On The Book.

A wholly owned subsidiary of On The Ball, A smart way to communicate a message using customized books.

How It Works

Cilea.

On the Ball took a taste of our own medicine by launching a health and beauty company in 2009, called PureSuasion. Our first product is an eyelash growth stimulator in the same category as Latisse. The Agency named the company and the product, and created an entire marketing plan, including logos, packaging, web site, distribution and PR.

Website: Cilealash.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+

Polaroid Fotobar.

The newest and most innovative retail concept, by serial entrepreneur Warren Struhl, where digital photos come to life by turning them into physical art. We provided strategic development and partnerships resulting in equity partnership.

Squelch.

A new product entry that eliminates smells at the source with its odor-break technology. We did a complete re-branding with new name, logo, design, social media, and strategic sales development resulting in equity partnership.

Second Opinions.

A B to C idea born out of the relationship with B to B company USA RAD, a leader in the tele-medicine space. We provided new logo, social media, and strategic development in the marketplace, resulting in equity partnership.

Counter Act.

A new product started by a career businesswoman with the opportunity to seize the marketplace. We did naming, logo, design, website design, manufacturing and sourcing, social media, video, and strategic sales development resulting in equity partnership.

Sheets Brand.

From concept development to implementation resulting in equity partnership

Sheets® are paper-thin, individually wrapped pocket-sized strips. No cans. No bottles. Simply place on tongue and your problem dissolves. How? Sheets® are packed with nutrients/vitamins and other active ingredients that, when placed on tongue, will begin to dissolve allowing for easy digestion.

This is the result

My Owners Box.

We provided an end-to-end solution including naming, logo, design, website design, manufacturing and sourcing, and sales for a retired entrepreneur who wanted to gain access to the Home Goods market, resulting in equity partnership.

On the Ball cheers on the Marlins.

Work Hard. Play Hard. That was the motto OTB Thinkers chanted Wednesday as they made their way to the Marlins verses Mets game. While businessmen and women were cozy in their cubicles, we were sipping ice-cold beers and watching the Marlins hit it out of the park. Jealous? You should be! Working at On the Ball is a really amazing experience, just check out our photos to find out. Not only did we capture the moment through photos, the entire team was on television numerous times.Who says you only get 15 seconds of fame? Overall, On the Ball created a fun memory that will never be forgotten.

Steve Nudelberg provides sales training for BankUnited leaders.

It was a morning of motivation.

Growco New Orleans: Michelle and Sir Richard Branson.

If you’ve never been to an Inc Magazine event, it’s a must attend. Growco, specifically, is a great way to grow your business by networking and by executing the plethora of knowledge given by an entrepreneurial, expert panel. This years panel, held in New Orleans, included the likes of John Mackey- Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Whole Foods, Johnny Earle-Founder/Head Chef of the quirky, not-a-bakery Johnny Cupcakes stores, Alexa Von Tobel-Founder/CEO of Learnvest.com, Norm Brodsky-Founder Citistorage, Baratunde Thurston-Author on “How To Be Black”, along with many others.

However, the most significant speaker and “THE” Entrepreneur to see was Richard Branson. As he did an interview-style session with Eric Shurenberg Editor-In-Chief Inc., we were enthralled, intrigued, and motivated by his words of wisdom on his beginnings, his failures, his philosophy of his own businesses, and giving back. Sir Richard shared that you do not have to have any money to start a business, the biggest asset of any business is the people, and his philosophy is to have FUN!!!!!!  The most anticipated part was the Q & A and the thought of being able to have a conversation with the coolest guy on the planet. Well, I wanted more than a conversation, I wanted a photo. I was the second person chosen to ask a question and when my turn came, I confidently spoke believing I would get my wish. I kept thinking of one of Sir Richard’s sayings, “Screw it, Just do it” (which I am glad I did and didn’t listen to staff that said I probably wouldn’t get what I was going to ask for, I mean who knows when I would have another opportunity and it was staring me in the face) and I proceeded to ask my question; “Hi, my name is Michelle Esposito and I live in South Florida. My best friend does the PR for the British Virgin Islands. She has met you several times and has a photo with you. My  question is ‘Can I get MY photo with you?’” To my avail, he smiled and waved me forward so I went running and smiling, while everyone watched in amazement. As I stepped on stage, we posed for the camera and the next thing I knew I was surprisingly in Richard Branson’s arms. According to Steve Nudelberg, he had picked me up and posed for the room like I was the prize!

