Jon Leland, president & creative director of ComBridges,  is a leading communications expert who has been a visionary media innovator for almost 40 years.

In the seventies, Mr. Leland founded one of the first narrowcast radio networks. In the eighties, he was a network TV pioneer who founded the on-air promotion department at cable’s USA Network. And, in the nineties, Leland wrote and produced original video programs, designed interactive TV prototypes, and created leading edge websites.

Corporate projects have included two interactive TV “future vision” videos for Pacific Bell and an interactive TV prototype application for Oracle Corporation that was displayed at Disney World’s Epcot Center.

Corporate clients have included AT&T, HBO, Hooked on Phonics, Lifetime Cable Television, Madison Square Garden Network, NEC America, New York Telephone, Paramount Home Video, Silicon Graphics, Simon & Schuster Video, Viacom and Xerox, among others.

An early evangelist for low-cost, digital video production tools, in 1990 and 1994, Leland wrote, hosted, produced and directed educational video programs about these new technologies. These programs received sponsorship support from Adobe, Autodesk, Avid, Macromedia, Media 100, Sony and Videography magazine, among others.

Jon was also a contributing editor to Videography magazine for over twelve years, and has written articles for Computer Graphics World, Digital Cinema, Digital TV (formerly TV-Broadcast), The Industry Standard, Streaming Media and Sybase magazines. He has also had articles commissioned by Compaq Computer and FedEx Kinko’s.

Mr. Leland has led workshops at the Inc. 500, Inc. Growing the Organization, Corporate Computing Expo and other conferences. He has taught broadcast journalism at UC Berkeley, and served as the West Coast on-camera correspondent for the American Business Journal TV series.

What are you working on right now?

1. New Marketing University: A source for online, visionary, revenue-generating marketing programs, products & community that inspire today¹s businesses to harness the power of the Internet. (project in development, launch anticipated Sept 2010.)

2. Free webinars based on my ebook, “What Every Business Should Know About Internet Marketing”

3 Trends that excite you?

1. Social Media. Like the latest ‘social media revolution‘ video says, “Social media is not just a trend, but a fundamental shift in how we communicate.”

2. The Democratization of Media. Digital tools like HD camcorders and YouTube etc put the power of the media in the hands of most people. Viva La Level Playing Field!

3. Authenticity. Telling the truth is what works on the web (as well as in life). Now, somehow, more than ever.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Perseverance, listening to my inner voice, communities of support, networking, being open to new ideas.

What is one mistake that you’ve made that our readers can learn from?: Not being ‘sober’ about money. Solvency is important. Building a business based on current cash flow is the ideal scenario. Debt and ‘leveraging’ can create very real problems. Don’t go there.

What is one book and one tool that helps you bring ideas to life?

I really like mind mapping and use MindMeister.com. I also use 37signals’ Highrise to keep track of client and potential business relationships, and really like HootSuite for Twitter and social media post convenience.

What is one idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Create a YouTube channel filled with tips on how to use Twitter. Even according to Twitter’s founders, its biggest problem is ease of use. Many people need help understanding this important and valuable social media platform. (And let me know if you want to do this. I have a great URL and might be able to help.)

What do you mean by “The Grand Canyon Gap between people and technology”?

Technology and online media in particular are innovating at an accelerating pace. It’s virtually impossible for most people to catch up.

I’ve been talking about this and creating media that attempt to bridge this gap for at least 20 years and the situation is more challenging than ever.

Thus the need for New Marketing University (mentioned above).

Why are you so passionate about golf?

Golf is my learning lab for becoming “The Ambassador of Ease.” This is a book and inspiring keynote speech that I’m also working on. Ultimately, I think being in the “zone” or the “flow” is the way to go and the way to be most productive. I get a direct experience of this when I try to get the golf ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible. It’s a great way to learn these important life lessons, and it’s fun, exercise and a treat to spend a big block of time outdoors.

Information about me as a golf keynote speaker is here:
http://www.combridges.com/speaker/winning-with-ease/

Please see my golf blog for more. Hopefully I’ll get back to posting there again soon.

Connect:

http://www.ComBridges.com
888.530.5505 x1
Skype: joncombridges

http://www.ComBridges.com/Blog/

http://www.TheJoyofGolfing.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/combridges.fb
Twitter: http://twitter.com/joncombridges
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jonleland
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonleland

Companies of all sizes understand how crucial it is to have tools that will more effectively sell their products, help them compete in the marketplace, aid in developing brand recognition and communicate their messages. Jay Schwartz and his company IdeaWork Studios offer the best tools that a company can use when they need technical expertise, creative marketing strategies and cutting edge designs.

IdeaWork Studios flourishes in its two locations (Santa Barbara and Las Vegas) with a growing number of national clients including: the Harrah’s Corporation, Bally Technologies, Health Net of California, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hooters Casino Hotel Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Inc., Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, MGM Mirage Corporation, Morgans Hotel Group, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Tropicana Resort Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil and Crunch.

