I'm back....things have been crazy!   We have more help now so I am carving out more time for writing....whether you like it or not! 

We took the company for a week-long retreat to Belize a couple weeks ago, where we held all of our strategic planning meetings.  Needless to say, it was pretty phenomenal!  Beautiful sand, clear water, turtles, sharks, rays, fish, coral and plenty of stories.  It may have been one of the best things we have done yet!  Everyone had a great time and the fact is, we also got a lot of planning done.  Company culture is very important to me, whether it's our company, a client's or people that make the things I buy.  I think the biggest plus about Spych is the fact I can honestly say I love everything about my job, day after day.  Are there times when I may not be particularly thrilled about crunching numbers, inputting expenses or balancing out the finances? Absolutely, but those are the exceptions and I'm okay with that.

What is it that you could do every day for the rest of your life, and be happy? What is something that could keep you motivated to do your best and keep pushing forward? For me, its conversation. I thrive on great conversation and speaking with people who make me think.  Really think. I guess I kind of got lucky enough to figure it out when I was a little kid, but for some reason I used to always think about when people talked about having "the best day of their life". I'd hear it in music, see it on TV and hear people talk about it in conversations. I eventually ended up on the conclusion that every day had the potential to be the best day of your life. So, I pretty much kept that in mind from then on. I know, i was a strange kiddo, but at least I was an optimistic one!

When you put it into perspective, it's true. How often do we think about it though? We wake up in the morning, scurry along to get ready for work, school, or whatever else our day brings, and we don't think about the potential of the day until something outstandingly positive or negative happens. I'm a person that believes in self-fulfilling prophecies. I know we can control our attitude, and to me, that can shape the majority of situations and conversations that occur throughout our day, or at least how we react to them. What if you wake up and consciously think about the potential for the day to really be the best day of your life? Some days it will end up being average, some below average, but do you think it could affect the progression of the "best" days of your life? I venture to say yes.

I hope tomorrow is the best day of your life...and the next day is even better!

BTW - if you're wondering, I had a pretty dang good day today. Was it the best? Maybe not, but at least it had the chance ;) 

I remember taking trips, as a kid, to my mom’s hometown in Iowa. It was a small farm town and it had the feel (as you can imagine) of movies that you’ve seen. Everyone knew everyone, and your business always ended up in the town paper, so you did your best to “keep your nose clean” to avoid embarrassing yourself and your family.

I grew up in Arlington, TX. It’s the largest city in the nation without public transportation, home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, the new Cowboy’s Stadium and Six Flags amusement park. We had a 3-bedroom home, modest, nothing over-the-top, but a solid middle-income family home. I’d venture to say the typical US setup, but what is typical really?

The past two years I lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia, first living in the small town of Blue Bell, stock full of gated communities and fancy retirement homes. I also spent a very large portion of my time in NYC, which you know is a booming city of movers and shakers, high-rises and small apartments.

Why the heck am I talking about the history of my dwellings? No, it’s not the beginning of a metaphorical look at my past. Alternatively, it is a look at the future. Communities (primarily online) are all the rage today. They have been for quite some time. Social media/networking sites have become the mainstream and new media and the social web is finally moving under the larger umbrella of just “business” rather than some new-found source of wealth and glimmer.

We are all a member of some type of community or another. Whether it is our neighborhood, building, church, softball league, office or online site, we are destined to form niche communities as we go through life. Just as our “real” lives polarize into various communal groups and organizations, is it really a surprise our online behaviors are taking the same shape and progression?

The real questions are what kind of community do you live in? What kind of community have you helped to form, and what kind of community do you strive to grow? Is it a small farm-like town where everyone is close and nothing is a secret? Is it a booming metropolis of contemporary strides blended with constantly evolving infrastructures and gentrification? Or, does it reside somewhere in between?

