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Rediscovering College-Smart
Last night I looked through some old files from my studies at Purchase College and was disheartened by what I read. As a New Media and Liberal Arts student who knew his way around a computer, I saved nearly every report, file and document from eight semesters of classes spread over four years.
The documents unfortunately revealed how terribly I researched and wrote back in ’05. I mean bad!
- Term papers with typos
- Incoherent video projects
- Little focus in my schoolwork
Luckily, I discovered a few jewels amongst the mess, including College-Smart.
I had totally forgotten about a 43-slide PowerPoint presentation I wrote to help high school students research and apply to colleges called “College-Smart”. This was part of my senior project that also included an interactive CD-ROM (built in Flash MX, w00t w00t!) and a video I filmed to introduce students to the guide (embedded below).
While the video looks a little rusty, the PPT guide, created over five years ago, still holds some value for students researching colleges today. I picked out a few tips that I still think are relevant. Feel free to download the embedded PDF guide and share it with any high school or junior high students who might be interested.
Slide 11
“Google” your instructors. By doing online research about the professors involved at each program you apply to, you not only gain greater insight into the school, but also learn powerful knowledge that may prove helpful during an audition or interview.
Slide 18
Don’t learn the “tricks of the trade”, instead learn the trade!
Similarly, don’t pour energy into learning admissions “tricks”. Instead study hard in your academics and find out exactly what each institution wants in the application, essay, or audition.
Slide 33
In high school you’re often told to be quiet and sit down. College is the exact opposite. You’re encouraged to constructively question your surroundings, to learn and to grow.
Seize this opportunity by actively participating in your campus community.
ReadyDone: A Eulogy
Three years ago I started ReadyDone, a small web-dev and design business with my friend Josh Lind. Our goal was to work on some fun projects, source others to friends and other independent contractors, and to make getting and doing creative work easier for everyone. Unfortunately, after two years and a few dozen projects, Josh and I decided to close up shop. While I didn’t make uber-bucks from the experience, I did learn a bunch.
Below is text from an email I sent Josh shortly after we decided to call it quits.
Josh,
As I’m sure you recall, two and a half years ago we were working together on a start-up that was losing momentum. With funding running short, a game plan smashed to smithereens, and team members cleaving off like chunks from a melting iceberg, I realized that my time playing business man was up. In December 2007, I started looking for a new job and within a few weeks landed at a non-profit with a great mission.
While my new job was exciting, my heart still swelled for the dream of “building something”, and you and I had recently talked about making it easier to hire contractors and build projects. So, with $400 invested from each of us, a domain name dreamt up on the Ave and your serious design and dev skills, we launched ReadyDone.com, a consulting company.
During the time that ha passed since, there are many things to be proud of. We presented to angel investors and VC, courted clients, successfully competed projects and sourced jobs to freelancers. All this done without taking on debt. At the end of two years, we closed down ReadyDone with more cash in the bank then when we started. Not too shabby!
Although, as you know, this isn’t the whole story.
While many good things came from the ReadyDone business, the biggest take-away for me are the lessons I gained from the experience, an experience I’d chalk up as a flop.
This is what I learned, or at least a start on what I learned. I’m sure I’ll expand on this into a successful, NY Times-best-selling memoir, and we’ll both eventually be toasting champaign to this tomb of regret when taking breaks from racing our Teslas on the sandy beaches of some far off island
In the meantime, this is what I learned…
Be Flexible, But Plan Like You Mean It
I don’t think we ever sat down and talked about what the “it” was for our business or researched what else was out there to any great extent before we started developing a consulting company called ReadyDone. That’s probably fine in most cases, and is probably how 90% of businesses start. However, I think when it comes to partnerships, we could have gotten our idea a bit clearer to each other and ourselves, before we started picking the color of drapes for our office. This misalignment ended up causing boatloads of passive aggressive energy and internal frustration for both of us. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to effectively monetize either of these new-found minerals.
