tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66453852024-03-13T20:22:09.829-05:00Sam Davidsonthis is where I used to blogSam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.comBlogger1151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-75088275645628866682009-11-20T06:54:00.002-06:002009-11-20T06:54:54.260-06:00Just a Friendly ReminderI'm not here anymore. You need to check out the goodness at <a href="http://www.samdavidson.net/">SamDavidson.net</a>.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-1755483128921960752009-08-23T08:17:00.002-05:002009-08-23T08:21:19.334-05:00Going Out of Business - I'm MovingThat's right. The time has come. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm out.</span><br /><br />This will be the last entry at SamDavidson.blogspot.com. From now on, everything else is over at the brand new <a href="http://samdavidson.net/">SamDavidson.net</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://samdavidson.net/blog/">Here's the blog.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://samdavidson.net/blog/rss.xml">Here's the RSS for the blog.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://samdavidson.squarespace.com/blog/atom.xml?categoryId=1542320">Here's the RSS just for my takes on social media, marketing and nonprofits.</a><br /><br />Yes, there will be more daddy-blogging.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-67868851344802572832009-08-20T15:22:00.002-05:002009-08-20T17:08:12.860-05:00When I Found Out (my wife was pregnant)When we thought we were pregnant, I had just finished eating a cupcake while watching <a href="http://www.jimrome.com/home.html">Jim Rome</a>.<br /><br />When we knew we were pregnant, I was in line at the post office.<br /><br />While shipping packages and pounding cupcakes can be causes for celebration, they don't quite compare to finding out that you just fathered something.<br /><br />It was around Cinco de Mayo when we found out. The doctor's estimate had us welcoming a bundle of joy sometime in late December or early January. Right around mine and Lynnette's birthdays, our anniversary, <span style="font-weight: bold;">and </span>Christmas.<br /><br />And Kwanzaa, of course. (We're huge Kwanzaa freaks.)<br /><br />Maybe that'll be the baby's name. I'm not really sure what the naming process will be like. I'm not sure what <span style="font-weight: bold;">any </span>process will be like. All I know right now is that I'm on litter box duty for the next several months (and probably longer).<br /><br />Speaking of my cat, she took it the worst of all. She's already overwieght and has half a tail. So, this sent her right over the edge. Somehow, she knew. She spewed projectile vomit over the kitchen floor the night after we found, which I cleaned up the next morning. So add that to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">"List of Things I Did When I Found Out I Was a Dad:"</span><br /><ul><li>Eat a cupcake</li><li>Mail packages</li><li>Clean up cat vomit</li></ul>And for now, a picture:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwajLQ37LJIAOrkhWBiipiZLtBR5dEWulZq05YKA_1rJFBEfnflvOJ2_c2d_S2V7xSCewfkTZdGI0_pgjeT-YsmZh4JNCbjlJhyUyFepOgy9-Rw_UD3IzMB3-LqlwbF5An30p6CA/s1600-h/preggers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwajLQ37LJIAOrkhWBiipiZLtBR5dEWulZq05YKA_1rJFBEfnflvOJ2_c2d_S2V7xSCewfkTZdGI0_pgjeT-YsmZh4JNCbjlJhyUyFepOgy9-Rw_UD3IzMB3-LqlwbF5An30p6CA/s320/preggers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372145343660582194" border="0" /></a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-76183201565220885572009-08-10T13:30:00.003-05:002009-08-10T13:50:49.579-05:00Generosity Is a Gift<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2924362908_fee8cc7373.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 271px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2924362908_fee8cc7373.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>At lunch today with <a href="http://sweetsleep.org/aboutus/staff.html">Jen Gash</a>, founder and executive director of <a href="http://sweetsleep.org/">Sweet Sleep</a>, I heard the story of her recent trip to Uganda. It was the nonprofit's first trip to Africa, where they provided beds for hundreds of orphans.<br /><br />The entire village was thankful that Jen and her team came to build beds there. As a show of their gratitude, they held a celebration once the beds were ready. Of course, Jen and her American team were very unready for what ensued: hours and hours of celebration, dance, speeches and partying.<br /><br />Then, in the middle of all that celebration, the team stood amazed as the villagers began to bring gifts. Widows offered fruit by the dozen. One man gave them a 10-foot long sugar cane. This continued for some time until one widow approached Jen and placed in her hand a coin – probably the only money this woman had to her name.<br /><br />Jen faced a dilemma. Here were all these people that her team came to help. There were so many people in need. Yet, they freely gave what little they had.<br /><br />Jen knew better than to thwart their generosity. But 1) she couldn't logistically come back to the US with all that fruit and sugar cane, and 2) she didn't need the money the widow had given her.<br /><br />In speaking with the local pastor, Jen made arrangements to have the food given to nearby children who were hungry. And she and her team gave the money they received to local orphanage personnel. They did all this without the widows and gift givers knowing about it.<br /><br />Jen told me, "We couldn’t accept the gifts they were giving to us. But, we happily accepted them <span style="font-weight: bold;">and then made sure we did something good with them</span>."<br /><br />Peter Gomes, preacher and writer, tells a story in his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060088303?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060088303"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Good Book</span></a>. When he was a young preacher he visited a rural church and preached one Sunday morning. This poor, small-town congregation took up a special offering to pay him for his services. But, when they tried to present it to him at the end of the service, he refused to accept it.<br /><br />They next day, when back on campus, the campus minister called him into his office and scolded him for not taking the gift. Gomes tried to reason with the minister that the community needed that small amount of money more than he, a young man on scholarship, did. The minister then told him that he had done more harm by not taking the money. "You have stolen from them. <span style="font-weight: bold;">You took their right to be generous.