It certainly has been a long time since I last published anything new on my journal and I do apologize for the brief, disappearing act. Getting to the point though, the main reason for my absence is that there has been so much change in my life and so much more to come; each of which I’ll go over in a minute.

From training with All-Star athletes to getting at contract at Bell Mobility, my schedule has been stuffed the last two months; there’s still, however, plenty more to cram in. As always, there is a lot on my mind and plenty of topics I’m keen to discuss. For the present, this is more of an announcement of a few projects I will eagerly be preparing for this year as well as one, interesting announcement for my finale (don’t scroll to the bottom cheaters!).

So then, let’s get too it!

A real journal

After some careful thought and a personal heart to heart with myself, I have decided that this journal will have to become more of an actual journal. The idea of sticking to just one aspect of my life, freelance design, isn’t for me. I would rather have a few blogs with unique concepts than several, niche based blogs that sing that same old song and contain no profoundly useful content. Advertising revenue is not something that interests me at all; I feel my opinions shouldn’t always come with a price tag. So catering to just one audience for traffics sake isn’t my thing.

What does that mean for this website? Well it boils down to this website focusing on items that I enjoy and opinions I would love to share based on several different topics that influence my daily routine. I’ve always wanted to share my opinions on books, games and movies; the idea of opening several blogs for each doesn’t exactly give me a kick so I’ll share them, in the future, on this website.

The last update for this website is that there will be more of what I like to call positive content. More posts such as Brick by Brick and Building a Stronger Entrepreneur are in the works. I have a passion for wanting to help people and I’m truly hoping I can push a little change into people’s hearts somehow from this blog.

Reforming, Reform Media

One of my long, lost projects, Reform Media is scheduled to be re-launched in the summer of this year. Previously, Reform Media was my personal portfolio and blog, however I decided to transfer all that over to this website. Until a few months ago, I didn’t have a clue what to do with the domain; that was until a few months ago though as I have come up with a project for Reform Media.

Although I just stated I have little interest in niche blogs, I would still like a place on the web that focuses solely on design topics. I figured that it would be better to open up this website to a wider range of topics and to use Reform Media to focus only on design.

There is much planning and design work to be done before Reform Media can be re-launched. However, I have decided on a few factors of the blog such as each posting having a unique style and a quality over quantity approach for content with initially only two postings per month. I also plan not to have any advertising. The further along I come in ironing out the details, the more I will share.

The Nomad Project

The last web project announcement is currently codenamed The Nomad Project. Like Reform Media, it will be a brand new blog but with a twist. The main rational behind The Nomad Project is method to improve my airbrush skills in Photoshop and to share an idea I’ve had in the back of my head since I was a teenager. With this in mind, I hope to present a different type of blogging experience that I don’t believe is presented often, if at all.

The project is going to be kept silent for now so I won’t share many details except that I hope to have it started by the end of 2010. When the time is right, more information will be released, until than you’ll just have to sit tight.

Last but not least

Like I stated above, my schedule has been stuffed to the gills with a short-term, Bell Mobility contract taking up most of my time. Yet, when I’m not working over at the Bell Campus I am at my brother’s gym preparing for what will be my final announcement this evening.

For the last month I have taken the first few steps towards preparing my body for competition in the sport of bodybuilding. Although I currently do not have the exact date of the show I will compete in, my brother and I have set a tentative date for the fall of 2010.

I cannot say what exactly I have in mind for my future in the sport, the things I do know is that a) I would really like to see how far I can push myself and b) I would really get a kick out of being a public speaker at a web design conference one day with that kind of muscle. As this is a personal matter, there will be some content on this website that pertains to this topic and maybe a few pictures if my audience would have them.

That’s pretty much the gist of the information I have for what’s coming in the future. I hope have provided a bit of an explanation as to what I have been focusing my time on for the past two months. There will be plenty of new content to come as soon as I find the time to publish the quality of content I strive for.

On November 9, 2009, Berlin celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a "Festival of Freedom". Originally I had planned for this article to be published on that date; unfortunately my blog was not functional so I was unable to do so. As an alternative I opted to publish this article as the first post for the New Year, 2010; it was just too important to let slip by.

This article is not a list of steps to guaranteed success or empty promises of prosperity. Nor does this article have anything to do with any sort of design. The only images I will use here is the single image used above as part of the website’s design.

I am simply writing this article for the personal reason of saying something that I believe needs to be said more often. From time to time, other articles like this will pop up on here, it is a Journal after all.

You may find the writings inspiring or perhaps you’ll find them not to your liking. Either way, here they are.

The Fall of The Wall

On November 9, 1989, after several weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announced that all German Democratic Republic (GDR) citizens were permitted to visit West Germany. Crowds of East Germans climbed over and crossed the wall, which for almost a quarter century had split the country in two. On the opposite side the East Germans were joined by West Germans, with a national celebration to follow.

Over the next few weeks, parts of the wall were chipped away by excited citizens, some even taking parts of the wall with them as a souvenir. Industrial equipment was later used to remove the remaining pieces of the wall. Many of the pieces are still standing today, but as monuments to commemorate the day the wall came crumbling down.

On October 3, 1990, due to the actions of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German reunification was officially finalized and the oppression caused by the wall for over two decades came to an end.

Those who observed the end of the Berlin Wall agree it was one of the most remarkable sights they have ever witnessed; a monumental moment in history that occurs only once in a lifetime.

I personally only remember fragments of the televised portions I watched on television, only five years old at the time. In a era before YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and the internet itself, the images of those bold, brave individuals taking apart the wall, brick by brick, where spread all over the globe in mere minutes. A truly remarkable moment and one I am happy to have witnessed in my lifetime.

Grab It

Some days I just wanna up and call it quits. I feel like I’m surrounded by a wall of bricks.

The above lyric is from the song, Run Rabbit Run, written by Eminem for the 8 Mile Movie Soundtrack; the song details Eminem’s character, nicknamed Rabbit, and his state of mind during the film. As controversial as Eminem can be, I give credit where it’s due, Marshal Mathers has created some incredibly inspiring music. Should you be interested in listening to the song, Mr. Mathers is known for his explicit lyrics for good reason; consider yourself warned.

