Rand Fishkin (CEO of SEOmoz) and Dharmesh Shah (CTO of HubSpot) gave a great presentation this past Monday titled: The State of SEO and Internet Marketing in 2012. The presentation is filled with numerous insights and tips from both speakers.

Here's a copy of the slides:

1. Social: Set up / ran a Facebook business profile
2. Analytics: Analyzed / tracked site speed and page-load times
3. Competitive: Analyzed competitors' back links
4. Competiitive: Analyzed competitors' content
5. Content: Started a new blog or invested heavily in blogging

Blog Posts Are The Number One Type of Inbound Marketing Content Produced

On slide 15, "blog posts" received the highest % of responses as the type of inbound marketing content produced.  Social media (e.g., tweets, statuses, etc.) ranked second:

Blogging Isn't Dead (Especially If You Love Writing)

Pumping out tweets and Facebook status updates is a lot easier than blogging.  Maintaining a blog requires a significant time investment.  But, I and thousands of others maintain a blog because we have something to say (not because of SEO).

Mitch Joel states it best (from his post, What's Next? It's You):

"We've come to a place where those who were never going to stick it out with blogging for the long haul are busy on Twitter and Facebook, where they can share without the burden of having a passion for writing. So, in the end, maybe what's new for blogging is a place where the real bloggers step in and create a new type of copy for the world to consume. A place where more and more creative thinkers get to tinker with words in new and interesting ways. It's a place where you (and everyone else who wants to write and have a voice) gets to be free to try it out and see what kind of audience their words, images and even video connects with. Blogging - as a platform - may never have anything new to show for itself. Blogging - as a creative white space - is still in its early days."

 Link to Photo Credit: by futureshape via flickr

Your book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, had such a profound influence on me. And, it continues influencing my thinking today.  Your thoughts about how content and ideas spread via the Internet forced me to question everything I learned about traditional marketing tactics and strategy from my MBA business school training in the late 1990's.

Your book is why I started my personal blog.  If I had read this important book when it was first published in June 2007, I would have started blogging much sooner (because I didn't read it until December 2008).  Blogging is the most creative and fulfilling process I've ever enjoyed in my life.  And, I'm so far behind because I didn't start sooner.

In pages 50 to 53 of The New Rules of Marketing and PR you shared how the best way to start blogging is by reading and commenting on other blogs. You described a two-part learning process: (1) reading blogs teaches you blogging and commenting etiquette and (2) commenting is a great way to learn how to get your viewpoint out there.

Three and half years ago, I wrote my first-ever blog comment on your post, What We All Really Want Is ATTENTION.  I still remember all the negative thoughts after posting my comment. I feared my contribution was uninsightful, long-winded, and self-indulgent. I thought the worst -- that I detracted from the conversation (instead of adding to it).

But, you responded with a kind, acknowledging response (literally hours later). Your response made me feel validated (and relieved) that I properly applied your teachings. You gave me self-confidence.  

And, you made me feel like I was welcome at this cool party involving the smart and engaging people who are consistently part of the Web Ink Now Community.  From that point on, I couldn't wait to receive your latest post on my RSS feed so I could learn more about how you think (and continue participating in the conversation by writing more comments).

I've been eternally grateful for your kind comments on my blog posts reviewing one of your books (or when you retweet one of my tweets).  Your generous acts in sharing and my book reviews of Real Time Marketing & PR and Newsjacking made me feel so great!  

Why?  Because I look up to you!  I consider you a New Media Hero!  I view your comments on my blog (along with your responses to my comments in your blog) as a form of coaching or mentoring (even though we've never met in-person).  It's so meaningful and generous when someone you look up to, takes the time to acknowledge something you wrote or contributed and says "thank you."  

It surprises me how so few people recognize and acknowledge the power of these simple, kind acts.

When you mentioned my name and linked to my blog in your post titled: Newsjacking Via a Real Time Kindle Book, it remains the biggest thrill in my brief online career as an amateur blogger.  You have no idea how much this wonderful gesture means to me -- Thank you David!

I hope one day to meet you in-person and shake your hand.  You're the reason I passionately pursue and continuously learn about how marketing and PR strategies continue changing at Internet speed.  Every opportunity to read your books, blog, or study one of your videos, is a new chance to learn.  

