847-778-9118 info@squareplanet.com

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM CREATES CONVENTIONAL RESULTS

Let’s face it, business communications is broken. We’ve been lulled into accepting the blatantly bland for so long that we can barely imagine another way.

But try. Try imagining a presentation that changes everything.

We’re going to carpet bomb the tepid-typical in favor of the distinctly-different. Forget compliant. Ditch the predictable. Obliterate the obligatory.

SquarePlanet helps you keep your audience locked in.

Whether it’s a sales presentation, a virtual keynote or a quarterly update to your board, to make the dent you desire, you’ve got to keep your audience’s attention.

Lose them and you won’t make the sale.
Your speech won’t be remembered.
The latest internal initiative won’t catch on.
Your investor pitch is a failure.

We’re like the Michael Jordan of business communications, but without the bald head, natural athleticism and billion dollar Nike contract.

Makes sense really, because we stand for ‘ELEVATING PEOPLE’. Everything we do is to help you fly above the rim, metaphorically of course.

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SERVICES

PRESENTATIONS

Presentations take many forms, yet each of them must authentically represent you, the presenter. Using smart, proven methods to capture your audience’s attention is what separates the best presenters from the masses. Not glitz or gimmicks.

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TRAINING

That which is nurtured, grows. For human beings, give us a few essential staples and we’ll sprout up like, well, a sprout. But keep those staples away, we’ll quickly wither into a dried, lifeless stump.

If you’re not into withering, consider our training programs designed to nurture you, fueling your personal and professional growth.

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OUR BELIEFS

We’d get this stuff tattooed on our faces if our Moms would let us.

ELEVATE PEOPLE

Everything we do is centered around the notion of elevating people. It’s the singular core belief that propels every action we take. Tools, resources, knowledge, experience, confidence; the things we provide our clients on every project, are focused on elevating people.

We choose love over hate.
Action over silence.
Acceptance over intolerance.

And our desire is to serve and help every person we interact with. Yes, that includes our clients, but it’s far bigger than that. From our vendors and partners to our postal carrier and the clerk behind the deli counter, we elevate people, all people, every day, not just from 9 to 5.

Make Waves.

How we do the work on behalf of our clients isn’t a mystery. In fact, it’s obvious and known that everything we do, no matter the project, no matter the client, is about eliminating the boring, the unconventional, the typical, the status quo.

Instead we focus our creative brilliance on developing an alternative approach, one that people will remember and act on. For us desert dwellers, that’s how we make waves.

Why Join the Navy When You Can Be A Pirate?

When Steve Jobs set out to build what is now known as the original Mac computer, he hand picked a group of Apple employees for the project. These were the rabble rousers, the tinkerers, the misfits.

Jobs knew the job of re-thinking everything a computer was wasn’t for those that readily follow the rules.

At SquarePlanet, we have no issue with those interested in a more traditional, military type of precision; it’s just not our style. It’s an attitude, and while we’re the definition of professional, we’re also comfortable being contrarians. We’re pirates!

Arggh, shiver me timbers, but we’re not into the whole robbing, burning, hostage-taking, Johnny Depp, kind of pirateering. Sorry, to disappoint you, no peg-legs, eye patches or parrots for us. #beentheredonethat

Make Huge Mistakes Not Little Ones. Make Huge Mistakes Not Little Ones.

Have you ever received an email where the sender spelled your name wrong? Yep, drives us crazy too. Sure, we’re all human, mistakes will happen, but consistently nailing the little details deeply matters to us.

Call it a commitment to excellence, to doing what we say we’re going to do, or just actually caring. We call it good business.

Oh, and we’re not excited about huge mistakes either, just so you know!

Embrace the Backwards Clock.

Navy Admiral Grace Hopper famously had backwards clocks in her office. She wanted them there, not because it was easier to tell time, but because the clocks served a greater, idealistic purpose.

Admiral Hopper wanted everyone who entered her office to know that the most dangerous phrase in the English language is “That’s What We Always Do”. She wanted people to keep an open, flexible mind which encourages the best ideas and thoughts to flourish.

We couldn’t agree more.

Make People Feel Special Because They Are

We believe everyone matters. We don’t care about ….

Play-Doh Isn’t Just a Kids Toy

Greek philosopher Plato once stated, “Those Who Tell the Stories Rule Society”, and by all accounts, we think he’s right.

From salespeople to politicians to civic leaders to entrepreneurs and CEOs, we’re surrounded by evidence that confirms the art of storytelling is big. Big indeed.

See, we told you, Plato isn’t just a kids toy.

