Markus Stolz is today a leading authority on the wines from Greece. In the beginning of 2009 and after having spent most his career in finance, he decided to let his passion rule his professional life and became engaged in the Greek wine world. He established himself as an independent expert over these past 18 months, without any financial support from the Greek wine industry or governmental trade bodies. He is German, married to a Greek and they live with their 4 children in Athens since 2003.

Markus is the author of elloinos, one the most respected information sources on Greek wines. He also regularly contributes guest articles to well-known sites like Palate Press and Snooth and has his own column on the blog of one of Germany’s most influential winemakers . He has been interviewed live on a Greek wine radio show , and appeared as a guest at Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV, Episode 866 . He spends a good part of the year at the wineries, and has built up a strong network of connections within the Greek wine industry.

When he started out his new venture he was astonished at the lack of interest the wines from Greece received in the export markets. Traditional campaigns like sending out letters to wine merchants abroad did not bare any fruit. Markus soon started exploiting the power of social media a few months later and has since successfully built up his brand on a global basis.

What are you working on right now?

After having raised public awareness about Greek wines abroad and primarily in Germany, I am now actively pursuing to make Greek wines more widely available. I have just launched 600bottles, which is more than a traditional online shop for end consumers. My vision is for 600bottles to become a hub for importers, wine merchants, the gastronomy and consumers alike. This project currently focuses on the German market, but will be expanded in the future. In the beginning, I offer wines from producers that are not yet broadly distributed by existing importers/merchants.

3 Trends that excite you?

Consumer demand for wines is shifting quickly towards well made, solid quality wines that can be enjoyed at fair prices without being overly complicated. Greek wines have witnessed a tremendous improvement of quality over the last few years, and today many are able to offer outstanding value-for-money.

At the same time, there is also rising interest towards niche wines. Consumers are willing to seek out indigenous grape varieties in order to expand their palate. Greece is blessed with a sheer number of indigenous varieties that are truly distinctive and unique.

Mobile phones and the Internet are changing our lives at a breathtaking pace. The ability to reach out and connect with other people offers opportunities that were unthinkable just a few years ago. Humans are always interested in listening to interesting stories. Now these stories can be told to a larger audience than ever before.

How do you bring ideas to life?

When I have a new idea, I only apply basic planning, as it becomes increasingly hard to plan too far ahead in today’s dynamic environment. My focus really is on the execution, and this typically involves the human element, since for it I engage key contacts from my network. One of my key philosophies is to bring social media contacts into real life, this means striving to meet face to face with as many of these people as possible. The amazing thing in today’s world is how many contacts are within one’s reach, but in order to really benefit from them, they must be converted from virtuality into reality.

What is one mistake that you’ve made that our readers can learn from?

In my past career I have at times been dependent on single relationships. Always spread out, do not focus or rely too heavily on anyone. While it is important to foster key relationships, one should not forget that they are dynamic in nature. Common interests and goals can diverge over time. Never stop putting in the effort to continuously expand relationship networks.

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

It is without a doubt Twitter: Its power is not limited to connecting with people ­ there are so many influential and great voices to be heard, many ideas manifest themselves by simply listening to what others have to offer. When wisely used, it is an invaluable tool.

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

There are many countries where the current revolution of social media is still lagging behind. I believe this is a stunning opportunity for entrepreneurs who have gathered expertise in the field to take advantage of. An example out of everyday life would be Greek banks, which have not yet entered the social media community at all and certainly would need guidance to maximise its value. The same holds true for other industries and many more countries.

How can you remain independent whilst having a commercial interest?

I value my independence very highly. I have made a conscious decision to not accept payment from wineries or trade bodies. I am authentic ­ whatever I write, I believe in. When I feature a wine estate, it is solely because I appreciate their work, not because I receive payment. The same holds true for the wines ­ when I export wines to Germany, it is because I believe these wines are exciting and deserve recognition. I believe long-term business relationships can only last if one is willing to give before receiving. I want to do things differently, and believe that this is one of the main reasons people are interested in hearing my story. What is my business model? I am building up a whole new market and I want to be a viable alternative to the old gatekeepers.

Do you like living in Greece ­ being German, the cultural differences must be huge?

