I’m addicted to listening to commencement speeches. I Google for them every year. I watch as many as I can. I take mental notes. And it’s this time of year (the month of May), that all the new speeches are hitting YouTube. It’s graduation season! There is something about the format that’s compelling to me. Every speaker is given the open stage to provide advice to students who are ripe and ready to tackle the real world. And yet, these speeches have to be compelling and slightly entertaining. If they’re too highbrow, you’ll lose the audience. <– it’s a challenging task to be a great commencement speaker

This year, I decided- to share all the great commencement speeches I’ve found with you. So here goes. I’ve mined and hunted through YouTube to find only the best ones- so these are the ones that I liked. Enjoy them and share them! BTW, my favorite commencement speech of all-time is one by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, it is eloquent, inspiring and well delivered.

If you listen closely there’s great life advice I took notes on like:

• Limit your “always” and your “nevers”.
• It’s not *what* you know, it’s how you think.

1.) Tom Hanks (actor), Yale University Commencement

2.) Marissa Mayer (VP Google), Harvey Mudd College

It starts at around the 40:00 minute mark.

3.) Amy Poehler (SNL comedian), Harvard University

4.) Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook COO), Barnard

5.) Bill Clinton (president), NYU Commencement

6.) John Chambers (Cisco CEO), Duke University

7.) Denzel Washington (actor), Pennsylvania

8.) Stephen Colbert (actor), Northwestern

Conan O’Brien (talkshow host), Dartmouth

In between filming takes on a video shoot for Timberland, Amanda Dunne and I got to explore San Francisco, we found this MESSED UP game at Fisherman’s Warf. Can anyone explain this!?! Did people really find this fun and entertaining!?! (if you can’t see the video, click here)

The past few weeks I’ve been traveling for work, from coast to coast (Boston to San Francisco/LA). Needless to say, I visited a TON of new places and had a blast using foursquare to check-in during my travels. I’ve never been #1 on the leaderboard until…

I also think it’s cool that foursquare tells you how far you’ve traveled!

This is a quote of mine (in the picture) that I share as often as I can (deep huh?). “Dear World” is actually a for-profit project. The founders were at the Big Omaha tech conference I attended this year. But here’s the kicker …they are committed to earn their revenue and spend it in a honest, transparent and net positive ways. They write, “We will help tell your stories and contribute toward social good in the communities where we work.” Pretty cool project if you ask me. Check it out at: http://dearworld.me

Have you ever visited a new city and wished there was an easy way to find out which of your friends live there? Well, there’s a “Facebook Hack” I came up with for that About once a month I find myself traveling for work. Each time I drop into a new city, I use Facebook to tell me which of my friends live in different cities. It’s really simple and just takes a few clicks to get to the right screen.

Just follow these instructions:

1.) Click “Friends” on the left side-bar.

2.) Then click the “Edit Friends” button in the middle of the page.

3.) Click the drop-down option “Recently Interacted” and change it to “Search by Current City”.

4.) Type the name of the city you want to filter your friend list by, to see which of them are in specific cities. Here’s an example of what it looks like:

That’s it! It’s a bit tricky getting to the screen on Facebook that lets your do this, but it’s really simple once you know where it is. This is just another example of how social tools and technologies can truly make life better and easier.
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Greetings from San Francisco! This week has been exciting. I’ve been traveling for work on a video blog assignment for Timberland (one of my clients). I’ve been shooting and producing footage (with the wonderful co-star Amanda Dunne!) for a couple of Fall campaigns that will be released later this year. One of the shoots was in San Francisco, and required us to bounce around town. I snapped these pictures and video with my iPhone (and edited them with Camera+ <– i like this app a lot).

The scene down on Market street (where the new Timberland store is):

We had a SF Sunday Fun-Day @Dolores Park in Castro:, hula hoops, dogs, dodgeball, sandwiches, bikes, and dancing:

A shot while riding the trolley to Fisherman’s Warf:

Yeah, yeah- i know this is touristy- but it’s still gorgeous!

