When you are the first and must figure things out….

Absolutely fascinating interview with Haben Girma, a disability rights attorney, author, and the first woman to graduate from Harvard Law School despite being born deaf and blind. Insightful takeaways during the 45-minute talk for any student or anyone else attempting to navigate a challenging path.
Book TV (C-Span.org): https://www.c-span.org/video/?463715-1/haben&start=75

How a small town saved itself from economic ruin after big business left
In the 1980s, Colorado townspeople in a small town devised a unique idea to improve their devastated economy. Highlights in the 27-minute PBS segment include an illustration of what happens to a town when the industry leaves. But the focus is why and how the town developed an idea that worked.

Rmbs.org/Colorado experience: http://www.rmpbs.org/coloradoexperience/culture/meeker-classic

A cake like no other
If you think there couldn’t possibly be a new idea for a baked cake, the Flour Shop bakery found it and landed in Forbes Magazine.  Part of the under 30 series by Alexandra Sternlicht.

Forbes.com
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2019/08/21/how-the-flour-shop-is-turning-150-exploding-birthday-cakes-into-a-lifestyle/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=forbes&utm_campaign=forbes&sh=73e69b05518f#26970634518f%20find

Q: There have been a lot of news stories about young students setting up lemonade stands but getting shut down by authorities. So how can students with dreams to set up a summertime lemonade stand best to avoid problems?

A:  Unfortunately, the aspiring lemonade stand owners who were shutdown may have skipped a key first step:  researching the idea.
Answers to the following must be known beforehand:  Is the idea legal in their location?  If so, what are the local business government rules for permits?  And how much will the permit cost?  The answer to the last question may reveal the idea won’t work.

For example, a CNN article reports that a lemonade stand permit in San Francisco, California is $1,000.  If true, to make a profit, customers would have to include a herd of thirsty camels.

For some students, planning how to market and promote their lemonade stand for the following summer may be wise.

Dee Adams is the author of the fact-gathering tips guide
for aspiring entrepreneurs, Finding Your Niche: Discover a Profitable Idea for a Business at Home—or Elsewhere

Avoiding costly copyright mistakes when using images or lyrics are just two of the issues covered by author and veteran business attorney Helen Sedwick on her highly informative blog. You can find two PDFs that include a useful checklist of resources available for download:

How to Use Memorable Lyrics Without Paying a Fortune or a Lawyer  
How to Use Eye-Catching Images Without Paying a Fortune or a Lawyer

Copyright continues to be a confusing issue for many people;
no small wonder when one reads through some of the dos and don’ts listed by Sedwick; whether one uses a free resource
or pays for rights from trusted a trusted source.

Note: Sedwick’s path to law school was inspired, in part,  by what she witnessed during her youth:  both of her artistic parents repeatedly mistreated financially in Hollywood.  And she authored The Self-Publishers’ Legal Handbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to the Legal Issues of Self-Publishing. 

Sources

Helen Sedwick.com
https://helensedwick.com/blog/

Professor Jane Friedman’s blog explains the creative, business, and marketing elements of writing and publishing. For instance, a post found on her blog featuring an example of a Profit and Loss statement used in the publishing industry to determine the viability of a potential book was a pain-free read… https://www.janefriedman.com/book-pl/

How writers, storytellers, and publishers can successfully adapt their skills, despite the digital age, is an issue of interest to the professor.

That this blog is an award winner is no surprise given the wide range of ad-free insider information.

Questions
Can you name one or two thought leaders in the field you would like to enter?
If so, what changes do they foresee for the field in the coming years?