My Cerebral Cortex

Sleepless

2009-04-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep. It's not a problem I deal with often, but tonight it is the state I find myself in. The constant running of the engine of my mind keeps me from my desired state.

I want to be able to turn it all off, but I can't. The thoughts keep coming, some fantastic dream like thoughts, others come and destroy those bringing me back to reality. I'm busy with many different things right now, which is good, better than being idle and bored.

The days pass quickly, however tonight doesn't seem to be doing the same.

Kill Negativity

2009-03-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Why is it that for so many people (myself included at times), our first reaction to even the slightest inconvenience, is to react in anger. The littlest thing can prompt anything from the thought of acting out to a tirade of epic proportions over something that really is nothing more than a minor set-back (if that).

What am I talking about - things like someone cutting you off in traffic or maybe ALMOST cutting you off - what do you do? Give them the finger, was that really necessary? Did that event, getting cut off on your way to work really have that much of an impact on your life?

The reality is that if you didn't react, you would probably forget about it in moments - instead, you get angry and it festers - you let loose through an obscene gesture or you yell from inside your car with rolled up windows, but the anger is still there. You dwell on it and perhaps because of that little thing your whole day is ruined. As a result, you are negative all day at work - you come home and are frustrated with your kids - you go to a sporting activity and try to hurt someone - all the result of some inconsequential moment in your day. At least it could have been inconsequential.

What would happen if, the next time someone bumps into you in a line-up, instead of losing it, you just smile and carry on with your day? By the time 5 minutes has elapsed, you've totally forgotten that anything even happened.

I don't have the answer, but I'm willing to bet that a little less negativity could make things better for the world. And if you don't care about the world, do it for selfish reason. I'm certain there's some scientific study somewhere that would agree with me.

The Power of Imagination

2009-02-21T01:10:00.000-08:00

I purchased 2 lottery tickets today - tomorrow's 6/49 jackpot is $48 million. As soon as I had those tickets, my mind begins to contemplate winning. What would I do if I had $48 million? The thoughts run far and wide and there really is no boundary out there to contain them. See, to me, $48 million is about the right sum for me to be unable to picture spending all of the money.

It's really quite amazing when you think about it, that a little inspiration like that allows our minds to go so far. Imagine what could be accomplished if we could be inspired to dream this way because of the salary we take home each day, or the family that we have, or even the fact that we have food and shelter (never mind the internet).

Allow yourself to be inspired and to dream, give yourself permission to go somewhere, but try to dream about what you can do with what you have now and then start working towards it. Instead of thinking about "what if" - what if I won the lottery - if I get a raise - if, if, if, - just get out there and do something to enjoy your life today.

Why I Blog!

2009-02-12T07:37:00.000-08:00

I DON'T blog because I'm hoping to be an internet superstar, to make a million dollars from my site or even for recognition. If any of those things happen (not likely) then so be it.

So why DO I blog? It's simple really.

I blog because I want to blog. Any questions?

Why do you blog?

You Can't Do Nothing for a Living!

2009-01-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

Work is a good thing. You are designed to work and success only comes through effort.

I've come across many people (I've been there too) who are looking for an easy way to make money. The get rich quick scheme, the method by which they will be able to retire by the time they turn 30 or 40. What I've learned though is that there is no such thing as easy!

I am not saying that there aren't some ways to make money that are easier than others, but success takes work.

People will point out that there are successful people out there who have "jobs" that seem like a dream. They suggest "if he/she can do it, so can I."

Take someone like Darren Rowse. Darren is a full-time blogger, I don't know how many hours that means, but it is what he does for a living. Many look at that and think, if I could only do that for a living my life would be great. The truth is, success like Darren's doesn't happen overnight, it takes hard work. Darren has been blogging since 2002 - that's nearly seven years now, and I'm guessing it wasn't all money from day one.

Ask Darren the question "did it take hard work for you to get to where you are?" My bet is that the answer is "YES".

Darren is just one example, it's not limited to blogging either. Take "Social Media Consulting", another area that people seem desperate to jump into. Just because you know about Twitter, doesn't mean you are qualified (I'm not qualified by the way) to label yourself a "Social Media Guru". Becoming an expert in something (anything) takes time and effort. There are experts in this field that I trust, such as Chris Brogan or Mitch Joel among many others. If you were to ask any one of them what has brought them to the point they are at, most of the time the answer would be a combination of hard work and a passion for the field they've chosen.

Opportunities will come your way and you will have chances to be successful, but in my experience success will not fall in your lap.