Only Do One Thing
Coming off the heals of our previous start-up experience, you would think we would do everything possible to avoid this, but I think we fell for the “everything now” error. From The Talented Group, the networking group we explored launching, to our website with profiles for talent and by developing internal projects like Drip Networks, we took on too much.
If I were to do it again, I would take the simplest “equation” for a business, and focused solely on that for a year. If that’s a web dev firm, that’s fine. If it’s an internal project, probably even better. It was most likely my enthusiasm and too much coffee that steered this ship off the edge of the ocean. I take responsibility. The problem wasn’t finding the next best thing (God knows we had the ideas and inspiration). The problem was trying to finding the next fifteen best things.
Build the Right Team (Only Do Things You Want to Do)
One questions I never asked myself was, “are we the right folks to be doing this?” I should have. While I try to give my best at anything that I’m assigned, one’s best is sometimes not even “good”. Asking me to be a designer or the finance manager, is probably a bad call. I’ll try, but the end result will likely be wasted time and a poor product. Similarly, asking you to play customer service with testy clients or present at conferences is probably not the best use of your talents.
What I’ve learned is that of course people can attempt anything they want to. But ultimately, it is unsustainable to work on something that a person is either not good at or does not completely enjoy. We might not have been the best team for the consulting company we wanted to build.
Make Time
Because we were launching ReadyDone on the cheap, and because I couldn’t pay my own way immediately with projects from clients, I worked full-time, volunteered a bunch and still expected to fit in building a company. That actually, can happen. Just not in the type of work I was pursuing.
This reminds me of a story from David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Basecamp. At a Stanford Though-Leaders lecture He first wrote the software in just 10 hours a week, while he also went to school and worked on other projects. It is totally possible to make something with just a few hours of work each week. But for human-based businesses, businesses that require a real, daytime time-commitment, I can’t be serious in thinking I’d be able to do my RD job at 10 or 11pm at night unless I could agree for all my potential clients and talent to do the same.
No matter my best intentions or coffee consumption. It’s not going to happen. Similarly, if the only person working during the day is the partner who doesn’t enjoy doing the marketing work (you) or project management work, then why would we ever think that the business would function properly. It couldn’t, and didn’t. The structure was off. I should have made time at the right moments.
Despite these the regrets listed above, I enjoyed working on this with you. ReadyDone taught me a lot. Thanks for being a partner in the journey!
So, that’s it. That’s my main take-aways from the ReadyDone experience. Luckily, Josh and I are still good friends and maybe one day we’ll work together again.
8 Steps Towards An Awesome Facebook Page
Facebook pages are increasingly (wow, that’s going to sounded like a dated statement in a few months) becoming a must-have for organizations, companies and non-profits. If you area launching a page, or have one and want to know how to clean it up, here are some simple steps to take.
Got other suggestions? Add a comment below.
Crop Your Profile Photo Thumbnail – Adjust the thumbnail layout of your Facebook page image by cropping the thumbnail to include the entire logo. Friends of the people who “like” the your Facebook page will then be more likely to visit your page when reading the news stream. An example of a cropped and properly sized thumbnail is Gap’s Facebook page. Notice how both the image has significant real-estate, but the thumbnail also fits properly into the square proportions. Nice, huh?- Add Text to Your Page Photo – This isn’t a must-have, but can help direct users if you are launching a new campaign or product. You can add words (as an image) adjacent to your elongated page image.
- Install the “Notes” App - By using the built-in “notes” app in Facebook, you can easily push content to your fans on a regular basis. You can include your organization’s blog and about every hour FB checks the feed to see if something is new. If there is something, a link and description is pushed to your feed. This can be win/win. Your fans get great content, and more visitors read your blog. I find this even better than having a dedicated RSS tab. The settings are a little buried, but are easy to setup.
