OK, I am gonna start off this post by saying that, I probably wouldn’t even have written this post if someone at Kred had answered my question directly.  I am just curious what this marketing play by Kred (@Kred) was all about.  Last I was told, when I asked why they “aligned/piggybacked” on Klout, rather than keeping their differentiation was “It’s really busy in the office today. We will craft a response soon.” (As a writer, I noted the word “craft.”  It seemed odd to me) As of this posting, I still don’t have an answer. So, I am going to see if anyone else does. Why? Because it seemed like a very strange move for a company of data specialists to call itself an “alternative” and then “piggyback.”

I’ve seen many a varied marketing tactic over the years…and I was just curious why they went this route.  I really just wanted to understand, maybe even learn something deeper about the new little niche.

The Scientific Study of  Social Influence

I have been studying the “Social Influence” utilities for a bit of time now: quietly, in the back ground, just a little geeky project.  A lot of my clients have started to ask me questions about it, and many people I know in the Speaking industry have started using various tools (mostly @Klout). The problem was that everyone was equating social influence metrics to social media “stuff.” I wanted to be able to explain it to them with some knowledge, so I started studying it.

Now, I am NOT a highly influential person…I produce goods for people who are influential. This allows me to just sit and watch. Which, having the data background I do, is cool in a geek way.

Over the last few months, I have had many conversations on the topic of “social influence” tools with knowledgeable peeps. Some people call it phooey, and “nothing more than high-school cliques revisited.” I can see where they are coming from, but I differed in my opinion of it. I found it rather interesting that a new metric was emerging. I wanted to know:

• How will it be measured?
• Who is gonna get it right?
• What are people going to do once they know that they are being measured?
• How is this going to be used in business?
• Will a high “social influence” score allow a person or brand to charge more for their services?
• Will persons/brands with high scores start selling their tweets ? (Note: I discounted celebrities, since they openly do this and well, we don’t really care that they do. I was thinking more about powerful mom-bloggers, academics, and the like.)

See, I am one of those that does believe the metric can be a good one. Now, how you can announce that you are measuring something and than not have your measurement affected by it is a whole ‘nother story.  Once you say “we are gonna measure this,” there will be those that want to “game” the scoring and get a higher score.  So, the measurement is only valid (or rather, truly pristine and uninfluenced, accurately measured) before people realize they are being scored. After that, the analysis will have to account for people who are “working the system,” so to speak.

Regardless of whether or not it has lost it’s data derived innocence , I believe the metric will be an important one. Or rather, one that might be important IF 1. It gains long-lasting recognition as a valid metric that has meaning (in business, this typically equates to sales) and 2. If solid companies come out and truly seek to measure the influence data and not taint it.  No, I am not saying that they should not PROMOTE it’s use, but there is a line to “education, explanation and promotion” and “creating your own data to measure.”  The line isn’t all that clear yet, but it’s there and we will find it.

Kred – Oh, You Look Really Cool

As I studied the various companies entering this space, I was truly enamored with Kred. I liked that they went wide and deep. I liked their mission.  I liked the rep that they sent to our industry mastermind and speaking event last year.  She was ultra cool.   And, truth be told, I completely trusted the data geeks that they are. I love data. And, when I read that Jodee compared this type of data mining and study to the early stages of science of genetics…it made sense to me. Because I am a geek. I was anxious for them to come out and bring the heat. I believed that the would get it “more right.”

And then…..I saw a post explaining that they were giving away “Double the Love” in Kred for people who were tweeting the Klout points (kisses for Valentines Day) for the month of Feb.

To introduce +Kred, we are celebrating with a Valentine’s Day ‘Double The Love’ promotion.
Through February 29, any tweeted +K’s from Klout earns 2 +Kred awards. We’re proud to to help you give some extra recognition to the people who inspire you most.
Participating in ‘Double The Love’ is easy. Kred will detect +K tweets and add double +Kred Influence and Outreach Points to both the influencer and their supporter for the rest of February.
As a little bonus, we have also awarded Influence and Outreach Points worth 1 +Kred to everyone for all tweeted Klout +K’s given between February 1 and 12.

