“Epsilon Concepts is a true Blue Ocean Company!!! Robby, Samuel and their whole team has a “Penetrating kind of energy” about them. Their ability to take our idea and turn it into a reality is truly out of this world. Six months ago we began this project and like fine Swiss timepiece the perpetual motion was unstoppable. The communication we were able to achieve thru base camp is unheard of in today’s business models. Our relationship with Epsilon Concepts and all their talented partners has just begun… I look forward to the future…”
With context and patience, you can navigate the hurdles of even the most “stressful” life. Whether you’re a CEO, janitor, laborer, or stock broker, we all have career stresses at varying levels. Some more than others. And this doesn’t take into account stress from families, finances, relationships, deaths, moving, etc…!
I think and write a lot about stress. I think it’s probably because I’m always stressed out. I wake up to 50 or so e-mails in the morning, handle calls and internal and external meetings in the mornings, and then work through projects and problems in the afternoons and evenings. Even in the evening and over the weekends, my mind is still consumed with work, whether I’m in front of my MacBook or not. It’s not that I’m complaining or impassioned about my work, it’s that I’m passionate to a fault, passionate to a point where I feel like I can’t breathe sometimes without the weight of work on my chest. It’s part being the owner and CEO of a busy small business in a down economy, part the cost of high-intensity projects.
My life drives my work and my work is driving my life. This year, I’ve been working round-the-clock to reduce stress and to nix avoidable stressful elements and activities out of my life. Whether via time management, additional resources, narrowing focus, or saying “no” to certain projects, the goal has been to filter what comes in so that what comes out is the highest quality from the right paradigm. Why does it seem that though there is light at the end of the tunnel, stress is still as prevalent as ever?
There’s certainly some things that are unavoidable. Deadlines. Employee illness. The economy. In my opinion, you have to put your head up and dive right in to the task to chip the bulk of the stress away by sheer force. Other times, you have to prioritize stresses, dealing with the biggest problems first. And still other times, you have to call on the troops or step back to gain perspective on the situation.
If you’re a high-strung individual, a perfectionist, struggle with OCD tendencies, or always feel stressed out, don’t just try to shoot for vacations or allocate time for doing nothing at all. It doesn’t always work for me and may not always work for you. Instead, funnel your energy into a distracting and rewarding activity. Maybe hanging out with some friends over drinks, visiting a theme park, or sky-diving. The point is, funnel your energy towards exercise, activities, and distractions when you need a break. Otherwise, you’re time spent “relaxing” and doing nothing will turn into you sitting on the couch feeling even more overwhelmed and held by a downward spiral of negative energy, while your pile of stress feels like it’s growing by the minute while you’re not doing anything about it!
If you have stress in common with me, let’s both take solace in that we can overcome and persevere. As humans, we have a remarkable ability to supersede our own fears and worries. Stress and worry are byproducts of passion, commitment, values, and hard work. It’s our natural response to help us elevate to deal with problems. In the words of Devlyn Steele of ToolsToLife, “remove ‘problems’ from your vocabulary; problems are simply opportunities.” Opportunities to get a new job, step up to the plate and earn respect, get involved in a better relationship, or learn something important.
Don’t just take my advice, here’s a few more ways of reducing your stress: 1, 2, 3, 4
If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you may have noticed that posts have been a little less frequent and a bit more sporadic over the last few weeks. We want to assure you that we haven’t gone anywhere, we’ve simply been hard at work launching some critical and exciting projects and re-designing our own website and blog plus working on the release of our upcoming Digital Directory in beta this weekend. We think our website is cleaner, clearer, and better practices our design and development methodologies (less is more). We hope you like the new look and invite your feedback, positive or negative. Blog posts will be back to regular in the coming weeks and we look forward to having some guest bloggers, some social networking site reviews, and more local LA social media / web coverage.
We’re also working diligently on the alpha launch of an innovative and usable social networking website for one of our clients. More details and a review/case study coming soon! We also have a kick-ass custom-built e-commerce website with countless customizations and innovative features launching soon. Our team is hard at work to launch both projects. Again, more details and a review/case study coming soon.