</span>"<br /><br />We've all been there. The awkward moment when we're trying to decide who's supposed to pay for lunch. Or when we have to split the check seven ways. Or when we're not sure if we should send the holiday card because we can't remember if we got one from them last year. Or if we should really make the trip to the wedding. Or if we need to go to the baby shower. Or if they're the kind of friend that deserves the waffle maker or hand towels as a registry gift.<br /><br />Simply put, <span style="font-weight: bold;">generosity is hard</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But only when we try to measure it.</span><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0156034026?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0156034026"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Reluctant Fundamentalist</span></a>, the narrator is telling his tale over dinner with an American who is visiting Pakistan. He weaves in tips about the local customs throughout his story and he also tells his companion that he will pay for dinner, along with admonishing him that in America, people keep score about who has paid for what. From his viewpoint, the narrator tells him that he believes it all balances out. By worrying less about who owes what and concentrating more on their time together, everyone can enjoy each other’s company more and have a better time – and a better life.<br /><br />Bruce Northam, in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1577312163?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1577312163"><span style="font-style: italic;">Globetrotter Dogma</span></a> quips, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Money is how uncreative people keep score."</span> I like that quote, which is why I know it verbatim from memory.<br /><br />But it's difficult – especially in this economy. When dollars stretch tighter than ever, we can't help but measure every penny. When we owe creditors mortgage notes and credit card interest, we are always reminded that someone, somewhere is keeping score. And that someone is rarely generous to us.<br /><br />In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061122416?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061122416"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Alchemist</span></a>, the title character offers up all of Santiago's wealth if a tribal leader will not kill the boy, but let him live at least three more days. The tribal leader grants the request, but Santiago is furious that the alchemist has lost all of his money. "He would have killed you on the spot if I hadn't offered your money," retorts the alchemist. "What good is your money if you're dead?"<br /><br />I'm not saying that we need to go on a spending spree, eating, drinking and being merry since we'll die tomorrow. But I am saying that we don't need to keep score as much. Sure, saving is important, but not at the expense of being generous. <span style="font-weight: bold;">By giving something away, you might finally realize how much you really do have.</span><br /><br />And if the karma of the universe decides to even everything out, and you find yourself on the receiving end of generosity, do as Jen and her team did and <span style="font-weight: bold;">promise to do something good with what has been given to you</span>.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/">avlxyz</a></span>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-83564778797503521632009-07-16T12:28:00.003-05:002009-08-10T13:50:37.985-05:00Work It on the PhoneI spend a few hours each day on the phone. It's how I do a lot of work - talking with clients, potential partners and even answering customer service calls for <a href="http://store.coolpeoplecare.org/">our online store</a>. If you find yourself in a situation where you're taking a lot of calls, especially to get business done, <span style="font-weight: bold;">here are some tips and tricks that may help:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/104/314349264_ee7800365b.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 187px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/104/314349264_ee7800365b.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Get a headpiece</span></span><br />Whether you swear by bluetooth or you like the free set of earphones that came with your iPhone, make sure you're not caught holding your phone. Having your hands free means you can write or type notes. And, with an earpiece closer to your eardrum, you won't miss what the caller's saying.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Press mute</span></span><br />If you're near your machine, nothing may be worse that someone popping in on Google chat with the annoying sound effects that come with it. Or, you don't want an iTunes song starting up accidentally. Just press the mute button to avoid this.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Schedule calls in succession</span></span><br />I try my best to have all my phone time on one day of the week. This way, I'll make sure that my settings are ideal for taking the call (in my office, door closed, mute button pressed) for an extended amount of time and will decrease the prep time needed to take a call. I'll also be mentally in 'call mode' and ready to speak to the person I'm phoning.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Always take the call</span></span><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GNBY5U?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001GNBY5U">Peter Shankman does this</a>, and he's done well for himself. Then again, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307465357">Tim Ferris never does</a> and he's done okay, too. So, it depends upon your work, but I'd side with Shankman. Just this week, answering the phone has led to me scheduling a book appearance, a press interview and signing a new <a href="http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/partners/">partner</a>. Sure, they could have left messages, but by appearing available and excited, I like to think it's better for business. Just be ready when you say hello.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Focus</span></span><br />If your computer's on so you can take notes, shut down the Internet. This isn't the time to be looking at Facebook photos or catching up on blogs. It's game time. Time for business. You don't want to blow something great just because you were too absorbed in someone's tweets. That'll be there after you finish the call and sign a new client, which will make for a better status update later anyway.