Skydiving IS Social Media

Welcome to the concluding session of “All I Really Need to Know I Learned While Skydiving… or, Top 10 Reasons Why Skydiving Is Like Social Media.” Glad to have you all back… the first post generated THE MOST traffic this blog has ever seen, and the most RTs on Twitter @replies, comments, emails, you name it (thank you PRDaily of course for linking to part 1).

One quick side note, I do feel that one of the most important parts of a sound social media strategy is LISTENING (cc @GaryVee) but, despite what you’ve seen in Point Break or Cutaway, you cannot hear another skydiver during freefall. The wind traveling past your ears at well over 100mph pretty much makes you deaf to all sounds… as much as I tried to connect and spin it to compare to Skydiving, I couldn’t… so, consider yourself unspun.

#6) Empower and give kudos!

-                    SD: Without a few minor exceptions, every single person I met through and while skydiving have been just about the most welcoming people ever. From offering lighthearted jokes to ease the nerves (“I promise you, we will wind up back on the ground…”) to offers of joining the crew around their weekend bonfire, and the constant reminders to smile while the camera is on you during freefall… the continuous high-fives, hang looses and rock on hand gestures only fuel this impression.

-                    SM: Social media really only works when you are being generous to those you interact with. Self-promotion isn’t a crime per se (depends on how you do it sometimes it’s not even a faux pas), but things can truly take off when you give others the plaudit and spotlight that everyone (who tries at least) deserves. The “RT-culture” – as well as the adoption of the new RT feature – on Twitter showcases how far giving credit can go in the social media space.

#7) Collaboration is crucial…

-                    SD: Even if not jumping with a large group (like my headline photo) to create record breaking formations during free fall, the process of skydiving is incredibly thorough, meticulous and involves team work across various levels. From the pilots, the parachute packers, logistics admins on the ground, teachers/trainers, and of course to the Tandem Masters themselves… frankly everyone at the dropzone work like a well oiled machine, if you do not see that on the ground, imagine what will happen up top.

-                    SM: Again to echo CRUSH IT author Gary Vaynerchuk (@GaryVee), social media gives you the power to find those out there who are doing it better than you, then you can tap them, partner with them and mutually benefit… case in point: he ghost wrote the book (cause he’s clearly a video guy). Collaboration, as a catalyst for success, is not limited to social media or skydiving, it’s an integral part of a healthy social structure and of any winning strategy in sports as well.

#8) It’s the community, stupid…

-                    SD: To play off #7 and #6, the skydiving community is one of the most tightly knit communities I have ever seen, and I’ve been in drama/improv circles, youth groups, cover and original bands, as well as an early participant in Facebook and Twitter… I will tell you this, the camaraderie I saw both on the ground, on the plane and in the air was unparallel. I think when you put your life on the line you understandably grow closer to the people involved.

-                    SM: I don’t think there is anything to write here… if you don’t know that the community is the most important part of Social Media, I think you’ve stumbled on the wrong post/blog. The first step, whether in professional or personal brand building, is grow your community… the better you do it, the more success will come for you via Social Media.

#9) Don’t forget the video…

-                    SD: Your first skydiving experience (and key milestones in the future) has to be documented, how can it not? Sure, it’s pricy (genius business model by the way) but what about the memories, what about the conversation, what about the chest thumping self promotion!? In reality though, like other major ‘coming of age’ events, this need to be documented for posterity… besides, imagine yourself being the coolest grandpa one day.

-                    SM: In Social Media, video and pictures (as much as I hate to admit it) have been growing exponentially… here are some hard facts: According to a recently published UMass/Inc. Magazine survey, in October alone, more than 77% of Internet users combined to watch 13.5 billion videos online, a metric that represents a dramatic shift in how consumers are engaging with content. Among even the most modest of predictions, 2009’s online video viewership is being estimated at 144 million and expected to grow to 188 million by 2013 in the U.S. alone.

#10) When it goes right, it’s the biggest rush!

-                    SD: The adrenaline pumping through my veins upon landing back on the ground safely is not something I can describe in words. The range of emotion is insane; from awe to shock, hysteric happiness to true disappointment that it’s over, and of course the rising addiction to do it again (right then and there). The phrase I was using, in a non morbid or depressing sense, upon finishing my first jump was: the earth seems kind of boring when you’re on the ground… *sigh*… Who’s in for a Skydive Tweet Up this spring?!

-                    SM: While this pertains mainly to professional use of Social Media (i.e. on behalf of a brand, or as part of a Marcomm strategy), nobody would keep Twittering and Facebooking if it wasn’t for the recurring positive experiences. If you’ve ever seen your tweet, a blog post, a placement or whatever go viral through Social Media, you may have an idea of the rush I’m talking about here. On the professional side, the stuffy boardrooms I often work with on the Corp PR side are not ready for change for the sake of change… they need to test the water out, dip a finger in, see if it suits them and so on… the success of these baby steps is crucial if you want to keep your program, take it slow with the execs, they need to see success to get the rush.

WLTV episode #200… Samples an ENTIRE CASE of wine for the Vayniacs! http://tv.winelibrary.com/2007/03/14/the-200th-episodeget-comfy-episode-200/

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My Thoughts Enclosed…Rb

First and foremost, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention and thank Peter Shankman, in all his Skydiver glory, for his recommendations and hyper-excited lobbying in making my first skydive happen… it was for my 3^rd year anniversary, and ultimately my wife’s idea, but also a life-changing experience for both of us.

