After moving back to Indy (Broad Ripple, specifically) last month I made myself a commitment that I would try to drive less. Broad Ripple being a more walkable community than most, combined with $4/gallon gas, a $20 thrift store bike (below), and IndyGo finally getting their act in gear (re: Google Maps integration), and Indianapolis might just be a summer city able to sustain a less-consumerist-Andrew.

My goal is to drive once a week or less. Thus far, weather, distant meetings and laziness have me in my truck 2-3 times a week, however my gas bill for the month of April was less than $50 – impressive considering that my truck tops out at 21 mpg on a good day.

In essence, I’m writing this post to further the purpose and public knowledge about green transit options, and I want ideas about how to make my summer better, Schwinn LeTour in tow.

Comments please!

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The month of march has been interesting. In a nutshell, I put over 3400 miles on my truck traveled through 8 states, resulting in stopping points in Little Rock, AR, Texarkana, TX, Austin, TX, Denver, CO and Kansas City, MO.

Even by my own travel standards, nutty. The travels were largely put in play by my having purchased a ticket to South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) and needing to visit Denver and Boulder, CO for business reasons.

SXSW was, for its first few days – a clusterf*$%. Between weather, a first time SXSW attendee, coordinating between several groups of friends on colleagues, it’s a miracle that my mind survived. Out of the madness, I do have 5 tips for would be SXSW future attendees:

Don’t plan on getting any work done.

I have described SXSW to outsiders as ‘Spring Break for geeks’ in its amenities and interested parties. Not knowing anything about the music and film portions of the festivals, and how my cell phone scrambled and died (even with multiple charge packs), I can tell you that geeks flocked to Austin.

Network Serendipitously.

This can be done. Hang out in lounges, hotel lobbies, and charge stations – and the common denominator of your networking weight class emerges. Everyone has to sleep, eat, drink, and charge their devices. Serendipitous networking at SXSW can be planned.

If marketing at SXSW, don’t buy a badge.

The post hours SXSW crowd is an indcredibly active one, so don’t limit yourself to the panels and ‘thought leadership’ (I was unimpressed) which the event has prided itself on for so many years. Especially if you are marketing a launch, app, product or service – skip the badge and put the budget toward a better hotel and materials (event related would be best) by which to
attract the specific audience you desire. Take this advice with the grain of salt that is the gnat-like attention span which SXSW attendees will be able to afford you. Call to action. Call to action. Call to action.

For Heaven’s sake, stay downtown.

This I didn’t do. If you can’t swing an early hotel or late Air B&B within a mile of the convention center, I wouldn’t bother with the
event at all. Trust someone who has made the mistake of not fully investing in accommodations only to suffer the consequences of several hundred thousand converging on Austin’s public transit and taxi system (which crashed utterly Friday night of SXSWi and didn’t revive until several days later – conspiracy? Hrmmm)

Lone Star Tall Boys and Crawfish Boils for the win.

This advice comes from Jeb Banner of Small Box, who advised me on the management of my drinking experience at SXSW under the ‘less is more’ category of sage advice in managing my metabolism.

And on the subject of consumption and pure indulgence, make sure you check out the Crawfish Boil put on by Kristian Andersen and the folks at KA+A. Delicious and good times for the Indianapolis startup crowd.

Some additional shout outs from the weekend – thanks to the guys at SproutBox for throwing an early-conference Hoosier basketball viewing party – much fun.

Have you checked out the Miss Pivot Interactive Blind Date at Stop Awkward Dating.com? You should.

Awesome hang out during the SXSW rainy season at Conduit Corner (complete with mac+cheese, ice cream, beer, hammocks, and a kick-ass DJ). For all of its confusion and bewilderness, SXSW offered up jewels like this one for better connections with fellow SXSW’ers. All in all, I’m looking forward to applying all this wisdom to a better execution next year.

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Going on three years ago Josh Mitchell pitched me on the idea of ‘Pivots’ – a professional wingman or wingwoman – I’m pretty sure the title is gender specific to female, and doubly sure that the Urban Dictionary could clear up my confusion, should I want to verify my memory’s guesswork. I honestly didn’t give it much thought at the first, but the idea grew on me.

We brought the concept to life over the course of a Startup Weekend in Raleigh, NC in April 2009, about the time I thought it wise to start recording things online in blog format. Dubbed ‘Pivot’ and then quickly changed to ‘Miss Pivot’, the company went through some phases.

As I first wrote this post, I forgot that Miss Pivot is an incredibly media rich company, so you may choose to ignore my blathering and just watch the cool videos.