So what is the point of me bringing these lyrics into the conversation? Minus the fact the quote deals with the mental barriers the character is dealing with and Eminem’s controversy aside, the lyrics ring true for anyone’s life. Those times we feel we are being surrounded by walls; days where we find ourselves willing to wave the white flag and gorge in self-doubt.

In an age where we crave instantaneous results, it can be increasingly strenuous to dedicate ourselves to an idea that takes a lifetime to attain. I say a lifetime because for each challenge we overcome, another is already situated to take the place of the last one.

This is the reality we are faced with. Only one thing will collapse these walls around us. Inside all of us, there is a desire to be better at something, an ache in our hearts; it’s the human spirit, the pursuit of the good fight, our stride to move forward. In order to move forward, we have to take those, fresh, demanding steps into the unfamiliar, prepared to chip away any obstacles in our path. However we cannot walk blindly unless we wish to walk straight into a fresh, unfamiliar wall.

Any individual who desires to move forward requires vision, a grasp on something that is intangible yet very real. It’s a mental picture of where, who, or what they want to be; a lifeline in times of need, an idea to grab on to when things get rough.

A vision is all the mind needs to set in motion the steps to attain that higher path; and that’s it, that is the path to achievement. No tricks. No series of steps. No gimmicks. There is no one, best way. This is your life and you have to tear down your walls, your way. A vision and the work used to attain that vision; that’s all it takes.

Like I said before, this is not a list of steps to success or a clear path to something prosperous. Hurdles are meant to be jumped over. Obstacles are meant to be overcome. Walls are meant to keep us enclosed but only for however long we want them to enclose us.

Our choice is simple. Either believe in ourselves, take our chances and push back the walls that surround us or to give in to our fears and give up on our hopes, our dreams and, our lives.

If I gotta scream ’til I have half a lung. If I have half a chance I’ll grab it, Rabbit, run.

Jumping Jack

For the conclusion of this article I would like to close with a more recent story, something that I experienced while weight training this week.

During the Christmas break my brother invited me to train with a few, future pro athletes as a new experience in my workout routine. As most of these future pros are friends of mine who I was unable to train with recently, I jumped at the chance. At the same time I was also very interested to see how I would compare to strength and stamina of these athletes. You can consider this a wall, an opportunity to better my body against those who have constantly striven to improve their own fitness. However, this story is not about the athletes I trained with for the past few weeks.

A few minutes after the end of a training session this week, my brother had gone on to start a new session with another client. I had seen this client a few times before but never watched the person exercise. As my brother and the client began, I was finishing up my post workout routine while listening to some music; totally unable to hear the conversation taking place between the two of them.

The client was your average sized, skinny beginner, similar to myself when I began training. Someone who appeared perfectly normal but who I could see had a long road ahead of them. How little I knew.

As I silently watched my brother instruct the client, I was baffled at how this individual was unable to do some of the simplest warm-up exercises. The one exercise I watched this individual attempt that stuck out in my mind was the ‘Jumping Jack’. This client just couldn’t do it smoothly. I didn’t understand how a young person was unable to do an exercise you first learn in grade school. The client also didn’t appear too happy about not being able to handle some of the exercises either, however, I had gotten used to seeing that in beginners.

With the music still on, I headed to the change room to get ready to head home. As I was leaving the change room, I had turned my music off and, wow, did I ever get an ear full.

As it turns out this client was lucky enough to even be walking let alone doing Jumping Jacks. This individual had recently survived a car crash, causing the person to lose some of their mobility. But it gets worse. The client had also been quite athletic prior to the crash, I learned later this was the reason they were dissatisfied with being unable to fully perform some of the warm-up exercises.

I may sound like a bit of jerk at this point but understand I only wish the best of all individuals who reach for that higher ground to better their lives. I also knew that the client was in good hands with my brother, he has transformed many lives. I’m telling this story not for others to feel sorry for this individual but to become inspired; it’s a triumph example of breaking down the walls in our lives. This individual had broken barriers in their life to attain a stronger body, only to have, not only those old walls rebuilt, but walls rebuilt that were broken decades ago, all in a matter of seconds.

I imagined if this was me, how frustrated and angry I would have become. How working to gain everything back would be mentally harder than anything I’ve ever attempted before. Yet here this person was, session after session, forging ahead and breaking down walls. If this person could visualize where they wanted to be, after everything they had been through, than we all can. The desire is inside us all, we just have to believe in it.

Tear Down The Wall

For many, tearing down the Berlin Wall became more than a mere display of masonry deconstruction, more than the removal of an blockage interfering with the lives of Eastern and Western Germans. The fall of the Berlin Wall has become a demonstration of the power of the human spirit; a symbol of those brave enough to rise against the obstructions that halt us all from achieving our true potential.

We all have our own walls to overcome in our lives, daily we are surrounded by barriers set only to push us back. For each wall that we tear down, there is an infinite amount of untouched obstacles, set to impede our progress. A life devoted to shattering the endless quantity of walls that constrict and restrain our being; such is the toil of all humans. Do we become fearful and content with crumbs of our current existence? Or do we rise up, courageously willing to face the unfamiliar, to forge ahead and produce our own legacy?

Presentations can be an effective marketing tool, when done properly, but it doesn’t take much for an excellent idea to go south due to an avoidable mistake. Here are some basic tips on keeping those mistakes in check and keeping you on a path to success.

Note, this is a updated, previously published article from my former blog. As I never completed the second part, but still wish to do so, I have rereleased it to complete here.

Article’s Inspiration

Before I get into the basics I would like to share where I got the idea for this article. Freelancers, sooner or later, all get the following scenario; sometimes it can be positive and prosperous, sometimes funny and outrageous but most of the time it’s a train wreck.

What is it I’m talking about? It’s the "greatest idea ever that will make us all very rich" scenario. You know the drill, John and Jane Doe wants you to build something that will revolutionize the world but John and Jane forget to bring along his cheque book.

