tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20892912024-03-07T04:04:43.040-05:00Marc Sirkin's Mindnumbing ThoughtsStreams of consciousness, musings on marketing, community building and other randomized bits. Don't Panic, this blog is harmless.Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-28419560912589248232019-10-17T21:11:00.000-04:002019-10-18T09:52:56.390-04:00I got it, I got it! (Or How I Knew My Baseball Career Was Really Over)Have you ever caught a major league fly ball with your bare hands? Me neither.<br />
<br />
The chances were slim I’d even be in such a position, but there I was, looking up at the bright Carolina sky, hands outstretched into the air, waiting for my moment of glory.<br />
<br />
I’ve been to a lot of baseball games, major and minor leagues, college, high school, and even little league games. Never even sniffed a home run or foul ball. One time, during the 1995 World Series in Cleveland, Ryan Klesko hit a bomb to right field which landed at my feet. I still have that ball. It has an ‘X’ on it. That doesn’t count though. No skill involved in reaching down and picking a ball up off the ground is there?<br />
<br />
Catching a ball, sans glove is the work of a real man.<br />
<br />
I was a very minor baller once (scouting report: quick hands, OK arm, no wheels). I played baseball from the time I could remember. I was 7, or 8 and used to throw a tennis ball against my grandmothers' house, acting out entire games, sometimes pitching both sides, doing my best to imitate my heroes, especially Ron Guidry, that crafty Yankees lefty pitcher from Louisiana. To simulate fly balls, I’d throw the ball up high against the wall and get under it like Mickey Rivers chasing down a shot to deep center, maybe off Robin Yount’s bat, or even better, a World Series-winning catch against the wall to beat the Dodgers.<br />
<br />
As I got older, baseball stayed fun. Between obsessing over how to organize my baseball cards, my friends and I challenged ourselves to take the batting stance of every player in a lineup. I can still remember wondering how the heck Oscar Gamble ever got a hit, or how low down Ricky Henderson sat in his batting stance.<br />
<br />
In high school, I took pride in being an outfielder, doing my best to track down fly balls, using two hands, and learning how to crow hop. I drew a walk-off a guy who pitched ended up pitching in the bigs for the Yankees. I crushed a double off a kid who played at Auburn.<br />
<br />
I think it’s possible that I love baseball more than just about anything other than my wife and kids.<br />
<br />
About a year ago, as new empty nesters, my wife and I moved to North Carolina, far from Yankee Stadium. It’s not that we went all that often, but knowing the Yanks were going to be close was one of those comforting facts of living near the Bronx. And so it was a shock when my wife, watching the TV in a burger joint in Raleigh saw that Aaron Judge would be doing a rehab stint in AAA before rejoining the Yanks.<br />
<br />
My brain fired and I said, “Hang on, what’s the chance they are in Durham?”<br />
<br />
Google told me who the Bulls were playing that weekend. I couldn’t believe it.<br />
Sure enough, Judge had been assigned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees AAA team. He’d be joining his teammate Giancarlo Stanton for a weekend series. My world spun. It was too exciting. I felt as if I had won the jackpot.<br />
<br />
With a few clicks on my phone, I snagged 2 lawn seats to the Sunday, Father’s Day game.<br />
<br />
As we sat down on the grass behind the centerfield wall, I offhandedly said: “Judge is gonna hit a bomb today, and I’m going to catch it.” I held my hands up and saw the ball coming down from the sky into my hands. Easy peasy.<br />
<br />
My wife smiled and rolled her eyes. Never mind her. Even if I’m wrong about Judge, Stanton will get one for sure. We were in the right spot, on the right day at the right moment.<br />
<br />
Judge struck out twice but hit a laser to left field off the wall. Stanton took the collar, 0–4 with two of his own strikeouts. Exciting sure, but no dingers.<br />
<br />
Around the 7th inning, we wandered up towards the first base side to watch the Yanks hit one more time before leaving. Billy Burns, the Yanks center fielder made the last out, with Judge on deck. “Let’s see how fast the Bulls get out so we can see Judge one more time,” I said, feeling like a 12-year-old begging my parents not to leave Yankee Stadium.<br />
<br />
We were standing in a loose crowd, near a private party area. It had been a very hot day, the kind of hot southern day where it feels like you are inside an oven. The guy next to me was on his phone, not paying attention. Another guy was taking candid photos with his camera, of whom I’m not sure. He seemed happy.<br />
<br />
Judge took a Ruthian swing and the ball went up in the air.<br />
<br />
It seemed like it might be coming our way.<br />
<br />
It was.<br />
<br />
Time stopped.<br />
<br />
I was going to catch an Aaron Judge foul ball.<br />
<br />
I took a step backward. You always take a small step backward, never a step forward. Easier to come in than to go back. I’d been taught well.<br />
<br />
I drifted another step to my left.<br />
<br />
The ball really did look like it was coming right at me. I side-eye glanced around to see if there was going to be a scrum. I didn’t want to get hurt or slam into someone also going for the treasure.<br />
<br />
I looked back up and saw the ball crest.<br />
<br />
I thought to myself “Use your hands.”<br />
<br />
The ball came at me like a lightning bolt thrown by a Greek god as it slammed into my finger. My middle $&%^!@ finger! A shot of electricity ran through my body as I was, for a brief shining moment, connected to a baseball legend.<br />
<br />
But alas! There was no joy in Mudville that day.<br />
<br />
I looked up and saw that some other guy had the Judge ball in his hand. He was smiling. I was not.<br />
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Instead, I was hurt. My finger felt like it was in a vice, and set on fire. I shook my hand, wondering if it was broken. I opened and closed it, testing it gingerly. It seemed OK, though I couldn’t tell what was worse. My finger, or my shame.<br />
<br />
“I think it’s broken,” I said.<br />
<br />
My wife said no, it’s not broken. She also said with wonder that the ball bounced some 10 or 15 feet up in the air after I didn’t catch it. I tried to laugh, but I couldn’t find the humor.<br />
<br />
I muttered “let’s go,” without even glancing back to see what Stanton did at the plate.<br />
<br />
I make note, out loud to myself and to my wife “that the ball crushed a finger on my throwing hand, and how does that even happen? I mean anyone who’s played outfield knows you protect your throwing hand!”<br />
<br />
My wife told me, rightly so, that I don’t have a “throwing hand” - that I am not in fact, a baseball player.<br />
<br />
It stung, sure. But also, she’s right.<br />
<br />
This must be what it feels like to be washed up. Done. Baked. It’s a terrible feeling.<br />
<br />
At least it was a foul ball.Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-21515457819108435322016-01-13T15:42:00.002-05:002016-01-13T15:42:29.850-05:00Run!I wrote a short piece on my LinkedIn page about transitioning to a startup called "<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/run-marc-sirkin?trk=mp-author-card" target="_blank">Run</a>!"<br />
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Cross posting it here for archiving sake...<br />
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I'm a huge fan of Zombie shows like The Walking Dead and it's new spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead. Running is a big part of being in a zombie apocalypse. </div>
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It turns out, running is also a bit part of working for a startup. After many years and several industries (non-profit, tech, consulting), I find myself back in what I call "startup land' - that magical place where chaos reigns and everyday brings a new set of challenges, each of which feels more important than the next.</div>
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As it turns out, I thrive on that sort of chaos. Even when I was at PwC working as a consultant, the most interesting projects were the ones where there was total chaos. I'd look around and see everyone scrambling for cover and I'd just revel in the madness. </div>