In addition to our operational work, we’ve also been busy networking and attending industry events, interviewing for opening positions, and have been quite busy with some great client relationships. In the coming days we’re launching a European and Asian division and website of Epsilon Concepts, we’ll be tripling our ad budget, and we’ll be looking to beef up our team more and more in the new year, despite the slowing economy.
We’re also planning a revolutionary website concept in outsourcing/offshoring that combines many facets in a unique and compelling way. Everything is in stealth-mode now, but it’s been something I’ve been working on the details for, for about 4 years now. We really think it will change the way businesses do business, across the globe. More details coming soon.
Additionally, I recently posted a review of You2Gov.com here on the blog and a press release was generated out of it that was distributed though many media sources. Check out the press release on Forbes here.
Finney and Sam were in attendance at last week’s Digital Drinks event here in LA at The Roosevelt and enjoyed the pool atmosphere and the great company! Thanks to everyone who said hi!
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Alan Silberberg, CEO of You2Gov.com, a former White House staffer for former President Bill Clinton, to discuss his exciting new political social networking website. In addition to discussing You2Gov’s current and soon-to-be released features for users, we also discussed the evolution of politics in the new digital era and how social media is changing the landscape - fascinating to observe a whole new era of political action develop right before our eyes!?
Silberberg explained that he built You2Gov for one reason: to empower real people by providing them with extensive political communications tools and resources on a social network platform. Silberberg’s goal is provide the tools and information that will allow regular Americans to learn more about the issues they care about; form online communities with like-minded citizens; and to take action by using the simple tools available on You2Gov’s social network platform.
Silberberg made the great point that lobbyists often represent billion dollar corporations that are able to influence politicians in a variety of ways and that You2Gov.com provides a platform that shows average citizens that they too can be influential, just like the lobbyists - and that exercising their democracy is not as difficult as one might think.
On the information side, You2Gov.com aims to provide customized, relevant and current information about what’s going in the user’s political world, whether local or national. The web site is populated with valuable timely and relevant content that is provided both by You2Gov and its users, including current news, videos, useful links, a national calendar of events, a burgeoning forum community, and a government database that allows users to connect with the appropriate elected officials. All of this information is aggregated in one place - it is very simple, giving You2Gov.com users no reason to leave the web site to accomplish the task at hand: ACTION!
You2Gov.com not only connects normal citizens like you and I, but it also connects citizens (sometimes individually and sometimes coalesced as a group) with key decision makers. In the words of Silberberg, “Collectively, every American citizen owns the government, so why not leverage our collective voice?”
With the growth of You2Gov, politicians may be wary: this website presents a platform that not only aggregates all of the important information and tools, but it allows literally millions of like-minded Americans to organize themselves and take action. You2Gov gives every citizen a direct line of communication with their Government officials, allowing Americans to hold their representatives accountable. It will be interesting to see how politicians react - will they embrace the open communications or ignore it? And if it is the latter, will they really be able to get away with it given that everything will be public?
Silberberg’s site is rolling out new features periodically and users can expect a steady stream of improvements and new functionalities. According to Silberberg, “…web applications and social networking sites are like ‘legos’ nowadays. It’s not a matter of reinventing the wheel, it’s about how good of a ‘lego’ builder you are.” Silberberg’s website represents this vision.
Though recently launched, his site is solid, comprehensive, and garnering attention in the media.
My main criticism/suggestion would be some key usability and design improvements, improving the registration process and making things even more intuitive and easy-to-use. The features themselves are great and Silberberg’s vision includes even better tools that are being phased in (like allowing users to fax petitions from the site and a mobile version). With just a few tweaks, there is tremendous potential for You2Gov to grow very, very quickly.
During our talk, we discussed how many social networking websites are struggling because they don’t provide enough value or utility to enough people. Many larger social networks are gaining new users, yet retention, frequency, and ad rates are all on a downward slope. It’s obvious that Silberberg has done his homework and has big plans for You2Gov. His core principles are:
Content is king
Content creates conversations
Conversations create community
Communities take action
Where many social networking websites miss the boat is by focusing on number 3 alone. Or, they don’t give users the motivation or ability to actually take action or take advantage of the content and community for change. Social media, in the belief of Silberberg, represents a fundamental change in power.
