October 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Love is...
My daughter brought the following “metaphor poem” home to show my wife and I what she’s been working on at school. I think it’s worth sharing. I hope you agree.
Love is…
Love is lava. You never know when it will erupt. Sometimes it burns. Sometimes it warms the heart. It can smile or it can make you upset.
Love is a candle. It gives you warmth and comfort. It...
11 tags
Steve Jobs: The Untold Legacy
With what is sure to be millions of posts about the death and legacy of Steve Jobs (1955-2011), I contemplated whether I should even write on the topic. But, when I awoke this morning, it was clear to me what I felt I should share.
In recent memory, there is no single individual I can think of who has impacted “our way of life” the way Jobs has. His innovation and leadership at Apple...
10 tags
Trying to Escape
I admit it, I am a “talent show junkie” - American Idol, America’s Got Talent, X-Factor, you name it.
Last week, I was watching X-Factor and caught the audition of 16-year-old Jazzlyn Little. While the audition was inspiring, there is still part of me that hurts for this young girl.
Here’s why.
When you watch the lead-in to her audition, you see a girl who is riddled...
September 2011
1 post
6 tags
"That's the problem. Y'all listen."
I was watching Brian Solis interview Marcel LeBrun of Salesforce Radian6 about the Future of Social Media Monitoring (h/t Michelle Chmielewski) when two particular comments sparked thoughts I feel are important enough to share.
LeBrun, referring to Proctor & Gamble’s withdrawal from soap opera sponsorship after 77 years stated the reason to be, “The audience has...
August 2011
4 posts
11 tags
@garyvee: 1,000 Ways To Succeed
I noticed this morning that Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) posted a link on Twitter to his first-ever Wine Library TV episode (Feb. 2006). Since he announced his “retirement” earlier this week, I decided to take a quick trip down Memory Lane.
I admit, I got a kick out of it. But, it also struck a chord with me. More on that in a minute.
To be honest, as soon as the video started to play,...
8 tags
The Trouble with [Job] Titles
Most people want a big title. It signifies their arrival on the business scene. It boosts their ego. It changes how others “see” them.
I was reminded through an experience yesterday, how much a title can actually be more of an obstacle than an asset.
And that is the problem.
The trouble with a title is that it immediately throws up boundaries and limitations. Instead of being fully...
7 tags
Are You Getting Bitter... or Better?
Most of us have heard the expression, “There’s no ‘I’ in team.”
In other words, if one person tries to focus all the attention on himself, it disrupts the chemistry of the ‘team.’ This self-centered approach often impedes success.
As in sports, the same holds true in business - and in life.
And, it’s not just about putting yourself first in a...
9 tags
The Pressure to be Average
Today was a bit of a ‘perfect storm’ in terms of finding inspiration for this post.
Today marks Day One of Jeff Pulver’s #140edu Conference in NYC - an event devoted to exploring the effects of the real-time web on education. The generally shared view among participants is that the real-time web should create profound changes in the way we think about what students and...
July 2011
6 posts
7 tags
Go 'BIG' or Go Home
If you’ve never heard of the organization To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA, for short), you should check them out. They do wonderful things to help people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.
The reason I mention TWLOHA is that the founders began a campaign this summer called Fears vs. Dreams in which they invited anyone/everyone to contribute to our story as a...
12 tags
The Most Offensive Word in the English Language
Think of the most offensive word in the English language. Did you get it?
Here’s are some clues:
It has 4 letters
It starts with a “C”
It ends with a “T”
Yep. You guessed it.
The most offensive word in the English language is… CAN’T!
That’s right. Can’t.
You see, the word “can’t” is an excuse. A cover-up for fear. A...
7 tags
Cut the Cord
I was enjoying lunch with a long-time friend yesterday, and through the course of our conversation, we began talking about the importance of “charging what you’re worth” and knowing when to cut the cord in (business) relationships for one simple reason: just because a client pays you, doesn’t make them a good client.
Hazel, aside from being the Queen of Networking, also...
8 tags
How to Touch a Soul in 10 Minutes or Less
I think we all have (at least) one; that one teacher who had a significant impact on our life. Mine was my 7th grade history teacher, Neville Austin.
I grew up loving history - something passed down from my Grampy Shelton. He was born in 1918 and was a walking History Channel special - he lived through the Great Depression, he witnessed the Hindenburg explosion, he saw Albert Einstein on his...