“We just need to build a prototype and in a few months we’ll have all the funds we need. Trust me.”

A few months back I had to deal with such a client who set out to enlighten me with their golden idea. It wasn’t all bad though, it has given me a lot to think and write about. The entrepreneur’s idea wasn’t all bad either; what really put this one to rest were various factors of their presentation. I’m sure this individual could have gotten a bit of funding, and me on board, had their presentation actually showed some effort.

As freelancers and entrepreneurs we might have to present our ideas to a larger audience, following some of these basic points will keep you and your idea on center stage.

Polish That Presentation

A vital step to take when fleshing out your idea is to get it in writing and build up a business plan. Write it, read it over, take it apart and put it back together again. Then after you’re done, hand it to some else and let them repeat the process. Remember this is your big idea and it should mean the world to you. Treat it with the time and attention it deserves; if you don’t than chances are no one else will either.

As this article is not directly about building a business plan but rather presenting one, it will be an area I tackle in the future. In the mean time, there are many resources on the internet that can help you get started with your business plan.

When you get that all important client meeting make sure that your business plan is not the only thing you bring to the table. Explaining your points with visuals such as diagrams, a PowerPoint presentation or a video can unveil your vision far better than a heavy stack of typed, handouts. Choose the method that brings your idea to life. For example, wireframes are a great way to explain the processes and architecture of a web application. Visual aids, such as these, keep the audience attentive and interested.

If your entire presentation consists of you reading over your plan to everyone else, you’d have better bring along a fog horn; there are going to be a lot of heavy eyelids at the table. They say a picture is worth a thousand words for a reason; save yourself the sore tongue and your mouth won’t be the only member of the meeting thanking you.

Lastly, practice your presentation. If it’s possible, invite some family or friends in for a few practices runs to give you the feeling of being at an actual meeting. Make sure all the equipment is up and running before the meeting takes place. It is more than likely this will be the first time you and your client meet face-to-face. First impressions matter, so boost your chances of making yours a lasting one. There is nothing worse than having your presentation spoiled over a hardware or software malfunction that could have been avoided.

Keep in mind there is always the chance of a mishap occurring so keep a backup plan and stay focused. Remaining calm in the face of a mistake and following through with a proper backup plan will lower the odds your audience will even notice a slip up.

Look the Part

This may seem like nit picking but hear me out. The person who called me to this meeting was dressed very well. The client dressed accordingly in a fresh suit, a matching tie, square, silver cufflinks and a bold, black leather strapped, chrome watch.

There was only one thing wrong and I couldn’t help but notice it. The presenter’s tie was far of the center of their shirt’s collar. It sounds like a small complaint to make, right? Well, it’s the little things like this that may keep your customers eyes off yours as this was the case during my meeting. With the tie out of place, I couldn’t help but stare at it and wonder how the young entrepreneur didn’t notice it themselves.

Face it, your idea is not the only thing that’s going to be analyzed at your presentations. Members at the meeting will be watching your body language and apparel as equally as your idea. Dressing appropriately and looking sharp shows you are professional about your idea and that you take it seriously. Your idea might be the next big thing but some people only need the smallest spark to set them off and shoot you down. Make sure you aren’t feeding them any ammunition.

Dressing the part doesn’t necessarily mean a suit and tie at all times though. For instance, if the meeting is about a line of clothing, modeling those fashions yourself could be a proper initiative. If your idea is emphasized by a certain look then maybe you should try it out on yourself. It may even make you feel more comfortable and let others know you have a unique personality.

Just as visual aids can be used as props in your presentation, so can your overall look. In the end it’s really up to you, just as long as you look professional. On my own trips to potential clients, I’m usually in a dress shirt and a nice pair of jeans; there is no need for a suit and tie in my case. Be careful to keep your attire in the limits of good taste. If there is a mandatory dress code you are better off following it.

Introductions

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about this one as it is safe to say most professionals don’t overlook this aspect of the meeting.

Surprisingly, this was not the case in the meeting I attended. In fact, no introductions took place until another member at the meeting inquired as to who I was and what my role would be in this project!

Even with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and various other social networking websites all making this world a smaller place, it hasn’t become that much smaller. Introductions are still very much a required, and polite, part of any meeting. Make sure they aren’t lost in a rush to get down to business right away.

Take a Break

Having a break can also be another area that’s easily forgotten so it’s important to keep in mind. If the meeting is going to be a long one it would be a wise choice to schedule in a break. Long meeting sessions without a moment to digest and review the information can cause crucial points to be lost and disregarded. There are other, simple, reasons for a break. Those involved may appreciate the chance to go to the washroom or enjoy being able to get up so they can stretch and walk around for a bit.

If your presentation is a poor one, be prepared to have a few empty chairs when the break is over. Avoid this by making sure your presentation is lively and that your idea is a solid one.

Taking a break could also simply mean coming back at a later date. Sometimes the client might need a little time to think over what has just been presented to them. If a client is on the fence about your idea, allowing them the time and space, they need, to reflect can be in your favor. It’s not a sure thing but in most cases it’s a better decision than constantly pestering the client.

Wrapping up the First Part

Since we’re on the subject of taking a break, this article deserves one. In the next part I’ll be discussing four other important parts of your presentation such as ‘Sticking to the Plan’ and ‘Being upfront’.

I’d love to hear back from you so be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think. If you have your own encounters with your own John Doe or anything I may have missed, I’d love to hear it.

The follow up will be posted late next week so until then thank you for visiting; I hope you enjoyed the article.

The death of the boring blog post doesn’t have to start with the post layout (it doesn’t hurt to add a little flare every so often though). However, better blog content can start right at the root with simply, better blogging.

Some authors may have already fallen into the habit of pumping out lists to increase their website’s content count and traffic as this seems to be the consensus on getting your e-fame the fastest. With numerous websites playing this same old song it’s really a no brainer why newer blogs join in.