If you are looking for a way to be able to sit at home and do nothing while that money just flows in, you will be disappointed. You can be successful by doing something you like, an it might not feel like "work", but you will still be putting in the effort. The reality is that success takes work and successful people are those that know how to work hard, it is part of who they are.

This is the reason that many CEOs don't retire. Sure, they leave their CEO role, but most go on to sit on different boards or to participate in charity efforts. They are not content to sit around and do nothing.

My hope is that you will find something that you enjoy and that it will bring you success. If you are willing to work, I'm sure you will find re opportunities are out there.

What do you think?

fusedlogic FoodBank Challenge

2009-01-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

In North American culture, Christmas is a time of year when it seems that everyone is generous. Not just within their families, but generally with others, in the communities we live in and beyond. Once Christmas has passed, we move on to the New Year with resolutions for bettering ourselves and become so inward focused that we can lose sight of the generous spirit that so many of us were displaying few short weeks ago.

Just before Christmas this year one of the prominent members of the Social Media community in Edmonton, Walter Schwabe, started an ambitious year long project, the fusedlogic Food Bank Challenge. When I was first introduced to the idea through Twitter, there were two things that stood out to me:

1. The ambitious goal that had been set
2. The fact that this was not limited to being a short-term project

The Timeline

I really like that this project was not limited in scope to just the three or four weeks before Christmas. Giving is something that should take place year round and for those of us fortunate to have steady jobs, I feel that it is our responsibility to give back. It is often easy for us to overlook the needs in our own North American communities, but the reality is that there are hungry people here, just as there are in all other countries in the world. I am not trying to diminish the importance of providing aid to foreign nations who need it, I'm merely trying to point out that there is need right in our own back yards. That need is not limited to a particular season either, and that is where the timeline of this project shines.

Although the project started just before Christmas, the idea is to take a full year to achieve the goals (and it will probably take every minute of that year). The other benefit of a longer timeline is that, if you haven't participated yet, it's not too late.

So What's the Goal

It's ambitious, there's no question about it. So what do you need to do? It's quite simple:

Make a donation to your local foodbank
Take a picture of that donation (with you if you like)
Upload the picture to the Flickr Group or the Facebook Group
Pass the message along and get as many people as you can to do the same

By doing all of this, blogging about it, tweeting about it and doing the things that we all love to do, we can certainly achieve the goal of 1 million photos by the end of a year. More importantly, we can continue to raise the importance of social awareness in our communities and work together to create a better world.

Slowing Down to Get the Most Out of Life

2009-01-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about what's important to me, where my priorities are and how I can get more out of life. Initially this led to contemplating what I want to get out of the next year, or in some instances simply what I want to get.

Living where I do, in the province of Alberta, where economic slowdown, while noticed is not really changing the behavior of most people, it can be easy to get caught up in the pursuit of material things. I've been as guilty of this as many (perhaps more than many). I've got a great boat, a beautiful house, two vehicles for my family and holiday trailer that, while not brand new, is still probably more of a luxury than I would like to admit. Of course, like every good consumer, the list of things I want is much longer than the list of things I already own.

As I was considering how to prioritize my list of desires, which should I get first, I started to think about my current situation. My life is blessed beyond measure. Not only do I have a lot of great things, much more importantly, I have a fabulous family and a lot of really great friends. I HAVE A GREAT LIFE.

I am going to celebrate this life with my friends and family. I am going to share with them the privilege I have in owning what I own and being able to take part in the acivities that I do. I amgoing to give more to those who are not as fortunate as I am, whether just down on their luck or living in a part of the world where life is just that much harder. See, I have not experienced hunger, I don't knowwhat it is like to have to sleep outside in the cold every night, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

I do believe that I can make a difference, even if it's just for one person. So, for me, it's time to slow down, to enjoy what I've been given, and to share my life with others. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Look Ahead

2009-01-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

On this the first day of the year 2009, I'm just taking a few moments to look at the year ahead and some of the things that I hope it contains. Many of these are simply wants from my perspective, but truth be told, I'm quite content with my life as it is today. Certainly I have goals and things I hope to achieve, I am not satisfied to sit back and do nothing, but I am content, I have a blessed life.

Over the next year there are a few things that stand out as priorities for my personal life, primarily in context of my family. We moved into a new house in March of last year, and while we've already done a lot of work getting everything set-up, there are a few things that I want to accomplish this year:

Finish the basement
Build the fence and shed
Get a hot tub (we had one at the old place and miss it like crazy)

Aside from working on the house, Summer is always a family priority, in particular getting out and spending time in the boat, expanding our abilities and also getting many people out and teaching them to ski or wakeboard. Sharing our love for the water is one of my favorite things in the summer and it seems like every year we get great opportunities.

