ThinkHammer

Are you inspiring anyone? Who inspires you?

2012-02-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

I opened up the latest edition of the Greenville Business Magazine yesterday and saw that the publisher, my pal, Lori Coon, in her Publisher's Letter, had mentioned that I had inspired her in some small way this past month. I love that. First off, I love Lori Coon for being an inspiration to me as both a fine human being and as a publisher that never loses sight of the goals of her business. She makes things happen even when the times and economy make it difficult. I am absolutely inspired by her and if I can return the favor by inspiring her in some small way, then that is just my way of saying thanks.

Who inspires you? How do they do it? What is it about them that gives you that extra boost? I think those moments and people are worth paying attention to and learning from. I think they are even worth writing down and then reviewing from time to time.

If you wrote down a list of people who inspire you and why, how long would it be? How do you think it would make you feel? What would you do next?

No matter how successful you are at what you do, it can sometimes get hard. You have setbacks minor and not so minor. It is at those times it is nice to have a ready list of inspiring people that will both make you grateful for having them in your life. If you write down why these people are an inspiration for you, you also end up with a set of guideposts of what is important to you. As a source of inspiration it mig even be that these people are reminding you of things you would like to work on in your own life, business, or career. Get them listed. Write down who and why. Then maybe, just maybe, you should send off a thank you card or two.

Surefire techniques to turn ANY NETWORKING EVENT to YOUR ADVANTAGE.

2012-02-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

I am in the event business. At some level, I am actually just a matchmaker. I create events that technology professionals and business owners use to meet the people they need to know. Want to know what I don't get?

People frequently go to networking events unprepared to make a connection!

I get that the natural state of technology people is that they are really, really good with ideas and sometimes stuff, but not always people. I love the people who come to our event. What sometimes bothers me is that they don’t take advantage of all of the great people standing around them!

If you are a programmer, then hanging around other programmers may give you great ideas for your next project. Hanging around other business owners may give you the opportunity to understand where the best opportunities may be for your future. Hanging around (the occasional) accountant may lead you to understand your financial opportunities better or more. (I married an accountant, so you never know what may come of it.)

Here’s the bit most people miss. Unless you teach yourself to be inquisitive and learn about others, many opportunities simply pass you by. Sure you are going to talk to some people you may not be able to relate to, but there are plenty you can help or even be helped by. To figure out if someone is a potential connection for you, you need to be able to ask questions and listen. Don’t know how to get that conversation started? Try some of these...

Four guaranteed conversation starters that are not the usual blah, blah:

What brings you here? This is so much better than the crappy pickup line “Come here often?” You may get a bland answer but if you do, then dig deeper. If you get, “I come for the networking.” Then reply “Interesting, what would be a great discovery for you in your networking?” They may not have thought about why they come, you will have them percolating on it. Better yet, they will be both engaged with their purpose and with you.

What do people pay you to do? I love this question because it sidesteps so much of the junk answers people deliver when you ask them what they do for a living. No one replies “They pay me to be the President of TurtleMax software.” They say “I put IT people to work.” This question, gets at the heart of what a person does to earn their keep. By asking the question differently than everyone else, you once again have piqued the interest in the listener and caused them to get emotionally engaged with their work and with you. Ask interesting questions at a networking event and people will remember you. Doesn’t that sound like a good thing?

What does a win look like for you tonight? This question can shake people up a bit. That’s a good thing. While some personality types are highly focused on goals, that really is only a small percentage of the population. Most people only vaguely know what a win would be in their day to day efforts. Some haven’t a clue. If you ask the question and get a momentary blank look, don’t rush to fill the void. Let them think. It may take several seconds for them to formulate an answer. You may be digging down to the nature of their life or work goals. Wait to see what they come up with. If they don’t answer with something either you or they could actually act on, then probe further. You are eventually going to come around to my favorite question...