Jay Schwartz says, “Our clients come to IdeaWork because they are eager to work with one of the best creative agencies around without any bureaucratic politics.  I like to think of our company as the antidote to the big agency experience. We produce superior results on budget and on time.”

With over 17 years of hands-on design experience, Schwartz commits his time and attention to every assignment, so that nothing leaves the building without his approval and involvement.  Schwartz is so successful because he makes sure that his intricate work always seems so easy to understand. With a hefty return on their investment, the clients’ successes have prompted other high profile clients to procure Schwartz’s services.

Schwartz founded his studio after becoming somewhat disillusioned by the business side of the fine art world. After graduating from art school, he explored professional opportunities for himself where he could best express his creativity. Working as a designer at other companies gave Schwartz a solid technical foundation and prompted him to open a solo graphic design firm in 1995.

Schwartz began his career in design at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Receiving his Bachelors degree in Art Studio with an emphasis in Printmaking and Bookmaking/Typography, Schwartz always knew that he would work in the creative world.  He furthered his education at the esteemed Pasadena Art Center to take Masters’ classes in computer graphics and design to supplement his undergraduate studies.

In addition to being a graphic designer, fine artist and brand pioneer, Schwartz is also a world-renowned street painter.  He regularly participates in festivals throughout the United States including: those in California in San Raphael, San Luis Obispo, San Diego and Bakersfield. Schwartz has traveled as far as Italy to color the sidewalks of Grazie di Curtatone and Florence. When asked what his favorite aspect of street painting is Schwartz replies, “It is the one visual art medium where people can witness its creation.”

Always creating, traveling and discovering new streets around the world on which he may paint, Jay Schwartz splits his time between two of his favorite cities: Santa Barbara and Las Vegas with his wife and three dogs.

What are you working on right now?

I’m a multi-tasker, my interactive agency, IdeaWork Studios, is currently working on several dozen projects. A few of the more exciting projects are:

1. The branding and marketing collateral for Intervention, the Sunday pool party at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego. We’re doing everything for the 2010 summer season, including website, print ads, posters, and a bus wrap. We handle all the design, interactive, and marketing for their other two clubs, 207 and Float, but the Intervention campaign is really exciting.

2. Several really cool microsites–for hotels, casinos, and nightlife venues across the country.

3. Several high-profile iPhone and Android apps. They’re going to be really cool, but they’re hush-hush for now.

3 Trends that excite you?

1.  Mobile Apps. The proliferation of iPhone and Android apps are opening up whole new avenues for interactive designers. We have a whole new set of toys to play with and the narrower focus of mobile apps gives us more leeway in how we do what we do. The mobile application doesn’t have to function like a website, nor does it have to be everything to every browser–the more controlled environment of the app allows us to take a more visual approach to web apps.

2. Social Media. It’s good to see corporations take to social media to gain an understanding of who their customer really is, and what they expect from the company. It’s changed the way many of my clients do business, and the continued evolution keeps us all on our toes.
3. The demise of email marketing. The rise in social media as a valuable marketing tool and a way for companies to connect with their customers, coupled with its no-cost and immediacy, will leave the inbox clutter-free. Legitimate email marketing is dying; with the intricacies of CAN-SPAM compliance and deliverability issues, along with the potential lag in open- and click-rate. It’s going to be exciting when we can reclaim the Inbox for important communications without having to weed through garbage.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I start by immersing myself in the client’s product … if it’s a hotel; i stay at the property and experience it as a guest. I don’t tell anyone I’m coming, I don’t look for special treatment, I just show up as a guest and learn about what makes the property what it is–warts and all. If it’s a product, i buy it or try it out. I can’t come up with ideas without knowing what it is that I’m selling/promoting and believing in it. After that, i brainstorm away, either alone or as part of my team. We put ourselves in the consumer’s shoes and speak to ourselves. From there, our process is rather academic — design, build, deploy.

What is one mistake that you made, and what did you learn from it?

Early on, I was reticent to speak up for myself regarding contract negotiations. I let the client dictate the terms because I thought I wanted the work. I never sought out an attorney to write my contract and would rely on prefab forms. I learned the hard way that the business of a creative agency is unique and that just because I wanted the business didn’t mean I had to compromise my principles.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

This sounds stupid, but invest in an online backup system. It’s not that expensive and the peace of mind gained by knowing that your data is safe is priceless. Computer issues happen all the time, and never when you can afford for them to happen. Online backup is easy, painless, and will save you countless hours when something happens. An added bonus in online backup of your data is that some services provide remote access to files, making those weekend dashes to the office to pick up a file a thing of the past.

How did you start out running a creative agency?

I never intended to be in the “business” of being creative. I started my career as a fine artist and gradually fell in love with graphic design. I’ve always been a visual communicator, so it was a natural leap to the commercial side of art, and it didn’t hurt that it paid the bills. As my freelance client base grew, I realized that I couldn’t do it all myself, and I hired junior-level help. Over the period of a couple of years, that evolved into the agency we are today.