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Now that I'm back in the thick of things working for a very small technology company, I feel an amazing energy and sense of urgency in my gut. At PwC, I learned to slow down and take carefully measured steps in presenting solutions to clients. At SpendBoss, slowing down means the zombies will eat you. Run. Don't stop. Don't look back.</div>
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It's exciting, and scary and it's not for everyone.</div>
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Do you remember this scene from the movie Parenthood where Gil and Grandma are talking about roller coasters?</div>
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Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.</div>
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Gil: Oh?</div>
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Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!</div>
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Gil: What a great story.</div>
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Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.</div>
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I'm with Grandma. I like the roller coaster. I get more out of it. As for my latest professional journey, I've got my hands full in running both sales and marketing and am absolutely loving the challenge. I feel sick and excited, all at once. </div>
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Catch me if you can Zombies!</div>
Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-79892293209621668062015-03-21T17:13:00.001-04:002015-03-21T17:13:31.663-04:00The Future of Non-Profit Fundraising is Already Here, and You Are Not ReadyThis blog post is <b><i>loosely</i></b> transcribed from a talk I gave as part of a <a href="http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP997467" target="_blank">Future of Non-profits</a> meet up hosted by my buddy <a href="http://501derful.org/" target="_blank">David Neff</a>. I was asked to do no more than 5 minutes and came up with the following. I'm also posting my hand scribbled notes I used to plan the talk, may as well show you my doctor like scribble. The notes were written on my iPad mini using Penultimate in case you were wondering.<br />
<br />
And now... the talk...<br />
<br />
Hi everyone and good morning (In my head there is awesome music playing!). My name is Marc Sirkin and I'm currently a Director with PwC, focused on helping organizations transform their digital marketing and social media. I spent 10 years in the non-profit sector, with large health charities such as March of Dimes, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Autism Speaks. Most recently, I've been volunteering and doing pro-bono work for much smaller organizations focused on mentoring and youth.<br />
<br />
Before I jump in, let me warn you, I'm extremely enamored with Peter Diamandis's latest writing, his books <a href="http://www.abundancethebook.com/" target="_blank">Abundance</a> and <a href="http://www.boldbook.com/" target="_blank">Bold</a> heavily influenced this talk - specifically by putting the notion of exponential vs. incremental growth into my head...<br />
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Let's take a trip down history lane to get started.<br />
<br />
2500 BCE - tithing was the pre-dominant method of giving - 10% of what you made was typical. Today tithing is rare, and giving has been pegged to around 2% GDP in the United States. More on that later.<br />
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1643 - the first real fundraising campaign is run at Harvard. It raises 500 pounds and major giving was born.<br />
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1913 and 1935, two critical dates in the United States where tax laws were changed, allowing both individuals and then corporations to deduct their charitable giving.<br />
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2010 Bill Gates announces the Giving Pledge exciting billionaires worldwide.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Philanthropy has not been massively disrupted by technology, yet. </blockquote>
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I wish it had, I spent most of the 2000's trying to drive fundraising online to new heights, helping to launch the March of Dimes and LLS's Team & Training digital platforms raise a ton of money.<br />
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So where is fundraising today? As I mentioned, giving in the United States is at about 2% give or take for the past 40 years. Despite the creation of the Internet, ice-bucket challenges and new giving models, that number hasn't changed much.<br />
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Fundraising has been growing, but doing so incrementally and not exponentially either at the sector level within many organizations. Most organizations I've spent time at actually plan for incremental growth - 8-10% is good, a few points more is great. Yes, there are some fast growing organizations, mostly younger, more nimble ones like Room to Read, Charity Water and Kiva.<br />
<br />
Things are about to change, new technologies are coming online (they are already here, we're just not embracing them well enough yet).<br />
<br />
We are stuck in traditional giving models that we continue to lean on as if they were the answer. Major Giving continues to be challenge, event fundraising has been uneven and direct mail will never return to it's glory days.<br />
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Individual donations make up some 72% of all donations in the US, and there is massively disproportionate giving to faith based organizations.<br />
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So what's the future you ask?<br />
<br />
I'll get there in a minute but let me point out 3 models that have to be addressed before we can fully move to the future.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>We must start to address the age of our databases - we have to find ways to engage younger donors across the board. We must find ways to meet those younger donors shifting expectations as well.</li>
<li>Direct Mail has fallen from grace. Like all technologies and platforms, it won't necessarily go away but it is time to address the increasing costs, and generally speaking poor response rates. There are some really cool new ways of using direct mail, but it's incremental at best.</li>
<li>Shifting consumer behavior, such as the adoption of mobile devices, eagerness to use new and emerging payment types and social media adoption in particular will trip up many non-profits in the short term.</li>
</ol>
<div>
So the punchline to all this is obvious, you are not ready. Maybe some of you are, but most organizations are going to wonder what hit them when these waves get bigger and bigger.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First, crowdfunding. In 2013, there was more than $5 billion transacted on crowdfunding platforms according to one study. With 3 million new people coming online in the next few years, crowdfunding may very well become the dominant giving method for donors. Can you imagine a day where crowdfunding accounts for 50%+ of all your donations? I can.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Second, loyalty and alumni programs can help you address "leaky buckets" of donors. Consumers expect loyalty programs and when done well, they can reduce donor churn significantly and can increase the lifetime value of your donors. Do not dismiss this just because your cause is short term, work harder to build relationships with donors instead.</div>
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Third is shifting major giving expectations. Are you ready for increasing donor directed funding? Are you ready for pools of large donors to come to you as a group and want to not only write a check, but help you design your organization for success?</div>
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Last is infrastructure. The conversation about impact is going to shift because it must. It's misplaced right now by only focusing on program ratios. Already, donors are asking for proof that you have built a platform, and an infrastructure to manage donations, programs and staff for the future. No one wants to give money to an organization with a great mission but no way to execute it.</div>
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Thanks for listening!</div>
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Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-32306683426824643532015-01-27T06:41:00.003-05:002015-01-27T06:41:47.635-05:00Creative Reboot<div>