The more I look back on it, the more I feel there is a ton to learn from Skydiving (SD) and specifically, the parallels I saw to Social Media (SM) struck me as no coincidence at all… read on, and I welcome thoughts, comments, edits, and will gladly offer a guest post to fellow skydiving and social media enthusiasts… Peter Shankman looking right at you bro. Either way, without further ado:

All I Really Need to Know I Learned While Skydiving… or, Top 10 Reasons Why Skydiving Is Like Social Media

(Part 1)

#1) To do it right you will need training and mentorship…

-          SD: Your first skydive has several options; the most common is the Tandem jump, where you’re strapped in to a professional and jump out together with them doing most of the work. You can go at it alone if you choose, but that 15 minute training turns into a solid 6 hour session/crash course (har har har), without which you will most certainly flop (har har har).

-          SM: This rings truer and truer each day for those not yet in, or just looking to get into, the social media space. The days of early adopters are gone… what you need now is some key mentors from that ‘era’ whom will help you find and understand that which you can’t on your own. Think of those folks as your parachute, the bigger that circle the better off you are.

#2) It takes trust to succeed…

-          SD: Your tandem master (yes, that’s really the official title) holds the key to your life… from packing the parachute to stabilizing your initial free fall and finally the landing… trust them, that’s all, it really is easier just to trust them. Moreover, statistics say that skydiving is the safest sport (safer than skiing, bungee jumping, rollerblading, driving, flying, etc.), you really have to believe in those metrics too when you’re dropping from 13,500 feet at 120 mph.

-          SM: Trust in social media builds communities and trust cements brands, personal or otherwise. Because social media is crowdsourcing on steroids, you have to trust the masses decision, even though you can nudge and tug in any direction you choose, the final push is really up to them to make.

#3) All good things come to those who wait…

-          SD: You have to take time when making the decision to skydive, even before you get there. On top of waiting for ‘the day’ and that precious first appointment date/time, you wait upon arrival; there are 7 back to back pages of consent/release forms. Also, you can’t skydive until you’re at least 18 — though in certain states you only have to be 16 with parental consent — chances are you won’t know how to truly use social media before that age either (would love to hear arguments otherwise here).

-          SM: At a recent book (CRUSH IT) signing event with Gary Vaynerchuk (@GaryVee) he talked about doing daily posts and segments on Wine Library TV for 18 months before pushing it out. His advice was pace yourself, do it right, wait for the right moment… sounds like a sure way for better skydiving to me.

#4) At these speeds everything seems to stand still…

-          SD: At 120 mph you would think you feel like the floor gave under you and the stomach is in your throat. In reality, all you feel is the pants flapping, the wind gusting, your cheeks compressing… and yet, the earth doesn’t seem to get closer and everything seems to stand still, almost like you’re in a block of jell-o. It’s by far the most serene experience I can point to, mainly because of the irony of it all.

-          SM: The ‘real time’ speed of Twitter, Facebook and all the other major a social media tools/platforms is undeniable and is unlike any other medium out there… However, if you are indeed entrenched in following a topic or theme (and any true Twitter hashtag addict can tell you) the updates come at you seemingly in slow mo…

#5) You can’t sue…

-          SD: The 7 pages of back to back release forms are all legal speak telling you in 1000 ways that you may die or get hurt as a result of the jump… the document dances around this theme over and over, but they do make one thing crystal clear though: you sign, you CANNOT SUE, so don’t even try.

-          SM: Never underestimate the power of the freedom of speech which to me is a cornerstone of Social media… don’t get me wrong, you may get in trouble (Amanda Bonnen’s story comes to mind) or even hurt (i.e. #iranelection) in the process, but never forget you are in the right, always. Negatweeting is our right, nay duty… remember?!

In the long while since I’ve updated this blog, I’ve done 2 tandem skydives (within 8 days of each other, and in 2 states), so I decided that my entry will also be in two parts… the second set of Top 5 Reasons Why Skydiving Is Like Social Media will funnel later this month. FYI, Sonya and I have at least 3 more planned for the spring… WHO’S IN?!

In the meantime, please enjoy the video of my first dive… Wooooooo.

At the start of most brand development, artists and business professionals alike focus on themselves. Plugged into the goals and aims of the idea at play so intently that there is little effort placed on the literal connection that will inevitably be made with the audience.

The social nature of this new economy has made every person the media. So connecting with our audience honestly, early, and often is imperative to success. The publishing and entertainment industries are beginning to understand. We see examples of success stories in people like the wine guy and author Gary Vaynerchuk and Grammy award-winning artist Chamillionaire.  They each have over 850K and 220K Twitter followers, not to mention the vlogs, Ustreams and countless other ways they connect with their communities daily. Their recent releases were chart toppers in their respective industries almost exclusively because of their intimate audience connections.

Consider this line of thinking, wouldn’t it be easier to sell tickets to a play if when casting for it you weighed talent and followers on Twitter and Facebook equally as variables for casting?

This new world is more interested in the human connection than buying “stuff.” Once artists and businesses alike make a human connection with people they will basically buy anything. (That’s not to say people are stupid, because every great marketer knows, you treat your audience like you treat your wife.) People want to be part of an experience; be a piece of a whole.

Connection with people at the beginning of an idea is what makes a brand. What you do with those connections; the possibilities are endless.

