1. One month equals a quarter and one year seems like five.
2. The spokesperson or the spokes-people.
3. Gen-Flux: are you bracing for upheaval

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1. One month equals a quarter and one year seems like five.

This may be of no surprise to you… but, in the start-up world everything is urgent. This urgency is not bad or good… it just is.

“…for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.“
- Hamlet, speaking to Rosencrant

I think what Shakespeare was saying in this iambic pentameter prose, is this: only in looking back do we have the space to judge whether an action can be categorized as good or bad. In the moment judgement is given no quarter, only action and progress.

In the start-up world nothing is more truthful than this sentiment. As the future of the company leans on the progress of today. Yes, we can look back on last week and learn. Realizing which decision and subsequent action was a good play, and critiquing the bad ones, always learning, always implementing, always moving. And in this movement we look up every once and a while and realize the work that has been done equates to months of productivity mashed into the confines of a 30-day cycle. Then in a moment of celebration we sigh, one of those contented after a good meal sighs, take off our headphones and share a pint of barley. Crashing down on our pillows we dream of API integrations and organic user growth strategies… Only to be awoken at 5:45am to the smooth sound of Jack Johnson’s “Anything But the Truth” from our Hip Clock app on our iPhone, allowing Jack’s acoustics to propel us again, into the urgency that is the start-up life.

2. The spokesperson or the spokes-people.

My buddy Tony spurred some thinking in me, with his post on brand influence. It seems in a pre-social media (read: social empowered) world, the norm was to restrict brand engagement to the requisite spokesperson, thereby vaulting (as Tony states) the brand, the organization or the spokesperson themselves (usually the CEO or President) above the minions who actually run the show. But in an era of participation, where each cog now has a voice of their own, we are seeing varying degrees of response from said corporations accustomed to controlling the voice.

Some have responded with ignorance, others with 1984-ish regulations in which employees are reprimanded for speaking out (in any form) about the company. Personal antidote: After signing a 3-month contract with a large corporation in Pella, IA, I innocently tweeted out something to the effect of adulation for getting to work with such a well respected corporation. That very day, before I had even stepped foot into the building, I received no less than three emails of reprimand for tweeting about the corporation. It seems this former Fortune 500 company had employee regulations in place stipulating the “appropriate social network behavior” which is basically, “Don’t tweet about said company.”

This would be an example of a corporation that doesn’t embrace the reality of today, that is, each member of the organization is a conduit of information about the company. This is scary to most organizations, because they are worried about the negative PR that a disgruntled employee may create. So. Instead of solving the problem of disgruntled employees they attack the symptom by putting a employee regulation in place.

But if we look at this from another perspective by embracing the employees of the organization as people with vested interest in the success of the company, we can empower our teammates to be positive voices, vaulting the perceived image of the company to something tangible rather than a boilerplate image manufactured for the big screen.

Newsflash. There is no longer a big screen. Just as there is no longer room for just one voice, one builder. We are all builders, and if treated well, each of us will also be the best evangelists the company could ask for. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, keeping the integrity of management intact, by giving a voice to the cogs.

3. Gen-Flux: are you bracing for upheaval

I was reading an article in Fast Company, on the Gen-Flux… And I’m now pretty convinced, people groups as defined by genographic norms are being replaced by more psychographic traits. That is, the new paradigm, as influenced by globalization and the internets, is based on flexibility, instability, and adaptability. Gone are the broad strokes defining a culture by its birthdate, rather we can be defined by our model of phone, and whether or not you are bi-lingual… not in language but in code type. Those of us labeled Gen-Flux do quite a few things very well, we are flexible to the environment albeit corporate, non-profit, start-up or small business. We are comfortable with instability, that is, we do not need a label to be productive and work well in the unknown. We are adaptable and can be dropped into new teams and projects at a moments notice, we can learn on the fly and don’t need months of educational prep to be productive.