I don’t know about you, but somewhere along the line, my creative spark, the twinkle in my eye and the ability to see a great idea through a mess of bad ones got lost a blizzard of Kim Kardashian, snow-storm breaking news and too much time on the road. I felt like a creative zombie. A few weeks ago, I spotted a copy of <i>The Artist’s Way</i>, by Julia Cameron on my bookshelf from years ago. It’s a 12-week “course” designed to help you rediscover your creativity.</div>
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<br /></div>
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What the hell I figured. So I get started that day, some 4 weeks ago. Last week, Cameron drops a big bomb and says that it’s time to cold turkey on reading. Updated and translated from when it was first published, this now means <b>no books, magazines, news, TV or social media</b>. After a few minute freakout, I resolved to give it ago. After all isn’t giving up social media a thing these days? I had read about a few people doing this sort of experiment and had some good laughs at their futile efforts. <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3012521/unplug/baratunde-thurston-leaves-the-internet" target="_blank">Baratunde</a> did it why can't I?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
From January 18-24 I committed to going all in and wrote the following rules for myself like Morgan Spurlock. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>The rules</b></div>
<ol>
<li>Check personal email infrequently (ideally 1x in AM, 1x at night) and scan for bills, job hunting replies or personal emails from friends only)</li>
<li>Check work email as needed</li>
<li>No social media</li>
<li>No TV/Movies outside family TV time</li>
<li>No newspapers, magazines </li>
<li>No reading research papers, articles etc. unless it’s critical for work reasons only</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Getting Started</b></div>
<div>
At first, my week was littered with launching social media apps on my phone as if I was Pavlov's Dog looking for a Scooby snack.. Side note, <a href="http://www.quora.com/What-was-Pavlovs-dog-named" target="_blank">what was the dog named anyway</a>? In any case, if my iPhone could talk it would tell me that the first few days I launched Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at least 20x each, then quickly double tapped and closed it. Turning off notifications helped a lot but what I noticed was an almost automatic response to my phone. Pick up. Unlock. Open work email. Scan for important stuff. Reply if needed. Back to home screen, open personal email. Scan for important stuff. Home screen - Facebook. Quickly close it, damn, think “damn, I’m not doing social media that week.” Involuntarily repeat for Instagram. Put phone down, remind myself I’m on a media diet. This happened at least 3 or 4x the first day exactly as I’ve just written! Addicted to my phone much?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
If Siri was a therapist she’d clearly think I was ADHD.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
After a few days though, all that stopped and I suddenly had a new problem. As the hours of not reading the news, checking social media and watching TV piled up, I needed to do something.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>So what did I do with all the time then?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Meditate</b></div>
<div>
The book recommended a few things and within a few hours I was already peeking at the list, seeing things like exercise, shopping, cleaning and meditation as options. I had recently heard on the <a href="http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast/" target="_blank">Tim Ferriss podcast</a> about <a href="http://www.tarabrach.com/" target="_blank">Tara Brach’s guided meditations</a> and had started doing those a few weeks earlier. So Tara and I spent a few hours together last week. I learned about mindfulness, presence and practiced meditation. A lot. I estimate I spent 3-4 hours last week meditating.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Exercise</b></div>
<div>
I work out pretty regularly and this week provided ample time to exercise. I spent some quality time with the new U2 album and Spotify and got to running. I ran 5x, for about 30 minutes each session plus 2 cross-training body weight workouts for a total of about 4 hours give or take. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Write</b></div>
<div>
I had wanted to write a short story or a novel and sure enough, that very first day I was joking around with my daughter about a silly idea that I promptly turned into an outline for a novel. I completed all the character sketches and the basic outline and started writing the first few chapters. Total time 4 hours at least, but maybe more since I wasn’t really keeping track.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Cook</b></div>
<div>
I have been cooking family dinners on Sundays and continued that by stepping up my game and trying some new recipes. Nice! 1 hour. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Shop</b></div>
<div>
I offered to hit the mall to do returns and pick up a few things. I also needed a new pair of shoes. While I was out, I took myself to lunch at Panera. 2 hours.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Clean</b></div>
<div>
I cleaned out 5 or 6 boxes of old computer junk. If anyone needs a mouse, a keyboard or an old 4-port Ethernet router let me know. I have more wires that I don’t know what they connect to than any one person should have in their basement. 1.5 hours at least, maybe more. Now I just need to find time to go to the dump and get rid of all this junk.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Sleep, and more writing</b></div>
<div>
I went sleep each night without my iPad to read and found myself falling asleep almost immediately. That’s a good thing because I had set an alarm for 5:30 am each morning to do my “morning pages” which is a part of the <a href="http://lifehacker.com/write-morning-pages-by-hand-every-day-to-boost-produc-1623157620" target="_blank">Artist's Way</a>. I did that every day, 20 - 25 minutes each time - close to 3 hours if I did the math right.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That’s something like <i><b>15-20 </b></i>hours I invested in myself in just one week! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>So now that my week of deprivation is over, what is it that I learned?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I found that I really did have more time than I knew what to do with. As the week wore on, I slipped a bit - a few episodes of <a href="http://www.syfy.com/helix" target="_blank">Helix</a> may have slipped in. We may have gone to see American Sniper and Whiplash. But we also sat at dinner and had some of the best discussions in a long time. I found that after a few days, I wasn't compulsively reaching for social media. I found that practicing mindfulness is hard - clearly that’s why you have to practice it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The time I spent not reading, not checking social media, not reading the news kept me focused all week and really did unleash creativity that has been hiding for far too long. It has opened up my brain, and reminded me that while getting lost in a TV Show or a great book is terrific fun, it’s fundamentally not exercising my creativity. I need to remember to feed that beast more often and for longer periods of time.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You will see me less on social media, and my nose will be buried in books less and more in creating my own worlds in the future. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>So how did I do… my report card</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li>Check personal email infrequently (ideally 1x in AM, 1x at night) and scan for bills, job hunting replies or personal emails from friends only</li>
<li style="display: inline; list-style: none;"><ul>
<li>Grade: C- I wasn’t able to untether from email very well. Part of the problem is during the day while working it’s just too easy to check personal email at the same time. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>No social media</li>
<li style="display: inline; list-style: none;"><ul>
<li>Grade A After a few days of reaching for it, I just stopped. Easier to give up than I thought. LinkedIn was the exception, but even on that platform I didn’t post and only checked for messages.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>No TV/Movies outside family TV time</li>
<li style="display: inline; list-style: none;"><ul>
<li>Grade B- I slipped towards the end of the week with Helix & HBO’s new and most excellent Togetherness. Managed to avoid 12 Monkeys.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>No newspapers, magazines </li>
