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| photography by Elizabeth Lavin |
If two heads are better than one, several hundred heads can accomplish anything. That’s the theory behind CEO IQ, a Dallas-based resource center for C-suite executives.
“We’re a field intelligence problem-solver for CEOs,” says founder Jet Parker, who knows all too well the growing pains associated with a company’s infancy. She started her own promotional direct marketing firm in 1986 and naturally hit troublespots along the way—earning start-up capital and finding affordable healthcare, to name a couple—the same problems, she realized, that all CEOs inevitably face in the starting phases of a company.
“We found that we lose between 43 and 50 percent of our companies within the first year and up to 80 percent within the first five years,” she says. “That’s when I realized there was a gap in the market.”
Now, Parker’s start-up fills that gap. When CEOs have a problem and need help finding a solution, they can call CEO IQ, where the staff profiles the problem and finds someone from their pool of 48 advisors—known as talent trust members—and certified service providers to help. These advisors and providers—all active CEOs—must go through a stringent screening process to be sure the guidance they offer is based on proven practices.
“You treat us like a hotline,” Parker explains. “You can have one phone number on your dial for everything and know that when you call us, we’re not going to send you our buddy because they want your business. We’re going to send you what we know is the best match for your problem.”
In addition to the business matchmaking service, members receive a subscription to an educational newspaper written by CEOs, discount travel and medical programs, digital marketing tools, as well as an rCard (see sidebar) and a discounted rate on further orders of the card. With membership costing just $250 a year, Parker’s program will boost your business IQ—and make you look pretty smart, too.
 | CREATED BY: California inventor Bud Wilcox in 2004 |
| WHAT IT IS: A customizable, electronic business card with up to 1 GB of storage and a full-color, high-resolution, 1.5”x1.5”-screen capable of displaying video, slideshows, images, or text. Features a USB port for easy data uploading and battery recharging. At least two hours of continuous battery life. | |
| SIZE: 3.6” wide x 2.04” high x 3.7 mm thick. (The size of several credit cards stacked together.) | |
The rCard | COST: Starts at $32.50 per unit with a minimum order of 50,000 units. (CEO IQ members receive a discounted rate.) |
