The Liberty Bell and the Chinese

A short family vacation found us in the City of Brotherly Love and in 1 super strong day, we were able to see Independence Hall and the room where the Declaration was signed, the Liberty Bell (which has a great exhibit telling the story of how the world views and appreciates its symbolism), and the US Mint, where they make over 30 million coins per day (if they want to).

The NFO and I have certainly put our kids on the path to being full fledged history buffs and I think they really do get the sense of history from the places we visit, so in that respect, a total victory.

I hadn’t been to this part of Philadelphia in maybe 30 years or so and I thought it was really well done. The tour guide in the Hall probably could have benefitted from a microphone, but it was time appropriate and very informative.

One thing I’ve noticed about family vacations these days is just how difficult it is to truly “check out.” Emails come in (and even though I have my auto-responder on), I still feel the urge to check/respond. I mean, either I do it in a multi-task way or I pay for it when I “get back,” right?

One moment of irony that I know my friend, Dave Sloan, a Philly native no less, will appreciate.

There was a HUGE group of Chinese teenagers on a tour (I impressed them because when they told me where they were from, they said “North east part of China,” and I said, “Oh, near Harbin?” but I digress )

I guess I was just aware of the fact that here were all of these Chinese students, visiting the cradle of American (heck, world) Democracy and many of the values that are core to the experience are either forbidden or foreign (for now), in their homeland.

Wonder how rising wealth in China and international travel will play out in the years to come.

All in all, a great day. One in which we truly “left it all on the field,” and (we hope) were able to continue to instill our kids a sense of curiosity.

The Mind of the Early Adopter…

I sat there for 5 minutes, staring at the screen.

My computer was working fine, optimized after 1.5 years of refinement. I should just leave well enough alone, right?

Yet, here I was, staring at the “Next” button…the one that would being the installation of Windows 8 over my Windows 7 OS, hurtling me into the unknown world of a new technology and about to commit to crossing the chasm from which there was turning back…but one that could involve hours of digging out and recovery.

I had been down this road before.

I had been to the abyss of data loss and non-working machines. Yet, each time, I had come back…stronger and better, feeling empowered that I had developed a stronger understanding of the underlying technology.

And, further, I was committed to forcing the creation of new neural pathways, getting me out of my “comfort zone,” convinced, like a junkie of technology, that the next thing would give me a bigger rush, reason enough to push forward.

And, so I did…

I pushed the button and didn’t look back, off on the next adventure.

How did it go?

A post for another day.

Like Wearing Fur…

I’m looking forward to the day when…

• driving a Hummer (or even a stretch limo)
• drinking bottled water
• eating takeout in styrofoam containers

make people a pariah as much as wearing fur does today.

Just not sustainable.

What others to add to the list?

Driving Connecticut Ave. with my son

Washington Monument, Washington D.C., United States as viewed at twilight/dusk. Taken by myself with a Canon 5D and 24-105mm f/4L IS lens. Español: El Monumento a Washington al atardecer Magyar: A Washington emlékmű Polski: Pomnik Waszyngtona o zmierzchu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For Paco’s 7th birthday, he asked if we could drive the length of Connecticut Ave.

As you may know, DC has streets named after every state and Jokinen is fascinated by streets and geography.

His wish is to drive one state street each year on his birthday.

What’s more, he wanted to drive at night, because, in his words, “it’s more exciting!”

So, we went out on Sat. night and drove to the end (we’re towards the end) and circled back to head downtown to reach the beginning of the street.

His joy was palpable. I guess being on the road at 10:30pm is a new experience at some point, right?

He made great observations about how the types of buildings changed and how the parking became more premium/difficult.

When we finished, we debated for a moment if we should return and do “all of Georgia Ave.” (not a simple task-it’s long).

It was late and I was tired, but Paco wasn’t. He was fully of energy and was egging me on.

“We can do it! We have to do it! It’s my birthday. Come on!”

And, in those exhortations, I heard a bit (more actually) of myself as I realized that my son was in the process of out-“me-ing” me in terms of “go for it” gusto.

Any idea we had—and we had a lot of them—”Let’s call Aunt Kiki and have her wave to us!” or “Let’s stop by Aunt Dina’s house” was fair game for him.

The boy was on a pure adrenaline rush.

All I could think of—aside from how much fun it will be to go out with him when he’s 23 is…”man, this boy knows how to LIVE it up!”

The best part was the 2.5 hours of father-son bonding we had as we discussed the City, the Washington Monument and White House (we passed them both), the Battle of Marathon (once we hit the 26 mile mark on our drive) and every other question he asked-and there were a lot of them.

I couldn’t have thought of or wished for a better birthday for him…or for me.

Running (or not) in a Storm…and a great friend

As you may know, I’m in training for a Tough Mudder race (less than a month away) and I’ve really gotten into running (again).

Rediscovered the fun of it.

The other night, I went out and about 1.2 miles into my loop, I noticed the skies darkening…rapidly.

Then, a thunder crack…and off in the distance, a flash of lightning.

From the way things were progressing, I wouldn’t make it home in time and while in my youth, I would have made a run for it, playing the odds, fatherhood changes you.

The trade off of an extra 3.8 miles (to finish the run) or even to go back just wasn’t worth the cost of getting hit by lightning (even though the odds are slim).

Factor in that I would be somewhat exposed and near trees (flying limbs or whatever), and it just seemed like the right idea was to find shelter.

Problem was…I had no cell phone and no money (lesson learned).

On the corner, however, was a Police station. Just as I was entering, it started to come down hard.

And by hard, I mean, torrential.

I was debating whether I would share the fact that just at this moment, the song “It’s Raining Men” was playing on my playlist. What can I say? I like the beat and it pumps me up while I’m running.

Laugh away.

I asked the Police Officer if I could have a ride home—my tax dollars at work, right?

Alas, no.

She pointed me to a room where I could make a free local call.

Now, the NFO was out with the kids at an event. Too far away for a pickup, so I had a judgment call to make

Wait out the storm or call someone.

The problem with waiting out the storm was the fact that I had to meet said NFO at a precise time in the future. So I had to be at home to change and get back out.

I went through my mental rolodex, thinking, “who would both pick me up and like to laugh at me at the same time?”

Answer was obvious…I called David Price.

His wife, Daphne answered and I proceeded to explain my predicament.

“Where do you need me to pick you up?” (Mind you, she didn’t even ask “where’s the NFO?”)

She just came and got me (good thing she did because it started hailing.)

What a friend.

When I got in the car, I said, “yes, this will be on the blog.”

And so it is…a testament to a bit of wisdom (not running through a thunderstorm) and a great friend (no questions asked).

ON the way back, we had another wise move…electing to take an alternate route when we saw this massive flood in front of her car.

A little bit out of the nest…

Not sure why I feel the compulsion to blog this one, but I suppose it’s just one of those moments.