Of course, we always look forward to our holiday in Idaho and this year is no different. I'm also hoping that my wife and I can get away just the two of us a couple of times. My side of the family is also hoping to start a new annual tradition of spending a weekend somewhere as a group to build and ensure we remain connected to each other, even as our lives increasingly take us in different directions and are extremely busy.

For me personally, I'm also hoping to blog more regularly (and maybe shorter posts) and to continue to build relationships and network through various online channels. Hopefully this will also give me some new creative ideas at work.

As a whole, I suppose that my hopes for the next year are really about building on relationships all across the board, with family, friends, colleagues and anyone else who would like to become a part of my life.

What are your hopes for the coming year?

The Future Shop of the Future?

2008-12-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Through a slight misunderstanding on Twitter, I ended up with an invitation to a preview of the new Future Shop store in South Edmonton Common. I hadn't been into a future shop for years, so I figured it would me an interesting experience and I gladly accepted the opportunity.

Historically, I have not been a big fan of Future Shop. I often found the stores dark and somewhat dingy feeling. I will admit that most of my experience is in the Edmonton south store, so it may not be representative of all, but nevertheless. Add to that the experience of dealing with over eager commissioned sales staff and I had enough reason to stay away. Thankfully, with stores like Best Buy in Edmonton, there have been other options for a while.

So, on Wednesday night I walked through the doors of future shop for the first time in a long time. Now, this is not just any future shop store, this is a concept store. Not only that, we're talking 53,000 square feet of concept store that has been in the works for over two years (which explains why, even in this economy, future shop would still go ahead and open the largest store in the company's history).

Let me say right off the start, my first impression of the store was a good one. Walking in, I didn't feel like I was was entering a giant warehouse store, but a nice, clean, overwhelmingly large retail store.

It only took moments to find the small group of other social media types that were gathering. I joined and introduced myself to a few people that until that moment I only knew online. We were all a little surprised to find the store was already open to the public (though the store didn't seem to have a whole lot of shoppers yet, the parking lot was surprisingly full). The soft opening had been the previous weekend, so we were not among the very first to enter the doors, though I'm sure we were early enough. The sound of power saws indicated that there were still some areas of the store that were not completely ready for the upcoming grand opening.

We were officially greeted after a few minutes and given a brief overview of what to expect for the evening. From there we were led to the musical instruments department to begin our tour of the store. I'll get back to this area (the music store) later, as it was one of the highlights for me. I'm not going to lead you through the details of the tour, you are better off heading into the store for yourself to see it. Rather I'm just going to share for you some of the big things I noticed.

First off, the staff that were there (most of those we spoke to were new to Edmonton and were here for the store, either temporarily or as ongoing staff), were extremely helpful. This extended not only to those who were leading us on the tour of the store, but also any of those working in departments throughout the store who were called upon to answer a question regarding their department.

I definitely got the sense from Chris (the store manager) that customer service is a big driver for him and how he intends to run the store. This is crucial and will, in my opinion be a key to whether this store is successful. If a great customer service experience can be delivered, then I think the store will do well, even if there are a few less dollars being spent in total due to our current economic conditions.

Overall, I really appreciated the way the store is laid out. There is a central hub in which service associates are available purely to answer questions about whichever products or topics someone might want to ask about. These are not sales staff, but people focused on being able to determine what type of solution you might be looking for and then directing you to the appropriate department to get what you need.

The store itself, while being massive, is well lit and organized. The aisles are wide and the display units are at a good height, you don't have to work hard to be able to check out the features on the digital camera you are looking at, because they aren't stacked five high and 4 deep. Walking around the store, you don't feel cramped and of course with the size that it is, even though it is nicely spread out, the selection is still fantastic.

The thing that I appreciated most about the new concept store is the introduction of the Musical Instruments department. I'm a musician, but I'm not the best out there. Often going into a music shop can be intimidating, particularly for those who are just learning or are mediocre musicians. The thought of being surrounded by people who are better at playing an instrument than you are is a little overwhelming. I think Future Shop will do well with this area because the fact is, most of the other shoppers in the store will not be great musicians. When you pick up a new guitar to see what it sounds like, chances are (staff excluded) the people around you will be in the same boat that you are, either learning or just stopping by out of curiousity. I will be really surprised if that area of the store doesn't do well.

