Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Stephen Shapiro Reveals "Survival of the Adaptable" - Best Practices are Stupid

Best practices are not always about survival of the fittest. A tried and true idea does not necessarily mean it's the best. Innovation leader Stephen Shapiro understands this truth with striking clarity and gives us his insider knowledge in his new book, "Best Practices Are Stupid".

Boston, MA, October 11, 2011 (Straight Line PR) -- Seldom will someone turn a stamped-and-approved principle on its head and escape mockery. Stephen Shapiro has done just that in his latest book, "Best Practices Are Stupid".

In the section of the book titled "Not Survival of the Fittest - Survival of the Adaptable", Shapiro highlights the story of two hikers in the mountains of Canada. They run into a bear, and one of the hikers swiftly trades his boots for sprinting shoes. His companion says, "What are you doing? You can't outrun a grizzly!"

And the hiker lacing up his running shoes responds: "I know, but I only need to outrun you, my friend!"

It's survival of the fittest. Staying one step ahead so as not to be eaten alive.

"But innovation isn't about one-time change, like running from the grizzly," says Shapiro, innovation leader and author of "Best Practices Are Stupid" ( http://amzn.to/BestPracticesAreStupid ). "It's about continuous change. In other words, adaptability."

As his story of the hikers progresses, we find that the first hiker bolts, while the second hiker simply grins. He knows that bears have poor eyesight and will only chase prey that runs. The first hiker gets eaten.

The take-away from the story: In order NOT to be eaten, Shapiro breaks down the three levels of innovation:

* Innovation as an Event
* Innovation as a Capability
* Innovation as a System

Shapiro ( http://SteveShapiro.com ) goes on to say that many organizations want to get innovative and move fast-but usually end up running in the wrong direction, like toward a bear. He says it's much better to take deliberate action by understanding the marketplace and harnessing the organization's energies with a focus on what's most important.

"It's not the smartest organization that will survive, or the company with the most money," says Shapiro (sign up for his monthly Free Innovation Tips at http://www.steveshapiro.com/consulting/ ). "It's the organization that adapts and evolves to address ever-changing market conditions."

About Stephen Shapiro:
Stephen Shapiro is one of the foremost authorities on innovation and collaboration, and has personally touched hundreds of thousands of lives in over 40 countries. While Stephen's insights apply to virtually any organization, big or small, he has contributed to shifting the innovation culture for such Fortune 500 organization as Staples, GE, BP, Johnson & Johnson, Fidelity Investments, Pearson Education, Nestle, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. As the founder and creator of a 20,000 person internal innovation practice within Accenture, and advisor to hundreds of organizations worldwide, Stephen possesses a rare and extensive arsenal of tools, allowing him to arm any organization with the knowledge they need to shift their most threatening challenges.

Stephen can be reached at 617-379-1177 or online at http://SteveShapiro.com

Press Contact: Stephen Shapiro, 24/7 Innovation, 2001 Marina Drive Suite 807, Quincy, MA 02171, 617-379-1177


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Contact:
Stephen Shapiro
24/7 Innovation
2001 Marina Drive
Suite 807
Quincy, MA 02171
617-379-1177

Commercial Construction Projects Up for Bid Announced in Florida

Over 15 new commercial construction projects are up for bid with EliteProNet, the fastest growing network for professional contractors in Florida.

Florida, USA, October 11, 2011 - Over 15 new commercial construction projects are up for bid with EliteProNet, the fastest growing network for professional contractors in Florida.

Subcontractors licensed to perform commercial work should register their information with EliteProNet online at www.elitepronet.com or call 877-656-4706.Past references must be provided for all contractors during prequalification. Some of the commercial jobs up for bid are as follows:

1. Renovation of a house within a public school in Arcadia, FL

2. Renovation of a historic, public building in Bushnell, FL

3. New construction and associated site work for a new single story transit building in Stuart, FL

4. Tenant interior fit-out for a new retail store located in Boca Raton, FL

5. New construction and renovation of a new retail store located in Valrico, FL

6. New construction and renovation of a new retail store located in Orlando, FL

7. New construction of a public recreation center, Defuniak Springs, FL

8. Ground-up construction of a shopping complex, including parking area and landscaping in Delray Beach, FL

9. New construction of a retail store in Deerfield Beach, FL

10. Renovation of an existing office building in Oldsmar, FL

Awarded Subcontractor of the Week

Subcontractor: Craig Construction Group LLC

Project: Renovation, demolition and addition of a McDonald’s restaurant in Neptune, NJ

