10 Tips To Recover After A Crisis.

Last year, my home and business were hit by a terrible snowstorm (Irene) which knocked out power for over eight days. Even though I had access to cell phones and internet, it played a mental and physical toll on me. As the main provider to my household, it affected me mentally — WHY? — our situation was totally out of my control. Even though we had a generator with power, heat and food, life was way from normal. The mental toll played out personally and professionally. I constantly worried about any further impacts to our situation, sustained boredom, and how it was playing on my clients.

Guess what? Everything was fine — I just had to refocus my energy on positive actions which would move me forward. So here are 10 tips to help you cope with a natural disaster which might affect your career or business:

1. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

When life knocks us for a loop, we tend to roll with the punch and stay down. If you know boxing, you only have 10 seconds to get back up before the fight is over. That means you need to get back up ASAP and realize there will be light at the end of the tunnel and wallowing in our own misfortune will not get us there.

2. Keep busy.

Fill up every day with things to do. Why? It doesn't allow you to worry about what didn't happen or occur during the emergency and it gets you back on the horse ASAP. Think about tactical, strategic and communication activities — what actions will bring the most impact. In addition, if your boss or clients see you humming along like a rocket, they will be impressed!

3. Stay in contact with your clients, boss, and team.

Communication is key. Reconnect with everyone, ask questions, and see how you can help. Give them tips on how to recover. Or just LISTEN. Most people just want to talk, vent, and look for answers — it is great that you are there for them.

4. If you can't do tactical duties, work on strategic stuff.

If you're held back by others or processes beyond your control, do something else. Remember that project or initiative you never have time to work on? Now you have time - do it!

5. Reach out and engage people you usually don't connect with.

Broaden your contact sphere and reach out to people you normally don't talk to. I promise they are looking for a shoulder to cry on and you are there to listen. Also — they are a week behind too — see how your abilities and business might help them solve their problems.

6. Try to help, inform, and impact everyone you meet.

Everyone. People on the street might need a jump for their car, your neighbors, other people in your office building, etc. Right after the emergency, most people need help getting themselves, their career and their business back up and running. This is the time to reach out.

7. Did I say keep busy?

Don't stop for anything, keep busy and your mind thinking of new ideas how to move forward!

8. Get your name out there to see if you can help.

This is the best time to market yourself. If you're a business — increase your marketing by 100%. Get onto social media — blog, tweet, facebook, etc. Get your name out there. If you work for an organization  — market yourself — who can you reach out to and help them with their project? Reach out to your boss and show them what you've done so far.

9. Get your head straight.

It's over. Move on and stop venting how bad it was. Whine for one minute and then move on with your life. It's behind you. Don't let it continually affect you over the coming months.

10. Rocket out of your current position and fly forward.

Set up the launch pad, fuel your rocket, and hit the ignition switch. Use this calamity as a reason to rocket your business or career into the stratosphere. Start thinking BIG!

Social Media Is Ruining Your Life.

How many text messages do you send in a day? How many emails? Tweets? Foursquares? How many quotes/photos/links do you post on Facebook? Pinterest? How many sites do you surf to learn about the world around you?

All of this is GOOD. But it shouldn't be the end-all of what you do to communicate every day.

Do you interact with strangers anymore? Your neighbors? The shopkeeper down the street? The man at Starbucks who makes you that perfect coffee every day?

As we stretch out via the web, we are slowly and subtly closing out many people around us. Not our friends, but those people I call "Strangers". You know, the people you DON'T know and unfortunately, they don't know you either.

As we entwine our lives with more and more social media outlets, it allows us to forgo the opportunity to reach out to people we touch everyday — the waitress, the auto mechanic, the crossing-guard at the school — and have a meaningful conversation with them.

Honestly, we don't even have to talk to them anymore — they are not only strangers, they are 'non-people' in our lives.

You might say — so what? But you might be missing out on your new best friend, your new boss, or your new life partner.

A better title for this post should be "Start A Conversation".