Thank you David for being such a great teacher and mentor.  Your work and art inspires me.  

And, this video conversation created by Lindsey Kirchoff demonstrates how you continue inspiring and teaching the next generation of marketing and public relations professionals. 

All the best,

Tony Faustino

Note:  Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist and Mitch Joel's public fan letters inspired this post. Pages 108 to 109, "Write Fan Letters," and Chapter 2: "Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started" from Austin's book are amazing.  After reading Austin's book and Mitch's aforementioned posts, I made a public fan letters list of my heroes.  

Please indulge me as I periodically publish these fan letters on this blog.

From page 109 of Steal Like an Artist: "Maybe your hero will see your work, maybe he or she won't. Maybe they'll respond to you, maybe not.  The important thing is that you show your appreciation without expecting anything in return." 

When you published your public fan letters to Seth Godin and Tom Peters, I immediately purchased Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist.  And, the first section I read was pages 108 to 109, "Write Fan Letters."

The admiration, respect, and friendship expressed to people who've meant so much to your professional career moved me.  You wrote those letters with such honesty.  And, you had the courage to publish them online.

A professional colleague gave me your book, Six Pixels of Separation, as a gift around four years ago. She knew I wanted to learn and understand the impact of new media in marketing.  Your book and David Meerman Scott inspired me to pursue blogging and to participate in social networks.

Two concepts from your book continue influencing my approach to blogging and social networking:

• In Praise of Slow
• The Golden Rule (e.g., Saying Thank You)

Whenever I write about blogging or personal branding, I usually describe and cite the relevance of these concepts.

I remember my fear of promoting my book review of Six Pixels of Separation on Twitter (because I included your Twitter handle in the tweet).  It was one of the few reviews I'd written at that time.  

Self-doubt consumed me.  Negative thougts ran through my mind like "if Mitch reads this post, what if he thinks it sucks." Or, "what if he thinks I'm misrepresenting his work."  

But, you wrote the nicest comment on my post.  And, you shared the book review with your Twitter followers.

Your gesture and generosity meant so much.  It gave me confidence to keep blogging. I started believing I was on the right path.  It reinforced I was doing things the right way (e.g., the approach you described for building a credible reputation).

And, the books and articles you read and share -- Wow!  I love how you share your love of reading (especially the diversity and number of books you annually consume).

I can't wait till you publish Ctrl Alt Del in Spring 2013.  I know it will be great. I love the ironic play on words (because I and your legions of fans know how much you love writing with your MacBook Air).  When you to made the full conversion to Apple products, that was my tipping point to invest in a MacBook Pro.

My biggest regret: not discovering, reading, and studying your book and your blog sooner.  I'm not making that mistake twice.  I read and study your blog every day. It's required reading in my continuing education to understand where marketing is heading.

Plus, your podcasts demonstrate why you're "the Charlie Rose" of New Media.  The conversational insights and your access to New Media's A-List are beyond compare.  My personal favorites are your recent conversations with Seth Godin and Ken Wong.

Your writing teaches and inspires me how to write.  Every time I read your blog, I say out loud: "Man, I wish I could write like that.  I don't care how long it takes -- I'm going to learn to write like that."

I know you love watching documentaries.  I recently watched this PBS documentary about the late night talk show host, Johnny Carson.  Near its end, David Letterman remarks about the influence and impact of Carson on his career.

Letterman described how "he needed a target" (because he needed something to shoot for).  His ideal was Carson.

When I write, you're my target.  You're the standard I shoot for.

Thank you for inspiring me (and countless others).

All the best,

Tony Faustino

Note:  Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist and Mitch Joel's public fan letters inspired this post. Pages 108 to 109, "Write Fan Letters," and Chapter 2: "Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started" from Austin's book are amazing.  After reading Austin's book and Mitch's aforementioned posts, I made a public fan letters list of my heroes.  

Please indulge me as I periodically publish these fan letters on this blog.

From page 109 of Steal Like an Artist: "Maybe your hero will see your work, maybe he or she won't. Maybe they'll respond to you, maybe not.  The important thing is that you show your appreciation without expecting anything in return." 

I've shared articles about about the online benefits of blogging (i.e., search engine optimization / SEO, inbound links, increasing number of indexed pages, improving Google search engine rankings). 