With @ryanrobbins – who was part of the core group of launched Miss Pivot at the Triangle Startup Weekend.

Escort service, right?

I kid about the escorts, of course, but it was a conversation that we had a lot. Differentiating between the sex and the science was a regular thing.

Nothing altogether meaningful was done with Miss Pivot until Kevin Emmons came into the picture. We struggled early on with the branding issues that arose from the idea of having a woman on your arm who wasn’t your date, but was helping you negotiate the pathways of the social stratosphere. It became clear very quickly that we had to change the narrative about Miss Pivot from its focus on ‘help from a female in your dating life’ to what having a female on your arm provided in terms of social proof and overall confidence.

Party like it’s 2009

Having ignored our fledgling concept for the majority of the summer, we set up a September launch party in Indianapolis to drive some interest and buzz around the concept of Miss Pivot. In a word, it succeeded. The party got the attention of some local press, got the company in front of some of its first clients, and it was a damned good time.

Later on, one of the dating ‘boot camps’

By partnering with local bars and clubs during their early and off hours, we were able to negotiate venues for little or no cash, and raise awareness about what we were working on. (Imagine the SXSW party strategy, but without the saturation and outrageous cost). We found that we were good at throwing events, and there was some money to be made in them.

The Confidence Company

Josh and Kevin found in their one-on-one consulting engagements that a lot of the same topics were coming up. How do I approach someone in a bar? How do I keep the conversation moving? How do I tell if he/she is interested?

The fix to these problems presented itself in events that focused on education instead of strictly mingling. Miss Pivot began offering seminars and we put our own spin on speed dating for a while, using Pivots as the X factor that kept conversations from getting stagnant. We called it Elemental Dating, and it was by all accounts a social exercise that had someone looking out for you (Pivots) in case you got stuck in the corner with the cat lady from eHarmony.

By the time Miss Pivot had set up its 3rd and 4th topical seminars, something was becoming obvious and apparent to us: our content and message has a more universal application than the one we’re currently giving it. The search for a more ‘broadcast’ medium was underway.

I put my camera on.

Miss Pivot TV offered itself as the immediate answer to “how do we show what we’re doing without physically being in front of someone?” This one explains itself more readily in video format, and there are several other episodes as I’m sure you’ll find out.

Let’s write a book?

By the time 2011 rolled around, Miss Pivot had developed enough valuable content that an obvious next step was to package it up in a more concise form. What was the best medium? A DVD of Miss Pivot TV and our seminars? A book? As the actual topical theme of the piece emerged (a book on body language) – it was obvious that our efforts would have to be delivered on a visually stimulating medium. Boring way to say – we chose to build for the mobile (tablet) markets. And the rest, well it’s not history yet, but the videos do a MUCH better job of explaining. Enjoy.

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I have no idea whether that is true or not, but given the infrequent use of my own ‘.com’ and the nature of this post – it’s fitting.

The first part of this year I’ve been concerned with updating my company’s (Rella Group) image and portrayal online. Fresh content, new face, better description of our services and our reason for existing a year later. My colleague and partner, Joshua Mitchell, challenged that my ‘Why’ – the reason for Rella’s being was not strong enough in the drafts I had created.

Enters today my viewing of a TED talk on the subject, and suddenly my stable, rational reasoning for Rella’s USP and cultural legs are faltering (stay tuned for a relaunch of Rella’s site yet this month). Another close friend suggested earlier today that it might be time for a ‘self-check’ in regard to my own passions and interest.

Sobering reality. Over the last six months I’ve allowed the daily grind of trying to build a company get in the way of why I would actually do it to begin with. It has to do with being able to provide for the family which has given me opportunities, support and a roof with little regard to their own expense while I build things that may or may not make money.

I’ve been reproached with the comment “What’s in it for you?”

I reject the premise of the question. Seeing my parents retire. Pick one. If I sound angry it’s because I am; I’m not satisfied with the progress toward certain family goals that are clearly within my grasp, but require more discipline than I’ve been willing to give them.

It’s important that I be clear about my identity and reason for being. I am a Maker and a Provider.  The fact that I work in technology is secondary, if but a critical How to the process of my extending my identity to those around me.

Now, with a renewed sense of purpose, onward into 2012. A belated Happy New Year! to you all.

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It’s all the latest rage to hate on Facebook, and it happens about once a year it seems – that some minor or major UI changes that Facebook implements tend to piss everyone off in some minor or major way.

That’s not what this post is about.