(full article http://blog.kred.ly/2012/02/valentines-day-double-kred/)

What The Hell Was THAT Kred?!?

The Head Scratching Begins

And, I wasn’t the only one scratching my head!

— Andrew D. Nystrom (@adnys) February 14, 2012

This is only one of many people asking : What the heck just happened there.

Did Klout and Kred Team Up?

My first thought was this this was a cross-promotion. It didn’t make sense to me. But, maybe there was some business reason that only those who are “in the know” know about. I may have even tweeted something about an oligarchy.  It might have happened before I realized it wasn’t the case.

I REALLY thought this was the case when I found this article and quote from Peoplbrwsr CEO Jodee Rich
(@WingDude ):

“We are delighted to share with Klout in showing the love to influential people,” said Andrew Grill, CEO, Kred. “+Kred is our year-round vehicle for showing appreciation to the people that inspire and influence you, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to tell the world about the ones you love most.”

(full article: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/kred-doubles-the-klout-love-for-valentines-day-1619110.htm)

Then, I realized the vague nature of the statement. I can “join” a reception.  It doesn’t mean that I was invited to the wedding.  He must have meant join, as in “join the space.” So, I went and looked at what Klout was saying. Now, I didn’t see any bashing. Rather, I found pronouncements of their domination from their CEO.

Awesome seeing Fast Company recognize Klout as a top 10 innovative company! ow.ly/930YW

— Joe Fernandez (@JoeFernandez) February 13, 2012

So, No, That Wasn’t a Joint Effort

So…it wasn’t a joint effort? I went ahead and just asked Kred directly.

As I said at the beginning, they still haven’t answered me. So…I have been looking on-line. And, found articles like this one:

Where is the love? Kred’s attempt to steal Klout users on Valentine’s Day –j.mp/zlAhbY

— Scott Williams (@scottwwilliams) February 15, 2012

Now, these bloggers really seem to favor Klout. For me, I think it’s gonna take a few more years for the best algorithms to be determined. There is a ton of trial and error in front of us in this area. So, I’m not ready to say either is supreme master yet. Huge kudos to Klout for being the first big boy on the block. The first guy on the dance floor always gets his cool moves inspected more closely. I know you are growing and adapting, too!

Kred Marketing Communications Had Me Missing George W Bush

The article was funny and cute, and pointed out the beauty of simplicity. Props to Garth Knutson (@gknutson) and Blake Abel ( @abelmind ) of What the Klout And, well, it featured a Coming to America movie clip – total awesome sauce. But, even that wasn’t what caught my attention. What caught my eye was a comment on the blog post from Shawn from the Kred Team. His answer to the blog’s direct call out?

Hi, it’s Shawn from Kred. Thanks for talking about our Valentine’s Day promotion. Just to clarify, we are giving *2* +Kreds for every tweeted +K through February.

“Our goal is to measure and include influence from everyone & everywhere. Giving a +K or a +Kred is a public positive action that from someone who believes that a person influential.

Our scoring system is totally transparent, assigning 70 Influence Points to the recipient and 30 Outreach Points to the giver.

Shawn Roberts
Director, Marketing Communications”

Happy Valentine’s to you and yours.

(full article: http://emisare.visibli.com/share/A7VYGg )

Shawn, the best way I can explain how much your answer disappointed someone who was actually inclined to believe in you, is to say to you – You made me miss George W.

Let me explain...I am not a raving fan of George W. Bush (maybe because he does seriously remind me of my Daddy).  Nor, am I a fan of the current administration (that's a topic for another day).  BUT, there were 2 minutes in May of 2011 that I really wished George W was president again. I would have paid to have him as president JUST for those two minutes. Why?

Because I wanted the George W Bush version of the announcement that Osama bin Laden was dead.