<li style="display: inline; list-style: none;"><ul>
<li>Grade A+</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>No reading research papers, articles etc. unless it’s critical for work reasons only</li>
<li style="display: inline; list-style: none;"><ul>
<li>Grade A+</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
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<div>
</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-31542389866661580332014-12-19T16:09:00.001-05:002014-12-19T16:09:32.707-05:00The Power of CommunityYes, after all these years, we're still talking, debating and waxing poetic about the power of community. That's because when you do it right, it works. I had the unique opportunity this week to develop a short talk focused on leveraging the power of community and ended up scripting a brand new talk that I wanted to share. I haven't blogged in ages, so I figured this would be a good way to try to make a comeback.<br />
<br />
I recorded myself doing the talk to practice, then had to deliver it 3x back to back to back for small "rotating" audiences of about 15 -20 people each. I can't share the client name, nor can I share any images (we had a scribe!) but I can share the core ideas and content.<br />
<br />
I'm going to blog this as if it was actually my talk minus my "Hi I'm Marc intro and background" and minus the wrap up part where I got super client specific. What remains is the guts of how companies can leverage the power of community.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The topic of today's talk is "Leveraging the Power of Community." Instead of spouting stats to you about how big Facebook is (1.4 billion users) or how many Instagram photos are posted every day. Stats are great, but I'd prefer to share some stories instead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I'm going to do in the next 8-10 minutes is walk you through some examples of incredible use of online communities and talk about what makes them work so well. Then, I'll walk you through some of the core design principles and common attributes each of these communities share, and encourage you to think about how <insert client="" here="" name=""> can weave these design principles into any and all of your existing efforts. We'll wrap up with a brief discussion of how you can apply these in some specific ways and take any questions you may have.</insert></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each story uses a core "mechanism" that describes what the community, company or brand is using to drive success. As our first story, let's talk about communities that use customer data to create massive value - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. While to marketing and social media nerds like myself, the average person may not fully grasp the extent that Facebook is using your data, each click/photo/poke is helping them build their knowledge of you so they can create advertising value and deliver better and better experiences to you as you engage with their platforms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some communities use their customers intelligence and ideas to create, refine and unlock massive value. The best examples of this may be <a href="http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/" target="_blank">Starbucks</a> and <a href="http://www.ideastorm.com/" target="_blank">Dell</a>, who collaborate with customers, partners and employees to create new products and services. Co-create is a massive opportunity once you start to think about ways to leverage your customers, and your communities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some brands use what I call (and I need a better name for this) "Integrated interactivity" to drive sales, loyalty and engagement. <a href="https://secure-nikeplus.nike.com/plus/" target="_blank">Nike+</a> is my favorite example of this - their app not only allows you to track your fitness but allows you to share (and receive feedback) from your own personal network of friends on Facebook and Twitter. Nike has transformed itself through this approach and competitors such are now following their lead - by developing or buying their own apps. I believe, and I am paraphrasing that Phil Knight who runs Nike has been quoted as saying that "Nike is not a sneaker company, we are a technology company." (Bloggers note... I desperately searched for a source for this with no luck. If you have a source, please leave it in the comments).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using social proof to leverage a community is a popular tactic these days. Quickly defined, "social proof" is behavioral concept where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to "be like them" - Nike's original "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aM8Am2ISh8" target="_blank">Be Like Mike</a>" campaign is one that you may all remember. Do you remember those bright yellow wristbands - the ones for <a href="http://store.livestrong.org/wb-lxl.html" target="_blank">Livestrong</a>? They sell them in packs of 10 or 100 - prompting the question - why do I need 10 or 100 of these things? Social proof. <a href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3010175" target="_blank">Apple</a> includes a sticker or two in every box - why? Social proof. Even driving a Prius is a bit of social proof - I mean, I'm not totally sure that owning a Prius saves anyone money (maybe it does, maybe it doesn't) but it absolutely makes a statement about the driver and spurs some to want to say they same thing about themselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some communities are built to solve intractable or super hard questions. The <a href="http://tricorder.xprize.org/" target="_blank">XPrize Tricorder</a> is a great example - $10 million to the winners. And of course, this builds on their original prize focused on space travel. There's a "classic" story from the early 2000's where a mining company bought a gold mine and realized they couldn't figure out how to get the gold out. They created a prize mechanism and "open sourced" the data allowing anyone who wanted to try to help them solve their problem. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the question I asked myself, and what I want to talk about next is, what are the design principles and common attributes of these divergent ideas. There are lots of ways to leverage community, but as I was thinking about this talk, I wanted to develop a few common elements to give us a short hand way to think about community.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the list:</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obsessive Customer Focus every minute of every day. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They all use data as a strategic and tactical "weapon" to build value.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each community has sharing built right in - the sharing community is a core part of the DNA of these communities.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are all platforms that create new ways for engagement, revenue and value.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agility is at the core of how they operate - moving quickly, doing more of what works and less of what doesn't work.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
After this, I did a round of specific client examples (can't share those!) and took some quick questions. And there you have it... a good chunk of my talk. Do you have other examples, or other principles I missed? Other good examples of how brands or ideas are leveraging the power of communities? </div>
Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-63215333590470837522013-08-22T09:11:00.000-04:002013-08-22T09:11:17.697-04:00The New Digital Age<div class="p1">
Just finished reading "<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16096109-the-new-digital-age"><span class="s1">The New Digital Age</span></a>" which had me thinking of picking up my original copy of "<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57020.Being_Digital">Being Digital</a>" to compare and contrast. Maybe later.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
It's a good book, thoughtful and smart but at times a bit out there. I wanted to capture here some stats they throw in to set the stage for their assumptions, all stuff we know but it's more good data you can use and quote. The book focuses on BIG issues around digital - statehood, terrorism, politics, society etc... worth a read but it is dense. I admit, I flipped past some of the sections on statehood and politics.</div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2">Number of people connected to the Internet worldwide increased from 350 million to more than 2 billion</li>
