How to Stay Positive in the New Economy

January 17, 2012 By Dave 1 Comment

Hi, friends. If this is your first trip to the site, welcome. And yes, Area 224 IS on Facebook. You can Like us there if you…uh…like.

Photo courtesy lightruth, used with CC license.

I made the mistake of reading a book called Aftershock over Christmas Break. [Here's a non-affiliate link to the Aftershock Economy web page.] The reason it was a mistake? If you believe what’s in the book (general theme: US Economy is in a world of hurt and it’s going to get a lot worse), as I pretty much do, then it has a tendency to ruin your good mood.

Here’s the thing: the Macroeconomic doom and gloom doesn’t have to impact your Microeconomic world. Even if you’re chasing the next thing – new clients, new product launches, new job, new relationships – you don’t have to let negativity impact where you are headed.

Here are 5 tips that might help you stay positive in the new economy.

1. Have a friend act as your coach

I’ll come clean on this one: I have a friend who pulled me aside and asked “Dave, why so negative?” So it was a bad weekend – put it aside and move on.

The thing here is that you need someone who will give you a swift kick and see you how the rest of the world sees you. This is vital.

2. Work on lifting others up

Trite – but can you say nice things publicly about other people? Can you visit other people’s blogs and comment on them? Can you Tweet about someone, or give them a Like on Facebook?

3. Remember this: “Your Net Worth is Not Your Self-Worth”

Really easy to calculate your net worth these days. And really easy to let it get you down, too. Don’t fall prey to adding dollar signs in front of your own value.

4. Empathy is your friend, too

Before you admonish the world for being out to get you, consider the other side of the coin: that person who sent a quick email saying “thanks but no thanks” may be so overwhelmed that she can’t get to everything in her in box. The guy who you can’t spend more than two seconds on the phone with may be trying to save his own job. The person behind the counter isn’t being paid all that much and you’re just another surly customer to them.

5. Laugh it off

Try to seek out people who will give you a belly laugh. Put on an episode of some goofy comedy, or pull out the DVD of a movie that you can’t help but laugh at. (“Airplane!” works for me.) Leave a nutty voice mail for one of your friends at an hour that you know they won’t hear it.

I’m not an expert on how to stay positive in the new economy. But I’m getting better at it, so whether we’re headed into financial oblivion or another age of glorious triple-digit returns on everyone’s mutual funds, I’m prepared to stay positive.

Filed Under: Bacon

Top 26 Of Everything for 2011

December 21, 2011 By Dave Leave a Comment

Lists are Awesome! Here’s Ours.

1. Bacon

This was the Year of Bacon. Wasn’t it?

Wait, it wasn’t?

Not Cats. Or Bacon.

2. Cats

If you were a Vegetarian Dog Person, this was NOT your year. Just sayin.

3. Google+

While discussing Bacon and Cats, we should talk about Google+. It’s like Facebook, but it’s from Google, so it’s, well, plus. Here’s a link to Dave’s Google Plus Profile.

4. Francisco Rosales

He was kind enough to run our blog post on Holistic Social Media in September, but he makes this list by sharing so much awesome stuff on his site. (TIP: Visit his site today and learn which Social Media Blogs HE recommends. Here’s a link to the Top Social Media Blogs of 2011.

5. Books

Everyone seemed to either (a) come out with a book or (b) get a publishing deal. As a result, everyone is now talking about (c) how awesome everyone else’s book is and (d) where to pre-order their book. (e) Publishing is a wacky world. If you want to write one, learn what to do before you go down that path. Check out the Redhead Writing series on getting published.

6. 12 Most

We’d make this number 12 on our list, but, well, when you skip down you’ll see why we couldn’t. 12 Most: Great site, great lists. I don’t think they’ll run out of things to talk about anytime soon. 12 is a powerful number.

7. The Cloud

Want to make your startup really rock and roll? Make it Cloud-based. Put it in the Cloud. Use Cloud Computing to Solve a Problem. Say “cloud” over and over.

8. Queens of the Stone Age

Hey, if you re-released your first album, performed everywhere, and even showed up on No Reservations…

9. 9-9-9

Herman Cain, you glorious GOP Presidential Candidate you. By coming up with an interesting tax scheme -- one that’s simple, memorable, and yet convoluted; I’m paying 9%, but am I doing it three times? Am I really paying 27%? Or is it 9%, then 9% of what’s left, then another…I guess when he unsuspends the campaign, we’ll know.

10. As in ‘Perfect 10′ of PR Stupidity

What Not to Do: Penn State. (Rather than talk about it ad nauseum, here’s a link to the Prevent Child Abuse website. Help a kid, learn what you can do, learn the warning signals.)

11. 11-11-11

This date comes around once a century. Though we will have 12-12-12 next December. And 13-13-13 the December after that. Right?

12. 12 Minute Marketing

Rick Strater and I worked really hard to bring you a dynamite program that trains small business people on everything they need to know to become better marketers. Not sure if the course is right for you? Check out a sample lesson on the site. One of my favorites: Holistic Social Media.

13. Color: The Expensive Launch That…

I remember hearing about this and downloading the app for my Android phone. Then what? Here’s a link to what the site is up to now. I’m not even gonna ask how much money they spent to launch. (Canadian Readers will point out that they spelled “colour” incorrectly.)

14. DJ and Danny and Chris

Three guys I like a lot for their smarts and no-nonsense approach to marketing, business and life. DJ Waldow, Danny Brown, Christopher Penn.