Jaw Dropping is Good

On a clear night, after the sun has long since set, in a very remote destination, far from any city or light pollution…look up

Love ‘em While They’re Down

Transitions are tough. Whether it’s moving to a new home, switching schools or even navigating unusual routes to the office, doing something new has inherent challenges.

We’ve seen lots of people in our little orange-colored world transition, almost always it’s related to a job search. Whether by design or completely unexpected, looking for a new job is one of the loneliest, most difficult things a person can do.

So, if you are in that throes of transition, know your friends at SquarePlanet gotcha covered.

When you need adult company to ensure you fire off those letters or re-think your LinkedIn profile, come by our office. We’ll find you a space to work, give you the fastest and freest wi-fi and all the K-cup coffee you can drink.

We’re confident you’d do that for us, so it’s our pleasure to do that for you.

Give Your Time, Not Just Your Money

From hurricanes to hunger, supporting causes of all kinds is one of the best things humans do. And SquarePlanet has always been, and will always be, quick to jump in.

It’s clearly necessary to support your favorite causes with cold hard cash. But, typical to how we roll, we go one step further.

We’ve moved dozens of frozen turkeys, we’ve sorted warehouses of toys, collected winter coats, and quite literally given the coat off our back. At SquarePlanet, we are committed to giving our time and effort, not just a cash contribution.

Don’t Be a Buffalo. Look Up!

Long before it was designated as such, Montana’s Buffalo Jump State Park, was a very important place for members of the Lakota tribe, a group of native people who once called this vast area home.

The most prominent feature of the state park is a rocky outcropping that creates a natural cliff. At the bottom of the cliff, buried over time, archaeologists found tons of buffalo bones. And by tons, think tons as a unit of measure, not a colloquialism.

After much scientific investigation, it became clear the Lakota used the cliff as a hunting ground, forcing the buffalo over the cliff to their ultimate demise.

The Lakota knew about herd mentality; they knew with the proper inputs, they could drive thousands of buffalo over the cliff. Of course, all the buffalo needed to do was break from the pack, look up at the horizon, recognize the problem and change course.

In a world where conventional wisdom reigns, we implore you to not be a buffalo. Look up, it just might save you from a cliff.

Bang The Gong, Sing Your Song.

As a presentation company, getting people to stretch and grow beyond their current skill-set is a daily part of what we do. At SquarePlanet, we believe you need to take regular doses of your own medicine.

When we ‘gather the troops’ for internal meetings, we take a heaping spoonful of that elixir.

Punctuated by striking an instrument quality gong at the end, a member of the SquarePlanet team summons all by creating, then reciting a brief address. It can be a poem, a haiku, really, just about anything that resembles a rhetorical device.

We’ve always understood that standing in front of your peers isn’t easy, even if it’s in the middle of a known environment, surrounded by trusted colleagues. This is our little way of saying, we won’t ask you to do something we’re not willing to do ourselves.

HIRE BRIAN

Brian Burkhart believes in ‘Making Waves’. Of course, living in Phoenix, AZ means those waves aren’t of the aquatic variety. He operates multiple businesses as either a founder, CEO, or partner, and takes an active role in building those brands. One of those companies – SquarePlanet – was named an Inc. 5000 company in 2018.

HIRE BRIAN

We’ve helped COURAGEOUS companies

“ELEVATE PEOPLE“

Three days before a conference with hundreds of potential customers as attendees, two senior Google leaders came to SqP for help. Doing a presentation with impact is hard for one person, it’s even harder when it’s a duo. Using our methods and creative, the two leaders crushed it and new, desired opportunities flowed their way.

Cloud computing is highly complex, cutting edge tech that can be bewildering to decipher. And that’s for those within the industry! Creating clarity through purposeful narratives, parallel storytelling and insanely gorgeous design, SqP continues to help AWS present complex material in ways audiences actually understand.

You possess a brand over a century in the making, utilized by some of the wealthiest people on the planet. So what’s the problem? For Northern Trust, over a 4-city road show, with the biggest competitors in the room, it’s being seen as modern, tech-savvy and human. SqP to the rescue with a spectacular story and design made for today.

We’ve prepped 10 separate teams for the bloody waters of TV’s “Shark Tank”. From nailing the perfect pitch to secure the deal to thinking through the creative elements on-set, SqP knows what it takes to keep audiences engaged. Clearly this includes audiences watching at home too.

 

A global pandemic is in full swing, you pivot to all virtual, and sales people across the country need to be informed, recognized and motivated. Faced with this exact scenario, Medela, the world leader in human milk and wound therapy, turned to SqP to help. From pre-produced video elements to an award show that truly wowed, don’t allow virtual to equal boring. 