It was a scarce moment where his brash Texas way of being would have been perfect. I wanted to hear his chuckle, and see his half grin.  I wanted to hear his version of "Gotcha bitch!" With the undertones of "word to those who try and shoot down my Daddy's airplane." It was a rare moment where the rest of the world would have allowed the American bravado that typically pisses them off (rightfully so in many cases). I missed him. That BS wimpy ass speech Obama gave was so limp, bland, weak.

Not to the same extreme, but in like fashion, that is what your response made me feel like. Please tell me you guys aren't bringing a butter knife to a gun fight!

Option 1: Hell Yeah We just Made THAT Move!

Anything would have been better:

• "Yeah, we are totally leveraging them. Gotcha!"

There were many people who appreciated it, and you got your RT buzz. I personally think it's a weak play when you are trying to assert superiority or engage in competition. But, a lot of people, like Jessica below were made happy by it, and appreciated the love of her peeps.  Many people were happy to get double points.  It just doesn't seem to make business sense for you to pull a move like that, and then not even own it!

@FixedOpsGenius MORNING sunshne! xoxo thanks for the Kiss -n- @klout #kred

— Jessica Northey (@JessicaNorthey) February 14, 2012

Option 2: Stop Talking Smack - We ARE Better

I would have been good with a direct engagement with the blog owners:

• "No, you are wrong...WE are better and here is why...We needed your attention. We have got it now...choose us, we are better!"

Not just..."Oh, BTW, did you know we are transparent?"

Option 3: Blame an Intern

Or, even

• "Dude, we have this intern and it was ALL his idea...we were super tired that day, so we decided to roll with it. You are probably right. We will put that one in the #fail category. He is soooo cleaning all the bathrooms for the entire month of February."

Shawn - any firm stance would have sufficed. But, THAT answer was weak sauce. I expected more fight from you guys. While both Klout and Kred have pros and cons to each. You are data junkies.  I thought you could do it.  And, well, I still want to...but, good grief, I have to believe that you will fight harder than that. You are really going to have to.

So, I ask anyone out there now who might know:

What The Hell Was THAT KRED?!?

This Might Actually Be Important

I think social influence is a very interesting thing to measure.  I think it will play out in branding, marketing, sales, the spread of better content. I think studying it may just teach us about how technology (not just social media has impacted our lives). For any of you who might wonder whether or not a "social influence" score will ever matter. Here is a summary of a conversation I had with my kids last year. It is one of the things that started my interest in social influence metrics. There was a big marketing push from Klout about this time and simultaneously a time during which I was having many discussions about SM based relationship management. It was a topic at the time. And, well, I took a bit of home with me to work after talking with my "user testing group". And, then, I got all observationist with it.

How that will play out long term in business....well, that's what I'm waiting to see.  But, to answer the question "Is it even important?," I shall defer to my children and their answers in the conversation below.  The chat was about their blog, where they wanted to review "cool" new electronics, books, games, toys, etc.  My kids (10 and 11) don't remember a time before social media, Wikipedia, and YouTube. And, they are members of a great consumer group - the tweens.  So, I do actually listen when they speak. This chat took place about 6 months ago...and is what caused my ears to perk up. The truth always falls from the mouths of children.

Kids: Mommy we need you to talk to your clients and important friends and get them to tweet about us or post on their facebook.
Me: I cannot do that for you. But why?
Kids: Well, because we want companies to send us free stuff.
Me: I don't even have clients that sell the things you want, guys.
Kids: It doesn't matter. If important people talk about us, then THEIR friends who are important people will see it. And, if they have stuff that they want us to review, they will think we are cool and send us stuff.
Me: So, you want me to call my friends and ask them to make you guys seem important, so that important toy people will think you can actually influence sales of their toys.
Kids: Exactly.
Me: What if they aren't actually "important" in the area you want them to talk about?
Kids: It doesn't matter. If their fans think they are important, then they are important enough for us.
Me: How do I determine who is important for you and who isn't?
Kids: We can look on Facebook and see who they talk to a lot.
Me: What if they want to be paid for posting for you?
Kids: Depends on how much they want. How much do you think it would cost?