For my part, the Future Shop experience that I had the other night was much different than my past experiences. I will definitely consider this store as a stopping point in my quest for electronics (and possibly a new guitar) in the future. I suggest you stop by the store and check it out.

Just because we're "friends" doesn't mean we're Friends!

2008-12-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

With all of the activity online and the web becoming "social" I find there is a lot of confusion about what a Friend is.

See to me, a friend is someone I can count on (whether it be for something major or not) to be there for me in certain aspects of my life. This is not to say that I don't have some friends who are more dependable or loyal than others. Certainly in life there are friendships that come and go, but regardless, friends are more than just people you know.

The web has definitely become more social over the past several years (in particular about 2 years for my own experience) starting for me, with Facebook. In the beginning, most of the people that I "friended" were people that I would actually consider friends in my life.

Over time however, there are requests from acquaintances from the past, people I barely know. Some I ignore (I'm told they don't get notification when ignored, but I'm pretty sure they know) others I have accepted. Then there are those who are business contacts, not only on Facebook, but LinkedIn. Valuable contacts to have online definitely, but friends?

Anyway, I think you get the point. I do truly value the contacts I've made through various channels online. It's great to have people that share a common interest, even if they aren't people you know well. Over time, some of these contacts develop into friendships, just as the next person you meet when you go out could be your new best friend.

But, just because we're "friends" doesn't mean we're Friends!

Should You Monetize Your Blog?

2008-11-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Monetizing your blog is a topic that seems to be quite popular, and also perhaps somewhat controversial. There are bloggers that make a very good living from their blogging, such as Darren Rowse or Jeremy Schoemaker to name just two. Certainly there are many more that are doing okay through this medium.

This is NOT about how to make money through your blog, as I at this time do not make any money blogging (and in the short-term don't have any intentions of doing so on a large scale). If you are looking for ways to monetize your blog, the two links provided above are likely a very good starting point, no one better to get tips from then those who are already doing so successfully. (Disclaimer: While there is a great deal of content from the above mentioned individuals focused on monetization, there is also a lot about blogging in general that can be learned from their posts. If you are at all interested in blogging, there are some great tips to be found).

What I want to focus on here are several questions that you should think about before you go ahead and start plastering ads all over your site.

1. Are you looking for a get rich quick scheme?
2. What is your day job?
3. How will advertising on your blog affect your online reputation?

As I go into this topic, let me state up front that I don't have a problem with advertisements on blogs or websites in general (though it has been a very rare occasion when I've clicked through). At some point in the future, I may decide that it makes sense to post some ads on my site if it seems like the appropriate thing to do. I also want to state that there are ways to make money from a blog indirectly and also ways to advertise on a blog without generating revenue (i.e. promotion of things you believe in, it's still advertising at the end of the day). So, with that out of the way...

Are you looking for a get rich quick scheme?

I know you're out there, you've seen the signs on the side of the road - "Make $5,000 a week working from home..." - and thought, I should look into that. I'm not dismissing out of hand every opportunity, but most of the time, when something seems to good to be true, it is. Can you make $5,000 a week working from home? Probably! Will it be easy? No!

In a recent post on his blog, Alain Saffel discusses this point and provides some examples of the specific activities that are often touted as ways to make money online. As Alain says these "techniques are legitimate and legal, but hardly going to make you a millionaire".

When it comes down to it, you can make a lot of money online, the proof is the fact that there are people like Darren and Jeremy that are doing so. That said, while the big money might be coming in now, (they've got an established reader base and advertisers seek them out) I'm certain it wasn't always that way (if anyone has information to refute this hypothesis, I'd love to see it). There is a building period associated with any new venture, whether it is a blog, tech start-up, or a landscaping company that you started by mowing lawns as a kid, business develops over a period of time (sometimes shorter than others) and instantaneous wealth is found only through the lottery.

What is your day job?

This might seem like a question that doesn't really fit into this discussion, but it is actually quite pertinent. Take my situation for instance, I am an employee of a relatively large organization, working in the marketing department. The company has not yet defined how they are choosing to operate within the social media space and there is no policy in place on employee blogging. Further, there is a policy in place which asks that employees who choose to work part time at another job, review any such outside employment with management before going ahead (in case of conflict of interest).

Given this is my situation, I choose not to discuss company specific topics on my blog. However when it comes to the question of advertising, I see several things that must be examined more closely:

* Would advertising on my site be viewed as outside employment?
* Could there be a conflict of interest in my advertising on the site? (More likely an issue than the first)
* How does my blogging affect the reputation of the company?