Annnnnd *look* at how incredible the view is from my friend @Blair Blincoe’s place! I shot this video blog of the view from the top of her house:

Yesterday, I was in New Hampshire filming a video blog for one of my clients (Timberland). Let me be the first tell you, I had no idea what to expect. Annnnnnd I was a little nervous. I run- play soccer- play golf- and I generally consider myself fairly athletic. But going on a New England hike, in the rain, is a totally different experience than the 5k(s) I enjoy running on predictable city pavement Our “set” for the video blog was Mount Chocoura! <– (which I renamed to “Shakira”, hahaha). I wish I could share the entire video blog with you guys now- but it’s video that’s reserved for Timberland’s Fall 2011 marketing campaign for a new light weight boot they created <– they are really awesome for hiking

While we were on the hike …we ran into a snake on the path. This vblog outtake is pretty funny, don’t you think? Watch what happened when we ran into the snake:

On our drive back from the tech conference #BigOmaha this weekend, I spotted these SUH-WEET wind turbines. I’ve never seen one before up close. So I made Neal drive into someone’s backyard to see them! (if you can’t see the video blog below, click here).

**UPDATE**
Back in 2010, my friend Whitney Mathews and I were in Nebraska when we came across the props to a wind turbine. Look at how BIG 1 blade is!!!

This is a fantastic TED talk I stumbled upon. In 10-minutes, Eli Pariser gives a eye-opening lesson about the unintended consequence of using Google and Facebook. The idea of a “filter bubble” is very real. And I get Eli’s point. But I’d argue, the intentions of companies of Google and Facebook aren’t evil. They’re doing it for relevant personalization. Don’t you think?

**UPDATE** after you watch the video above, there is another interesting written piece by Eli on Wired, check out this article.

Reality TV is everywhere. It’s almost too suffocating to consume. Pick your niche, and there is likely a reality show about it- and there is also more than 1 version of it- in different cities [grinning].

My new favorite reality TV show is…

You. <– yes, I’m talking about *you* …my friends. I enjoy following “your show” online.

Hear me out on this one.
Our culture is obsessed with reality TV because we get to see the raw, unedited (generally), intimate details. We feel like we are “right there” because we watch all the fights, the arguments, and the rise to fame (and fall) of people. A certain obsession with reality TV shows also exist for reasons of idolization. For some people, reality TV provides the facade that *we* could be on-screen doing what they are doing. It’s almost subconsciously spoken… “I could do that”.

That said, these social technologies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs all have the ability to provide that same level of entertainment that Reality TV delivers …but in a more intimate way. And unlike traditional TV, it can be interactive <– and that IS the awesome part. You can interact and converse with the individual online (through comments, Tweets, and messages) and sometimes face-to-face. This added dimension of interactivity with the individuals themselves is what truly makes this whole “internet thing” just plain awesome

My favorite online “Reality Shows” are:

Just like with TV, many of us follow a variety of reality shows. And online, I enjoy following and interacting with many different types of people and their own “reality shows”. For instance, here are just a few that I’m hooked on… i’ve got them DVR’d <– ok, i’ll stop with the jokes

Sam Meers
His ability to story tell in a blog post is what got me hooked and has kept me hooked in following him. I actually first started following him online because his friend Diana suggested I do so. Then after meeting him in real life, I found out he is just as engaging in-person as his written blog posts. He’s a marketer through and through. And he is the master of weaving a marketing lesson into almost any common life-situation.

Rebecca Peters
I met Rebecca first at a wedding she was photographing. Our conversation turned geeky and I realized she shared a lot of the same common interests. As an amateur photog, I’m always trying to learn and improve. She was incredibly nice and gave me helpful tips when we first met. Now, I enjoy following her on Facebook, Twitter and on her blog. We’ve kept in touch and have become great friends, while helping each other with our passions and hobbies. She’s a wicked smart chick. And her geeky husband David is just as cool too.