But, the real reason I love blogging is because I love writing.  Freedom in blogging inspires and informs my creativity (unlike any other hobby or passion).  I didn't understand its importance in my personal life until I stopped blogging for a brief time.  

That's why I stuck with the blogging and writing process for close to three (3) years.  It's why I do it for free.

Mitch Joel published this inspiring article: This Blog Sucks (And You're Probably Not Reading This).  It's one of Mitch's many responses to the pundits claiming blogging is dead (and is no longer relevant).

The Business of Blogging.  He describes many business-related reasons why individuals or agencies choose to publish a blog. Here are some:

• Attracting clients
• Search engine optimization benefits
• Sharing links and advice

The Love of Blogging.  But, if you want to publish for the long haul, Mitch lists nine (9) reasons to pursue blogging.  Here are some of the "real" reasons described:

• Because you love to write
• Because you have to write
• Because if you had more time, you would write even more
• Because you have something to say

Mitch's advice comes from his almost decade-long experiences in blogging and writing.  

It's the right mindset for long term success and commitment in self-publishing a personal blog.  Those four (4) reasons capture why I become frustrated when I can't invest the time in writing.

Otherwise, why do it? 

I'm so happy Memorial Day Weekend is finally here.  Time to get back to writing ....

When Hugh Macleod launched his latest book: Freedom is Blogging in Your Underwear, I counted the days till Amazon delivered it.  Hugh's love letter to blogging describes:

• Independent decision making
• Picking yourself
• Bypassing the approval of others

Similar to how "writing for yourself" addresesses blogging self-sabotage, experimentation, the writing process, and writing's iterative nature are also important.

1. Experimentation Drives Improvements In Writing

A personal blog is an adult's sandbox for experimentation, learning, and sharing. William C. Taylor, author of Practically Radical and co-founder of Fast Company magazine shared these thoughts about writing:

"The third thing I did differently with this book, which I guess is not so different anymore, is that I used blogging and other social media to experiment with my ideas before I commited them to a book."

"For a writer, what's great about the Web is that it allows you to experiment with language, to tell stories, to tease out lessons, and to see quickly what material strikes a chord with readers, what really engages them."

Listen and Learn.  If the audience doesn't respond, you received a gift.  The readers taught you something valuable (just keep looking).  If they responded with criticism, open your mind and listen. 

Record the learnings in your idea notebook (so you can these lessons in your next blog post).  It's all part of your "permanent beta" to continue learning, iterating, and improving.

2. Writing Is About Action

Marshall Goldsmith (author of What Got You Here, Won't Get You There) describes an effective writing process as three key actions:

• Focus
• Simplify
• Repeat

Showing up and doing the work is everything.  It's not glamorous.  It's about repetition and discipline.

3. Iterative Design RULES (Especially in Digital Media)

Dan and Chip Heath took a design approach to writing latest book, Switch:

"We were much more iterative in writing Switch--we went through many drafts and many cycles of feedback. Chip and I have both been inspired by the "design thinking" that's taught at Stanford's D-School and elsewhere, and the more iterative writing approach was our way of moving in that direction."

Ship Your Work -- That's What Counts.  There's nothing wrong with tweaking and modifying after pressing "Publish." Take advantage of digital publishing's "permanent draft mode."

Get your work out there.  Get your art out the door.  Publish it.  And, don't look back ...

Link to Photo Credit by Shawn Campbell via flickr

Note: Part 1 of this two-part series can be found in Part 1: 10 Reasons Why Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear.  That post describes what blogging means to me.

I finished reading Hugh MacLeod's latest book, Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear.  It's his love letter to blogging describing how this influential medium changed the trajectory of his personal and professional life.

Highlighting a few key quotes:

"My blog gave me everything."

"My blog gave me my freedom."

I subscribe to Hugh's blog, gapingvoid.com, which is how I learned the book was released this past week.  Here's his video describing why he wrote the book:

I Love This Book.  I'm also going to order Hugh's previous books, Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to Creativity and Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World Domination.  That's how much I enjoy studying his work.

Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear is filled with Hugh's motivational, irreverent,and rebellious point-of-view.  It's his call-to-arms "to create stuff" by using the Internet to transform and reinvent our personal and professional lives.  Because of the Internet, laptops, and broadband access, he reminds us we live in a world where "cheap, easy global media is here to stay."