Some personality types thrive in this new environment, as it seems the job security of our professional fathers has been shown for what it is… white collar factory work. Jobs dependent upon escalating GDP and unlimited access to natural resources. But in this new world — financial stability of large organizations is tied to the markets of Asia and Europe. We are no longer an autonomous economy, this utopia has been replaced with an incestuous interconnectivity which rises and falls based on the turmoil of the day (no matter where the disturbance propagates).

So. Are you ready? Are you a Renaissance Man or Woman… Or are you a stalwart? Bemoaning the bygone days of corporate retirement packages and social security paybacks.

My associate and I have talked about starting a blog for Bottlecap, but should we start another blog? Should we instead write our own blogs infused with the highs, lows, comedies and tragedies of running our own branding firm?

I almost feel that if I start blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking for Bottlecap in addition to my own stuff – I am going to split myself into several not-as-effective pieces (as shown by my lack of posts here).

Ah, Yes… the struggle of the socially connected entrepreneur. In response to Kevin’s question, I wanted to post my blog strategy as it relates to personal versus company branding for the extroverted entrepreneur.

Your business as “We” your blog as “You”

I’ve always thought it best to build your business with the future in mind… Sure, right now it may only be you, but who’s to say when it will become we? As Dr. Stephen Covey would say, “Always begin with the end in mind.” It seems when your building something, it starts out as an extension of yourself, but as it grows and you begin to bring more personalities into the mix, the company changes it’s initial disoposition (which is a good thing). Therefore, it’s always good to utilize the company blog as a we… even in the beginning when it may just be you.

Show expertise by not diluting the stream with Instagram pics of your dog.

In order to become an expert on a subject, your company blog should be protected from the nonsense that surrounds your everyday life. It makes a lot of sense to utilize the company blog(s) to increase SEO on the topics the company covers. Save the op-ed for your own personal blog by keeping tightly focused on your company blog. Utilize the blog to announce company facts, industry news, new learnings, humorous antidotes on the business, and upcoming events. By protecting the company blog from nonsensical rants, it becomes an expert in what it’s selling… not what “you” ate last night for dinner.

Your opinion, isn’t always shared.

Want to save yourself from future embarrassment? Keep all controversial op-ed pieces on your personal blog… Be free to express yourself by creating 4-6 categories of conversation including but not limited to: technology, creative innovation, fart jokes, and iphone rumors. It’s true some of these categories may have crossover, so be sure to crosslink the pertinant categories from your personal blog to your company page. For example, you could make them available on your company page as, “Candid thoughts from our CEO” and only port over the RSS of those specific categories that have relevant information. On my company’s website, Samwell Creative’s, I have a “note from the managing director” in which I reference three categories (technology, transmedia & entrepreneurship) from my personal blog… Conversations I believe to be of interest to clients and potential clients of Samwell Creative.

In the case of Lake Surf Co., my start-up with Nathan Hildebrand, we’ve kept it more generic, only linking our twitter feeds and keeping the blog extremely focused to the midwest Stand Up Paddle boarding community.

That being said… everyone is different, and every company forms it’s own voice over time. I encourage you to think about what that voice will become, so you can clearly communicate to your prospective audience the relevant topics and stories that bring them into your company culture. This strategy works for me, as I want more people attracted to my company not by what I do and say, but by what we build and give away.

The Entrepreneur.
In order to fuel long-term equity growth,
an entrepreneur breathes life into a broken system,
thereby fueling initiative and imagination,
He rewards the risk-taker with responsibility,
empowerment that reveals untapped potential.

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The Man fears inventiveness & undercuts leadership potential.
The Entrepreneur embraces imagination & gives opportunity to promise.

So. Which one are you?

“…well my company will pay for it, so why wouldn’t I get my MBA.”

“…I have to take a test to get in, right?”

Frack. This post is going to be a rabbit’s trail type of rant, so get ready.