For most of their short lives, the kids have gone to camp with people they already know from school.

Yesterday, however, I took them to a new camp (focused on technology-surprise, I know) and it was a sea of multiple cultures/religions/ethnicities, which is great.

Understandably, not knowing anyone, they were a bit apprehensive, but as the Orientation went on, I could see them becoming more comfortable with it and forging ahead with bravery.

It just made me feel proud that they were able to overcome this (small) obstacle and plow ahead. After all, I kind of view that as a primary role of the father.

Just got a bit emotional about that one.

Proof of 9.79 and its importance

Here's evidence of the historical significance of 9.79 

(my back story here)

Then, read this:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8214740/the-olympics-global-fan

(Eight years earlier, I'd seen a Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter named Ben Johnson run Carl Lewis into the track in Seoul. A few days later, we learned that Johnson flunked a drug test, and my Canadian colleagues had to cover their country's version of the Black Sox scandal on the fly. But I will go to my grave stating unequivocally that the race itself was one of the most exciting things I ever saw. Everything was perfect — the time of day, the light in the stadium, the buzz of the crowd, and the way the two men went molten when the gun went off. I am not the only one who feels this way.)

Visiting the National Gallery of Art

I was fairly excited the other day when I asked the kids, “where in Washington, DC do you want to go for our monthly outing?” and they all excitedly agreed upon the National Gallery of Art.

Granted, they were motivated by the moving walkway and the waterfall in the underground passage connecting the East and West buildings, but hey, they still managed to take in some Rodin sculptures and classic paintings, mostly Dutch.

We were accompanied by my parents (my mom was an Art History major), so they really got a lot out of it, as I continue to foster and cultivate their right-brain thinking.

It’s a great, world-class museum and I’m glad we had a chance to take advantage of it.

How to be Remembered…

I’m training for a ToughMudder race on September 9th, so have been running a lot.

To help out, I’ve been experimenting with various music playlists, to keep me motivated.

This morning, right as the run was ending, the music from Chariots of Fire came on.

While it’s not the greatest motivator while you are actually running, it is a great score.

With the Olympics coming up, I was reminded of the story and it occurred to me that, if Eric Liddell hadn’t had the religious convictions preventing him from running on Sunday, there would have been no story.

In fact, without looking it up, I bet that no one reading this knows who won the Gold Medal in the 100 meters or 200 meters in the 1924 Paris Games.

The point here is that the great stories, the kind that Ken Burns talks about in this wonderful 7 minute documentary, are made by those who stand FOR something.

This is true in our personal lives, but also in our business lives.

Steve Jobs is famously quoted for having said that his objective was to “put a dent in the universe.”

Great brands, nay, the GREATEST brands are built because they create stories around their principled positions.

It’s easy to be skeptical because while most brands and most athletes start off standing for something, too often, those positions are compromised and it becomes about the money and the fame.

“So many times, it happens so fast, you trade your passion for glory.”-Eye of the Tiger, Survivor (which IS a good running song).

Money are fame are fine, but not enduring.

Nothing wrong with them, but it all comes down to what impact you want to make (or none at all).

Bookmarks in Time…Windy City

I went for a run this morning in Chicago.

Passed many of the signature landmarks…Pritzker Pavilion, Grant Park/Buckingham Fountain, Museum of Science/Industry, Soldier Field, and then up along Lakeshore Drive back to Chicago River.

I stand by my contention that Chicago is America’s most beautiful city…from May until September.

Anyway, as I was running, I had a mini-flashback to my first visit to Chicago.

Fortunately, I’ve been here more than a few times since (although I still need to go to Wrigley), but back in 1979, my dad brought me here (I think he had a case or something) and I spent part of the day with my great Aunt and part of the day with my first cousin, Leonard, who was a student at Northwestern.

As the fates would have it, when I got back to my hotel room and checked my calendar, I saw that today is Leonard’s birthday, so I got to call him and reminisce (though he didn’t remember it, which I can’t say is too offensive.)

Anyway, a small “moment in time” to record and remember.

GOP-Dems Frustration

Not that this will do anything except get people riled up, but sometimes you just have to get it out there.

Republicans--you need to become better storytellers. Right now, Capitalism is on the ropes. In fact, it's been on the mat and is staggering around. Faith in the concept is gone and you need to show people that free enterprise is a good thing, but that it needs a level playing field. Very few believe the field is level now. You haven't really done anything (that I can think of) to restore that. You talk a good game, but you need to make it happen. Then, you need to paint the picture of a world where it is level and keep making concrete steps towards that.

Dems--you need to get your head out of the sand that the old world of big manufacturing and labor unions are on the road to our redemption. The longer you hold on to that belief (particularly the public unions and teachers unions even more so), the more difficult it will be to make the radical paradigm shift that is required for all of Americans to even have a chance at maintaining their standard of living.

Germany after 60 years

I suppose it's easy to be skeptical and say 'they dragged their feet."

I take a different perspective, perhaps because it reinforces my worldview that Germany has assumed much of its unique historical responsibility.
After six decades, 80,000 former USSR Nazi victims to get compensation

Particularly good because of how they stepped up during these challenging economic times.

Either way...it's a good thing for those getting compensation.

A big shout out to Stu Eizenstat for driving this.

Hey, that IS a great idea.

Reading through the NFO’s copy of Oprah’s magazine the other day, I saw an interview with an actress about her life’s “Aha! Moment.” 

The big idea?

Take a 24 hour break from technology. No TV, phones, computers, etc.

While I’m all in favor of it, it just didn’t feel like an innovation.

Particularly when she said “from Friday night until Saturday night.”

The Most Beautiful Sound…

Paco woke up early the other morning, had breakfast, and got himself dressed.

The girls weren’t up yet so he sat in the hall and opened his songbook.

For 20 minutes, all I heard was him singing to himself… “God Bless America,” “This Land Is Your Land,” and others.

Innocent. Pure. Just a great sound.

Super Sad True Love Story

It’s a bit depressing and almost cliché at this point to talk about the decline of America. Particularly during the week of July 4th, but we’re getting to a point of No Return as it relates to our national debt and our outlook about the lifestyle to which we believe we are entitled.

In Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel, a pretty sad portrait is painted about a future that unfolds if we don’t stop our current ways of consumption valued over production, value, and innovation.  The Love Story has many twists…a man who loves America and is sad about how it has morphed, his relationship with a woman whom he loves, but she doesn’t necessarily return the emotion 100%, and an overarching perception of an aged society trying to recapture the glamor of its youth.

There are so many levels here at such depth, that no blog post can really do it justice.

Still, it’s a worthwhile read because it’s one of those potentially prophetic warnings about what could become if we don’t ask seriously soon.

 

A change of perspective…

On the train back from New York the other day, I was sitting next to a young woman who had recently graduated from college.

