I have been thinking about the previous year and the things that I did and accomplished and the clients I worked for and the partners I collaborated with in business.  Overall, it was an exciting year for me and a year that so some growth and a year for learning.  I had the opportunity to make many new friends and some of those friends came from Hawaii.  I spent a wonderful week in May and June in Hawaii on the So Much More Hawaii Tour, and then organized a conference called the Social Media Business Summit in conjunction with Blog World & New Media Expo where I spent most of the year as their Social Media Director and Conference Director.  One By One Media was a title sponsor of the Social Media Business Summit in Hawaii and we enjoyed the time there.  I am wanting to go back now, not working, and not blogging or being a part of something work related besides enjoying the beach, the beautiful blue water and the waves crashing on the sand.

I was great meeting new friends while in Hawaii, like, Chris, Christine, Bruce Fisher and his wife, Neenz and Noe and Melanie, Marijane, Mark, and Aric, and Leah and Sheila and well you get the idea, it was a year of gaining friends and experiencing life.  Most of all it was becoming a part of a new community.

jim turner on ‘[re]think:hawaii’ from aric s. queen on Vimeo.

I will be recapping much of 2009 and some of what we accomplished as a company and will cover some of the initiatives for clients and how we grew in the world of social media consulting and social media management.

We will be soon relaunching Social Mediasphere Radio, with some new friends, which will also be a part of SMTV.  We are also going to have a new site here soon and we will refocus our efforts to be a trailblazer in the world of social media.  I have some events I will be speaking at soon and I will do a list of those so we may perhaps be able to meet and I will get a chance to make friends in another community.

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I have been keeping ahead of the game of new and shiny objects by trying out the latest and greatest in tools that can be used for social media programs at companies. I have always come back to the main point of view as it relates to tools that work.  I was reading a recent blog post by David Armano related to this very idea.  David states better than I can about dusting off some of the old tools before trying out new and shiny ones:

Your Blog(s): Your company is blogging. Congratulations. Is anyone listening? Blogging was the bright and shiny object of 2006-2008 and many companies found out just how hard it is to do well. Good blogging provides value. It is interesting and generates a healthy amount of comments and conversation which in turn generates a good dose of Google juice. It’s also terribly difficult to sustain. It requires cultural shifts within an organization, and has to be prioritized (read: made part of someone’s job). Frankly, I rarely see outstanding examples of a good company blog. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing (if it makes sense strategically), but doing it well is another story.

Many companies have still not taken on blogging as a tool that will work for them.  They have gone straight to Twitter or Facebook fan pages or none of the above as yet.  I am of the camp that blogs are a place to start, and a place to start a social media foundation.  I am dusting off the blog here and trying myself to get back into the swing of blogging for business.  This is the message I mention in most conversations.  Is you blog dusty?  Perhaps a little cleaning is in order and some attention given. Then you can go off to find a new and shiny tool.

Tags: Corporate Blogging, Professional Blogging, Bloggers For Hire, Social Media, Social Media Tools

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I have been preaching about blogging for a long time.  I have been an evangelist and telling companies that they had to blog more they had to have a place for people to "join the conversation" and making it possible for them to connect with their customers.  Like some of the preachers of the past, I am my own worst sinner apparently.  I was reminded by people in my company that I am the worst person in the world to tell companies that they are not blogging enough or that they are not doing it right.

I am preaching from the pulpit so to speak and I am preaching to the choir perhaps, but I need to update more often here.  I am trying to get more and more content on here and those that are slinging arrows at me the most may be asked to also contribute now and then to what we are doing at One By One Media and Bloggers For Hire.  I am also on Twitter quite a bit, and I am trying out Posterous, and I am about to start Social Mediasphere TV again.  Of course, you can always come and hear what we are doing at our new radio show at Blog World Expo Radio.

Now that BlogWorld & New Media Expo is over for 2009 I have a few minutes I can breathe, and I will be using that time to try to be more involved here rather than out on the road or on the phone trying to convert the latest in small medium or large business to jumping into the social media pool.  I guess I am like that life guard that actually never swims!

Photo via LeMonde1

Tags: One By One Media, Bloggers For Hire, Twitter, Posterous, Social Mediasphere TV, Blog World Expo Radio, Blog World Expo, Business Blogging, Evangelism

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I am behind the times on this one but I wanted to get it on my site to refer to it later.  This is a great video and worth the watch.

Some of the information in this video is already obsolete.  Social Media is moving at a rate that none of us can keep up with, and I for one sometimes must take a step back to look at the big picture to keep up with the rate of growth.

