Have a need to send someone a large file? Most email services max out at 20 MB attachments. Gone are the days of burning to a CD or Flash drive… now you can send them an email link. There are quite a few of these sites now, so I thought I’d give a quick round up of the ones I’m familiar with:

• TransferBigFiles (Reliable, but only up to 1 GB, $60/year for pro features)
• YouSendIt (One of the first sites to start doing this I can recall, only up to 100 MB, $120/year for pro features)
• ShareFile (2GB basic, up to 10 GB enterprise. $30/mo! Most expensive of them all)
• SendStuffNow (2GB, ? requires software download ?, $60/year for pro features)
• DropBox (up to 2GB is free, $99/year)
• Memeo (up to 100MB is free, $9.95/mo.)
• SendSpace (up to 300MB is free, $8.99/mo. for pro account)
• WeTransfer (up to 2GB free, $120/year for pro features)
• Google Drive (Free up to 5GB, then you’ll need to upgrade to a Google Apps account)
• YourFileLink (Free service, but files are deleted after 2 weeks)
• FileDropper (just found out about it – haven’t tried it yet)
• File Pigeon (100 MB limit)

Two other hybrid examples to check out (that I really like) offer the ability to upload large files as well: Check out Smartsheet ($15.95/mo.) and Wufoo ($14.95/mo.).

If you are looking for a way to allow others to send you large files (too big to send via email), here are sites that give you the option to direct others to an upload page that links up with your cloud storage:

• Entourage
• DB Inbox (50 MB Limit)

Please do everyone a favor and post a comment if I missed any!

Never stop learning!

When we stop being open to new ideas and approaches to life, we can find ourselves quickly becoming arrogant about the world we live.  And I’ve found as I’ve reached that much desired ‘10,000 hours’ level in my own business, I’ve actually become a bit arrogant in many aspects of it – maybe because I’ve been at it so long and absorbed so much knowledge, or maybe because I’ve grown a little tired of the topic.  Not sure which it is – but I do know this: When I learn new things, from new teachers, and apply them to my own business – the excitement returns, and I’m more able to accept the fact I still know very little in the grand scheme of things.

And if you don’t have time to actually read 100 books (like me), look for options – and one option is to gather the cliff notes/synopsis from either the author or someone who’s already ready the book for you – it’s nice to have an ‘executive summary’ when you are too busy to dive deeper. But still consider that there will be titles and topics you’ll want to dive into and read the entire book – maybe more than once.

I’ve been doing a lot more video publishing these days, mostly because of my endeavors at Kindle Expert, and while YouTube is great for most of it, I’m beginning to do some in depth training for others and I want to get away from YouTube because of the use restrictions & licensing.  I’m finding the world of online video outside YouTube to be a very fragmented and confusing one!  Kudos to those of you who’ve figured it out (you must all be mac users).

So, as I did before, since I’m doing all the research anyway, I’m going to post my results here. And I hope that if you have some specific experiences with video (good or bad), you’ll share them with the rest of us via a comment below.

Here’s the services I’ll be evaluating to start (I’ll add more as I discover them):

• Vimeo
• SteamIt
• Viddler
• Amazon S3 streaming (CloudFront)
• Blip.tv
• Screencast.com
• Google Video
• Meta Cafe
• Daily Motion
• Amazon Video on Demand (via CreateSpace.com)
• Sprout Video
• SeeToo
• Wistia
• Screenr
• Livestream
• PhotoBucket
• Zipcast (Slideshare.net)
• Jing & Screencast

The criteria I’ll be looking at:  Cost, Security (being able to control who can view), Ease of setup & use, types of video formats accepted, and reliability – but not necessarily in that order.  My experiences to date outside of YouTube have been less than stellar. I’m hoping I find that the developers have evolved and the cost has come down to make the process of broadcasting more accessible to busy entrepreneurs like me.

As in previous round-ups, this post will be updated periodically when I have something worthy to report.

I recently began an effort to explore what new web conferencing tools existed, as I realize the landscape has evolved significantly since I began using GoToMeeting over 5 years ago.

Keeping with the 50 Interviews model, I wanted to share what I learned, and ask that if you have anything to add to the topic, please do so below in the comments section. It’s this ability to gather & disseminate collective wisdom that makes the internet so powerful! Instead of one-to-many, it’s many-to-many. I want to simply act as the conduit to help get the data posted clearly and concisely as possible.

