In With The New...In With the Old

Like many New Yorkers, I don’t spend enough time visiting tourist attractions and places in my own “backyard.” On New Year’s Day 2011, I finally made it to the High Line. The re-purposing of the old rail lines (which were first built in 1929 and resurrected starting in 1999) got me thinking about a business topic that has an impact on all of us.

With innovation, guts, focus, and the right amount of money, almost everything old can be re-purposed, resurrected, and given a new life form. The High Line (like the Meatpacking District before it) has created new opportunities for commerce and tourism. 

As I sit down on this cloudy Sunday afternoon to put the finishing touches on my 2011 business plan, I will re-read my business plans from 2003 to 2010 and pay homage to those “railroad tracks” – the steel foundations that have remained constant and that may hold the clues to future growth. 

As you enter 2011, remember that innovation and prosperity can often form around things that already exist. Even social media has at its core the basic human need to connect with and speak to other people with similar interests. Only the media and technology have changed…the need and the rules of engagement are similar to those that have driven people connecting with other people for years.

So, although my blog is technically about innovation, I plan to draw heavily on “timeless truths” as I enter 2011. I paid homage to Guy Lombardo, Dick Clark AND Ryan Seacrest on New Year’s Eve, although I was only able to listen to Guy on YouTube. The world still needed hosts on that special night. Tuxedo and music styles may have changed, and people may now walk the High Line rather than transport goods on it. But the truly great and meaningful aspects of life and business can be preserved, re-purposed, and survive the centuries.