Do You PK?

I do and so does Cincinnati!  Sleepy and conservative Cincinnati has joined the international movement known as Pecha Kucha Night.

You are probably thinking Pecha Kucha, isn’t that one of the Pokémon characters and why is Cincinnati celebrating a “Pocket Monster?”  I don’t blame you for the confusion.  Pecha Kucha and Pokémon do have a common root as they are both English translations of Japanese words.  Pecha Kucha simply translates as “the sound of conversation.”

Pecha Kucha Nights are the creation of a pair of architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham as a technique or style of presentation for designers to share their work without boring the daylights out of everybody involved.

Klein and Dytham came up with a simple idea of 20 slides or images timed at 20 seconds each.  6 minutes and 40 seconds, pure genius, with the limitation of 20 slides at 20 seconds each, the presenters are forced to present only their best work allowing the cream to rise to the top.  If there is no cream to rise the presenter is limited and no awkward yawning from the audience because their time is up.

I was introduced to the concept of Pecha Kucha by Daniel Johnson Jr. the founder of New Media Cincinnati, a local group of social media addicts who meet monthly to share ideas and to be “social.”  In November our monthly meeting was conducted Pecha Kucha style.  I was immediately attracted to the idea due to my nearly two decade career in audio visual productions and sitting through hours, days, weeks and years of really boring PowerPoint presentations.  Pecha Kucha is an answer to my prayers.

My inspiration led me to whip up a Pecha Kucha in under an hour since my 3 week old daughter did not allow for much more.  I parsed my notes for a business networking e-book I had been working on for a few months and “20 Ninja Networking Secrets” was born.

You can view my slide share below:

After the meeting I was inspired to research hosting a Pecha Kucha Night in Cincinnati and I started creating a team of advisors to help me launch the project.  I emailed Klein and Dytham and did not hear anything back.  Pecha Kucha is a trademarked concept so I did not want to step on any toes.  Over the holidays I shelved the project and planned to start gathering a team after the first of the year.

A good friend from the past contacted me over the holidays looking for audio visual assistance for an event she was putting together with a coworker.  She asked about my experience in the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati and asked if we could meet.  She had no idea I had any knowledge of Pecha Kucha.  I asked about the event and she mentioned designers and artists would be sharing their work at the event.  I asked, “Is this a Pecha Kucha Night?”  She was floored.  Although Pecha Kucha is an international movement, the average person will look at you a bit funny when you mention the name.

I shared with her that I had a vision of hosting Pecha Kucha nights in Cincinnati promoting the city to attract conventions and meetings.  I shared that I wanted to host one on Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati, her team had the same idea.

I must admit at first I was a little disappointed, my ego wanted the glory of bringing Pecha Kucha Night to Cincinnati but I quickly realized that a ready made team was the way to go.

My friend invited me to a planning meeting and it just so happens that the Pecha Kucha founders replied on the same day with their contact info for the Pecha Kucha Cincinnati team.  I must admit it is interesting how life’s twists and turns often lead to the same place.  Pecha Kucha found me.

I am now an official member of the Pecha Kucha Cincinnati planning committee and my employer Prestige AV & Creative Services is on board as a sponsor of the event.

I hope you join us on February 13th at the Contemporary Art Center.

Visit DoYouPK.org for more details.

Follow on Twitter @doyoupk

My Favorite Pet Peeves….a redundant statement of favorite peeves, could it be?  A sickening list of things that bother me so much that I actually list them as my “Pet Peeves.”

Have you ever really stopped to think about what a “Pet Peeve” is?  A list of your favorite peeves.  I say that is just plain stupid but “There is gold in those hills.”

Sales and marketing experts advise that people have two primary buying motivations, Pain and Pleasure. That is the gold.  Address peoples “Pet Peeves” and you cover both their buying motivations.  Their Favorite pain in the rear is your ticket to the promise land.

Expert in the Rough Tip:

Create a list of Pet Peeves for your industry or passion.  Consult your customers or potential customer as to what their Pet Peeves are in regards to your industry.  Become the expert on the solutions around these peeves.

If you are “blogged” down with too much content, RSS, is your answer.

You have surely seen the letters “RSS” or the “Feed Icon” around he internet.

RSS Feed Button

If you’re a “Web 2.0 Expert” you can go ahead and skip this post but for those of you who are still getting your feet wet; this is they key to filtering the muck without blowing up your spam filter.

I have had various explanations of what RSS stands for but the most common reference is Really Simple Syndication.

Basically speaking an “RSS Feed” is a broadcast or reference which allows a “RSS Feed Reader” to know when a blog or website is updated.

This is beneficial to both the publisher and subscriber.  The updates are automatic and come in various formats.

My favorite part of subscribing to a RSS Feed is it allows me to keep track of my favorite blogs without actually having to visit each and every website to check for updates.  It’s a huge time saver. You might be tempted to say, “I could just bookmark my favorite sites” but remember your bookmarks will not tell you if there is new content. (Some browsers may be able to provide this information)

My favorite feed reader is Bloglines. It allows me to create folders and publish a public list of my feeds.  I like the public feed so you can see the blogs I read.  I think it’s a great way to share where my opinions are influenced.  You can see the feeds I subscribe to to the right listed as “The Blogs I Read.”