END POST

Shoutout: I want to acknowledge Dave Cole (@heyDaveCole) for enduring my question streams.  I am sure some of the ideas presented here that I remember as being all mine, may have initially come out of your mouth.  But, well, I can never remember which is which.  You are brilliant.  And, I somehow feel myself getting smarter around you; perhaps by proximity or osmosis.

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What happened to bring back the sweet memories of the crime-stopping prowess of a bustier outfitted Super Princess?  I got an email…not just any email…I got an email from Jim Kwik of Kwik Learning, inviting me to attend the upcoming Super Hero You event.

First, let me say that I was honored for the invite, and was more deeply touched when I realized that the email was actually intended for me specifically, and was not part of a mass mailing.  I had met Jim at the SANG conference in May, and have silently followed his world travels ever since, awaiting the day that he would need some work done…

For those of you who are thinking that this is just another event….just another seminar…just another forum – READ ON!  Given what we do at Propel Point, I attend a LOT of events each year.  After a while, they all start to look the same.  They all blend.  Not this time.  This one has caught my attention for many reasons.  Maybe it is because I have always been an avid student.  Maybe it is because I have two super-geek kids who love to learn.  Or, maybe it is because I met some of the speakers inside the walls of SANG, where egos are checked at the door and a group of professionals just talk and share.  Maybe the sanctity of the environment allowed me to see their dreams with them.  For whatever magic pixie-dust was sprinkled, I am now committed by my belief in the impact of the upcoming conference to share it with you.  I will be there – and here is why:

Let’s start with Jim.  I first interacted with Jim in the hallway at SANG (where all great conversations happen).  We talked about his mission to teach reading and recall.  I was immediately intrigued.  I do believe that I did say something ridiculous along the lines of “Oh, like Mega Memory!  I sooo had those cassettes!”  Yeah, NO JENNIFER.  Not like mega-memory…like super-charged-ultimate-extreme memory.  Despite my poor analogy, we had a great conversation and…I just liked him.  He was so focused on his mission and present to what he wanted to do.  He had a twinkle in eye when discussing new ways to get his methodologies and messages out to more people.  He was excited, and I love to work with people who are excited about what they do.

As he walked away, I remember grabbing my iPhone and googling him, to find out that he had just walked off a TED stage.  Yeah, I was a winner (Mega Memory…really, Jen, palm smacked forehead).  As if the TED stage wasn’t enough to buttress his credibility, he had shared stages with Sir Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama.  Dude has serious professional street cred.  Here is the thing – if you can ignore all of his success for a moment, you will find an amazingly talented man on a mission.  Given my interactions with him, I would wager to bet that he is the same determined, tenacious, intelligent, kind man he was before any of the items in his bio notes were present.  And – THAT- is why I think he is worth watching.  As he came across to me, fame nor success has dimmed the sparkle in his eye that lights up when he speaks to his teaching mission.  His abilities are aligned with his passion – the perfect combo for a teacher and mentor.  And, he tweets quotes from one of the great child education advocates of this era – Dr. Suess!

Kwik Learning – @KwikLearning
“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living…” ~ Dr. Seuss

For those of you who think I am joking, did you know that the Cat in the Hat was written in response to a 1954 report on the alarming rates of child illiteracy in America?  Here is a bit of trivia for you.  The Cat in the Hat contains 250 of the 348 words that were deemed “must know” for first-grade school children at the time.  It was way more than riddles, rhymes, and zany adventures.  Like many of the fine speakers who will hit the stage at SuperHero You, Dr. Suess knew that if you want to truly engage children in education  – make it FUN.

Jim is worth coming to watch on his own, but line-up of super-star educators doesn’t end there. Freddie Ravel is gonna be there!  I also met Freddie at SANG.  I first chatted with him during the SANG Mastermind.  He spoke very passionately about the link that exists between education and music.  I was sold on his vision immediately.  Just the week before, I had attended my daughters Honor Choir recital as the proud parent of a child acknowledged for her musical talent.  That night, the MC of the event (a principal from the @CapoUnified school district) made a statement that hit me hard: “Ladies and gentlemen, the students on this stage are not only some of the most musically talented in our district, they are our best math students.”  I knew the statement was true immediately, given what I knew of my own child.  He went on to share how absolutely blessed our district was to be able to fund our children’s music program.  I was so sad for students across this nation who did not have the same benefit.  Meeting Freddie a week later seemed as if it were a kiss of fate.  There were people with real clout striving to change that.