Robert Scoble
You could argue Robert is “the original” technology blogger turned video blogger. He covers and highlights anything interesting in tech. And he’s damn good at it. It’s been fun following him online through his Microsoft days, to PodTech, Fast Company and now with Rackspace. I’ve run into Scoble in real life a few times, shared some laughs, beers and we’ve even played cards. He’s just a great guy who’s dedicated to evangelizing great tech. And I really digg that.

Justine Ezarik (iJustine)
I first met Justine back in 2007, when we were each 1 of 6 people in the U.S. crazy enough to broadcast our lives online (Justin.TV), on the internet, LIVE 24/7 (most people don’t know that’s how i got started with video). She’s an incredible video blogger who has done amazing things, while carving out her own unique style, and is certainly a leader in the space. Following her “show” online is easy, she creates and produces so much YouTube video content- it’s incredible to follow and watch.

Lyndsay Rush
Few people possess the incredible talent of writing with very few words, but still are able to paint vivid pictures of any situation. Lyndsay is one of those few people. We were friends in college and even back then she was easily the funniest person I knew. She’s moved around the country to different cities, but it’s been fun following her freelance writing career in different publications. Her humor comes through on anything she Tweets, posts to Facebook or writes a blog post about (i would stay her writing style is a derivative of Tina Fey …but cooler) . I always take mental notes watching her technique when she posts.

I’m a believer that social technologies have the power to greatly augment relationships (not destroy or lessen). Time and physical space make it impossible for me to be around any of these wonderful and talented people I’ve listed above. I wish I could grab coffee with Lyndsay or Scoble each week. Or even shoot some vblogs with Justine today. I can’t. However, I’m able to keep in touch with a level of regularity and intimacy with all of them because social media tools make this possible. All of these people share their details online. And just like Reality TV, it’s these details that makes us feel closer to these people we care to follow, but not able to participate as closely because of time and space constraints.

Who are your favorite “Reality Shows” online? Share them in the comments, I’d like to know- perhaps I’ll start watching
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Last night I was asked to attend a sneak-peek invite for America: Now and Here. It’s a national touring art installation. Now, let me clear one thing up- I’m not exactly the kind of guy who knows anything about art or what to look for. But I certainly do appreciate it. That said… yada, yada, yada …ok, this *was* impressive. Not all of the pieces were things that interested me, but there were 3-4 that were so incredible- it made it worth the time.

Check out this short video blog I did of one of the pieces by Mike Lyon:

This art installation opens tonight (@First Fridays!). It’s at 20th and Baltimore. You know, near Jack Stack and where LuLu’s used to be… more details at http://kansascity.americanowandhere.org (it’s here in Kansas City until May 28th)

Mobile is exploding. People who access the internet from a mobile device daily has increased dramatically (anytime, anywhere). According to Jan. 2011 research, 20% of US mobile phone users- use the mobile internet once a day or more often.

Smartphones killed the phonebook.

When is the last time you opened a phonebook to lookup a phone number? Be honest (perhaps the better question is, do you even own a phonebook?). We now search on Google for local business phone #’s using our mobile devices. And often, we aren’t looking for a website to read, but just a phone number to call.

Create “click-to-call” phone numbers on Google.

Did you know, as business owner, you can advertise at the top of Google’s search results page with a “clickable” phone number? You can customize the AD with phone number shown based on person’s location, and even track analytics on # of calls received. All you need to do, is sign-up for GoogleAdWords, setup location extensions, and check mark “show ads on iPhones and other mobile devices” on your profile. That’s it. Customers will then be able to click-to-call you from any ADs you run. And the costs are the exact same as the cost of a click to visit your website.

Here’s an example of a search I did for “chinese food” in Kansas City. There’s an opportunity here for someone to bid on this phrase and put their business in this result listing. Also, I should also probably charge my battery. 31% is scary close to being low battery!