<li class="li2">In the same period, the number of mobile-phone subscribers rose from 750 million to well over 5 billion (it is now over 6 billion)</li>
<li class="li2">By 2025, the majority of the world's population will, in one generation, have gone from virtually no access to unfiltered information to accessing all of the world's information through a device that fits in the palm of the hand.</li>
<li class="li2">If the pace continues, most of the projected 8 billion people on Earth will be online</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Now that's scalability.</div>
Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-31435436003813374472013-08-22T08:37:00.003-04:002013-08-22T08:39:01.660-04:00Disconnect - 3 keys to disconnecting while on vacationPreviously posted on <a href="https://medium.com/lessons-learned/ec1579df2c6a">Medium</a>, reposted here. I blog so infrequently, I figure I need to repurpose as much content as I can!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZzJ1zIjy7PKYM0l_RSu1vnaPUtvw6Sq19CojTszQoblhuKU8Xsu1Q-2dLk-Gl04xRghqk3VUHB8-tsm-y6K7-NX74-Ozp_nkaWHjyHuZ2pmd4muPmduBuL2V2XJmt9QTjho/s1600/1157599_10153113536475322_340774172_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZzJ1zIjy7PKYM0l_RSu1vnaPUtvw6Sq19CojTszQoblhuKU8Xsu1Q-2dLk-Gl04xRghqk3VUHB8-tsm-y6K7-NX74-Ozp_nkaWHjyHuZ2pmd4muPmduBuL2V2XJmt9QTjho/s320/1157599_10153113536475322_340774172_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo by Marc Sirkin, Utah Mountains 2013)</span></i><br />
<div>
<br />
Even before mobile/smartphones I was bad; sneaking away to check email, reading business books or memos while on the beach, working on proposals or ideas at the pool. All behaviors of someone who would rather lose himself in work, instead of being present with family, focusing on clearing the mind and having a good time.<br />
<br />
Over the past few years I’ve improved my efforts to disconnect. I did however notice that it would take 2 or 3 days to fully disconnect. Similar to an addict, I’d have dreams about work, fanatically check in and have to almost physically restrain myself from replying to emails. It was bad, very bad. I’d come back from work up to date, but feeling like I hadn’t even had time off.<br />
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As my kids grew older, it became more and more important to disconnect from work and get focused on my family and friends while on vacation.<br />
<br />
I was recently off for a week in Utah and did a lot of thinking about being disconnected. I noticed how much I loved it! In honor of that glorious time off, I present you with my 3 keys to disconnecting:<br />
<br />
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Drop the ego.</b> Start to realize you aren’t you just aren’t that important. Life goes on. Work goes on. People step up while you are gone.</li>
<li><b>Be selfish.</b> Read something other than the news, business books and memos. Find a book or a movie that moved you and consume it again with fresh eyes. I have been sharing my favorite movies from when I was a teenager with my own teens and it’s been an incredible experience. Most recently, we watched “Stand by Me” which brought me back to thinking about what it was like to be 12.</li>
<li><b>(Re)charge. </b>I read recently something about how the brain engages in new ways when you are learning something for the first time. Do that — find something new or something you do rarely and allow your brain to struggle with it, focus on it. It (re)charges you in ways that are hard to explain but are easy to feel. We went on a 3 mile hike that I absolutely loved, something I don’t often do. I was focused on the trail, the rocks, not getting hurt and enjoying the view. It was amazing.When it was over, I felt elated. My mind felt electric.</li>
</ol>
I can’t wait for my next vacation, even if it’s for a day or even a few hours, I will most certainly be disconnecting. I hope you can find your own keys to disconnecting.</div>
</div>
Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-23320251721226811602013-01-30T21:55:00.000-05:002013-01-30T21:56:28.447-05:00Autism.<div dir="ltr">
If you've been reading my blog (sorry it's been dormant for so long) it's time yet again for me to leap to the next thing. For the last 3.5 years I've immersed myself in the autism world learning more than I ever thought possible. Up until last week, I had been leading teams at Autism Speaks in social media, fundraising, marketing, IT, direct mail and CRM. I've been a busy bee.</div>
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<br /></div>
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First and foremost, I learned that autism is really, really complicated. Pick any one thing about it (take causes for example) and you'll find significantly different viewpoints from a variety of corners of the community.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
I deeply connected with all parts of the community; parents, children, adults, researchers, caregivers, teachers and more. Beyond any of the other causes I've been involved in, autism got under my skin in some incredible ways. I feel deeply for those on the spectrum and for their loved ones who are must struggle to understand and cope with whatever comes from their experiences for all sides of the spectrum.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The autism journey is it's own unique, amazing, stressful and challenging path - one that as a society we're just now starting to understand, cope with and build supports around. I hope to stay involved in variety of ways with the community and will not soon forget the friendships I've forged with so many touched by autism.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Being at an organization like Autism Speaks which has both fans and detractors has led me down many different paths - from conversations with self-advocates and parents to civil and gay rights leaders to try to understand and get straight in my own thick head what autism is, and what it isn't.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
After my time however, I still don't have a simple or single answer. That said, I know that there are many, many people and organizations out there fighting everyday for a variety of things, all hoping to improve the lives of everyone diagnosed on the autism spectrum.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
The "arc" of autism, (the story about what we as a society tell ourselves autism is and isn't) is just now cresting after years of misunderstanding and confusion. That said, there are still miles to go. Even the very definition of autism, and classification as an illness, a disorder or some other word is up for grabs. Until we as a society we find some balance in the semantics of autism we'll struggle, argue and fight. Right now, in early 2013 it's as it should be and how it must be in this moment. In the future, when we do finally figure it all out, all of our lives will be enriched with millions of new and unique voices. If you listen closely , you can actually hear a few already.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I'm extremely proud of the work my team accomplished within Autism Speaks. I want to acknowledge all those who helped shine a light on my path and informed my own journey. <b><i>You know who you are</i></b> - and there are many of you who helped me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Autism has changed me and affected my perspective on life for the better.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
In case you are wondering, I'll be joining PwC as a Director in their customer advisory group focused on social enterprise, social business and using technology to change the world like I always do. I hope to resume regular blogging but know better. </div>
Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-38403785196625770452012-06-29T14:30:00.002-04:002012-06-29T14:30:36.730-04:00Finally, I'm a Judge - it's Taggie time!<b><i>Fair warning: I'm one of the many judges of this year's program!</i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
The Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards Program (a.k.a. The <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Taggies12">Taggies</a>) just opened its fourth awards cycle with the addition of an Advocacy Campaign Tagline category.<br />
<br />
Nonprofits and libraries everywhere are invited to enter their organizational tagline in the program, plus any tagline they’ve created to advance programs, fundraising campaigns, advocacy campaigns and/or special events. The 2,700 taglines entered in the 2010 Awards were a bounty of skillful messages and this year’s entries are expected to be equally powerful.<br />