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">How do you get things done on the phone?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Stand up when you talk? Use Skype for a little video bonus? </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Share your tips in the comments.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/evert-jan/314349264/">EverJean from Flickr</a></span>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-47477627259202776142009-06-15T17:08:00.004-05:002009-06-15T17:23:46.542-05:00I Left Church and Found CommunityThis post has nothing to do with <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-churches-with-pipe-organs-will-soon.html">my opinions of pipe organs</a>. Nonetheless, my mother-in-law may still find it loathsome.<br /><br />After nearly three years visiting almost every place that serves Sunday breakfast in Nashville, I think I found the best one – the one that I could visit over and over again. Of course, I need to go there again (maybe this Sunday) to make sure that I didn't imagine it, get lucky, or that it doesn't catch on fire this week. <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-i-gave-up-trying-to-balance-work.html">Sunday brunch with my family is important to me</a>, so you can imagine how excited I am to find a spot that offers enough diversity for my picky family without having the word "cheesecake" in the title.<br /><br />I'm able to go to Sunday brunch each week because <span style="font-weight: bold;">I stopped going to church</span>. This is so not where I thought I'd be ten or even <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-did-28-year-old-say-to-23-year-old.html">five years ago</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But, I couldn't be happier.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3puwTe4eXdCfo2VReTqjo-9GZDSdoVnxvOaIsBPY-HamxXzSDTMYvzuF53omXvRVnF-j639g59UN-Ry9Es6S4XlHQSbQnQWsN6x1gey5I6UyF2l_BFoyNjGaU18-BHtCCizpofg/s1600-h/most+you.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3puwTe4eXdCfo2VReTqjo-9GZDSdoVnxvOaIsBPY-HamxXzSDTMYvzuF53omXvRVnF-j639g59UN-Ry9Es6S4XlHQSbQnQWsN6x1gey5I6UyF2l_BFoyNjGaU18-BHtCCizpofg/s320/most+you.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347682544032473442" border="0" /></a><br />Community – <span style="font-weight: bold;">having a place where I belong and can be my most 'me'</span> – is important to me. It's important to humans, really. We're social animals. We crave attention, affection, acceptance and connection. It's good when you can call someone 'yours.' It's better when someone can call you that, too.<br /><br /><a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2007/12/indispensability-of-communitas.html">But it's so hard to find.</a> Like <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/04/want-hope-video-post.html">hope</a>, people need it so badly they'll pay top dollar. So, if you can help create, develop and sustain real community, congratulations. You'll be rich very soon.<br /><br />For a long time, church was a place where I could find community. It was a place to meet people, talk about stuff that mattered and be encouraged to be my most me. But, something changed. Maybe it was entering the real world. Maybe it was working for a living and understanding that time spent off the clock was time that I wanted to spend only on things that were truly personally enjoyable. Shopping for churches is <span style="font-weight: bold;">never </span>enjoyable.<br /><br />In the process of all that, I started my own faith community. A handful of us gather at my home on Sunday evenings to talk about our weeks, dream together about how to be better people and our most respective selves, and provide support, hope, and insight for each other. We're all (mostly) former church members, vagabonds who have found a stopping point where we'd like to stay for a while.<br /><br />I don't know if I’ll ever go to church again. Speaking in one (which I do about six times a year) and visiting one with my in-laws on Christmas Eve is about all the church-related exposure I get now. Lots of Facebook friends of mine work in churches and I wonder what their lives are like. A lot of other Facebook friends go to church a lot and really like it. I wonder what their lives are like, too.<br /><br />Hopefully (certainly, right?), they've found a community there. Hopefully it's the best community they could find or else they wouldn't be wasting their time in a place where they couldn't be their most selves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My biggest community moments happen each week on Sunday.</span> One is in the morning over breakfast food with my family and the other is in the evening with those who are part of The Story. There's not much prayer, preaching, Bible reading or singing at either one. Maybe churches could provide a better actualization of community if they stopped doing all that.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-7422757128972210772009-06-10T10:54:00.003-05:002009-06-15T17:08:32.145-05:00Tell the DreamBlogging (even <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/search/label/video">video blogging</a>) comes and goes for me these days. I rarely share links of interest here, instead doing it via <a href="http://www.twitter.com/samdavidson">Twitter</a>.<br /><br />But, I don't find myself at a loss for creative output or for sharing my takes on things. That's mainly because I get a lot of email from people asking me questions. I'm happy to reply as it allows for intimate idea sharing, as well as a natural back-and-forth that I enjoy.<br /><br />Nonetheless, after a recent exchange with a friend who has some big ideas, I kept telling him to share his vision with as many people as possible. He's never short on ambition or big dreams – he just has trouble when it comes to implementing these dreams, mainly because he's not quite sure what the first step is.<br /><br />So, whenever you have big dream and are left to wonder what the first step is, it's this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tell as many people as possible.</span></span><br /></div><br />Big dreams require lots of things to become a reality. They require other people on board, a big social network, some financing, lots of time, a stroke or two of luck and an entire list of things that I'm too lazy to come up with right now.<br /><br />The only way you can begin to get the things you need to turn your dream into reality is to bring more people to the table. So, that's the first thing to do when you have a big dream. Tell as many people as possible.<br /><br />Here's why:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">You'll know if your idea is stupid.