The Book's Governing Question.  So, why not use this global phenomenon to our advantage?  It's the book's governing question linking personal and professional reinvention to blogging:

"So in my typical way, I'll ask you, are you a beacon?  If not, don't you think you should be."

So without further delay, here are the Three (3) Themes I enjoyed most from Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear.

1.  "Crofting" Is the New World of Work 

A Croft Is a Smallholding.  It's our digital identity (direct quote):

"Thanks to the Internet, we all have a little electronic "croft" -- an electronic smallholding -- to call our own: what is commonly referred to as our own digital identity, which we can cultivate, like a small farm, however we see fit."

It's Why Blogging Matters (More Than Ever).  It's why YOUR personal blog matters.  It's why YOUR personal blog can drive and enable career reinvention.  It's why maintaining a separate digital identity beyond your current job description extends your personal brand (take note if you work for a corporation). 

It's individual opportunity.

2.  Bring New Light to What Life Might Be

Our Individual Points-of-View ARE the New Light.  And, that fundamental theme cuts through all the typical how-to advice on developing a credible blog (i.e., post length, number of internal links versus external links, starting with a question, ending with a question, etc.).  

There's nothing wrong with being influenced and informed by:

• The succinct brilliance of a Seth Godin
• The journalistic integrity and heart of a Mitch Joel 
• The real-time web sensibilities of a David Meerman Scott
• The soul and substance of an Ann Handley

But, trying to be a carbon copy or an imitator highlights how you're a pretender.  Those folks acheived their blogosphere status by bringing (and continuing to bring) new light. 

Our blogs can bring new light to what life might be by:

• Writing about what individually moves us (what makes us want to write at 5 AM)
• Recognizing there's room for all of us to cultivate and lead our own tribes
• Having the courage to initiate and participate in digital conversations (blogging, commenting, tweeting, sharing, etc.)

Blogging Is a Conscious Choice.  You can't be a player unless in you're in the game. Hugh says it best on page 54:

"Not everybody believes this.  Not everybody acts on this.  That's fine; it's their life, their choice.  However, if you DO have that capacity within yourself and you DON'T act upon it, then everything around turns to desert."

 
3. The Internet Eats the "Ignorance Premium" for Breakfast

If You Can Google It, You Can Find It.  There's so much published online that we can use to our competitive advantage (both personally and professionally).  Hugh describes this concept as the end of The Ignorance Premium (direct quotes from pages 66 and 67):

"The Internet makes it harder for us to know more than the other guy."

"The Internet erodes the "Ignorance Premium."

"Because knowledge is now so much easier to share with the Internet, you're in trouble if the only reason you can make a living is because somebeody is too lazy to easily find out what you know with just a quick click of a mouse."

Our Opportunity With Blogging Is Promoting Our Individual "Intelligence Premium."  The Internet and blogging makes it easier than ever to self-publish "what you know."  Google makes it easier than ever for someone to find you.  That sounds like opportunity to me.

Why not turn this unique opportunity into a career advantage? 

My Take on The Internet's Ignorance Premium: Make Your Blog Your Intelligence Premium.  A personal blog demonstrates your individual, "Intelligence Premium" (e.g., what you bring to the table) by showcasing:

• Your knowledge about a particular subject or industry
• Your creativity in storytelling through multiple media (i.e., text, audio, images, video, etc.)
• Your personal narrative about what makes you different
• Your understanding of digital media's role in marketing, branding, and public relations strategy

Then, Why Don't More People Self-Publish a Blog?   Here are four reasons:

1. Because it's hard (creating is not easy -- at least, not for me)
2. Because it's a long-term commitment
3. Because building an audience and a credible reputation is a slow process (it's what Mitch Joel refers to as "in praise of slow")
4. Because it requires putting yourself out there

Concluding Thoughts

It's Time To Find Our Freedom.  Those (4) aforementioned reasons are why blogging is more important than ever.  They're why blogging represents individual opportunity. 

That's the freedom blogging brings.  Whether we do it in our underwear (or while wearing something else).

It's a freedom Hugh summarizes better than I can:

"The Freedom to be who were born to be -- the artist within us all."

Link to Photo Credit via Hugh MacLeod

1. Can't Wait to Wake Up at 5 AM to Write.  It's your moment of zen.  It's your time to express what you love, hate, makes you laugh, admire, respect, wish you could be, and continue striving to become.  It's SACRED TIME. 