<br />
“A relevant tagline does double-duty—working to extend an organization’s name and mission, while delivering a memorable and motivating message to the people whose help it needs,” says awards program organizer Nancy E. Schwartz. “But our recent <a href="http://gettingattention.org/articles/3280/message-development/nonprofit-aha-messages.html">Nonprofit Messages Survey</a> showed just 29% of organizations have a tagline that connects and spurs action.<br />
<br />
“The biennial Awards program is designed to inspire and guide organizations to deliver taglines that connect quickly and strongly with their target audiences—Aha! messages that build and strengthen key relationships for the long term.”<br />
<br />
Schwartz says that in addition to the new Advocacy Campaign Tagline category, Wildlife & Animal Welfare has been added as a field of focus for the organization tagline awards.<br />
<br />
All entrants will be invited to a free webinar (Aha! Messages: 4 Ways to Test Message Relevance) and receive access to the fully-updated Nonprofit Tagline Report— the only complete guide to building an organization’s brand in eight words or less—and Database.<br />
<br />
Organizations can enter their taglines via an easy-to-complete entry form at <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Taggies12">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Taggies12</a><span id="goog_561247769"></span><span id="goog_561247770"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span><br />Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-90334751922337555532012-06-21T16:37:00.002-04:002012-06-21T16:37:56.335-04:00LeadershipWatch this. It is good. Really good.<br />
<br />
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<embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="526" height="374" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talk/stream/2009X/Blank/SimonSinek_2009X-320k.mp4&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/SimonSinek-2009X.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=512&vh=288&ap=0&ti=848&lang=en&introDuration=15330&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=830&adKeys=talk=simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action;year=2009;theme=unconventional_explanations;theme=not_business_as_usual;event=TEDxPuget+Sound+;tag=bullseye;tag=business;tag=entrepreneur;tag=leadership;tag=sales;tag=selling;tag=success;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;"></embed></object>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-68131164393613078812012-05-09T09:16:00.000-04:002012-05-09T09:16:25.432-04:00A or B?I read the recent <a href="http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/ff_abtesting/all/1">Wired Magazine article on A/B testing</a> websites and like many of you, I wondered to myself if it was actually possible to embrace this sort of design philosophy.<br />
<br />
After talking with <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/">my team</a>, we've redoubled our efforts to design core Key Performance Indicators ("KPIs") in an attempt to actually start using A/B testing as a regular process for updating our site navigation, design choices and whatever else we want to change.<br />
<br />
It's a disorienting thing, removing subjectivity from the design process. My background as a designer makes me one of those people who can look at a screen and make grand proclamations about where things should be and what they should say. It's something I'm determined to stop doing. I will be honest, it is hard to stop.<br />
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Either way, we've devised a series of "top level" KPIs designed to measure overall site effectiveness - and we've limited it to 5 measurements. Yes, of course we'll design secondary KPIs, but at this point, we plan to benchmark and establish baselines for just the most important things on a website. Here's a sample of the working list of questions we hope to answer:<br />
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<ol>
<li>1. Do people come back (return visits)</li>
<li>2. Do they make donations? (page views / total on site donations)</li>
<li>3. Do they stay once they visit? (time on site)</li>
<li>4. Do they take key actions designed to engage them in a deeper relationship? (page views / key actions)</li>
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We feel like we've got a good handle on how we will do this and I'm excited to get started. Some changes will be major, others we hope to test, like the font on the main navigation, are nominal. Either way, we'll learn a lot about what makes the site really tick and put ourselves in a position to improve it over time.Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-45951956636491316992012-05-06T16:55:00.000-04:002012-05-06T16:55:11.324-04:001-2-3 TEAMMy older daughter is playing on a high school sports team and frankly, I'm surprised at how little focus there has been on the "team" as opposed to what seems to be a singular focus on individuals.<br />
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I know some of it is normal; lots of in-fighting, jealousy and misunderstandings between kids who are all eager to do well. However, the overall feeling I get so far from observing things is that the school and coaches have simply forgotten that they should be teaching "team first" concepts.<br />
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Most of these kids will end their sports careers in the next 2/3 years, especially the girls. I've been talking to more and more parents and am hearing that girls in particular drop off teams and for spring sports, rarely play out their senior season. I'm unsure if this is a generalization or a trend but it seems to be more true than false.<br />
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The chances of playing college level team sports is slim - which is of course why some players continually focus on their individual accomplishments; trying to make an impression, racking up individual accomplishments and focusing more on themselves than the team itself.<br />
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When my kids were little, we wanted them to play team sports to get important lessons, not because we thought they would earn a scholarship. They tried everything from soccer, to tennis, dance, and softball to find something they loved to play or do. We hoped the experience would teach them about themselves and give them the lessons from being on a team that will serve them for their entire lives.<br />
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When these kids get out into the workforce, how will they know how to be a team player? Do they even know the concept of sacrificing for the greater good or are they simply learning to be entitled, spoiled individual contributors?<br />
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<br />Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-71952996873996633392012-05-04T12:05:00.000-04:002012-05-04T12:07:51.672-04:00Experts, Expertise and ExecutionI used to be an expert. I knew HTML. I was a Photoshop Master of the Universe. I learned how to configure an ISDN router (and it worked). I had time to think about SEO, about how the web worked, about file optimization and video CODECs. Remember when the best web designers and coders built pages that were less than 25k... less than 10k... I remember.<br />
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Stuff has gotten really complicated lately.<br />
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And even worse, I feel the <b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/books/mark-bowdens-worm-about-conficker-review.html">Glaze</a></b>. (the "Glaze" as Mark Bowden refers to it in his incredible book "Worm," is <b><i>THAT LOOK</i></b> you get when trying to explain something technical to someone non-technical). The Glaze I get is that non-committal, yea dude, keep talking sort of look when I get really excited about some new technology, idea or concept.<br />
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The problem is that we're in the land of "we don't actually know what will work and what will not work" when it comes to Internet marketing "stuff" and non-profit fundraising. Yes, we're still here some 10+ years later. No, we haven't figured it all out yet.<br />
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No, direct mail isn't dead, but it isn't the answer.<br />