</span> If you start sharing your idea with people and a lot of them think your idea won't work, that it's worthless or they don't want to be involved, then you'll know that you need to scrap it or drastically change it. This will end up saving you time, heartache and even money.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">You'll know how quickly your idea will happen.</span> When you tell people, maybe half of them will want in, maybe most of them will want some kind of involvement, or maybe all of them will call you a genius. By gauging the level of excitement about what you're trying to do, you'll have a rough idea of the difficulty of your idea, as well as the time commitment needed to make it happen.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">You'll be able to move on to step two.</span> When something (a new nonprofit, a business idea, a community initiative) is just beginning, there are countless ways you could go, innumerable next steps and it all can get confusing. Sharing your idea with others will help you determine what the next step is. If you want to build a building and you tell your idea to an architect and she loves it, then maybe it's time to draw up some plans. </li></ul>Of course, someone could steal your idea. If you're worried about that, then don't tell the kind of people who steal ideas. If you know those kinds of people, you should stop being friends with them.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-65262701962779877922009-06-03T15:25:00.002-05:002009-06-10T10:54:00.840-05:00Plodding AlongSomewhere behind the <a href="http://www.lpfield.com/">north end zone</a> (which is about mile 3.5 of my 6 mile loop), I wanted to stop. This sometimes happens – the wanting to stop running – especially when you're trying to <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/01/dont-make-resolution-take-physical.html">run a half-marathon each month in a single year</a>. Come Saturday, I'll be halfway towards that goal when I cross the finish line in <a href="http://www.hospitalhillrun.com/">Kansas City</a>.<br /><br />But that's then. <span style="font-weight: bold;">And this is today.</span> And today, I didn't much enjoy putting one foot in front of the other at 7-something in the morning. Even though it was relatively early by many peoples' standards, it was already warm. And that told me that it would be warm for all of my upcoming training runs until October. In between now and then, I'm supposed to complete half marathons in San Francisco, New York, and Disneyland.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So you can see why I wanted to stop.</span><br /><br />But I pushed on. As <a href="http://thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=223">Ira Glass carried on about classified ads</a> in my headphones and traffic was picking up heading into downtown on Woodland Street, my shirt was getting heavier and I wondered who would really care if I just walked the rest of the way home?<br /><br />I even could cut the route short and shave off a mile or so. No one would have to know.<br /><br />Running analogies don't work on everyone, and I don't really have the time to wax theatrical (or poetic) about what happened next, so the point is this: sometimes you feel like quitting.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't.</span><br /><br />Seth Godin calls it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591841666?ie=UTF8&tag=coopeocar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591841666">The Dip</a>. That makes sense if you're an entrepreneur. But what if you're not? (some days I don’t feel much like one)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It means this:</span><br /><ul><li>You keep applying to jobs. All 94 of them. You just have to.</li><li>Even if you haven't made a sale in months, pick up the phone. Again.</li><li>Your daughter never listens. Check that – she <span style="font-style: italic;">seems</span> to never listen. But she really is. So keep talking to her.</li><li>They're not returning your calls or emails. They may have a reason. Until you know what that reason is, keep trying to make contact.</li><li>Your marketing plan isn't working. Get a new one, even if means getting a new consultant or firm or concept. Hell – you may even want to change your whole product line.</li></ul>If you want to succeed tomorrow, you better get busy <span style="font-weight: bold;">today</span>. Sweat equity can never be measured. Thus, you can always put in <span style="font-weight: bold;">more </span>of it.<br /><br />The first 16 months of <a href="http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/">Cool People Care</a> were nearly embarrassing at times. But, now that we've been up and running for nearly three years, people that I tried to get a meeting with in 2007 are emailing me. That's just how it happens.<br /><br />There is no such thing as overnight success. Unless you want to be a flash in the pan, too. That's the other side of that coin that no one talks about.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/the-inconvenience-of-change/inconvenience-of-change-the-problem-with-tomorrow/">I've said it before</a>, but it's worth repeating: <span style="font-weight: bold;">If you want cathedrals of better tomorrows, her foundation must be laid today.</span>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-69015216689722025382009-05-22T09:39:00.002-05:002009-06-10T10:53:51.023-05:00Writing About Work and LifeI've got a blogging gig over at <a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/">Corporate Idealist</a> where I write about Work/Life Balance on Fridays.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are my first three posts:</span><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/2009/05/how-important-to-you-is-40-hours/">How Important to You is 40 Hours?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/2009/05/do-vacations-add-balance/">Do Vacations Add Balance?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/2009/05/worklife-balance-is-all-about-ability/">Work/Life Balance is All About Ability</a></li></ul><a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/">Corporate Idealist</a> provides hope for hardworking heroes and was begun by Kate O'Neill, who cranks out posts during the rest of the week. You can learn more about the site <a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/about/">here</a>, and I'd highly encourage you to <a href="http://www.corporateidealist.com/feed/">subscribe</a>.