This has been something on my mind lately as I have thought about the type of community I hope to help grow both personally and professionally. The essence of being personal and remaining in-touch with each member, while maintaining positive growth does no come easy and I definitely do not claim to have it figured out. But, I do have a vision. I know what I envision my personal social graph to look like. I know what I have planned for Spych. However, these are merely blueprints for the community members to fully-shape and mold into brilliant existence. The community decides, and always wins.

The small Iowa town stays small, humble and closely connected. The booming metropolis continues to boom and evolve. Those who are initially planted in a community, eventually decide that their community is satisfactory, or they leave and find a more suitable one that fits their personal palate. That is, unless there is a catalyst for change, something that disrupts the natural community and helps to shape it into a new entity. Sometimes it may be a newly discovered resource, other times it may be a social or political uprising. Regardless, that catalyst can come from anything or anyone, and it is rarely predictable.

The future of the web will follow this trend. Though I see us all becoming more connected in one aspect, I also see a sense of need for further community segmentation. There will be great ease of entering and exiting communities and the ability for one voice to make a difference will continue to grow.

What kind of communities do you live your life in? What kind of community are you trying to grow within your business? Do you seek something different? Are you looking to change communities or are you going to change the community?

No, its not a blonde, brunette or even a red-head...its not a world-class restaurant or even a favorite bar. It's a sense of community, a sense of passion and a community's commitment to a common goal. That is why weeks after the inaugural FutureMidwest Conference in Detroit (Royal Oak) Michigan, I am still wildly inspired.

I sat here tonight putting the finishing touches on a plan for a strategic development session I'm facilitating tomorrow, on the subject of cause-marketing, and it hit me that the most appropriate example I could show these students is the phenom that is FutureMidwest. So all of my new Michigan friends, tomorrow a new set of passionate students will know the FutureMidwest movement and they too will be moved by what you and your community are achieving. I should be sleeping at 2AM, but I thought it was time to share my #FMW10 experience....here goes:

I boarded the plane from a speaking engagement for QRCA Seattle at 11:30PM and arrived in Chicago at 5:30AM to catch another plane to Detroit at 7:30AM , finally arriving in Michigan around 10AM. Honestly, I didn't have any expectations, positive or negative. In fact, I didn't really know enough about the Detroit area to have the stereotypical assumptions. All I knew was that a newly formed friend, Damian Rintelmann, pitched a solid idea to me and I was more than happy to see a new place and meet some new people.

Dave Benjamin picks me up at the airport and already I sense a buzz in the air. I began to filter through the Twitter streams and could see the immense back-channeling that occurs with any successful conference (success factor 1). I take that back, getting a chance to meet an awesome dude like Dave is (success factor 1)! Dave is a great guy and doing big things. Ladies, watch out he will someday be the guy that pulls up in the Aston Martin and points to the Royal Oak Music Theater and says "that is where it started".

After finally taking a shower and changing clothes I made it over to the conference site and got checked in. As i walked up to the theater it first really hit me...this is something special. No fancy convention center, no 5-star hotel, but a classic theater with a light up marquee that screams get ready to get your face rocked off!

So, I arrived right at lunch time...my favorite time! I got the chance to meet some awesome people like Adrian Pittman, Shauna Nicholson, Nikki Stephan, Shelli Gutholm, and Kaylee Hawkins. Not to mention seeing Dave Murray again, who I met down at SXSWi this year. Immediately, I felt like I had known everyone there for years and was surrounded by this humongous aura of Detroit-bred pride and passion. It's pretty hard to describe the type of production Adrian, Dave, Ken, and Damian put together. Everything from the sound and lighting to the little effects of having the Great Voice from above (Shauna) throwing some curveballs at presenters.

I got mic'd up and ready to take the stage and then it hit me....this ridiculous rush of needing to give the audience the same type of energy they were exuding onto the stage, and I couldn't help but run up on stage and try to rock it out. So I gave it my all, and had some of THE most fun I have EVER had presenting. The crowd kept the energy high and I felt like I could really just get up there and be me. If you have ever presented, you know what a great feeling that is. Actually, it is pretty symbolic of my experience overall in Detroit.

