Free for the Taking: Inspiration

At the core of any successful communication program is the inspiration element – the crux of what you are doing that will inspire people into action, motivate them to change or make a particular choice, and at the pinnacle of all efforts – inspire new thinking.

Inspiration comes in so many different forms – and from so many different directions. Oftentimes, it’s not really a-jaw-dropping-amazing-new-discovery that inspires us. It’s that moment, that message, that phrasing or shared emotion that brings us back to what we truly believe, reminds us of the dreams we have and get buried by day to day minutiae, and sparks an idea that may have been smoldering for some time.

Years ago, while I was still working in TV news, I was fortunate enough to experience an intensive week of training at the Poynter Institute - journalism nirvana as I refer to it. It brought me back to why I got into journalism in the first place, reminded me of the ideals I held for my profession, and helped me refine what I wanted to be doing.

But journeys to the Mecca of your craft are pricey, and our time is in more demand than ever. So I seek inspiration and opportunities to be surrounded by those who can motivate me to explore and expand my thinking wherever I can get them. It’s why I go to meetings like TechBoise, although I don’t consider myself a geek. Why I’m following #PNWER in TweetDeck to keep up with what’s happening at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Summit, although I’m not an elected or working on policy initiatives at the moment.

And this is one of those weeks that makes me say to myself (and sometimes out loud!) ‘I’m so glad I live in Boise’. Free for the taking – a bit of inspiration for you…

First up, Ignite Boise 2 hits the stage at the Egyptian this Thursday, July 16. If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know the gist – you have 5 minutes, 20 slides that change every 15 seconds – what would you tell the world? I was lucky/crazy/fortunate enough to participate in IB01 and must say – it was one of the most exhilarating-pee-your-pants moments I’ve ever been part of. After the adrenaline rush of presenting, I was awed by the diversity of ideas from my fellow presenters. The breadth of presentations for IB02 is sure to spark a smoldering idea in someone in the audience – from Being Danger Ready to How the Eagles Almost Ruined Rock and Roll and All of Civilization. If you didn’t get one of the 600 tickets that were snatched up in 2 hours last month, don’t despair. Line up at the Egyptian at 6:30 and you’ll have a good chance of getting in.

And then two days later, the Idaho Green Expo returns to the Center on the Grove. The list of exhibitors is impressive – a broad swath of businesses and organizations that cut across industries but all share a common connection. The desire to improve upon how we live, work and leave an imprint on our community. Green isn’t just a catch phrase, a fad, a state of mind for a selected niche group – it has now become reflective of what we are all trying to do in our lives – be sustainable.  If you can’t be inspired by the hundreds of exhibitors, seminars, producers, artisans and partners at this event – you are made of stone. Make sure to check out Sustainable U – a self-guided exploration of what a green home, garden and office actually look like. By walking through these exhibits, you can see for yourself how you can make small, and sometimes, not so small changes that will usually lead to saving energy, saving money, improving your health and are also good for the environment. (full disclosure – Red Sky works with one of the co-sponsors of the exhibit – VengaWorks – an organization working to redefine our workplaces)

Looking forward to a busy next few days – filled with inspiration and motivation.

So what inspires you?

- Jess

Make the Jump: Hack Life, Welcome to My Job, Fear of Success

Hack Your Life

Couldn’t say this any better if I tried. “You love your friends and enjoy your acquaintances, but their Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/MySpace activity is killing your productivity. Here’s the two ways, “sledgehammer” and “scalpel,” we recommend for keeping yourself in the loop while minimizing constant distractions.” Make the jump for the rest of the great post by Lifehacker – How to Filter and Manage Your Online Social Life

Take This Job And…

There have been many missives back and forth about both the death of journalism, and the so-called  decline of what is considered ‘news’ and ‘the media’ due to the rise of voices in the social media realm. While I believe there are points to be made on both sides, check that – all sides, of the argument over the future of how we define news, journalist Tynan Wood makes great points in his blog rant My Job and Welcome To It

“What gets under my skin are the comments that invariably accompany these screeds about the future/death of journalism. It’s amazing to me how many people out there firmly believe they know how to do my job better than I do, despite the fact they have no idea what I actually do. So I thought I’d try explaining what I do, and how it’s changed as a result of the blogosphere, in an effort to clear up some misconceptions and, hopefully, shut some people up.” More after the jump

And finally…

Forget the Chimps, Climb the Pole

Thanks to Twitter, found this link to a fantastic guest blog post by Jason Barr (another Boisean I might not have had the pleasure to know if not for social web connections). On the site ‘Dumb Little Man’ – Jason blogged about Overcoming the Fear of Success.