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-13356746439700504312009-05-19T18:46:00.004-05:002009-06-10T10:53:45.823-05:00What did the 28-year-old say to the 23-year-old?I don't know what sort of epiphany I had the other day, but this idea popped into my head: <span style="font-weight: bold;">What would my 28-year-old self say to my 23-year-old self?</span> Regardless of how old you are, I encourage everyone to think about what you'd say to yourself five years ago.<br /><br />Half a decade ago, I'd been married for less than six months, was thinking about purchasing my first home, and had just been promoted to management at a job I was determined not to turn into a career. So many things were knew and exciting, and I was impatient for a lot to happen. In fact, I'd dare say that I'm a <span style="font-weight: bold;">completely </span>different person now.<br /><br />I know a lot of people who are 23, or close to it. They're recent grads with big dreams and a desire to get where they're going <span style="font-weight: bold;">now</span>. I was that way, too. I didn't know it all, but I thought I knew most of it. But now at 28, I don't think I even know half of it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So, here's what I'd say:</span><br /><ul><li>You can't imagine where you'll be in five years. Embrace that mystery.</li><li>It doesn't matter where you'll be in ten years. Just try to be happy with it.</li><li>You're going to start eating a lot of salads. And you'll like it.</li><li>Religious stuff ain't that big of a deal. You write a lot about it now, but you won't later.</li><li>Love your wife more today than yesterday.</li><li>You'll love running again.</li><li>If you want to find balance in life, discover how important both flexibility and stability are to you. </li><li>There are a lot of fine lines in life. Learn how to navigate them correctly and you'll be okay.</li><li>Social capital is everything and it always will be.</li><li>You don't have a clue.</li><li>Your passions will change in life. Sort of like best friends.</li><li>Go see everyone get married, but don't feel bad if you can't make one or two.</li><li>Get better at learning. Always.</li><li>It gets a lot more fun.</li><li>Ask for help and ask for advice. It's okay.</li><li>It gets harder to lose weight and it takes longer to burn off a night out. So even though you want more, one piece of cheesecake will do.</li><li>For the next five years, save as much money as you can, spend time with your family often, and make a list of every good idea that pops into your head.</li><li>Keeping asking, "Why not?" </li><li>In about 10 months, you're going to get food poisoning really bad. So, steer clear of the shrimp on Easter.</li></ul>I can't wait to see what I think of who I am now when I'm 33.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-10216035499573625632009-05-12T06:30:00.000-05:002009-05-12T06:30:00.801-05:00Free Copies of My Book, New Day RevolutionChange agent Matt Cheuvront at <a href="http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/">Life Without Pants</a> is helping sponsor a giveaway of <a href="http://www.newdayrevolution.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">New Day Revolution</span></a>. <a href="http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/new-day-revolution/">All you have to do is blog about change this month. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/new-day-revolution/">So, go do it.</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/new-day-revolution/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 650px; height: 250px;" src="http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/newdayrevolutionpromotion.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-4032388389795549682009-05-11T06:51:00.000-05:002009-05-11T06:51:00.543-05:00Change the World by Changing the Conversation [Video Post]A few weeks ago, I went to visit my grandfather. During the visit, I went with him to his coffee club, <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-coffee-club.html">which I've blogged about before</a>.<br /><br />After that trip, a few college friends visited me. While we hung out, it dawned on me: the conversations I was having with them at 28 were the same conversations my grandfather was having at 91.<br /><br />The moral of the story: conversations don't change on their own. <span style="font-weight: bold;">We have to change them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Watch this video for more on that:</span><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4514818&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4514818&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/4514818">Changing the Conversation</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XvmTrvj4Nk"><br />And, here's the YouTube version.</a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-80828134500082260592009-05-06T09:07:00.007-05:002011-10-06T15:40:46.154-05:00Don't Let Your Marriage Fail When Your Spouse Goes to Grad SchoolIn two days, my wife finishes up her second <a href="http://www.mastersdegree.net/">master's degree</a>. This one's in counseling. In some ways, I feel like I'm graduating on Friday. The past two years were downright hellacious at times, and stressful at others. But, through the exams, papers, class projects and reading assignments, we managed to make it as a couple.<br /><br />To me, this is no small achievement. I've personally known of at least three marriages that didn't survive grad school for one reason or the other. Grad school wasn't necessarily the only thing to blame, but it doesn't make anything easier.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My marriage survived grad school. So can yours.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v614/215/116/41804371/n41804371_31987751_8327.jpg"><img style="margin: 5pt 5pt 5px 5px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 193px;" src="http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v614/215/116/41804371/n41804371_31987751_8327.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When one spouse is in grad school, the other feels like he or she is on the outside looking in. Someone they deeply love is (ideally) pursuing something they're passionate about, devoting time, money and energy into learning new skills or ideas in order to find employment that will help the couple maintain a certain standard of living for the next season of life. Likewise, the student is also changing. As they encounter new ideas and have new experiences, the spouse is often clueless, not knowing how this new knowledge is shaping or changing his or her spouse.