I was met with a ridiculously appreciated embrace from the crowd, and couldn't help but laugh and smile uncontrollably when I had the chance to read the social stream. I went and sat down for an interview with Nikki and then got to do my favorite part....meet new friends! Though that specific presentation was by far one of my favorites to give, the conversations, jokes, paper rock scissors competitions and stories that followed through the rest of the evening made the experience something unforgettable.

The truth is, Detroit has been rocked hard as of lately. Probably harder than you know, if you are not familiar with the area. But, the REAL truth is that it is changing. Not changing because of a governmental push to gentrify the city, or a local newspaper's initiative to bring new life into the city. It's a movement by the people sitting in the audience of the Royal Oak Music Theater cheering on their friends and colleagues as they all reach toward achieving a common goal. A common goal of change, innovation, rejuvenation and saturation of talent and newly-kindled spirit. It WILL happen. You will look back and see that something truly monumental started right there at FMW10.
It's happening....Are you on board? I am...

Super shoutout and thanks to:
Damian Rintelmann - Thanks for making it happen!
Adrian Pittman - You are THE Man!
Dave Benjamin - Dude, what can I say - he freaking took me to the airport at 4AM!!
Dave Murray - You make the world a happier place my friend!
Nikki Stephan - One of the coolest chicas you will find in Michigan....Promise!
Shauna Nicholson - my nemesis...I mean my friend!! Thanks for breaking the ice!!
Kaylee Hawkins - Thanks for sticking it out and partying like a rock star!
Jane Fader - You are one of the most spirited people I have met!!!
Shelli Gutholm - Gather the troops for a Dallas trip!!
Brandon Chestnutt - next year - FMW high-5 video! Do it!
Becky Johns - Photo-shoot! Let's do it!
Henry Balanon - no hard feelings about SXSWi :) we're all good!
Hannah DeMilta - Great to see you again!! What city is next?
Jacki Halas - Thanks for keeping the conversation going after the conference!
Scott and Scott and the Daggerfin Team - You guys are seriously Rockin' it - I would love to work with you guys on some projects!
EVERYONE else that I #failed to mention specifically!! Please forgive me :(

Thanks for showing me what Michigan is REALLY about!

Alone, flow is a word of multiple meanings that all revolve a similar set of principles – movement (motion) and time. Perhaps one of the most interesting concepts of flow is proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, who characterizes it as:

The mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

Often it is referred to as being “in the zone” or “in the groove”. Mihály’s concept just may be the thing keeping me going right now, as it is nearing 3 in the morning and I cannot kick the urge to be productive. Flow represents a state of completely focused motivation, sans emotion or anxiety. Mihály associates 9 factors with the state of flow:
    1.     Clear goals
    2.     Concentration
    3.     A loss of self-consciousness
    4.     A distorted sense of time
    5.     Direct and immediate feedback (success and failure is
           apparent so adjustments can be made)
    6.    Balance between the levels of ability and challenge (neither
          too easy or too hard)
    7.     A sense of personal control (over the activity or event)
    8.     The activity is intrinsically rewarding
    9.     Becoming absorbed in the activity or event (awareness and
          action merge.

As I started reading more about flow theory, I began to recall different events or times in my life where I experienced what I consider to be flow. Times when I was playing baseball, and I was able to concentrate so hard that things seemed to move in slow motion all around me. Times when I was playing jazz, and fell into that wonderful groove where you are no longer playing thoughts and notes, but communicating feelings and emotions. I think there are different versions or variations of flow. For instance, the two examples I mentioned were more intense and occurred over shorter durations of time, but what about when you stop and think about the last month or even the last year and have that same realization but on a larger scale. We all have had those times where we ask ourselves, “Where did the past month go?”

What was most interesting was what Mihály characterizes as the result of flow. Many people have reinterpreted and repurposed Mihály’s concept of flow to drive toward productivity and improved performance; however, Mihály suggests that the true “hallmark” of flow is achieving a feeling of spontaneous joy while performing a task.

How do you characterize flow?
What do you do to try and achieve the state of flow?