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I have been writing this blog post for the last 5 years.  No, I haven’t been actually writing this post for that long, but I have been preparing to write this post for nearly that long.  You see I have been a strategist a long time in Internet years.  I have put many of those strategies together, and I am happy to say that many of them actually worked, but I must also say unfortunately, some of them and I should say more than I care to admit have probably failed.  I tried most of these ideas and “campaigns” on my own company and used myself as the test subject.  I have always tried them in my own marketing, advertising and public relations and as I said, some work and some don’t. This post is not about the “try” or “the idea”, but the execution.

Many colleagues out there are expert strategists.  Many charge a pretty penny to come up with a strategy.  In fact, I too charge for that, and some would say (you know who you are) not nearly enough, but that is for a another post.  There are some great plans drawn out on the whiteboard of board rooms, and there are some bar napkins that I would like to have in a shadow box case as many of our greatest companies started there.  My company in fact was sort of started as a dare I think one night after having had too many drinks.  Having a good job and a stable company to work for, why would I ever jump into the entrepreneurial pool? I blame the alcohol.

“Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

All of us have the best mousetrap. That is our strategy.  We have the best way things can be done and the way that they should be done according to our extensive research and study. For my extensive study and research, (please see the archives here for a start) I have tried and failed and taken those ideas that have been most successful.  Some of it is still theory after all social media has been around less than some of my young children.  Given what we know of facts and how they are applied to each circumstance, all of the strategies seem to be close to the same Plan A or Plan B depending on which consultant or agency you happen to speak with about your company and needs.

I have noticed a trend based on some of the ideas and strategies implemented.  When companies are happy with a certain strategy it is only after the execution stage.  Most of them are all excited and gung-ho when the strategy is discussed and laid out in front of them, but the truly satisfied are not such until after the plan has been put into place and the results come to fruition.  Be it as simple as starting a company blog, setting up a comment policy, providing a podcast, or research on community outreach and providing that service and seeing your first conversion, the elation comes when the plan is executed.  It can be even more rewarding when a multifaceted and long and expensive journey has been commenced.

I am known for providing a sports metaphor now and then and this is not much different so I apologize for this ahead of time if you hate those. If I draw a play in the sand and at the snap of the football all goes to hell in a hand basket, the best laid plan pf x’s and o’s is not going to get me points on the board.  But when you truly make a plan, draw out a play and then deliver the ball to the end zone, all are happy and we get to celebrate with high fives all around.  Seems pretty simple.  The problem has always been execution.  As consultants or strategist are you executing your plan?  When was the last time you were in the end zone?

Tags: Social Media, Better Mouse Trap, Emerson, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Consulting, New Media

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I am not yet an expert, but I am trying to learn to be an expert in my area.  This is why I read experts.  I pay attention to what they are doing and I learn from them. If I listen and store away what they are providing me I garner wisdom.  I read people from all walks of life, I read from the marketer, the advertiser, the public relations person and yes, the baker and candlestick maker.  All of the people I read and learn from provide me a path to the knowledge about how I can help other businesses.

If I comment on blogs and if I leave a question or provide another perspective on a post, it is because I have read the bit of wisdom and have participated.  It is not much different from sitting in a classroom and hearing a lecture and then participating in that lecture by commenting, asking questions or debating an issue.  This is my classroom and how I am hoping to earn my thousands of hours to get to be an expert in what I do (I think I only have 5 years or 10,000 more hours of study).

I tend to read a large number of blog posts.  In fact, I have more than one feed reader and they are broken down themselves into business reader and personal reader, and even that has some cross over between them so I even read some blogs twice just in case.  I try to absorb as much as possible from those around me I do consider an expert to help me get to the next level.  Comments foster learning just like it did in grade school when you wanted to know why clouds produced rain or why the sky was blue and all those things of wonder that come to your mind during class.  Ask questions, get involved, leave a comment.

Photo via Vito

Tags: Social Media Experts, Social Media, Blog Comments, Blogging, New Media

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I have been doing an inordinate amount of reading and testing and looking and feeling and all the other things I try to do to get a handle on the state of the economy and how social media fits in with marketing, advertising, public relations and all of it, and I had in my mind what I would call an epiphany.  It may not be that much of a game changer to some, but to me it boiled a large amount of fertilizer into what I would refer to as the heart of the matter.  People like Seth Godin, Chris Brogan and others have one very difficult to obtain trait–they all have common sense.  That might sound like a "no kidding" statement but to many it seems like a far off planet we will never be able to reach.  They sell their common sense.

