge of your brain that takes place during sleep can also help you get out of your slump because you could be overthinking and stressing your creative space.

·         Collaborate– Collaborate with other creatives through conversation , share ideas , brainstorm together. Chances are there will be several ideas exchanged through collaboration and at least one of them will be good enough to bring you back into your creative space .

·         Find inspiration– this one is hard to explain but finding inspiration is another way to find your way back to the creative space, the good thing about this is that you can find inspiration from almost anywhere, going outside can warrant you inspiration from your surroundings, reading a magazine can bring you inspiration from the content or advertisements within it, go online checking out other creative blogs, and websites can help put you back into the creative mind state because you’ll be inspired by the things that others are doing , Read books, Attend/Watch a video conference, interview or TED talk they always have great tips and topics that you may be able to incorporate into your own creative space, visit a museum or art gallery the museums and galleries are full of creative elements and ideas and are also made by people who have also experienced that creative slump that you’re going through so use their art  to put you back into the creative space.

·         Take Risk – Taking risks with your ideas can help bring you out of your creative slump by using new mediums to create or present your ideas, taking a risk in using a new design platform can have great results as well because you are getting out of your comfort zone for the effort to create.

·         Experiment-Experiment with new software, languages, fonts, colors, mediums , management systems, data collections, and development processes to help not only bring you out of your creative slump but also help you learn not only about yourself but the new mediums you’re using and which ones work best to help you create.

·         Make a deadline-Nothing can boost you right out of your creative slump than the threat of a deadline looming, especially if you work well under pressure creating a deadline for yourself can be that extra push needed to take you over the creative wall and help you create something brilliant. That deadline can also help you finish things which is something that also leads to creative slump we often have several creative ideas or projects running inside and outside of our head at once and it’s rare that their all finished, that deadline will force you to focus on the project that’s due and create.

BREAKING NEWS | Johnson & Wales Charlotte to Dismiss Dress Code Policy

BREAKING NEWS:

JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY’S CHARLOTTE CAMPUS TO JOIN PROVIDENCE AND OTHER CAMPUSES, DISMISSING DRESS CODE POLICY.

                Reliable sources revealed Thursday information leading to questions regarding the Professional Dress policy here at Johnson & Wales Charlotte. Though no official announcement has been made, word is that the dress code will be completely revised in the coming months, dismissing the professional dress policy all together. We brought you information regarding President Gallagher’s official notice concerning “Wildcat Wednesday” which prompted questions about the policy. Was this “Wildcat Wednesday” a quiet dismissal of the policy on the part of University Executives or a test of the fashion choices that would follow? Let us know what you think. Be sure to follow @BIZCLT on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Vine for the latest on this breaking story. We will bring you the official word from the University when it is released.

Business | Top Content Marketing Trends for 2014

List composed of Original Content from Forbes and The Guardian

By Joe Piper III

Blogger for Johnson & Wales University School of Business

1. Businesses Will Finally be Able to Define Content Marketing
2. The Top New Marketing Job Title Recruited and Hired will be “Director of Content”
3. Mobile Content Marketing Strategies will Separate Winners from the Rest of the Pack
4. Calculating Content Marketing ROI Will Spawn New SAAS Software and Companies
5. Businesses Will Look for Ways to Automate Their Content Marketing, and These Efforts Will Fail
6. Google+ and Slideshare Will Become Essential for B2B Content Marketers
7. Location-Based Content Marketing Will Provide Huge ROI for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses
8. Internet Advertising will take up about 25% of the entire market by 2015
9. Smart Businesses will focus on Trust & Quality in their output to their customer
10. Businesses Will also invest in the user experience
11. Promotion & Distribution
12. New Platforms
13. Businesses will succeed in exclusivity by making content available to select users to build key relationships.
14. Brands that tell a grasping story will gain the audience
15. Responsive Delivery is essential to brands

The list is composed of Forbes ‘Top 7 Content Marketing Trends for 2014’ and The Guardian’s ‘ Experts  Outlining key content marketing trends for 2014’

JWU| Am I in the Right Classroom?…… The School of Business From An Outsider

by Amy Brandl

Johnson & Wales School of Business Blogger

         As I sit in the computer lab in a room full of unfamiliar faces. I check my schedule for the 3rd time in five minutes. Room 435, Social Media & Internet Marketing, the only thought that continues to boggle my mind is that I’m a senior, how could I possibly not know a single person in this class? I fear for what I may have gotten myself into. All I know of Johnson & Wales is my own major which is SEE( Sports and concert event management), and the ever so popular culinary.