Good thing I listened to my gut and followed my passion,which are two of the most important characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.

On the Ball presses onto Wordcamp Miami.

On the Ball presses onto Wordcamp Miami

Upon graduating from college, I assumed my days of tests, all-nighters, and classes were over. While I don’t miss those late night cram sessions and red ink scribbled across my papers, I did miss being a student. As a student, my sole responsibility was simply to learn.

This past Saturday the On the Ball thinkers, Jonathan Brownfield, Michelle Esposito and myself had the opportunity to be students again. I was pretty excited. Yes, call me a nerd, but there is something exciting about sitting in a lecture hall after graduating.

WordCamp is the opportunity to learn more about the blogging and website platform, WordPress. The conference was April 5-7 in Miami, Florida. An attendee can choose between three tracks, a users/bloggers track, designers and developers. Michelle and I resided nicely in the users track, since it was more of an introductory level. We attempted a developer class that left us extremely confused yet filled with admiration for those who understand code.

If you are new to WordPress and would like to begin blogging or website design, the On the Ball team can provide three themes during the conference. Overall, what better way to share our knowledge than through WordPress itself?

WordPress.com verses WordPress.org:

This was a common theme at the conference. How do you know which site is best for you? WordPress.com is perfect for someone looking to simply blog. The .com version does limit additional services. These services are called PlugIns. PlugIns change and enhance the functionality of your site. On the other hand, WordPress.org allows for plugins and more versatility. If you are interested in creating a website or a more active blog, the .org version may be better for you.

Viewing your website your mobile phone:

Before picking a theme for your WordPress site, we suggest choosing a theme that is responsive. This means that the theme can scale to any screen you are viewing, whether it is mobile, an Ipad or computer. This characteristic is often mentioned in the description of the theme.

Where to start:

In the famous words of Nike, Just Do It. In order to learn, you must first try. The WordPress site contains support articles and forums for further aid. Benjamin Franklin said it best, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

Happy Birthday Twitter.

On the Ball would like to wish Twitter a Happy Birthday. We want to thank you for the service and cannot wait to see what the future holds. (If you’re wondering, this is exactly 140 characters.)
As Twitter blows out the candles for their 7th birthday, On the Ball gazes at the growing company much like a parent would a child.

How fast they really do grow up. Starting out small with a lot of hiccups and expanding into a child with many friends – 200 million to be exact.

It all began with the first tweet by founder Jack Dorsey, “just setting up my twttr.” 400 million tweets later, the company continues to grow and truly change the way we communicate.

With only 140 characters allotted, tweeters are subjected to keeping their message clear and concise. Not to mention, the ability to keep everyone abreast of events at a split-second notice. In fact, many are learning of major news stories minutes before they hit newsrooms: The New York plane crash, landing in the Hudson River was tweeted 15 minutes prior to hitting the airwaves. China’s devastating earthquake was mentioned on the site one hour before CNN reported its wake of destruction. Even Michael Jackson’s death went viral via Twitter, trumping mainstream media.

The inception of Twitter allows news to travel faster than the speed of sound, instantly creating messages and delivering to the masses. Everyone from the President to the Pope has an active account with Justin Bieber winning the popularity contest at 36,344,549 followers. Sorry Mr.President…Justin, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna got you beat.