Why do people trust our Digital Leaders, like Chris Brogan, so much?

Simple.... because generally (notice I did not say all the time) they know what they are talking about and can go really deep on the topics they blog, tweet and chat.

Yesterday, I wrote a post about "Why I think Chris Brogan Got it Wrong" with his post on the Timberland boot conundrum. I brought up a few topics about things I thought our Digital Leaders should consider and used Chris's post as an example.

Today, Chris wrote a follow-up post about the Power of Trust and its paired responsibility, even quoting the same line from Spidey as I did about Trust=Responsibility. His points were very compelling and his thoughts on re-thinking/re-writing his post were humble and honest. I suggest going to his site and reading his blog, especially if you read his previous post about Timberland boots.

So, why was Chris able to overcome a possible self-cast shadow over the monument of trust he has worked so hard to build?

He did what any other social figure would/should do! He acted with transparency, corrected his "wrongs" and did his best to rectify the situation. 

That is why people Trust Chris Brogan.

Like many, I subscribe to Chris Brogan's blog and give it a read pretty regularly from reader or my inbox. Today's post "What Timberland Taught Me About Retail" kind of stopped me in my tracks for several reasons. As a disclaimer, I like Chris, I may not follow his every tweet or live by the words on his blog, but I generally think he is a nice guy and thought he was, for the most part, professional when we interviewed him at SXSWi last year. 

The point of my post is that I think Chris's post today serves as a pretty good example of a few downsides to some prominent voices in the blogging community. This is by no means meant to be a rant against Chris personally, nor a stab at bloggers in-general, just a few thoughts that have been in my mind for a while and Chris's post happened to be the one that drew them out.  Here they are:

1. The Social Media Hedge Fund
2. With great power comes great responsibility (Cheesy... yes, but well-said Spidey!)
3. Live by the sword; die by the sword

1. The Social Media Hedge Fund - I love the fact that business has evolved/started to evolve, and through current tools like Facebook and Twitter the "average" consumer now has a viable and amp-able voice in the marketplace. I also love the fact businesses are held to more accountability for their actions in this modern environment and less can fly under the radar.  However, in some cases, our new advocates and leaders e.g. techno/twitteratti are slipping into a place similar to a hedge fund short-selling. By that, I mean the negative effects of their post/tweets cause a "group think" response and people begin to pummel said company/brand without much independent thought. Now, I recognize both views of short-selling and recognize I am NOT a financial expert so feel free to critique my analogy. Though those who "digitally short" a brand by remarking about its enormous "sucking power" are not necessarily gaining financially by the value/equity of the brand declining, they are in some cases gaining financially from the thousands of followers and readers that closely follow their lead and subscribe to their thoughts fairly close to word-for-word. How many times have you seen RTs, quotes and theories taken practically verbatim from the mouths and text of Chris Brogan, Gary Vaynerchuk, Guy Kawasaki etc.? This can be a powerful thing, as well as a very positive thing as long as point 2 is kept in mind.

2. With great power comes great responsibility - Yes, I know it is a cheesy quote from Spiderman, but it is definitely legit and should be taken into consideration by all of our digital celebs. Though I love the fact we have an increased voice as a consumer, there is a form of censoring or filtering our words and voice needs to go through as our voice grows in resonance.  If the POTUS went out and started speaking his mind freely, there would definitely be backlash as he is highly influential and must consider his every word, even in a country where we put tremendous value on free speech and press. The same is common to corporate officers and their words. If they were to publicly release harsh statements via their blog or interview, they would quickly be blasted by many of our online colleagues and peers for doing so. We need to keep that in mind and carefully choose our words as our voices grow. Though transparency is highly rewarded in today's society there is still a place for some choosing and filtration of what should be blogged about or posted on Twitter or Facebook.