<br /><br />And then, before you know it, it's like you're married to someone else. The person you knew before school started may now have different perspectives, work habits, viewpoints, friends or goals. And unless you're clued in, you're in danger of not knowing who you're waking up to each morning.<br /><br />Likewise, if the spouse is studying something that you're not interested in, something you can't help with, or something that's simply out of your league, you're generally of no use to them academically. If my wife were getting her MBA in marketing and had to come up with new brand campaigns, I'd be all over it, doing market research, staying up late, you name it. But because she instead had to write about the effects of childhood interaction when it comes to developing personality disorders in adolescents, I'm as useful as my cat (which usually curls up on my wife's lap when she's trying to write said paper).<br /><br />So, what's a guy or girl to do when their loved one is studying away on an advanced degree? Below I share what worked for me and Lynnette, and hopefully you'll be able to weather the wretched storm that is higher education:<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn how to cook.</span> I made my wife's day a million times better by having a hot meal ready when she came home after a long day of class, clients and crises. Whether I simply heated up a frozen pizza or perfected <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-i-lost-25-pounds-in-six-months.html">my veggie quesadillas</a>, a warm delicious meal made her happy and showed my concern for her day.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Change your schedule and get more done.</span> <a href="http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/">As an entrepreneur</a>, my schedule's flexible, so this may not apply to everyone. And, my wife's school schedule consisted mainly of evening classes, which again, may not apply to everyone. But, by moving my schedule around to work late when she was in class until 8, I was able to get more done, go more places, meet more people, work on more deals, and develop more ideas. This also meant I didn't spend chunks of time on the couch doing nothing, waiting for her to get home. I used that time on my business. For you, that may mean you can take up a new hobby or learn a new skill. Whatever you do, use the time wisely and be productive.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Make friends with a couple – preferably one where everyone likes everyone else</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>(the students like the students; the spouses like the spouse; and vice versa). This one is tough, but I will tell you this on the onset, especially as someone who has started two different grad programs: the people you hang out with the first month are <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> the people who become your better friends. When school starts, everyone's trying to meet everyone else. Therefore, you'll go hang out with nearly anyone until you realize who you like and who you don't. For example, twice during the first month of my wife's program, we went to a bar and out bowling with people I haven't seen since. It took a while for everyone to find their appropriate social network, and once we all did, it was all gravy. Now, my wife and I have a few other couples that we hang with. When the students in each relationship are studying late or working on a special project, the guys (yes, we're all guys) will go to grab a drink or catch a game. And, all eight of us can also get together for dinner or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apples_to_Apples">Apples to Apples</a> when needed. Everyone's happy, and it's a great way to take a load off. Also, while my wife's out making new friends, so am I, and that's important for each partner.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Take a load off.</span> When your spouse goes to grad school, congratulations. Yo'’ve just become a concierge. Because I want my wife to succeed in school and in her job search, I handle all non-school related items. I grocery shop. I wash clothes. I pay bills. I take the cars in for oil changes. I feed the cat. I plan dinner. I'm not trying to baby my wife – I'm just happy to do those little things to make her stressful time a little less so. In a good relationship, you should be doing little things for the other person anyway, but when someone's in grad school, they've got enough on their plate. Besides, I kind of like going to the grocery store, anyway.</li></ul> This list isn't comprehensive, and it's also not foolproof. It's what helped me and Lynnette make it, and hopefully there's at least one thing you can do to make sure that you stick together when your spouse goes back to school.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marriages and degrees are both technically just sheets of paper. But good ones are treated like so much more.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Leave a comment! Is your spouse in grad school? What do you do to make sure your marriage succeeds?</span>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-90469444365723382202009-04-26T08:53:00.001-05:002009-04-26T08:55:10.238-05:00Tweeting on the Run<a href="http://twitter.com/steved2psi">My dad tweeted during the half-marathon in Nashville yesterday. </a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-78469751692206440342009-04-23T07:05:00.000-05:002009-04-26T08:54:53.936-05:00Want Hope? (Video Post)I was asked to submit an essay on hope for a book that's coming out next year. I have no idea if what I wrote will make it into the collection, but this was harder than I thought.<br /><br />I don't know why it was so tough to write about hope, but I ultimately concluded that we all need more hope in our lives, no matter how much we may think we already have. But, hope is something that we can get if we first offer it to someone else. Sure, <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01/what-marketers.html">we can buy it</a> - but it's better to give it away:<br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4262232&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4262232&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/4262232">Offer Hope</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK6kFpJrmB0">The YouTube version.</a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-55385605060989783412009-04-20T06:23:00.003-05:002009-04-20T06:23:00.183-05:00Asset or Liability? (Video post)I'm starting to talk about social media more and more. Whether I'm <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/04/social-media-and-arts-organizations.html">presenting to nonprofits on what it is and how they can reach Generation Y with it</a>, or I'm <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/02/thinking-about-religious-movements-and.html">lecturing to future ministers about it</a>, it's taking more and more of my time.