I don’t know about you but when I need something and there is no money to *buy* it, I find a way to make it happen. Of course it depends on what it is I need. Often it seems when I desire some thing I am motivated to work a little harder and save until I get it. Once I have put my energy toward having it. Viola! It appears.
My mother always said if you want something bad enough you will find a way to do it.
Often at times like these my creative side comes to the front, which of course I love. I wonder why it hides its clever head until moments I am truly in need? I would like it *out* more personally. What a complex character I am.
Here is an example of what I am talking about. I needed my bed higher. Futon on the floor just wasn’t working for me. I came up with the plan to get crates and two pieces of half inch plywood. For very little expense, viola, I had what I needed.
An entrepreneur that I draw from often is Gary Vaynerchuk. His story is told on his WLTV site. He has plenty of money but in his heart he needs/wants to own the Jets. That is his desire. To do that he needs lots of money so does he sit and mope? No. He is building an empire around his experience with wine and his ever-growing knowledge of branding, marketing, and social networking. Yes, I love Gary’s energy, there needs to be a few more to spread around as far as I am concerned. That’s another topic I’ll ramble on another time – “A chateau, a vineyard and a Frenchman”
As ever,
~Kate

Yesterday was the 4th Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference. The event is 11 hours of networking and sharing entrepreneurial knowledge with some of the best minds in the country. It is the longest day of the year for me as I get up at 5am and work the event until the cocktail hour. Needless to say it drains me dead tired by the end of the day. When I went to sleeep I expereinced the strangest dream I’ve ever had….

“I was working in an office building, about 3 floors or so high. I was in my office with my attractive assistant – of course – and on the other side of street was another building. In the office straight across from me is Gary Vaynerchuk and what I assume to be the Wine Library Crew. The best part? @garyvee and Crew and Me and the assistant thought it was hilarious to act out Broadway showtunes and dance around in the office at one another. We couldn’t hear each other, just dance and sing with smiling faces. It was kind of like that scene in Keeping the Faith when Jenna Elfman’s character can see the office across the street and Ben Stiller gets her attention, but without the crazy love plot. Anyhow, the really strange part? In my dream when I decide that its time to get back to work, Gary Vaynerchuk got very disappointed and wanted to keep going. Then I wake up.”

I’m not sure why this dream happened, but it was definitely entertaining. It may be that it’s connected to the conference. I met Gary the first time at the 3rd Annual Conference where he spoke as a keynote on Social Media. This dream may not seem too odd to some people, since I’m constantly link to the latest episode of Wine Library TV,  but for me it was kinda of weird. Maybe Gary V. has the answer?

So, shameless plug: Support the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF) and the AZEC by donating as little at a $1 to help aspiring and struggling entrepreneurs.

And in the spirit of the moment: QotD – What is your strangest dream with a celebrity? Comment!

Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion is a great read.  It reads less like a ‘how to’ or ‘for dummies’ and more like a download from the brain of Mr. Thundershow himself, Gary Vaynerchuk.  I like his ideas so much that I put signed copies up for auction on Ebay with all proceeds benefiting #socialgood–American Cancer Society, NYC Coalition Against Hunger, and Helping American Students Go Green.

Here is my take on this smart text.  I have taken tons of notes in the book and will quote Gary and offer everyone the Startup Officer / @startupofficer (“SO”) perspective where appropriate:

chapter one: passion is everything

Page 1/2    “Three years ago…if I had tried to tell you that you could build a business that creates wealth and the most happiness you’ve ever known with nothing more than passion and a willingness to work your face off, you might not have believed me.”

• SO: Success doesn’t happen overnight, but the Internet has removed many of the hurdles to make it happen sooner.

P3     “Live your passion…every single morning, you are pumped because you get to talk about or work with the thing that interest you the most in the world.”

• SO: Excitement and passion are not only attractive, they reflect another quality, authenticity which is talked about later.

P5     “Everyone knows the Internet represents one of the biggest cultural shifts since the printing press, but I think society has been slow to recognize that is represents the biggest shift in history in how we do business. Like, ever.”

• SO: Classic Gary talking here.  I agree, mostly.  I am sure there are some industrialists and technologists that can offer great advancements in business. But his point is well taken.  There is a paradigm shift occurring.  As Julien Smith (@julien) mentioned recently at the Trust Summit in NYC, ‘the hyperlink has erased the hierarchy’.

P6:    “It makes total sense that if this is where the eyeballs are going, this is where business has to go.”

• SO: totally agree.  This is how Gary shows us that the old guard platform is about to crumble.  READ the last paragraph page 6. Twice.

P9     “Everyone—EVERYONE—needs to start thinking of themselves as a brand.  It is no longer an option; it is a necessity.”

“Let me reiterate that the process I am going to be talking about takes a lot of time, effort, and focus, but not a lot of dollars, if any.”

• SO: Be the brand, don’t buy the brand.

P12   “Do what makes you happy. Keep it simple.  Do the research. Work hard. Look ahead.”

• SO: reminds me of Ted Janulis (former head of Investment Management) comment at Lehman Leadership Retreat—“Keep your head down and head up at the same time.

P13    “Ultimately this book is not about making a million dollars, although it just might help you do that.  It’s about ensuring your own happiness….”

• SO: Success can be measured in many ways; money can be part of it but not without happiness.

two: success is in your DNA

P16   “For a business guy I talk a lot about DNA…path to your successful business literally lies in the twists and turns of your own double helix.”

• SO: Some people are natural entrepreneurs, some are not.  It’s also about what’s inside you and your experience.  Maybe Malcolm Gladwell has some thoughts on how much time it takes to become a virtuoso business owner.