How can I help you? This one is direct. It is also the question that seems to surprise people most. Most people at networking events understand that they go to help themselves they are startled when someone offer them some help. This is one more chance for you to come up with a clear actionable step with which you can help another human being. When you ask this question, you are looking for some way to make a helpful, memorable connection with them which will involve you taking some action on their behalf on your own time. This is how you spread good in the world. This is how you create lasting connections. Help others. I’ve spent my whole adult life trying help others. Sometimes they even try to help me back. This has led me, and I expect it to lead you to a remarkable life.

About that help you are offering. I haven’t forgotten that you have goals of your own in the world. I will get to that, I promise. Start helping yourself by being in the right place at the right time. If you are attending the right networking events, then some percentage of the people you ask to help actually need you. Hopefully you have a good answer for them on who you help and why.

While finding a person who needs you AND is ready to commit the resources required to engaging you is an absolute win, chances are you will first encounter a request that’s something short of that. Often it’s an introduction to a certain type of person. Do it. Make an introduction. Try to find some way you can help the person you are talking to at the very event you are both attending.

I have helped people get job leads, find new customers, and begin collaborations on game changing new businesses. In most cases neither person knew the other. If someone is looking for contact information, pull up your smartphone and send it to them right then. If you don’t have that capability or it isn’t quick and easy for you, then write yourself a note and do it as soon as you get to your computer. Nobody does this at 9 pm at night, so why don’t you?

Remember the idea is to help people and they will naturally remember and start talking about you. Better yet, they will be talking about how you are a problem solver that gets things done and helps them make connections. That is exactly what I’d like to be remembered for. What would you like people to remember about you?

New Google Reader for Tablets: Google Currents

2011-12-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

Google has released a customizable news reader for Android and Apple tablet computers. They call it Google Currents. Much like Flipboard before it, it makes reading news items from the web a lot more pleasant experience than trying to figure out RSS feeds as in Google Reader. It takes web news and puts it in a format anyone can use. If Google Currents had come first and Flipboard second, people might have been calling Flipboard the Google Currents killer. With the timing reversed, I'm not exactly sure how nervous Flipboard should be. Currents has the advantage over Flipboard in that it's available for both Android and iOS. Flipboard has no Android version. Flipboard beats Currents slightly on visual appeal and pretty substantially on social network integration. Currents has basic Facebook and Twitter integration and surprisingly disapointing integration with Google+. You can +1 an article, but not share it to your Google+ feed. Still it's a great option for Android, and it's Google Reader feed integration may make it a winning play even for those using an iPad or iPhone to read their news.

What happens at an Intensive Journal Workshop? (audio)

2011-10-24T11:11:00.000-04:00

Intensive Journal workshops involve a series of writing exercises aimed at self development. Over a series of days participants write about themselves, their thoughts, friends, family, and conversations in a way that creates breakthrough experiences. Over 175,000 participants, from all walks of life attend these workshops since 1966, looking to gain insights about their relationships, career, health and goals. I had the opportunity to talk Jon Progoff, head of the Dialogue House and son of founder Ira Progoff, Ph. D. about the workshops, the Intensive Journal method, and what people get out of attending.

This interview first appeared on Your Day, which is heard on the ETVRadio network of stations.

Press the big green button to start playing the audio.

An Intensive Journal Introductory Workshop will be held in Clemson, SC on October 28-29, 2011. (This is a new date.)

Your Day airs at noon Monday through Thursday on the NPR stations across South Carolina.

Some basic talk about 4G LTE (video)

2011-10-21T05:18:00.002-04:00

It turns out some people are still a bit confused about 4G. They don't even know if they have it or not. In an attempt to dispel a couple of myths and get the listeners of the Your Day radio show a basic introduction, I sat down and talked to the folks at Verizon Wireless.

A visit to the Immedion data center (Video)

2011-10-20T10:46:00.000-04:00

Our October Your Day radio program included a technology road show where I went out and visited a couple of tech companies and did some interviews. The segments appeared on ETVRadio (South Carolina's NPR stations) and also on the Your Day website as video. This piece was from my visit to South Carolina based data center service provider Immedion.