Over the past few years, I’ve become disgusted at my MBA. Not my experience or takeaway knowledge, but the dilution of my degree’s worth in terms of perceived value. Truth be told, it seems in the current times, an advanced degree, specifically the MBA, has lost its value. As cracker box MBA programs have popped up across the nation, and top ranked schools have shifted emphasis from top-teir education to revenue growth strategies. The cracker box programs promise an graduate degree with little effort and not much sacrifice. Seriously, just google MBA and see where it takes you… the page is full of ads and paid placements of MBA programs that offer convenient MBA degree programs, from the comfort of your home.

Even my alma mater has fallen out of the graces of the Rankings as it pursued the part-time MBA offering. This fall is just ridiculous, as OU Price College of Business was a well respected program, ranked among the top 25 schools in the nation when I received my MBA (2004-2006). The classes… kicked my ass. I’ve never studied as much, read so much, and worked so hard. I was a full-time student, I didn’t have a side job, because school was so demanding. It was how I envisioned graduate school to be — competitive, collaborative, and fully engaging.

So. What happened?

It seems the school decided to push into the part-time MBA space by offering classes and degree paths outside of the Norman campus, spinning up satellite campuses in downtown Oklahoma City. Great for revenue, terrible for rankings… and I would argue terrible for everyone who’d received the degree circa 2006.

It’s like learning to tie a windsor knot online… sure you’ll be able to get it done. But you won’t have the story. The memory of when your dad took you aside when you were 14 and taught you the reason why the Windsor was his favorite knot, and how it’s differentiated from the Half Windsor and the Four-in-hand knot. I’d argue it’s always the context that makes the story memorable, and without it you’ll probably look up the directions on “how to tie a tie” from your iPhone every time formal attire is required.

My are my panties in a bunch? Well, call it graduate school arrogance and higher learning pride. I’m of the guild who believes degrees stand for something… hard work, dedication, mastery of a subject, and a certain elitist status (in that you where of the few who completed the degree). I believe a Master’s degree is more than just a paper certificate or a hall pass to get you past the glut of middle management in corporate America. To me it is it was an avenue to higher earning potential and an overall understanding of the macronomics of globalized business… something you could not get at the neighborhood community college.

Ok, forgive my pedantic ramblings. I agree with your contrarian sentiment — What you do is what matters, as knowledge and certificates can never trump hustle and the habit of shipping.

So. What’s the solution?

Well, for starters… The General Assembly with early round investor Tom Vander Ark have been developing a fantastic alternative to Higher-Ed (more here). And with growing incubators like Startup City Des Moines, in my backyard. It is evident the next generation of learners place more value on the do of entrepreneurship than on the aging knowledge of academia.

Moral. The dilution of the MBA is based upon perceived value of the knowledge. If middle managers across the country accumulate MBA’s, yet don’t accomplish anything with the knowledge… the value is lost. Make something easy and it will no longer attract those who are drawn to build great things. Make something difficult, requiring sacrifice and hard work, and you will have found the sieve that filters out mediocrity.

Good luck @GA & @startupcitydsm. Go get ‘em.

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thanks to Sam Mahlstadt for the impetus this AM on twitter.

It has been a whirlwind of a year, with Baby D on the way and Candace stepping down from her Executive Director position at Pella Teen Challenge Women’s Home, and a new Charming Beard office on the town square in Pella, one would assume we’d be digging in for a long winter. But life has a way of opening doors when you least expect it. Such is the case with Dwolla.

Ever since I moved back to Iowa, I’ve been acutely aware of this small start-up with a big vision. I met Ben Milne at Ted-X Des Moines, in May of 2010, back then Dwolla was a scrappy start-up only licensed to operate in Iowa and California, but still garnishing a lot of regional attention. Over the next few months Ben and Shane Neuerburg successfully led the company through a series A funding of $1MM and partnership with Veridian Credit Union and TMG, a subsidiary of the Iowa Credit Union League. A couple weeks later the two-man team launched a mobile “cash-sharing” integration and announced it’s entrance into the National market at Mars Cafe in Des Moines. I was at this event, and was stunned at the attendance… as all of us were smashed into the tiny Mars Cafe space, with beers in our hands and a free Dwolla t-shirt draped around our shoulders. It was an electric event, one that vaulted Dwolla into the national spotlight.