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No, one more tweet from a celebrity isn't going to make a difference.<br />
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No, a TV campaign isn't the answer, it never really was. And you can't afford it anyways.<br />
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No, no, no.<br />
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The problem then, with experts, expertise and execution in the e-realm is that all of this stuff is still a black art. Why exactly does Instagram work better than Flickr? How come your Google ad helped you clear record revenue and mine did nothing? How come your site converts 20x better than mine? What, you mean Google Analytics is free? What is HTML? How do you say GIF? But I digress...<br />
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The answer lies in leveraging AND TRUSTING experts, and then letting them execute, fail, learn and finally #win.<br />
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I am sure of it.<br />
<br />Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-27218061527942033812012-04-25T21:07:00.001-04:002012-04-25T21:08:15.271-04:00Hacking Autism<div><p>I have been working a lot on a passion project called "Hacking Autism" which has led me down some really interesting roads and led to some very cool conversations. I visited University of Michigan and saw demos of Microsoft Kinect games built for kids with autism. I've talked with game designers about gaming as therapy for autism. I've contemplated social games, social networking, touch technologies and more; all in relation to those on the spectrum.</p>
<p>This is an extremely exciting time for autism and technology. The explosion of iOS and mobile apps is literally the tip of the iceberg. Check out www.hackingautism.org for more and get ready to "hack autism." I'm trying to pull off a hackathon in June with the Random Hacks of Kindness folks, and am excited to see what sort of traction we'll get. </p>
<p>Are you a hacker? A game designer? A project manager? A parent or a child with autism, or perhaps someone on the spectrum yourself? Get involved at the <a href="http://www.rhok.org">RHoK</a> site and learn more.<br>
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</div>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-83146954003323439622011-10-29T09:12:00.000-04:002011-10-29T09:12:57.220-04:00Bronson Alcott and Fatherhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As a father of 2 girls, it strikes me that it is both the best of times and just the beginning for women in our world. I both revel in the opportunities they have that their ancestors did not while fearing for them at the same time. Since I don't have boys, I don't know if I'd feel differently with sons.</div>
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Last weekend, we spent last a few days in Concord, MA, mostly touring old battlefields, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_North_Bridge">bridges</a> and homes. What surprised me however, was learning more about the real story behind "Little Women" and Louisa May Alcott. Most interestingly for me was learning about her pops, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronson_Alcott">Bronson Alcott</a>. According to the stories, Bronson was quite a character. My favorite story was that he'd hang out near Orchard House (photos below) in the road with a bag of apples. As people would pass by, he's bend their ear to talk politics, education or whatever else was on his mind.</div>
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Bronson was a dreamer and a philosopher, and he clearly impacted his daughters in significant ways (<a href="http://www.gradesaver.com/little-women/study-guide/section10/">learn more here...wow</a>), as all dads do. On the various tours, we learned that the Alcott's were vegans (who knew - but I may be mis-remembering that), and even upgraded their houses with primitive versions of modern plumbing. When Bronson moved into Hillside, the dude literally cut the barn into 2 pieces and reattached them the main house. Bronson was buddies with Emerson and Hawthorne who all lived locally. When we visited Wayside/Hillside Inn (2nd photo below), we learned that Hawthorne (he lived there and actually changed the name of the house) would literally climb the hill behind his house to avoid getting stuck in a long conversation with Bronson. Too funny.</div>
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Meanwhile, Bronson's daughters most certainly must have seen him as quite a piece of work. From what I've read, he was not an easy guy to live with or deal with - his views on morality and truth were not typical for the time period. Nor were his views on education - all of which he clearly imparted on his daughters.</div>
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My own view of Bronson is much more idealistic... I felt a spiritual connection to the man while we toured his house and learned of his challenges, ideas and his family. For me, it was a reminder that the influence I have on my daughters cannot be simplified, dumbed-down or taken lightly. It was a good reminder of how the past influences the present and gives us opportunities to shape the future. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orchard House... yes... that's where Louisa May Alcott lived</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWEdD_WJTLzqdvMx3mmD1Ks8dTVoHkdcTGBIQShlpZs1zTOJ57wkOS9DlXU1n-oxKdayZXIrwohfyebMPS9BlX3k4JkuhZGzbzxT-IcG6S0sm43LMsec9kbgfthVhkuQeKz8/s1600/DSC_7844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWEdD_WJTLzqdvMx3mmD1Ks8dTVoHkdcTGBIQShlpZs1zTOJ57wkOS9DlXU1n-oxKdayZXIrwohfyebMPS9BlX3k4JkuhZGzbzxT-IcG6S0sm43LMsec9kbgfthVhkuQeKz8/s320/DSC_7844.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayside/Hillside Inn. Features a terribly designed tower in the back of the house that Hawthorne hated</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This dude was a trip... and a great tour guide. He is a Hawthorne geek... in a good way!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-8549938905980456812011-10-29T08:52:00.001-04:002011-10-29T08:52:18.305-04:00Not Google PlusThe quantity and quality of online video and video sites continues to skyrocket. This video is hysterical, and perhaps makes some good points to boot. Yes, of course I'm on <a href="https://plus.google.com/103356743690962786437/posts">Google+</a>, you can find me here and chat me up, hangout with me or put me in various circles.<br />
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<iframe src="http://www.collegehumor.com/e/6611967" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe>Beware, <a href="http://collegehumor.com/">collegehumor.com</a> is extremely addicting - be sure to also check out the <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6365774/photoshop-tutorial-rap">Photoshop Rap</a> as well the amazing <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6579356/game-of-thrones-rpg">Game of Thrones</a> videos. Enjoy.Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-4771201266695350592011-10-02T15:37:00.003-04:002011-10-02T15:37:48.172-04:00White Collar Doom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Met some <i>GREAT </i>people last week at a conference and found myself in a very funny, non-linear conversation over beers. Topics included social media, marketing, work, culture, getting mugged and perhaps most importantly, what would happen if the power went out, and stayed out. For good.<br />
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Here's where "white collar doom" comes from: we lost power for more than a few days after Hurricane Irene in late 2011. During that time it did occur to me on more than one occasion that if the power had not come back on - I'd be pretty well doomed. In fact, if you are reading this blog, it's quite possible that you are just like me... essentially incapable of survival without power, credit cards and the internets.<br />
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Here's how I think about it; I'm an information worker who spends his days in front of a computer, tapping little plastic buttons. I've not done physical labor of any sort since high school (worked in a variety of places including a furniture store). I've never done construction of any sort.<br />
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I'm not much of a camper. In fact, just today I set up a new fire pit and had very little luck in actually starting a real fire. I even resorted to using a fire starter log and even with that... not much to show for it.<br />