        Now in my third year, which is also my senior year, I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn more about the School of Business and the students who make it such a successful program. It’s ironic as a university we’ve become  so popular for culinary because Johnson & Wales was originally founded in 1914 in Providence, R.I. by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales as a business school.

   The Johnson and Wales School of business offers B.S in business administration, fashion merchandising and retail, management, accounting, and marketing.

     Learning more about the world of business can be so crucial for any college student because ultimately no matter what career field you enter into there will always be some type of business transaction involved. I’ve also learned more about social networking from a business standpoint rather than just social. Networking is imperative in both the real world and online. Each and everyone in this classroom could possibly be a future connection to something great. Whether it’s a career opportunity, a business deal, or even new friends this class has opened new doors for me. Now I’m here to spread the word and let everyone know, yes Johnson & Wales does have a school of business and yes, I think it’s important that they are acknowledged just as much as the culinary program.

     We are all so focused on our own goals and aspirations sometimes we put our blinders on without even realizing how much of an opportunity getting to know our fellow classmates in different majors could benefit us in the future. This became apparent to me this trimester after meeting a classroom full of motivated and intelligent business majors.

            Did you know as a hospitality or culinary student you could get a Bachelor’s degree in business, or marketing, or any of the other programs offered at JWU? It’s true! You could take advantage of all there is to learn about business and marketing right here at Johnson & Wales, and you’re A.A. and B.S. will flow seamlessly into one. It’s about broadening your horizons and being prepared for your future. To learn more about becoming part of the School of Business after your Culinary & Hospitality degree head on over to SAFS and let them know!

Contest | Take a ticket, WIN JWU SWAG!

BIZCLT is excited to announce our first contest! Catch one of your School of Business peers out on campus passing out tickets. Follow the instructions on the ticket and “like” or follow @BIZCLT on any of the social media feeds, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Vine. After you have done that pay attention to an announcement via social media from BIZCLT for the winning numbers! If you have a winning ticket take a photo of yourself with the ticket and post it to your social feed and tag us, @BIZCLT. After that we’ll  reach out to you to get you some FREE JWU SWAG!!

Why the contest? We are the official voice of the School of Business at Johnson & Wales. We want you to be aware of the great things happening here at JWU on campus, and the business related trends and happenings around the Charlotte area and beyond. By following us on our social feeds you will create awareness for the School of Business and for yourself. We’ll be sure to only post about stuff that really interests you.. Tips and stories that will build your knowledge and open doors for your future. BIZCLT is all about YOU, the Business students!

We can’t wait to see what the future holds for the School of Business and you’ll be the first to know about it!

DRAWING TIMES:

First Drawing this Thursday 11/14/2013 at 1:30pm

Second Drawing next Tuesday 11/19/2013 at 1:30pm

Third Drawing next Thursday 11/21/2013 at 1:30pm

Links to Social Media:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

JWU Alumni|Future Business Leaders

By Devon Brown

Deciding to go to college can be a very difficult choice. There are many factors that play a huge role on whether or not college is right for you, it could be from a financial stand point, grades you received in high school, haven’t decided what you want to do or it could be if you are not really interested in school anymore. When you have picked the right college to go to you generally go because of the success rates of the students who have attended there are doing post-graduation. These are the Alumni.  Johnson & Wales University Charlotte College of Business over the past years has had plenty of graduates go above and beyond into their careers and are excelling every day in the work force. These are the future business leaders of the world.

Kimberly Wong-  Graduate Class of 2013 Johnson & Wales University Charlotte

• Kim Graduated with a degree in Marketing
• Kim chose Johnson & Wales University because of the professional set and because it was in a great small city.
• Kim Also received many scholarships to attend the school.