Fast forward a year. Dwolla is fast approaching another big announcement and the team has expanded from it’s initial founders to a rabble-rouse of smart and scrappy techies. Without going into the details, I was brought on just shy of the big announcement to handle a variety of things from Business Development to Site Integration and Customer Support. It is a move that Candace and I are ecstatic about, and probably one of the only jobs that could have taken me away from Charming Beard Productions, as it combines my love of all things tech with a real entrepreneurial spirit (read: market disruption).

I couldn’t be more happy, last Thursday night, standing on this stage… As I join a team of exceptional talent, each of which are helping to build “the ideal payment network” for the next generation.

Don’t have a Dwolla account? Text 515.650.4583 and I’ll give you a dollar for your thoughts.

What is Dwolla?

Dwolla was created to help eliminate credit card fees, and make it quicker and easier for businesses to get paid. With free micro-transactions, and a flat 25 cents for everything else, Dwolla is the nation’s cheapest payment network.

No mystery fees, no sign up costs
Free online and mobile tools to make mobile payments work
Socially and locally connected for maximum exposure

Since I’m the new Business Development guy… I thought I’d better end this blog post with my first true pitch.

Never before have I been so destroyed by a seemingly easy feat… that is to pull oneself up by grabbing ahold of a straight bar 3 feet over your head. This humiliation has made me re-evaluate myself in some other areas of my life, as the reality that my shoulders DO NOT resemble those of Rambo finally sunk in. In particular, I’m wondering if I have an accurate knowledge my strengths as it relates to business/vocation/personality. So, here is my question to those who have worked with me in the past… whether it be co-worker, manager, or client — What strengths do you see in me that I might otherwise have overlooked? And an equally pressing question, what strengths do you think I have overhyped in my description of myself?

While this may stink of narcissism… I assure you it is not — I am trying get outside feedback into my strengths and talents as opposed to relying on self-fabricated descriptions that are egocentric and grandiose.

With that said, here are some of my personal observations as to my strengths, below them you will find a poll question and I’d love for you to either agree/disagree or add your own strength to the list that I might not see in myself.

My Top 3 Strengths:

1. Producer/Project Manager — identifying and breaking down the obstacles so that the talent can do what they do best on time and under budget.
2. Learner — always open to learn something new… so ingrained in me, it has become permanent posture.
3. Relator/Connectedness — I love meeting new people, finding similarities and connections that could be mutually beneficial in business and life.

Works in Progress (working to become stronger at):

1. Director — seeing the big picture and being organized enough to clearly direct a team towards a long-term goal.
2. Writer — ability to articulate clear and succinct stories that connect at an emotional level.

Take Our Poll

So. With this newfound sensitivity, I want to deconstruct this question for a moment. Mainly, because I think we are asking the wrong question, especially if we are trying to elicit a motivated response.

Usually when we ask someone what they would do with one million cash, we are trying to get them to exercise their dream muscles and respond with an answer that will lead us to figure out what they should be doing with their life. By asking them to shed the one thing holding them back (ie: working to pay bills) we are supposedly freeing them to think about what they would do with unlimited resources.

The problem with this question is the fantasy(s) of which it elicits:

1. The first fantasy premise is comes from the fact that the 1MM is given to them, won by them or inherited to them. Basically, we start the conversation with the notion that this 1MM is not earned.
2. If I had a million dollars, I wouldn’t work. This is the next problem… Most people don’t want to work, they want to live on perpetual vacation, and the thought is… with 1MM in the bank account all the worries of life have been taken away and now they are free to enjoy life.
3. The final problem with this question lies in our cultural problem of entitlement. Once we are asked the question, we cannot shake the thought that we deserve to have 1MM and the unfairness of not having access to this money, and lifestyle.