Greece is a fantastic place to live in, and I am proud to call it my home. Greeks are amazing people, they are lively, outgoing, temperamental, chaotic in their own way but have big hearts and value the family above all. I treasure this mad combination, although it did take me a couple of years to adjust. It is never boring here, and people embrace life to the fullest even during tough times.

Connect:

http://www.elloinos.com
http://twitter.com/elloinos
http://www.facebook.com/elloinos
mstolz@elloinos.com

Scott Belsky believes that the greatest breakthroughs across all industries are a result of creative people and teams that are especially productive. As such, Scott has committed his professional life to help organize creative individuals, teams, and networks.

Scott is the founder of Behance, a company that develops products and services that boost productivity in the Creative Professional Community. Behance oversees the Behance Network, the world’s leading platform for creative professionals; The 99% , Behance’s think tank for execution in creative teams; and Action Method, a popular online/mobile productivity application and line of organizational paper products.

In 2010, Scott was also included in Fast Company’s list of “100 Most Creative People in Business.” Scott is also the author of the national bestselling book Making Ideas Happen (Portfolio, Penguin Books). He attended Cornell University as an undergraduate and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.

What are you working on right now?

The next generation of the Behance Network platform, a sort of “LinkedIn” for the creative world that has the potential to organize the creative world’s work and improve efficiency in the creative industries.

3 Trends that excite you?

1. Community Curation: I love how, with mechanisms like Facebook’s “Like” button and Behance’s “Appreciate” option, the world is curating itself.
2. Transparency: Amidst all the concerns about privacy, I am still pleased to see more people open the door and share their ideas liberally. This is good for humankind.
3. Obsession with Execution: With our 99% Initiative, we’ve been surprised by how much interest there is in productivity and execution, this is a new era for entrepreneurial minded folks. It is good for society.

How do you bring ideas to life?

By sharing them with my team and inner circle, by seeking feedback and refinement, and by working late.

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

I make lots of mistakes, but often times my mistakes involve my lack of patience. Sometimes when something flares up and I get obsessive about it, I look back and realize I should have just waited for it to resolve itself on its own.

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

Digital goods as a means of awards. When you like an article on the web, why not have the option to purchase a virtual award to recognize is?

What tool do you use on a daily basis to stay productive and manage projects / tasks?

Action Method Online, of course!  ;-)

But seriously, we developed ActionMethod.com as an online and mobile (and paper-based) methodology to keep creative minds organized. I couldn’t really function without it at this point.
One tip: If you use it online, be sure to download the Adobe AIR version of the application! Much better…

Do you live a balanced life?

I certainly try. Sometimes it is hard. However, I have come to view balance not as a daily thing, but a periodic concept. In my opinion, a determined mind must work obsessively and then rest obsessively. Balance is not achieved at any given point in time, only over time.

Behance’s Products: http://www.behance.com/products
Behance Twitters: @behance @the99percent
Scott Belsky on Twitter: @scottbelsky
Scott Belsky’s Personal website: http://www.scottbelsky.com

John Funk is both a Principal and the Chief Product Scout at Evergreen Innovation Partners . John also is President and co-founder of TrashCo Inc.  and founder and President of Long Tail Pet Products (makers of the DogPause Healthy Dog Bowl).

John has been involved with new product development, innovation, licensing and entrepreneurship for over 15 years. John raised over $40m in capital across the 6 companies he launched over the past 15 years, and 3 companies had successful exits via IPO or M&A transactions (over $500m in value creation for shareholders). The other 3 companies are still pending outcomes…

In prior lives, John has worked for Bell Atlantic and the law firm of Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. John Funk has been a guest lecturer on marketing and Open Innovation at Harvard, University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Kellogg School of Management.

John received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, graduated cum laude from Northwestern School of Law (concentration in IP law), and received his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University. John tries to read over 100 books a year and keep up with his family on the ski slopes, tennis court and golf course. He rides a road bike over Vail Pass every summer just to see if he can.

John’s name appears on various issued and pending patents, he’s on the Board of Greenhouse Scholars as well as Mopion Inc (makers of Sand-Off ), and he is diligently working on deciding what he wants to be when he grows up.

What are you working on right now?