P17/18        “I’m convinced, in fact, that if things had been a little easier for my family in the early days, I never would have gotten to where I am now.”

• SO: Okay, so it’s DNA and hunger.

P20   “By the time I was eight years old, I had several lemonade stands and was raking in crazy amounts of cash…”

• SO: If your kid is showing a passion, give them a gentle nudge, but really they know what they want even that young.

P26   “It was there, on the New Jersey Turnpike, that I had my aha moment…  I going to use video blogs to build a whole new world for wine, and for myself.”

three: build your personal brand

P28   “Whether you’re delivering your content by video, podcast, or blog, it’s the authentic you, the one thing that is guaranteed to differentiate yourself from everybody else, including those who share your niche or business model.”

• SO: Be yourself, that’s enough to be able to compete.

P32   “Consumers want you to tell them the truth.  Sure, they want quality and service and value and entertainment, but above all they want to know that the person they’re dealing with is being honest.”

• SO: That’s good advice, nothing prosaic to add here.

P34   “You’ll crush it as long as you concentrate on being yourself.  Besides, you can’t be like me.”

• § SO: Do you see a trend here in this chapter? Just be.

P36   “Leveraging social networks…is all about building word of mouth…the Internet and social networks….have pumped world of mouth up like it was on steroids.”

• SO: Work smarter not harder. Let the internet do its work for you.

P38   “Developing your personal brand is the same thing as living and breathing your resume”

• SO: Soon it will be time to renovate your b-card to list your Twitter alias and LinkedIn or Google profile.

four: a whole new world

P41   “Business in the future is going to be a field day for everyone with talent because they’ll no longer be forced to exist within the confines of old-guard institutions.”

“The platform is sinking because of the readers are going online, which means that the ad money is going online.”

• SO: Move over telecommuting, a Paradigm Shift is coming.

P43   “There have always been people in every industry with hidden agendas, but now there is no place for them to hide.”

• SO: Hopefully this will help carry the truth around the world.

P44   “The middleman has not yet been eliminated, but we’re getting there.”

• SO: The loss of platform allows companies and people to reach each other directly without the need to pay for an intermediary.

P46   “I still want you to plan to leave and launch your own business because life is way too short to spend it working in a job you don’t love.”

• SO: Crushing it with something you love.

five: create great content

P49   “Great content is what you’re going to pump into your social media networks to draw eyeballs to your blog.  It is exists as a result of passion plus expertise, so make sure you can talk about your product like no one else”.

• Know thyself for pretenders will be exposed.

P50   “Most people talk themselves out of success before they even start.  Their passion is sticker, but they think, “There’s no way I can make a hundred grand talking about sticks.” That’s why you’re going to crush it—because you’re the type who’s going to say, “Stickers? Hell, yes, stickers!””

• SO: Hell, yeah!

P54     “There are people who belong in front of  a camera…print…on the air.  These are the extraordinary people.  The ordinary ones…vast majority of businesspeople, and entrepreneurs out there, don’t have the showman DNA.”

• SO: If you are remarkable, your content will show it and relegate the others to be backseat drivers.

six: choose your platform

P58   “If you’re self-conscious in front of a camera but have loads of personality plus a compelling voice, don’t force yourself to do a video blog, do an audio podcast.”

• SO: Choose wisely; ask someone to help you decide if you are a VJ or a DJ.

P60   “Your blog will be your home, your central location with a no exceptions open door policy where anyone can find you.”

• SO: The platform is an extension of you with a history archive

P62   “WordPress is the established leader with the most users.  Its design is a little busy, it requires a few more steps to get your content up and shared, but it’s not difficult to learn.”

“Tumblr, on the other hand, is a simply designed site is supereasy to use.”

• SO: both Blog platforms are popular, I am developing content on both and will eventually figure out which one works best for me.

P66   “Your (Facebook) fan page also allows you to e-mail everyone in one shot and allows people to interact with your page.”

• SO: Forget paying for viral marketing and email blasts, Facebook gives it away.

P66/7         “What you do with Facebook (and Twitter)…should be an absolute reflection of how you live in your daily life.

• SO: Gary keeps pounding us with that the truth does resonate.
• SO: The rest of this chapter talks about Twitter, Flickr, youtube and/or viddler, ustream.tv, analytics…WAY too much to add any value.  Like it said above – READ this chapter many times.

P82   “Vitamins can give your body a real boost, but they won’t do you much good if you don’t also incorporate exercise, proper nutrition, and even vaccines into your healthy habits.  The same goes for all of these platforms.”

• SO: Take care of the platform and it will take care of you.
• SO: general comment—read this chapter many times over.

seven: keep it real…very real

P87   “No matter how big or small you want to go, your authenticity will be at the root of your appeal and is what keep people coming to your site and spreading the word about your personal brand, service, or what-ever you are offering.

• SO: Truth conquers. And so do honesty and integrity and being nice.

P89   “Anything insane has a price.  If you’re serious about building your personal brand, there will be no time for Wii…Scrabble or book club or poker or hockey….Expect this to be all consuming.”

• SO: Don’t be scared, if you love yourself and your brand,  you will be able to feed yourself at the same time you are being consumed.  The existential snake comes to mind.

P90   “I said that you could make a ton of money being happy; I didn’t say you could do it overnight.”

• SO: Patience is a virtue, don’t be a silly rabbit and try to find a shortcut.