- Create a Landing Page - The Static FBML app is somethingFacebook created to allow users to put their own text in a and simple markup in a tab on your Facebook Page. I use it to embed a newsletter subscription block, but you can put most any text in it. It is a little technical to setup, but takes less then 5 minutes. Here is a basic video on how to install it.
- Welcome Visitors – Now that you have a great landing page built with the FBML app, you need to set it as the default for visitors who haven’t yet “liked” your page. To do this, you click on “edit page” just like before, but now click on “manage permissions” and select the static fbml page that you just built as the “Default Landing Page”. See Mashable for an example of how they setup their page to encourage users to “like” them.
- Connect to Twitter – I never post from Twitter myself, instead I connect Facebook with Twitter, so that all my postings and stories for my organization are automatically pushed to Twitter. This means I do half the work and grow my audience in two places. To do this, you just need to add in the Twitter app. You can either have Twitter update Facebook, or Facebook update Twitter (depending on your preferences). I prefer the latter.
- Create Multiple Admins – You might want to create additional admins for your FB page so that the job of updating it doesn’t fall solely on one person. This is simple. You just need to login as the admin, search for your page, then click on “edit page” in the lower left (below profile). Following this, select “manage admins” and you can add in other user’s emails directly from this page.
- Create a Call to Action – Lastly, now that the page is big and beautiful, ask your supports (though an email or “FB alert”) to suggest the page to two or five of their friends. This can help quickly grow your constituency, particularly if you’re providing valuable content to your fans. Maybe run some type of give-away to encourage your supports to promote you.
There you go. I hope this was a helpful post. If I missed any Facebook page tricks, please add a comment.
What Companies Can Learn From Chipotle
After a long week of meetings, phone calls and late nights, I was relieved on Friday to have the week complete and jumped into my car for the ride home. Just a few miles from my house, my stomach began to grumble. I knew my cupboards were bare, so I stopped at a Chipotle Grill for an end-of-the-week celebratory burrito. After moving through super-efficient line, I placed my order, paid for my burrito. As I filed to my seat, I realized that Chipotle was doing a lot of things right in the transaction that I just experienced, and not just by allowing unlimited cheese or diet coke refills.
I’ve listed some thoughts on what other businesses might be able to learn from my burrito experience:
- Make it Simple
People can be overwhelmed by choices. Chipotle makes it easy to decide by limiting the menu to just a few items: Tacos, Salads, Burritos and Chips. That’s kinda it. This makes it easier for the customer to pick and feel confident about their choice. Another smart tactic is to segment the choosing process so customers feel less overwhelmed and can process each series of questions separately (this process is the exact opposite of the drive-thru window). At Chipotle, first you pick your meat, then your beans, and so on. How would the world be different if more of our buying interactions were like this? What can mobile phone companies learn from this? And cable companies? - Make It Fast
Chipotle is fast food and they deliver on that promise by quickly getting customers through the line in lighting speed. Unlike burger joins though, the customer is part of the process so its not just fast, but feels fast too. Instead of waiting as workers in the back throw fries into a bag like at most fast food joints, at Chipotle, the customer is required to provide input as the meal is made and the employee(s) never leaves the customer during the process. What businesses could benefit by engaging their customers during the buying process? - Make It Easy
At Chipotle, they don’t distract the customer during the buying process. They are clear on the very basic ingredients that are involved in their meals (corn, beef, etc.) have simple decorations around the restaurant and don’t clutter the ordering process with punch cards, toy give-aways or other gimmicks. From the moment you walk into the restaurant, you’re focused on one process at Chipotle: buying their food. - Now Add Culture
So my previous comments were highlighting’s Chipotle clean, brushed aluminum aesthetic and uncluttered atmosphere. Kinda odd now to compliment them on their relaxed, approachable tone in their marketing material, right? No, not at all. Chipotle has a clear sense of their culture as an organization and just as important, they communicate this to their customer with a focus on environmental consciousness and approachable ad copy. Adding in genuine culture into an organization is an important part of building brand loyalty.