15. IRL 2011

Got to knock a few people off of the “hey, I’d like to meet them in real life” list this year. Claudia Anderson, Leyla Arsan, Lisa Pugliese, Paige Worthy, Amber Naslund. To name a few. (Five. To name five.)

16. The Launch of the Year

Wow, this one stumps even me. Which launch from 2011 was the most noteworthy, newsworthy, tweetworthy?

It’s this: the Launch of the Year. Rebecca Black. So sorry, but 13,000,000+ views. 13 Million Views of a Video that is Horrible, and a Girl that Can’t Sing.

17. If You Google Ron Paul

Don’t just Google Ron Paul, but Google the phrase “If you Google Ron Paul.” You get this gem.

(NOTE: Two straight unwatchable videos of unlistenable songs. You’re welcome.)

18. Internet Marketers

Even if you think there’s a good deal of schtick, there’s something to learn from these guys. Well, not these guys, just this guy: Frank Kern. You’re welcome. Again.

19. Your 2012

You are going to make things happen in 2012, right? You know what you want to accomplish. You have objectives -- for your business, for your personal life. So 2012 is where it all starts. Correct? CORRECT.

20. That’s All We’ve Got

Really, there are better things we should be doing -- not making up lists, or doing more research on the other 6 things we should add. So…

We’ll keep the title because 26 is a more interesting number than 20.

And, on that note, thanks for listening, reading, watching, and being there in 2011.

Go Get Em! Make it a Great Balance of 2011, and an Awesome 2012!

Filed Under: 12 Minutes, Bacon, Books, Holistic Social Media

Breaking News: Klout Scores Plummet

December 3, 2011 By Dave Leave a Comment

Klout, the online site that calls itself “the standard for influence,” has seen its users’ scores plummet overnight…

…with this reporter seeing his drop from 63 on a 100-point scale to 36.

Here’s a screenshot:

Klout Score, December 3

What’s eerie about the latest Klout score changes are that they happen on a Saturday – when lots of social media users are supposed to be doing other things as opposed to working – and that they happened a day after Klout continued to explain changes on its own blog. (Here’s a link to the Klout blog.)

Knowing that some of those who influence me have left Klout, and others have never used the site, wondering if the latest changes to its algorithm might mark the beginning of a bigger backlash?

Update: As of 10:17 a.m., my Klout score has returned to 63.

No evidence of it having dropped, and no explanation on the Klout.com blog.

Filed Under: Bacon Tagged With: klout, scores

Measuring Influence With Bacon

December 2, 2011 By Dave Leave a Comment

Social Media and Bacon Collide for Another Important List: The Bacon Index.

Thanks, cookbookman17 on flickr; photo used with CC license

Another day, another list.

First there was this kerfuffle about the website Klout and its digital privacy – now it’s a discussion of just who is “Influential” on Twitter, with the launch of a tool called PeekYou. (That’s a link to the Forbes article about PeekYou, and the Digital Influencers they rank.)

PeekYou, Forbes, even Klout, are missing the point.

Being influential AT social media, or IN social media or even ABOUT social media does no one any good at all – unless there’s a point to this influence.

As a for instance, Gary Vaynerchuk is awesome, he’s passionate, and he’s the only one allowed to say “Crushing It.” (Because he IS Crushing It.)

But his influence in social media stems from the fact that he developed deep domain expertise in wine – investing well above the required 10,000 hours to know his stuff. (10,000 hours being Malcolm Gladwell’s number – that’s how much time you need to invest in a subject to truly have expertise.)

The point to Gary’s influence? Sell more books, sell more wine. Get speaking gigs. Buy the New York Jets someday.

Wine Influence > Digital Influence > Global Influence. That was the progression for Gary. What’s your progression?

This Brings Us to the Question: Who Is Most Influential About Bacon?

Does it matter?

That. Is. The. Point.

Off the top, there are guys who we know who are involved in cookbooks about Bacon. (Gary Unger.) There are Master Sommeliers who can tell you which wine to drink with bacon. (Rick Bakas.) There is even a company that can sell you the rights to use its copyrighted recipe for the Bacon Explosion.

We have to start this off with a binary question:

Do you care about bacon?

If the answer is no, it doesn’t quite matter who is the most influential about this subject – as you are officially not interested.

There Is No OFFICIAL Bacon Index. And There Shouldn’t Be a Social Media Index.

“Influence” is one of the most peddled buzzwords of 2011 – and it shouldn’t be. Just like “community” and “social media.”

Lists will come and go: today’s influencers are tomorrow’s front-line employees who need to get approval to tweet. Today’s entrepreneurial wunderkinds will move up or move on. Some of the most real, genuine, likable people on the planet – a couple of whom who are on the list, like Chris Brogan and Scott Stratten – are unknowns to 99% of the population – and that population might be struggling with finding the next client, getting the next gig, paying the next bill.

They may be hungry for some bacon – or they may be an Orthodox Jew who refuses to go near the stuff.

Human. Connections.

That’s ALL that counts. Who are you? What can I do for you? How can I help you? What makes you tick?

Go ahead: make a list of your OWN influencers. Use it, or toss it aside.

Even better, make a list of those 50 people – bacon lovers or not – you are connected with and have yet to meet in real life. Then make them your targets for 2012.

That’s Your Bacon Index.

PS: Be sure to give us a whirl over at 12 Minute Marketing – where you can watch one of the free lessons by using this link: Holistic.

Filed Under: 12 Minutes, Bacon