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Dr. Roger Firestien’s Newsletter: Innovation Espresso®
One free guide each month. Better ideas for profit guaranteed.
The Latest
Jousting with Ghosts
At least once a month, I have a two-hour Zoom call with my colleague and friend, Dr. Laree Kiely. We call it our “church.” Laree is in Northern California. I’m in Buffalo, NY. Laree and I met more than 30 years ago when we were both teaching at a leadership conference...
Pull Up the Window Shades — You’re Seven Miles High
View of the Rocky Mountains from the Sky Deck at Sunset.If you’ve flown recently, you may have noticed something curious: more and more passengers keep the window shades down—sometimes for the entire flight. That happened to me on a recent trip from Buffalo to Denver....
Where Do You Flow?
When was the last time you completely lost track of time?
How Staying Curious After 70 Unlocks Innovation Most Companies Miss
I turned 70 on Thanksgiving Day last year. I did all the things you’re supposed to do at this age:☑ Had my annual physical☑ Saw my cardiologist☑ Met with my financial planner☑ Checked in with my estate attorney to make sure my will and trust were in order☑ And I...
Straight from the Heart
A year ago, I realized I’d stopped writing what truly mattered. My words were polished, but hollow — built for the algorithm, not the reader. Here’s the story of how I rediscovered my creative voice.
The Daily Habit That Sharpens the Creative Thinking Your Team Needs
Discover how creating a simple morning ritual can transform your day. From the Skydeck in Colorado to a quiet pond in Buffalo, Roger Firestien shares how intentional practices boost clarity, creativity, and focus.
Walking with the Soul of My Family’s Land
Photo credit: Judith FirestienSince January, I’ve been splitting my time between my home in Buffalo, New York, and our family farm near Greeley, Colorado. Not long ago, I wandered out onto the 130 acres that my father once farmed, owned, and ultimately sold—land that...
Echoes after the Encore
Bobby Lebel is a world-class musician. He began playing guitar at the age of nine and has never stopped. In 1998, he was inducted into the Buffalo, New York Music Hall of Fame, the same year Buffalo native Harold Arlen, composer of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, “It’s...
Scraps of Steel, Sparks of Genius: Why Every Kid Needs a Junk Pile
Old junk can ignite young minds. Discover why giving kids space to tinker with scraps fuels innovation, problem-solving, and lifelong creative skills.
What Family History Teaches Us About Passing Down a Problem-Solving Mindset
Roger Firestien shares a moving reflection on memory, family, and the hidden symbolism of a simple doorknob in his ancestral farmhouse—revealing unexpected lessons in creativity, transitions, and life’s turning points.
Why AI Can’t Fall in Love—And Why It Matters for Creativity
AI may enhance creativity, but can it truly understand, imagine, or feel? Dr. Roger Firestien explores why AI isn’t intelligent in the human sense—and why that matters for innovation.
Living in a 100-Year-Old Farmhouse Taught Me the One Thing About Innovation Textbooks Miss
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live in the house where your father was born? Or to walk through the barns where your family raised cattle and sheep? Or to venture into the machine shed, smell the familiar scent of dust and oil, and remember what it...
How to Get Your Team Out of a Creative Slump and Back to Generating Revenue
Embrace the pause, trust that the creative renewal is happening beneath the surface, and know that your new beginning is on the horizon
Got a Creative Slump? It may not be what you think it is.
Last month I found myself in a creative slump. I released my latest book Solve The REAL Problem almost a year ago and I delivered several very productive Breakthrough Labs earlier this year. My priority now was marketing the book and the labs. Honestly, I didn’t find...
What is Divergent Thinking?
Divergent thinking is a way of thinking used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Learn more about divergent thinking and how it applies to the creative process.