6 tags
Foursquare: Secret Klout Killer?
Maybe.
I logged into my Klout profile yesterday and noticed something shocking: my score had dropped 18 points, basically overnight; from 58 to 40.
At first, it looked like Klout may have been experiencing technical problems - aside from the drastic dip in my score, data wasn’t charting and my avatar was a cartoon caricature of what appeared to be Ebeneezer Scrooge, complete with feather...
14 tags
Hungry Like a Wolf... in Sheep's Clothing
Over the past few years, I’ve observed something happening pretty consistently - particularly among females - that is both fascinating and disheartening.
But, before I get to that, I want to be sure I clarify this post a little. It is NOT a rant against women; it is an observational piece that highlights a tendency I have witnessed, which happens to be particularly evident among females.
...
March 2011
1 post
11 tags
Linking Social Media Profiles - Good or Bad?
I noticed a growing trend in my feeds today - a lot of chatter about linking social profiles and a general loathing of the practice.
Scott Stratten (@unmarketing on Twitter) used a bit of humor to illustrate his disdain. No surprise there; Scott is the king of tongue-in-cheek humor. But, he’s also a pretty smart guy. I recommend following him if you don’t already.
For those new to...
January 2011
4 posts
8 tags
Two Words You Absolutely Can't Live Without
What are they?
“I’m sorry.”
Those two words are two that you can’t live without - in business or in life. Why? Because there is a 100% chance that you will blow it at some point in your life. You’ll hurt someone’s feelings, miss a deadline, break something you borrowed. 100% chance.
And, when those times come, you must be armed with a sincere,...
8 tags
Read This F***ing Blog Post
This weekend was the first time I actually felt old. Perhaps more accurately, I felt “old fashioned.”
My wife and I were music shopping on iTunes and noticed something; several songs in the Top 100 included “f**k” in the title.
F**king Perfect, by Pink
F**k You, by Cee Lo Green
Tonight (I’m F**kin’ You), by Enrique Iglesias
Really? Has the level of lyrical...
8 tags
Habits: The Keys to Success and Failure
We are all creatures of habit. It’s true.
Think back to your days in school. Even if you didn’t have assigned seats, you probably sat in the same seat every time you went to class. Beyond that, you probably had a tendency to always sit in the front, back, near the isle, etc.
Think about your typical day.
You probably wake up at close to the same time every day, have a certain order...
11 tags
BREAKING: Haiti Rebuilt, Record Economic Growth...
Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth.
Why then, do we hear nothing about the continuing plight in Haiti? The country is still a pile of rubble, cholera and other diseases are at epidemic levels, the people still live in extreme poverty and struggle for survival.
In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, you couldn’t turn on the radio, television, computer, or open a newspaper...
August 2010
7 posts
10 tags
The Victor by C. W. Longenecker
The following is a poem that I have sitting on my desk. It is a great reminder that thoughts are the primary determinant of where you are going and what you will get out of your life. It’s all a choice. Choose wisely.
The Victor by C. W. Longenecker
If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don’t. If you like to win but think you can’t, It’s almost a cinch you...
8 tags
Three Keys to Being a Great Mentee
I sat down for coffee with a mentor of mine the other morning to seek advice and insight about a situation that’s been challenging me for a while.
I really enjoyed our time together, and our conversation certainly provided food for thought, and gave me some clarity about what to do next. I felt really good. I was ready to take action.
Our meeting got me to thinking about mentoring...
5 tags
What's Your Problem?
I was reflecting today on a conversation I had with my wife, Rachel, this weekend while we were in the car taking our daughters for a special treat (Sonic slushes).
We were sharing our sadness with what appears to be a general tendency of people to tear down others… usually behind their backs.
They find something - anything - about someone else to find fault with; their hair is the wrong...
6 tags
Celebrate, Don't Compare
Do you continually celebrate your successes? Or, are you constantly comparing yourself to others?
Your answer could mean the difference between living a life of happiness and one of perpetual disappointment.
When you compare yourself with others, you engage a part of your brain that focuses your thoughts and energy on what you don’t have, what you can’t do, what you’re...
8 tags
Searching for Significance
Most of us - probably all of us - have a desire to live a life that “matters,” a life of significance. What that means varies by person, but there is an innate calling in each of us, a little voice that stirs inside and prompts us to “do something significant.”