“…. If we try to do something extraordinary with our lives, and we tell people about it, we’re worried we’ll be ridiculed for it. Mocked and shamed into conformity. People tell us it can’t be done, simply because they’ve never seen anyone do it before. Well, I think it’s time that it stopped. Thumb your nose at the rest of the chimps and climb the pole. Do what you want to do, and don’t worry about what other people think.” To find out what the heck chimps have to do with it, make the jump.

Of Jason’s ‘Lessons Learned’, #1 hit home the most for me. Go see which resonates with you. Yes, inklings of fear still infuse my life on a regular basis. But it’s good – and it is part of what drives me to climb the pole.

- Jess

Make the Jump: Aggregate Love, Organize Thyself, Goodbyes & Hellos

My Twitter favorites and del.icio.us bookmarks are filling up, so that must mean it is time for a Make The Jump post!

AGGREGATING!
I love sites that aggregate, through block-and-tackle research or through a wiki. Thanks for taking the time to pull together the lists, data and info I look for! Not saying I’m lazy – but with the plethora of information in the world swirling about and changing daily we can all use some help pulling it together. Two of my favorite aggregator sites of late:

Muck Rack’s Journalists on Twitter page. A lot of sites are popping up to provide the ultimate list of this group or that group on Twitter. This is my favorite so far because it organizes journo-twits via organization (and with logos for those who like visuals). And, in another great feature, shows the twitter-stream from the journos of that news organization. Pretty slick. Thanks @julierose78 for sharing the link!

(Think I’ve also mentioned the wiki Media on Twitter from the minds of @prsarahevans @skydiver @briansolis @melissahourigan and @edunigan)

Twibs helps you find businesses on Twitter

And for those interested in what is your electeds and tax-supported agencies are doing on Twitter – check out one of the many sites with listings – the GovTwit Directory site and TwitterStream

Organizing Your World

Contrary to the subheading – this is not about the ubiquitous moleskin Although I do feel that owning one, or two or three helps drive creativity!

This is about all of the places your personality, business, and/or aura lives online. How do you keep them all updated and relevant? Better yet, how do you keep yourself sane? I get the question a lot about how to maintain/update/utilize the various social networks I belong to. The reality is – I don’t belong to that many – but it can be overwhelming. So, my advice is to dip your toes in, try what is out there, discard what doesn’t work, keep looking for what works for YOU. Because every situation is unique, what works for me (TweetDeck, Feedly, iGoogle, Friendfeed) may not work for you. And just because I’m using them now – doesn’t mean I will be tomorrow. Needs change, and so should our tools.

Entrepreneur had a great piece on ‘Managing Your Social Networks’, full admitting “An aggregation tool that will let you manage all your sites seamlessly is still a ways away. Developers are still defining what a social media aggregator should do because people use social sites in different ways…” Even so, the article lists some great apps that have come on the scene that are helping people get a handle on their networks.

Sidenote: Have you seen the new format for PitchEngine? If not, go check it out. And if you are in PR and haven’t given PitchEngine a whirl – go do it! Kudos to Jason Kintzler for a great SMR platform and for constantly reworking it and improving on it every time.

Goodbye & Hello

If the brave new world of communication has taught us anything, it is that leaders can arise and gain a following and respect for their voice not only in their physical location but on a global platform. As I shared with Tim Walker at Hoovers.com, I truly believe – “...the beauty of social media is that, unlike other networking, there are no geographic boundaries. We are all on a virtual level playing field where my thoughts and opinions hold the same weight as those [of someone] in a larger city. It is about the quality of the conversation — not the size of the population… the world is now without borders. ”

Case in point – Tac Anderson, a good friend and leader in Idaho who is moving on to a new opportunity at Waggener Edstrom’s Studio D in Seattle. For years Tac has been at the forefront of business and social media, working most recently at HP, and a cornerstone of the tech and entrepreneur community in Idaho through his TechBoise site and work at Highway12 Ventures as Entrepreneur in Residence.

Besides being one of the sharpest people many of us will ever know, Tac is able to combine those rare qualities of an early adopter with an approachable evangelist. Someone who points the way towards great finds, new ways of doing business, and opportunities to raise our level of conversation and interaction – but he does it in a way that doesn’t alienate/intimidate/put off those of us running at a slightly slower pace

So while this is goodbye to my favorite pizza lunch buddy, and a true leader in our community, it is hello to the new paths he will blaze and discoveries he will make (and hopefully share!) in his new role. Highly recommend a follow if you don’t already!

- Jess