I wanted to put out in the open a single thought about Facebook’s e-mail policy as a question. Considering that many users engage Facebook on the reaction of receiving an e-mail (someone posted something, sent you a message etc?) what could be the reason why Facebook would diminish their quantity of e-mail notifications? I have a single conjecture that makes sense to me, at least…

Facebook traffic sourced from e-mail notifications is less likely to click ads.

I have no data to prove this (Facebook would), and it would be easy to imagine that the specific source of users coming from e-mail notifications are less likely to engage the money-making avenues of Facebook. Enough said.
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My knee-jerk reaction to the ‘We’re going to send you less e-mails’ message from Facebook was along the lines of “What penny-pincher decided to cut costs that way?!”
And, upon momentary examination, I doubt that even a juggernaut like Facebook would make that sort of corporate-esqe decision.

Why do you think Facebook is sending us less e-mails?

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Over the last few weeks I’ve started to see ads crop up for a service called Straight Talk. The one that initially grabbed my attention was that of a woman getting caught up in the background of an elderly couple’s photo moment, then mistaking them for paparazzi and shredding the film roll out of the man’s hands in a fit of self-importance. See for yourself—>

Afterwards, the screen freezes and superimposes “The ‘I now think anyone with a camera is paparazzi because I’m feeling richer’ effect.” Enters the plug for Straight Talk unlimited cell phone plans for 45 dollars a month, and I get it.

Except.

The ad leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth, and my logical next step is to ask,

“Does saving money make me identify with that behavior?”

Well, no.

“Does being rich make me identify with that behavior?”

Well, maybe.

“Does being a Straight Talk customer now align me with this ad, and subsequently this behavior?”

Yes.

Here’s the problem. I’m sure they have a great product, and now I don’t want to be their customer, because their ad campaign portrays Straight Talk customers as self important ass hats. It no longer matters if they have a good, valuable offering, because I’d rather pay twice the price to complain about AT&T than align myself with this ad.

Here’s a news flash to advertisers. Want to alienate discerning customers? Portray current customers as pretentious clowns.

Apple doesn’t even have to advertise the self congratulating airs of its customers. Everyone just knows. We’re a stuffy, slightly pretentious bunch.

I get that advertisers need to get my attention, and Straight Talk did, but I’m not sure they intended for me to furrow my brow, then have a visceral response to their ads. Subsequently, do I now want to identify with their company? Hell no.

Too much? Stepping off my soap box now.

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First of all, catch up Spell Check, because unfriend is definitely a proper option for my grammar. Defriend? No? Well bugger off then.

So far this year, my number of friends on Facebook has either stayed the same or shrank, largely because I have gone through and systematically cleaned people out, about a dozen at a time. This makes a significant impact on what I see in my feed, as I never was a socialite (at its greatest number, my Friends list on Facebook numbered just over 350, now its down around 270.)

Not a huge shift, but I felt compelled to write something as to why I cleaned house. Here are three reasons:

You’re negative. All the time.

Seems obvious, and several acquaintances that I have (had) on Facebook (mainly from high school or college), are flat annoying. Bitching about your day, baseless and frequent political rants get you removed from my social circles in short order.

You use your Facebook page mainly for business

I segment my social media usage. Facebook is for friends. LinkedIn is for business connections. Twitter is for everyone else, and I haven’t figured out what to use Google Plus for yet. (I need to come up with a nursery rhyme for this.) If your main motivation in friending me on Facebook is “We just met at a networking meeting” my response to you is going to be. “Hey, here’s this thing called LinkedIn.” Be professional and use it.

I don’t know, or don’t like you.

Dear family members whom I’ve never met: I’m glad we’re blood relatives, and I don’t know you from Adam. Until I meet you in person, skedaddle. And finally, I don’t like everyone I meet, and if I haven’t talked to you in years or don’t aim to, whyowhy would I keep you in the digital representation of my actual social circle?

If you take a look at my current friends list online, there are marked departures and exceptions from these rules. Why? Those people post content that is valuable to me (entertainment, business, hot girl, whatever), and I want to see more of it. (I could see you taking the hot girl comment the wrong way.)

I’m not sure if this resonates with anyone else, and I have a feeling that my personal activities online are going to continue to shift towards quality over quantity.

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After moving out of Boulder (I’ll update my keyword targets soon, I swear), I’m relearning what it’s like to drive in a major metro area again. Time, gas, and anger. I’m caught often this week kicking myself over the time I spend behind the wheel. This morning however, a 45 minute drive to downtown Denver rewarded me thoroughly, as I met with Fayoke Longe of the Matter Design Agency – a Denver Design Agency.