Businesses tend to get caught up in the bottom line, the minutia of day-to-day operations, the web of bureaucracy and other things that keep us unfocused and not able to keep our eye on the prize.  What some people offer is a way to get you back on track with the thoughts that started the business or made it successful to begin with and that is basic common sense.  Like a drink manufacturer that gets caught up in the "lime, the lemon and the wild cherry, when what they really need is someone to come in and say "Hey maybe you should just stick to cola."  They have their moment where they all high five in the board room and say, "This is awesome!!", and hand over their check.  I love that scenario in my mind. 

The guy that will be the most successful in the consulting business is the one that can’t really see the emperor’s new clothes.

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I have been talking about 2009 being the "Year of Listening".  This may be a little ahead of its time as we are still getting sign on for the idea that social media as a doctrine is even worth the space or tab for the business plan or model.  I think that social media gives an opportunity to do more listening and less shouting.  I even do this in the real world.  I tend to sit back and gather intelligence in a situation before I ever enter into the discussion or argument or whatever might be the mode of communication at the time.  I get more accomplished by first hearing what is being said and then contributing.  I tend to learn more about a subject and the people discussing that subject than I would if I jumped into the conversation early.  Many times I have done that I find myself with foot in mouth and backing out of the conversation sooner than later.  My first advice to many companies to to listen.

Now the other side of that coin that is usually the first reason many companies are not quick to sign on to the idea is listening does not convert.  I have heard many an executive tell me, "listening doesn’t sell."  After all that is the bottom line in a company selling your product or your service to the person that holds the money.  I recently spoke to a group and later the owner of the company met me in the hall and said "oh good someone that will explain how social media is going to help us SELL."  That four letter word is the only one I tend to hear from the likes of those looking at the bottom line.  I can assure you if sell is not the goal I will hear other four letter words that will describe certain feelings.  It really is only about the sell so how do you impart listening as a way to get the sale?  Listening does not convert.  Sure that statement might be true but when does your program have the ability to know when someone wants to buy or better yet what they want to buy?

I have been showing some companies that listening actually helps them sell.  I like to use the idea behind the tire swing.

Listening actually gets you to the final image, knowing what it is your customer actually wants.  The problem with that scenario is that the CEO or head of the department or whoever seems to be the decision maker has to be thinking about all the other panels in the cartoon above.  They have learned that making all the other departments happy and still coming in under a budget is what it is actually all about.  This is not listening.  If more of us actually listened for a while to find out what the customer actually wants, we could sell them that product every time.  Perhaps the problem is not that they don’t know what the customer actually wants, its what they can provide the customer from their company.  Maybe they sell jungle gyms and not tire swings.  This is a problem, and not something that social media will help them overcome. Listening converts but only if you actually listen.

Photo via sonyradio.com

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I have been traveling quite a bit lately and that has caused me to get seriously behind on a large amount of work that I need to accomplish.  I have finally caught up with my email inbox which usually hovers around 60 unread messages at any given time, which usually equates to the amount of Twitter bios I need to read to approve or discard.  I began digging into the RSS feed readers (yes plural) that I have disregarded that have been so overwhelmed that many of the search feeds I have for the likes of “business blogging” and “social media consulting” are defaulting to the most it will store.  In other words, I have much work and little time to get it done.  I know I play this off with the idea that I am also the stay at home dad of 4 kids at the ages of 9, 8, 4, and 3, and that has some merit but for the most part I have times when they are sleeping or are not in the picture that I spend catching up but I still think I can be more efficient. I know I need to explain the title of this post.  One of the things I need to catch up on that I have not been doing much of lately is finding what my mentors and friends and colleagues are talking about.  One of the people I admire and one that I think has his finger on the pulse of my industry is Robert Scoble.  I don’t intend for this to be a “Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah” about Robert, so let me explain using him as my example.

Robert is a busy person.  I thought that I was busy and had my hands in a lot of things and doing a lot of work, but for the most part I am not much different than your ordinary overworked and underpaid entrepreneur.  I have been to conferences and walked into that blogger lounge at 1:00 a.m. and have seen Robert’s wife Maryam begging to leave but he is still uploading the latest video and editing the last blog post before he turns in.  That is dedication and it is what inspires me most of the time when I am feeling overworked.  It makes me buck up and get things done more often.  Put to simple terms working hard makes you successful.  I know Gary Vaynerchuk preaches that from his own pulpit.  Working hard does actually payoff, but I must say I have worked hard for other people and all it did was make them more successful so I limit that to we entrepreneurs that want to get on top of the heap.  Sure I have been rewarded when working for others, but for the most part my hard work for them is just that, for them. I swear there is a point in here somewhere.