In the next few days, start a conversation with 3-5 strangers whom you wouldn’t normally talk to:

Ask them a question, make them laugh, or give them a compliment (I really like how your arranging those oranges - how do you do that?). You also need to get a response back — and if the opportunity presents itself, have a conversation.

But this is my charge to you — you have to do it this week. Make it happen.

When Things Aren't Working - Do The Opposite.

There's a famous Seinfeld episode where George is at a very low point in his life. Nothing is working and he doesn't know what his next step should be.

You can watch it here: http://youtu.be/cKUvKE3bQlY

What would happen if YOU did the opposite of what your instincts (fear) tell you? If what you've been doing has been delivering the wrong results, what would happen if you did the exact opposite? For example:

• If you have a bad communication channel with your boss, your natural instinct is to shy away. What if you increased your communication and asked the best channel to communicate?
• If you are reticent about attending an event, go to the event with a few friends, buy a new suit, and have new business cards printed. Engage people once you enter and act like the host.
• Having problems with a client or colleague? Instead of letting it go and fester, make a point of engaging that person and see how you can make your relationship healthier, stronger and more resilient.

So instead of doing what you ALWAYS do, try the exact opposite. See what happens — you might surprise yourself!

Powerpoint: Do You Make These 5 Simple Slide Mistakes?

I can't tell you how many BAD presentations I've sat through. Let's just say — a lot. My major pet peeve centers around what your presentation slide background looks like. Now before you start your protestations (i.e., executives from organizations) — I totally understand you might have to stick with an approved slide background. I truly feel sorry for you. I was an executive for 20 years and for all internal (and many external) presentations, I broke the rules. No one ever took me to task — ever.

But here are my thoughts (in no special order):

1. "I have to have my logo on each slide!"

No you don't. Maybe your company requires you to have it there, but if you really looked into it, you probably don't need to.

Most of the time, you will need to begin (and end) the presentation with your logo, but for all intents and purposes, the inner slides will only need the information you're presenting. Now if you need to send/distribute the presentation, that's another story — see #5.

Slide real estate is at a premium and the inclusion of a repetitive logo on each slide (and the accompanying buffer around it) is a WASTE OF SPACE. Remember — the object of each slide is to be open, simple, and uncluttered so the audience can focus on the message. Repetitive logos, slide numbers, dates, and titles are not required.

2. "I have to have my company's colors on each slide!"

No you don't. Think of FedEx - purple and orange - imagine a background of purple and orange. OMG. Your job is to present a message to your audience — not hit them over the head with each slide. We've already dispatched the logo, let's work on the background colors.

When you work with a number of colors, shapes, or repetitive images, you are muddying the message. It's as if the audience is wearing 3D glasses and the movie isn't 3D. When you have a number of colors, shapes, lines, or gradations, it just makes it harder to see the font on the screen. Especially if the gradation moves from light to dark — try placing a phrase in black on a background that has a gradation from white to black. You won't see some of the letters — making it hard to read — equals lost message. It also looks juvenile.

3. "The audience can't see the words on my slide when I project on a screen!"

This happens ALL the time. Why? All projectors, screens, and room lighting are different — so you need to compensate for these changes. What I do is always work with a white background — you can never lose with white. It brightens up the screen, takes advantage of any projector bulb's shortcomings, and keeps people's focus on the screen. In addition, colors look brighter.

You can also use a black (or dark) background. But I find it tends to darken the whole room and adds a somber edge to the experience. Steve Jobs used a slightly-graded background for his presentations — but he had perfect stage lighting. Try it — you might like it. One caution — if you like to use images, sometimes their background is white — so you'll have to do some Photoshop magic to make the background around them transparent. That's why I stick with white.

4. "I have to stick to the 'Powerpoint-approved' template!"

No you don't. Honestly, they suck. They stick with boring fonts, the leading (space between each line of text) is not the best, and their choice of bullets . . . terrible. The only way for you to personalize the presentation (to your subject) is to start fresh and choose your own layout. Once you lock it in — stick with it — it will then be easy for you to replicate again and again and again.

