I was listening to the recording of my session from the New Media Expo and I was reminded about one of the BEST podcast names I heard while at the Expo.

During my session, I asked 5 people to share their monetization strategy based on the 3 personas I introduced. They had to tell me whether they’re a Big Bird, Hulk Hogan or Oprah (buy the Expo recordings so you can hear my session).

John Blue was one of the people who came to the microphone. He produces a podcast called the Swinecast. Apparently, there’s also the Beefcast, Poultrycast and a few others.

The lesson here? Make the name of your podcast memorable. Nothing can beat Swinecast in my book.

I was pretty pissed on Sunday after Westjet seemed to “forget” that they had to fly over 120 Canadians from Las Vegas to Toronto. The plane rolled into the gate at the time we were supposed to board it around 11:20pm PST. Then, we had to wait another hour for them to prep and clean the plane, then another 30 minutes to board the plane.

By the time we boarded the plane, I had already been awake for 15 hours straight. I was cranky, my hair needed to be washed and I was in desperate need of a shower.

I was angry and I wanted someone to pay. I was even complaining about this via my Twitter page. But the pilot and the head flight attendant used one thing to diffuse my anger. They used humour.

More on How to Handle Customer Complaints the Westjet Way

I didn’t realize that Star Trek The Experience is actually connected to the Hilton. I got off the monorail and was barreling through the lobby when I encountered the Borg.

My heart leap to my throat as I came face to face with 3 of 6. Can you guess what my first question was? Watch this 1 minute video to find out.

I was recently quoted in Computerworld for an article about Blacks in the Information Technology sector in Canada. How’s that for a niche?

I typically don’t offer myself as an interview subject for this topic because I want to be known more than just a Black person working in technology. However, I made an exception for this because I was the founding president of an organization called BITePRO back in 2000 and the journalist wanted to talk to me about the reasons why it no longer exists today.

As I read the article online, I read one of my quotes. I said that in order for young Black kids to look at technology as a career option, those who are currently working in IT need to mentor these young kids.

You know what? It’s been YEARS since I mentored anyone. Ever since BITePRO went under, I’ve had no interest in mentoring anyone about pursuing careers in technology. Here I am doling out advice and I’m not even doing it. Shame on me.

So, part of my re-branding effort is to incorporate some aspect of community work into my new direction. Do I launch something on my own or do I join an existing organization and create a program for them? Whichever I decide, I must heed my own advice. Doing so will bring more joy to what I’m doing.

Any of you volunteering as a mentor? If so or if not, share your opinions with me about the importance (or not) of volunteering your time.

Here’s my schedule for the New Media Expo:

• 8/12 - Arrive in Las Vegas, check into hotel
• 8/13 - Podcast Secrets Reunion with Paul Colligan (Paul said I need to be there and he’s being so secretive as to why, but I’ll go because I trust Paul. The last time he was so secretive, he had a book deal up his sleeve)
• 8/14 - New Media Expo, Day 1 (find me, I’ll have my Flip camera and I WANT to interview you)
• 8/15 - mDialog.com Breakfast (I got an invite from CC Chapman, so I’m going), New Media Expo, Day 2 (again, I’m doing interviews with my Flip camera)
• 8/16 - New Media Expo, Day 3 (my session is around 12:30pm and I’ll be presenting new information on Podcasting for Profit) then I’m going to spend the afternoon at the Star Trek: The Experience
• 8/17 - Arrive in Toronto

I’ll have my Flip camera and I’ll be wandering around, so find me. Oh, if you want to join me for the Star Trek experience, let me know. I don’t bite. Just promise me that you’re not some weirdo or something.

One of the difficult things about transitioning to a new brand is the name. I’ve come up with several great names only to find that the domain is taken or the name is trademarked.

I can’t do anything else until I have the name figured out. The name I’d like to use has to reflect taking action, being active and being full of energy. I’m like a lost sheep without the name figured out.

So, I’ve tried the following to help me finalize my new name:

• Nameboy.com - I put in a combination of words and this site spits out a list of results and shows me which domain names with my combination is already taken.
• Thesaurus.com - I plug in my desired word and I get a list of synonyms. Each are hyperlinked so I can see the synonyms of the synonyms I’m already looking at.
• Babelfish - I love languages and use this site to find the French, Spanish or Italian equivalent of the English word I’d like to use. I only look at one word translations because when I use a phrase, the translation gets mucked up. But, it’s a handy tool to use.

Are there any other tools I should be looking at to help me in my quest to finalize my brand name?