In front of us were three young men of roughly the same age as she.

They were doing what young men sometimes do and being somewhat crass.

At some point, I turned to the young woman and said, “I could be wrong, but my sense is that these guys don’t have a girlfriend.”

She smiled and said, “I doubt it.”

I then shared the “application to date my daughter” post with her and, in that moment, realized how much my perspective on boys, girls, men, and women had changed.

Holy Solar Panels, Batman…

Now that the summer is in full swing, it’s just fun to see this… 26 kWh of energy created in one nice sunny day. Forget the money…it just makes me feel good.

Ok, back to money…If you are interested, here's the link to get an estimate for your own solar panels.
(full disclosure...if you do sign up via this link, we both get some $).

I’ll keep you posted on the economics of this for me.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves..

My cousin and I were talking about how to overcome adversity and the topic of the Navy Seal training program (known as “B.U.D.S.”) came up.

You know what their motto is?

“Embrace the suck.”

I really liked that.

We all have tough times and we’re all in need of a belief structure to pull us through.

Instead of wallowing in our misery, you can have the confidence that you will persevere and get to the other side.

“Embrace the Suck.”

Then, I started to think about the other cliché sayings which, to some extent, govern my life.

1. “Leave it all on the field.”
2. “Go Big or Go Home.”
3. “Burn the boats”
4. Never Stop Marketing

Each of these are mantras, of sorts, which I call on when needed.

I think they also help me tell a story about the kind of life I aspire to lead.

What are yours?

Marking Time at the Playground...

Took the team to the playground the other day and had one of those slow motion flashback moments. Was thinking back to all of the times I had taken them before and had to push them on the swings, catch them at the bottom of the slides, or just hover.

No longer.

Now, I just get to sit on the bench and watch them do their thing...and think about how time flies...and savor the present of the present.

How Korach's Rebellion Teaches You to Socialize More

This will have a little less than widespread appeal, but sharing the sermon I gave this past Saturday at my synagogue on the portion of the week (Korach).

Movie: 130 Million People at a Train Station…

Last Train Home (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, not quite, but that’s kind of what it felt like as I watched the experience of two Chinese migrant workers in Last Train Home.

The film gives us a glimpse of life that is so foreign to us, but yet touches us every day. It’s the people who make all of the cheap “Made in China” things that make our lives what they are today.

We see the impact on a family where the parents leave their tiny village, putting the care of their 2 young children in the hands of the grandparents, and then move 2100 kilometers away to live in a 1 room dorm.

Then, the central part of the story is how everyone in China goes home for the New Year, but it’s not straightforward and can require waiting at the train station for…5 days.

Yep, 5 days.

And then, when they do get home to see the children they haven’t seen in a year, the conversation is “you're 5th in your class? You need to do better.”

Of course, that type of relentless focus doesn’t come without a cost and we see that as well, as the daughter rebels and the parents try to cope with it.

A huge chunk of the world doesn’t live like we do (but they do have mobile phones!) and this movie makes you realize and appreciate what you have, but also helps you understand (a bit) the global, human condition.

Fascinating.

Thanks to Dave Sloan for suggesting that I watch it.

Related articles

• Last Train Home (2009) (myfilmviews.com)
• Migrant workers 'are important to UK' (premierlinedirect.co.uk)

Best Marketing Advice I Got…

Image by Sprengben [why not get a friend] via Flickr

So, what’s the best marketing advice you’ve ever received?

I chime in my thoughts in this Digiday article.

Too harsh a marketing lesson?

I received the following note recently. Read this and my response. Then, weigh in. Was I harsh or did I do the young man a favor?

Dear Mr. Epstein,

My name is _____ , and I have just completed my second year at ______ University. I'm now back in Maryland with my family for the summer, and last week I was fortunate to have been able to speak with Mr. _____ at length about his work at _______.

I was fascinated by his explanations of how he utilizes strategic marketing to exploit environmental markets, and he was kind enough to educate me about the marketing industry in general, and how best to pursue a career in it. He heavily recommended that I speak to you about the possibility of obtaining an internship at Sprinklr, and about the marketing industry in general as well.

I did some reading about how Sprinklr's dynamic SIREn platform aids businesses to manage multiple social media channels in a scalable way, and I am highly interested in learning what it is Sprinklr does in detail, and about what it is that you do for them.

I'm also hoping to discover if there are any potential internships at Sprinklr that would fit my skill set and interests, but just by reading your NeverStopMarketing blog and about Sprinklr, I'm certain that the opportunity to speak with you in person would be highly beneficial for the development of my interests and career path. I'm available to meet whenever is convenient for you, and if you prefer to contact me by phone my number is

xxx-xxx-xxxx. I look forward to hearing from you, and hope that you will have the time to talk, but I completely understand if time constraints render that an impossibility.
Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
xxxxx

Here’s what I wrote in response.

XXX,

Thanks for writing. Appreciate you reaching out.

Your first marketing lesson, whether you intern for Sprinklr/me or not, is something called the "You/I" test.

You should look at your writing and ask yourself: which is used more frequently? "You" or "I/We".  If "you" doesn't win, you should start over.

The second lesson is "relevance."  You wrote a nice email, but your key point is "anything that fits my skill set."  However, you didn't provide any insight as to what, exactly, your skill set is. Nor any URLs for me to investigate, so I have no idea what the answer to the question is.

Now, you have a choice. You can be disheartened by this email and wonder how I can be so harsh and say, "I don't want to work for this jerk," in which case, we both move on.

Or, you can say, "what a great learning opportunity" and come back with an email that shows some real potential as a marketer.

Jeremy

China-Please Vote for ME!

It’s either the beginning of the end of Chinese dictatorial rule…or it’s evidence that Democracy just isn’t worth it.

My friend, Dave Sloan, suggested that I watch a movie called “Please Vote for Me” about the election of a 3rd grade class monitor in Wuhan, China.

At the beginning of the movie, the kids have NO idea what Democracy is. Nor do they know what it means to Vote.

As the 3 candidates (8 years old) begin to square off, a few things jump out at you.

• It doesn’t take long for them to realize that character assassination and negative campaigning is a strong strategy
• The degree to which parents are involved…VERY involved
• Votes can be bought through “favors”

It’s kind of like watching what happens when Democracy is introduced “in the wild.”

That…and some insights into Chinese culture as well.

A Thankful Midshipman…

I met an inspiring young midshipman at BWI recently. Here’s the video.

So wonderful to hear such gratitude for what America offers…something we don’t hear enough.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage

Some pics from the Asian/Pacific-Islander Heritage Day at American Art Musuem.

Kids had a good time, as you can see.

Nadia

Tikkanen

Jokinen

The Rabbit’s Foot and the Gift from a Father

Every now and then fate just intervenes.

With my (relatively) new gig, I have (I’ll admit) been struggling with the issue of work/life balance (and I know I am not alone with that).