We are asking the wrong question. Ushering the conversation into the fantasy land of what if’s — instead of challenging the core of the person, we are tickling the their flesh.

In order to elicit the proper motivation married with a realist perspective, we must challenge the deep seated human characteristic of responsibility — that one deserves what one puts their hand to. With this in mind, A better question may be, “If you had nothing, what would you build.”

Taking away the fantasy of perpetual vacation, we get to the point of humanness, that is, to find fulfilment and contentment in the work of our hands. In Genesis, God curses the ground and puts Man in contention with the soil, so that, ‘by the sweat of your brow, you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, of which you were taken.’ Some may say that God, with this curse, takes the joy of work out of Adam, but I think differently… It seems God instills an ethic in Adam, a set of moral principles, that man must cultivate the earth to enjoy it’s fruit. God shifts our motivations, pain and toil become the effort that gives us contentment as we enjoy the fruit of our labor.

When we ask, “If you had nothing, what would you build?” We are not placing a burden around your neck, we are freeing your from the shackles around your wrists. We are saying — If you had no mortgage, no debt, no obligations what would you build from the skills and talents inside of you? What would you utilize in the environment and circumstance you are living within?

What would you sell, in order to someday earn one million dollars?

Justin Snyder: Filmmaker

Co-founder and Creative Director of Abandon Films in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Writer and director of Legacy of the Mountain (2011).

Currently joining forces with Hello Studios and other collaborators to start a brand new company, launching in January, 2012. Has written and directed dozens of commercials and video shorts, including Back in Time, a low-budget TV ad for a local carpet store that went on to win a national bronze Telly Award. Also a musician and songwriter, occasionally seen performing at The Muse or leading worship at “The River”.

Twitter: @justinmsnyder

Chase Moore: Student/Filmmaker

Senior at Taylor University | National Geographic Intern

Chase grew up in a small mountain town in Southwestern Colorado where his love of filmmaking and the outdoors began. He has spent the last 4 years pursuing a BA in Media Production at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. This past summer Chase interned with National Geographic Television where he worked on the 5-part television series, “Alien Deep” about the how the ocean impacts our everyday lives. Currently, he is working on a documentary that dives into the lives and stories of reenactors who portray the war of 1812 once a year at Mississinewa Battle Field in Marion, IN. His dream is to pursue documentary filmmaking and use it as a tool for positive cultural change.

Twitter: @chasemoore
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/chasemoore

Brian Hill: Transmedia Storyteller

Co-founder of Echolite Media | Videographer, Designer, Photographer

As a adventure photographer/videographer Brian has traveled the world collecting stories and footage of many different cultures and settings. Brian’s strength’s lie in his ability to expertly maneuver between print, video, photo, and web to tell a relevant and moving story. He is currently based out of Arkansas, but finds himself working all over the world.

Twitter: @b_hill
Web: http://echolitemedia.com

Kyle Reed: Freelance Designer

Kyle create websites, conversations, and ideas.
For the first couple years of his 20s Kyle lived in his parents basement and tried to figure out what he was going to do with his life. Getting fed up with waiting, Kyle packed up everything he owned and moved to Nashville TN. He started his own website design company and quickly started to design and consult for some of the biggest clients in his field. After doing free-lance work for the last 2 years, Kyle just recently became the director of communication at cross point church in Nashville TN.

Advocate for the 20 somethings, Kyle is looking to connect everyone to a mentor.

He likes his coffee black and his dog Jack.

Twitter: @kylereed
Web: http://kylereed.tv

This blog post my attempt to begin to answer these questions. As it has been a really fun ride over the last few years to get what’s in my head out into the world, utilizing all of my experience, learning and dreaming from OU MBA school and the past 12 years of life and work (I got a dual emphasis at OU in Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing).