3. Live by the sword; die by the sword - The Online Model is quickly catching up with the Traditional Models of business we are so quick to criticize and claim to be dead. In fact, the traditional retail model is not dead. We are merely reviving it online and are encountering the same problems in a digital environment, where we can more easily voice our complaints and praise. Here, I use Chris's post as an example, sorry Chris, where he complains about the broken experience he recently encountered, trying to find a pair of Timberland boots. I encourage you to read it as it is an important example and quite a good post...read the comments too! Some of the things he talks about and criticizes as flaws in the brick and mortar retail model are things evident in his very post.

We are often quick to criticize a lack of action or response to complaints and questions from companies and corporations. But, if you look at some of our digital leaders and top blogs, there are many complaints or comments that go unrecognized. Why is this? Chris and others like him are simply too busy to answer and reply to every comment, criticism or question. This is the same fundamental problem we criticize traditional businesses for having.

In his post, Chris also mentions a problem in the communication through channels e.g. Timberland retailer, Journeys and Macy's and their logistics in carrying an ample supply and having appropriate knowledge of the brands they carry as affiliates. Again, there is a flaw here. In Chris's post there was a logistical/technological error that seemed to occur in the post and reply that was made by Chris (a representative from Timberland) to apologize for the issue. Should Chris Brogan be held accountable for this error? He does get to choose his service provider, blog platform and host. In reality, things happen and most would not think to criticize Chris for that error, it just doesn't really make sense even though it is a possibility.

Another issue mentioned in the post was a wait time of 10 minutes while contacting other possible carriers. I went back and looked at the time between comments and replies from Chris on his post. On the comments he chose to reply to there was on average 1-3 hours in delay. We find this acceptable from blogs as we view them differently, for some reason, than the brands and stores we criticize. Actually, I would venture to say that many of  those who read and commented on Chris's post were in fact Chris's customers. Perhaps they purchased Trust Agents, paid for the Thesis theme, paid to attend one of Chris's speaking engagements or Podcamps. Should we hold our digital leaders/brands to different standards?

Obviously I am being a bit facetious and dramatic, and truthfully I recognize the need to pick and choose replies and understand a non-instant response as I too run a business and know the logistical and time challenges business owners and executives face on a constant basis.

All in all, this is just something to consider. I truly love what social media has brought to the forefront and the changes it has evoked in the way we do business. That being said, I think we just need to calibrate and be considerate of the full 360 view before we take to the streets with our picket signs of revolution.

Thoughts?

After finishing up a late night of packing I was on my way back to TX. I flew my best friend, Joe, up to help me make the trip back. We ended up making it back in a little over 22 hours and without any wrecks, car trouble or tickets!!! In my book, I consider that a success.

Tonight I go to bed officially back in TX and, in my mind, home. I was definitely filled with a whole series of emotions as I shut the door and closed the lock to the moving trailer and locked up the house in PA one last time on Friday.  So many things happened in these last two years and, in a nutshell, I really believe I can attribute much of the last two years to truly “finding” myself.

There are so many things I learned both professionally and personally over the course of my time spent living in PA, and in some ways the move back here to TX is a whole new chapter. It’s a chance to further grow as an entrepreneur, expand our business, a fresh start in new relationships and a move to do what I know is best regarding family and friends.

Often, when writing for this blog, I find myself searching for the blend of ways to provide value and insight into the professional and personal sides of my life. As I was thinking about different points to include in this post, an interesting discussion occurred when I was giving a couple guest lectures at Temple University. A student asked me if “as an entrepreneur and business owner, my (personal and professional) lives ever seem to blend together?” My answer was yes, and initially I felt somewhat guilty, but nonetheless, honest. Now that I think about it, how can they not? I truly love and am extremely passionate about what I do and what Spych represents. I pour hours of hard work into making it successful and no matter how much you strive to separate work and personal life, for me it is somewhat impossible. But is that really a bad thing?

