MarketingGeekAustin

Saw this today on CRN website.  Creepiest t-shirt from Forescout.com

I had a friend today miss a leading meeting that he NEVER misses.  No explanation by the substitute leader at first so I took it upon myself to stalk him via Tweeter.com.  Via his real-time blog ala tweeting, I found out that his mother was in the hospital undergoing bipass surgery.  I text messaged him my thoughts and prayers.  I then told the people in the meeting that he and his mom were doing well.  Finally I saw a use for this tweeting thing.But it got me to thinking…what about business uses are there any here? Right up front I thought…delivery drivers = pizza, low cost couriers/shippers, moving vans.  What about mundane things like garbage trucks…wouldn’t it be great if you knew when that guy was going to pick up you bags.  Maybe you could sleep in.  I will think of more but in the meantime check it out.  Start tweeting here   I also found a tool that saves me from tweeting my fingers off via my phone.  Snitter does it on my mac…and introduces you to Adobe’s new platform Adobe AIR…another subject for another day

This is a really kool service to imbed videos in your blog. Asterpix. Unbelievably easy to use.

I find it amazing that even with the first movie being almost 30 years old that Star Wars is a huge craze for preschoolers.
My Kindergarten age child AND 2nd grader are totally emersed in Star Wars of all things. It started with a PS2 game of LEGO
Star Wars and now is out of control.

Serial numbers all over the place, can’t keep track of passwords, todos, web screen captures, URLs and generally cannot find your stuff? I found this MAC tool tha I am pretty excited about and you should try it too! Worth it for the software serial number tracking and password locker alone. Yojimbo Link  

Freedom to walk around my office/home used to be much harder.  I had a wireless headset with a teathered dialer piece.  Not bad, but nothing like what I have today. My new headset is crystal clear and has dual earpiece…helps to drown out outside noise.  It truly works 200+ feet away from my office…I forgot I had it on and started to drive off before it dawned on me.  LOL. 

It gives me free hands to brainstorm on my whiteboard, type away on my computer or just make my lunch.  Nobody can tell it is a headset and the the mute button makes it perfect for conference calls.

Disclaimer:  I have used this product successfully for over 30 days now and I get NO payment for this recommendation.

 LINK to Wireless Headset details

Sam McGuffie, a YouTube “legend” garnering over 3.5 million video views, will be granted/earn a very nice scholarship tomorrow.  Yes, he is a very talented football player but his viral videos(including one of him hurdling a 6ft plus lineman) made him more attractive than other players with equal measurables.  links to his amazing videos Here is a link to what the audience(college coaches) is looking for in normal recruiting video.  Link to Terry Bowden’s blog on YahooSports. Remember there are $100k scholarships and there is the possible millions in endorsements/pro money on the line here. This IS serious business!  But it is still just my hobby :-).  Maybe I need to reconsider and expand the possibilities. 

Full article link here

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

When a company’s growth begins to dwindle, boardroom meetings grow strained and the finger pointing starts. Executives cry out, “We need a new strategy! We need to hire better people! Our culture is to blame! Our compensation is wrong!” The founder, if he or she is still around, sadly states, “We have more people, resources, and money than ever. But now we are so big we can’t even get out of our own way!” Embarrassed, a politically perceptive staffer serves up a popular buzzword. “Intrapreneurs! What we need are Intrapreneurs!” The “hip” executive explains that Intrapreneurs are “Inside Entrepreneurs” who will follow their founder’s example. The Intrapreneur, he or she promises, will buck the corporate malaise, risk his or her career to get things done and, is willing to “do the right thing to serve the customer”. As everyone looks around the room for this potential savior of growth, what do they see? Executives’ eyes around the table react in three different ways:

1. Most managers’ eyes look down hoping this latest idea dies before making them change or take chances.
2. The owner’s eyes look up and out the window reminiscing about the “good old days” when he or she ran a much smaller and focused company. Back then, everyone was an Intrapreneur with “fire in their bellies”.
3. One or maybe two sets of younger, brighter eyes sparkle, expressing hope that their time has come to break suffocating company rules and politics stifling opportunities they see but cannot pursue. Optimistically, but sometimes fatally, these people seize the moment and volunteer as “champions” of this new company initiative.

Full article link

Really hits home here…

Despite their righteousness, why don’t more Intrapreneurs succeed?
Because in doing what is right, Intrapreneurs hold a mirror up to their peers, forcing them to confront what they and their company have become. Just like a middle-aged, weekend warrior exercising after years of complacence, when a staid company tries to perform like a growth business, the picture is not very pretty.
IF you are one of us…don’t fret just keep on trucking and you will succeed. Only it may be outside the corporate bubble!

Ever read one of those books that really hits you in the gut? These are great reads that will help you in work and life.

Do Any of These Situations Sound Familiar? You might be stuck if you relate to or recognize any of the following situations.

• When setting goals, your boss gives unreasonable targets but no one dares question them. Later, when the team falls short of the plan, everyone shrugs and says, “I knew we’d never make it.”
• Your teenage daughter violates her curfew – again. When you reprimand her, she lashes out that you’re too strict and overbearing. You simply wanted to communicate a concern for her safety but now your relationship is damaged.
• Your boss rarely acknowledges your comments in meetings, doesn’t return your phone calls, and fails to relay vital information. There’s no way you’d surface the issue because doing so would just make you look even more pathetic.

Click here for the web seminars Click here for the book links

Earthmine, a Berkeley-based startup whose 3-D urban maps. Using vehicle-mounted cameras and data-generation algorithms developed by JPL for the Mars rovers, Earthmine creates immersive panoramic images so precise they can be used to accurately measure the height and width of buildings. Founders Anthony Fassero and John Ristevski have launched an ambitious project to map the 50 largest U.S. cities within the next 18 months

See a DEMO

Most days you open your email and there is nothing but junk.  Monday I clicked on my favorite marketing guru’s newsletter and saw something brilliant but familiar to me.  Then it hit me…not everyone has the pleasure of having the Wizard Academy in their backyard.  Roy’s presentation on the  Society’s 40-year Pendulum as part of the New Client Orientation on Feb 5. and again during the  Free Public Seminar on Feb. 12.The Wizard will be making this very presentation!I will be there to see it for my 3rd time Feb 12th…why don’t you jump in the rabbit hole with me!