Put his work with Carlos Santana, Madonna, Prince, Yo Yo Ma, and all the other heavy hitters aside – Freddie is a passionate advocate for the power of music.  His Tune Up to Success mission is “Leading the transition from the age of information to the age of edu-tainment, TUNE UP to success blends the language of business with the universally loved language of music to bring your organization new ways to work in concert.”  He is real visionary and a real father.  He showed me one of the coolest pictures I had ever seen on his phone – a picture of him cradling his infant son atop a baby-grand piano.  The photo screamed love and passion.  The next day, his closing performance at SANG blew me away.  I really wished my kids had seen it.  There are few higher compliments I can pay an artist than “You are the inspiration I want my children to see.”  Freddie will hit the stage at SuperHero You!  Don’t miss it.  He is awesome.

freddie ravel – @freddieravel
Come to “SuperHeroYou presents Freddie Ravel, “Tune Up to Music and the Brain”" Saturday, November 19 from 8:30 am… http://t.co/TwJvycAn

And, if you won’t listen to me…listen to the GREAT Stan Lee !!  A man absolutely committed to the education of our children.  Another great artist of our time.  (Side note to @TheRealStanLee : My comic-loving, fan-fiction-writing, avid-comic-convention-attending, daughter LOVES you! And, so does her mama!  No one has said you are attending SuperHeroYou, but I am REALLY hoping you are.  I couldn’t meet you the day you were at Ken Rutowski’s (@kenradio ) METal International meeting because Larry said it was for men only, and took all the boys and not me.  BUT, all the guys who went said you were super cool.  And, no, I have no problem at all with boys and girls clubs.  They are important to have.  I just wanted to meet YOU.)  Follow the video link in the tweet below to see his message about Super Hero You.

SuperheroYou – @SuperheroYou
Stan Lee’s Message to Kwik Learners – SuperheroYou http://t.co/BSSiMUnD

The REAL Stan Lee on SuperHero You

OK, I have given you not 1 but 3 great reasons why you should go!

1. Great speakers, who are authentic and passionate about education.
2. Brain training knowledge that will SuperHero charge YOU!
3. Knowledge you need to share with your children, to SuperHero charge THEM!

Yes, there are even more speakers!  Here they are:

I do not know John Assaraf personally, but many many of my industry friends do.  Many count him among their friends, have shared the stage with him, and dined with him.  I hear nothing but amazing things about this man.  If my friends like him, I am pretty sure I will, too.  When I see him quoting Ayn Rand, chances are that we will find some common interests.  While I am not a true convert to The Secret, there are many points to it which I have ingested and find to be helpful in my life.  I am excited to finally see him in action!

John Assaraf – @johnassaraf
Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. ~Ayn Rand

Next up, Dr. Daniel Amen.  The quote below moved me to go take his on-line brain test.  The results point to a rather high-strung brain type for yours-truly.  Stop laughing!!  I know it’s true.  I’m high-strung, not delusional.  Besides the accolades listed below, my brain-test results are leading me to believe that I could learn a thing or two about myself from him…just saying.

Dr. Daniel Amen – @DocAmen
#1 predictor of longevity is not happiness or a lack of worry. It is conscientiousness. Better decisions = longer life. Be Brain Smart!

Daniel G. Amen, MD is a physician, child and adult psychiatrist, brain imaging specialist, bestselling author, Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the CEO and medical director of Amen Clinics, Inc.   A small sample of the organizations Dr. Amen has spoken for include: the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), Harvard’s Learning and the Brain Conference, the Million Dollar Round Table, and the Supreme Courts of Delaware, Ohio and Wyoming. Dr. Amen has been featured in Parade Magazine, the New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, and Men’s Health.