Blogs that mostly publish this type of content are looking for a quick traffic boost, not building loyal readership. Although it does take more time and effort to build up a loyal readership, it is also a lot more worthwhile for the future of the website. A blogger who is quick to pick up on what clicks with their audience can cause their blog to become explosively popular which will build up those lasting visitors earlier. It really all comes down to just how dedicated you are to producing quality content. But since you already read the last article, you already knew that, right?

So how can we snap out of the habit of producing poor content and into producing quality content? After being exposed to poor, list and image regurgitated content for so long it might be a tough habit to break but what I’m going to go over in each of the next sections will aid you well. Plus I’ll explain how list content is actually an ineffective means of using the content altogether.

Let’s take a look at some of the current poor blogging methods and I’ll show you just what I mean.

Artist Before Artwork

There are tons of posts on design blogs that are nothing more than a short list of images of anything from websites, artwork, photography, fonts or some other product created within our field. The authors of these posts usually try to disguise their lack of actual research by declaring the contents to be ‘inspirational’.

You know these posts as exciting examples of minimalistic design, breathtaking HDR photos, the amazing artwork of some iconic character and so on.

These types of lists are always artwork centric, meaning they focus on the artwork rather than the artist. In doing so, the author of these posts fails to understand just how much more content they could potentially have.

Instead of focusing on a huge range of, for example, minimalistic web designs they could focus on a few designers who have experience designing minimalistic websites. This will provide much more insight into the techniques and methods of this group of particular designers; rather than just simply throwing one image of an artist’s work into a sea of similar images.

Not only does this give your visitors a better understanding of a certain style; it can also get your visitors to become even more enthusiastic about the designers who produce these wonderful pieces; thus actually helping out the designers further.

When an author provides a whole background check on any one, or several types of, designers and showcases a few of their best pieces all in one article that author is providing a greater tribute to those artists.

The possibilities of doing artist, rather than artwork, focused articles are completely up to you. It could become an interview, a tribute to those who influence you, exposing artists who are relatively new or unknown and deserve some spotlight or an idea all your own.

An example, for myself, would be to write an article describing how Eric Jordan, the head honcho over at 2Advanced Studios, has been an influence to my designs. It would be a much more heartfelt, appropriate and respectable acknowledgment to show what about Eric Jordan’s work makes me so gaga via precise examples. If I instead threw a bunch of 2Advanced’s best work in with twenty other flash designs I found in a gallery, combined them in a single blog post and called it a day, it would be disrespectful to say the least.

So how about some samples? Here are some instances of blogs that have been doing these types of “artist first” articles to give you a better idea of what is possible.

• Inspiration Category from Psdtuts+ – It doesn’t get much more artist focused than an interview with the actual artist. Each interview includes terrific visual examples of the artist’s work plus sometimes a few extras. Interviews like these can be found within most areas of the Envato Network.
• Ask The Expert from Design Informer – These are some great articles that Design Informer has recently started. Take an expert, focus on something they do great and let the helpful insights rollout.

Through Your Own Experience

You know these types of articles by their titles. Articles which are full of tips, apps, tutorials which are 150% guaranteed to make you a ninja, pirate, rockstar, space monkey in your selected career. You can smell the discharge of these posts from the keyword heavy titles alone. Articles such as these are usually just rehashed ideas from other designs blogs, particularly the most recent popular posts, done over again in point form.

My major beef with this type of article is the ton of hype from the onset and no actual work to back it up; it’s just a list of ideas related to some current flavor of the month topic.

These types of articles seriously come across as cheesy self help books; “Twenty-five Nuclear Proof Methods to Turn Your Life Around by Yesterday as Taught to Me by 400 Year Old Tree.” I could make the title longer but I think you get the point.

Where is the actual real world experience to fuel these insights from the author? I would rather have one solid example of how the author came to a certain conclusion based on their own experiences than a hundred tips they found on various other blogs. A single, fresh, tutorial from an author showing how they solved a clients unique problem is much more beneficial to the reader than a list of useless tutorials from a Google search.

If you want to talk about apps, take an app, take it apart and write a review. What did you like about the app? What didn’t you like about the app? I don’t care if it was downloaded the most, that’s not a valid reason for me to use it; tell me why you think it’s useful. Clear out the cobwebs in your melon and get those gears moving.

Of all the list type of articles, if you haven’t noticed by now, regurgitated lists of old ideas, with no character of their own are definitely tops on my ignore list. It’s very plain and simple to understand that going over one item at a time, in detail, is much more interesting than throwing out a bunch of items into the dark and letting your audience walk blindly into the void.

Come up with your own solutions. Let me hear your own experiences. Tell me why you recommend something. For some examples, these websites have got you covered in the fresh and insightful department.

• Portfolio & Blog of Soh Tanaka – Soh Tanaka is one innovative developer. The link above is to his blog’s tutorial section, each tutorial is very well presented and fresh. I use a few of his jQuery scripts on this website.
• Product Reviews From FreelanceSwitch – FreelanceSwitch has plenty of simple, easy to read reviews that I find useful. Although I prefer a review done by a group of experts, a review by one expert is good too. If loving blogs from the Envato Network is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

A Matter of Opinion

What’s the difference between a matter of opinion and speaking through your own experiences? Teaching your audience through an experience in your life is different than stating an opinion based on your thoughts.

The types of articles I am focusing on for this section are mainly those that try to point out trends based off of the latest design gallery submissions. There is not a lot of detail as to if the trend is positive or negative, just a lot of bottom kissing.

Articles like these tend to persuade designers into doing what’s currently hot and not doing something timeless. The authors take an element of a design, for instance a large footer and explain why every design should have it because all the cool kids are doing it. The author will then proceed to list a bunch of images that show big footers from all the cool kids.

I could write a whole other article solely about how trends are a waste of time, but that’s for another day. The point I’m going for now is that anybody can go to a design gallery and point out how everyone is copying everyone else. How about some actual insight as to if the actual element is good for the design, if the element was required, if the element was utilized properly?

Another aspect of trend lists are predictions for the next year, such as what the next big thing on the web will be. I’m all for someone stating their opinion on how they feel about the future of any technology, however, if you’re going to state that opinion at least make an attempt to raise a few eyebrows. Don’t tell me mobile optimized websites, HTML 5 or CSS 3 will be the next hot thing for the web in 2010 because it’s an insult.

