It’s finally summer here in the Washington, DC region. Now is the time to schedule “innovation vacations” to unplug, reflect, and savor the great outdoors.

Instead of asking you “what’s on your reading list?,” I’m curious to know “What’s on your watch list?”

You will find some cool videos below that we just released. Check out the three complimentary marketing innovation videos below from our annual CMOs Leading Innovation Conference. …

Marketing leaders often ask me “how do you stay centered and focused? What can I do to create more “white space” on my calendar? My schedule is very hectic, and I seldom make time to reflect.” Mindful marketing techniques have really helped me in this area.

I recently sat down with “Shareology” author and Purematter CEO, Bryan Kramer to further explore this topic. We had both discovered that we are mindfulness practitioners.

Check out this 19 minute podcast to hear:

The importance of daily white space
The 3 main sources of my creativity
How removing yourself from your normal routine and surroundings leads to a more creative life
Bryan’s favorite sources of creativity
How over-reliance on technology leads to missed cues and muted intuition
Why pets are one of my favorite mindfulness reminders
The number one question every marketing leader needs to ask to increase their efficacy

Four quotable moments from this discussion include (and feel free to tweet):

“That is what wealth is about… creating discretionary time to do the things you love with the people you enjoy.” —@lisa_nirell #mindfulmarketer

 “You’ve only got now so live and love fully.” —@lisa_nirell #mindfulmarketer

 “When I rely only on technology and data, I seem to always get myself in trouble or miss some important cues.” —#mindfulmarketer @lisa_nirell

 “Create and design the life you really want….

If you are a CMO or VP of Marketing in the Atlanta area, please join our Atlanta CMO breakfast at The Commerce Club of Atlanta on Wednesday, May 11 from 8:00-9:45 am. This complimentary session is entitled “From Order Taker to Innovator: How CMOs Will Thrive in a Modern Marketing World.”

Today’s marketing leaders are doing their best to adapt to unprecedented changes in customer behaviors, pricing models, and digital landscapes….

The early-bird rate for our 2nd annual CMOs Leading Innovation Conference (CLIC ’16) will end this Friday, April 15. This year, our conference happens at the historic Airlie Retreat Center in Warrenton, Virginia October 20-21 (just 45 minutes from Dulles Airport).

You will be joined by CMOs from Bozzuto, Informatica, Hilton, Gannett, NACD, and RES Software (to name a few). The 1 ½ day private conference features an evening reception, three panels, and a handful of top notch interactive sessions….

We brought together our CMO group “outlaws” on February 17 to show their ninepin chops at our annual “Bowl & Brew” in DC. These are the members of our private CMO peer groups and online community.

Who knew that Miss Acubed (aka Alicia A.) carried her own bowling shoes? Or that Sonny G. moonlights as a DJ (aka DLite?) Then there was The Edge (aka Stuart F.), illness who fought the good fight to take home first prize….

Here is an example of extreme product innovation I’ve witnessed recently. I met with the President of a struggling technology company. She is betting the company’s future on developing products that have not been validated nor tested with any customers. You could call them “extreme product innovators.” In other words, they are developing products that may pay off in 4-6 years in a market they have never pursued.

Meanwhile, their legacy products (which keep the lights on) currently face severe price pressures and market share erosion….

Follow me back 45 years ago, when my Mom invited me to skip school and visit Dad’s office at Litton Industries.

This represented a BIG adventure to me. I knew Dad was a mechanical engineer, but I never truly understood what his job entailed. This was my chance to get answers.

We pulled up to the four story, steel gray industrial building in West Hartford, Connecticut. As we exited the elevator, I spotted Dad in the conference room….

Are you a CMO, VP of Marketing, or CEO interested in innovation? Will you be in the Atlanta area on December 14th?

I’d like to invite you to my private CMO breakfast at The Commerce Club of Atlanta on Monday, December 14 from 8:15-10 am. This complimentary session is entitled “From Order Taker to Innovator: How CMOs Will Thrive in a Modern Marketing World.”

Today’s marketing leaders are doing their best to adapt to unprecedented changes in customer behaviors, pricing models, and digital landscapes….

We just completed our first annual CMOs Leading Innovation Conference (CLIC ’15) in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia. Although this full day session deserves more reflection than a David Letterman-style Top Ten List, I wanted to pass along my initial thoughts.

Twenty-five CMOs and CEOs gathered from cool companies such as Twitter, Informatica, H&R Block, SageWater, Gannett/USAToday, Decision Lens, XO Communications, Celerity, and DestinationDC. Adobe’s CMO.com, a globally reknown publication reaching over 22,000 marketing leaders, partnered with us to cover the event….