My buddy, Aaron Stopak sent me a note, introducing me to Allan Horlick, author of Rabbit's Foot, A Gift From My Father, who was looking for some help promoting his book.

Now, Aaron had missed my note announcing my move to Sprinklr (I guess I’m not as good a marketer as I think), so it wasn’t a good fit, but I did say to Allan…”send me the book, I’ll read it, and happy to offer some suggestions.”

And he did….and, it was like a whack upside the head.

The book is about a man (roughly my age) who is totally focused on his career…to the detriment of his family life.

Over the course of an engrossing story (which had some highly relevant angles-e.g. the protagonist is a big Redskins fan), you can’t help but come to terms with what is really important in life.

While the prose is not Hemingway quality, I think the imagery is just first-rate and the fact that most of us can find a bit of ourselves in the story makes this one worth picking up.

In fact, in the hours and days after reading the book (which I should say, I finished over the course of 2 days), I found myself thinking more and more about it and asking myself if I was living my life consistent with my values.

If that’s not the purpose of a book, I don’t know what is.

It did change my life. Enough said.

Particularly point as we head into Father’s Day…for all the dads out there trying to figure out how to do it all.

The Art of the Video Game…and Asian Heritage Day

It was humbling.

I took my kids to the American Art Museum to see an exhibit about the Art of Video Games and one of the exhibits was Pac Man. (Here’s Paco playing it for the first time).

Another was Super Mario Brothers.

Man, my childhood is in a museum…and all of this coming in my 40th year…hello mid-life

What was great to see, as a technophile, was the wall of video game console evolution starting from Atari and Commodore 64 all the way up to the modern day. Just amazing to see how it has all progressed.

As an extra bonus, when we arrived, we walked into the beautiful atrium (a must see, if you haven’t visited yet) and we ran into Asian/Pacific-Islander heritage week.

Frankly, the kids loved that more than the Video Games (and that’s saying something) because they were able to make clay fortune cookies, decorate masks, and see a traditional Chinese dance troupe wearing the two-person dragon costume. Throw in some Indian dancers and Filipino music and you have a winner.

The Video Game exhibit is apparently going on tour. It’s not huge and it is fun. I didn’t get to read that much, but it does change your perspective on the importance of Gaming in our culture (more and more so), plus give you some perspective on the pace of technological change.

Related articles

• Take a stroll through 'The Art of Video Games' (news.cnet.com)
• The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect - book and Smithsonian exhibition (boingboing.net)
• Video games enter realm of art at Smithsonian (alternet.org)
• Should video games be considered art? (newscientist.com)

How FedEx Field Brought My Son and Me to Tears…

Paco is a big soccer fan so when I heard that the US was playing Brazil in an international friendly at FedEx field on May 30th, it was a no-brainer.

I bought some tickets on StubHub and, well, that was the high point of the event experience for us.

Now, I’m sure there are others who go to FedEX Field on a regular basis, but I’m not one of them.

Which meant there were a few things I didn’t know…maybe I should have done the research beforehand, but I didn’t….and my son and I didn’t have the experience we envisioned.

First, I didn’t know where to park so I ended up in the lane that required $40 for parking, which I didn’t have because I don’t carry that much cash.

We ended up parking about 1 mile away and walking to the stadium. By this time, the game had already started and our excitement was palpable as we approached the gate. Finally, we were going to get in…

Or so we thought.

When we showed our tickets, the usher blocked our way.

“No backpacks allowed inside.” He pointed to the sign.

Sure enough, a very long list of prohibited items and backpack was on them.

I had brought some food and water for the boy, but also binoculars so he could watch the game, some sweatshirts, etc.

I pleaded. He wouldn’t budge and he wasn’t so nice about it.

Paco started to cry. “It’s my first game!”

I got choked up. I felt like I had let him down.

The usher instructed me to move away from the gate.

We stepped away and tried to figure out what to do. We couldn’t walk a mile back to our car and while the thought of abandoning my bag, water bottles, etc. crossed my mind, I wasn’t sure that was the way to go.

We tried another gate. Same result.

Poor Paco was really upset and, you know what? So was I.

We had been to Verizon Center where a backpack had not been a problem, but not this time on this night.

Instead, my 6 year old son and I stood outside the stadium in tears, unable to have the desired father-son bonding experience.

It was not where I wanted to be….not at all.

Fortunately, we were able to make lemonade out of lemons and sell our tickets (whereupon Paco said, “well, at least those guys will have a good time at the game.”)

We walked back to the car, hand in hand, enjoying each other’s company and creating an unexpected memory based on common rejection.

I was so impressed with is maturity as he quickly regained his composure with a good sense of humor.

Father and son bonded after all.

Keep Your Permissions As You Want Them…

Over time, you’ve probably given permission to a ton of apps to use your personal profile info.
Check out http://mypermissions.org/ and go in to make sure that you are still comfortable sharing the info with these sites.
If you haven’t used them in a while or don’t remember who they are, remove the access.

What does the end of the Space Shuttle program mean?

The Space Shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-120 crew head toward Earth-orbit and a scheduled link-up with the International Space Station. Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A occurred at 11:38:19 a.m. (EDT). Onboard are astronauts Pam Melroy, commander; George Zamka, pilot; Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, European Space Agency's (ESA) Paolo Nespoli and Daniel Tani, all mission specialists. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Interesting conversation with my uncle Pablo (yes, that’s his real name) a few weeks ago.

It was right after the Space Shuttle was flown on the back of a 747 to Washington, DC area to be parked at the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum.

He was lamenting the fact that America was once known as the pre-eminent explorer in space and now, if we want to send an astronaut to space, we have to rent space on a Russian vehicle.

He viewed this as a serious setback in America’s stature in the world.

My dad, on the other hand, wasn’t phased by this change of priorities and said, “hey, we can still explore space, but it’s a lot cheaper and safer if we have robots do it.”

Thoughts?