Instead, go out on a limb and tell me what you think the future holds for a product or an application or a social network or heck even your own website. Tell me what you think and not what everyone else knows.

Be the person who’s willing to say what everyone is thinking but too afraid to blog. People are going to be critical of you, but so what? People will criticize you no matter what you say; so be bold about it!

Now without further ado, here come those examples.

• Bold Web Predictions for 2010 from David Walsh Blog – David Walsh was bold, he blogged about some predictions on what 2010 held for websites like Digg, Twitter and Facebook. Some might agree and some might disagree, but Walsh’s opinion is his and his alone.
• Call to Action Buttons: Examples and Best Practices – When Smashing Magazine puts together an Examples and Best Practices post, I’m always interested. They take an element of design, go over the do’s and don’ts and back them up with solid examples.
• Smashing Magazine Killed The Community (Or Maybe It Was Me) – The article that pulled no punches. It doesn’t get much more opinionated than this.

Users United

This article has, for the most part, been targeted at authors who publish poor content within the blog and hopefully the winds of change will clear out this mess quickly. The power to make real changes is, and always will be, in the hands of the user.

The comment box is all a visitor needs to let a blog know what they really think of their content; be sure to let them know. If the blog owner refuses to change their habits, take it a step further and unsubscribe to website’s RSS or stop visiting the website or don’t follow them on Twitter; take your pick. Nagging the author doesn’t do much good, it’s the more subtle things that make a noticeable impact.

If you are really disappointed about the content on a blog, write about what your opinions in your own blog. Just makes sure your thoughts aren’t in a negative “you suck” way, instead provide constructive criticism.

A admirable blog will always acknowledge its critics and do it positively as they understand they wouldn’t exist without their reliable readers. These admirable websites will make an attempt to better their content; give them some flexibility to let the change occur. If the blog was just paying you lip service, more and more of their readers will pick up on it, which makes the blog look even worse.

In my own Twitter habits, I have started sharing articles only if I have read them and find them beneficial; they’re also definitely not simple lists. A effortless list will get no press from me and perhaps if other users did the same, this type of content would soon become a craze of ancient times.

You’re the one holding the hammer, slam that last nail in coffin and start shoveling on the dirt. It’s time to say good riddance to boring blog content.

On Wednesday November 25 2009, the website Drawar published an article titled "Smashing Magazine Killed The Community (Or Maybe It Was Me)", which, understandably, created a considerable amount of buzz in the web design community. In the article, author Paul Scrivens, questioned the path several design related blogs have been venturing due to inspiration from the website Smashing Magazine. I first heard about the article that day from a tweet by, Web Standards Pioneer, Jeffery Zeldman, who agreed with the statements in the Drawar posting. I figure if the article got Zeldman’s attention, it would be well worth taking a deeper look into. If you haven’t read the "How Smashing Magazine Killed The Community" yet, it would be well worth your time to do so.

I felt the points Paul Scrivens presents are valid and I decided to write this follow-up to keep things moving forward. There are a growing number of blogs that continue to post content which is nothing but a long series of links or images. There is no opinion, no voice, no heart in this type of ‘content’; which is exactly why Scriven’s ranting was so well received. Our community is losing it’s voice and it’s heart.

We can’t continue spewing only ‘Listamania’ or link baiting type postings to our readers. For new bloggers there are tons of examples of blogs that regurgitate someone else’s work in a list thus making it a no brainer why most bloggers trade in their voice for this quick, meaningless type of popularity. So just how do we heal this festering wound in our community? Well let’s talk it over in a minute, but first I’ll begin with a story.

Sending a Message

A few nights back, I caught The Dark Knight on television and decided to stay up till the end of the film. I was reminded of the first occasion I viewed the film. How I was mesmerized by the late Health Ledger’s chilling representation of The Joker. Ledger’s award winning performance was the main reason I enjoy the film, the movie itself is not one of my favorites but Ledger’s performance is definitely in a league all its own. Eventually the movie played out to the scene where the Joker is burning his half of the Gotham mobster’s cash savings. As the sadistic clown orders for the last of the Gotham crime bosses to be served to the dogs, the newly crowned king of the Gotham underworld declares the reason for setting his share of the earnings up in smoke.

"It’s not about money, it’s about sending a message."

So what was the point of my little spiel about the latest Batman flick? I would like you to think back to just a few of the listamania type blogs and e-zines currently publishing ‘content’ or pick out any of the over 200 CSS design galleries. What is the first thing you notice along the sidebars of these particular websites? You probably know where I’m going with this, however, I’ll take it a step further. Visit the css Zen Garden; do you see any advertising? Nope! Not a single one.

The css Zen Garden was built with a clear purpose, to demonstrate the power and flexibility of valid, css driven, tabless web design. When Dave Shea launched the website in April 2003 there were only 5 designs total. There are currently 210 designs published with 1039 additional submitted designs; these numbers are growing constantly. To this day there are no other websites quite like css Zen Garden or as appreciated. Through this one website, Dave Shea has inspired thousands of web designers, both novice and expert, to change how they thought about designing for the web. The css Zen Garden will be forever remembered for its contribution and inspiration to web standards.

Now to makes things perfectly clear, I’m not anti-advertising. In fact many of the websites I frequently visit have their share of sidebar, banner advertising and deserve every penny from it. Nor do I believe every website you publish has to be the next css Zen Garden straight out of the gate. The point is, what exactly is your website’s plan? Did you build a website around an idea that you thought would be a quick way to get rich? How do you want to be remembered? Do you want to publish material that inspires the masses or are you just here to enjoy your five minutes of e-fame? What messages are you sending?

Patience and Nurture

So now some of you may be questioning your blogging methods, perhaps grunting at the idea of having to put forth actual effort in your content. Like everything else in life, if it’s worth doing, it’s not going to be easy. The good news is, if you put in the effort with your heart, the results will eventually come. These results will also be much more worthwhile. But everyone knows how to make a list, how are you supposed to create meaningful content? Simple. Find something you enjoy and then you write about it, passionately. I know, it’s a groundbreaking idea isn’t it? You can thank me later.