I asked Kim a few more questions regarding the college of business from her point of view.
Q-What do you think about the college of business at JWU? How has the business courses you taken at the university effect your life after college?

A-“The College of business at JWU is not recognized as much as the culinary at side which can be irritating when I am having conversations with others.  People assume I am in culinary rather than the business side. The business courses helped me out tremendously.  From FIT to international marketing to professional selling to integrated marketing these classes were the eye opener to the real work place”.

What Kimberly Wong is doing now?
Kim is currently with Ralph Lauren Inc. However she is a freelancer therefore there is no sustainability. Aside from the corporate side, Kim started an e-commerce based business where she is a partner with fortune 500 companies such as Michael Kors, Best Buy, Verizon, and many more.  Kim is interviewing with Dolce & Gabbana and will be closely working with their CRM databases if she lands the job!

Victor Rodrigueicz- Graduate Class of 2013 Johnson and Wales University Charlotte

• Victor Graduated with a degree in Business Management and HR
• Victor chose to attend Johnson & Wales University because he received scholarships, lived close to Charlotte NC and because he liked how the school works with you.

The question I asked Victor:
Q- What opportunities have you had being a business student at JWU?

A- “I had many opportunities. I joined inroads that got me a paid internship with MetLife who offered me a job upon graduation.

(INROADS are the nation’s largest non-profit source of paid internships for undergraduate, diverse youth. By providing the skills, support, and network students need to obtain an internship at a top company.)

What are you doing now?
Victor currently works for MetLife as an adjuster for insurance. He plans on growing more within the company and use more of what he has learned from Johnson and Wales University.

Campus Policy|Wildcat Whobe Whatte? The New Wildcat Wednesdays

By Felicia Anderson

Johnson & Wales University School of Business, Senior Blogger

The buzz around campus has been all about the new Wildcat Wednesdays! On Thursday, October 31st, the university received a memo from the university president, Arthur Gallagher. In the memo, pictured above, President Gallagher announced that the university will be lax on their dress code policy on Wednesdays. As mentioned in Maintaining Youthful Ethics of Professional Dress Code, students must be in business casual attire for all academic courses, but on Wednesdays the students can wear what they want to…..

Last week was the first Wildcat Wednesday here at the Charlotte campus. To our surprise, the number of student participants was not what we had expected. A few students showed up to class in jeans, but most were dressed in the JWU norm. Even fewer students had Johnson & Wales t-shirts on. When asked about the new policy, a student said; “I didn’t know what we could wear, and I didn’t want to risk showing up in the wrong clothes. I don’t want to be kicked out of class.”  So what are the guidelines for Wildcat Wednesday? Jeans, no jeans? BizClt is on the case. We are looking in to the details of this so called spirit day and will bring you all the details as we receive them.

Wildcat Wednesday, JWU Students (Left to Right) Finesse Wilson, Myself, Nwobueze Ibekwe

Innovation|How Arizona Beverage is Making Waves

Brian Gainey

Johnson & Wales School of Business Blogger

Recently, The School of Hospitality at Johnson & Wales University honored Robert Marciano, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Arizona Beverage Company, as a Distinguished Visiting Professor. Along with this honor Marciano gave a short presentation with his background in the industry and his crowning achievements.

Robert Marciano is credited with bringing Arizona Beverage into a new era in 1992 when the company had just 2 flavors and small niche market. Now over 20 years later, Arizona has over 90 products in its portfolio and a “big can” full of fame.

In 1990 the company introduced its line of green tea with one idea in mind. Create a high quality product in packaging that stands out. In 1992 the first 23oz big can hit the shelves in New York City for a simple .99 cents. Why? The company stands behind a philosophy to “Keep it Simple & Keep it Good”. With variety of delicious and popular flavors, the company listens to its fans and plans accordingly. If the customer doesn’t like it, it’ll never sell. They created a product that has no preservatives and there’s nothing on the nutrition label you won’t be able to read. In a world where consumers are beginning to boycott soda products because of the additives, it’s extremely important to stay focused on quality. “Keep it Real” The company has an innovative approach to marketing, and extremely successfully. They boast about not spending much on traditional advertising while competitors are spending millions. All the while Arizona tea spends money where it matters, the consumer. With a contest based on art and packaging, “Cherry Lime Rickey” was introduced and has become one of the most popular in the bunch. Born out of an interactive contest, and customer art. “Keep it in America” Arizona is proud that its first drop of flavor was created in New Jersey, just outside of New York City, where Arizona calls home. All natural flavor, keeping it real, in the U.S.A. That’s a philosophy to stand behind!