<br /><br />And all this is fine with me. Because I'm developing a reputation, and that reputation can get me on TV, which (hopefully) grows my personal brand <span style="font-weight: bold;">as someone who can help people understand and use these tools to make the world a better place</span>.<br /><br />One thing I'm learning in all of this is that people have a particular outlook that has a direct effect on how willing they are to use these tools. And for me, people consider social media to either be an <span style="font-weight: bold;">asset </span>or a <span style="font-weight: bold;">liability</span>.<br /><br />Want proof? Watch this video of my recent appearance at a call-in show here in Nashville. I see social media as an <span style="font-weight: bold;">asset </span>- something to be used or leveraged in order to create value. The other participant views it as a <span style="font-weight: bold;">liability </span>- something to be used sparingly and carefully, unless you want to have a mess on your hands.<br /><br /><object id="WNVideoCanvasDEFAULTdivWNVideoCanvas" width="400" height="340"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="wmode" value="windowless"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.newschannel5.com/global/video/flash/widgets/WNVideoCanvas.swf"> <embed src="http://www.newschannel5.com/global/video/flash/widgets/WNVideoCanvas.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="windowless" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="isShowIcon=true&affiliate=WTVF&affiliateNumber=374&backgroundAlphas=100,100,100,100&backgroundColors=212121,676767,676767,212121&backgroundRatios=0,25,130,255&backgroundRotation=270&borderAlpha=100&borderColor=212121&borderWidth=1&clipId=3640332&playerType=POPUP_EMBEDDEDobject&closecaptionPaneLabelText=&closePaneLabelText=&commercialHeadlinePrefix=Commercial&controlsBackgroundAlphas=100,100&controlsBackgroundColors=212121,676767&controlsBackgroundRatios=0,255&controlsBackgroundRotation=270&controlsBorderColor=212121&controlsBottomPadding=8&controlsButtonLeftBorderColor=616161&controlsButtonRightBorderColor=232323&controlsHeight=40&controlsOffFaceColor=9c9c9c&controlsOverFaceColor=ffffff&controlsSidePadding=8&defaultStyle=dark&disableTransport=false&domId=WNVideoCanvasDEFAULTdivWNVideoCanvas&emailErrorBorderColor=ae1a01&emailErrorMessageFaceColor=ae1a01&emailFormFieldAlphas=80&emailFormFieldColors=212121&emailFormFieldRatios=0&emailFormFieldRotation=90&emailInputFaceColor=9c9c9c&emailMessageLabelText=&emailPaneLabelText=&emailSentConfirmationMessage=&errorMessage=&fullScreenControlType=none&hasBevel=true&hasBorder=false&hasBottomBorder=true&hasFullScreen=true&hasLeftBorder=true&hasRightBorder=true&hasTopBorder=true&helpPage=http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=4925699&hostDomain=www.newschannel5.com&idKey=DEFAULT&imgPath=http://WTVF.images.worldnow.com/images/static/video/flash/&invalidRecipientFieldMessage=&invalidSenderFieldMessage=&isAutoStart=true&isMute=&landingPage=&loadingMessage=&offFaceColor=afaeae&overFaceColor=ffffff&overlayBackgroundAlphas=92&overlayBackgroundColors=676767&overlayBackgroundRatios=0&overlayBackgroundRotation=90&overlayOffFaceColor=9c9c9c&overlayOverFaceColor=ffffff&pauseButtonText=&playAtActualSize=0&playButtonText=&playerHeight=340&playerWidth=400&recipientEmailLabelText=&sendEmailButtonText=&senderEmailLabelText=&senderNameLabelText=&shareListItemHighlightBorderColor=767676&shareListItemOffFaceColor=afaeae&shareListItemShadowBorderColor=3c3c3c&shareListListItemOverFaceColor=afaeae&sidePadding=3&smoothingMode=auto&staticImgPath=http://WTVF.images.worldnow.com&summaryGraphicMessage=&summaryGraphicScaleStyle=stretchToFit&summaryPaneLabelText=&tabBackgroundAlphas=100,100&tabBackgroundColors=888888,383838&tabBackgroundOverAlphas=100,100&tabBackgroundOverColors=595959,212121&tabBackgroundOverRatios=0,100&tabBackgroundRatios=75,255&tabBackgroundRotation=90&tabBackgroundSelectedAlphas=100&tabBackgroundSelectedBorderAlpha=100&tabBackgroundSelectedBorderColor=595959&tabBackgroundSelectedBorderWidth=1&tabBackgroundSelectedColors=595959&tabBackgroundSelectedHasBevel=true&tabBackgroundSelectedHasBorder=false&tabBackgroundSelectedHasDropShadow=true&tabBackgroundSelectedRatios=0&tabBorderAlpha=100&tabBorderColor=212121&tabBorderWidth=1&tabFontSize=10&tabHasBevel=true&tabHasBorder=false&tabHasDropShadow=true&tabHeight=26&tabLeftBorderColor=a7a6a6&tabOffFaceColor=dcdbdb&tabOverBorderAlpha=100&tabOverBorderWidth=1&tabOverFaceColor=ffffff&tabOverHasBevel=true&tabOverHasBorder=false&tabRightBorderColor=404040&tabShadowColor=333333&topPadding=3&videoSliderBackgroundColor=828282&videoSliderKnobBackgroundAlphas=100,100&videoSliderKnobBackgroundColors=828282,828282&videoSliderKnobBackgroundRatios=0,255&videoSliderKnobBackgroundRotation=90&videoSliderKnobBorderColor=5a5a5a&videoSliderKnobOffFaceColor=444444&videoSliderKnobOverFaceColor=212121&videoSliderKnobShadowColor=5a5a5a&videoSliderLoadIndicatorColor=b2b2b2&videoSliderProgressIndicatorColor=212121&volumeSliderOffColor=5a5a5a&volumeSliderOverColor=828282&" width="400" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Most nonprofits I speak with initially view social media as a <span style="font-weight: bold;">liability</span>. They're immediately concerned with privacy issues and control. But, those who are willing to give it a shot usually see it as a huge <span style="font-weight: bold;">asset </span>in their donor and volunteer acquisition and retention strategies.<br /><br />The moral of the story? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Be brave and give it a try.</span> You might just be delighted with what happens next.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-91423949075562093212009-04-16T09:39:00.001-05:002009-04-17T14:33:55.732-05:00How I Get Stuff DoneI pack a lot into my week. I have to in order to get everything done.<br /><br />One way I make that happen is to find three good hours. I use this time to either work on things that aren't glamorous, or to spend time focusing on things that are super fun. Either way, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I find three interrupted hours and milk them for all they're worth</span>.<br /><br />For me, that's early on a Monday. By arriving at the office by 6 AM, I can complete everything before most people have opened their inbox.