Pop-Up = Competitive Advantage

The concept of “pop-up” was once limited to the world of retail and public relations stunts.  Fast forward to today, and you’ll find business innovators using pop-up strategies in fresh, new ways to gain a competitive advantage.

Most people think of “pop-up retailing” (also known as “flash retailing“) as shops, restaurants, collections of shops or events opening short-term in a temporary location.  The concept, however, is now being utilized in other ways including as a business model for temporary, project-based companies and training/professional development organizations.

The New York Times recently ran a story about how “flash organizations” are forming to build products for the on-demand economy.  Click here to learn more.

The Croixstone team loves SkillPop, a local organization providing pop-up training and professional development.

For WSJ subscribers, learn how consumer brands create buzz by setting up NYC pop up stores here.

Virtual Reality (VR) + Business

Last week, MacRumors reported Apple’s purchase of SensoMotoric Instruments which could be a major step toward making virtual reality (VR) mainstream.

At Croixstone Consulting, we understand that the potential implementations of VR in business are too numerous to count. Currently, VR is being used to give virtual tours of entire business environments and to provide training to new employees (especially where it involves equipment). At Stanford Health Care, doctors are using VR technology as a sophisticated visual tool during brain surgery and to train future neurosurgeons. VR can also provide 360 views of products and a more cost-effective way of developing product prototypes to detect design based issues at an earlier stage, issues that can lead to subsequent problems down the road.

Learn more about what VR is here.

See more on how VR can transform a host of industries—and business operations here.

For WSJ subscribers, check out: Virtual Reality Finally Catches On – With Businesses

Is Blockchain Technology the New Internet?

Blockchain here.  Blockchain there.  Blockchain Blockchain everywhere. 

It’s rare for the Croixstone Consulting team to go a day without running into a conversation about Blockchain.  And for good reason…many believe that Blockchain technology has the transformative powers to be the “new internet”.

Learn more about Blockchain from the folks at Blockgeeks – where the world’s brightest Blockchain advocates go to discuss and share trends and opportunities in the world of Blockchain.  Click here.

 

Global Running Day and PurpleStride Charlotte

Today is Global Running Day…a great day for you to make plans to join the Croixstone Consulting team at PurpleStride Charlotte 2017 hosted by the Charlotte Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network on Saturday, September 9. Croixstone is a proud gold sponsor of Purplestride…the walk to end pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the world’s toughest cancer with a five-year survival rate of just 9 percent in the United States. It is the third leading cause of cancer-death in the USA and demands urgent action to save lives.  Mark Weber, Croixstone’s founder and Managing Partner, lost his mother to this deadly disease in 2012 and serves as the Media Relations Chair (volunteer role) for the Charlotte Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  Patti Weber, Croixstone’s Chief Experience Officer, lost her  father to pancreatic cancer in 2005 and volunteers as Teams Ambassador for the Charlotte Affiliate’s annual PurpleStride event.

Learn more about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network here.

Visit PurpleStride Charlotte on the web here.

Make a donation or join the Croixstone Crew PurpleStride Team here.

Earn a Backstage Pass to the QC via Leadership Charlotte’s ENCOUNTER Program

This week our Chief Experience Officer, Patti Weber, enjoyed a fantastic “backstage pass” to the city of Charlotte by participating in Leadership Charlotte’s “ENCOUNTER Charlotte” program. This great program is a slimmed down version of the organization’s flagship 10-month program and is designed as a high-level introduction to the city of Charlotte for newcomers or residents who want to get involved.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet and learn from a cross-section of leaders from Charlotte’s education, government, arts + council, environment, human services, public safety and volunteerism communities” said Patti.  “I encourage others to participate in this amazing program and get connected to Charlotte in a deeper way”.

Patti participated in the day and a half program along with 43 other participants from a cross-section of Charlotte region corporations and nonprofits including:  A Child’s Place, ai Design Group, Addison Whitney, Alexander Children’s Foundation, Arts & Science Council, Bank of America, Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, Carolinas College of Health Sciences, Carolinas Healthcare System, The Catalyst Agency, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte Country Day School, Charter Communications, Clariant Corporation, Converse College, EY, Grant Thornton, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Huron Studer Group, Integrated Leadership Systems, KPMG, Kelly Voelker & Associates, Maid in Heaven, Merrill Lynch, Moore & Van Allen, Pat’s Place Child Advisory Center, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, PA, Signs ID, TCG Events, TIAA, Turnaround Advisors, and WFAE 90.7 FM.

Learn more about Leadership Charlotte here.

Read Charlotte Agenda’s article about ENCOUNTER Charlotte here.

Portfolio Careers + LOOM Coworking + Croixstone Consulting

Yesterday the Croixstone Consulting team enjoyed the opportunity to facilitate a professional development “Lunch + Learn” talk on the topic of portfolio careers at LOOM Coworking.  The session was led by Mark Weber (Croixstone’s founder and Managing Partner) and Tony Armeni, MBA (Senior Consultant in Croixstone’s Human Resources practice group).  The Croixstone team presented at the invitation of Jen Belk (Director and Programming Coordinator, LOOM Coworking and VP of Design and Consulting, Belk Construction Management Group).

Portfolio careers have long been prevalent with creative arts professionals and have emerged as a compelling career option for business professionals.  Simply stated, a portfolio career is a working style where a professional has several strings to his/her career bow (often creating a mix of employment, freelancing and/or consulting).  Business professionals are increasingly turning to portfolio careers to combine their passions in a way that works for them.

Despite Mother Nature’s fury yesterday, the Croixstone team presented to a full house and enjoyed the warm hospitality delivered by Jen Belk in the energetic LOOM Coworking space.  Thanks to Jen and all who participated in yesterday’s “Lunch + Learn”.

To learn more about portfolio careers, click here.

To learn more about LOOM Coworking, click here.

 

Disruption in the Consulting Industry

A couple of years ago, a team of thought leaders put their minds together to study professional services, especially consulting and law, to understand how these industries are changing and why.  Then they spoke extensively with more than 50 leaders of incumbent and emerging firms, their clients, and academics and researchers who study them.

So what did these thought leaders learn from this study and the interviews? 

The same forces that disrupted so many businesses, from steel to publishing, are starting to reshape the world of consulting.

Learn more here.

WHO WE ARE

Croixstone is an Inc. 5000 boutique consulting firm known for connecting the brightest minds in business and community. We drive business outcomes by accelerating and sustaining transformations.

Croixstone is nationally-certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) and a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB).

CONTACT

101 South Tryon Street, Suite 2700
Charlotte, NC  28280

Phone:  704.478.6040

info@croixstone.consulting

       
 

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