P93   “How did someone like me, who is so obviously not a patient guy, cool my heels for so long? Because I was 100% happy.”

• SO: Slow it down and let your happy quotient lead you.

eight: create community: digging your internet trench

P95   “Creating community is about starting conversations.”

• SO: If it’s better to give than to receive, then it’s much better to open dialogues than just talk your face off.

P97   “I would read hundreds of blog posts and leave comments on many of them.  I’d spend time on wine forums and read what other people said and then comment on those comments.”

• SO: It’s exhausting but connecting to everyone and sharing is what it’s all about.

nine: the best marketing strategy ever

P 102        “CARE.”

• SO: If you ever walk into Wine Library you will learn the meaning of the word C-A-R-E.

ten: make the world listen

P 104        “Buy both .com and .tv if possible because you never know if you’ll need them and there’s no obligation to launch both.  While you’re at it, buy the domain names for your children if you can.”

• SO: Think about the whole world, not just yours.

P 105         “7. If you’re doing video, open a TubeMogul account.  If you’re doing a written blog, sign up for Ping.fm.”

• SO: I haven’t done these yet. Sometimes there are so many websites to sign-up for that I get overloaded.  I will need to put together a spreadsheet for all this information.

P107        “Rinse and repeat.”

“We’re thinking of this brand building as a marathon, not a sprint, right?”

• § SO: Like it’s been said so many times before, it takes a lot of working your face off to achieve results.  Prepare yourself to train for the challenge of your life.

eleven: start monetizing

P110       “There are hundreds of billions of dollars in ad revenue out there that need a place to go, and they’re winding up online because it’s the best return on investment advertisers can find.”

• SO: Eyeballs equal money.

P111        “Next, start taking steps to get on the lecture circuit.”

• SO: Wouldn’t it be cool for someone to consider you an expert on something?

P112      “You could also consider doing an affiliate program.”

• SO: Say it with me, pay-per-action

twelve: roll with it

P119     “I’ve repeated over and over that in order to build a winning business you have to go whole hog with you passion

• SO: There is no holding back on happiness.

P123           “As far as I’m concerned, the biggest hurdle for most corporate brands today is their dependence on their PR people.  They’re terrified of the unfiltered message, but what they should do is encourage it.”

• SO: The old-guard will take a while to change; maybe new CEOs will be needed to understand these ideas.

thirteen: legacy is greater than currency

P127     “We’re all in the public eye now, swimming around in a clear glass fish bowl of our own making.  With every e-mail and video and blog post and tweet and status update, we add to the real-time documentary of our lives.”

• SO: Good morning, good afternoon, and goodnight.

P129     “This is why every decision I make is weighed in terms of currency and legacy.  Will this business deal make me money?  Yes? Good.  Will I be proud of how I made that money? Yes? Okay, then, let’s do this.  If the answer is no, I don’t go there, ever.  Legacy always wins.”

• SO: Let your moral compass guide you, not your greed.

conclusion: the time is now, the message is forever

P134      “I’ve offered you a blueprint of the step-by-step process…”

“If there’s any message I want you to take away, it’s that true success—financial, personal, and professional—lies above all in loving your family, working hard, and living your passion.”

• SO: Now it’s your turn to build on the plan.  Go out there and CRUSH IT.

I was a big fan of Mogulus, it always worked well for me. Since Mogulus became Livestream I have seen others struggle with  the windows based application that has adobe intergrated into it. It’s called Pro-Caster.

I recently shot a Tweet up in Boston with NomX3 and @GaryVee.  I fed that video to a laptop that @mikelangford had configured. The event was at a Night club in Boston called “The Estate”.

I know that two applications were running and perhaps only one needed to be utilized. An adobe application was running and accepting the stream fine but then the studio application looked all wonky. It was like on a 20 minute time delay. I am not sure how that stream turned out. I know that the Pro-Caster  program was being run on Vista, and on a boot camped mac. Not sure it was the best configuration.

I just used studio to stream directly from my pro-book in the past. The new program Pro-caster is not yet available for the mac.  I think anytime you put Vista on a mac you are crossing the streams like in Ghostbusters, and we all know that’s very, very bad.

I am not sure what the exact problem was but I will be doing more research about Livestream, Pro-Caster problems and trying to find solutions to what may have gone wrong. I have sent an inquiry to Livestream also and I will share with you what I receive back.

When’s the last time you bought a book for full price? Straight up walked into a local bookstore and shelled out $19.99 or $24.99? If you’re like me, it’s a rare experience.

So it was quite unusual that this weekend I bought two new books, and on topics that I’ve been learning enough about free that I hardly needed them. Yes, I went totally fanboy this weekend when I found out that two social media luminaries were in town. I bought marketing blogger Chris Brogan’s Trust Agents and headed down to a tweetup in San Jose to meet him and get it signed. Then I headed over to Berkeley to buy Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It! “Garyvee,” as the entrepreneur is known (pictured at right), signed books for a decent size crowd.

So why did I feel compelled to buy these guys’ books? Especially since with my immersion in social media and Gov 2.0 and the amount of free content Brogan and Garyvee churn out, I probably don’t need the books?

I guess I wanted to say with my money and my meager addition to their sales totals, that I appreciate them. And in why I appreciate them, I think there’s a lesson for Gov 2.0.