Audio: Interview with John Warner - What is Innomobility 2011?

2011-10-11T05:30:00.019-04:00

press to play

John Warner, the creator of Innoventure, has something new up his sleeve. In a few days he will unveil Innomobility, the mobility brother of Innoventure. It's a conference with a global reach that's going to pull in automotive and mobility executives from across the country to present and connect with opportunities and business models in automotive, materials, and information technology. I interviewed John for Your Day and he talked about the presenters and opportunities he hopes will come out of this new conference.

Press the big green button to start playing the audio.

October 18-19, 2011
more info: Innomobility.com

Your Day airs at noon Monday through Thursday on the NPR stations across South Carolina.

Audio: Adding Windows features to your Mac, your calls.

2011-10-10T10:12:00.005-04:00

On the third Wednesday of every month we do a live call in show taking your technology questions. This episode, first aired on August 17, 2011. We start our talking about Lion, the new Mac OS, but the bulk of this show, as always is the improv we do when we take your calls. You never know what we're going to be asked, or what we might say.

In this show:

How to be your own computer detective.
I'd rather be lucky than stupid.
Should you leave your computer on at night?
Do computers dream during hibernation?
We solve domestic disputes.
What can keep you from making a recovery disk?
How do you keep your Macbook from overheating?
Should you use anti-virus software on your Mac?
What you might think abut before giving up your PC for a Mac.
How to pair a bluetooth headset with a new cell phone.
How solid state hard drives make your computer boot faster.
Can solid state drives be compromised?
My laptop is turning itself off! Help!
Why do laptops overheat?
Why do cats hate computers?
Why do I run out of Virtual Memory?
Voodoo may be our answer to your computer problem.
Are the "affordable options" for smartphone service worth trying?
and some bonus calls that were never heard on the air!

Press the big green button to start playing the audio.

Your Day airs at noon Monday through Thursday on the NPR stations across South Carolina.

Back to the old Blogger...

2011-09-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

A month ago I got pushed to the new Blogger editor, assured by the pop up windows that it was newer, cleaner, better. It has taken me a full month to realize that the new interface is still half-baked. I had to go back to the old blogger interface because you can not publish podcasts in the version of Blogger in Draft available today.

The New Blogger -- What a difference!

2011-08-03T10:28:00.003-04:00

I'm still looking for a reason to fall in love with the new Blogger editing interface. I guess I need to spend more time with it. Anyone love it yet?

Read about all the changes on the Blogger in Draft blog.

Audio: Netflix rebate, Your Calls, Avoid having your phone hacked

2011-07-21T05:37:00.002-04:00

On the third Wednesday of every month we do a live call in show taking your technology questions. This episode, first aired on July 20, 2011. We start out with a riff on the Netflix troubles and eventually give some advice on how to secure yourself against phone hacking.

Press that big green button to start playing the audio.

Your Day airs at noon Monday through Thursday on the NPR stations across South Carolina.

We're live at Noon! LTE Is coming to the Upstate tonight!

2011-06-15T06:03:00.000-04:00

Eric Rodgers and I will take calls today at noon on most of the South Carolina Public Radio stations.

It's a a live call-in hour on most anything technical. Eric Rodgers hosts Phil Yanov, founder and President of the GSA Technology Council. Listeners call in via the tollfree number 888-539-8859 to ask questions about using the internet, computers, new digital devices, and related topics.

We're live from Noon until 1 PM on WEPR 90.1 FM and we stream live on the web.

Where else might you listen?

89.3 Charleston
90.1 Greenville / Spartanburg
91.3 Columbia
88.1 Sumter / Columbia
89.1 Aiken /Augusta
89.9 Beaufort / Hilton Head
90.1 Conway / Myrtle Beach

And tonight I'll be at Tech After Five in Greenville! We'll have Verizon Wireless with a demo table showing off 4G LTE speeds and the latest devices. Join us there.

What do the GSATC, Tech After Five and Cigar Therapy have in common?

