How's this for shock--my first-ever blog comment comes from one of my all-time marketing idols...my first mentor, if you will.
When I was in University, my buddy Sheldon Davis and I were disciples of Roger von Oech. He was the creative marketer's dream and as students, we eschewed the boring texts our profs assigned us and read Roger's "A Whack on the Side of the Head" and A Kick in the Seat of the Pants" instead. We had a blast applying his theories then, and personally, I've been influenced by the man ever since. He was the first real "marketing guru," and although the two foremetioned books were published over two decades ago, they are still the most relevent creativity-enhancers out there (although I hear that British fashion maven Paul Smith's recent tome is up there as well).
Look, in my previous careers as CEO of the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and as a showbiz journalist, I met every rock star, movie star, porn star, politician and assorted celeb-type that you can imagine.
Yet I was star-struck and tongue-tied when I had dinner with Henry Mintzberg recently.
And I'm still in shock that Roger von Oech took the time to comment on this blog. Unsolicted, I may add.
You can check out Roger's blog at blog.creativethink.com...but please remember to come back here when you're done.
I need you more than he does ;)