As I looked for Brogan’s book Saturday evening at Barnes & Noble, I found a single copy wedged in next to another social media title. As I walked out of the store, I thought about why I was buying Brogan’s book, and why I was about to meet a friend for an hour’s drive to meet the guy. I also thought about why I wasn’t buying this other book, by someone I’ve tweeted about and could probably meet in the Bay Area for even less effort. And it comes down to this simple fact: Brogan has made the effort to know who I am, the other guy hasn’t. And it’s not me, it’s that Brogan takes the time to organize and remember things about the folks who interact with him on social media, to respond and to teach. If you use social media to reach out to Brogan, he responds.

Garyvee does the same thing. In fact, I think the only reason I connected with him at one point is that someone was tweeting one of his talks and I criticized it. He reached out with something like, “E-mail me, I’d like to know what you think.” Pretty basic, and the guy doesn’t really know me from Adam. But he centers his business model, the whole “personal brand” thing that’s huge in new media, around appreciating people and treating them as important. In his brief pre-signing chat, he said his favorite type of customer is the one who vocally complains, because that gives him a chance to make things right. He pointed out a chat he’d just had on Twitter where he won over a critic of his book.

And he went on to say that he knew the book was going to do well (it has hit the NY Times best-sellers list, as has Trust Agents) because he knew how many people he’d reached out to through Twitter, Facebook and e-mail. People like me who could happily get most of his insights for free were now happily lining up to buy his brief advice book.

So what does this have to do with Gov 2.0? Simply that touches matter. The same affinity that makes me a fan of Brogan and Garyvee can and will endear citizens to governments and officials who show the effort to care (or turn citizens off to those who don’t). Try it. It works.

~Adriel Hampton is a San Francisco public servant and host of Government 2.0 Radio.

For those of you new entrepreneurs who haven’t read Gary Vaynerchuck’s new book, “Crush It,” I’d get out and read it today. Gary has had an incredible journey as an entrepreneur and a businessman, but within just a few pages of reading his book you quickly realize it’s less business savvy and more passion that has dictated his successes.

His uncanny vernacular and contagious enthusiasm to do what he loves reminded me of the reason I got into this gig in the first place: to be around people absolutely determined to believe in their own potential despite our culture’s undying need to criticize and doubt.

Some may say Gary’s book oversimplifies a tough business environment with his passion+hustle=success mantra, but there are thousands of entrepreneurs, athletes, and more who would beg to differ.

In a time where few of us are willing to put ourselves out there for anything anymore, take some advice from a tested New Yorker and go for it.

I got a chance to catch one of Gary Vaynerchuk’s speaking engagements as he’s out on the road promoting his new book, Crush It! As he normally does, Gary took questions from the audience and someone posed an interesting question about one of knocks on him: he’s a selfish self-promoter.

Gary met the question head on and said something along the lines of  “I gotta sell. I put too much work into this book not to get out there and sell it.”  He made no apologies for building his personal brand.  At that point, I got it.  There’s a big difference between “self-promoting” and “building a personal brand”.

“Self-promoting” is bragging in a way that undermines the greater good of your team or company.

Building your “personal brand” is building your reputation, showcasing your work and networking.  Anyone who is interested in building their career and reaching for new goals should be building their personal brand.  And there isn’t anything wrong about that.

Last nights event at the Estate Boston was a well attended one featuring Gary Vaynerchuk Mike Langfor and Jeff Cutler. The Event was sponsored by PerkettPR, and Ace Tickets. Livestream had the task of taking our feed via firewire internet connection and it was streamed live to the web. The streaming however was wonky sadly and it dropped more times then a over matched Ultimate fighter does in the Octagon.I talked briefly with Garyvee who is a “jets fan”. I was a Jets fan until Richard Todd threw my heart and his career away to the Buffalo Bills years ago at Shea. I became a Giants fan shortly thereafter and I am Patriots and Giants fan today.

The Video was shot on a Canon HDV30. It can do HD and SD (standard Definition) I used 3 wired Audio Technica microphones, a rolls royce portable mixer and a bechtek feeder to my camera. Aside from Gary V almost killing one of the microphones the audio was fine.I thought the interaction between the three on stage was entertaining, I am not sure I would ever give either Jeff Cutler or Mike Langford wine on stage ever again but that’s for you to decide.

The one thing that @garyvee said that resonated in my sleep depraved video production brain was the thing about loving what you do, and being able to do it 16 hours a day. When I crashed last night at midnight, I felt the day and shoot had been successful and I had indeed “crushed it” . It had been a 20 hour day.

What could be more delightful than sitting back with a nice book and a glass of wine?

How about CRUSHING IT with a few hundred other crazy, passionate people who are pumped out of their skulls because they just got their hands on Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book Crush It?
But wait there’s more!
Gary will be in the house and doing a little signing, wining and dining with you and 300 of your new, closest friends.
Dining you say? What?

That’s right, Gary will be taking the stage and joining Mike Langford and Jeff Cutler for live taping of NomX3. If you’re a hustler, this is your kind of dinner theater. See what happens when three social media rockstars sit down for a meal together. (Okay, so Gary is like Bon Jovi and Mike and Jeff are more like Tenacious D but still, we rock!)

Everyone Gets a Book and a Glass of Wine

This night just keeps getting better doesn’t it? Your ticket price includes a copy of Crush It plus a glass of wine. And of course there will be some nibbles floating around. C’mon! You got to eat!

What are you waiting for? Buy your ticket, and maybe one or five for your friends, and block Friday the 16th off on your calendar as the day you got your #CrushIt Crunk on with Gary, Mike and Jeff.