Given the proliferation of smartphones and the behavioral shift that Google has become the new phonebook, have you adjusted your digital marketing accordingly? Setting up ADs like this are simple. Don’t over think it. It just makes sense. Have you done this already? Is it working well for you?
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Some people ask me, “What’s your Twitter strategy?” My answer: I follow my 4:1 rule. And I speak my mind, share stuff I find interesting, helpful, or promote others. That said, I’ve decided I’m going to re-post some Tweets here. I realize you do not read all my Tweets (I’ll get over it). But if you’re subscribed at my blog, hopefully you’ll find this series helpful.

You might be wondering why I titled this blog post #23? It seems silly to start at #1. Let’s just pretend together I’ve been doing this for a while. Cause I should have been doing this yesterday.

1.) You can edit comments on Facebook without deleting them:

2.) Backup your files! It’s not a matter of “if” it will happen, it’s “when” it does happen:

Here’s a link to Senuti, the program I use on my Mac. It lets you take off music on your iPod. Easy to use, just a few clicks and the backup process starts.

3.) If you create original text content online, Copyscape is a really helpful tool:

4.) Here are awesome Gmail hacks and tips, to make it easier to use:

If you’re looking to turn-on “Auto-Advance”, go to the your SETTINGS in Gmail and click the LABS link. Then click “enable” for the Auto-Advance application.

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If you’re interesting to see recent project work, from the company I work for (Digital Evolution Group), we just launched a new version of http://www.flykci.com. And we launched a location-aware mobile version of the website as well: http://m.flykci.com. Check it out! A big shout-out to my friend and colleague Ben Mantooth for leading the project team for leading the team for this re-design. (I only served as a web strategist for this project).

Many brands and companies set the goal of reaching critical mass on Facebook for “Likes”. This blog post is a simple, tactical, suggestion if Facebook “Like” acquisition is one of your goals in using social at your organization.

First, let’s talk about Facebook “Likes”

There are 2 types of brand categories when talking about this topic. Those brands that have the natural Facebook equity in their brand. Their customers are on Facebook and they are actively, organically, compelled to declare and seek out to “Like” the brand. They’ve reached critical mass with little to no effort, and it’s working for them on their behalf already. However, let’s be honest- most brands and companies don’t have that kind of equity that compels customers to “Like” them organically. When this is the case, you must work harder. And be smart with your efforts.

I should note: your brand or company’s acquisition strategy should only be developed *after* considering the retention strategy + the value of a “Like” to the brand <– and what it takes to sustain this effort (resources and time)

When it comes to “Like” acquisition…

1 tactic or marketing campaign will not get your brand or company to critical mass on Facebook. More importantly, efforts that are episodic and disjointed, short-changes the customer. You must tie together online and offline efforts.

There can be many efforts you’re already doing that just need to be reworked in order to support your “Like” acquisition goals. The best way to grow “Likes” and achieve critical mass is to plan on-going strategies and tactics in which you utilize existing digital efforts and leverage or create in-store opportunities. The efforts collectively, must work together and complement each other, rather than relying on 1 tactic or campaign. For example, you may remembered my previous stupid-simple tip of leveraging your existing ecommerce confirmation page with the FB “Like” plugin.

Here is a simple and smart acquisition tactic:

One of our clients we do digital work for is Helzberg Diamonds, a Berkshire Hathaway company. Lisa (who works at Helzberg) was out at an email marketing conference today, so she setup her “Out of Office” notifications. But instead of writing the same, boring, canned message- she decided to make smart use of the real-estate you’re given in a blank “Out of Office” message:

Imagine if every employee did this? If you work at a large corporation, who sends thousands of emails a day, this could add up very quickly in terms of impressions and click-throughs.

This 1 idea won’t change the world. But I think this is a stupid-simple idea. Don’t over think it. It is easy to implement, great use of the space, and it just makes sense. It’s tactics like this, if combined with in-store efforts like traditional media references, email template design integrations, or e-commerce add-ons (just to name a few categories) …it’s these collective efforts working together that move the needle. Relying on 1 tactic or marketing campaign will not get you to critical mass.
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