I had a really great conversation with Carla Blumenthal tonight about this topic as well. Carla and I talked about a few different things that really made me think further about what I planned on writing in this post. I have been blessed to work with some really great people, whether they are clients of Spych, other AMA Board members or other research colleagues. I guess, because of this, I tend to find the direct line between work and personal life a bit blurred. Sure, I have friends who are not at all related to my work (mainly my closest ones) and others who I purely consider work-related. But, why have we started to insist and force such a dichotomy between work and personal life? If you love what you do and are passionate about doing it, then how and why do we set that completely aside? In theory, I know when people talk about work vs. personal we do not rule out having friends that live in both spaces, but I feel like we may tend to associate a little too much importance in completely separating the two.

Another thing Carla and I spoke about that directly related to an issue I wanted to address in this post is personal community. Rather than focusing on trying to delineate a separation between my work and personal life, the past two years have helped me to recognize and establish my personal community. Those who I interact with on a consistent basis, reach out to for advice, or just to lend an ear, shoulder or hand. Carla asked if my crazy travel schedule impacted the ability to maintain a close personal community. Truthfully, it did, but maybe not only as you would initially expect. Yes, it was difficult to maintain all of the different friendships and regular communications I had when living in TX and traveling less. But, on the other hand, it really helped me to mature, enrich and increasingly value the relationships I have with those in my close inner circle. To that point, as I mentioned earlier, moving back to TX represents a few different things.

On the personal front, I wanted the opportunity to spend more time with my family and close friends. Some of you know the battle my dad is fighting with cancer and I knew in my heart that it was the right time to come back and try to be around my mom and dad when I am not on the road.

On the business front, Spych is rapidly gaining traction in the DFW area and it made sense to establish it here when we launched it as its own company from its initially life as a division of DGA. When I am not on the road for research or speaking at conferences, I have the benefit of being able to work remote and from home. This helps with the ability to spend some time around my dad.

To truly fulfill my responsibilities on the Board for the DFW AMA , and to do what it takes to provide a true value to the students, it requires me to spend more time with all of my collegiate representatives and act as a liaison and source of help. Being back in TX is key in allowing me to help them, which is a huge passion of mine.

With all signs pointing back to the Lone Star State, I’m back. I am ready to see what the next years offer and spend time back in the place I call home. I know continual change will come my way, but I am excited to not know exactly what is around the corner and look forward to taking the passion I have for my work and working toward taking Spych to new levels. When you take a close look at all three of those points, again it shows the influence my work and personal lives have on each other. By no means do I suggest sending e-mails out on dates, or bringing your laptop on vacation, and I recognize the situations in which work must maintain a clear separation. But where do we really need to draw a distinction? It’s a personal choice and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Great to be home!

I have been very fortunate in having the opportunity to do quite a bit of speaking and guest lectures lately and a few common themes have sprouted in terms of Q&A regardless of the topic I am presenting:

1) How did I get my start in Market Research and Entrepreneurship?

2) When do I sleep?

3) What motivates me?

1) The first question is really one of my favorite questions to answer.  I pretty much love answering any type of question, as I think it is the REAL value of any presentation.  You disseminate your information and then after the audience has a chance to relate it to their own personal situation, they get a chance to ask the thing that will really have an impact on what they walk away with from the presentation.  Back to the answer..

The homepage briefly talks about my background but it was really a chain of fortunate events that led me to qualitative research….I do not think very many people REALLY set out pursuing qual research, it just sort of finds you.  Through college, I worked my way through school playing the saxophone in various jazz, rock and cover bands.  I’m in the process of writing a post about how Jazz is truly the way I honed my entrepreneurial skills but for now, just know it was a huge part of my life . 

One of the holiday gigs I got booked for was the YMCA of Arlington Chairman’s Round-table Dinner.  There, my band was fortunate enough to be seated at the same table as the Director of Marketing and I began to strike up conversation.   In conversation, she mentioned the YMCA was launching their first marketing internship program and asked me to apply.  After the traditional interviewing process I was selected for the internship, where I met a friend, Amy, who is a moderator for a large research firm.  She is the one who shed light on the world of qualitative research for me and encouraged me to take my entrepreneurial goals via the route of market research.