Sponsors:

PerkettPR is a public relations, social media, interactive digital services and marketing communications firm dedicated to generating strategic and creative solutions for clients. Follow @PerkettPR and team on Twitter then swing by PerkettPR.com to see their client roster. Imagine what they can do for you.

Livestream is the most powerful live broadcast platform on the internet. They are also the official streaming source for NomX3. You can take your show live at Livestream.com. Also be sure to follow @Livestreamcom on Twitter.

Ace Ticket is Boston’s premier ticket agency and your place to buy and sell tickets to any major sports, concert or theater event. Visit AceTicket.com and follow @AceTicket on Twitter.

Brilliant Video Productions provides creative digital video production services to corporations, non profits and educational clients throughout Massachusetts, New England and across America. Visit BrilliantVideoProductions.com and follow @BrilliantVideo on Twitter.

Here is link to the event http://wp.me/psuDA-2w

The time is now to cash in.

This book drops today, and would be an important book for anyone trying to tap into making money off their passion.

I’ll have a review here soon.

The Crush It Book.

Buy Here.

-HT

Gary Vaynerchuk’s long awaited book, Crush It – Why Now Is The Time to Cash In On Your Passion, is here…well almost! Due to start shipping next week, October 13th, I was fortunate enough to get a copy which I’m going to be forwarding on to local Universities and Colleges who may be interested in using “Crush It” in their curriculum.

I almost couldn’t get myself to open the package as I along with many others have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of what is sure to be a jam-packed book filled with useful information.

Enjoy the unveiling and I’ll be doing a few follow up posts over the next few weeks on what I’ve learned from the book and where things are heading.

Keep up the AMAZING work Gary and can’t wait to see this book skyrocket to #1 on Amazon, The NY Times and every other chart!

For those who are unfamiliar with Gary Vaynerchuk, I suggest watching this video three times—once to take in the size of his personality, a second time to really listen to what he is saying, and a third to really, really listen to what he is saying.

To make it easier, here are some key points he hits upon about the social media game. For those just getting out of the gate, I’ve added some clarifying points and suggestions…

Friends: This is some of the noise in our lives for your consumption.  We have tried to filter out the garbage and give you the good stuff.

Music We Like This Week:

Clap Hands - Tom Waits  - Rain Dogs
Polk Salad Annie – Elvis Presley     Elvis Viva Las Vegas
New Orleans Ladies – Tab Benoit & Louisiana’s LeRoux Night Train to Nashville
(I Got) a Good ‘Un – John Lee Hooker       Endless Boogie
Inner City Blues – Marvin Gaye      What’s Going On
The Ballad of Cape Henry – Todd Snider      Peace Queer
Summer Girl – Family Of The Year       Where’s The Sun
Head Held High –  The Velvet Underground     Loaded
Good Times – Lightnin’ Hopkins       Shinin’ Moon
Freeze The Saints – Stephen Malkmus    Face The Truth
Gimme Some Truth -Generation X      Valley of the Dolls
Tango Till They Are Sore – Southside Johnny with LaBamba’s Big Band  Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits
Deep Elem Blues – Levon Helm Band MerleFest Ramble  MerleFest Ramble 2008
Heavy Music – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band    Live Bullet
Acid Raindrops – People Under the Stairs   The Om Years (Bonus Track Version)

IMix Samples Here

Moving Pictures:

Marnie has issues. Seeing I stayed home from work this week with ‘issues’, I decided to watch movies. The best of the lot was “Marnie”.   Others, “Dan in Real Life”, “Ocean’s Twelve”, and “Body of War”(ok, that one’s a Doc., a powerful one , but Marnie still wins.)  Marnie all tragically fractured. Haunting.  Hitchcock probably salivated upon turning this novel into the shiver ye timbers it is.  Very fun, yet strange enough for a Wednesday afternoon.  A Hitchcock shortlister for me – HT3

Internet:

This little internet, so young, just waiting for folks to CRUSH IT!

How young?

Only earlier this year did I watch my first WLTV Episode(Wine Library TV), get thru Gary Vaynerchuck -the volume!-, then somehow go to his blog. One day I listened to a keynote. I return often. to all, for morel.

Unused regions of my brain came to life. Zoom!

And now tonight I do this here, the Oridnary, one day i may do Strange. Or both. Hell, we might even do OrStraDamus. Come back and see. We’re young. Like, looking for kinks to work out young. – HT3

————————————————

If you haven’t made it here yet, you’ve got to try out Stuff White People Like.  Its sad how spot-on some of his observations are.  A personal favorite: #122 Moleskine Notebooks

“…(T)he the growing popularity of these little journals, is not without its own set of problems.  One of the strangest side effects has been the puzzling situation whereby a white person will sit in an independent coffee shop with a Moleskine notebook resting on top of a Apple laptop.  You might wonder why they need so many devices to write down thoughts?  Well, if a white person has a great idea, they write it by hand, if they have a good idea, it goes into the computer.

Not only does this help them keep their thoughts organized, but it serves as a signal to the other white people in the shop that the owner of both instruments is truly creative.  It screams: “I’m not using my computer to check email and read celebrity gossip, I’m using it to create art.  Please ask me about it.”  BL

Paper:

Let the Great World Spin, By Colum McCann

It takes place in NYC in the mid seventies, a series of stories about people who are on the skids all organized loosely around the tight rope walk between the twin towers.  The writing is fantastic, as varied as the characters, and it is rich with layering and metaphor.  The characters are gritty and real.  A good find.  –BL

I Drink for a Reason, by David Cross

Who doesn’t fucking love this dude?! He effortlessly jumps from media mockery to religious commentary to celebrity denunciation. Sheer madness all wrapped up in book form. Had me laughing out loud and made me miss Tobias…everyone’s favorite “never nude.”  AF

Let’s face it, when everything is said and done it all boils down to people.  We put labels on it like B2C, B2B, C2C, Social Media, Web 2.0, and many more. However, when you really look at it all and drill down to the core, it is all P2P – Person-to-Person.