Here’s a list of the tools I’m trying to evaluate as quickly as possible:

• Fuze Meeting (tried, failed. Not suitable for screen sharing, VOIP very buggy)
• Mikogo (Free! 10 People Max)
• Cynocast (still in business?)
• Adobe Connect
• Adobe Acrobat Meeting (lower cost alternative to Adobe connect?)
• ReadyTalk (up to 25 users, $49/mo.)
• GoToMeeting (up to 15 users, $49/mo.)
• WebEx (up to 25 users, $49/mo.)
• Oovoo (limited to 6 users, $19.95/mo.
• Microsoft Live Meeting ($4.50/mo.)
• iMeet ($69/mo.)
• Zoho (starts at $12/mo.)
• InstantTeleseminar 2.0 (starts at $47/mo.)
• iWowWe ($9.95 mo/up to ten people)
• AnyMeeting (Free)

Here’s the key criteria I’m using:

• Price
• Max # of attendees
• Ability to record
• Ease of use for attendees

July-2011 Update

The winner?  WebEx.  For ease of use, reliability, and price per user, I’m extremely satisfied.  I really like the fact they gave me my own webex page, which you can check it out at author.webex.com.  Extra kudos to Ryan Person, Webex is lucky to have him. His responsiveness was top notch – even after the sale, which is pretty unusual from a sales rep the days. They should give that boy a raise.

Feb-2012 Update

Webex now offers a $19/month plan. It’s limited to 8 attendees – but that suffices for the majority of my needs. This is my opinion the best deal available anywhere.

Imagine the one thing you cared about more than anything else in this world was taken from you.  Then see if fear still holds you back from taking chances that can make all the difference.

Donna Visocky lost her daughter in a car crash when her daughter was only 21 years old. It was in that moment that Donna declared to the universe “you’ve just taken the one thing that mattered to me more than anything else.  There’s nothing left that you can possibly take that matters as much. ” It was in that moment that fear no longer became a barrier between Donna and the possibilities she imagined.  She then took a bigger risk than she ever had before.  She took out a loan against her house to start BellaSpark productions – if she had failed, the bank would take her house, but in Donna’s mind, she had nothing left to lose.

Is it going to take an event like that to get you past your fears? Why should it? You only have to imagine the possibility and there’s power in recognizing that occurrences like Donna’s can help us break through whatever is holding us back.  There’s simply nothing left to lose at that point, and your might have to play a game in your mind to see the world this way.  Whatever risk your need to take, know that ultimately, unless you are risking losing that one thing that matters most to you, even the worst possible outcome shouldn’t stop you from taking the chance to pursue your dreams.

Donna Visocky started Bella Spark as a dedication to her daughter. She wanted to change the world as a result of her own awakening to what she discovered was possible for everyone one of us. Ask anyone who’s familiar with Donna, and they’ll agree that she has changed the world.

Will it be easy? Absolutely not. But then again, who said life was supposed to be.  Make the declaration to begin your journey towards finding real meaning in your life and I promise you that you’ll find greater fulfillment in being alive.

We all have a unique gift, and we owe it to the world to discover what it is. Trust me, you will feel more alive when you are actively sharing that gift with others.

If you are stuck in life or facing a setback, think of Donna.  Then think of the one thing that matters more to you than anything else. Then imagine it being taken from you.  Now I ask, what’s there left to be afraid of?

Donna is one of the 50+ entrepreneurs who was interviewed and featured in 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs – The Secrets to Thriving in Uncertain Times.  Available directly from the publisher, or at Amazon – Also available digitally as a PDF, on the Kindle, or on the nook!

“Entrepreneurs find uncommon answers to the common questions.”  This was one of my favorite quotes from the interviews I did with 50+ entrepreneurs – that quote in particular came from Michael Gerber. And I often site examples throughout the interviews I did where the founder of the company was originally called ‘crazy’ for thinking the idea would work.  Well, if you need more evidence of this, look no further than Chicken Diapers. It is one of those ideas you have to shake your head at, until you realize that their is truly a market for it – and then you say, that was genius.  Perhaps at the root of all genius lies a little bit of craziness.

Christine Comaford - Serial Entrepreneur

“If I died tomorrow I’d say I rocked it. At some point I finally realized that I am enough, I do enough and I have enough. I’ve gained the perspective from my hospice work that we don’t have long and there’s no point in putting things off. We die a little each time we compromise ourselves and put off those things we know in our heart we must do.” – Christine Comaford, Serial Entrepreneur, Speaker, Best Selling Author.

