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November 2009

Hard Work: A Year In the Making

by JimRaffel on November 30, 2009

Tomorrow morning a press release will announce that ColorMetrix and SpotOn! Press have agreed to work together on a project to provide enhanced interoperability between our two products. There will be lots of flowery prose and 50 cent words in the release so I will spare you the sales talk here. Tonight I will write the story of how two “competitors” agreed to work together to provide an enhanced value proposition to our customers.

A little more than one year ago I began talking with my friend Bruce Bayne about how his SpotOn! Press software and our ProofPass.com color verification and process control system, while competitive products on some levels, really solved two different parts of the color verification and process control puzzle. It was a great conversation and right away I knew I was dealing with a kindred spirit.

At the time Bruce was busy dealing with the release of his version 1.0. I was busy ramping up work on one of our largest customization projects. We continued to have conversations as our paths crossed. Sometimes months would go by between calls or emails but the lines of communication remained open. As Print ’09 approached it was clear that to survive in this marketplace I would need to once again re-invent ColorMetrix and forge new strategic business relationships as some tried and true partners from the past went different directions, including directly competing with me.

At Print ’09 Bruce and I along with a couple members of his team sat down for a cocktail supper high above Chicago at ROOF, the year-round rooftop lounge on the 27th floor of the theWit hotel. In hindsight a lofty venue was the perfect place to launch almost three months of work hammering out the details of getting two technology products produced by two small businesses working together.

Over my 23 year career in the printing industry I have worked with the good, the bad and the ugly. At a couple of key crossroads I have been lucky enough to have mentors who nudged me in a slightly different direction than I would have gone on my own. (There is a reason I have an MBA and not a Masters in Computer Science.) I have worked with smart people, people of integrity, personable people, fun people, serious people, you name them I have worked with or for them. This interoperability agreement really works for one reason; Bruce Bayne and Jim Raffel trust each other and get along.

We entered into this agreement because it is real, authentic and sustainable. Tomorrow morning our joint press release will tell the story of two separate companies that will work together to sell each other’s products. Sunday we will debut the interoperability of the two products at the PIA Color Management Conference in Phoenix. I am not positive what the future holds but I know it’s a lot brighter working side by side with Bruce Bayne and SpotOn! Press than going it alone.

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My Top 10 Personal Development Success Tips

by JimRaffel on November 14, 2009

I dedicate this post to my Father who passed away exactly one year ago today. Rest in peace Dad.

If you know me, have been reading this blog for any length of time, or follow me on Twitter you know that I have been on a personal development journey over the last twelve months. As a hiker, I view life as one long hike on a trail that is often easy to follow and not overly exerting. Sometimes you hit a big uphill that you simply understand is going to take more effort. Every now and again, a nice gentle downhill that takes no effort at all and you feel carefree about everything.

Sometimes, however, you stop paying attention and end up way off the trail and lost. I realized I was in that exact position late last year and began trying to find my way back to the trail. There is no true final destination on the trail but I was getting tired of walking through all the pricker bushes. I will not lie to you, it takes a lot of effort to change behaviors and redirect your life. The payoff is worth it, so without further ado here are the ten things I have found most helpful in finding my way back to the trail.

10. Place positive reading material everywhere in the house you are likely to sit for a few minutes throughout the day. (Yes, that place many of us call the library is one of the places I am talking about). I have found books like Easier Than You Think or The Last Lecture with short inspirational chapters are best.

9. Visit inspirations web-sites like Daily Motivator … well Daily.

8. Get into Twitter and read the blogs of people you follow, trust me you will know you are not alone in your daily journey once you start doing this.

7. Learn to say no, or “I’d love to help you, just not right now.” If you select the later approach follow through, your word matters.

6. Apologize and admit it when you screw up. Then, get over it and move on. While we can’t forget the past we also can’t live there.

5. Assess decisions in your life with my Real, Authentic, and Sustainable methodology.

4. Exercise. Yes, it’s important enough I ranked it #4 on the list.

3. Put community before yourself. I’m talking about the little stuff here, hold the door for someone with an armful of packages. Helping others does amazing things for the soul.

2. Put your family before everything but #1 below. Family means different things to different people. I have been blessed with a big amazing “traditional” family. I have friends who have been forced to create their own family. Either way, I’m telling you without family your life will be empty.

1. Belief in something bigger than yourself (for me this is God).

Find one or two of the ten ideas listed above that are not already part of your daily life and work them in over the next week or so. In thirty days you will start to see your attitudes and behaviors changing. If you are firmly on the trail today I hope one or more of the items help you stay there and appreciate the journey more. If you are lost in the pricker bushes, grab hold of all ten on a daily basis. It will be hard work but you will end up back on the trail.

Good Hiking!

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I’m Moving

November 8, 2009

Please be patient I am moving JimRaffel.com and all the content associated with the site to a new server and changing the site look all at one time. The site will be up and down a bit over the next several days.

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