I just spent part of the morning reading blogs.  I have read all of the folks I love to read in my business, Chris Brogan, David Armano, Beth Harte, Amber Naslund, and yes the list goes on and on.  Many of them are also very much like Robert Scoble, and I could have used most of them as my title, but for me, Robert has been a blogger that has been cutting the trail for most of us in this business.  He is consistently good at what he does with his blog.  Let me give you some of the reasons he is good and why I often use him as an example to people when they want to know about how to be a good blogger.

• Consistency -  Even when he is inconsistent he is consistent.  He puts things up to read during slow news days and up when things are going crazy.  Sure he does not have a blog post every single day but posts when he wants and has something to say, which in itself is very consistent.
• Opinionated – He gives us his opinion.  He may be adding to the echo chamber of sorts but he always gets into his posts why he feels it is important.  Telling us why Twitter is cool is one thing but why YOU think it is cool and how YOU are using it or making it part of your life is another.
• Academic – He is a smart guy.  I have made fun of him in the past about being a “camera salesman” and I mean that more in jest than anything, but he is very smart about business.  He has seen the emergence of some very cool technologies that have gone on to be big players and he seems to know what works and has great insights into what businesses can do with their product or service.  I can see why he has VC friends.  They want to know what he thinks is cool.
• Human – He shows his human side.  I know when he is angry or when he is fed up or when he is happy about something.  I can see his humanness come through in his blog posts.  Not many people allow that or even begin to know how to impart that in their blog posts.
• Integrity – In a world full of “sponsored conversations” and sell-outs to the little tidbits of advertising dollars, he stays true to what he does, good blogging.  This has offered far more rewards than a $500 gift card or a free T-shirt.  This has also allowed his access to some of the brightest minds and has opened doors for him that others will never have offered to them.  He keeps his eyes on the big prize.
• Passionate – You can hear it in the way he talks about things.  His job, his wife and sons, and his friends.  I have this passion when I am a Daddy blogger and it helped me become a better blogger.  I have that passion but it does not always come out in my writing here.  Some days I write a post because I think Google might forget about me.  That is the wrong reason to put up a post.

As I indicated before, there are many many bloggers out there that have this very same resume and are doing it just as well in these areas or better.  I merely wanted to single Robert out as I had his RSS feeds on my list today and I began to feel very small in this big pond after reading and then looking back on my own blog and seeing how I have not been doing things well at all.  I have had some great posts and flashes of greatness in the past, but for the most part I can take what I have been taught by those doing it well and try to keep up with them.  I am not sure that is possible but I can hope to some day be like that. It took me back to a time when Robert called me out about my job as a blogger and I think maybe I need to go back to being better.  I am going to see if I can get into that swing and set out some goals for myself to add to the signal and not the noise.  For the moment I will leave you with that as I run into the next room to see if I can figure out what the kids just shattered on the kitchen floor.  Is summer over yet?  Thanks Robert, and when are you going to start that Daddy blog?

Photo via Wikipedia

Tags: Blogging, Robert Scoble, Scobleizer, Business Blogs, Social Media, Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, Amber Naslund, David Armano, Beth Harte, Blog Posts, How To Blog

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For a long time I have been touting that we all live in a Google world.  We cannot seem to leave our house without first checking directions on Google, or order Chinese food without getting the local menu and number from Google, etc.  Many companies have come to us and asked, "How do we get on page one of Google’s search results?"  That has been the mainstay of my presentations about why companies need to get into blogging and other forms of social media.  I have yet to figure into the mix, Facebook.

Reading the article today that Wired put out about the "Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network’s Plan to Dominate the Internet — and Keep Google Out", I began to think of living in a Facebook world.  I never really considered these to be rivals in the big scheme of things as Facebook is a social network and Google a search engine, but I see now that there are many players all jockeying for position in world of the Internet. 

I also think there is another small player that might be making things interesting and that of course is the social media darling of the bunch, Twitter.  They can help perform the function of both search and of the social network.  All of it actually has to do with data.  As we begin to see the emergence of what I call 2009 The Year of Listening, more and more companies are concentrating on brand monitoring and reputation monitoring and how they can get into community and infiltrate them with their brand, their message and their mission.  Yes, it is all about the business after all and that is the company that will win.  Which one will provide the best of all worlds?  Right now we are still living in the Google world, but there are some other players in the Internet solar system. 