So what companies could benefit from these Chipotle not-so-secret ingredients? Probably almost any industry. If you can think of a company or product, add a comment below.
Case Example: Social Media Marketing
The development manager of a non-profit I volunteer with, PowerfulSchools.org, recently shared this story with me (see below). Because PS posts recent grant awards on their Facebook page, and because this is setup to automatically tweet their posts at www.twitter.com/powerfulschools, when our local news outlet KOMO was researching on Twitter for an article, they stumbled across Powerful Schools. Because of this, KOMO interviewed PS in a recent article. Pretty cool!?!
After JP Morgan Chase awarded Powerful Schools a $100,000 grant, I posted an announcement on our website and then linked it to Facebook (posted the PS web link onto FB saying that we were thrilled by the grant award). Since we set up our Facebook page to automatically tweet our posts, this news also went to Twitter.
A KOMO newsradio reporter just happened to be doing research on JP Morgan Chase and our tweet came up in his Twitter search. The reporter contacted us and ended up interviewing [our Executive Director] Tre for an education story (that also featured the Washington State superintendent Randy Dorn), and in the story he mentions that Powerful Schools was recently awarded $100K by JPMC. Woot!
-Peggy, Seattle
Powerful Schools
Woot! Indeed. By taking a few steps to build out your organization’s social media presence, you can be more effective at earning traditional media coverage.
It All Starts At Why
“It’s not what you do, its why you do it.” – Simon Sinek
At first view, the quote might might sound like something I scraped from a motivational poster.
You know the kind.
The san-serifed words would sit at the bottom of an image of child reaching for a book or a crew shell gliding through the water. The glossy posters wrap lunchrooms throughout the country.
However, after you watch this TEDx talk by Simon Sinek (embedded below), the quote carries much more meaning. While the video is worth its 18min run-time, Sinek’s comments boil down to this:
- People are driven at very basics levels of thought by values
- People flock to organizations that espouse their values and beliefs
- Organizations that uphold a value that moves people, can succeed
Or even shorter, It’s not what a person or organization does, its why they do it that matters.
From building software to running a political campaign (think “Change”), values are what inspire people, not the “stuff” of life. While many times we start by talking about “what” we do, it might better serve us to start with “why”.
To put my money where my mouth is, let me take a look at my LinkedIn profile (feel free to add me to your network).
Instead of saying:
“I am endurance runner, digital marketer and blogger. I want to inspire people to build businesses, live healthier lives and help others.”
Maybe I should switch it around (and add a little value-ness) so it reads:
“I want to inspire people to test their limits. I hope to encourage others to build businesses, live healthier lives and help others. I help do this by blogging, running and working in marketing,”
What Are You Passionate About?
I loved my time at the TEDx Seattle conference so much, I recently applied for entry into TEDx Rainier, an independently organized TED conference coming up on 10/10/10 (don’t know TED? Click here).
As part of the application process, you have to answer two questions. What are you passionate about in life, your work and your community? Why would you like to attend TEDx Rainier?
Both are great questions, however the first one really intrigued me. What [am I] passionate about? I’ve included my response below.
What are you passionate about in life, your work, and your community?
My passion in life is to inspire people to build businesses, live healthier and help others. I spend my time working to advance these goals.
As an early learning professional, I help children succeed in kindergarten. I also sit on the board of the nonprofit Powerful Schools, and am a member of the Seattle LGBT Commission. These activities interest me because I believe a literate and empowered community can create businesses that benefit society.
My other passion is running ultramarathons—races beyond the 26.2 mile distance. These endurance trail races test my patience and physical ability. Running also offers a wonderful sense of freedom.
When I am not pursuing my other passions, I blog and create brief films about these adventures—all with the aim of inspiring others to challenge their definition of possible. In doing so, I hope to encourage more people to help others in need.