In addition, you don't want your presentation looking generic or like another person's presentation. Candidly, when I see a canned 'Powerpoint-approved' background presentation, I think two things:

1. This person has no idea what they're doing. They're whole presentation is suspect.
2. This person really doesn't care about the look and feel of their presentation. They've rushed it.

5. "Projecting and printing are two totally different deliverables!"

So they can look different. In fact, they can look like two totally separate deliverables. Why?

1. One is for projecting on a screen in front of an audience with commentary from you. The audience is focusing on you and using the slideshow as an accompaniment to bolster your message.
2. The other is for silently reading at one's desk. Two different deliverables. You do need a logo or copyright on each page because the presentation might be pulled apart and distributed to other people. Also, it's frequently printed on white paper, so the use of complex and colorful backgrounds (and fonts) might interfere with the final printed product. In addition, if you have to email it, eliminating most (if not all) images will dramatically affect the size of the emailed file.

I run into these five mistakes at least once a week and it's a train wreck when it happens. In fact, I see a presenter (who is an accomplished academic and speaker) who sabotages their own presentation by making all five of these mistakes.

#001: Bulletproof Your Career [Podcast]

Welcome to my new podcast, Psycho Career & Career Psycho. Like my blog, it focuses on the trials and tribulations we all face in the business world. My goal is to help you live with more passion, work with greater focus, and lead with extraordinary influence.

My co-host is Margo Meeker, one of the best psychotherapists and life coaches out there. I've known Margo for years and have collaborated on many successful workshops with her throughout the U.S..

Why Psycho Career & Career Psycho? First, we wanted to catch people's attention and imagination with the title. We didn't want to do "Biz Talk" or "On The Road" or "Marketplace with Mabel" — we wanted a title that caught your imagination and honestly conveyed what's happening out there in the world right now. It's crazy! There are psychos out there! :)

Also, we wanted to cover what Margo is — a psychotherapist/life coach — and me — a business and executive career coach. So it fits!

We hope to make this a fairly regular podcast (hopefully weekly!). But for now, we are testing the waters and seeing where the rapids take us.

Our first podcast topic is 'Bulletproof Your Career' - how to keep your job and succeed in these tumultuous times. Margo and I cover the four areas critical for every person out there to keep their wits about them while making their way up the ladder of success.

We would LOVE your feedback - tell us what you think!

So without further ado . . . here's our podcast (see top of post)!

The Power of Connecting With People.

I finally had breakfast with my new and good friend, Eric Rochow. Eric hosts one of the biggest Podcasts on iTunes, call GardenFork. I invited him a number of weeks ago to breakfast. Now the funny thing is, I don't know Eric. And Eric didn't know me.

When I first started to listen to Eric, I found out he lives in Brooklyn, NY during the week and then makes his way to his farmhouse in Colebrook, CT. I could easily identify with him because I have a rural country house in Oxford, CT.

One day, I ran a quick Google Map to find out the best route for Eric to drive from Brooklyn to Colebrook. And guess what? It went right by where I live, on the Connecticut interstate highway named I-84.

So I reached out to Eric by writing him a email, told him how much I appreciate his podcast, and offered to buy him breakfast on one of his sojourns up to his country home. It took a little while, but he responded back via Twitter — he not only accepted my offer, but was impressed with my site and what I do!

In addition, he invited me onto his show to talk about careers, business, time management, gardens, and generators. Click here.

So we finally had breakfast at the incredible Laurel Diner, located in Southbury, CT. We really enjoyed the conversation, the food, and to top it all off . . . Eric interviewed me again! Click here.

So the moral of this story is . . . if you want to meet someone — reach out and make it happen!

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Having a hard time meeting important people? Let’s talk. I’ve coached thousands to step up their presentation game — call or email me to schedule a free session.

106 Excuses That Prevent You From Ever Becoming Great.

I rarely do this. I'm pointing you to an incredible blog with an incredible message. I'm an avid reader of Chris Brogan's blog and tweets — he is THE guru of social media and tours the world helping organizations efficiently and effectively employ it in their marketing. Well . . . he hosted a guest post from Tommy Walker that knocked my socks off.