Twitter has become a real part of the family within On the Ball, providing our clients the opportunity to reach thousands of people with a simple tweet. Their brand would not grow without this vital forum.
And with that said, we would like to wish Twitter a Happy Birthday and we look forward to another 7 years. Who knows what will be in store at age 14.

How to get the most out of networking.

As On the Ball prepares for Eat. Drink. Think, our networking event occurring the last Tuesday of the month, we highlight the importance of these events and how to do it right. While it is nice to socialize with friends, grab a few hors d’oeuvres, and a drink, networking is about stepping out of your comfort zone and talking to those you do not know.

Steve Nudelberg, founder of On the Ball, can also be crowned the king of networking. He suggests looking around the room, picking three people and approach them with a smile, stating that you want to personally introduce yourself. At the end of the day (or should we say networking event), it’s all about quality over quantity. Having meaningful conversation with three people trumps swiftly handing out your business cards to the entire room.

Networking can open many doors for both business and personal opportunity if it is done right. Therefore, we provide five rules for a successful event:

1. Always say ‘yes.’ Network as often as possible; start out with one event a week and continue to add more events each week.

2. Resist the urge to arrive late. Yes, we know traffic is bad at 5pm so leave work a little early.

3. Start with a compliment; this is a great way to break the ice.

4. Win business for your contact. Zig Ziglar once said, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

5. Follow Up. This is the best way to stay in touch for all future communication.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Eat.Drink.Think event occurring at the O Lounge the last Tuesday of the month. For more information on this event visit the On the Ball website at www.otbthink.com. Happy networking!

David Lucoff preparing for the 2014 PGA Championship.

It is with great sadness to announce the one-year leave of our managing partner, David Lucoff. Lucoff aspires to compete in the 2014 PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. The tournament, starting August 4-10, 2014, will provide ample time for him to train and compete against the world’s greatest golfers including Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play in the PGA Championship,” said Lucoff sheepishly. “Sometimes you have to shut one door and open another.”

Dressed in a pastel, Peter Millar shirt and shiny FootJoys, Lucoff is prepared for a challenging and exciting journey ahead. He is already planning a rigorous training schedule to enhance all aspects of his game.

Lucoff has been playing golf ever since he could remember; swinging clubs in the house at the young age of three. From bogeys to birdies, Lucoff established himself as a reputable player in South Florida.

The On the Ball team could not be more proud of our future golf champion. He will surely be missed. We look forward to his arrival back at the office with the Wanamaker Trophy in hand.

On the Ball attends one of the largest social media conferences, SXSW.

Whether you call it South By South West, South By, or #SXSW…the town of Austin, TX turned into a Spring Break for the tech savvy during the Interactive session March 8-12. Amongst the crowd were Zack Stein and Jonathan Brownfield, two of the Thinkers from On The Ball. Overwhelmed with new technology, mobile startups, and insight from the leaders in the digital world, these were the topic of conversations taken place at hotels, food trucks, and yes, the wild parties!

Here are some take aways

Engage your fans…your REAL fans.

New technology feeds innovation

This is the year of the hardware…3D Printing trends coming alive

Brands are coming to you and Social is now the trusted source

On the Ball tweeters flock to Social Media Week.

As Social Media Week unfolds in our very backyard, On the Ball is more than excited to be apart of the digital action. In an age of online information sharing, we would like to provide a quick cliff notes version of todays forum, “Creating Compelling Content for Social Media.”

The panel discussed ways to create an engaging page. The word ‘engaging’ is key. In this panel, the participants emphasized activity is the most important factor. It is better to have a 200-person following with an active page, than a 20,000-person following with a nonactive page. Therefore, the question of the day: how do you create an active page? For a detailed account of the participants and their insight visit: http://new.livestream.com/smwmiami/events/1891351

On the Ball summarized their knowledge in just 5 points:

1. Be consistent, post on a regular basis. However, be prepared for spontaneity!
2. Know your brand and what your audience is looking for.
3. Text is boring. Always include images and pictures within your posts.
4. Surprise/Delight the customer (mention your brand loyal followers)
5. Diversity, post a variety of content to keep the conversation interesting.