A Meeting 3.5 Years in the Making---Thank You Social Media

I’ve had some great moments when it comes to having “social media friends” that I meet online and, then, at some point, I meet them in person, but this one may be the best.
And, it proves just HOW valuable these social tools can be.
About 3.5 years ago, Monique Elwell introduced me to Aliza Sherman.
We exchanged emails and decided we would meet up at the upcoming 140 Conference in NYC put on by Jeff Pulver.
That didn’t happen.
But over time, distance, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, we stayed in touch.
I have a HUGE amount of respect for her deep understanding of how social tools change the way society operates.
Now, there are many unique things about Aliza, but one of them is that she lives in Tok, Alaska.
Of course, when I visited Alaska last September, my first thought was “finally, I get to meet Aliza.”
Unfortunately, whereas we all might think “oh, Alaska is Alaska,” in fact, Tok is 7 hours by car from Anchorage.
So, it didn’t happen…again
She did, however, introduce me to Tyler Arnold, the man who epiotmizes the idea of the “world is flat,” and her brand value continued to grow in my eyes.
(Aliza’s ability to run a Global MicroBrand from Tok is a close 2nd).
Still, we hadn’t met and given her relatively distant location from me, it didn’t seem likely that we would just “cross paths.”
Until I showed up at BWI airport on Tuesday, April 17, 2012.
Like any good netizen, I was looking for an outlet to charge my various devices and I spotted one where only one plug was being used.
It was connected to a Mac.
Next to the Mac was an iPhone.
I looked at the woman using the Mac and said, “Man, that looks a hell of a lot like Aliza Sherman,” but since my only image of her was her Twitter profile pic, I hesitated. (Also, I mean, what are the odds of someone from Alaska being at BWI in the middle of the day on a random Tuesday?)
Then, I did what any good social media maniac would do, I checked Foursquare to see if she had checked in (she hadn’t, though I had…1 point for me )
Checked Twitter under her profile…nothing.
Finally, I pulled up her contact card (funny, how this was the last thing) and figured I’d call her to see if her phone rang (but I didn’t have her cell number, just an email).
Then, I said to myself, “this is dumb…worst case scenario, it’s not and I have 2 seconds of embarrassment.”
I walked over and as I did, she smiled.
She knew as well…from my Twitter profile pic.
So, 3.5 years, countless emails, FB posts, Twitter updates, blog posts, and more…and the personal connection was made.
The tools didn’t make the connection, but the connection was only possible because of the tools.
That’s was so exciting and revolutionary about today.

Coffee and Life

For my 4-6 cups per day, this is just GREAT news.

Java drinkers live longer…

Fantastic commercial from TNT.

Purple Day…

The other day, Lakkanen and Tikkanen were arguing about a skirt. Apparently, it was too short for Tikkanen, but she didn’t want to give it up.
It was annoying.
There was a perfectly good skirt for Lakkanen that she didn’t want to wear. It was purple.
“Nadia,” I said, “isn’t today Purple Day at school?”
She looked at me.
“I think it is Purple Day.”
I felt a bit bad about the deception and I had to cover my tracks when I got to school and she ran up to her teacher, showing her the purple dress.
Still, we got everyone dressed, to school, and avoided a big fight.
Sometimes the white lies, I mean purple lies, are ok, aren’t they?
Note: Please do not use this as an indictment of my integrity. If you do, well then, you either don’t have kids or are a jerk. Or both.

A TSA First…Passenger #1

Had to take an early morning flight to SFO the other day. Left the house at 4, was at the airport and checked in by 4.45.
Apparently, the TSA gates don’t open until 5am.
So, for the first time in my life, I was the absolute first guy to go through screening and security. Passenger #1 that day.
The wait was easy
I was so excited, I had passenger #2 document it for me.

Internet History…Revisited

In 1998, a small, barely noticed history of the Internet moment occurred.
My friends Jeff and Sarah were getting married. I was living in Japan.
They sent me an email asking for my address to send the invitation.
“Guys,” I wrote, “you know I won’t be able to attend, I don’t want you to waste the money and besides, shouldn’t we be doing this all digitally now anyway?”
They agreed and I believe it was the first e-Vite ever sent!
Back in March, Jeff sent me a note…
“It’s been 14 years and my eldest son is about to become a Bar Mitzvah. It seemed appropriate that we invite you digitally first.”
Mazal Tov to the Doshnas!

Birthplace of the Constitution…

Took the kids to James Madison’s home at Montpelier. The site is in the midst of a $25 million restoration project and it’s pretty inspiring.
There was a lot to see, but perhaps the best part of it all was when we were in Madison’s 2nd floor library and the movie said, “over the winter of 1786 before the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, Madison read more than 400 book in 6 languages about all elements of political thought and history.”
From there, he came up with the “Virginia Plan” which ultimately became the US constitution. Pretty epic stuff.
You think about all the times you hear the word “constitutional” or “unconstitutional” and to think that it all began in that room.
I really felt a sense of history.
Nadia?
She said, “I thought Dolley Madison had really pretty dresses!”

Update on Solar…Carbon Offset

So, after two months, system seems to be working well and I’m about break even. My favorite part (and I’m willing to actually pay for this in hard dollars) is the carbon offset number.

If you are interested in saving the planet as well, here's the link to get an estimate for your own solar panels.
(full disclosure...if you do sign up via this link, we both get some $).

For the financial argument for it…see here.

I don’t know what I am doing…

The NFO took a trip and I was home for a few days with the 3 kids.
We had been set up for success…clothes were taken out and sorted, meals were prepared, and our nanny was on point.
I had a few jobs…one of them was to make lunches.
Towards the end of the week, I realized we were better off (and saving time) if the kids just told our nanny what they wanted.
After a day of that, I turned to Nadia and said, “how was lunch today?”
“It was great. I ate everything.”
Then, I asked the wrong question: “who makes the best lunch? Mom, Amsale, or Dad?”
“Mommy and Amsale!”
“What?!” I asked.
She looked at me and calmly said, “It’s because you don’t know what you are doing!”

Being Your Daughter's Hero...

Caught up with a good friend of mine the other day named Ted Rubin.

Ted is a divorced Dad of two and shared a story of waiting in line with his teenage daughter for about 6 hours to get a CD signed (or something like that) by members of one of her favorite bands.

I said something to the effect of "man, you're dedicated, I'm not sure I would do that."

His response was illuminating:

"Your girls are still young. They still think you are all knowing and all-powerful. Hold on to those moments. As they get older, it gets a lot more difficult and you don't have as many chances to be the hero...so you seize it when you can."

Sound advice. I'm going to go hug my girls right now.

What my boy reads in bed...

Walked in the other night to see Paco having fallen asleep while reading. The book "The American Presidents." Excited to see that it was Warren G. Harding that made him crash and not one of the more exciting ones ;-)

60 Minutes and the anti-Israel bias…

Got this note from Stand With Us. It’s spot and and bears full-on copying and action.

