An individual like Ben Arment. Amongst other things, Ben is the head dude at STORY, a conference dedicated to serving the creative class.

While most of the folks who go to STORY are from a faith background, the speaker lineup usually isn’t. And that’s why I love it. Diversity loves an audience.

Another item on my “Favorites” list is Des Moines. It’s where I live, work, and raise my family. The City on Two Rivers holds a special in my heart. Which is why I’m thrilled to have Ben come visit and hold a special meetup for Des Moines-based creatives at the end of June.

Here’s the skinny:

1. Who: Anyone with a pulse. That, and a desire to connect with other go-getters in the city.
2. When: June 20th from 8-10a.
3. Where: The always eclectic West End Architectural Salvage.
4. Why: Because we need each other, damnit. That’s why. Plus, Ben will be on-hand to share 10 little-known insights for launching a creative idea. This guy knows his ish, so you’ll want to be there.
5. Cost: As the French would say, this is libre. In other words, it’s free! (Doesn’t saying it French make it that much more official?)

Who’s coming with me?

I’ll be there. With bells on, even. If you’re in the Des Moines area – anywhere from Ames to Indianola – you should seriously consider being there.

Find out the granular details by visiting the registration page. Sign up and get to West End on June 20th. You’ll thank me later!

• I went to Big Omaha last week. It’s the greatest conference you’ve never heard of (and that’s okay). Here’s a recap from day one.

• Be forewarned, vulgar language ahead! Big Omaha introduced me to some brand new people. My favs? Yael Cohen of F— Cancer and Eddie Huang. People with purpose, no matter how crass (isn’t that in a Dr. Seuss book?).
• ‘Tis the season. Our travel schedule for MonkDev is about to pick up full-swing. Conferences, conferences, conferences! Are you going to any big meet-ups this summer?
• This is my favorite album right now.
• Here’s me and my sister, Iowa Girl Eats, circa 1986.
• Enthralled by the 2012 edition of the Infinite Dial media study.
• Chris Guillebeau’s latest book, $100 Startup, is a must for anyone looking for a little courage to start living out their dreams. Regular folks doing the most normal thing they can think of: Being their own boss.
• A sweet slide deck from Wufoo.com’s Kevin Hale. My favorite deck from Big Omaha!
• Vince Marotte is conducting a survey of church web administrators. Very short, simple, and to the point. The plus? Everyone who participates gets access to the data. Please take a moment and fill it out. Translation? You might get more resources based on the data we find!
• Make a Big Ask today.
• Finally found my perfect traveling get-up: Sport coat, t-shirt, jeans, dress loafers. The sport coat is the bulkiest thing I pack, so wearing it cuts down on carry-on volume. My dress loafers are slip-ons, so getting through security is a breeze (I’ve also got a thing with laces). Plus, how can you not be comfortable in a t-shirt? TRAVEL BLISS.
• I finally bit the bullet and purchased a battery extender case for my iPhone. Currently testing the Mophie Juice Pack Air and Kiwi Case. I’ll let you know which one’s better. So far, so good on both of them, though.
• When people are in ministry for the right reasons, nothing’s more courageous. When people are in ministry because of other people’s expectations, a sense of guilt, or because they feel they have nothing else to offer the world, well, that’s when things get dangerous.
• Below: A shot of my beloved Des Moines this morning. My, she’s looking vibrant and ready for the day!

The heart of the conference is so connect entrepreneurs and tech-minded people to each other, all in the heart of the country. Topics range from dog and cat websites to cancer reform to credit card companies and banks. Knowledgable people talking about the stuff they know the best.

Live-tweeting the event has been a bit of a challenge simply because there’s so much information to share. So, being the practically-minded person I am, here are some of the best tweets from yesterday’s events:

While I would gently disagree with Gary about the happiness of hell, I am 100% on board with his assertion. There are too many opportunities, right now, outside your door, for you to be doing work you don’t believe in.

Take 15 minutes and watch this video. Tell me if what he says doesn’t ring true in your guts. This should resonate with you whether you’re in a situation you love (preferable) or hate (not preferable).