Love is in the air: Find out the Most Romantic States in the U.S.

Valentines Day, a mixed emotion holiday, leaving some with flowers and chocolates and others ordering-in chinese. Whether you’re feeling the love or not, you can’t avoid the Valentine’s celebration especially in a world of social media.

In fact, IQ Agency and social media analysis firm Crimson Hexagon examined 2.1 million conversation threads on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other online forums in the first two weeks of February to identify the most romantic states in the U.S.

Their original findings suggest that many of us are not keen on the holiday. 40% of posts contained a negative response to the concept of Valentines Day. Another 23% were indifferent.

So where are those birds-of-a-feather romantic couples? The number one romantic state, California. Trailing close behind is Wyoming, and coming in third, Texas.

For all those cynics out there, the least romantic states are Kentucky, Rhode Island and North Dakota. Interested in the details of each state? Read the State of the Love report at http://mashable.com/2013/02/14/romantic-states-social-media/

Florida may not have come in the top three, but our Director of Account Services, Kassie, may have experienced the #1 romantic gesture. The morning of Valentines day, her husband set forth from West Palm Beach to our offices at On the Ball (Plantation, Florida). This may not sound very romantic, but this poor guy did not have access to a car. Through train, bus, walking and another bus and more walking he managed to carry a boutique of flowers and donuts through a 50 mile journey. He arrived safely to the office, with story equivalent to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Whether you had a romantic evening, or an evening like any other, On the Ball wishes you a Happy Friday and wonderful weekend!

Morgan, the most romantic man in the world, stands next to the most interesting.

LinkedIn Reveals Most Viewed Members.

Last month LinkedIn hit an exciting milestone of 200 million members. To honor that achievement, they wanted to provide a personal email to those who made the achievement happen. According to the LinkedIn blog, “We’re sending personal emails to many who have been instrumental in helping us reach this milestone to recognize their part in our journey.”

Five of the On the Ball thinkers were recognized as being the most viewed profiles on the social media site. Owner and principle thinker, Steve Nudelberg received the top 1% of views within LinkedIn. Michelle Esposito, Director Business Development, Andrea Simon, Creative Director, and David Lucoff, Managing Partner received the top 5% view. Jonathan Brownfield, our Director of Everything Digital received the top 10% viewed.

While we celebrate the achievements of the On the Ball thinkers, we also applaud LinkedIn for such a genius marketing effort. Since revealing the most viewed profiles, LinkedIn shares are soaring. Buzz throughout all social media forums are spreading. Those receiving the email for being the top 1% or 5% are tweeting or sharing the information thus generated even more noise.

Congratulations to both LinkedIn and the On the Ball team for reaching new achievements!

The Super Bowl Equation.

Super bowl weekend. The most iconic American tradition. Sitting on a comfy couch, wing sauce smothered across your face, watching muscular men go to battle — oh and the commercials. How can I forget the commercials.

It is one of the few times Americans actually look forward to watching commercials. Due to their uniqueness, humor or special ingredient we tend to stay on the couch to watch. Unless of course, your beer is empty.

Because of the number of eyeballs watching, companies spend billions of dollars to advertise. In fact, Kantar Media determined that we spent approximately $1.85 billion on advertising for the past ten super bowls. The top five advertisers spent $683 million, with Anheuser-Busch In Bev being the largest contributor.

With that kind of money, I cannot imagine the pressure advertising executives are under. Being able to create a salient message in the matter of 30 seconds amongst the constant media clutter.  Therefore, I would like take the time to highlight what CNBC considers the best Super Bowl Ads of All-Time. Enjoy!

“Bud, Wise, Err” Budweiser

“1984″ Apple

“Meet Joe Greene” Coca-Cola

The Best Advice I Ever Got – From Katie Couric, Barbara Walters and Steven Spielberg.

