Catalyst Ranch’s
Creative Juice Blog
This is not another article about meetings and events! Well, yes, I guess it is but it’s not just another article about meetings and events. So read on. This article is about the winning formula to ace a meeting or event. But for whom? There are countless how to, top this and top that articles that [...]
One of the great things about the Catalyst Ranch philosophy is to give back whenever possible. To that end we partner with great organizations and sponsor other events that make a difference, like the South Side Pitch, hosted by the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School. Our sponsorship donation [...]
Ever stumble upon a great accident? Well that is how motherhood went for me. I was running for US Congress against Luis Gutierrez in the 4th District. It was 2012 and I had raised my first $25,000. I felt empowered. I felt alive. I was living my dream of working towards becoming a politician. Then [...]
Most Interesting Person: Ali Karbassi Over the past 15 years I’ve worked in many different industries; Professional photographer, senior web developer at web firms and advertising agencies, product developer at an Internet of Things startup, Technology Director at a product-based company, and CEO of a non-profit to name a few. Each has revolved around my love [...]
ZERO WASTE MARKET I remember when I was a kid and my mom would take me a half hour away to piano lessons. After the lesson, as a reward, Mom would take my brother and I to a store that had candy and gum and seeds and nuts in big barrels and bins, and [...]
We sat down with Holly Birnbaum, one of the founders of Thoughtly Crew, to ask about Creative Thinking Agents, consumer market research groups, and partnering with Catalyst Ranch. Here's what she said! Who is Thoughtly Crew? Thoughtly Crew, the world's first independent pool of creative consumers, was launched in 2005 by Holly Birnbaum, Scott Cheney [...]
How to Inspire, Motivate, and Activate Meeting Attendees Meeting Tip of the Day for August 16th, 2016 This morning I was in a meeting with two co-workers, including our President, Eva, when we heard what sounded like a school bell. We didn't think much of it until it happened again shortly thereafter. And then again. [...]
7 Tips on How to Prepare to Teach, When You Haven't Been Trained as a Teacher by Ida Abdalkhani, Founder & President of Ability to Engage, Inc I recently started teaching at my alma mater, The Ohio State University. Given the focus of my boutique consulting business, Ability to Engage, where we help companies develop [...]
SEVEN STEPS TO CURB YOUR PERFECTIONISM & ACCOMPLISH MORE By Ida Abdalkhani, Founder at Ability to Engage I grew up in a depressed rust-belt city surrounded by pollution and decay. I escaped, vigorously pursued my undergraduate studies and leadership activities at Ohio State, added an MBA with honors, helped build multiple brands at one of [...]
Meet Samira Ahmed, this month’s candidate trying to upstage Pogo, the Most Interesting Monkey in the World.*Portrait courtesy of six-year-old daughter Lena Jonas. Archaeologists have found copies of Samira’s unpublished novels amongst the prized possessions of ancient Pharaohs. She can tame a class of unruly juniors into silence with an expertly executed aria. She can hail [...]