Tags: Facebook, Google, Twitter, Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Networks

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I have been trying to figure a way to work into the mix some of the businesses I visited and met while I was out in the islands and one of the things I thought of for the people at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut factory was to allow them to talk about the processing of their delicious snack and how it is packaged and sent out to the various parts of the world.  I thought about how they could get a blog to their site to describe each of the seasons of growing, and harvesting, and also more importantly making their already open to the public tour a part of their everyday broadcast to the social media world.

They have a building where they do their packaging and processing and roasting.  As a group we were allowed to check out their assembly line type of roasting, processing and packaging.  I thought it would be a simple way to show the rest of the world this process using a simple web cam and their blog.  A page could be set up and the live stream run on the plant while they prepared and shipped their product. This could also be monitored for questions about the process, or a Q&A about what is being done and how. A few short hours a day could really turn into some sales for them overall.

They are a very retail oriented operation and I was thinking that they could generate a few more sales that would not only pay for their program, but also help with their brand.  The big Island was a wonderful place and this business is only one of them that is doing well on the island. Social media might just get them a little further as time goes on.  Now to see if I can find their Twitter page or if I can find them on Facebook.

Tags: Mauna Loa, Macadamia Nuts, Social Media, Hawaii, So Much More Hawaii Tour, Marketing, e-Commerce

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We hopped into the back of an army person ell carrier and like soldiers heading off to battle we had our gear, harnesses and helmets.  The wet weather was welcome because it kept us cool and hydrated as the anticipation sucked the water from our system making us swallow hard.  This would normally be the description from a military blogger, but this describes the scene as we headed off to our zipline adventure.

I wasn’t really nervous about being dangled over the jungle until they told us a few of the details.  The highest line was 250 feet above the ground and the longest line was more than 3 football fields at 941 feet.  They had what they referred to as the "bunny line" taking it from the idea of a bunny slope in a ski area, and then the next 6 lines were for the professional zipliner.

One of my fellow travelers and I both knew we were in trouble when we thought it would be cool to do a video of us zipping through the jungle on our lines, and they indicated that if we dropped our flip cameras they would be gone forever.  Yes that is a long time.  I was hoping at this point that we would not drop ourselves and be gone forever.  The thing is this adventure is probably more safe than any other excursion I was doing while here in Hawaii. 

After our safety discussion we put our helmets on and went into battle.  Not the battle you would normally associate with war, but we had to battle the thrill and excitement of dealing with a rush of adrenaline and fun that went with this excursion.  I highly recommend this type of adventure to those of you that love the thrill of letting go and giving up control of nature.  Gravity works to your advantage sometimes and you can gather in the beauty and feel a rush all at the same time.  Thanks to the folks at Kauai Backcountry Tours for making our time there safe and enjoyable.

I gave the a little advice while I was there.  They need to be able to upload video or photos to family and friends back home.  So they need that router to be installed for Internet access.  I’m kidding of course, but to be able to have a sign waving behind the last guide that says thank you and come again might be a great way to have people upload that picture to Flickr!

80% of the movie Tropic Thunder was filmed on this property!

Photos: (My feet 250 feet above the jungle and @ChefMark)

Tags: HawaiiHTA, Hawaii, Kauai, BackCountry Tours

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The one where I get you to decide what I will do in Hawaii and then hopefully you too can go along…virtually.

I am hoping to live stream the events on my site at Social Mediasphere TV! I will record as much as possible the events that unfold. You choose where and what I go do it and bring you the experience through the live blog account, the recordings and Twitter stream!

The first island is up. KAUA’I
Currently scheduled to arrive Thursday morning, May 28; depart Saturday morning, May 30.

Mountain Tubing Adventure
Kaua‘i Backcountry Zipline Adventure Tour
Kaua‘i Plantation Railway
Kipu Falls Zipline Trek
K?loa Heritage Trail
L?wa‘i International Center
Steelgrass Farm – Chocolate Farm Tour
Waimea Canyon

If you know of something fun to do on this island that you don’t see here, suggest it in the comments and I will make it a vote that counts! My only suggestion is make it lawful. My wife’s suggestion, make it safe enough I won’t get killed. (I wont tell if you don’t tell.)

Next Up we go to the island of MAUI
Currently scheduled to arrive Saturday morning, May 30; depart Monday morning, June 1.