2. Know You're Steering the Ship.  Sitting behind a keyboard means complete control.  The published words on your personal blog are yours (not somebody else's spin).  No watered-down mess requiring  corporate approval or a committee's sign-off.  

3. Pick Yourself.  You didn't seek the approval of Random House or another member of the New York City publishing dynasty.  You write. You publish. You promote.  The daily, weekly, and monthly results are there to measure and interpret.  And, the immediate audience feedback (or lack thereof) is a constant lesson in humility.

4. Press "Publish" Even When You Fear Your Content Sucks.  Blogging teaches you how to address and deal with personal fear.  Notice, I didn't say overcome it.  The "F" in Freedom Is Blogging In Your Underwear stands for "Fear."  

Rejection looms close by when you're a blogger.  But, so does opportunity.

You learn over time that subscribers and readers who believe in your art stick with you. These audience members who vote with their precious time know you won't hit a home run with every-at-bat. 

But, they expect you to consistently publish. Your subscribers expect you to show up. That's part of the deal.  That's part of the mutual bond.

It's why I can't wait to repeat Reason #1 for as long as I humanly can.

5. Want To Hug Your Blog Subscribers (But, Not Necessarily in My Underwear, Or Theirs).  The Social Media ReInvention Blog Community and subscriber base continues growing.  I want to hug you and thank you for teaching and reinforcing how trust is earned one-person-at-a-time.  

You've sent me emails with praise (especially at times when I really needed it), tweeted my posts on Twitter, "liked" them on Facebook, shared them on LinkedIn, and linked my posts to your respective blogs.  It means so much to me -- Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart!

6. Can Continuously Iterate and Experiment.  21st century self-publishing means everything is "a working draft."  You can keep shaping, condensing, adding, or deleting. It's taken me three years to realize perfection is not the goal.  

It's about continuously building, measuring, and learning with a minimal viable product (MVP).  It's about permanent beta.  Even though you don't live in Silicon Valley, you can practice the principles of the Reid Hoffman's, the Ben Casnocha's, the Mark Zuckerberg's, the Amazon's, and the Google's.  It's not life or death (although it feels like it at times -- see Reason #4).  

That's an invaluable life lesson.

7. Trust Yourself to Write With Your Heart (Versus Type With Your Brain). Writing doesn't come naturally to me.  I work at it every day (which I was I love it).  I'm still learning when/how to write and structure my position in traditional, MBA-analysis mode (and when to just let'er rip and flow).  

This is what the blogging community refers to as "finding your voice."  I'm still searching. And, this self-discovery journey is empowering. 

8. Realize There Are No Rules -- There Are Only Guidelines.  Great blog posts can be less than 140 characters or as long as 4,000+ words.  You can use text, audio, video, and images (or a combination of all four).  What makes a blog post great is in the eye of the beholder.  It's art.  Coloring outside-the-lines is encouraged.

9. Love Something So Much You Do It for Free (Sort of).  I receive zero financial compensation for blogging.  But, I consider blogging a valuable and significant time investment  

It's not about getting paid.  It's the joy and challenge of telling a story.  It's about sharing.  It's about saying thank you. It's about reminding yourself why you love it so much even on the days when you're struggling personally and/or professionally.  It's about Reasons #1 through Reasons #10.

10. See and Embrace The Like-Minded.  Google the phrase "blogging is dead" (without the quotation marks).  You'll receive close to 57 million search results.  

When I see that number and the different search headlines, here's what I see:

* I see opportunity.  

* I see people who give didn't give up on their blogging / writing in the first six or seven months of launch.  

* I see people who voraciously read books, periodicals, blog posts, newsletters, and all content in-between to learn ideas and insights they can deliver to and share with their subscribers.  

* I see people who acknowledge this is a difficult and long-term endeavor.

* I see people proudly displaying, reading, and investing in this book:

Link to Photo Credit by Hugh Macleod

On Saturday, April 28th, I watched something truly inspiring and remarkable: the courage, guts, hustle, resourcefulness, brains, and creativity of University of Missouri Kansas City's (UMKC) Student Entrepreneurs in the 2012 Regnier Family Foundation Venture Creation Challenge.