The brief excerpt below is from the book; 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs Thriving in Uncertain Times. The award winning 300 page book includes exclusive interviews with over 50 successful entrepreneurs in a variety of industries.

Q. How do you deal with adversity today?
A. Whenever I come across something that I get upset by I ask two questions. 1) How important is this in the grand scheme of things? 2) What’s the lesson in this? I believe there’s a great lesson in everything, and in knowing that part of me needs to grow because I brought this situation into my life. My dad said cancer was the best thing that ever happened to him, after my mom. He said Nancy was first but that cancer was second because it helped him see how valuable his life was. It enabled him to turn his life around in his last four months. So, I totally believe in crash course life lessons. My dad got to have that peace and he got to really feel love before he died. He graduated. Who cares if you cram? If you
pass the exam it doesn’t matter.

Q. Slogan to live by or what it might say on your tombstone?
A. Make a difference. Get out of yourself and touch lives. When you focus on elevating others, you lift yourself. Life is a contact sport and it’s all about collaboration.

Authors note:  Christine provided me with one of the most impactful interviews in the book.  She oozes passion and I feel extremely grateful for time with her.  I was forever changed by the this interview as it took place on our ride out to the Denver airport together.  Thanks Christine – You are making a huge contribution to the world!

The brief excerpt below is from the book; 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs Thriving in Uncertain Times. The award winning 300 page book includes exclusive interviews with over 50 successful entrepreneurs in a variety of industries.

I had the pleasure of wrapping up my 50 interviews with Brian Ibbott of Coverville!  My friends Chad and Issac (the Leap Guys!) video taped the interview and we’ll get it posted soon.  Brian recently hit a major milestone by completing his 500th episode of Coverville!  I’ve listened to his show for years, so getting the chance to inteview Brian while he was recording an episode of Coverville was a real treat for me.

Below is an excerpt from my interview with one of the world’s most successful podcasters:

BACKGROUND

Brian Ibbott started Coverville Media, LLC in 2004 after discovering a new technique to fulfill his dreams of becoming a DJ on a show that plays 100% cover songs, artists playing other artists’ songs. Brian is one of the earliest pioneers of “podcasting.” When his show is podcasted from his home studio in Arvada, Colorado, it is listened to by over 16,000 people around the world. In August of 2008, Brian celebrated his 500th episode by throwing a gala in Las Vegas. Fans of the show got to mingle with some of the artists featured on Coverville. Additionally, as a “podcaster for hire,” he produces and hosts podcasts for other companies. Prior to Coverville, in the earliest days of the internet, he ran the website www.askbrian.com where he took pride in answering nagging questions that stumped people. Brian’s advice to other entrepreneurs is to find a niche that you are passionate about. Then he suggests you “just jump in” because, “If you spend too much time on the edge of the pool trying to figure out how to do it, someone else will get there first.”

Interview:

Q. What was the genesis of the idea?

A. I was intrigued by what was referred to as an ‘MP3 Blog’ that Adam Curry, the former VJ, was posting online. As the technology began to evolve, thanks in a large part to the open software movement, the possibility of having my own radio show emerged. My dream had always been to host an “all covers” radio show. The only resemblance of such a show was a short segment on satellite radio that no longer exists. As the technology of podcasting emerged, I jumped on my opportunity to get the show out there.

Q. What were your biggest challenges?

A. Learning the ropes on music licensing was a major challenge. Nobody had asked the questions before about how you get licensed to play entire songs on a podcast. I intentionally stay away from the major labels to avoid running into licensing problems. Bandwidth early on was a challenge as well. After Adam Curry mentioned me on his show, my subscriber base went through the roof.

Q. What are your biggest rewards?

A. The feedback from my listeners! The positive feedback from my listeners is the ‘fuel’ that makes doing this so much fun. I get emails from all over the world. I know my podcasts are being listened to, and talked about, because I see the evidence of it all the time. It has been a thrill to get mentioned in the media, including a text book, as a case study on new media, and Rolling Stone. One of my listeners shared with me that my show helped him through recovery from surgery. Artists now send me their CDs, and record labels approach me to have their artists on the show.

Q. Any recommended books? How about an MBA?

A. No on the MBA. Two books I recommend on podcasting: Podcast Solutions, by Dan Klass and Michael Geoghegan, and Podcasting for Dummies, by Tee Morris and Evo Terra. A great book that I go back to time and time again is Radio: An Illustrated Guide, by Jessica Abel and Ira Glass.

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