I went through all 106 excuses and to be honest — I find many of them creep into my head from time to time. This information is a great way to stop that from happening and ensure you stay on your chosen path to greatness.

So here it is . . . Enjoy!

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. What excuses do you use to keep you from being great? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of business owners and executives and have helped them manage their 'de-motivational' behaviors — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

The Hartford — Thank YOU!

WOW. I'm speechless.  I've never had more fun speaking to such a professional, focused and responsive group in all my years of public speaking.

My sincere thanks goes out to Karen Senteio and all the people who work with her — she is one dynamite person! I first met Karen at an ICF meeting where I presented and she kept me in her back pocket for the right time to unleash at The Hartford. Thank you Karen!

You made me feel like a rockstar with the attendance figures (771 attendees at last count!), the photographer (thanks Jay!), and the AV crew (thank you AV Solutions!).

Finally, I had an enormous outpouring of support based on my own evaluation forms - all top scores. Now I have the incredible job of wading through the stack of evaluation sheets and emails for the lucky 30 complimentary coaching sessions - wish me luck!

Again — thanks for the support and praise — you've made my birthday an unbelievable event!

How To Inspire People.

"They don't buy WHAT you do. They buy WHY you do it." From close friend and colleague Craig Flaherty at Redniss & Mead, here's a spot from the Ted Conference in Puget Sound, WA on how to inspire people:

Top Five Regrets of the Unemployed.

This post is not only for the unemployed — it's for those great people who still have jobs and businesses. I run into the same five regrets every day with out-of-work people I meet and the workshops I host. If you find yourself speaking these words, take my advice:

1. I should have seen this coming.

You can't have eyes in the back of your head all the time. I always suggest to my clients to have better peripherals around the office — keep your eyes open to the bigger forces whipping around the organization. Subtle layoffs? Projects cut? Boss leaving for a better job elsewhere? 

Don't focus on the past — sometimes things come out of nowhere and hit you square in the face. Deal with it and move on.

2. I should have worked harder.

Yes, you should have. But most of the time, your layoff wasn't due to your light workload. It may have many reasons — too old, too young, big salary, small salary, major project cut, minor project shelved — it can be ANYTHING.

The secret HR/Financial math is never revealed to you — stop focusing on the past and ensure any position you get will be met with unbridled enthusiasm and energy.

3. I shouldn't have ticked off that person.

Business is full of positive and negative communication. Sometimes you acknowledge and compliment people — sometimes you piss people off. It comes with the territory. Stop worrying about what you said to what wrong person. Odds are, they probably deserved it.

And in the light of day, it probably didn't make a bit of difference about your layoff.

4. I should have gotten my resume together.

Yes, you should have. This is my one pet peeve of every executive — they always wait until they're on the street to begin updating their resume. It's too late.

Today — get your resume, update it and send it to a qualified resume writer (contact me if you need a good one). Then get it on the street — not to a lot of people, just key people who might have a bigger, better, and more fun opportunity for you.

5. I should have networked with more people outside of work.

Yes, you should have. Don't cocoon at work — get out on a regular basis (at least once a week) to meet with fellow colleagues, peers in the industry, or friends to expand your knowledge of the marketplace.

Don't sit at your desk every day — that leads to a quick professional death every time.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Did this article hit a nerve? If so, let's talk. I've worked with many clients who have the same questions — and we developed a successful plan to tackle their insecurities. I schedule infrequent complimentary sessions - catch one today.

Why Do Insurance Companies Think We're Idiots?

First off, I come from a marketing & advertising background (don't shoot me). So I can be quite critical of many marketing, advertising, and sales pitches. Lately, insurance companies have gone WAY overboard with their advertising. Some examples:

Progressive - Messy hair?

Farmers - Lint balls?

Geico - Smartphones?

State Farm - Falcons?

Okay — they might be funny — they might be memorable — but they insult my intelligence. 

Why am I freaking out with insurance companies on a Tuesday after Labor Day? I spent the weekend catching up on some programs (American Pickers) and the they were out in full force advertising after Hurricane Irene (in addition to generator commercials).