Note: Yes, he does swear in the video. If you’re offended by colorful language, don’t watch. Actually, do watch and challenge yourself to see the bigger point he’s making. Then, ask yourself why you’re so offended by a few curse words

• Nothing says the beginning of summer like enjoying a shandy after mowing the lawn. It may be one of my least favorite seasons (I’m a cold weather guy), but the combo is hard to beat.
• Big Omaha this week. Anyone else going to be there? Can’t wait.
• I had a friend tell me recently that he, “doesn’t buy the whole Sunday morning thing.” After hearing his reasons (and reading this article), I can’t say that I blame him. What’s the solution?
• Went to see “The Avengers” with some friends on Saturday night. What a great flick. The action was consistent, the acting was tolerable, and the one liners? Forget about it. Absolutely a must-see. To top it off, we had a guy in the row behind us start openly weeping at the end of the movie. I guess he must have been a huge fan!
• Did you know that “Iowa” was one of the top 10 most-searched for terms on Pinterest? Could be because one of the founders is from Des Moines. Big ups to the 515!
• Anybody using Workflowy? I keep hearing about it, but I can’t figure out all the fuss. Is it that good?
• Three Indian families just moved in down the street from us. I drove past a Korean church recently where the only English was a teeny note on their front sign. Most airports now have signage in both English and Spanish. Diversity is so refreshing.
• Are you in church communications? Want to hang with some of the brightest and the best in the field? Apply to join us in San Diego at the end of the month for Conclave Sessions: San Diego. Read more here.
• Below: RIP MCA. The Beastie Boys are one of those bands where seemingly every album has a memory from my youth associated with it. Out of the three, MCA always seemed to the most reliable.

The “I Can Get it For Free” Guy. We all know him. We’ve probably all been him (or her). It’s the person who exists to let you know that he or she can get anything for free.

Selling an ebook? They could find the information “for free” by scouring the annals of the Internet.

Offering an online course? They could pull a Will Hunting and get the content “for free.”

Holding a conference? Oh boy. “GIFF” Guy loves not going to conferences. “Why would I pay all that money when I can just download the talks later/watch the webcast…for free!”

But you have to stop and ask yourself, “what is free?” Is free simply acquiring something with no financial cost? If so, then the “Get it For Free” Guy is absolutely right. You can, in most cases (and with a lot of work), find things for free.

But I’d suggest to you that “free” isn’t actually “free.” Not in the sense that this person believes it is, anyway. “Free” here means spending an extraordinary amount of attention, time, and energy finding what you want. For “free.”

What few dollars you might save in financial costs you more than pay for in opportunity costs. (And the savings aren’t usually as drastic as believed to be.)

Take MonkDev, for instance. Among a strategic (social media & organizational strategy) and professional services (design, information architecture) division, we craft websites for organizations. Not a bad gig if you can get it. But anyone whose ever worked in the web industry knows that websites are a magnet for the “I Can Get it For Free” mentality.

There are tons of companies who can build you a functional website. Frankly, some of them will be less expensive than MonkDev. But time and time again, the feedback we hear is, “your support team is out of this world,” “how could we go anywhere else?” and “this is the best money we have ever spent. Period.” (I’m not just making that up, either. That’s actual customer feedback.)

Our goal is to provide an experience, from start to finish, that will give you an online presence you can be proud of. Our prices reflect that. You can go to a one-off company, get a website, and complete your transaction. Relationship over. But we’re more interested in seeing you through the long haul. We believe our product is worth the price we’re asking for and the market, thankfully, validates this over and over.

Seth Godin has stated that the race to the bottom is a brutal one. Companies and individuals engaged in a pricing war have to make painful decisions, often, to keep their offerings the cheapest. The “I Can Get it For Free” Guy is a harsh taskmaster.

That’s not a race I want to be in.