Amy introduced me to Jessica Josset, the President of Fieldwork Dallas, a well-known and highly regarded market research facility in Addison TX.  I was clear and up-front with Jess about my goal to become a moderator for a small firm and I saw Fieldwork Dallas as a valuable step in helping me achieve this goal.  I knew if I worked hard enough and proved myself, Fieldwork was the best place for me to meet the company I wanted to work with. 

After about 6 months, my hard work had paid off when I received a call from Jess letting me know she had just recommended me to one of our best clients, Dave Gustafson.  He was looking to expand his business and wanted to meet me!  Dave flew down from PA and the interview process began.  After a few weeks of due diligence, I had accepted an offer and made arrangements to make the move to PA.  Working with Dave at D. Gustafson & Associates, is where I really immersed myself into the world of qualitative research.  I was mentored and shown the ropes, while Dave still empowered me to help shape the direction of our business.  This was a huge point in my career and the pivotal piece of what has guided my trajectory thus far.  Getting the opportunity to work with a company that has helped over 10 of the top 20 Pharma companies in the world and sink my teeth deep into every aspect of the research process was a rare opportunity and one that I am thankful for every single day! 

As things started to shake up economically, we began to not only enhance our business within the Pharma/Healthcare market, but also look for ways to diversify our business.  Early on in joining DGA, I had posed the question about our sole focus on Pharma and to me, this was the perfect time to expand our scope and reach.  I began formalizing my previously intangible thoughts about consumer research and Spych was born.  Literally from a blue Mead spiral notebook, nothing fancy, just simple and straightforward, I drafted our business model, strategic plan and thoughts on market entry.  Over the course of a year, this plan would be molded, polished and pressure-tested for validity.  I’m now sitting on a train on my way back to my house in PA to pack up, load the moving truck and head back to TX where Spych lives as boutique research firm specializing in youth and young adult consumer segments! 

 
2) The answer to the second question, when do I sleep, is an easy one.  Generally, I sleep from about 2:30 AM to 6AM, give or take about 2 hours depending if I am “at home” or on the road for research.  Pleasantly coined at SXSWi this past year, “I’ll sleep when I’m 30.”  It’s no secret that I work long hours, but the truth is I absolutely love what I do, and running a successful business takes every second of the hours that I put in.  I think sometimes, we have this view of executives as spending the 9-5 on the phone and then Friday’s on the golf course.  The most successful businessmen/women I have met across the globe are those who put in the hours consistently.  This does not come without sacrifice, and another post will follow talking about the sacrifices of being a successful entrepreneur.

 

3) As for my motivation….well, for me there are two main faces of motivation that get my blood flowing.  I was at a DFW AMA event last week where I am participating in a mentoring partnership program as a mentor and one of the protégé participants asked me what things motivated me most.  I thought it was a great question, as I think you can tell quite a bit about a person by the things that motivate them.  One of the things that motivates me most is an honest and sincere giving, with nothing expected in return.  Having lived a small portion of my live in airports and hotels these past few years, I have found them to be great people watching spots.  If you are looking for it, you can see some amazing acts of kindness.  Whether it is helping an international visitor with directions, offering to stand on the subway to let someone more in need take the seat or even just small token conversations that make someone’s day a bit brighter, for me that is motivating for me to pursue my passion.

The other is simply music!  If you want to talk about pure drive, to me, music is the epitome of passion.  I have been blessed to meet, and in many cases, play with some absolutely phenomenal musicians.  In every case, they were some of the most passionate and motivating people I have encountered.  Nothing can change my mood and get me going like a great song.  When I am writing, whether for business or pleasure, there is always music in my ears, often jazz.  This is inspiration for the title of this post.  One thing I truly miss about the pre-itunes era is the liner notes and lyrics.  If you go back to some of your favorite CDs (Or records :) ) and read through the lyrics of some of your favorite songs, you can truly see how they are “Life’s Transcripts”.  Some sing about lost love, the best day of their life, growing up, or a new-found love interest.  I think the best musicians are the best storytellers.  Sometimes it is with words, other times it is through the saxophone, drums or guitar.  Either way, it is the one who best conveys their story that connects with the audience and causes us to dance in our car or sing out loud. 