Marciano has also played a key role in bringing on celebrity endorsers. In the year 2000 Arizona tea took a well-known golf club mixer known as the Arnold Palmer and gave it a brand new look. Mass producing the ice tea/lemonade mix made popular by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, the company introduced the product at golf courses. The flavor quickly grew in popularity and became one of the most popular mass-produced tea flavors in existence. Through the popularity of this first celebrity endorser, others flooded the brand with calls, all wanting to create a flavor of their own.

How does an 80-year-old man make a bottled beverage brand popular in all markets? Simple. It’s not about the celebrity, it’s about the drink. Shaquille Oneill approached Arizona tea with one idea in mind, staying relevant. Shaq told Marciano, I want to stay fresh and popular in all realms, not just in basketball. “Soda Shaq” was born and has risen to a new level of popularity.The famous over-sized sports stars face can be seen on a large portion of the can, in 4 different flavors. When Marciano was asked how the company handles these sometimes unpredictable celebrities tie to the famous brand, he simply answered “Have you seen Scarface?”. He went on to say that the celebrities the brand is associated with are incredible people, in many ways. With a glimpse at the future of the brand, Marciano told the audience to look out for reality TV star turned entrepreneur television show host Bethenny Frankel‘s addition to the Arizona brand with Skinnygirl water. Frankel sold her wildly popular Skinnygirl cocktail company to Fortune Brands’ Beam Global for an estimated $100 million in 2011.

Marciano ended his exciting presentation with a look at several photos of he and Shaq. We were able to speak with Marciano after the presentation where he told us about several innovative beginnings for the brand. An interactive smart phone app that allows the customer to play a game using the camera on smart phones to interact with the Soda Shaq line of beverage cans. Shooting a basketball into Shaq’s mouth and hearing feedback phrases from the famous basketball player. Marciano also asked for feedback of the brands website for which he was very proud of and mentioned updates coming soon.

The event was followed by a reception where guests were treated to plenty of Arizona beverage and  hors d’oeuvres prepared by the hospitality college  at Johnson & Wales University featuring several of the different Arizona flavors. We thank Robert Marciano and Arizona Beverage Company for visiting our University and are proud to honor him as Distinguished Visiting Professor. Be sure to visit the links associated with this post for more information.

 

All images copyright BGphoto 2013

JWU | Maintaining Youthful Ethics of Professional Dress Code

By Aubri Guinyard

Johnson & Wales Blogger

What comes to an your mind when when you think professional dress code?

That is the question that needs to be answered here at Johnson & Wales University. Known mainly for our World Class Culinary School , if you walked our campus you’d see an array of chef whites and white chef hats, but who are those kids dressed up in business attire? That’s where we come in. Johnson & Wales started in 1914 as a business school and we are proud of that fact.  With this being said there is a professional dress code that students must abide by. (Not your typical university)!

There are a diverse array of students in our population and of course conflict arises.  This conflict of dress code stems from the perception of what is considered professional to one student versus another.  Traditional business majors may have in mind that slacks and a blouse is well suited for the professional world, whereas some students at Johnson & Wales may deem this basic outfit as boring and having a lack of creative control.  Being young adults I believe that we may struggle at times with how to keep up with the trends and still maintain a youthful image while meeting our professional dress code policy.  This is where the concern lies for many students:  We become distracted by the trends and we forget what is considered professional.

Here is a brief outline of the dress code policy (for those who are unaware):

The following dress policy has been implemented for all students who wish to enter the Academic Center.