I'm not going to go into each commercial and pick out why each one was stupid or insulting. I'm just going to show you what we should see more of on TV — a sponsor who produces commercials who makes us think and possibly turn advertising into an art form:

It's visually inspiring, has a strong message, a great soundtrack and it let's the viewer come to their own conclusions about the product. Priceless.

What do you think? Do you hate the new spate of insurance commercials?

3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed.

Ric Elias had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York in January 2009.

What went through his mind as the doomed plane went down? At TED, he tells his story publicly for the first time.

The #1 Way To Communicate With Your Prospects.

Talk to them through a video. But . . . it's a lot harder and more complicated than it looks.

You need to keep it simple, straightforward, and powerful — to allow potential clients to experience YOU. To hear you, to see you, to understand exactly how your products and services will help them.

Today, videos are ubiquitous — everyone is doing them. I feel there are two stages of video production out there:

DIY - Do It Yourself - You and your cam on your laptop, phone, small video or Flip camera. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive to produce. The quality is okay (and I'm stretching that phrase) but with the advent of YouTube, on the spot cameras, and smart phones, people are totally okay with the result.

Gary Vaynerchuk uses this model and he's made millions doing it. So make it happen!

High-End Production - You're in a studio, with a director, photographers, make-up, lights, sound people, background, clapboard slate, multiple cameras, constant lens changing . . . you get my drift.

Of course there's super high-end with a cast of thousands, but I won't go there.

Over the next few weeks, I will be working with my director to edit down the hours of film shot to a 30-60 second video. Now the real work begins. And I know there will be an outtake spot too . . . so stay tuned.

Many thanks to Lauren Clark, Makeup (clarkmakeup@gmail.com), Dave Woolery, Sound (davewoolery@gmail.com) and Rich Freeda, Photography (rich@richardfreeda.com). If you are shooting video, these are the people to call!

And special thanks goes to the director and principal photographer, Phil Nelson (http://www.panelson.com/) - he is the master at what he does, whether it is landscape photography, headshots, or video.

He even makes me look good!

Oh yes, and here's the coolest thing I encountered during the shoot - I have to get one!

How To Add Style To Everything You Do.

Yes, I woke up at 4:00 AM this morning to catch the royal wedding. Just finished watching the new couple make it to Buckingham Palace.

What impressed me was their personal style. All of the commentators profusely exclaimed about how the couple presented themselves today.

Kate especially. Think of the pressure she must be under to act and perform according to many rules and royal mandates. So far, she's done an incredible job. She was cool, calm and confident.

Even with all the pressure, it sounds like the couple tried to add their own personal touches to the occasion.

I find 'style' is a combination of what/who you are AND how you want your audience to perceive you. You have to take both elements into perspective. I think it focuses on two areas:

1. Be yourself. Espouse your individuality. Be authentic. Don't be afraid to let your hair down.
2. Focus how your message/individuality plays with your audience. Monitor, measure, tweak, and change as you see fit.

If you stay true to yourself, you will ultimately reach your specific audience. It is then up to you to move the dial to GROW your audience.

I've found if you do both, you will be very successful in any endeavor you attempt.

What do you do to be yourself AND attract larger audiences?

Congratulations to William & Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

What Is Social Media? It's Right Here.

This is today's marketplace (click on image to enlarge, click again to zoom in): Brought to you by Brian Solis.

Your Most Successful Social Media Tool.

There's so much written out there on Social Media. There are experts, seminars, books, etc. all on this topic on how to learn it and leverage it for your business. I'd love to find out what works for you. Twitter? LinkedIn? Facebook? GroupOn? Something else?

But here's the catch — What REALLY works? Where do you make money? Where do you get customers?

Let me know - you can either comment on this post or send me an email - socialmedia@richgee.com.

I'd love to hear from you — I will post the responses.