You bet I’m giving them some link love; their space alone deserves it. Describing it to other colleagues today, I used the words “a truly creative space without the ego.”

Walking through the front door, you’ll be greeted with a variety of Matter design projects turned product, with a few retail shelves of print packages, off-beat greeting cards and custom print t-shirts hanging on the wall. Walk around the corner and you’ll be greeted with the above view – a flex space that continues into their print shop, and back into more storage and flex space.

The place just kind of keeps going, with a small Mac-based creative studio upstairs, coffee bar, few offices, and small library. This all within spitting distance of Coors field and lower downtown Denver, and I think it to be a place I wouldn’t mind showing up for work.

I say all this, because having spent an hour+ in the space, fewer times have I felt as comfortable visiting someone else’s professional space than I did here. Maybe it was the Americano which greeted my arrival. Maybe it was Fayoke, collected and calm within her own space.

“Oh there’s ego here, we must just hide it well.”

That they do, with skill, creativity and rough-edged gold nuggets of design scattered everywhere over a dozen years of doing business. I left that office inspired to write and do.

Did I mention they do Waffles on Wednesday? I’ll be visiting again.

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Sometime’s I’m impressed by technology. And usually if it has anything to do with mobile tech, or cool ways to use it, it’s my friend Brian (@brrn) who is showing me the hot new thing. He’s always had the latest and greatest phone, and is always trying out new firmwares, apps, radio versions. You name it, he’s probably done it to, or with his phone.

Last week he had the fortune to be in Cozumel on vacation, but he didn’t take his phone with him to avoid pesky roaming charges, and that act likely made his vacation a bit more relaxing as well. After his 48 hour phone withdrawal was up, he had to get in touch with me to let me know that he needed a lift from the airport. I didn’t appreciate it fully at the time, but I realized later in the day that I had received a text message from his number, despite him being in Mexico, and despite his phone being in Denver.

At the same time.

Brian was using the Android Web Key. It’s basically a way for him to remote in to his Android phone and control it like it’s a remote server.

So, in a nutshell, Brian remoted into his phone while on a ferry in Mexico (that had wifi, mind you) and sent me a text message from his phone (in Denver) to remind me to pick him up at the airport later in the day.

Cool?

Cool.

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I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Women’s World Cup in its latter stages. I have to admit that I didn’t watch the group matches, but as the United States made its way through the quarter and semi finals, my eyes were glued to some sort of screen.

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As an aside, if you’re ever in doubt of being in front of a proper television screen during a sporting event, check to see if ESPN3.com will carry the event. I’ve been impressed. But watch out for obscure internet providers not being on ESPN’s list of ‘online carriers’.
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Ah, the world’s game.

The scope of international soccer makes my blood boil in a good way. I live for the moments before major matches where anthems are played and tears are shed by players who have worked for years to achieve the very standing presence to compete as true world champions. The fact that the USA women’s team has achieved such standing as champions twice allows fans of the men’s team to live vicariously through our women’s team, as the men’s team has rarely made a competitive stride toward the World Cup Finals.

And, for each of these picturesque moments, there is a nasty underbelly of international soccer’s reputation that threatens any upstanding reputation. Old stories of upset fans killing international players over an own goal, violence from an own goal, stampedes – the mob can be a dirty and frightening one when unleashed.

Part of that underbelly turned over during the women’s final last week. I was enjoying the commentary played out online with many of my contacts on Twitter about the game (hell, even a toadie for Obama was live calling the game). The World’s game was getting a major advertisement, as Japan and the USA battled fairly and with dignity on the field. It was probably the cleanest tournament finish I’ve seen in a long time.

The dirty underbelly

Then my attention was turned to trending Twitter topics of match day, which included ‘Japs’ and ‘Pearl Harbor.’ My stomach wrenched a little, and I wasn’t alone. FIFA’s (the governing body of world soccer) game day advertisement of “Say No to Racism” sadly had a place on the air. Generations later, and we the mob can’t focus on the recent tragedy Japan has faced, rather we drag back to racist quotations from WWII. I suppose it’s not any worse than the Australian renditions of “There were thirty German bombers in the air” that I heard during World Cup celebrations during the ’06 cup.

Still, I don’t like it. And rather than just sneer in disgust as many of us did, online influencers might want to take this as a wakeup call to the role that social media (and specifically their presence in it) plays in influencing public opinion.

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