2011-05-31T11:12:00.000-04:00

Doug Greathouse of Arcimedia sent me a note and asked if I'd answer a few questions about the GSATC, Tech After Five, and even Cigar Therapy. He pointed a camera my way and captured the conversation. Thanks to Doug and Charity Greathouse for helping to get the word out about some really cool cats.

See more of their work at SuperHeroMarketing.Net.

Audio: Trashing your computer is about to become a crime

2011-05-21T10:12:00.001-04:00

On the third Wednesday of every month we do a live call in show taking your technology questions. This episode, first aired on May 18, 2011. We open with a chat about the new South Carolina law that will require you recycle your electronics rather than putting them in the landfill.

Press that big green button to start playing the audio.

Your Day airs at noon Monday through Thursday on the NPR stations across South Carolina.

Tweet delivers first public message of Osama Bin Laden's death. Will we remember that?

2011-05-02T09:12:00.000-04:00

According to a story on Adweek, moments before President Obama stood before reporters and delivered the news that Osama Bin Laden had been located, intercepted and killed in a private military compound in Pakistan, the story had been leaked on Twitter. It seems that Donald Rumsfeld's chief of staff, Keith Urbahn, posted it to Twitter.

It's hard to say whether history will care much about his being first to announce it publicly. Urbahn said in a later message that he got the news from a TV producer, so I think it unlikely that this is some sort of herald of the death of TV news.

It does however seem to be a frameable tweet.

Someone who knew something that we didn't was overwhelmed by the moment and posted it where others could see. It's absolutely poignant. That may make it something we will all remember.

Now Watch the TEDxGreenville 2011 Videos Online

2011-04-21T10:13:00.001-04:00

For the past two years it has been a privilege to be the master of ceremonies for the TEDxGreenville events. Both years a fabulous team of volunteers has pulled together an event that illuminates and inspires the community. It spans art and music, poetry and lifestyle, work and play. Since I am working the event, I don't get to hear every word of every speaker and I have come to look forward to the videos so I can catch what I missed. Here are the presentations from TEDxGreenville 2011 which I hope will leave you thinking about ways you might want to change the world.

Skilled U.S. Immigrant Entrepreneurs Returning to Home Countries

2011-03-04T13:17:00.000-05:00

Tom Brokaw presented a special report on the NBC Nightly News last night that said immigration rules are roadblocks for enterprising foreigners who want to stay in the United States to create companies and jobs.

The story cited Kauffman Foundation research to support the premise that the visa backlog creates an expensive brain-drain on the economy, driving founders back to their home countries.

The Kauffman Foundation has produced immigration reform recommendations that would make it easier for high-skilled immigrants to stay and launch companies in the United States.

If we're to innovate, shouldn't we keep attracting innovators to our country and making it the best place on Earth for them to build their companies?

via Kauffman Foundation

Radio: The iPhone is coming to Verizon!

2011-02-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

On the third Wednesday of every month we do a live call in show taking your technology questions. This episode, first aired on January 19, 2011, opens with a discussion of Verizon's announcement that the iPhone is coming to their network. Do you run out and get it the first day? What features will it bring? We then take listener calls. We end up giving advice on how to record family history with digital recorders, how to move your photos from one computer to another, and talk about why you probably still want a GPS in your car even if you have a smart phone. We talk about why we still love the Kindle and lots more...

Press that big green button to start playing the audio.

Your Day airs at noon Monday through Thursday on the NPR stations across South Carolina.

Your kid could be famous! Doodle 4 Google for School Children

2011-02-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Doodle 4 Google contest is now open for K-12 students in the U.S. to redesign Google’s logo around the theme “What I’d like to do someday...”. The winning student, chosen by Google employees and a panel of guest judges, will have their design displayed on Google.com for millions to see, and take home a $15,000 scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for his or her school or after-school program. We’ll also choose 40 regional finalists, whose artwork will be featured in a special exhibition in partnership with the Whitney Museum of American Art. This year, the contest is open to parents to register their school-age children directly, and we’re working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Girls Scouts of the USA so kids in those organizations can participate too. Educators at public, private and home schools can also register their students.

http://www.google.com/doodle4google

Stop waiting...Start the revolution yourself.