Please Take Action Now

"60 MINUTES" OUTRAGE -- YOU CAN HELP ACTION ALERT!!  UNACCEPTABLE DISTORTIONS IN "60 MINUTES"  EPISODE "CHRISTIANS OF THE HOLY LAND" ON APRIL 22ND WRITE TO HEADS OF CBS AND "60 MINUTES" TO DEMAND CORRECTIONS AND EQUAL TIME On Sunday, April 22, CBS` "60 Minutes" ran a shockingly biased episode, "Christians of the Holy Land" by Bob Simon. Even the always diplomatic Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren called the show a "hatchet job" on Israel.  You can watch the program here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57417408/Christians-of-the-holy-land/?tag=strip.   Ambassador Oren was right. Simon only paid lip service to the violent persecution and flight of ancient Christian communities throughout the region which is the real historical tragedy unfolding in the Middle East. Instead, incomprehensibly, he chose to bash Israel, the only Middle Eastern country that protects Christians. The program scapegoated and demonized Israel, distorting reality to blame Israel`s security measures -- the fence and checkpoints -- for the suffering of Palestinian Christians. Simon interviewed biased and sometimes anti-Semitic sources, treating them as legitimate.  He asked leading questions.  He dismissed the real reasons for the plight and flight of Palestinian Christians: persecution by Palestinian Islamists and the Palestinian Authority. His shoddy, irresponsible research produced propaganda, not journalism. This dangerous misinformation stokes anti-Israel prejudice and bigotry, shifting public attention away from the forces that are imperiling the survival of Christian communities in the Palestinian Authority and throughout the region. Write to CBS executives.  Demand that CBS offer an apology, and give equal time to correct the misinformation and anti-Semitic innuendos. WRITE, E-MAIL, OR PHONE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS, AND BE SURE TO BLIND COPY INFO@STANDWITHUS.COM IN YOUR E-MAILS. "60 Minutes" Jeffrey Fager - Chairman of CBS News, Executive Producer of 60 Minutes 524 West 57th Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10019-2930 E-mail:60m@cbsnews.com Phone: 212.975.2006 Bill Owens - Executive Editor of "60 Minutes" E-mail:bowens@cbsnews.com Phone: 212.975.7685 CBS News 524 W. 57th Street New York, New York 10019 Feedback E-mail: weekend@cbsnews.com Phone: (212) 975-3247 (Leave a message at the tone.) SAMPLE LETTER: Dear _______, We were shocked by the shoddy journalism in your April 22nd "60 Minutes" piece, "Christians of the Holy Land." We urge you to run a corrective piece and publicly apologize for the piece`s irresponsible inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and bias. Bob Simon either unwittingly or intentionally promoted hostility toward Israel and anti-Semitic views. In a pattern that he has repeated in the past, Simon interviewed biased sources and treated them as legitimate. He asked leading questions. More disturbing, he ignored and effectively belittled the real threats to beleaguered Christians, which come from rising Islamist persecution throughout the region and in Gaza and the West Bank. Instead, he focused on the one country in the Middle East that firmly protects the rights of Christians. If allowed to stand uncorrected, this program will have misinformed the public and irreparably damaged the reputation of "60 Minutes," which will no longer be considered a reliable news source. Sincerely, Your Name SELECTED DETAILS ON MISLEADING AND ANTI-SEMITIC INNUENDOS IN "CHRISTIANS OF THE HOLY LAND" Despite the program`s claims, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians` rights are fully protected and where the Christian population has grown instead of declined in the last 64 years. Israel`s Christian population grew from 34,000 in 1948 to 154,000 in 2012. Israel has fostered a positive environment for Christians, most evidenced by official recognition of 10 Christian denominations and by Israel`s distribution of free Christmas trees every year at Christmas time. Christians have been emigrating from the Holy Land in a two-century-long trend, not because of Israel and the security policies -- the barrier and checkpoints -- it was forced to implement in just the last 10 years. Major emigration occurred in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In some cases, emigrant Christian Palestinian communities grew larger than their communities of origin in the Holy Land. During Jordanian control (1948-1967), Jerusalem`s Christian population dropped from 29,000 in 1944 to 11,000 in 1961. In Bethlehem, 75 percent of the population was Christian in 1947; in 1967, the percentage had dropped to 46 percent. The program interviewed one businessman only to deny the real problem facing Christians: rising hostility and persecution by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestinian Islamist groups. Why didn`t the program mention any of the following? The PA declared Islam its official religion, committed to Sharia law, and does not offer civil protection to other religions.  A few weeks ago, the PA declared that the First Baptist Church of Bethlehem is illegitimate. Christians in the West Bank have been victims of repeated persecution, violence, and rape. In 2005, Palestinian Christians, including Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, custodian of the Holy Land, documented 93 incidents of abuse and violence by the "Islamic fundamentalist Mafia" against Christians. Christians face intimidation, brutality, theft of their property and boycotts of their businesses. The PA Ministry of Information reported in 1997 that "any Muslim who [converts to Christianity] or declares becoming an unbeliever is committing a major sin punishable by capital punishment." Christian history is denied by Palestinian Muslims, including Yassir Arafat`s and the recently retired Mufti of Jerusalem who claim that the Jewish Temple never existed in Jerusalem. The Christian population in Gaza has plummeted from 2,500 to under 1,000 because of persecution by Hamas. Simon implied that Israel`s policies and the fence are harming the West Bank`s economy. In fact, the terrorist war known as the Second Intifada, not Israel, is what harmed the West Bank`s economy. As the PA has tried to control terrorist groups, Israel has been able to relax its counter-terrorism measures, bringing the PA extraordinary economic growth of 8 percent per year in the last three years. Simon interviewed only biased sources -- and did not bother to investigate whether many Christians were afraid to speak out of fear of endangering themselves and their families. Simon did not interview clergy and ordinary Christians who might have had the courage to speak up, such as Rev. Steve Khourani of the First Baptist Church of Bethlehem; Samir Qumsiyeh of Bethlehem, director of the Catholic radio Station; or the Christian leaders who signed the 2005 document detailing the PA`s persecution of Christians. Simon asked leading questions to provoke answers that fit his political agenda. Simon asked the woman who lived near the security barrier, "How can you live like this?" The barrier may be unpleasant, but his very question suggested it is unjustifiable and intolerable, and he got the answer he wanted. When the woman said she wouldn`t move but would stay and "fight," he never asked what she meant by "fight" or why she didn`t instead say she wanted to seek peaceful coexistence so the barrier could be removed. Instead, he stoked the sense that the barrier was intolerable and her reaction understandable -- even though her anger betrayed why the barrier is necessary. Simon interviewed and promoted anti-Semitic sources. Mitri Raheb, the main pastor he interviewed, is well known for promoting replacement theology which Vatican II condemned as a prime source of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Raheb delegitimizes Israel and the right of the Jewish state to exist. Simon uncritically promoted the Kairos Document though it has been exposed as using high-minded rhetoric to camouflage the authors` sinister motives -- delegitimization of Israel, opposition to the existence of the Jewish state, and calls for boycott and divestment from Israel. Simon engaged in anti-Semitic innuendos. Simon claimed that Israel treats Christians well and wants to promote good Christian-Jewish relations because of the money it gets from Christian tourism. In fact, Israel protects Christians, not for tourism dollars -- an anti-Semitic "Shylock" innuendo -- but because those are Israel`s values. FACT SHEET -- Read more about the persecution of Christians by the Palestinian Authority at: WWW.STANDWITHUS.COM/FactSheets/PDFs/PPCPA.pdf.