This seventh annual competition thrusts UMKC's Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation students into an exciting, fast-pased, full-day competition to earn attention and "investment."  The morning starts with 60-second elevator pitches, continues with point-blank discussions on the exhibit room floor, and culminates with 40-minute grill sessions.

And, when I say grilling, the judges are brutal.  In the afternoon finalist sessions, I was one of the judges who evaluated presentations from the following teams:

* AllerganEater^TM (presented by Deon Whitten, Cletus Obahor)

* Nstox (presented by Seth Cooper)

* Alpha 1 Biologics, LLC (presented by Matt Heimann, Rita Cortes, Lara Ogle, and Tim Schallert) 

We were tough on these student presentations.  Our questions and assessments were pointed and critical.  But, these students handled themselves with tremendous poise and grace.  No one flinched.  Each held strongly to his/her belief and conviction in the viability and value in his/her individual or team ventures. 

Were there moments of nervousness and stumbles?  Of course.  But, they kept going -- that's confidence and courage personified.

60+ teams competed (and my one regret is I didn't have enough time to visit with all of them).  You only have two hours to speak with students on the exhibit floor.  120 minutes immediately evaporates when speaking with enthusiastic and engaging people.

Words of Encouragement

Here are a few additional encouraging words to some of the fantastic students I had the privilege of meeting.  You're so inspiring!

Deon Whitten of AllerganEater^TM:  It bears repeating the evidence of your hard work in putting together a great-looking and functionally working prototype.  You accomplished something few entrepreneurs recognize -- validating learning from a minimal viable product (MVP).  Continue that form of lean start-up thinking in this venture (and your future ones). 

Seth Cooper of Nstox: I love how you're targeting small and mid-sized businesses with your web-based management and decision support software.  One of my favorite companies, HubSpot (based in Cambridge, MA), received a $32 million investment from Google Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Google Ventures last year.  Quantify or dollarize how your offering will help your target customers either make more money, save money, or decrease their costs associated with customer retention. That's what HubSpot does. And, there's no reason why you can't replicate their success.

Rita Cortes, Matt Heimann, Lara Ogle, Tim Schaller, and Tony Luppino - UMKC Faculty Sponsor of Alpha 1 Biologics, LLC: When your team shared your diverse backgrounds and the limited time you had to get up-to-speed on the pharma / biotech industry, I shake my head in amazement.  Your industry analysis and your abilities to move this venture to this point is FANTASTIC! Rita and Tony - you have my business cards.  As we discussed post-competition, if you think I can help you keep this venture moving, I'm here to assist.

Evan Kirsch of FolioBoy: College graduates and current students are in dire need of your startup's services to leverage and maximize their personal branding opportunities for future employment.  I love your enthusiasm, vision, and what drives you to succeed.  I'm also jealous of your technical prowess (I wish I had that).  The Internet levels the playing field for everyone in getting their work / art / passion easily accessible.  Get those college speaking engagements set up!  Today's students need a passionate champion (like you) who spreads the benefits and value of "investing in ourselves by putting ourselves out there."  These students need YOU.  Great job Evan -- you know where to reach me.

Danella Obraztsov of The Six: It takes guts and patience to literally build a consulting practice one-client-at-a-time.  And, you're on your way to doing just that with your online dating consultancy.  I was so impressed how you pulled together a makeshift homepage for your future website (and how you're taking a programming class to take it to the next level).  Get those YouTube or Vimeo video testimonials on your site to share your current client successes!  I met my wife on eHarmony.  And, I would have met her a lot sooner (with less frustration) if I had your expertise to help me with my online profile!

Evan Bryant, Fredrick Manasseh, Greg Walling, and Kashif Rathore of Infalite: If you hadn't gracefully pulled me over to your exhibit, I wouldn't have learned about your innovative idea for giving parents peace-of-mind that their child is safely resting in their car seat during night time driving.  In June, I'll be attending ASCO (the biggest cancer and pharmaceutical conference in the world). And, the pros who traditionally work that convention room floor can't hold a candle to you guys!  Thank you for pulling me aside to share why you believe in your concept and idea.

Brandon Thompson of The Smartboard and Ernesto Tinoco of SmartDWELL: Your passion, conviction, belief, and enthusiasm is INESCAPABLE.  Your infectious energy is why I remember you! Don't ever, ever, ever lose that.  Because, your continued passion and conviction can be game-changing.