I also recommend Google Reader.  Its easy to use and allows for sharing of your feeds with other Gmail users.

All About RSS, BlogOhBlog (Great Overview of RSS!)

RSS Wikipedia Entry

Ed Dale YouTube Video On Bloglines

Your Momentum Monday Assignment:

Set up a feed reader account.  If you don’t want to use Google Reader or Bloglines there are a number of other options.  Do a Google Search and pick the one that fits you best.

Now that you have your feed reader set up.  Subscribe to the Expert in the Rough Feed on the top right.

Extra Credit:

Send me your public list of feeds in your reader via the comments section below.

SquiDoo, take me seriously on this one!

Squidoo is a serious website with a silly name.  Quite simply Squidoo is a website that allows you to host free one page websites on any topic of your desire.  Squidoo calls these web pages “Lenses.”  A “Lens” is basically your take or “view” about your chosen topic.  The idea is your lens will help others focus on what is important about your topic.

Besides the opportunity to share some knowledge, Squidoo is focused on creating value for you the user.

The entire focus of the website is creating an environment that everybody can win.  Of course as with any open forum people will try to take advantage of the system but Squidoo’s team has been vigilant about keeping it a credible and authentic place.

Here are my ten reason’s why you should create your first lens:

1. It’s Free
2. Part of the profits go back to charity (you can donate as well)
3. You can express yourself
4. Google loves it (most of the time) and will help your website if you have one
5. You can use it as a website if you do not have one
6. Great training on internet and website development
7. Squidoo is a dedicated community who will share the love
8. It’s a great place to learn about a variety of topics
9. I forgot you can make money too (don’t quit your day job)
10. It’s addictive once you get started

This is your Momentum Monday assignment;

Learn more about Squidoo.  Sign Up and create your first lens.  If you already have a Squidoo Lens you can create a new one or update and old one.  Whatever you do, please share your creation via the comments section.

Here are some links for my Squidoo Pages:

Brian Monahan’s Profile

Marathon Training Schedule (My best ranking)

White Elephant Gift Exchange (my best montly performer ever)

Brian Monahan’s Book List

After you get an opportunity to get aquainted with Squidoo, I will be sharing more detailed strategies to create traffic for your website or blog.

However, in the mean time think of it this way.  Advertising and creating content for your website alone, limits your exposure.  Squidoo is like having your own personal billboard.  I have one caveat before you proceed and this applies to Squidoo and anything you create.  Content is King and unless you create something of value the opportunity for benefit is nullified.

Go ahead and Create Something Awesome!

I am voting for Barack Obama.  With that out the way, I can now waste a bunch of time confirming my decision.  John McCain is surely going to say something I don’t agree with and he will surely make a mistake in his campaign I can exploit.  That is why I am voting for Obama.

But, so will Barack Obama but I won’t notice.  I have already made my decision so I look
to confirm he is right via John McCain’s missteps and old school opinions.  It really doesn’t make much sense to use this as evidence but that is how I will proceed.

You might find it interesting that I am admitting this but I am getting the feeling this is a pretty common
practice.  With the presidential election drawing closer, I am dipping on more and more restaurant conversations.

The election is a hot topic outside of gas prices.

It is very interesting when a table full of people are in agreement and talk freely about their candidate or should I say their candidate’s opponent?  What I have noticed is much of the talk is about what is wrong with the other candidate versus what is right about their candidate.

Now, this is not a political post.  I consider myself very a-political.  I think politics are a bit of a bore.  However, I do think it is something to be aware of in your life and business.

First start to take notice.  When faced with a decision, do you already have your mind made up?  Do you
engage in arguments or discussions with an openness that there might actually be a valid opposing opinion or do you already know the answer?

Second, when sharing an idea, concept or opinion, have you taken into account the other person either agrees or disagrees with you already?  What is your plan to overcome this scenario?  What do you focus on in presenting your case?  Do you focus on what is right about your idea or what is wrong about others?  By the way, why are politics and religion off limits?  It is just your opinion.  Don’t you want to share it?

Just something to think about.

Do you agree?

Alec Baldwin said it best with his famous line from the film Glengarry, Glen Ross, “Coffee is for Closers.”

MySpace & Facebook are for the kids, Linkedin is for Professionals, “The Closers.”  Before you do anything else online you must take a look at your LinkedIn profile.  Oh you don’t have a LinkedIn profile.  Then you’re fired.

LinkedIn now has over 24 million registered users.  These are professional users.  Not a bunch 20 something kids living at home extending their youth with a subsidized broadband connection.  24 Million professional users who can make or break your career.

Recently LinkedIn was valued at 1 Billion Dollars and you don’t even have a profile or have taken no steps to optimize it.

