It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Laurie’s. And not because she’s a lover (of coffee, like me!). Or a leader in her industry. I am a fan because, like most people I feature here, she shares her time. She takes time away from her family and work to share her wisdom and insights with others. She doesn’t do it because she sees something in it for herself. She does it because, for her, its the right thing to do.
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So I have a secret to tell: I’ve been working on a side project with a few crazy friends this past summer. Correction: a few of my friends have been working on a project for quite some time. I’m just fortunate to have been involved recently more as a mentor and guide than anything else.
The good news is, things are getting close to completion. Which means launch date is creeping close.
What’s getting ready to launch? Well, I’ll let their PR machine take the lead on that. However, here’s the problem the team is looking to solve:
What’s wrong with this picture? It’s my son playing on the iPad. By himself. Learning…maybe. I hope.
So, keep your eye’s peeled here and on my Twitter feed. Things are about to get real.
It has been a pleasure getting to know Robleh over the past couple of years. Most recently, I have had the opportunity to sit at the feet of this humble giant to learn how he has launched 3 consecutive successful mobile products.
Who is Robleh Jama? He is the founder & CEO of Tiny Hearts which is an award-winning software studio focused on creating beautiful, playful and useful apps.
What has he built?
I had the opportunity to capture an interview with Robleh on camera. It’s a very insightful conversation. I hope you enjoy watching and listening:
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You all know (or should know!) how HUGE of a Neil Young fanboy I am. Here is a piece from GigaOM on Young’s Pono music player.
Congrats to Satish Kanwar, Verne Ho and the entire team! It was formally announced today that Ottawa-based tech darling Shopify acquired Canada’s premier user experience agency Jet Cooper. You can read about the news on the Shopify website.
I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to know Satish from when he was with Microsoft and made the transition to business owner in 2009. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of sharing coffee’s and picking up some great nuggets from him. And for that I’m thankful.
Like many other friends and observers, I am not alone in wishing everyone all the best!
Since 2009 I’ve formally interviewed Satish a number of times. Here’s a link to an interview I did 6 months after the birth of Jet Cooper. I hope you enjoy reading it: Creating smart user experiences with Jet Cooper.
Recently, I’ve been asked a number of times how to help brands and companies get started on social media. Sometimes, these questions are being asked by companies not using social media. However, sometimes it also includes brands that have social media accounts, but are just not using them.
Here is my three-step approach to using social media effectively. Note: For these three steps, I would highly recommend using HootSuite. Read my posts on HootSuite here.
What are people saying about your company, brand and industry. Learn what the conversations are like and who the people are. You will find influencers, thought leaders, friends and even enemies. Like GI Joe used to say, “Knowing is half the battle!”
After you know who these people are and what they are saying, you are now prepared to say hello and enter the conversation. Be there to answer questions. And do not be afraid to let people know that you’re new to the social media game and are here to help in any way that you can. You will find that most people on social media embrace and appreciate honesty and authenticity. Don’t try to be someone you’re not.
After a few weeks of listening and getting involved, you should now be ready to lead the conversation. It’s your turn (as a brand, company or independent business owner/professional) to be the thought leader and influencer. You ask the questions and provide guidance. Remember that you are the expert. Social media is just a tool to help engage with people to tell them your story as well as to listen how you can help others.
Try these three steps and let me know how things turn out.
Karim Awad is the founder and principal of Toronto-based creative agency big time design and communications. I have had the pleasure of knowing Karim since 2009 when he and I met for him to demo his (at the time) new product called Radar. His vision for a communications system that focused on consumer relevancy was clear. It is still a problem he continues to solve with products such as Qlouds, Pro.ps and others (I’m under a friend-NDA – but it will be WELL WORTH THE WAIT!)
Besides making the web a better place, Karim can be found playing soccer, supporting the Toronto FC and being taunted by teenagers playing Ultimate.
Here is a conversation I had with him in 2011. Yes, it was a while ago. I hope you enjoy.
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Just over 3 years ago I was the Toronto Community Manager for Techvibes.com. During that time I was fortunate to interview the (then new) COO of Syncapse, Kerry Munroe. He was one of hundreds of people I interviewed during my time with Techvibes. Some I captured on camera. Others became part of articles I wrote.
Syncapse was in the news yesterday as it announced a massive wave of layoffs in the midst of a restructuring move aimed at improving their financial state. With this in mind let’s take a look back as Kerry discusses the future of Syncapse.
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Note: Syncapse builds and delivers social media marketing software for enterprises.
Earlier last week news came out that former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson (both also current sprinters) tested positive for banned stimulants at the Jamaican championships in June.
In the middle of the subsequent investigation is Toronto-resident Chris Xuereb. Apparently, Xuereb was hired to help the athletes recover from injuries. How Xuereb was able to even obtain access to these athletes is now under suspicion too. At least by some.
Why? Well, on Xuereb’s LinkedIn profile it states that he was a member of the 2004 Argo Grey Cup Champions. (Xuereb’s account seems to have been shut down.) According to an interview with the Toronto Star, spokesperson Eric Holmes stated, “We have no employment record for Chris Xuereb, and I can confirm he was never employed by the club.”
Which brings me to my pain point: Don’t get fooled by LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a great tool that allows people to network with other people based on their professional “resume”. However, one must do some extra “homework” before entering into any type of business/employment relationship with a person:
These are just a few simple tips to help determine whether a person on LinkedIn is really who they say they are. How do you use LinkedIn?
One of the first people I started to look up to in my journey in this social media world was Gregg Tilston. I can’t remember what is was but he always been one of those people in the community that had time to give back.
Gregg is not only the social media lead for Flight Centre globally, but he is also active with Movember in Toronto. And if you’re a good guy, you might even be fortunate to share a beer, coffee or meal with him.
One of the reason’s I looked up to Greg in the first place was his understanding of the digital space and his constant thirst for knowledge. Here’s a conversation I had with Gregg. We discussed strategy, analytics, security, and of course, Klout.
Enjoy!
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