There’s often a tremendous amount of pride in the “GIFF” Guy. It’s almost as if a price tag is a personal challenge to him/her. I have found that regardless of how you price something, the “GIFF” Guy will see it as an affront to their sensibilities. Due diligence is one thing. The “GIFF” mentality is something completely other. He or she will take up that challenge just to prove you (and your price tag) wrong.

So let them. Let them exhaust time, effort, attention, and other precious resources in trying to get everything for free. That’s not who you want to be targeting, anyway.

You want to find the audience that loves what you do, sees the value in it, and says to others, “we couldn’t afford to not invest in this!” Whether you’re selling widgets, trinkets, teachings, or websites, those folks are out there. I can assure you.

• Social media: Revealing people’s need for counseling since 2003.

• Maybe it’s the fact that I’m getting older and have multiple offspring, but the level of self-disclosure via social media makes me uncomfortable. Not only that, I think it’s inappropriate. Some things just shouldn’t be shared with a watching world. Like the old saying goes, “It’s a status update, not a diary.” Is it just me, or do you notice this to?
• Signed up for SaneBox over the weekend. The pile-up of emails was becoming too much for me, so I’m giving this a go. If you’re buried under your inbox, give it a try using this link and they’ll give you a $5 credit (you can try the service out free for 14 days, though).
• I officially have a virtual assistant. Never thought I’d see the day, but it’s here. The good folks at Zirtual have an amazing service and took the time to listen to my needs. Plus, they’re listening on Twitter. Never a bad combo. My “ZA” is already punching my “I Hate These Things” task list in the face.
• TweetCharts looks awesome.
• Defending your time without sounding like a jerk.
• Some Monks went to a Brazilian steakhouse recently. They had the vibe. They had the food. They had the Brazilian-looking wait staff (complete with ascots). Everything was there. But do you know what I was focused on? The knives they were using. They had these ugly, saw-looking knives with garish white handles that completely ruined the experience for me. Details matter.
• Had a great time talking with the students at Drake University last week about social media strategy. I’m thrilled that educators are taking the risk and incorporating digital media into their course offerings. SO crucial. Bright, bright students, too.
• If you are working in a cube and you hate it, please quit. Don’t let your afternoon trip to the water cooler be an inspiration to get out of bed in the morning.
• Below: The Peanut Matrix

I can’t say that he’s wrong. In fact, if I were to calculate sales of the ebook I launched last month, I’d have a healthier bank account at this very moment. True, not everyone who downloaded the book for free would pay for the same thing. But many would and, at $9 or $10 a pop, that would be a good payday.

I’ve stressed this elsewhere, but I believe we’re at a point where people will need to build multiple revenue streams to excel. Not just survive, any desk job with a paycheck can help you do that. But really, truly, honestly excel to the point where you get to do some really cool things.

Does this frighten you? Have you seen this at work in your own life? When I sit down and look at where I have income coming in, here’s what I find:

• Amazon affiliates
• A salary and a stipend
• Small contracting projects
• The occasional speaking gig (although, these are becoming less and less frequent because of the extensive speaking we do at Monk)

I see a gaping hole in there for product. Product development is where I’m focusing a lot of my thought and energy, as it’s the key to my financial freedom. Yours too.

Here are a few ideas I’ve toyed around with:

• Continue writing ebooks, both free and paid.
• Develop a physical product that benefits remote/virtual workers.
• Develop social media and productivity resources.
• Build the ever-elusive app.

Time will tell if any of these will get past the planning stages, but I’m gearing my thinking this way. I think you should too. After all, few of us actually push ourselves to our limits. So why not give it a go?

This is all an experiment. I’d love to hear how yours is going. Let me know in the comments below and we can learn together!

• It’s not about “finding” the time! It’s about making time for what matters to you. Everyone is busy. (via @chrisguillebeau)!