I am always looking for advice. Not the – bring a jacket, it might be cold advice, but something substantial. Something that helps you grow as a person. So I started reading a book by Katie Couric called, The Best Advice I Ever Got. Within the book contains stories from Madeline Albright, Maya Angelou, Morgan Freeman, Drew Brees, Barbara Walters and much much more.  It was if these leaders individually told me bedtime stories each night, allowing me to dream big.

I start to dream and wonder, what makes a leader? How does someone rise above the mediocrity? I ask these question as I head to the Gold Coast Magazine 40 Under 40 ceremony. In fact, our very own On the Ball thinker, Jonathan Brownfield, Director of Everything Digital is one of the nominees! Here are 40 talented, smart and ambitious individuals within South Florida. What attributes cause them to succeed?

I thought I would share some of the most salient and valuable stories within the book by Katie Couric, in hopes it can help you through a difficult time, motivate or simply entertain. Think of it like the Cliffnotes we all read in high school, instead of the 1400-page War and Peace novel.

Stand Out

Katie Couric: “When it comes to going for a job, a promotion, or just about anything in life, I’m pretty convinced that the meek will not inherit the Earth.” You need to stand out from the pack.

Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy

Bill Cosby: When Cosby was given the opportunity to perform at San Francisco’s hottest comedy club, he completed bombed it. “I was not funny and I had no business performing,” he would think to himself. The second show he decided to change his mindset. He knew he was better than that. “And then Bill Cosby – the Bill Cosby in me – came out.” The entire experience allowed him to realize not to be so hard on yourself, and not be your own worst enemy.

Pay Attention

Chelsea Handler: “As long as your paying attention you’ll grab inspiration from everything and create something that’s a little different and a little new.” Oh and she also suggests not to sleep with your boss.

Listen

Steven Spielberg: “When you listen, you learn. You absorb like a sponge – and your life becomes so much better than when you are trying to be listening to all the time.” (I have to work on this one.)

Follow Your Bliss

Barbara Walters: “Decide what you really would love to do. Start at any level. Get there first thing in the morning. Leave last at night. Fetch the coffee. You will succeed.”

Take Time to Know Yourself

Beyoncé Knowles: “Take at least twenty minutes everyday to be still and quiet. Think. Reflect. Choose something you learned that will make you a better person.”

It Doesn’t Matter Where You Start

Colin Powell: Colin graduated from City College of New York with a 2.0 average. Now he is four-star general and the United States Secretary of State. To him, “it doesn’t matter where you start in life but where you finish and, along the way, whether you do something that you love and enjoy doing.”

Be Grateful

Michael J. Fox: ”None of us is entitled to anything. We get what we get not because we want it, or we deserve it, or because it’s unfair if we don’t get it, but because we earn it, we respect it, and only if we share it do we keep it.”

Sometimes You Gotta Go Off Course

Matt Lauer: During his senior year Matt was given an opportunity to intern at a local television station. However, there was a big issue. Accepting the internship meant missing core classes to graduate. Faced with the decision to postpone graduation or continue school, Matt decided to take the road less traveled and accept the internship. “Every bone in my body told me to stay on campus,” he said. He saw the internship as a chance to learn things that textbooks could not teach. The internship resulted in a valuable experience. Opening doors to the television industry and where he is…Today.

Say Yes

Eric Schmidt (Executive Chairman of Google): “Find a way to say yes to things. Even if it’s a bit edgy, a bit out of your comfort zone, saying yes means that you will do something new, meet someone new, and make a difference.”

With that said, I will say yes to the jacket if it’s cold, and accept the advice given by those who rose above, and made a name for themselves. I would like to congratulate all the young men and women nominated for Gold Coast’s 40 under 40. Who knows maybe after this advice you could be next on the list…

Are You Addicted?.

I feel empty without it.

I feel lost.

How could I go an entire day?