20 Tips To Tune Up Your Life.

A number of weeks ago, one of my favorite sites (Reddit), posted an open forum on what small areas of your life you can subtly tune up where it delivered an incredible result. Here are the BEST of the 5000+ entries from people all over the world:

I gave up soda two years ago. I used to drink it like water. Now I drink water. I sleep better and have lost 5% of my body weight without another major change.

Going through my closets, shelves, etc. and getting rid of things that I haven't used or don't really need. As it's often been difficult in the past for me to part with "things," it's become necessary in order to maintain my sanity.

More risk taking, made me feel more alive. Just jumping in and doing something different, getting myself out of my comfort zone. Engaging in conversation with strangers, got me way more friends than I've ever had previously. Also leads to some powerful stories.

I threw out all my old socks, and bought 10 identical pairs. My life is so much easier.

I cut out sugar and vastly increased vegetable intake.

I started working out and trying to eat better, and girls notice me way more now. It was hard work, but I love being fit. It feels much more natural. A funny response to this tip: “Now if you just get a suit you'll be unstoppable.”

I started flossing on a daily basis about a year ago. I'm normally the guy who goes to the dentist and gets the lecture about taking better care of my teeth. The last time I went, the hygienist finished, looked me in the eyes and said "Your oral hygiene is excellent."

I got rid of all my credit cards 2 years ago. I am more careful with how I choose to spend money.

When I see people I know, even acquaintances, I act like I am genuinely really happy to see them and give them a big smile. Someone else did this for me once. I was hooked.

I quit playing video games and ‘surfing’ the web. The days are so long now I have no idea what to do with them. I actually started writing my dissertation and exercising out of sheer lack of anything else to do.

I started waking up at 5:00 AM so I can get in my personal time to read/work on projects before everyone else is awake to distract me. I used to dread waking up early, now I look forward to that time every night when I go to sleep. FYI - I go to bed at 10:00 PM.

Started dressing nicer. People really do notice.

Recently, I've been sitting up straight. I'm tall so I have a tendency to hunch over and slouch when I'm sitting. The posture makes me feel less sleepy and more alert, which is odd because I can't figure out how that works. The trick for me was to roll back my shoulders and the rest kind of follows.

I left my job in a cubicle to teach preschool. It's a lot less glamorous to tell someone that I work in childcare but it has really affected my lifestyle. Surprisingly, I'm a lot less drained at the end of the day. Something about staring at a computer screen for eight hours is just tiring. Now I come home and actually have energy to do stuff. I'm happier, and most importantly I don't dread work on Sunday evening.

Regular meditation. It definitely takes some patience and practice, but regular meditation has amplified my living experience substantially. I am more engaged in the richness of life as a result. I can glide through tasks with pleasant ease, and never feel like I'm flustered or frustrated. It's hard to explain the subtleties of how practicing meditation has improved my overall well being, its as if people, places, goals, tasks and basically everything else has changed around me plus I have a more confident outlook. HERE is a great beginners guide (direct .pdf download)

I stopped caring about what anyone thought about me. I went from being a shy kid, to a successful, confident, happy man!

Here’s my favorite (one person did this!):

• Remind yourself where you want to be, what you want to be doing, and envision yourself getting there throughout the day. If you have a solid vision, you can make it reality.
• Start the day with some change in a pocket you normally don't keep change in. Every time you say something nice to someone move a coin to another pocket. It is a powerful thing to know at the end of the day that, if nothing else, you made a few people feel good about something.
• Cook dinner for your friends once a week if you can. There is no better bonding than regular dinner as a family.
• Introduce yourself to everyone you come into contact with at social events. Everyone has a story to share and most have the desire to collaborate. You'll never know who you might have met and what you could have accomplished together if you don't say hi and they don't know your name.

Run Out & Buy 'The Thank You Economy'.

Let me state something right off the bat — I LOVE Gary Vaynerchuk. A little secret of mine — when I want to get pumped up for the day or I'm feeling down, I pop in Gary's 'Crush It' audiobook. His enthusiasm, energy, and ideas blow me away every time.

I just finished my publisher's preview copy of The Thank You Economy (due to be released on Tuesday, March 8th). Once again, Gary not only hits a home run — it's a grand slam.