Brands are starting to understand, Marketers are learning quickly, Researchers are catching on and the game has changed.  Whether your business is selling to consumers, other businesses, cats or dogs, the bottom line is people.  A great item that I saw Gary Vee touch on today was simple, obvious, but compelling – it’s people that make decisions.  I told you it is nothing glamorous at first, but think about it.  There is a person(s) behind every brand, business, blog and pet.  If you truly start to understand and obtain people-based insights you are close to seeing how the game is changing.  Consumers and business professionals alike are moving toward this new personal model.  Gen X and the Boomers can remember when you used to make a “flyby” to the client, drop in and say hi and walk next door and talk to the neighbors.  These same conversations and interactions are occurring now, just in a different arena.

The ones who will truly advance are the ones who can engage in these new digital realms and then transfer that connection into real life – an in-person client meeting, dinning at your restaurant or flying on your airline.  That is the new direction and every day companies are beginning to get better at engaging the digital consumer.  What does this mean for us as researcher?

First – We must understand the game.  How does it work? Who are the players? What are the rules? How do I win? In other words, you need to get past the information search and understanding phase into the application and utilization phases. (This is where you should have an advantage as a researcher)  Even if you are not using the social web for research, your clients are beginning to use it in their business and will certainly require you to understand it as a research consultant.  Think of it as a new therapeutic category for all of you that are in the Pharma/Healthcare space. We are past “Social Media is Cool,” now we need to look at how and when to leverage its offerings.

Second – Avoid criticizing the unknown!  It wasn’t too long ago our industry and clients were skeptical of web-based surveys.  One of our Senior Advisors, Dave Gustafson, sold some of the first online work to big pharma companies, their questions – “How do I know the Dr. is really the one taking the survey” and so on and so forth.  Now, it is a given and common methodology.  The new game is not as simple and trivial as it seems, you need to spend more time online than e-mail, Google maps and airlines to figure it out

Third – Start to understand the younger demographics.  Whether you are in B2C or B2B, it is important to understand Gen Y and how they work and interact.  These are not just your customers but your colleagues, clients etc.  Do your research and do not overlook this group.

The good news is the information is abundant.  It is easy to ask questions and as researchers we see exactly what is headed our way and to the market.  It is really an exciting time for the research industry as we have many new tools, methods and skills at our fingertips.  As our clients start to engage in this new way, it is opportunity for us as researchers to help them along to success.

Stop by and say hi! www.SpychResearch.com

Yesterday I attended an event organized by Media Bistro for people looking to transition their careers. It was an all day event, well organized and chock full of interesting speakers. First up was Laurie Ruettimann, an admitted recovering HR executive now blogging in her sweatpants. Laurie blew the lid off of all things corporate and left no prisoners. She told us honestly the what, how and why of dealing with large corporations. Imagine if  Anthony Bordain and Kelly Ripa had a child. That’s Laurie; deadly honest and adorable.

Then came a panel discussion on freelancing. Jen Groover of Jen Goover Productions, Scott Wayne of The Frontier Project , Karla Lightfoot & Stella Grizont from Ladies Who Launch all spoke passionately about how their individual paths were chosen and what needs to be done in order to pursue an independent career. What I found particularly interesting was the concept behind Ladies Who Launch which is a community of women interested in launching or expanding a business or creative project. I love the idea of women drawing on each others strengths and ideas.

There were other career fixer-uppers like 5 minute speed coaching sessions and how to get an interview but the headliner was clearly Gary Vaynerchuk. I am sorry to say I had never heard of him before but apparently @garyvee has a huge following. This is a guy who made 2K a week in 7th grade selling baseball cards and there wasn’t a seat available by the time he started. Several words come to mind when listening to garyvee: dynamic, passionate, charismatic, smart, foul mouthed, funny & did I say smart. Gary is able to see things very clearly and recognize shifts in the industry then verbalize it a a way your dad can understand in a meat and potatoes kind of way. It was fascinating.

The whole day was exhilarating and I felt renewed again. I took away many nuggets from the event but the one that sticks out in my head most is “Go where the people are hungry” I’m going to put that one in my back pocket for a while and get back to you.

Next Post: Old Girl meets Awesome Girl

Not as in writing a book, but in living a life and forging a business.

I’m now doing some social media teaching and training. Well, the word ‘now’ is a bit false because I’ve been doing this for a few years but I’m only notifying you of it right now.

Learn more by going to my site – www.ideas2words.com

Thanks!

Gary Vaynerchuk speaks on social media at the #140conf. Kind of a little different perspective- he gives HIS answer to the question, “When do you have time to work if you are on twitter all of the time? “Wish I had been at the conference!

from http://blip.tv/file/2255484

If you haven’t had a chance to hear Gary Vaynerchuck speak, I’d highly recommend it.  The guy is motivating.  And he’s right – you should be doing what you are passionate about.  If you aren’t, you aren’t doing your best work.  Check out the video on his  bio page.