How do you stay creative?

Because my business is being creative, keeping mentally sharp is paramount. In order to stay creative, I’m always flexing my creative muscle. When I’m not in front of the computer I can often be found working on a street painting, a mural in chalk pastels on asphalt. This allows me to express myself creatively and gives me an excuse to travel the world and experience other cultures. I also draw a lot, and will never be caught without sketchbook in-tow.

Connect:

IdeaWork Studios

LinkedIn

David likes to say that intelligence comes to each of us in different ways, some are gifted with analytical skills, others are book-smart, some are good at public speaking, others are athletic. Our society values book smarts and the gift of gab especially if it involves a heart-to-heart over with a beer. And yet many think they know about visual intelligence, we all “know it when we see it,” but do we really know how to examine visual communications? Do we have the skills to really see how to present something in a visual manner that makes a point, reveals an answer challenges a preconception or supports a belief? Visual intelligence is the ability to use visual skills in effective ways that startle, arouse or simple explain something in clear easy-to-follow instructions. Just as great guitar player can combine chords in ways that bring out extraordinary sounds, a seasoned visual intelligence expert can design a map, create a logo or a website that visually does what it’s supposed to do. David founded design communications firm Langton Cherubino Group in New York City with Norman Cherubino in 1995. David has more than 20 years experience providing conceptual direction and leading new business initiatives.

David analyzes the effectiveness of communication programs and directs the development of strategic positioning with creative and unique solutions. For Ernst & Young, Moody’s KMV, Credit Suisse and other clients, he produced segmented marketing programs with image libraries and color-coded sales collateral that target specific industries. His work has been honored with awards from International Golden Quill for Strategic Communications, Apex Grand Award, International Association of Business Communicators and the Great Design Show International Competition.

David is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design. He also pursued writing and liberal arts studies at Brown University.

What are you working on right now?

We just created a new promotion called www.webvswebb.com that uses that challenges you to determine whether a word is from the World Wide Web or from the lips of TV Detective Jack Webb. We are finding that anyone under 40 never heard of Dragnet, We developed the game to examine how the Web has made so much available, yet it can sound just as archaic as the old detective language from the 60s.

3 Trends that excited you?

• I see an emerging economy that will work in a different way: ideas will rule but they will be grounded in an authenticity: just doing something for the sake of being different or creative will not be enough.
• Technology continues to leapfrog, the coming age of post-ipad will be fascinating as it turns all of our communication strategies upside down.
• I think we are entering a time where we will need to seek out more community. The Internet can be isolating if we just stare at our screens—even if we can touch and expand and move around with our Wii’s.—the Internet will become a way to meet and match up with real people in person. The need and call for people to meet people and be part of a group interaction in the flesh will emerge as central to our development.

How do you bring ideas to life?

We have a “work-together/work-apart” brainstorming process that we’ve developed over the years. We meet as a team, discuss the parameters, goals and objectives of the assignment, then go off to our own corners and sketch and think about the project for a few days, then we regroup in our conference room, share ideas and have an old fashioned critique. Ideas are built upon, discarded, and at times combined and rearranged in a conceptual food processor. The best ones emerge from hybrid of inspiration that bounces back and forth among us.

What is one mistake that you made, and what did you learn from it?

Everybody makes mistakes, I try to address them as soon as possible and show that we can be the company that went the extra mile when things didn’t go exactly as planned. It’s easy to be the good company when everything is going well, but the real test is what happens when things don’t go as planned. And anyone who is in business will make mistakes, so learning to react and take care of them is critical to your success.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers? Not everybody needs a logo. I think we have over-sold the “Logo” concept. We tell start-ups: Just have a clean and professional look, use Helvetica for a few years, then come back and see us in 5-7 years after you’ve learned what your business is really about. Sometimes a entrepreneurs just need to mind their business and do a good job, then once it’s established they can sit back and work on a real logo/ identity that matches a marketing plan. Too often every start-ups puts together a logo as part of their business plan when the business and its identity has not been proven.

Can you say a few words about Jim Keller, your incredibly talented Design Director?

Sure! Jim’s been with Langton Cherubino Group for 10 years and he has been behind most of our award winning work including the Healthy Pfizer wellness campaign, the Internet Fund Logo and the lani dig your dog premium dog shampoo which was featured on the Today Show!

What is it like to have kids who are 9 years apart?

My current wife, Shelley, (BTW she’s the only wife I’ve ever had) and I have a daughter, Rachael, a freshman in high school and a son, Jae Min, who just started kindergarten. I tell my kids that there are 9 years between my brother and I, though I had a couple of siblings in-between. We’ll never have more than one college tuition to pay at a time, and for now we have a built-in babysitter.

Connect

David Langton on LinkedIn

David Langton on Twitter

http://www.langtoncherubino.com