Sorry, there’s no top-secret formula or series of perfectly planned steps to share. You have to take measures to create your own formula and walk there in your own shoes. Great things take heart and a bit of elbow grease.

In April of 2007, a small website by the name of FreelanceSwitch opened its doors to would-be freelancers everywhere. The website was created to be a bank of entrepreneurial knowledge headed by Collis Ta’eed. Their first article, “A Comprehensive Guide to Starting Your Freelance Career”, was the just the beginning of the series of content FreelanceSwitch was going to share.

Collis also had another little known tutorial blog by the name of Psdtuts, which dark brown layout I remember very well. On Psdtuts, Collis shared his wealth of Photoshop tips and advice in numerous well written tutorials. There was no other tutorial website like it anywhere else, at the time, and it quickly became a cloned business model for other graphic artists looking to open a tutorial website. Psdtuts also set in motion the many other tutorial blogs part of the Tuts+ family such as Nettuts, AudoTuts and Vectortuts to name a few.

Presently, both Psdtuts and FreelanceSwitch are just two of the several blogs under the Envato Network; a rapidly growing series of blogs created by Collis Ta’eed, his wife and their talented staff. Collis built a business around the things he loved, without resorting to regurgitated content. There are the odd posts where resources are shared in link and image lists, but there numbers are far fewer than the number of quality postings presented by the Envato family. Collis can currently be found writing over at The Netsetter where he continues to share his experiences dealing with startups and web business.

There are several other bloggers I could go on about that didn’t rise to fame by throwing other people’s concepts and artwork in a list and plastering them on their website. I choose to talk about Collis because if it wasn’t for the articles published on FreelanceSwitch and being able to watch Psdtuts grow into such a hugely successful blog, I probably would still be stuck in boring 9 to 5 job. It was amazing watching what just these two websites grew into in only a few years and it gave me inspiration to do something meaningful for the web on my own. These are the types of resources the web needs more of.

Small Steps Towards Higher Means

It sounds counterintuitive but the article that got you the most traffic isn’t necessarily the one you want to keep cloning. You need to lead with your heart and not by what others demand. The content you publish should be that which you love to discuses and share with others. I’m nowhere near as successful as Collis or Smashing Magazine, and, for now, that’s ok; heck I just opened up a few weeks ago, the world owes me nothing. I would prefer taking my time building meaningful relationships with positive, like-minded individuals than meaningless relationships with random, one time visitors who offer only negativity.

It takes several years to build something up to a success, years always scare people because it sounds like a lot of work over a long, long time. Mind the cliché but time really does fly when you’re having fun; if you enjoy what you do than those several years will go by faster than the blink of an eye. It’s easy to throw up your hands, give up and turn to a Google search for content just because it will spike your traffic; but it’s hardly rewarding.

To their credit, Smashing Magazine did reply back to Paul Scrivens and they did so with class. Smashing Mag understands that listmania content can only take you so far and has promised to evolve from being mostly list content. There is definitely a lot of great writing in Smashing Magazine such as the article released just today, "How To Support Internet Explorer and Still Be Cutting Edge" written by Inayaili de Leon. This single article has, currently, been shared over 5000 times via Twitter alone already. I really do look forward to this movement further inspiring the current "Smashing Clones" to begin evolving as well; they will find a much more satisfying journey on their rise to success.

When I was hired by the Gandinnovations’ Marketing Department, all print advertising was positioned to follow guidelines dictated by the Sales Department; thus leaving very little room for creative team to flex our innovative muscle. Much of the current advertising was without focus which was hurting the overall brand of Gandinnovations.

Based on the Sales VP’s guidelines, each advert was to showcase most, or even all, of our product models, prices, current deals and discounts, sales contact information and other various copy. With a product lineup of over ten models the information was a lot to squeeze into a one page ad. The outcome was usually something out of a department store catalog; images of the product with a big wall of text related to the product. This method was not very effective for the companies target audience. At this time, I was strictly handling web related material; print was assigned to a separate designer who was strictly publishing print work.

It took a few months but eventually the Marketing Department was allowed full creative control over the advertising content and layout. The next series of advertisements that followed stuck to something that resembled more of a luxury car ad; a sole image of the featured product, a tagline, a large detailed and colorful image to fill the background and some copy at the bottom.

The days of a huge wall of text and nothing to grab the reader’s attention where over. Now whenever a potential buyer browsed a Gandinnovations’ magazine ad they would be experience the idea of just how well our printers could execute any print job. A brand of an industry leader that could outperform the competition time and time again.

After a few months, the new ads were beginning to improve the company image and product sales were on the rise. However, the designs were beginning to suffer from a growing problem of being too repetitive as only a handful of images were used in all of our advertising.

The Marketing Department felt there needed to be more creativity in the advertising to catch additional potential buyers. I had a few ideas I wanted to experiment with but my plate was full with the web. Yet during a brief absence by our designer, I was assigned the role of creating a few print advertisements along with my usual daily pile of work. It was just the break I had been looking for.

I took the chance to attempt some more creative techniques to give our print material that extra stimulation it needed. The above picture was the focal point of the advertisement, a modified image of a goldfish jumping from a dreary, grey fishbowl into a new brighter, more colorful fishbowl. The VP of Marketing thought it was just the type of creativity Gandinnovations’ brand needed to see more of. Soon I found myself with an increasing mound of print related tasks along with my current, expanding heap of web work.

Another idea I experimented with was adding additional brand elements from our current website. For instance, our products were sorted into three separate categories; Solvent Roll to Roll, UV Roll to Roll and UV Flatbed. Each category was assigned a color which I started to incorporate into elements of the advertisement. An example would be the fat, wavy lines displayed in the close up above. The idea was never meant to be a revolutionary part of our brand, just a subtle effect I thought would assist in brand recognition.