Next up, Mariel Hemingway.  Loved her view of seeking our inner truth as espoused in the tweet below.  This famous award-winning actress is also an avid lover and instructor of yoga – the only type of exercise that doesn’t feel like absolute torture to me.  It actually calms my high-strung self down!  I vow to constrain myself and not ask her a gazillion questions about her grand-father, who is one of my all time favorite authors (and the reason why visiting Tanzania is on my bucket list…must see the Snows of Kilimanjaro before I die).  I am looking forward to hearing her speak.  She might just be the one to get me healthy…stranger things have happened.

Mariel Hemingway – @MarielHemingway
your truth is always within you… ur courage to see it is important… truth heals, gives u strength& sets you & keeps u on ur course…

And, last (but by no means least) is Chip Conley.  I have been cyber-stalking him on Twitter this week and I really hope I get to chat with him.  He is hailed as one of the most innovative CEOs of our time, and has the success to back such assertions up.  Besides the awards, and the features in Fortune magazine, the WSJ and Fast Company -  he is a great philanthropist, who has given a lot to my home town – San Francisco.  He built his business there, and has channeled his success into ensuring that San Francisco continues to offer the same great quality of life that beckoned my mother to the US all those years ago.  I don’t know much of him, but we share the love for the same home, and a belief in that emotional intelligence is extremely important amongst leaders.  I don’t see how a cup of coffee could go bad on those two topics alone!

Chip Conley – @ChipConley
Loved Danny Meyer’s thought that emotional intelligence is knowing the size/kind of wake you create in the organization (the body of water).

That’s all folks!   It’s rare for me to spend much time at all convincing others to come to an event.  I know we all have 6 each month on our calenders.  But, this one is different.  As different as SANG.  Speakers – YOU TOO!   SUPERHEROYOU – get there!  I wonder if I should wear a costume…….

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And then came Facebook…which today, is my central hub for both business and personal stuff.  You see everyone on my page – info marketing leaders and my uncle in St. Louis.  I could separate them, but why?  The clients like to see that the high-heeled professional, actually writes in pigtails and geeky glasses.  So, I am leaving it alone.

That said, my return to blogging (and writing what I WANT to write) is coming soon.   All well-deserved effusive praising, high-fives and info will come when the time is right.  For now, I’m rather enjoying my secret plans.

However, I am experiencing a bit of glitch at the moment.  No, not with the writing – with Twitter!  I am tardy to the Twitterverse and a bit behind with my opinions, but seriously -it should not be this hard to find real people tweeting from my Facebook loving friends.  I need quality tweets people!  I know that it’s REALLY you on Facebook.  Why not Twitter?

I know, I know.  It’s marketing.  But, come on.  So many of you that I interact with on Facebook have nothing more than a stream of “funny quote, inspirational quote, sales offer…funny quote, inspirational quote, sales offer.”  I am not at all total and complete anti-assistance with it.  Hell, I write books and courses that other people wrote But, can you find someone who makes it sound like you, please?!

Rant aside, there are some of my industry friends and collegaues who are REALLY REAL in the Twitterverse.  For example, the awesome Simon Mainwaring:

Simon Mainwaring – @simonmainwaring
“Stop automating your social media for better results” Great post via @cskoyles @lifehackorg – http://t.co/BdHHLUxA

Now, I would expect nothing less from this man.  I follow Simon because when we read We First (FYI, we really were one of the first “we’s” to read “We First), it was spot on and we could be passionate about it.  Simon typically speaks about the influence of social media from the aspect of much bigger brands and players in the world, but I like to think it is as true for small to medium businesses as well. Keep it real. Keep it in your house. Keep it in line with who YOU are.  He puts out tweets that make you wanna keep going…content that wants to make you have a conversation.  And, it is Simon who is talking.  He may be tweeting right before he jumps on stage, or when he is home with his family.