He said, “Fortune 1000s and politicians alike are and will continue to be grappling with how to deal with the switch in leverage from companies, PR, and “big money” to individuals and constituents united for a cause and using social media as their megaphone.”
If you’re looking to amp up your involvement in issues you care about, I recommend logging on to You2Gov.com. They are well on their way to growing the site into a powerful force in the political spectrum.
Time and time again, I’m surprised by the effect of time on human behavior. Time is tracked and managed. Time heals wounds. Time is ever-present yet always passing. Driven by our watches, distracted by our clocks, time dominates our thinking. Yet half of the time, our focus on time distracts us from the beneficial aspects of time as the moments occur. So take the time this time around to spend a little more time smelling the roses. Time is money yet time is priceless. Time is ticking away so take time to realize that being timely isn’t what it’s always cracked up to be. In good times and bad times, the question is not a matter of time, but a matter of quality. Focusing on past, present or future time can distract from the actual time we have right now. So maybe it’s time for a change; time to live in the moment this time around.
BBC’s come up with the perfect way to follow the Olympics: an Adobe Air-based desktop application that lets you follow your favorite Olympic sports, set reminders, view the medal table, etc…
You’ll certainly love the art if you like the Gorillaz (same artist).
Plus, everyone loves monkeys so this is the perfect excuse to have one of the furry bastards around until you feel the need to move on to other forms of entertainment. The fact that you don’t actually have to do much is the more obvious upside to the app.
It would seem as though we are going through what could be a prolonged global recession. Banks collapsing, easy credit gone, rising fuel and food prices, the continually weakening dollar. None of these portend good things.
If you haven’t already felt the effects of these less than ideal economic times, chances are you will in the near future. If you rely on subscriptions, sales, or advertising for your cash flow, less consumer spending means less money in your pocket. The entire American economy is something of a huge bubble right now and it could be that the bubble is bursting.
To ensure your business survives and perhaps, even thrives during these times, you’re going to need to bring your best game to the table. The credit bubble has provided a lot of room for excess. If we really are going through a prolonged recession, you can be sure that people who have just been ‘playing’ business will quickly find themselves out of business.
Here are a couple of things that will make your business stronger no matter the economic situation, but that become increasingly important as economic valuations begin to accurately reflect reality.
Provide real measurable value and make sure your customers know it.
How do you save your users money? How do you save their time? How do you provide joy for their life? If you have a hard time answering these questions you’re probably going to have a tough time generating much revenue if the economy worsens. If you can answer these questions easily and your users recognize that, then you’re in a much better position.
Save Money.
Evaluate your costs regularly and ruthlessly. The more cash you have on hand, the better off you’ll be and the longer you’ll last. Resist the urge to live up to or beyond your means. If the economy continues to worsen, you can be assured you’ll have to start cutting costs to survive. If you’re already used to saving money, you’ll have a much easier time adjusting.
Invest Wisely.
Advertising, staffing, equipment, all these things need to be helping you break even. Eliminate any investment into a resource that isn’t contributing measurable value to your company. Invest in equipment that lasts, staff that’s competent and make sure your advertising is promoting the value you deliver. You should never be content to hemorrhage cash into an investment that’s not working out.
Some people make fortunes in economic downturns, most people go broke. How will you ensure that you’re in the former category?
How often are you checking your e-mail? Is it the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night (not a good idea)? How does inbound communication, like calls, IMs, Facebook messages, tweets, and texts affect your daily schedule and productivity? If you’re like me, chances are you check your e-mail at least a few times a day and dare I say quite a bit more. I know I check my e-mail at least 20 times a day and on a slow day I’ve received at least 100 and have sent a minimum of 50. This is in addition to other communication mediums!
Many people check e-mail because they secretly hope for that elusive job offer, key contract, or response on their mortgage application. Though 99% of e-mail isn’t urgent or isn’t necessarily a positive, breakthrough message, it’s the 1% of the time that positive news hits that prompts people to incessantly follow their inbox. It’s kind of like checking your snail mail each day hoping for a Publisher’s Clearinghouse check, notification from the IRS that you don’t owe any taxes for the rest of your life, or letter from your long lost lover, even though the majority of the time it’s simply junk mail and bills. If not an aspiration for a positive e-mail, it’s a dread of letting e-mail build-up. It’s the thought of 25 e-mails sitting in your inbox the next day, just waiting for you. It’s the idea of 15 people having to wait a few hours on a response (oh the tragedy!). And sometimes, it’s sheer boredom or procrastinating on other more important tasks.