This is part of my life, and today the separation anxiety begins.

We have all done it. Forgotten our cell phones at home, causing us to reach for our purses or pockets for another glance of emptiness. Not having a phone is lacking oxygen. Ok, that may be a little far fetched, but its pretty darn close.

As our On the Ball Thinkers, Steve, Michelle and Jonathan attend the largest technology convention, the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas this past week, I cannot help but realize the reliance we have toward technology. I awoke this morning to the alarm on my phone, drove to work, surfed the web, made phone calls, emailed, and watched TV, with the intent to do it all again tomorrow.

The Today Show decided to highlight this addiction by conducting a very risky experiment. They took away the technology of five teenagers for ten days. No texting, no computers, no IPods. What happened? Well for starters, they did survive. In fact, according to the teens, the experiment resulted in a positive experience. They completed their homework, acquired new hobbies and increased communication with their family. Instead of texting at the dinner table, they contributed to the conversation.

So what does this experiment say about our day-to-day activities? Am I suggesting going cold turkey?

Absolutely not.

Social media is a foundation of my job responsibility, communicating a brand and sharing knowledge. Technology is essential to our advancement, our happiness and yes, our sanity. Just browsing through the images and keynote speakers at CES, I am so excited to see the future and how these technologies can make our lives even better. (To get a sneak peak, visit http://www.cesweb.org/Home.aspx).

Therefore, I preach balance.  Knowing when to put the phone aside and when to have it handy. A Date? Leave it aside. Driving? Definitely leave it aside. It’s learning to turn off technology, and enjoying the moment. But also taking advantage of what technology can offer.  By balancing communication via phone and one-on-one communication, we can all become more well-rounded people.

Make Your Resolutions Stick.

As we enter the year 2013 resolutions are made, goals are set and the promise of a great year lies ahead. We have all experienced big moments in life when you close one door and open another. I am opening a door to a brand new job at On the Ball. I could not be more excited.

My first day I was already thrown into client meetings, pure thinking, story telling and the adoption of the OTB Think blog. Forget sitting back and signing papers on the first day, I was officially an On the Ball thinker. As I place my new thinking cap on, I would like to mold this blog as an opportunity to shed light on the company, share insight of the marketing world and whatever else may find its way into this virtual space.

On the Ball team was quite busy this holiday season! While I thought my holiday break of eggnog and sitting by the pool was exciting, On the Ball employees put me to shame. The stories began with our Social Media Manager Kassie eloping in Key West with her boyfriend from Africa.  Zack, our New Business Manager, snowboarding at an elevation of 12,500 feet!  Creative Director Andrea vacationing among the historical sites of Israel. Principal Thinker, Steve and Business Development Director, Michelle celebrating the holidays among friends and enjoying a stay at the Atlantic hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Golf is the main focus of our Managing Partner, David, and Jonathon, the Director of Everything Digital spending time with his family.

As we say goodbye to 2012 and the fun memories we created, On the Ball is looking forward to 2013. While you write goals for the New Year, On the Ball is doing the same. In fact, according to a study by Harvard University, students who wrote down their goals were earning ten times as much than those who had no specific goals at all. With the importance of goal setting and start of the new year, On the Ball would like to provide three simple tips for creating resolutions and sticking to them.

1. Create clear and concise goals: Whether it’s losing ten pounds or quitting smoking, it is important to write details of exactly how you are going to achieve your goals, and when you would like to achieve it.
2. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. By reading and saying your goals out loud everyday you’re training your brain to make it happen.
3. Old habits die hard. It takes time for one to become acclimated to something new.  Allow yourself time to ease into this new lifestyle change. Slip-ups do happen, just remind yourself to stay on track.

On behalf of On the Ball, we hope you achieve all the goals you pursue in 2013! Make sure to follow the OTB Think blog as we will continue to share all the fun we are having. As you embark on 2013, I would like to leave you with a quote by Tony Robbins, “setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”