SquarePlanet founder Brian Burkhart spent six years on-faculty at Northwestern’s esteemed Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. During his time, Brian regularly worked with some of the smartest people on the planet, creating the products and services of tomorrow. His job was to help them explain those ideas in a way us mere mortals could actually understand.

What do you get when you combine a this-is-how-I-always-do-it, retired physician turned chief medical officer and SqP? In this case, a friendship. Change is hard for everyone, but kudos to our pal Dr. Conn at Stryker who understood that to get new results, he needed to communicate differently. Dr. Conn’s willingness and our unique skill set combined with tremendous success.

The entire C-suite, including the CEO, and all the brand managers, from one of the top spirit companies in the world, all needed to present at their most important customer event of the year. To nail this high-impact opportunity, Jim Beam relied on the experts at SqP. We even had the opportunity to help Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson. #insanelycool

How do you generate amazing ideas that lead to breakthrough innovations? By having your internal associates pitch ideas to senior management, of course! That’s exactly what United Airlines did and for four years running, SqP was there to help the United associates present to the big bosses with power and poise. Our idea? Free pizza…still think we should have won.

Two of your largest annual global recognition events need to look and feel like ‘The Oscars’, but your timeline and budget aren’t even close. Based on our ‘SquarePlanet Six’ framework, SqP designed a gorgeous set, built in hotel ballrooms over two days, that stunned audiences and provided incredible flexibility for a golden arch, Oscar-worthy, show.

How do you teach highly experienced sales people (old dogs) to implement a variety of unconventional tactics (new tricks)? By building rapport, establishing trust and demonstrating expertise, over a long period of time. Retained by the St. Paul, MN firm, SqP built a custom, monthly, program to dive deep into their world, providing tangible solutions and skills.

Can you guess the name of the firm that partners with the Red Bull North American Marketing Team for ongoing presentation training and support?  SquarePlanet of course!  This fantastic partnership usually takes the form of full day workshops for 10-15 members of the Red Bull team.  Members come from all over the country in both geography and role.  Needless to say, no one ever falls asleep during these sessions.  EVER.

Ever had to present a year-long strategic plan to create millions in revenue for a recent acquisition by one of the biggest brands in the world? Us either, but we certainly helped! Coca-Cola owns Zico, and the brand manager had a tight timeline in a true pressure-cooker environment. We helped her create deep engagement around the material, not an easy task when you’re presenting strategic plans.

It’s been said you should never disclose your favorite client, so we won’t state that about K+C here. Other places sure, but not here. Over the years we’ve played muse to the group CEO, strategic advisor to the founder, creative director to the sales team and meeting producers to the marketing team. Dedicated to never follow the herd, our friends at Kin + Carta are pioneers and we’re excited to always be by their side.

Need to reveal a new semi truck to a global audience? No problem. The SqP team simply built an 80’ LED wall that split in half on command allowing a 20,000lb hydrogen-powered semi truck to roll through. Oh, and a Grammy nominated band needs to play, the Budwesier clydesdales need to gallop by, a military drone vehicle needs to safely move across the room, etc. No big deal, just another day at the office for us.

Retained by the Office of the President, SqP was hired to help ASU win a cool million dollars of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s money. Working with a number of local teams, ASU competed in the Schmidt Ventures competition designed to transform the life of 10,000 people in a single community within one year. Our guys walked away with a half mil….second place ain’t too shabby.

How do you rethink and re-train a veritable army of sales people scattered across the landscape? You ask SqP to help! Working in close collaboration with the senior national sales leader, we led an assault on an old, outdated, boring sales approach. New story, new tools and new delivery skills, ultimately leading to $4billion in year over year revenue increase. Yes, B as in billion.

Budding entrepreneurs at this small but mighty institution got direct access to a variety of mentors, industry experts and highly experienced faculty members. Culminating in a pitch competition with real money on the line, the team from IIT turned to the presentation experts at SqP to help each student-led business.

Podcast

SQUARE STORIES

Where noise is made and stories are told. Each episode features a special guest who shares their perspective on what it means to refuse to play it safe in business. #MakingWaves

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AUTHOR OF AMAZON

#1 BEST-SELLER BOOK

Brian’s first book, Stand for Something: The Power of Building A Brand People Authentically Love, is an Amazon #1 best-seller in several business categories and you can regularly catch him as the host of the SquareStories podcast, a bi-monthly expose of the most fascinating people in business today.

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