First, this diagram will help explain the different brands you may hear me tweeting about:

Below is a quick rundown of my current projects:

Charming Beard Productions: A boutique productions studio that specializes in transmedia storytelling. A branding strategy that utilizes web, photography, film, and written word to weave a consistent thread of creative inspiration throughout the life of the marketing campaign. | http://charmingbeard.com

Goatleggin’ It! A Gonzo Blog: The articles found on goatlegg.in are long-form blog posts: stories about living for today, ruminations about tomorrow and candid interviews with interesting people who evoke the goatleggin’ lifestyle. This project is a collaborative effort between Sam DuRegger and Drew Crowson. | http://goatlegg.in

StoryBuild.in: Work in progress… mums the word on this one. | http://storybuild.in

Holding Company — An Explanation

In this organizational chart, you’ll clearly see that Samwell Creative Group, LLC is a holding company for other brands/services/projects. In this set-up I can spin-up any project under the Samwell Creative Brand and immediately start charging as said brand/company through a fictitious name application (online application through the Secretary of the State… around $5). The reason for this is simple, as an entrepreneur in the digital age I want to protect my assets, even in idea form. By setting up a fictitious name then building a website with branding elements I’m well on my way to protecting the idea from other trolls and entrepreneurs who are looking for something to steal.

Do you think this a bit paranoid?

Well, I don’t… I’ve already seen a few of my ideas (shared with trusted people) get taken and sprung into businesses or projects… some with my blessing the other without. It’s all small potatoes now, as ideas are a dime a dozen, so I’m not crying over losing the idea… reality was in their favor as they had the money to invest, and I did not. Nonetheless, these interactions have made me extra careful in sharing my ideas/plans/projects, as I want to make sure that I can’t pursue the idea before I hand it off… and what better way to hand-off an idea than with a check in return (hence setting-up the brand first to ensure some financial gains from the work put in).

Patience and Temperance is the entrepreneurial lesson learned.

Sidenote: See my post on Trademark vs Copyright for further explanation as to which one is best to protect your product/brand/idea.

Now, back to the explanation… A holding company can be confusing in the beginning stages of operation as everybody, looking from the outside – in, just sees one person doing multiple things. Now, clearly in start-up phase this is an accurate observation, one person doing all the work: marketing, accounting, production, sales, et cetera. In all of this initial fury, the goal remains the same… that 10-years down the road we will have built a few distinguished brands and services clear market capitalization and differentiation under the Samwell Creative Group umbrella. Unfortunately, I’ve been a little too loud with some of my marketing, especially in the beginning stages of building this company, in hindsight I should have never publicized Samwell Creative Group. Instead I should have focused my time and energy on building some of the other brands until I was ready to launch. Alas, hindsight is 20/20. Though I will say, I’ve learned a lot from this process and would not want to give-up the lessons learned so far. One BIG thing I lost is Facebook “likes“… I know it seems small but I in all honesty I wish the Charming Beard Facebook page had gotten the brunt of the publicity a couple years back instead of the Samwell Creative page, as it’s been difficult to get the “likes” transitioned over. Which is important because the list of contacts on the SC page could really be beneficial in the promotion of new Charming Beard books and products.

Final Thoughts: In operating Samwell Creative as a holding group, I allow myself flexibility to pursue ideas without having to create other LLC’s and legal entities right away, which takes time and money. Utilizing this type of business strategy I have the ability to spin-off successful projects into companies if and when the project finds it’s legs and requires partners/investors/et cetera. Entrepreneurship is a difficult path, one in which I am incredibly grateful to be able to pursue. I expect there to be projects and ideas that fail (some may fail miserably), but the hope lies in the project(s) that win! Over time, wisdom says, I’ll become better at identifying the legitimate ideas over the crummy ones, so that when I invest time an money into a project I (and my investors) can be optimistic about the end result.