A Story of Persistence: The Accidental Client

Every now and then, it’s good to go back to the beginning and think about the roots.
Thanks to Rajesh Setty for giving me an opportunity to tell the story of how I got my first client…on the Unpaved Road.
The Accidental Client

There was a movie, back in the 80s, I think called “The Accidental Tourist.”
The story of how my consulting firm got off the ground might as well be called “The Accidental Client.”
I’m an avid reader and a passionate connector. I love ideas and I love people. Even better….talking about ideas with people.
I picked up a copy of Dan Pink’s book “A Whole New Mind” and just LOVED it. Really made me think about how I think, the hallmark of a great book.
Somehow, I deduced (I don’t remember exactly how) that Dan lived in the Washington, DC area, where I live.
I figured, since I was passionate about the ideas in his book and he lived in the same area that he would, of course, be more than happy to sit down and have coffee with me. Why not, right?
I emailed Dan with my passionate plea and his response was, “I’m travelling like crazy now, can you ping me in a month?”
I did.
The answer that came back was “Things are still crazy, try next month.”
I did.
Same answer.
This continued on for 10 full months.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career (actually, I’ve learned many), it’s that often times, it’s just a question of “who wants it more?”
More than talent, more than connection. Raw, rugged determination.
In other words, if someone says “follow up,” you freaking follow up. It shocks me how often people don’t follow up. Really, really shocks me.
Anyway, Dan finally relented and agreed to meet me for coffee.
I didn’t have an agenda, other than to chat or connect. I was gainfully employed at Microsoft and I had zero intention of leaving.
When Dan sat down, I saw a look in his face saying “Why exactly am I meeting with this guy?”
We got to talking. Just sharing our passion for ideas, his book, and marketing (my passion.)
After five minutes, I saw a light go on and Dan said, “you know, I am working on my next book now and one thing I’ve discovered is that traditional book publishers are just not very good at marketing. Would you like to help me with marketing my book as a side project?”
Of course, I would, but I thought it more of a hobby or a petri dish than an actual business. It would be fun to have an environment where I could test out my ideas.
He even offered to pay. Bonus!
Not much, but I didn’t really care.
“Ok,” he said, “great. I have some more things to take care of before we can get started, so follow up with me next month.”
Believe it or not, the cycle repeated itself as I followed up with him every month for ANOTHER 10 months.
At last, he said, “ok, I’m ready to go,” and the project was underway.
Keep in mind, folks, I was STILL gainfully employed at Microsoft. This was just my hobby.
However, I discovered something…something really important. I was having MORE fun and learning more doing my hobby than doing my regular job and it dawned on me that, “hey, maybe I can make a living out of this.”
Having a New York Times best-selling author as your first client seemed like a good starting off point and, in fact, it was. A few weeks later, I met an executive from Johnson & Johnson and we were just chatting as I told him about what I was doing to help Dan market his book “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko.”
The exec from JNJ said, “you know, we have a couple million dollar ad budget, do you think you could do something for us like you are doing for Dan?”
Uh…let me see if I can work that into my schedule!
And that’s when I knew…it was time to leave Microsoft and hang out the shingle.
Sure, I was scared out of my mind, but it felt right.
While it wasn’t a million dollar deal with JNJ, Dan’s cache (and ultimate glowing testimonial) led to a Fortune 50 client all within the first week of being on my own.
Luck? A bit. Sometimes you hit a homerun on your first swing, but the knowing when to swing and how to hit are the result of years of practice and preparation.
In this case, it was a relentless curiosity, a desire to learn, and persistence.
The best part, in my opinion, was that Dan’s book “Johnny Bunko” offered up 6 rules for business success.
Number 4 was “Persistence Trumps Talent” and Dan later told me that my display of living by this rule was what ultimately gave him the confidence to invest his book’s marketing success in my hands.

Little Judgment Indicators…

My mom likes to say that you can know 100 things about a person simply by looking at what the bumper sticker (s) on their car say.
Sure, it’s a generalization, but generalizations work because they are generally true.
This came up on a recent flight when I had a window seat and a father/daughter (she was about 6) pair took the seats next to me. Predictably, the 6 year old was in the middle.
The first thing she pulled out was a math/numbers workbook.
This made a strong impression on me as it is the first thing that I ask my kids to do on planes too…by the time we get to hour 3, it’s iPad city all the way (but that’s just survival).
I immediately made a bunch of assumptions about him based on that alone.

Dallas to Austin via Washington

Every now and then, as a blogger, you just have to document craziness.
This is one of those times.
I took my kids to Dallas for the weekend a few weeks back for my cousin’s son’s Bar Mitzvah.
The NFO had another family event, so we decided that I would take the 3 kids with me (a slew of reasons).
Got up early on a Friday morning to take them on an 8.15 flight. It was not the easiest, but by and large, they were champs.
We had a great weekend, except that we were all over-tired. Oh, and in a different time zone. Oh, and that was the weekend of Daylight Savings Time, so we lost an hour of sleep.
Sunday, however, was insane.
We left Dallas on a flight at 11.15am and flew direct to Dulles, arriving at 3.15. The first hour was brutal, but thanks to Steve Jobs (even dead, he’s the best babysitter around) and the iPad, we made it.
But, here’s where it gets interesting.
For work, I was going to attend part of the South by Southwest Interactive gathering, the biggest event of the year, in Austin, Texas.
It had started the previous Thursday, but this family gathering had been on the calendar for 2 years and I had promised my kids that I would take them. Not willing to compromise on that…and glad that my teammates understood that, a good reflection on them and the corporate culture.
So, after packing my kids into the minivan (the NFO met us as there), I switched bags (had to pack for BOTH events at the same time) and turned RIGHT AROUND, back into the airport.
I’ve done a lot of traveling, but never have I walked out of an airport after one flight and, literally, 5 minutes later, turned back around for another flight.
I then took a flight to Charlotte, connecting to Austin, arriving at 11pm CST.
So, in 12 hours, I travelled the 200 or so miles between Dallas and Austin, but visited Virginia and North Carolina, took 3 planes and went to 4 airports to make it happen.

Which is better?

Would you prefer to have basically no money, but have everybody love you and think you are the most noble person on the face of the earth?
Or, have some money and know that some people think you are a complete and total jerk with no regard for their personal feelings whatsoever?
It’s just a thought exercise. You may not reject the premise that it’s either/or. Just pick one

How to keep your kids believing in Santa…

Met a fascinating guy on the train a while back. We got to chatting. Nice fella. Canadian. Well, that’s redundant, but anyway.

So, at some point, we start talking about our kids. His daughter is 8 and this year, she finally caught on that it was he, George, who was the one dressing up as Santa every year.

Now, George, bless his heart…wanted to keep his daughter’s innocence alive for just a bit longer so after everyone in the family gathered around Santa for the annual family picture, George sent the picture to a friend.