Exploring how to use technology and Open Innovation to both source new product ideas and how to leverage that into new successful businesses. The world of atoms is different from the world of electrons, but there are some fascinating ways to cross-pollinate the two.

110% of my time is spent on Flings bins, a major disruptive innovation in the very sleepy category of trash & recycling bags and bins.

Another 10% of my time is spent on Evergreen Innovation Partners, where we just announced a really innovative partnership with Clorox.

And then I spend the nights and weekends working on a really useful pet product for dogs that eat too fast. This is a labor of love where an inventor came up with something that really is better than anything else out there today in the market. But how do you spread the word? How do you raise awareness for a physical good online? Some fascinating opportunities and questions…

3 Trends that excite you?

1: Faster clock speeds. My business partner, Dave Bayless, did a fascinating presentation on how the reality of business “clock speeds” means you have to run faster and faster just to stay in place. Check it out.  The net effect of this is incredibly powerful for those that can create new products, new ideas, and do it for others… Faster…

2) Open Innovation. The smartest and most successful companies of the 21st century will figure out how to leverage folks outside their organization. It stuns me how powerful this trend is.

3) Email. I started my first company around email. I remain convinced (and excited) that a simple email to a stranger can open door, start a conversation, and deepen a relationship with a 3rd party. And, at the same time, it can be so misunderstood and under-leveraged. Those who understand how to use email have a huge competitive advantage.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Iterate, iterate, iterate… I have a huge believer in trial and error. I believe you can generally test and learn much faster than you expect, and I also believe you’ll end up with the right answer faster (primarily because a feedback loop is more powerful and open to serendipity). Too often I see people stuck in analysis-paralysis, and then they take forever and still get it wrong. By running experiments, by trying things, by talking to potential customers and LISTENING, I think I can bring ideas to life faster and more effectively.

What is one mistake that you’ve made that our readers can learn from?

I tend to over-estimate capacity. While I still commit that mistake even today, I commit it less. You need to learn how to let go of things and how to say “no”. If you can’t regulate your capacity, you end up burning out because you’re over-stressed and over-worked. Same thing happens if you don’t regulate capacity from your staff — if you overtask them, or push them too far, they will get over-stressed and over-worked… You tend to lose the important in the urgent, and you find that you’re living too much of a tactical existence instead of clicking up a layer and looking at the big picture.

What is one book and one tool (i.e., piece of software) that helps you bring ideas to life?

Read Atlas Shrugged. It doesn’t get any better, or any clearer, than that.

Use a whiteboard. It’s the only collaborative tool I can use in real-time that can keep up with the conversation and ensure everyone in the room has a shared understanding. Don’t get me wrong – I love computers, web 2.0, email, jotforms, social media, etc. But nothing is worse than being in a meeting and watching someone trying to illustrate a point via some digital tool. It’s just not fast enough yet…

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

Data-driven retail – re-defining “profitability”. Most retailers make decisions based on gross profit margin on a unit basis. In-store staff is generally minimum wage, and buyers are low-level staff members. Slow-moving product clogs up the shelf, and things need to go “onsale” in order to move, which makes the going-in profit margin question a joke. There is now enough data available on inventory turns to start to calculate profit dollars per linear foot and to use market research to anchor new product decisions (vs. “gut” and brokers). Amazon has made a name for itself with the “long tail” – brick and mortar retail needs to counter-punch by being smarter about what to stock and how to lay out the shelf. And it needs to bring the best new products into store vs. just re-stocking same-old, same-old.

Why did you go to law school?

I found law school to be incredibly useful in terms of teaching me how to think. As the pace of business continues to accelerate, being able to think clearly and to focus on what’s important will separate winners from losers. I see many people losing sight of the key issues and getting distracted with “noise” – that’s a recipe for disaster. Law school doesn’t have to be just about the law; it’s about how to synthesize data and how to issue spot.

How do you find time to read 100 books a year?

I read to give my brain some “off-time” – generally 30-60 minutes before bed and anytime I’m on an airplane. I also read a ton on vacations. I’ve been blessed to be a very fast reader (a page or two a minute), which helps. I love NYT bestsellers and am biased towards thrillers and mysteries.

I’ve got a blog I periodically update here:
http://evergreenip.typepad.com/funky_reading/

Connect:

john.funk@gmail.com