Award in the amount of: $75,000.00

EliteProNet Project Coordinator: Daniel Balassone

EliteProNet provides construction projects up for bid in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Delaware, North Carolina, and Georgia. EliteProNet corporate headquarters is located at 5589 Okeechobee Blvd., Ste. 202, West Palm Beach, FL 33417. For more information please call (877) 656-4706 or visit https://www.elitepronet.com/

Contact:
Carolina Davila
EliteProNet
5589 Okeechobee Blvd. Ste. 202
West Palm Beach, FL 33417
(877) 656-4706

DNA Brands' Wholly Owned Subsidiary Grass Roots Beverage to Expand Operations

Grass Roots Beverage, the Initial Driving Force Behind DNA Energy Drink's Florida Growth, to Provide Expertise to Others Seeking to Expand Distribution Opportunities

Boca Raton, FL, October 11, 2011 -- DNA Brands Inc. (OTCBB:DNAX), makers of DNA Energy Drinks® and DNA Meat Snacks, the great favorites of the action sports community and its fans, announced today that its distribution subsidiary, Grass Roots Beverage (GRB), is expanding its operations to represent additional brands. GRB's goal is to provide distribution opportunities to beverage and snack companies that are having difficulty establishing a presence in the State of Florida Management of GRB is confident that this expansion of operations will be successful because distribution dominated by the Coke and Pepsi systems are off limits and closed to these brands. Complicating the issue is that fact that there are few "third tier" distributors in Florida. Many of the state's small distributors have either gone out of business or were acquired by large beer houses. In a state the size of Florida the lack of independents makes full coverage almost an impossible task.

Darren M. Marks, DNA's President and CEO, said, "Building the direct distribution opportunity has always been on our radar and the statewide build out of our own brand through GRB has given us the credentials necessary to achieve our goal." Marks added, "The fact that Grass Roots Beverages is an authorized vendor for several national chain retailers, including Walgreens and Circle-K, and has an approximate total of 3,000 retail accounts makes us a viable and attractive alternative to those brands seeking to obtain a foothold in Florida."

"Grass Roots Beverage is a full service direct store distributor (DSD) that has a lot to offer. Some brands have been able to get directly to the stores via the retailer's warehouse but that often causes more problems than solutions," said Ralph Sabella Vice President of Operations. Sabella continued. "Getting it to the warehouse is easy but speed to shelf and out-of-stocks are the problem. As far as beverages and snacks are concerned DSD is by far the best alternative."

About DNA Brands, Inc.

DNA BRANDS, make DNA Energy Drink®, the award-winning, best-tasting energy drink at the 2010 World Beverage Competition, DNA Beef Jerky™ and DNA Shred Stix™. DNA Energy Drink® is a proprietary blend of quality ingredients in four flavors Citrus, Lemon Lime, Sugar Free Citrus and CRANRAZBERRY. DNA is a proud sponsor of many action sport teams consisting of top athletes from Motorcross, Surf, Wakeboard and Skateboard has received tremendous TV and media coverage.  
Independent retailers throughout the state sell the DNA Brand products as well as national retailers including Walgreens, CVS, Race Trac and Circle K.

True to its actions sports roots, DNA BRANDS, INC., has earned national recognition through its title sponsorship of the DNA SHRED STIX STAR YAMAHA RACING TEAM where it competes on a world-class level in Supercross and Motocross, reaching millions of fans. DNA Energy Drink(R) can also be found in other action sports such as Surfing, BMX, Wakeboarding and Skateboarding and its athletes are recognized stars in their own right.

For more information about DNA Energy Drink, its athletes and sponsorships, please visit www.dnabrandsusa.com

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements

To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, future collaboration agreements, the success of the Company's development, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.

Suzanne Holbrook

Contact:
Darren M. Marks
President
DNA Brands, Inc.
506 NW 77th St
Boca Raton, FL 33487
(954) 970 3826