• Business Casual Dress (minimally) is required:
• Duringall class sessions or class related activities
• During the hours of  7 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Monday-Friday)
• During officially sanctioned University professional events.
• After 6 p.m. for student functions such as club meetings or activity attendance unless otherwise specified, if student’s sole purpose is to visit Health & Counseling Services

Business Casual examples for men:

• Long dress pants (khakis are approved)
• Dress shirts, shirts tucked in
• Polo style shirts
• Sweatshirts (JWU Only. No exceptions)
• Dress shoes and socks
• T-shirts worn under dress shirts shall be free of lettering, advertising or design
• A university-issued nametag must be worn while in the Academic Center for class or University business.

Business Casual examples women:

• Dress slacks, pantsuits, dresses or skirts (no more than two inches above the knees)
• Blouses or sweaters
• Sweatshirts
• (JWU Only. No exceptions)
• Dress shoes
• A university-issued name tag must be worn while in the Academic Center for class or University business.

Examples of clothing that are NOT considered business casual:

• Hats and other head coverings, including scarves unless for religious purposes
• Sweatpants
• Blue jeans or other denim based clothing
• Sneakers or sandals, flip flops (anything that goes between the toes)
• Provocative clothing
• (NOT allowed in Academic Center at ANY time

Here are a few business casual outfits and trendy pieces that are sure to keep you up to date with the trends while still meeting the professional dress code. We hope to see you on your dress code game in the future!

Now, here are examples of what NOT to wear:

Written by Aubriaunna Guinyard on the behalf of  Bizclt.

As a courtesy to our company, please feel free to take this poll:

Community |How Charlotte’s B-Cycles Can Benefit Students & Businesses

By Joe Piper III

Blogger for Johnson & Wales University School of Business

 Last spring the city of Charlotte saw the arrival of the B-cycle, a quick and easy rentable bicycle that was first placed sporadically around the city is now seeing a widespread placement around Uptown Charlotte, and surrounding neighborhoods. The B-cycle allows users to rent the bike for a fee of $8 for a 30 minute bike ride and an additional $ 4 every 30 minutes after that. The B-cycle also offers   membership opportunity that allows members to rent from anywhere at any time for free and without a time limit, The annual membership is $65 and the student membership is $15 but only lasts 6 months. Both memberships come with a free helmet that can be picked up at the Uptown B-cycle center in the Time Warner Cable Arena, the memberships also grant access to pretty cool facts that allow you to see how many miles you’ve traveled on the bike and how many trips on foot or by car you’ve saved by using the B-cycle. As a member you also have the ability to track the calories you’ve burned by riding and saving your favorite routes, the B-cycle also saves you’re favorite days and stations to rent from and has a leaderboard of their most frequent users with number of trips taken, miles ridden and calories burned.

Personally I enjoy the B-cycle its convenient and it saves me a good amount of money in not having to pay for gas or the bus when I want to go somewhere, I currently have the student membership and enjoy a lot of the perks that come with it. As I began spreading the word about the convenience of the B-cycle to a few of my friends I noticed that Johnson & Wales University was hosting a B-cycle sign up and I began to think of some ways businesses and other universities could benefit from using the B-cycles.

How B-cycles can benefit from Business

• Renting ad space on actual bicycles and docking stations or bicycle wrappings by doing this your business not only gets their name out there but it’s pairing itself with a business that promotes good health and a company that cares about pollution and reducing it along with the cities carbon footprint.
• New company travel packages ( company endorsed vehicles) similar to how Jimmy Johns and Little village deliver via bicycle. Companies can also offer this to employees as their company vehicle as a way to promote health and wellness and reducing the companies carbon footprint.
• Gasoline credit offered to employees every time they use the bicycle to commute instead of driving to work.

How B-cycles can benefit from students/university

• Students can benefit by obtaining Student membership.
• Universities can purchase a certain number of docks and bicycles and utilize them as campus shuttles around campus and in the city.
• If universities were to purchase a certain number of B-cycles and use them for shuttles they stand to benefit the same way businesses can by  wrapping the bicycles with university logos or having the bicycles be in university colors which would build brand recognition for the university.
• Students can benefit from the B-cycle because it’s convenient and it saves them money.
• Students can also benefit from the B-cycle because it promotes good health by offering the act of bicycling not only as a means of transportation but as a form of quick exercising.