Concluding Thoughts

It's Kansas City's civic mission and vision to create and become America's most entrepreneurial city.

The Kansas City community can achieve this outcome.  Why?  Because the UMKC Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation encourages and espouses a vital, ageless, and lifelong lesson to these students: having the courage to pick yourself.  

And, UMKC's students (and our community) need to keep moving closer in executing another valuable Palo Alto lesson:  

Silicon Valley is not a location.   Silicon Valley is a mindset:

• Fostering collaboration among all entrepreneurs
• Exchanging ideas over breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drinks after work (even if you might be competitors)
• Reinforcing competition and cooperation to advance the entire community's long term growth (versus a winner-take-all / zero-sum-game mentality)

I'm honored and proud to be a mentor with UMKC's Department of Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation.  This was my first event in participating as a member of this program.  

And, it revealed how much I need to step up my game just to keep pace with not only these outstanding students but also the top-notch people affiliated with this program.

I wish I had more time to recognize, mention, and share more about the inspiring students and people I had the privilege of meeting.  But, just like yesterday, I'm out of time.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

No.  He Writes For Himself.

Fast Company uncovered important insights about writing habits in its Leadership Hall of Fame article on most influential business books and authors. 

Interviews with Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point) and Dan and Chip Heath (authors of Made to Stick) revealed common themes:

• They wrote about subjects they found interesting
• They have no idea why their books and concepts became popular
• They wrote about topics and shared work they wanted to better understand

Malcolm Gladwell Writes About What Makes Him Happy

Gladwell offered these thoughts when asked why he thought audiences made The Tipping Poing a best seller and influential work:

"I've considered all my books to be very private, idiosyncratic projects designed to make me happy.  And, I'm forever surprised when they make other people happy."

Dan and Chip Heath Write About Things That Puzzle Them

The Heath Brothers wrote Made to Stick because they wanted to better understand communication phenomenon that didn't make sense.  Here's what Dan Heath shared in the Fast Company interview:

"We were puzzled and somewhat disturbed by the fact that lots of shady ideas--like urban legends, conspiracy theories, and rumors--have no trouble succeeding in the marketplace of ideas. Meanwhile, many important ideas fail to stick (e.g., public health messages and the correct nationality of our president). We wanted to reverse-engineer the "naturally sticky" ideas and figure out what made them so effective. In the book, we tried to demonstrate that there are patterns that explain their success, and these patterns can be used by people who have credible, important ideas to share--teachers, non-profit leaders, entrepreneurs, etc."

Here's Dan Heath's reply on why he thought Made to Stick succeeded:

"I'd love to tell you that it all unfolded according to our master plan of stickiness, but the honest answer is that I have no clue. Chip and I worked hard on Made to Stick, and we're proud of it, but I'm not naïve enough to think that our hard work explains anything. There are lots of great books that don't get much attention. I think the book's success was 90% luck and 10% putting duct tape on the cover."

Concluding Thoughts

Why Obsess or Worry About What Might Be Popular?  It's safe to say no one really knows what will resonate with readers.  No one knows what pre-determines something going viral.  The process is about building, measuring, and learning (a key concept I'm reading about in The Lean Startup by Eric Ries).

Don't Be Your Own Worst Enemy.  My latest blog post series reviewing the book The Start-Up of You was a labor of love.  But, it was the most agonizing and difficult writing experience in my three (3) years of blogging.

During the entire process I constantly worried about "what if no one likes this?"

Well, here's what Google's says from the first-page results for the search phrase "start-up of you book review":

No More Self-Sabotage.  Out of 1 billion+ Google search results, these two (2) posts rank #2 and #3 on Google's front page.  Why was I flinching????? 

Just Ship It.  Write it.  Publish it.  Put it out there.  Share it.  Let others Share It, Comment On It, Like It, Tweet It, Plus It, LinkIn-To-It, or Pin It.  And, if your readers don't, lack of applause doesn't make your work or your art less valuable.

Maybe, readers sometimes just want to read. 

Commit To The Process.  That's the the beauty of online publishing (and The Internet).  You can keep experimenting and pivoting to continuously build, measure, and learn because:

• Your audience will inform you
• Google will inform you  
• Your gut will inform you (but don't let it paralyze you)

All of the above will help you improve and move closer with each iteration.  Freedom to experiment is a good thing.  