As more and more of my ideas were admired, I was given additional assignments far beyond the scope of 8’x11’ magazine ads. Eventually I was responsible for the large scale print material that was used to decorate entire showroom booths for future tradeshows. The sweetest part was that the material the designs were printed on was a transparent acrylic. The banners and posters would then be placed in a large, container with a backlight; this made the image’s colors wonderfully bright and vivid. It was certainly one of the more exciting experiences of working with Gandinnovations.

I believe that all problems have, in some form, been met by someone, at some time in history. It’s a pretty bold statement, so allow me to explain.

Bodybuilding Entrepreneurs. Not two words often seen together but have more in common than nearly all of us would believe. I will use the sport to demonstrate that by using concepts used to overcome one area, an individual can transfer those same concepts to overcome another area. Let’s get started.

Balance and Symmetry

First, some bad news. Both strength and business can be taken way too far. ‘Unsymmetrical freak shows’ are just as common in bodybuilding as workaholics are in the business world. Scenarios of constantly being on call from clients and colleagues are all too familiar for some businesspeople. The most ironic part of this cycle is the individual putting in so many hours away from their family, with the hope of create a better life for their spouse and children is barley ever available to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

From the world of health and fitness the solution is obvious. Balance. It’s exactly what bodybuilding is all about. All parts of the body, working together in symmetry to achieve a body in perfect balance. Should any one part of the body not get just the right amount of attention, it causes every part around it to look lost.

Take the time to ensure every part of your life is getting the attention it deserves and you’re business will not be the only thing that improves.

Start at the Bottom

Athletes are equipped with one enormous justification should they not “make it” as a professional. Blame it all on their genetics. Either you’re born with certain features or you’re not. It’s a variable we have absolutely no control over; producing an easy excuse for failure. Great athletes aren’t born great; they become great over years of preparation and strong effort. Hard work is exactly what the majority have a problem with, so they attempt to point the finger at something indefinable.

In the business world, there are no genetics for success. In its place is the heritage fund from mom and pop; the financing of being born into riches. I’d be a liar to say it doesn’t help, just like certain genetics can be an asset. Although you don’t need a ton of money to start making money, it can come in handy. The point is that starting with less than another person is not an excuse you wave around like a wand to make you’re failures disappear.

Like it, or lump it, most business start at the bottom, hungrily anticipating that initial transaction to provide a taste of achievement. Just like the bodybuilder who takes the body they are given and molds it into a spectacle of strength, so must the humble entrepreneur take their own skills to produce a prosperous way of living.

You’re On Your Own

This will probably turn a lot of heads since a lot of entrepreneurs consider their business to be a team environment. For the most part, they are right. But who do you think put the team together? You did of course; the brave, daring entrepreneur! If your team fails to deliver time and time again not only will you’re business suffer, but, more importantly, so will your credibility.

Bodybuilders can be meticulous when choosing their trainers, nutritionists, doctors and physicians. They carefully inspect their routines, schedules, meals and everything in-between through the eye of a microscope. All aspects selected to achieve the greatest results for bodybuilder. Yet in the end it all comes down to them, up on a stage, all alone, being judged on their body; their sole deliverable. In the sport of bodybuilding, there can only be one champion.

Don’t get me wrong though, you can’t win all the time. Every business is going to have its fair share of bumps and bruises. It’s still no excuse not to try, as much as possible, to stack the odds in you and your business’ favor. This is why it is important to make sure you choose associates wisely. The benefits will be massive.

Strengthening Weaknesses

“I can’t do that”. These four words have been uttered by all of us at some point in our lives. Four words that when put in a sentence are completely false. It’s never a matter of can’t, it’s a matter of not wanting to. It’s fear of change, an idleness to improve and a limitation set to prevent coping with a radical transformation.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your mentality, strengthening a weakness is a rather simple practice. Dedicate yourself to something long enough and you’ll improve at it. Take it from a bodybuilding perspective. Not every muscle in the body grows as well for one person as it does for someone else. A bodybuilder may have to dedicate several hours a week to certain body part while another grows without nearly any training at all. By not spending the added time on certain pieces of the body, the competitor’s entire shape suffers.

Where some athletes would say they can’t get a certain muscle to grow, what they are really saying is they don’t want to apply the extra effort to force that muscle to grow. If a part of your business is falling behind, don’t become frustrated; apply a bit of time developing that aspect of your trade. Spot your business’ flaws and spin them into a selling point.

Stick to Your Own Path

The man pictured above is Serge Nubret, my choice bodybuilder. I choose Serge not just for his physique, but for his character. At over 70 years old the man still continues to exercise regularly, maintaining a build that would be incredible for any age. One idea I remember Serge the most for, is that he didn’t always follow the science proven techniques of his time. Serge Nubret did what worked for Serge Nubret. He suggested that the science of why his methods worked, were best left for scientists to decipher, with several others not believing in the methods at all. Eventually science has backed his techniques, influencing many bodybuilders to follow in his path, for years to come.

Any successful businessperson knows that you have to set your own path, craft your own trends. Winning people understand that you should stick to a plan, for a reasonable amount of time, despite what others may say. Make your own rules according to how you want to do business and become inseparable from your goals.

Not for the Timid

Ask anyone what their idea of a bodybuilder is and the response usually revolves around an individual that is way too into themselves. It’s an unfortunate side effect of spending too much time examining your muscles in front of a mirror for hours on end. I don’t want to paint every bodybuilder with such a broad brush since it’s unfair and false. However, there is some merit to that idea and a reason participants of the sport have been branded as such. Walking around on stage, in nothing but a Speedo, being mentally poked and prodded by judges on your body composition is not something for the shy and easily intimidated. If a contestant doesn’t locate their flaws well before a contest, the judges will be more than pleased to pass along a few pointers.

Now let me ask you about a few of the most successful entrepreneurs around at the moment. People such as Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Sean Combs. There are countless others which I could literally go on for hours about. These multimillion, and in some cases multibillion, dollar tycoons are not exactly the shyest bunch on the planet. They are those who live without fear. They are doers. People with, primarily, one focus, becoming successful in everything they do.

