Most of us can see the "X" and "Y" but few can see the "Z" or in between space. Read between the lines. Connect the dots. Build an intuitive understanding of a market, demographic, technology or opportunity. Get the light bulbs of others to pop-on by sparking ideas.

Trying to always see the z-space has been at the heart of my strategic strength and makes up for all of those places where I am weak — something we all struggle with most likely. Though I'm still not sure why, I often sense a trend well before I embark on any sort of analysis. That analysis then allows me to see if what I'm "smelling" is real or not.

Since 2005 I've been the CEO of Marketing Directions, Inc., a trend forecasting, consulting and publishing firm in Minnesota now in California. Prior to that I was Vice President, Strategic Alliances at Lawson Software (acquired by Infor) in St. Paul where I was responsible for all partnerships at this vendor of enterprise resource planning software products and services.

I've spent my career in high technology beginning at the dawn of the personal computer business, extending in to the multimedia and interactive media spaces and culminating in the acceleration of digital communications in the internet arena with firms as diverse as Pioneer New Media, Panasonic Communications & Systems Company, Apple and Vignette (now part of Open Text).

Seeing the connections between technological and social trends, my strength in strategy, ideation and communication was, and is, the catalyst for all that I do today.

~Steve Borsch