Hawai‘i Ocean Rafting
Hula Girl Pacific Rim Dinner Cruise
Kahoma Ranch Tours
Lahaina K?‘anapali Railroad – Sugar Cane Train
Maui Cave Adventures
Maui Horseback Tours
Nightly Hula Show at K?‘anapali Beach Hotel
Proflyght Paragliding
Tour of the Stars
Volcano Maui Air Tours

Next up we have HAWAI’I ISLAND
Currently scheduled to arrive Monday morning, June 1; depart Tuesday evening, June 2.

Dolphin Quest
Firenesia
Hawai‘i Pack and Paddle
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hilo Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens
K?lauea
Kona Coffee Tour
Lava Tube Cave Adventure: K?lauea Caverns of Fire
Native Guide Hawai‘i
Stargazing:
*Arnotts Lodge
*Bigti
*Hawai‘i Forest & Trail
*Mauna Kea Summit Adventures

Windward Coast and Waterfalls Tour

Next up we have the Island of O’AHU
Currently scheduled to arrive Tuesday evening, June 2; depart Weds/Thurs evening, June 3/4.

Battleship Missouri Memorial 10th Anniversary Celebration
Bike Hawai‘i
The Contemporary Museum
Dunebuggy Adventures
Ghost Tours of Old Honolulu
Hans Hedemann Surf School
Hawai‘i’s Plantation Village
Honolulu Soaring
North Shore
North Shore Surf Girls Surf School
O‘ahu Ghost Tours
Paddle Core Fitness
Waimea Valley Park
Wildside Specialty Tours

That is the four islands that we are visiting. I will have another post up about what I’ll be doing and when and where and how. I want to have you experience with me this social media trip! ALOHA!

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I have recently launched Social Mediasphere TV and added it to my list of blogs including this one and including Bloggers For Hire in the long list of blogs I contribute to and provide.  Social Mediasphere TV is an extension of the radio I was doing on Blog Talk Radio.  You can still go over and take a look at my archives at that location and I may still continue my on location live radio using that service as it seems to be a very simple solution to the technical issues related to live radio.

I will be doing my show continuing here forward on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. PST and 8:00 p.m. EST.  We will be discussing all things Social Media and as always we will have special guests, commentary and even you as listener can call in and ask questions make your own comments or just be a guest yourself.  I am still working through all of the issues with using the applications of the trade, but I have been given some good advice and help from many friends that are cheering me on to make this new project a success.  See you all on Tuesdays!

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There are many people out there getting into shape this week. Those 2009 New Year’s resolutions are getting into full swing. This is a time for the local gym to be jam packed with new people. That new guy that has a large gut (yes I am raising my hand), and an unused sweat suit will be showing up full of vigor and ready to be the next calendar boy or Men’s Health magazine cover. He’ll go a few days and then the pain will set in and the monotony will start and suddenly the honeymoon is over. They have small result on the scale and they think “wow this is easy” or they think “boy, I have this exercise thing licked.” Then reality hits and they suddenly wonder why they are having to actually work at it. The scale quit moving, or they get busy doing other “more important” things.

This is very similar to the idea of social media and starting that as a business. Many business people have all said to themselves, “I need to start a social media program here.” They perhaps even make it a resolution for the new year.  

They do a little research and get all jazzed about how it is going to change the way they market, advertise and interact in their community of customers. It is going to save them in this dark and scary economy. The propaganda they have read, and yes I consider it nearly as bad as propaganda, tells them that their troubles are over. Start a blog and you can sit back and watch the needle move to the black, get on Twitter and Facebook and watch you bank account soar. Sure they get a little bit of a result in the beginning as anything that is new. They watched as their weight on the scale drops a bit, like the guy that cuts Christmas fudge out of his diet and gets on the treadmill (raises his hand again). Then as with the guy that started his exercise routine, it starts to get hard, and the results are not easily seen, and the monotony starts to get the better of them and they finally abandon the program going back to the old ways. Gone is the difficulty, and that lactic acid burn they means it might be hard again tomorrow.

I’m like that trainer in the gym that everyone seeks out in January only to cuss out in March as it gets more painful to continue. I’m everyone’s go to guy when they want to get started then suddenly I’m the enemy and that evil guy that keeps pushing them to keep posting on their blog or to make those comments in Twitter. Many of them don’t have the discipline for it. Like the person that sets out to be the latest cover of a magazine they end up abandoning the program. Those that start and quit are not uncommon. The one that sees it through are the ones that will be the cover of a magazine soon. Which are you going to be this year. Can we push through the hard part?

[photo via DryRot]

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