Well you are in luck.  Just like the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, the company has provided leads.  If you are a “Closer” you can have the leads, if not then you will just have to stick with MySpace.

Here is your lead: Linkedin Strategies for Closers

If you feel up to it add me as a contact:

Here is a link to the Closer Clip if you feel up to it.  There is plenty of cussing, but closers can handle it.

By the way your assigment for this weeks Momentum Monday is:

Set up your LinkedIn Profile:

If you already have a profile be sure to use one of the power features such as Public Profile, Answers or LinkedIn Groups.

Extra Credit:

Add me as a connection, reference my blog Expert in the Rough with the “What I am Doing Now” feature or make a recommendation.

Be sure to comment with your successes.

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

A classic philosophical riddle for the ages, but also it’s a great metaphor for the many talented people I know who are unaware they are hiding their greatness.

You might be the best real estate agent, the greatest dock manager or the most artistic jewelry maker but only a handful of close associates, friends or family members might aware of your talent. Notice I did not mention blogger or writer, however, you too are my intended audience. Expert in the Rough is a place to learn how to make sure your tree is heard.

The world has changed and the internet is still only in its infancy. You have an opportunity to be the next ABC, CBS or NPR of your area of expertise, a broadcaster or a focused channel of information. The only difference is you won’t be wasting your time with the masses. The internet allows for a focused broadcast. This will ensure your tree will be heard.

You might be thinking, “I can see a blogger or a real estate agent or some obviously sales oriented career benefitting from the information on Expert in the Rough but what about me.” The truth is if you are in not in one these “sales or public” type careers you have the greatest opportunity to succeed. These areas are the least addressed and you have the greatest opportunity for standing out. On the flip side, if you are a real estate agent or a sales trainer or a business writer you better getting hopping. The competition is already embracing these concepts.

So, here lies the problem of the proverbial fallen tree in the forest. Your thoughts are falling down all day in the forest of your head. The simplest form of communication is verbal or (audible). You share your opinion or idea with a friend, coworker and family member. If it’s worthwhile or interesting they might share it with another. The only problem is there is no way to document the source. You might luck out and get credit for your wisdom but often times it will just fade away.

This is where the extra effort comes in. It’s time to start documenting your ideas and thoughts. That means recording them.

Let’s take for example the dock worker. For the sake of this example I am going to use the name Tommy to represent the dock worker. I figure he is pretty famous dock worker from Bon Jovi’s hit song “Living on a Prayer.” You might think this is a no brainer type job but there are many factors and processes associated with all jobs.

How does Tommy stand out from other co-workers? .

For thirty days Tommy could take notes on his biggest challenges or observations. Over the next thirty days he could then formulate a game plan to overcome these challenges. Then Tommy could record his successes and failures implementing these changes.

Tommy has a number of options for documenting his ideas and observations. He could get a notebook or a voice recorder. He could transcribe his notes at night and put them in a word document. The key here is record his thoughts. He could even host an internal blog. This would allow for collaboration.

The reason I am using an extreme example like Tommy is you can quickly see how Tommy can differentiate himself by documenting his thoughts and ideas. When it comes time for a promotion or raise Tommy has a number of things going for him. First of all he shows great initiative and secondly he has a record of his accomplishments.

Now let’s take it to the next level. Tommy is looking for a job. Currently Tommy is a shift supervisor at XYZ dock and ABC is hiring a lead Dock Manager. This would be a big promotion for Tommy.

In Tommy’s resume, he includes a link to his blog (caveat, be sure you do not publish confidential company information on the web) which documents his successes. Tommy now has a living resume. You could say he is “Living on a Prayer” but I would smack myself for making that pun. You might even be able to find Tommy in a Google search. The idea is Tommy no longer needs to rely on conveying his accounts of his thoughts but has a real life recording which has greater impact.

Tommy can even build further on his success, he can publish a public blog sharing his dock management systems and write books. He could even be hired for speaking engagements or consultations, all because he documented his ideas.

Expert in the Rough is about documenting your ideas and creating useful information or inspiration for others.

We all have inspired thoughts inside but most of us allow them to fall like trees in the forest on deaf ears.

Let me hear your trees!

It’s time to play the name game.  If you are going to have an expert internet presence, then you are going to need to buy the real estate.  By real estate, I mean domain names.

Now is the time to find out if your name is available as a domain name.  www.brianmonahan.com is not available.  That is my name.  www.brianPmonahan.com is what I own (notice the P for my middle name).  It’s an OK substitute but it’s no BrianMonahan.com.  I wish I had it.  I have been trying to buy it for nearly 5 years.

Don’t wait until you’re famous to buy your personal domain name, because it will probably be gone.  I recommend GoDaddy.com for domain registrations.

While you are at it go ahead and register for a gmail account and a yahoo account and so on.  They’re free and they have your name in them(you hope), what fun!

Go ahead and register for any other names you might have in mind to market your business. 

FYI, this is a great way to get some momentum for a new idea or starting your expert business. 

Play the name game this week.