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In modern times, we should probably ask ourselves this question more often than we do. A quick, but genuine gut check on “are you going what you’re passionate about” might also be helpful.
As Bueller says “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
I totally agree.
We Can Make You Pretty… By Any Means Necessary
Today I got an idea for a great ad.
After cutting my hair (and missing a few spots with the buzzer), and grabbing a shower and a shave, I realized that I had to replace the bolt on my toilet. I pulled out tools from my cabinet, and after a few hours of fiddling and two trips to Home Depot, the toilet was back in place.
I glanced at my sink, and there is was. An ad for a salon (or maybe even a satire of plastic surgery).
Think of this. A hair salon that wants their customers to look their best by “any means necessary”. The ad features a high contrast photo of a white sink with clumps of hair and shaving cream scattered around (low depth of field).
A progression of personal hygiene implements are laid out, with each “tool” looking more gruesome than the next. At the end of the sink (far right) are plumping and power tools. This could be a series of bus stop posters, or a video ad (voice over by the guy who does the Men’s Warehousee ads).
Too much? Too scary? Does it remind you of Extreme Makeover? Let me know.
Life Goals: Inspired by the ICanHasCheezburger Guy
Back in April, I had the pleasure of attending TEDx Seattle, a great conference that included artists, researchers and scientists sharing stories about how technology and culture intersect (If you don’t already, you should subscribe to the TED podcast).
One of my favorite speakers from the event was Ben Huh, owner of the IcanHasCheezburger Network, and associated with everything #lol, #cat and #fail. Ben shared a touching story in his presentation “19 Thinks that I Owe Myself to Accomplish“. Filled with emotion, Ben talked about his first failed business and he came to build his current blog empire–all the while accomplishing life goals.
Ben had a total of 19 goals on his list. Some he had accomplished (learn to ride a motorcycle) and some he had yet to (give away a million dollars). The goals were grouped under categories: Have Fun, Help Yourself, and Help the World.
Ben’s speech was so inspirational, I decided to make my own list of goals, complete with groupings.
So without further adieu, here is what I came up with.
In no particular order, this is what I want to achieve in my life.
Find My Limit
- Learn how to kickbox
- Ride a motorcycle to Alaska
- Run 100 miles without stopping
- Travel around the world
- Win an athletic competition
- Earn an award
Build a Base
- Become an expert at something
- Find the perfect woman
- Sell a company for a profit
- Raise a child
- Own a house
Help Others
- Teach at a college
- Become a blogger
- Write a book
- Teach my child how to ride a bike
- Become a public speaker
- Pay for my child’s college education
So, that’s what I have at the moment. There will probably be a few drafts of this.
How can they find me?
This afternoon my coworker and I struck up a conversation on how old we were getting in relation to the Internet.
Jessica shared a story about how she had to convince her first two employers to include their web addresses on their marketing materials so that donors could find them (you know, way back in ’02).
Two thoughts came to my mind from this discussion.
First: Wow, we’re fortunate to live during a time when we can watch something as great as the Web mature. With the exception of the French Revolution, it’s rare that people get to experience a technology or trend completely reorganize the way every part of society operates.
Second: People, organizations and businesses need to actively think “How can others find me?” — a notion that would have sounded odd a few generations before when findability was baked into the social structure of a village or into the authority of a Yellow Pages phonebook.
So, what can you do now to be “findable” on an ever growing Web?
Make a big digital footprint.
- Reserve your domain name
- Register your username on popular web services
- Link to your various profiles online
And this goes for both your business and your person.
By reserving you or your brand’s accounts (Mashable has a great article on this) and user names on a variety of services, you’re helping to build a larger footprint online. So, when someone searches on YouTube for “Joel Ballezza“, they get me instead of a “no results found” page or some giggling babies.
The same thing goes for Twitter account, Facebook and the like.
In a thoughtful way, try to build out your digital footprint so that people will know how to find you.