Those at the top know every move they make is going to be poked and prodded, questioned and criticized, just like the bodybuilder showcased on stage. A ritual all entrepreneurs, looking to be successful, are going to be forced to face at several points in their career. The last thing you can do is curl up in a ball and hope it goes away. A setback in business is nothing to be intimidated of. Thicken your skin and face your fears. If you can’t handle the pressure, get off the stage.

Focus and Dedication

Here’s a tip for anyone who exercises or is looking to start. The more you focus on the exercise, the better your results will be. Sounds pretty simple, right? Chances are, if you were to walk into a popular fitness facility right now, there would be two or more people chatting, for an exaggerated period, between sets; you may even find a few conversing during their set. These are also the same people who, week after week, look identical as the day they bought their first membership. Minimal growth, minimal change and no dedication to better themselves.

The same rules apply in business. If every day you found your business in the same position it was in when you started, just what have you been doing with your time? Focusing can be tough, especially in front of a computer. The temptation of chatting with friends, YouTube, checking email, playing a game or tweeting the day away is a fault for an abundance of people who lack the discipline to concentrate on their career.

Pro bodybuilders know that the gym is not a social club. They’re there for one solitary reason; to lift heavy and go home. They have a goal set when they walk into the gym; whatever body part(s) they’re working on, must be improved. These giants set small goals to be completed over a long period, with the expectation of gaining monstrous results. This is the same mentality for any successful entrepreneur. Set one or two goals for yourself every day, and focus on completing those goals during your work day. There’s certainly time for a bit of leisure in your work day, just be sure it’s not all of your time.

Bigger than You Really Are

There is a famous comparison from Arnold Schwarzenegger during his time as a bodybuilder. Arnold would say he imagined he was building mountains. When he curled his bicep, he had the vision of, forming a huge peak with his arm. It was a visualization of being something bigger than he really was. An idea to concentrate on, to fight through all the discomfort and ache in anticipation of building something incredible.

This sort of mental picture is not rare for any flourishing entrepreneur. Although they are not thinking about building a heap of muscle, they are envisioning something incredible for their future. The consequence of thinking big is that you will begin to act on that thinking, essentially becoming bigger than you are.

Overtime aspects of your business will change. Opportunities will develop from places that were once desolate. By giving your mind a taste of what’s to come, you will put yourself on the path to getting there. It will become so seamless. One day you’ll turn around, look back on what seemed like yesterday and, for a moment, be in awe at the mountain you’ve shaped.

Trial and Error

There’s an old saying that, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” I’m not sure who said it or where I even heard it first, however it has grown to be a motto for me. In weight training, doing something repeatedly will only bring you so far. Eventually you have to experiment, be it with how the weight is lifted, the number of times it’s lifted or the amount of actual weight lifted. Overtime the body will get used to an exercise if it’s never changed causing developments to occur slowly; if at all.

People are similar when responding to businesses. Being exposed to the same types of marketing, products and service as every other company, in their respective market, will only cause customers to stick with what they are already using. If you never change how you do business you’re customer base will either increase very slowly or, even worse, you’re clients will go elsewhere. Changes can be anything from number of services provided, a more competitive price, improved customer service or an improved presence on the web. The possibilities are entirely in your hands.

Attempt something completely different than what everyone else is doing and see just what kind of reaction it causes. Should whatever you try fail, don’t throw up your hands and give up; learn from your mistake. It can be good to fail sometimes, as long as you take it as a positive and reflect on what you tried in order to learn from you’re mistake. Never change your ways and you’ll never change your results.

Love it and Hate it

Without this one principal, all the others just don’t matter. If you want to be successful at something, deep down inside you have to love it. If you have no heart, you have no future. This concept is oh so true for a bodybuilder. The morning after a grueling work out, can leave you sore and exhausted for days to come; and that’s just the half of it. The sport is very competitive with the chances of getting noticed being extremely tough. Most people would say why bother at all then? Why all the pain? Why all the frustration year after year? Their answer? They love to do it. They have real heart. Pain is temporary, success lasts.

There have been many days where I can barely walk, lift my arms or make it up a few steps. That kind of soreness will go disappear over the course of a day and it is nothing compared to the pain of waking up to an office that you want no part of. Money is a weak and fleeting motivator. Anyone trying something just because “it’s making everyone else rich” will experience lasting ache. It takes a lot of effort and toil to get a business off the ground, a fact some might detest.

There’s a bit of a catch for going on your own. Loving what you do is only one part of a bigger picture. You have to adapt to the aspects doing dealings, interacting with employees and working with other companies. There will be a bit of pain involved, just as there is with anything worth doing, but the enjoyment of doing something you love will always outweigh the aspects you hate.

You’ve Come a Long Way

Pictured above is Eugene Sandow, often referred to as “The Father of Bodybuilding”. His legacy is honored every year in the form of a small, bronze, statue named “The Sandow”. It’s a trophy that has been presented to every Mr. Olympia Champion, the pinnacle of male bodybuilding, since 1977 as recognition for Sandow’s contribution to the sport.

Every business should strive to create its own legacy, a success story to be remembered for the ages. It’s no meager task. The fearful would utter they can’t even imagine coming anywhere close to accomplishing such a mission; but you already know how I feel about “can’t”. It’s in us all to create great things just as long as we set the time in, a day at a time.

When I first started working out, I needed help to get through most of my exercises. Just ten pounds, for some exercises, felt like a wall slammed in my face. My body was well past due for a makeover.

It took everything I’ve talked about here to get me to move forward, pound by pound, inch by inch. Yet it is by these same concepts that I have moved forward in other areas of my life. It is by this path that I guide my steps into the future.

I only hope that these concepts and principals will guide you, on your own path, to your own legacy.

This is where I will share my designs and thoughts with you all. More importantly it is the place where I look forward to a lot of great discussions with my guests. The posts will include a wide range of topics with thoughts and ideas which I find worth looking into deeper.

Best of all I look forward to sharing many designs works that you hopefully will enjoy.

Let’s rock!