So, sing loudly, dance like nobody’s watching, be willing to give up that extra hour of sleep and find someone that will show you the ropes while still letting you drive your own growth!

So, it is almost 3AM and I was in another one of my late night/early morning productivity bursts, when I started Facebook chatting with my friend Misty (@Chi_Mist) from Chicago about her current job search and interest in working with the Chicago Blackhawks.  The question came up, “What do you think about sending a letter to them?”  Instantly a story came to my mind about my cousin, Matt, and after our conversation I realized it would be valuable for others to hear it as well.  So here it is, a TRUE story about passion, sports, and following your dreams.  Perfect for the likes of Ryan Stephens (@RyanStephens) and Gary Vaynerchuk (@GaryVee).

My cousin, Matt, is from New York and grew up a HUGE Mets fan.  He knew everything about the Mets, inside and out. In 1990/1 Matt was working for the department of defense in DC, avidly keeping up with the Mets, as always, and they were playing quite poorly.  In a state of complete frustration with the way his beloved Mets were performing and relying on the fact he heard the team’s Owner read all of his mail, he wrote a very comprehensive letter to the Owner of the NY Mets.  This letter basically laid out all of the things Matt thought the Mets were doing wrong, including why they should fire their current manager. (Keep in mind, Matt really knew the game and had legitimate explanations for his criticisms)

To Matt’s surprise, he received a letter back from the Owner with explanations and rebuttal to Matt's points and a thank you for taking the time to write.  Additionally, the offer to meet in-person was made to Matt for the next time he was back in NYC.  A few months later they fired the manager and things started to change for the Mets.  Around that time Matt had planned to visit family back in NY and thought it would be the perfect time to write back and request the in-person meeting.  A meeting was arranged for a slot of 15 minutes and Matt was set to meet with the Owner of the NY Mets!

The meeting turned into a long conversation where the owner began opening up to Matt about different issues and Matt even went on to speak with the VP and other members of the Met’s administration.  Matt recognized the perfect opportunity and asked if any positions were open within the organization.  There were no available positions but the Owner mentioned the commissioner of the MLB was asking each major league team to submit a representative as a candidate to represent the MLB in promoting baseball’s debut in Barcelona for the 1992 Summer Olympics.  He asked Matt if he wanted to be the representative for the NY Mets.

Matt went on to be selected for the position and was in charge of promoting baseball in Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics, helping to ensure its success.  All starting with a passionate letter!

Now, this is a true story, and there are some things you should consider:
1)    Matt is extremely intelligent - graduate from Duke and appear on Jeopardy and come very close to winning intelligent. (His brother also appeared on the show at a different time)
2)    He really knew baseball, specifically the Mets, inside and out which allowed him to draft compelling insights and thought-provoking statements
3)    He was full of passion for something he loved!
4)    He showed up in-person
5)    He had a bit of luck and timing on his side

Will everyone that writes a letter to a team’s manager or a company’s CEO obtain his or her dream job?  Of course not, but if you are extremely knowledgeable, passionate and show why YOU matter, you have a much better chance!  So, study harder, sacrifice more and follow your passion!  Maybe a little luck will come your way too :)

So our panel just posted on SXSW - http://bit.ly/L7bSo
We need your help getting selected so please take a minute and show us some love :)  It is a panel made up of Me, @SydneyOwen @Elysa @NishaChittal and @PaughGinney The concept is partially based on a discussion that I had last year at SXSWi with @SydneyOwen "with" vs. "for" you can read about it here on Sydney's blog, which I strongly recommend reading anyways.  Along with that, we will be talking about all the nuances of Gen Y and what makes us tick.

If you will be at SXSWi this year we would love to meet you IRL and I will be working with my team again this year interviewing attendees, speakers, sponsors and just flat out interesting peeps!  Until then find me on Twitter or Facebook and let's get to know each other!

Thanks for helping us!

Ben