Gary has delivered another opus of energy, bundled with a myriad of proven business tips on how to interact with our customers. The explosive growth of social media is quickly delivering unprecedented power and breadth to everyone's customer base. No longer can you treat anyone badly — you need to integrate specific inter-personal behaviors into all parts of your company.

But it's just not your customers — it's your employees, your partners, distributors - everyone. I consistently speak and write about the "shark mentality" in business — take no prisoners, no one counts unless it's you, run over everyone to make more money.

Gary's philosophy is at the exact opposite end of the spectrum:

• Caring is the key word here — be self-aware (EQ), commit to change, invest in your employees, be authentic (I've been saying this for years) and empower your people.
• Let your client help you develop, guide, and modify your brand. They are an integral part to the entire process.
• Community is critical — get the conversation going and flowing.
• My favorite — If you're small, play like you're big; if you're big, play like you're small.

It's the humanization of business.

Great words from a 21st century sage. I hope to someday meet or speak with Gary — I think he and I would hit it off quite well. Gary transcends the typical, boring, stale business book (as I've always said, 98% of them suck). His genius integrates great ideas with the energy of the sun — you just want to run out and execute all of his ideas immediately.

So go out — nay . . . run out — and get this book, or kindle download, or audiobook (my favorite). You will thank me.

What are your thoughts about Gary Vee? Do you love him as much as I do?

10 Best Sites I Visit Every Day.

A lot of readers and clients have been asking me what are my favorite and most influential sites I visit. The one that get me excited about work and life. I do read a lot on the web during my off hours and find there are certain key sites who do a great job to help me stay up on business issues and personal interests. In no special order:

Popurls

My first stop. This is an aggregator site which brings together many other aggregator sites like Reedit, Digg, Metafilter, Delicious, etc. It delivers the best of the best. Be careful, you can spend HOURS here. (Link)

Wall Street Journal

My business info standby. I can whip through this paper pretty quickly - I don’t get caught up in the opinion - I focus on the facts. Who’s up, who’s down, who’s doing something new - it’s all here (I get this delivered in paper form daily). (Link)

The Economist

Deep, deep analysis of the world from an international viewpoint (I also get this in print form too). (Link)

Cool Tools

My favorite gadget site by Kevin Kelly. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. (Link)

Twitter

I follow a number of key influencers - Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, Robert Scoble, Ivan Misner, Tom Peters, Alyssa Milano (no kidding - she’s great), Michael Hyatt, Soraya Darabi, and Brian Soils. It’s immediate, recent and I can pop in, read, and pop out pretty quickly. It bugs me when people complain about Twitter (I don't have the time!) — it's a tool — use it as a tool, not a TV show.  (Link)

Lifehacker

A great site delivering tips and downloads for getting life and business things done. Unfortunately, they just went through a horrible redesign making their site virtually unusable (owned by Gawker Media - all of their sites have the same architecture and navigation now - I hate it). Still great info. (Link)

Copyblogger & Problogger

Read both of these and your writing will most certainly improve. Brian & Darren bring lots of great ideas, innovative topics and powerful info — stuff I would never think about on my own. (Link) & (Link)

Seth’s Blog

The great Seth Godin — he's a god. Nuff said. (Link)

TED

If you haven’t visited here - you have been missing the best of the web. TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) is a global set of conferences formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading. All of their speakers and videos are online — I link to them often. (Link)

Inc. & Entrepreneur

Two great magazines who have all of their articles online. Great for the practicing or budding entrepreneur in all of us. (Link) & (Link)

Image provided by OakleyOriginals at Flickr.

The Most Inspirational Social Media I've Ever Seen.

Every so often, a good friend sends you a story, an article, or a video in this case, that not only gives you hope and inspires you, it knocks your social media socks off. I know this will go viral (259,000 views since Sunday). It's not funny, there's no vitriol, just Carl Sagan talking to us over some magnificent images of our world from Reid Gower with Michael Marantz playing piano. Bravo NASA!

SIMPLE AND POWERFUL.