#ReThinkFW Beyond TEDxFortWayne

#ReThinkFW Beyond TEDxFortWayne

What a weekend.

Saturday was the 2nd TEDxFortWayne event.  I was privileged to be a volunteer on the team that Craig Crook put together to create this years TED. The theme was ReThink Fort Wayne.

Saturday morning I shared a preview, but I was blown away by some of the unexpected.

For example this video, which I had heard of but never saw the full seven minutes was part of one of the presentations.

(A good friend of the family is one of the artists in this video too).

In order to keep the momentum going, the #ReThinkFW Hashtag is being used on Twitter and elsewhere.

Do you want to be a salesman or help people buy?

Do you want to be a salesman or help people buy?

This is from my 2006 archives.

Still true 6 years later:

 

Let’s face it, there are lots of jokes about salespeople, most not very nice. Car salespeople are at the bottom of a survey done a couple years ago.

Here’s Gallup’s list, starting with the professions rated “very high” or “high” on honesty and ethical standards:

1. Nurses (79 percent)
2. Druggists, pharmacists (72 percent)
3. Military officers (72 percent)
4. Medical doctors (67 percent)
5. Police officers (60 percent)
6. Clergy (56 percent)
7. Judges (53 percent)
8. Day care providers (49 percent)
9. Bankers (36 percent)
10. Auto mechanics (26 percent)
11. Local officeholders (26 percent)
12. Nursing home operators (24 percent)
13. State officeholders (24 percent)
14. TV reporters (23 percent)
15. Newspaper reporters (21 percent)
16. Business executives (20 percent)
17. Lawyers (18 percent)
18. Congressmen (10 percent)
19. Advertising practitioners (10 percent)
20. Car salesmen (9 percent)

Yet, people buy cars every day. Even if they don’t want to be “sold”, they do want to “buy”.

Oh, and yes I noticed that my profession ranks at number 19. I’m trying to change that, 1 at a time.

Drop me a line or comment,

 

TED Time

TED Time

Note: I publish updates on this silly website at 9am 7 days a week.  Except today.  I am releasing this a bit early, since this is TEDxFortWayne day and 9am is when the presentations begin.

I got to serve on the speaker selection team this year.  We picked 20, mostly from Fort Wayne, a few from Indianapolis and at least one from out of state. Check out the line-up here and keep track of these names.  Some are already famous for what they have done or are doing.  Some will never be famous, but will inspire others.

Today will be a non-tech for me I believe.  I’ve got a couple of pens and a new journal that I’ll be using to take notes.

If you see me say hi, I’d love to meet you face to face (again).  Today I’m just the bearded guy with a white shirt.

 

Here’s the list:

MARKBECKER

Creating the tipping point for positive change in communities, perspectives gleaned from a seasoned civil servant yield a call to collaborate for our city and our region.

ZACHARYBENEDICT

Recognizing the socio-economic power of everyday interpersonal connections can be used to increase engagement and improve communities – this is a call for reprioritization.

AARONBROWN

Mobilizing communities to make a difference through service as seen through the eyes of a volunteer – a story of personal change, inspiring encounters and key takeaways from these experiences.

ALEX JONATHANBROWN

Building endeavors within Fort Wayne around organic, strong ideas with a large support base.  Avoiding the pitfalls of the hip or exclusive versus the strength of the sustainable cool.

RANDYCLARK

Distinguishing the use of technology as a force that can be used for good is a powerful tool in promoting community and pursuing real world connections to offer support to one another.

ERIKDECKERS

Exploring the disruption of society from the introduction of both internet and social media with consideration for the possibility that these modalities have created newer and better communities.

KIRBYFERGUSON

Remixing is a folk art but the techniques are the same ones used at any level of creation: copy, transform, and combine. Explore examples, discover innovation’s secrets and be inspired to go and do likewise.

JEFFREYGLADD [MD]

Empowering patients to true jump-out-of-bed-in-the-morning health by creating high-tech, high touch medical practices focused on achieving optimal levels of health and balanced lifestyles for patients, employers and providers.

RILEYJOHNSON & GINGERGIESSLER

Re-thinking education in Fort Wayne through an innovative program that empowers students in the classroom and community with the goal of improving the culture of our city by giving the students a voice and a choice.

JOHNKAUFELD

Discovering oneself on the road less traveled as a leader, this is an opportunity to explore and consider how to translate and communicate passion and beliefs to other people.

LORIKEYS

Learning to dance happens in a progression.  It can change people’s lives, and the same lessons learned on the dance floor can make even greater changes in the world.

KELLYLYNCH

Challenging the “what’s in it for me?” mentality with a shift to making imaginative and authentic investments – fusing arts and culture, trails and rivers, historical cornerstones and inspiring considerations of who we can become.

MILESNITZ

Contemplating the concept of change through exploration of secrets hidden deeply within the neuro-biology of the human brain. Learn cutting edge approaches being used to facilitate new thinking.

MACPARKER

Taking risks and having vision built Fort Wayne’s legendary past and will reshape its future.  Reviewing the first three Acts of Fort Wayne’s history offers insight into why Fort Wayne needs to get its swagger back to direct Act Four.

ROBSALKOWITZ

Using the lens of the San Diego Comic-Con to explore the unprecedented disruptions in communication, marketing and technology, explore the convergence of pop culture, niche & mass marketing and changes in the top down creative approach.

CHRISSANDERSON

Making dramatic changes in health yields significant weight loss, improved statistics and remarkable changes in quality of life.  Consider the transition from sub-par to premium nutritional fuel to improve health and optimize life.

HEATHERSCHOEGLER

Realizing that [1+1≠2] in the realm of human contact and connection – rather recognizing that [1+1=infinity] – opens doors to endless possibilities for anyone. RETHINK Fort Wayne!

ALEXSMITH

Discussing the importance of sowing seeds that benefit others, as well as cultivating community attachment and retaining talent – recent grassroots initiatives give proof of fertile soil within our city.

LAURENZUBER

Giving yourself permission to be fluid, to try things, to test what you want to do and where you excel makes a case for the five-year anti-plan: RETHINK entry level.

The Problem with AutoFollow on Twitter

The Problem with AutoFollow on Twitter

A couple weeks ago my daily update to this website was titled, What’s the Purpose of All this Social Media Crap?

It gathered some attention, including a new Twitter follower that had me puzzled for a couple moments.

Take a look:

When I received the notification in my email, my first thought was, why in the world did BathroomDotCom want to follow me on Twitter? 

Then I remembered I used the word Crap in my latest update and sent a promotional tweet at noon.  19 minutes later, the autofollow program that BathroomDotCom decided that I was worth following.

That, I believe demonstrates the problem with AutoFollowing on Social Media based on keywords without a little human intervention.  Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of crap…