Social media, for me, is a web-based water cooler.  We are talking.  Sometimes, that means deep theoretical conversations about industry trends, sometimes it means       arguing over project plans and resource allocation, and sometimes it means “OMG, did you see the new Britney Spears video!  Awesome”

I have been following and following people…not because I want to be a follower, but because I am trying to find the good ones to follow (and will then un-follow the rest).  One of the first I followed was, of course, copyblogger.  Funny thing is, for all the content he can put out, his one word tip is what hit me.

Brian Clark – @copyblogger

Listen.

When I saw this, I actually yelled at my screen “I AM listening,” but all I hear is “spam, pitch, spam, pitch.”  My personal favorites have been all the people that appear in my followers list that explain they can get me gazillions of followers.  I don’t want that.  I just want to find some good conversations to jump into – just like I can quite easily on Facebook.

Thank goodness, I can find the real Mari Smith in both places.  Like Simon, it is everything from her business life

Mari Smith – @MariSmith
Just signed my books @ B&N, got stickers! My bud @HarveyMackay says ‘a signed book is a sold book!’ http://t.co/DvG9vLzs

to totally having found a new supplier to cover her quest for all things  turquoise (which I know she ABSOLUTELY loves)

Mari Smith – @MariSmith
@Turquoise_Erin Be still my heart, Erin!!! Just discovered you thanks to @GuyKawasaki. Omgosh, I’m ALL about the turquoise (& bling!) hehee

Another leading expert in the social media universe (and just an all around amazing lady) that is REAL in her social media.

My hunt continues..if you have any recommendations for who to follow in any of the following areas, please let me know: Informational Product Development, Book Design, Speaking Events I Don’t Wanna Miss (You Name an Event Theme…we are probably working on something that it applies to it..so I’ll take all recommendations).  If I can’t find them, I’ll just have to invent personalities and tweet amongst myselves all day.  Don’t let that happen!  That’s sad

So long for now…I’m gonna go check my twitter stream….and buy a baby zebra, top-of-the line SEO super-performance, an unlimited tweet package, and a “Guide for New Investors” (at least with this I can go find one we wrote).

I heart Facebook!

Doug Bench – @DougBench
Teach a man to fish and he will feed himself all his life. Teach him how his brain works, and he won’t have to eat fish all the time

Doug is such a great mind! You absolutely want to catch him speak, and share his powerful message of brain-power!  His Mind Your Brain project was a pleasure to work on.  And, one that continues it’s effect on us long past it having been written.

Anil Gupta – @GuptaGuru
The treasure is always within easy reach – you have to open your eyes and heart

Anil has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever seen. Thank you for this touching thought to treasure.  I have met few people who are as sincerely nice as this man. And, his wife is so much fun.  In person, or on Twitter, he reminds me to focus on the good in life, and to live with passion.

Spike Humer – @spikehumer
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light… http://t.co/lmNGtXmq

Spike, I’m always impressed with your leadership ideas and powerful messages.  I do miss that booming voice of yours….let’s not even get started on the smooth dance moves you have.

Making a Difference

One thing that I find really inspiring about my friends in the seminar industry, is how important it is to focus on making a difference in people’s lives. Do you want to wake up every day and just cash a paycheck? Don’t you think there’s so much more that could shape your life and let you help the people you love and live for? Here’s some thoughts that I found that I find very inspiring…

Dave Vanhoose – @DaveVanhoose1
“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.”
Tom Brokaw

Making a difference is job number one! Thanks for that inspirational quote, Mr. Vanhoose!  Remember people – your business should SOLVE a problem…not create one for you or anyone else.  It’s hard to say NO to a check, but sometimes it is the right thing to do.

Doug Ottersberg – @dougottersberg
I’ve been buoyed by the thought that more people should be able to say “I now work to make a difference instead of a living”

Doug, I absolutely agree with you, and I think Dave Vanhoose does as well. Making a difference in people’s lives by doing inspiring things with integrity is so critical. And it definitely keeps me thinking about this…

Rashida Jolley – @rashidajolley
God is soooooooo good!!!!