Even when your blog is a personal blog (i.e. you own it, it was not set-up as a company blog) and your company is fully aware of it's existence, advertising (even if not a direct conflict of interest may not be the best idea). Take for instance another well known blogger, Chris Brogan. I don't know Chris personally, but trust him as an expert when it comes to Social Media topics. I'm not alone in that, Chris has thousands of people reading his blog on a regular basis because of what he knows. It is quite conceivable that Chris could sell ads on his site and make a pretty decent amount of money doing so (he's already done the work of building). Chris could select only ads that did not directly conflict with the terms of his employment, provide full disclosure around the advertising in some of that little print on the bottom of a page or through a link, etc. In other words, from a moral and legal standpoint, There would be no issue with advertising being present on the blog, but the question remains of whether it makes sense to go ahead and sell the space.

This leads to the third question.

How will advertising on your blog affect your online reputation?

I don't want to get into an in depth discussion here about personal branding. While there are some who will argue that a person is not a brand, no matter what, I disagree. I do feel that some people place to much time and effort trying to build their personal brand for the wrong reasons, but that is a topic for another post.

Whether you spend a significant amount of time thinking about it, when you blog, you are creating a brand and putting your reputation online. Over time, people (your readers, followers, friends) come to expect certain things from you. A trust develops, just as in face to face relationships and friendships, time strengthens the online bond and your place in the communities you are a part of. Before you begin to sell advertising space on your blog, consider what that might do to your online reputation? If you are newer to the space, think about what you want your reputation to be and whether advertising fits into that image.

Seth Godin is a man I have tremendous respect for as a marketing guru, but also as a humanitarian. On his blog, you will see that advertisements are not a revenue generating tool (I consider the links to books through SmartLinks to be advertising, even if they are not a revenue generator). In my view, Seth has chosen to not open his site to paid advertising, not because he is opposed to people making money through ads, but because it doesn't fit with his online reputation. If one day when I got to his blog there were advertisements all over it (while it wouldn't be wrong in the strict sense of the word) my perception of him would be changed and his reputation potentially damaged irreparably.

Not everyone might feel the same way that I do, but that's the point, to think about what effect advertising on your site might have. Clearly I don't have all the answers (or even all the questions), but for me, these are the big items to think about.

As I've stated, I don't have a problem with people making money through ads on their site. I'd appreciate your take on the questions above or any other factors you feel should be considered when making this decision.

Am I over thinking this?

Social Media Best Practices – Don’t Forget the Real World – 10/25/08

2008-11-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Over the last 6 months I've begun to really immerse myself into the Social Media space. There is so much going on that it can be overwhelming, but I've gotten through that to where I'm fairly comfortable with the spaces I've settled in and have landed on some idea of what I want to get out of the space and what I want to be able to contribute back. For me it's about networking, learning and an opportunity to expand my thinking about the web, marketing and business in general.

Over the last while, I've connected with some fantastic people on their blogs, on LinkedIn, and particularly through Twitter. It wasn't until recently that I actually met any of these people in person after first connecting online. Herein is my contribution to the Mitch Joel writing project on Social Media Best Practices.

Social Media Best Practice - Don't Forget the Real World

When we get involved in online communities, it can be easy to forget that there is a real world out there. We can become so entrenched in our belief that online is the next big thing, and it very well may be, but there is still a lot going on outside of the web. Don't limit your conversations and interactions to being web-based.

Just the other day I went to an office warming for Lift Interactive, a digital design firm based in Edmonton, where I work. I had met Micah, one of the principals from lift, through Twitter. I can't even remember exactly how we connected, but when we did it seemed we had quite a bit in common. I was invited (along with all followers on twitter) to come out and check out their new space and join them for a drink and some socialization.

It was great to be there and meet people face to face that I had connected with online. Sure, I've got a lot of friends that I connect with online after meeting them in person, but this was really the first time that I had met someone in a social media setting before meeting them in person. It reminded me that there is still something really powerful about face to face communication.

My advice to those getting into Social Media and networking and using these channels for business is don't forget there are real people behind the avatars. Take the opportunity (or make the opportunity) to go to a tweet-up or geek dinner, or just head for coffee with someone that you've never met in person but know online. This goes for businesses too, don't forget that communications online are still with real people. Create opportunities for your customers to come in contact with real representatives from your business offline.

If you begin to rely purely on the web, you will be missing out on so much more.