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I have never needed to kill my food in order to survive. In fact, never killed anything myself that I have eaten I don't think. Maybe 30 days on Survivor is in order.<br />
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That's why today, in the comfort of my backyard I dug up a broken drainage pipe, headed to the hardware store and purchase some "PVC" pipe and something the guy called a "coupler." When I got home, with my very own hands I fixed a pipe situation. Epic!<br />
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If I can ever figure out how to start a fire, maybe there will be hope.<br />
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Doubtful, but maybe.<br />
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<br />Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-92111543490127312822011-09-20T09:35:00.000-04:002011-09-20T09:35:30.107-04:00Finding Your Voice<div>I <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/">work</a> for an organization that in many ways, is all about helping those with autism find their voice both literally and figuratively. It is a subtle and huge task for all those with autism and is near impossible to quickly capture the essence of the challenge.<br />
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For those not on the spectrum, finding your voice is also a challenge and in some ways is why I have feel some connection to the autism world beyond my job. As a person, I am still looking and discovering my own voice. Understanding who I am, what I am capable of and searching for my own truth. The journey never ends.<br />
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Now, as a parent, I also need to let my kids find their voices as well. My wife told me that my daughter "needs to find her own voice" the other day and it stopped me cold. Each of us, even our kids are on our own journey to discover our voices, to find out who we are and to find some measure of satisfaction in this life.<br />
Some, like those with disabilities and disorders have the deck stacked against them. Even so, they still must find their voice... whether that be literal or more like the rest of us, who must become self-aware and honest enough to even begin the journey. They say the first step is the hardest but how about the million other steps and million more mis-steps?<br />
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As I drove to work today,<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/09/20/140566486/shel-silversteins-poems-live-on-in-every-thing"> NPR did a story on Shel Silverstein</a>, who like many artists found his voice through his art. His poems, funny, sad and poignant all reflect his voice. I had been thinking about this blog post for a while, and hearing his family talk about the process of putting a new book "Every Thing On It" touched me. The last poem, called "When I Am Gone" has a few lines in it that really struck a chord with me:<br />
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When I am gone<br />
What will you do<br />
Who will write and who will draw for you<br />
Someone smarter, someone new<br />
Someone better, maybe you<br />
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There is a man who has a voice and used it. I wonder when I'll find mine; and I wonder how my children will fare in finding theirs.</div>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-67596085559716460022011-09-19T15:43:00.000-04:002011-09-19T15:43:00.015-04:00Make StuffI wrote a blog piece for Autism Speaks today on <a href="http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2011/09/19/collaboration-technology-and-making-things/">Collaboration, technology and making things</a>. Had an amazing time at Maker Faire to boot.<br />
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<object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fautismspeaks%2Fsets%2F72157627580752079%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fautismspeaks%2Fsets%2F72157627580752079%2F&set_id=72157627580752079&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=107931"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=107931" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fautismspeaks%2Fsets%2F72157627580752079%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fautismspeaks%2Fsets%2F72157627580752079%2F&set_id=72157627580752079&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-45732243402104450532011-09-15T10:05:00.002-04:002011-09-15T10:05:36.351-04:00Index of Giving - Online GivingJust got this from Blackbaud... looks like online giving is up again. We are hanging on through this economy...<br />
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<a href="http://www.blackbaud.com/bb/index/http://www.blackbaud.com/bb/index/bb-online-index.aspx" title="Blackbaud Index of Online Giving"><img alt="Blackbaud Index of Online Giving" border="0" height="150" src="http://www.blackbaud.com/files/graphs/bbindex_widget_onlineindex.jpg" width="300" /></a>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-55980201889690903252011-08-26T09:52:00.002-04:002011-08-26T09:52:51.325-04:00Great opportunityLooking for a terrific opportunity in the non-profit social marketing arena? <a href="http://www.ncld.org/about-us/employmentinternship-opportunities/online-strategy-engagement">Check job out!</a>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-88772244132610324342011-08-19T13:28:00.002-04:002011-08-19T13:28:50.775-04:00That Sounds Right<a href="http://gapingvoid.com/2011/08/19/its-not-my-content/">This</a> sounds right. Hugh is on to something for sure. I used to blog a lot. Don't anymore. Should.<br />
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We'll see.Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-78799396007750150312011-08-16T13:23:00.000-04:002011-08-16T13:23:04.326-04:00Turning Suppoters into Superstar FundraisersI gave a short talk last week at a Blackbaud conference. Here are the slides presented with very little context. Sorry!<br />
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<div id="__ss_8855863" style="width: 425px;"><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/msirkin/turning-supporters-into-superstar-fundraisers-8855863" target="_blank" title="Turning Supporters into Superstar Fundraisers">Turning Supporters into Superstar Fundraisers</a></strong> <object height="355" id="__sse8855863" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=marcsirkinfinal-110815104224-phpapp01&stripped_title=turning-supporters-into-superstar-fundraisers-8855863&userName=msirkin" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed name="__sse8855863" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=marcsirkinfinal-110815104224-phpapp01&stripped_title=turning-supporters-into-superstar-fundraisers-8855863&userName=msirkin" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed> </object> <br />
<div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/msirkin" target="_blank">msirkin</a> </div></div>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-51463811525511307042011-08-16T09:44:00.002-04:002011-08-16T09:44:52.229-04:00Blackbaud Indexes of GivingGood numbers to keep an eye on...<br />
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<a href="http://www.blackbaud.com/bb/index/bb-giving-index.aspx" title="Blackbaud Index for Charitable Giving"><img alt="Blackbaud Index for Charitable Giving" border="0" height="150" src="http://www.blackbaud.com/files/graphs/bbindex_widget_charitableindex.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089291.post-27495222522503700712011-05-21T07:26:00.002-04:002011-05-21T16:25:23.307-04:00Mottos, sayings and credos<div>I was lucky enough to be invited to attend a recent client event at Facebook HQ. Pretty cool. Facebook allowed several non-profits to be a part of a very special. "Hack" designed to come up with unique ways to accomplish our missions<br />
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This was my 2nd visit to "the book" and outside the awesome snacks and food, what I really loved were the various sayings posted on different walls.<br />
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I jotted a few down...<br />
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<ul><li>done is better than perfect </li>
<li>proceed and be bold</li>
<li>fail harder</li>
<li>move fast and break things</li>
</ul><br />
Not sure which is my favorite. I think I want my own posters for the office, and for my kids rooms.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i4yyTXsyw07WeOvYrbqEMHiZoRy6lekEFX6noe8SyOGsVTHyZWKyp-2IHU5G39ZP867abRqHTjstozRMGhTKa_-bz7tZmBZtirINZkk4IKdg_Wb1Q2V0tW1I86a07CXqEnQ/" /></div>Marc Sirkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05932021175067564560noreply@blogger.com0