Obsessively checking your e-mail can lead to a feeling of treading water. It’s also when you spend (or waste) time reading e-mail or thinking about what you need to do as opposed to actually getting stuff done.
If you’ve read the 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss or just one of the dozens of articles on checking your e-mail less and organizing your email space, you’re probably familiar with the idea that being in a constant state of reaction to inbound communication, specifically e-mail, may not be the most productive behavior. It can become addictive, distracting, and detrimental to productivity. Maybe you’ve tried to change or check your e-mail less. Not as easy as it sounds, huh?
In my opinion, this notion of slimming down the amount of time you spend in your inbox and the frequency of even opening it up has a lot to do with a fundamental and more general concept of time management, prioritization, and a misguided attitude towards reactive vs. proactive behavior that affects many business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, and individuals. If you ever feel like you spend more time answering e-mail than getting things done or fighting small fires then planting seeds, maybe you can relate. If you feel like you’re always in react mode rather than being proactive like you know you should be, you’re my target audience.
You probably have heard of the 80/20 rule; most people have. I like to apply the 80/20 rule to small businesses and individuals as well: as an example, the majority of small business owners spend 80% of their time focusing on day-to-day tasks, inbound communication, and “reacting” and 20% of their time on longer-term strategy, proactive thought and action, and outbound communication. I’ve consulted with dozens of small business owners who spend at least 80% of their time on daily tasks and operational responsibilities and the leftovers are for long-term strategy and proactive aspirations. This may be because many small businesses are started by people who love the core product or service the small business offers, but aren’t necessarily business-savvy strategic thinkers. For instance, a restaurant owner probably started his restaurant because of a passion for food. And a clothing line was likely founded due to a love for art and clothing. Many small business owners are all about the product or service and not so much about the “business” side of things. So they focus on the “business” and don’t focus on the “business“. They begun to run their business on auto-pilot mode worrying only about operations and not the bigger picture and wonder why they crash and burn in 5 years.
I’m not saying you need to neglect your product, service, or day-to-day operational responsibilities. I’m not saying you should forsake short term for long term. And I’m not saying you should neglect your e-mail and enjoy a margarita instead. What I am saying is that in order to be successful, you have to learn how to prioritize. You have to learn how to filter. You have to learn how to say no, when to say yes, and how to delegate. It’s my belief that in the connected, oft-cynical world we call home, there is much clutter and many choices. It’s the individuals, businesses, and organizations that focus on being proactive, differentiating, and offering something worth talking about that will rise to the top of the heap. The entrepreneurs and managers who are stuck in their own world of operational bullshit will tread water, even though they may look good doing it. Break out of your daily routine and stop reacting, whether it’s your inbox, your business, or your life in general. It’s time to stop living your life and growing your business by way of inertia. Take control of your inbox, take control of your your time and reverse the formula so that you spend 80% of your time on the bigger picture and 20% of your time on the menial, but necessary tasks (anything else should be delegated, automated, optimized, or outsourced!).
I know a technology has reached maturity when my mom starts using it. I remember, my mother was always fairly familiar with technology. However she has always been behind the curve compared to my generation and people more familiar with technology.
My parents started using e-mail in the mid 90’s. They didn’t really start taking advantage of smart phones and PDAs until 2002-2003. They’re both in their fifties now, err, I mean mom is 38. And when they do adopt new technologies, they usually end up using them fairly regularly, even though my dad does have trouble getting around a computer.
Yesterday morning I woke up, checked my email, and found that my mom had requested me as a friend on Facebook. As I approved her request, I realized that social networks have nearly reached complete market saturation. If my mom is using a technology, it’s not a niche product anymore, it has become a commodity.
Up until then I had thought that maybe, just maybe online social networking utilities could be just a fad, something like eight track cassettes, Tamagotchis, or Furbies. For better or for worse it seems to me that this is not the case. Facebook, Myspace, or some version of them are here and they’ll probably be around for quite some time now that the mothers of the world are taking advantage.