It’s been quiet on this blog for a few months. I know. I’m working on a few projects:

• I’m filling my Camtasia Made Simple course.
• I’m preparing my presentation for the only new media event that I MUST attend - New Media Expo.
• I’m getting ready to post a call for speakers for a video marketing summit to be held in Toronto in November.
• And, I’m in the final stretch of my Social Media Mastery coaching group.

DISCOVERING MY PATH

Aside from the projects above, I’m working on something behind the scenes that is consuming alot of my attention. You see, the reason I’ve been quiet is because I’m trying to define my path.

When you don’t know where you’re going, it can be so frustrating. But, as soon as you get clarity on the path you’re supposed to take, it’s the most freeing experience EVER.

It’s not to say that I’ve haven’t done good work, or that my clients haven’t achieved results working with me. Not at all. However, every business must go through a change and mine is no different.

CAN I PUNCH MY COACH?

Over the past 30 days, my coach has been challenging me to find my unique wisdom, to be a big fish in a small pond and to define my persona.

What a difficult thing to do. I’ve had to dig deep down and recall my flaws, triumphs, disappointments and successes from my entire life. Did you hear me? I said my ENTIRE life.

That means documenting:

• My first day at school and how I hung to my mom’s leg so she wouldn’t leave me.
• Or, the time I tore a ligament in my knee that resulted in me losing a basketball scholarship to a Division 1 school in the United States.
• Or, the joy I felt finally skiing down a Black Diamond without landing on my butt once.

More on I’ve Been Quiet and Here’s Why

Last night, I hosted a 75 minute call on how you can boost your business using videos. Just under 200 people registered for this call and I had my friend, Tynisha Thompson, join me to ask me questions about using videos.

Part 2 is tonight, July 24th at 8pm EDT.  There are still seats left. Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The four reasons why videos convert more sales online than any other marketing tool
• The 3 terribly good ideas on how to create a passive income using video online
• How to fix some of your most common online video problems
• How you can start your online video journey with me. I’m also going to share with you how you can get a complimentary copy of one of my favorite screen capturing tools.
• And you’ll meet business owners who are using videos to boost sales, get known and uncover new income streams.

Register your spot by clicking here.

I just got off the phone (well, Skype) with Peter Shankman, the founder of HelpaReporter.com. I recorded an interview with him to ask him about how he used Facebook to launch a service to connect experts with journalists. He provided some interesting statistics and I’m going to post the interview in the Fall.

The interview lasted 20 minutes and one thing became clear - Peter is so dang cool because he sprinkles all his answers with personal anecdotes. For every question I asked, Peter answered it with a story from his experience. I laughed, I didn’t cry, but I also became reflective based on the things Peter was telling me. And we were talking about social media.

Peter took me on an emotional roller coaster, but not in a bad-relationship-with-a-crazy-guy type of way. He was able to get me emotionally involved and I can see why he’s a sought after keynote speaker.

As I got off of Skype with him, I had to ask myself if I’m sprinkling stories about my experiences throughout my presentations. Sadly, I do so little of it. There is one where I talk about my 14 hour road trip to Boston when the drive should’ve taken only 9  hours. I recall that every time I tell that story, people either laugh in hysterics or crease their brow in shame wondering how I could make such a mistake.

This is what makes your marketing materials and keynotes speeches so interesting - when you can recount situations that are unique to you and use them as part of your brand. Peter is himself in so many ways. He’s quirky, he’s transparent and he reminds me of Philip Kaplan, but not as dirty.

And I had a great example very early in my life. My dad is the best storyteller in the world. He makes a drive to the supermarket seem like a 10-day journey around the world. My sisters and I love spending time with him because we laugh until our bellies hurt based on his stories. All we have to do is mention taxes, politics or David Miller (the mayor of Toronto) and that gets him started.

If I enjoyed my interview with Peter and enjoy spending time with my dad, then this is the experience I must create in my own business. Everyone who comes into contact with me must enjoy the experience whether they are my target market or not.

So, if you’re looking for a slight edge over the competition, don’t lower your prices or try to be faster or better. Instead, dig down deep, look into your past and figure out which experiences help shape your unique wisdom today. Then, sprinkle that throughout your presentations and speeches to create a memorable experience for your target market.

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here’s a quick 2 minute video explaining the 3 things to look for when buying or choosing video capturing software.  The 3 things video capturing software should do is:

1. Capture video from a variety of sources.
2. Provide various production options so you can bring your video to life.
3. Allow you to share your video in a variety of formats.

And if you’re curious to learn how to use video to boost your business, click here to learn more about my upcoming 2 day virtual event on this topic.