2011-01-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

To anyone who is waiting for someone else to do it, please allow me to repeat myself.

The revolution starts now. With you. I spent too much of my career thinking somebody bigger, smarter, better funded was going to make that cool thing happen. While I was waiting for them to make their move and with the smallest of resources, I started something of my own. I don't know if it's a revolution. I'll leave that assessment to someone else. What I know I do have is something that matters -- most of all to me, and if what people say is to be trusted, it also matters to some very cool others. I wish I'd started sooner. Don't wait. Shoot first. Shoot now. Do it yourself.

ps: Thanks to Tim March for inciting me to write this. He is the most dependable of muses.

Still got power? Prepare now so you'll be ready when you need it.

2011-01-10T11:05:00.003-05:00

We've got five inches of snow and it is still coming. I started preparing yesterday for a possible loss of power. I've got my flashlights and other battery powered lights were I can find them. I made sure they have got fresh batteries in them. I've got my cell on the charger, which I'll yank off the minute the power goes off. I've topped off my rechargeable batteries.

Here are a few more tips you may be able to use:

Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations.
Send brief text messages rather than making voice calls for the same reasons.
Don't leave the house without car-chargers to ensure you have back-up power.
Keep phones, laptops, PDAs, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location.
Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you have to evacuate.
Save emergency phone numbers in your cell phone with one-touch dialing.

What did I miss? How do you get yourself ready for a snowpocalypse?

ps: And I hope we have power when Verizon makes their big announcement on Tuesday.

Radio: Best of the Unheard Calls - 2010

2011-01-04T07:13:00.000-05:00

On the third Wednesday of every month we do a live call in show taking your technology questions. This episode, first aired on 29 December 2010, features some great calls that had not been aired previously because we had run out of time during the live show.

Resolution or reboot?

2011-01-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

How many times can you reboot? I guess as many as you'd like. I am not sure that it's always necessary to feel like it has to be quite that drastic. That's the cool thing about living as long as we do. We can reboot and choose a whole new career. We can warm boot and just change the place we do it. Or we can simply add new features to what we're doing. We are all programmers and the system with the biggest impact on our enjoyment of life is our own. If you think it's time to review the features, processes, and outputs of your life, know for certain that you can do it. The program that's you can be hard to change, but it is so cool to see what comes next. I hope you have all the success you can handle in 2011. You may be one of the lucky ones who've figured it all out and in 2011 you'll be running the program you've been writing. You may be someone who is making some changes. Best of luck regardless of your path. Be sure to share your stories. I'd love to hear them.

ps: Don't be a Marvin.

Google Delays Fiber Announcement

2010-12-19T09:34:00.000-05:00

Remember Google on Main and how all those people in Greenville, SC came together to attract Google Fiber? You probably also remember that Google said they would be making a decision by the end of the year. Well, Google has just announced that they are delaying the decision until early 2011. In a blog post, Google says that they are not re-opening the competition for more cities, they just need a bit more time to decide.

ps: I am still feeling lucky!

LinkedIn at 85 Million Users, now adding a new user ever second

2010-12-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

At last month's Web 2.0 conference, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner updated the audience on the state of the LinkedIn business. In an interview with John Batelle, they talk about the growth of the network, how it makes money, their growth in Europe, Brazil, and China, and the tremendous potential they see in facilitating professional networking in foreign countries as their economies heat up.

Weiner talks about how LinkedIn creates value for hiring managers and recruiters because talented professionals update their profiles when they are not actively seeking new work. This exposes talents, skills and experience gained, to those who are looking for perfect matches for their organization. This should be a reminder to those who may one day be open to the prospects of a new job or a new customer, that bringing LinkedIn information up to date may one of the most efficient ways to have your new employer or prospect come looking for you.