Sadly, however, most of us manage to talk ourselves out of it. We say things to ourselves like, “Who am I?...
6 tags
Decay or Potential?
Chris Brogan posted a photo of old factories in Lawrence, MA on Twitter today, accompanied by this commentary:
Factories in Lawrence, MA http://twitpic.com/2dekm5. Gorgeous. Others see decay. I see new business.
These words immediately sparked something inside me. I’m a sucker for history. I love old buildings. I imagine what they looked like “back in the day,” picture the...
11 tags
Make A Dream Come True - Tanner's Story
I don’t remember all the details of how it happened. To be honest, it doesn’t matter because what I do know is this:
You do not have to know someone personally to care about them.
About a month or so ago, through a stream of tweets and blog posts surrounding the Evo Conference, I came across Catherine Connor’s blog, Her Bad Mother. While I was reading a post, I decided to...
July 2010
9 posts
6 tags
How To Make Someone Glad You Said 'No'
I was cleaning up the dishes the other night and getting my daughters some dessert when the doorbell rang. My wife was out with a friend, so I had my hands full.
I answer the door and it’s a kid (20-something) selling oil changes. He starts his pitch…
I learned that the shop has been around for 15 years, that I would save more than the cost of the coupon book on my first visit, and...
8 tags
The End of Integrity?
Have you ever felt like you knew someone - I mean, really knew someone - trusted them, cared about them, only to have your world turned upside down when you found out that they weren’t at all the person you thought them to be?
Did you then doubt yourself - particularly your judgment? Did you wonder, “am I really that poor a judge of character?”
Sadly, if you’re like me,...
4 tags
Can You Solve This Riddle?
I am intelligent and worthy of success. I have talents that few have seen. Every cell in my body vibrates with energy. The more grateful I am, the more reasons I find to be grateful. When I give out love, it is returned to me multiplied. When I believe in myself, so do others. When I believe in others, they believe in themselves. I am...
9 tags
Change It Up
I was listening to a radio show several months ago, and there was a guest talking about different ways to “boost your brain power.” One of the suggestions stuck with me all these months later - “brush your teeth using the other hand” (which, for the record, is a little more challenging than it sounds).
For some reason, it popped into my head again tonight. I did a little...
15 tags
Snapple: A Story of Social Media Failure
I have to get this off my chest before I explode.
This all started as a result of my searching for Diet Trop-A-Rocka™ Tea, the flavor created by Bret Michaels as part of the final task on The Celebrity Apprentice. (I tried - and really liked - Compassionberry™ Tea created by Holly Robinson Peete, so I wanted to try Bret’s, too.)
In a May 24, 2010 BrandWeek interview, two Dr Pepper...
9 tags
The Myth of Trust
Most of us have that “one person” who we trust implicitly; we tell them our deepest secrets, fears, dreams and troubles. We know “they won’t tell anyone.”
Think of who that person is for you. Picture them in your mind.
Now, think about this for a minute. You trust that person, but did you ever stop to think that she has that “one person,” too?
It goes...
7 tags
Re-post: Benjamin Franklin: Social Media Mogul
I originally contributed this piece as a guest post for Kyle Lacy (05/19/2010). I thought it was interesting enough to share here, too.
Benjamin Franklin and Twitter may not appear to have much – if anything – in common, but history tells a different story.
In fact, the impact that social media sites like Twitter have had on how we communicate is a near reflection of the massive shift in...
7 tags
The View from 36,000 Feet
I penned this post while flying somewhere over New York, Pennsylvania or Ohio on my return from the 140 Characters Conference in NYC in late April. Now that some time has elapsed, I think it’s perfect timing to share the impact the event had on me in the hours immediately after.
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I am now cruising at 36,000 feet somewhere above New York watching a gleaming sun slowly fade...
9 tags
The Tipping Point
For the few weeks leading up to my trip to the 140 Character Conference in New York City (April 19-21, 2010), I had been toying with the idea of finally starting a blog. I decided to wait and to let my experience in NYC speak to my heart and soul about whether I should do it or not.
I hear experts all the time talking about having a “home base.” Most recommend a blog. It makes complete sense, but...
June 2010
1 post
3 tags
“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into...”