Amen, sista! Amen. Thanks for the short & sweet reminder.

Hope everyone has a fabulous day and does fabulous things!

As anyone could see from our Portfolio of work, we’ve accomplished a great deal. We’ve supported brand-new seminar speakers and established industry veterans. We’ve crafted products, marketing campaigns, technology solutions, and helped manage numerous projects that have delivered not only extraordinary value to our clients, but the end-consumer – the people in the rooms at the seminars – who were the end beneficiary of our hard work.

Through building Propel Point, both Jennifer and I have uncovered and discovered dozens (if not hundreds) of business opportunities. Some were just bad ideas from the outset, while others were truly brilliant businesses that could have been exceptional in their own right – were someone to simply take it and create it. Because of our diverse backgrounds and skills, we continued to refine our focus and develop products and services within a tight window of our capability. In the past few weeks, one of those burgeoning business opportunities arose that simply could not be ignored, but genuinely did not fit within the Propel Point business model. But we also knew that Propel Point is a thriving and successful venture in its own right, so we decided to divide-and-conquer, and spin off our advanced technology services in to its own firm: Dashboard Labs.

Because of this, the decision has been made for me to step away as active Chief Operations Officer of Propel Point to ensure that the new venture receives my full and undivided attention. I’ll still be around – I’m still an owner in Propel Point and I will be supporting the business in an advisory role moving forward. It’s been a tremendously fun experience to work with so many incredible clients, partners, employees, and people I today call friends. Of course, my respect and admiration for my partner Jennifer Puterbaugh is without equal. She has always been the heart & soul of Propel Point, and will continue to be one of the most trusted and resourceful developers in the seminar industry.

Thank you all, for everything. I welcome you to connect with me on Facebook – HeyDaveCole, Twitter @HeyDaveCole, or LinkedIn.

Source – 11 Reasons Why QR Codes Suck

11. QR Codes make receiving simple content very difficult

10. QR codes lack strong trackability compared to text messaging

9. QR Codes lack Follow-Up

8. QR codes require mobile devices to stop being mobile

7. QR Codes can’t “go viral”

6. QR Codes remove brand association

5. QR Codes only work on smart phones with cameras

4. QR Codes take up a lot of space.

3. There is no standard for 2D Bar Codes

2. You can’t use QR Codes in television or radio.

1. People don’t know what QR codes are!

To add 2 points to the debate here (of which I’m in complete agreement – QR codes SUCK)…

12… There’s no context to what the recipient will receive. Even on the web, there’s a tacit agreement that if I click on a link ending in .pdf file, I’ll receive a PDF file. If I visit YouTube.com I’ll know I’m about to watch a video. If I click on an @username I’ll probably be heading over to Twitter. QR codes, on the other hand, have no contextual specificity, and as such leaves the consumer no information about what they’re about to receive. Will I get a contact card for the person I’m interacting with? A video “welcome message”? A coupon? A map? Without context, the QR code leaves the recipient complete at the mercy of what the person using the code wants to share.

13… There’s no way to replicate a QR code without a digital device. You can’t draw a QR code by hand, or scribble it out on a cocktail napkin in the middle of a networking party. Nearly any other marketing channel can be conveyed and captured by hand if need be – a website URL, an phone number, a text marketing campaign, a physical address, a coupon code, etc. But the QR code is the bastard step-child of print marketing + engineers. Almost all 2D mobile ads suffer from the same problem – except the most ubiquitous 2D barcode of them all – the UPC barcode. They realized that adding a set of numbers to the barcode would ensure that at least if the red laser couldn’t get it, a human could interact with the information.

Mobile is definitely the new frontier for social + marketing, but I just don’t think (nor want to support!) QR codes are the right way to get things done with this new medium. It’s what happens when a marketing exec has too many tequila shots with the head of a printer company and then does Jaeger bombs with a bunch of engineers.

Oh, and this was gonna be a comment on your blog, David, but your Captcha code seems to be broken… Or, at least wouldn’t play nicely with me…