And that's a topic we'll discuss next.  Stay tuned ...

Link to Photo Credit by Raul Hernandez Gonzalez

A Strong Personal Brand Has No Age Limit

But Over-50 Equals The Danger Zone If Your Personal Brand Is Weak.  The AARP Public Policy Institute published this recent Fact Sheet: The Employment Situation, March 2012: Unemployment Rises for Older Workers.  The concluding findings are sobering for people age 55 years to older.

• The unemployment rate for the aged 55 and over workforce rose from 5.9% to 6.2% 
• More than half of workers aged 55 and have been looking for work at least a year
• The long term unemployed are at risk of skills erosion (which decreases the probability of finding work)

Table 3 of the Fact Sheet highlights important statistics for both and average duration of unemployment and the long term unemployed for the 55+ and older group:

It Gets Harder Every Year for Unemployed, Older Workers
 

Last year, AARP Senior Vice President, Jeffrey Davis, released this video statement:

Older Unemployed Workers Must Overcome Multiple Hiring Perceptions

This Phenemenon Has Been Increasing Since 2005.  I still have the original May 2005 Fortune Magazine issue to this article: 50 and Fired.  The article states how over-50 unemployed workers battle these common hiring objections, perceptions, and responses when searching for jobs:

• Out-of-touch with today's technology
• Too expensive to hire (a pheneomenon referred to as tenured compensation)
• Unable to work for or work with team members half their age (e.g., less flexible)
• Over-qualified (which is code for you're over-50)
• Younger workers are less expensive  

Unemployed Status = Uphill Battle.  For whatever reason, companies favor "passive employment candidates" (e.g., currently employed workers who may not be actively looking for a new job).  For older, unemployed workers, it's as if hiring companies deliberately promote a "no unemployed need apply" rule. 

Invest in Your Personal Brand WHILE YOU'RE EMPLOYED

The Rise of The Temporary Gig Economy.  But, it's not all gloom and doom.  There's an emerging trend to hire older, over-50 workers (particularly in the white collar executive segment).   The Huffington Post published an article titled, Patina: Experience Trumps Youth in This Economy.  This Wisconsin-based placement firm specializes in placing older experience executives in temporary global assignments.  Patina Solutions recognized an unmet need and opportunity for older executives:

• Baby Boomers might approach retirement differently - they prefer to keep working but not necessarily in a part-time job
• Older experienced executives are a senior management asset when it comese to overseeing projects
• These executives have no desire to be tied down to one company (though many of their clients lost their jobs do to the ongoing recession)
• Established firms are moving to on-demand employment models (which allows them to forgo paying health care benefits and vacation packages)

Read These Forbes Magazine Articles By Josh Bersin On Employment Trends.  I follow Mr. Bersin because he identifies important patterns in 21st century career management.  After reading these articles, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand how The Temporary Gig Economy will become the norm versus the exception:

• (Forbes) The End of Job As We Know It
• (Forbes) LinkedIn is Disrupting the Corporate Recruiting Market
• (Forbes) How Big Data Tools Helps HR Understand You

Start Differentiating Yourself (Especially Online).  This means competitive differentiation is vital for older executives.  The competition for these temporary assignments will increase.  

Make It Easy For Company Recruiters and Executive Headhunters to Find You.  The Internet is your friend.  Whether you like it or not, older workers have to deal with extra baggage in a job search.  The key is understanding what you're up against (and a course of action).  

For over-50 workers, use LinkedIn to your advantage by:

• Emphasizing you passions
• Showing your tech savvy
• Networking across generations

Concluding Thoughts

Building a Personal Brand Involves a Significant Time Investment.  I'm entering my third year in blogging.  I love writing (which is why I do it for free).  And, my passion for writing and sharing is yielding returns in important professional and personal opportunities.

The Paradox of Digital Media Is It's Slow (Not Fast).  The results don't happen overnight. Despite a real-time Internet, digital content is an asset that becomes more valuable over time because:

• Search engines will index it
• Social media sites will share it and spread it
• Other websites (including social media networks) will link to it -- which increases your Google Authority

This is the In Praise of Slow Factor Mitch Joel refers to in his book, Six Pixels of Separation.

Start building your personal brand NOW.  

Link to Photo Credit by Timothy Krause via flickr