That friend then Photoshopped George (that would be him standing behind Santa with the goatee) into the picture.

George then showed the picture to his daughter saying, “see, I’m not Santa, I was right there behind all of you.”

Daddy—you should blog that.

Image via Wikipedia

As 4 year olds are wont to do, sometimes they get silly.

The other night, Lakkanen was in the bathroom and started singing “Happy Birthday.”

But, then, each line would end up differently and involve some sort of inanimate object.

“Happy Birthday dear lamp.

Happy Birthday dear couch.

Happy Birthday dear toilet paper.

Happy Birthday dear cereal.”

It went on for about 5 minutes.

The rest of us were in hysterics.

When it was finally over, Paco turned to me and said

“Abba (Dad), you should really blog that.”

Little Moments and Big Moments...

It's easy to recognize the big moments as a father. The graduation ceremonies, (if only from kindergarten-which is a marketing activity for the school, but I digress), the ballet recitals, Tae Kwon Do belt tests. Those are obvious.

Somehow, I prefer the little victories....like the time when Paco was finally able to bike up the small hill on the way to the tennis courts where we go riding.

Something about those moments that I really love.

Imagination Stage...

Mars Playmobil 107 poppetjes 2 (Photo credit: Henk-Jan van der Klis)Our kids are just at such a wonderful age right now. The three of them can play for hours all together using their imagination and a few props.

Massive forts in the basement out of chairs, pillows, blankets and whatever odds and ends are available.

Taking a set of foam blocks, combing it with some Playmobil figures and erecting elaborate housing structures and entire worlds within. Matching, organizing, debating, cooperating. When you step back and appreciate it, such a glorious thing to behold.

I love it so much.

Application to Date My Daughter…

I’m sure this will be a mobile app soon, but for now…problem solved!

4 Year Old Practical Joker…

The other day, I was home with Paco and Nadia. We were expecting a friend (one they both know) to stop by and pick up a package.

I ran downstairs and said to Paco “If David shows up, you can open the door for him.”

When I came upstairs, Paco was standing at the door.

“Is David here?” I asked.

“No,” he said, “but I heard a knock.”

We both walked away.

Then, we heard another knock, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nadia scampering into the other room, hide behind the couch and start laughing.

After I confronted her, she fessed up.

“I knocked on the door and was hiding!!!”

Pro-Semitic Poetry Slam

Got to love the Hebrew Mamita and her pro-Semitic slam poetry!

Please Turn Off Your Cell Phones…

As children have done for generations, ours put on a homemade “show” the other night. Full of dancing, tricks, and displays of talent, it was a wonderful experience.
There were tickets, souvenirs, and even a program.
My favorite part, however, was the beginning when they said “Welcome to our show. Please turn off your cell phones.”

Social Etiquette Question…

Your child is invited to a “joint” birthday party (no, there are no illegal drugs involved), rather 2 families are co-hosting.

Your child is friends with one of the kids. Doesn’t know the other kid. Do you have to give that kid a present?

What if your child knows the other kid, but isn’t friends w/him or her?

Does it matter if you have a relationship with the parents?

Deep Survival…Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why?

I am in the middle of a FANTASTIC book about the human spirit and psychology. It’s called Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why and the title doesn’t even do it justice.

It is one of those books that, as my brother Asher says, “makes you think about how you think” and it will really push you.

What I love about it is that the examples it gives (while focused on man vs. nature) apply very much to how we deal with extreme challenges in any part of our lives…job change, marriage, globalization, and more.

If you can become more aware of the way you think, you might be able to help adapt and thrive to new situations as they arise and avoid being blind to them because of previous paradigms.

Certainly the US Congress and American taxpayer could use this.

I highly recommend it. (Note: it is NOT a light read and will require some effort…but, like survival, it’s worth it.)

Gratitude for the little guys…

Every now and then I just take a deep breath and look at my kids. Really look at them…as people.

I am just so thankful for them.

The evolving ROI/benefit of domestic solar

If you are interested in saving the planet as well, here's the link to get an estimate for your own solar panels.
(full disclosure...if you do sign up via this link, we both get some $).

Background:

So, we’re up to a total of about 300 kWh over the 5 weeks of solar power.

Considering it’s been wintertime, a few really cloudy days and 1-2 days of snow, I’m excited.

It’s fun to watch and, truth be told, it just feels good.

When the sun is shining, I just think “excellent, generating some power.”

So, on the economic side, the first month, we came in below the guarantee production. I still paid my flat fee of $68 and asked about this.

The answer…which works for me, is that there is a “true up” period at the end of the year to account for the fluctuations.

They get the float on a bit of money. I’m ok with that, if it all works out over the long haul.

Living Life...with Cystic Fibrosis...

When I became friends with Chuck Fox in 7th grade, I learned  about Cystic Fibrosis for the first time.

He told me that "life expectancy was 27 years."

Well, as you can see in this inspiring article about him, not only has he blown that to bits, but he's done a whole lot more.

What an inspiration.

Why I Took the Job…Ships Burning

Many people have asked me, “Jeremy, you had a thriving consulting practice? Why would you give that up (and the benefits of self-employment) to go work for someone else?”

The answer: Because I was scared.

I wasn’t scared of failure or of not being able to generate enough business. After 3.5 years, I knew that I could make that happen.

No, what was scaring the daylights of me was that I would be able to generate enough business doing the same thing I had been doing.

It was a fear of a lack of ability to TRULY innovate in my offerings that motivated.

Ok, that’s not entirely true, as I was (and am) genuinely excited about the Sprinklr opportunity and the mission of the company.

But, what made me open to the possibility of joining was this nagging fear of staying relevant of staying on the cutting edge.

Between my reading of Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why and its discussion of how neural pathways become so ingrained as to become hindrances rather than helpers and an inspiring blog post by Rajesh Setty about how “most careers plateau at age 40,” I found myself in a predicament.

I knew I could keep going and do well for a while, but how long that while would be wasn’t clear.

What was clear was that…at some point…I would have to do something that “forced the change” and MADE me confront a new challenge, developing new skills, and building out new neural pathways.

This isn’t easy and it gets progressively more difficult as we age, but it’s precisely for that reason that I felt like I almost had to do it (again…it dovetailed nicely with the natural passion I felt for Sprinklr and the team).

Even though it appears he didn’t really do it, the notion of Cortes “burning the ships” has become an inspiring vision in my mind and among some of my friends as well.

Perhaps a better metaphor is that of Abraham living Haran and going “to the place I will show you” as led by God.

In both instances, the requirement is a willingness to leave behind what you are/know in order to arrive at what you can become.

But, you can’t do it halfway.

So, that fear…plus the awesome opportunity of raising my game by taking all that I’ve studied/done in the past 3.5 years and apply it in a petri dish led me to the conclusion that it just had to be done.