• I don’t know if you saw this, but we could use some more help at MonkDev. Would you be a good fit?
• I have a little dream tucked away in the back of my mind. It’s called the “Future Farm Lab” and it will be a place for me to collaborate on projects, work, and bring people from all around the globe to take in the Iowa countryside. The Lab will be an independent structure away from the main house. A place to go and experiment and build. It’s on a farm (or at least a big plot of land) because that’s where my family and I want to eventually build our dream home. My latest thought? An underground tunnel connecting the Lab to the main house. Now that would be awesome. Here’s the board for it on Pinterest.
• I’ve been deep-diving into research for a virtual assistant. I’d never thought I’d see the day, really. People with assistants, to me, always seemed a bit pretentious. Harsh, but that’s what I thought. Now? I’m in desperate need of a few extra hands to get some of the granular details of my life in order. Between Monk, CFCC, and personal projects, there’s a lot to be done. Interested in taking on the task? Shoot me a note. I want to make a decision before the end of the week!
• There’s a right way and a wrong way to talk about your projects. Ben Arment does it right: He puts the focus of his project on the people who will benefit from it. The wrong way? Well, let’s just say that when you’re the hero of your own story, you lose.
• If your sense of masculinity is defined by not using Pinterest, you’ve got other issues. Men: This is your permission to start using this awesome social network.
• Really enjoyed using Dripps this last week. Well done, John!
• We’ve got our first week of work down as the MonkDev Des Moines branch Jodi and I have some things cooking that’ll really flip your lid. So thankful!
• I’m locked into a bitter rivalry with an older woman (read: heartless hag) at Starbucks. I normally sit alone at a two-person table, sitting on one chair and putting my things on the other chair. She will, unapologetically, move my stuff on the empty chair and take it for her little bridge group. It’s happened multiple times. I scowl at her every time, I must confess. It doesn’t work. Next stop? Telling her the seat is for my imaginary friend, Terrance.
• Below: Dear Lord, why?

We had more submissions than I expected, which is always a good problem to have. Seems there’s quite the interest in social media and marketing. I wanted to give you an update on that position and who we ended up hiring for it. (Just to let you know, we’re still looking for someone to fill another position. More on this towards the bottom).

As I was sifting through the 140-character applications, I noticed a name on the list I wasn’t expecting.

Jodi Stevens was someone I knew from my days as a pastor. She was a part of the ministry I led and ran in some of the same circles here in Des Moines. Jodi’s also a UNI grad, so our connections branched into our college friends as well.

She mentioned that this was a position she’d be interested in for a number of reasons. Suffice to say, I knew Jodi as a sharp, bright marketing professional, so instantly I thought, “we need to figure out a way to get her on board.”

We talked and ended up shifting the position to include more than originally intended. As a company, we had needs in developing our own social media presence as well as helping other organizations do the same. As the Communications Director, I knew that we also had some holes to fill in our marketing strategy.

I think you see where this is going, but let me spell it out: Jodi is now the Marketing Project Coordinator for MonkDev. Alongside some social media responsibilities, she will be driving a large portion of our marketing strategy. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I could not be more thrilled to have Jodi on board and functioning in this capacity. I know not everyone who reads this blog is a person of faith, but I’d be lying if I said this didn’t feel providential. We had a need, she had a need, and those needs, as distinct as they were, matched up. Almost perfectly.

Read her interview on the MonkDev blog and give her a shout out on Twitter while you’re at it.

But wait! There’s more.

While I have your attention, I wanted to reach out again to see if anyone would be interested in a new role, a Marketing Administrative Assistant.

Let me be up front with the particulars:

• This will be perfect for a college student/intern, or anyone looking to get their foot in the door with digital marketing.
• You’ll get your hands dirty. Expect to help build while executing assigned tasks.
• My preference is Des Moines-based folks. You’ll be coordinating meetings, tasks, and keeping the marketing team on track. I’m open to remote workers (as always), but you’ll have to be really good
• This is a non-paid position. As I mentioned before, if you have internship credits you need to fulfill, this would be a perfect scenario.
• If this sounds like your cup of tea, please fill out the short form below. I’ll be in touch soon, as we’d like to bring someone on board quickly.

You are an amazing community and I consider it an honor to bring you into the fold whenever possible. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got places to go, people to see. Take a second consider joining us, wouldn’t you?