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4166987&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4166987&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/4166987">Three Good Hours</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www2.blogger.com/Watch%20this%20on%20YouTube.">Watch this on YouTube.</a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-13496605368295188962009-04-13T07:40:00.003-05:002009-04-17T14:33:39.528-05:00I Know a Good Idea When...For today's video installment, I take you inside a weekly staff meeting at <a href="http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/">Cool People Care</a>.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/03/where-can-we-dream.html">I discussed the idea of a suggestion room</a>. For us, we always have good ideas flying around the room. So, we need a way to recognize the great ones and then act.<br /><br />How do we do that? Click play to find out.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4130191&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4130191&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/4130191">Recognizing a Good Idea</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br />And, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTJvMmmfSlQ">here's the YouTube version</a>.<br /><br />I'd like to thank <a href="http://luanneatfifty.blogspot.com/">my mom</a> for providing the buttons. She always has good ideas.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-49588615371148245292009-04-09T10:58:00.003-05:002009-04-11T22:56:07.089-05:00A Legacy of Inclusion<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4076919&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4076919&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/4076919">A Legacy of Inclusion</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br />Recently, I went to Miami University (in Ohio) to talk about New Day Revolution.<br /><br />The group I met with was housed in a building that was once part of the Underground Railroad. That means the building is really old.<br /><br />How has it stood the test of time? I think it's by including as many people as possible.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu0608IEaSg"><br />Here's the YouTube version.</a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-45115867646511474322009-04-06T09:26:00.004-05:002009-04-11T22:56:39.766-05:00Thinking About Having Fun - Video PostThis weekend, I spent most of the time at the <a href="http://www.greenbusinessandliving.net/">Green Business and Living Summit and Expo</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/">Cool People Care</a> had a booth at the event. We also coordinated a scavenger hunt, brought a Nerf basketball hoop for some prize-winning fun and <span style="font-weight: bold;">tried our best to have fun while working on the weekend</span>.<br /><br />Not every job out there is a roller coaster ride of excitement. But, adding a little bit of fun in our daily routine can make us a bit happier at work. And of course, <span style="font-weight: bold;">when we enjoy our work, we'll love our life even more</span>.<br /><br />So, think about what elements of fun you can add to your workday in order to feel more balanced in life.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Also in this video:</span> a glimpse at what our interns get to do - and how they get to dress.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4028721&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4028721&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/4028721">Having Fun with Cool People Care</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plDKbl9nA0">YouTube version</a>.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-59315012894497314252009-04-02T06:17:00.004-05:002009-04-11T23:02:22.448-05:00Social Media and Arts OrganizationsYesterday, I performed on the stage of the <a href="http://www.belcourt.org/">Belcourt Theatre</a>. This <a href="http://www.belcourt.org/venue">Nashville landmark</a> has hosted the top musical acts, screened award-winning films and also served as a home for silent films and the Grand Ole Opry.<br /><br />So, I have no idea why they let me come talk about social media on that same stage. But they did. <span style="font-weight: bold;">And I did.</span><br /><br />Here's a video from my talk. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I flew through the whys of social media, particularly as it relates to nonprofit arts organizations.</span> In these 15 minutes (that's all I had, so I speak very fast in this video), you'll hear:<br /><ul><li>A little more about me</li><li>About how I cheated on my art appreciation final in college (1:45)</li><li>Who Generation Y is (3:15)</li><li>How Gen Y acts (5:00)</li><li>What the old consumer model is (7:00)</li><li>What the new consumer model is (8:30)</li><li>How arts organizations can have a new conversation (11:15)</li><li>Some reminders before embarking on a social media campaign (12:45)</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Enjoy, and pass it along to your pals who work in the arts:</span><br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3966418&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3966418&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3966418">Social Media for Arts Organizations</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/adampatrickjones">adam patrick jones</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-11105977793351614882009-04-01T07:26:00.002-05:002009-04-12T00:04:32.621-05:00When the Movement Becomes Mainstream, the Revolution Has BegunI've got a guest post up today over at <a href="http://rubyku.blogspot.com/">Ruby Ku's blog, I Care.</a><br /><br />Here's a snippet:<br /><blockquote>Therefore, revolutions either happen with you or to you. If you're the peasants in 19th century France, you willfully storm the Bastille with baguettes and demand life and liberty. Or, if you're the British in American colonies in the late 1700's, you’re about to get hit with something pretty fierce.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Either way, a revolution is coming, and history will define you by what side you're on.</span></blockquote><a href="http://rubyku.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-movement-becomes-mainstream.html">Go read the rest.</a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-31853381968713134722009-03-31T06:16:00.005-05:002009-04-11T22:59:33.197-05:00Business Lessons from a Half-Marathon: Hurrying Up to WaitI ran half-marathon number three of 2009 (in my <a href="http://www.swiftwick.com/">Swiftwick socks</a>, of course) a few weeks ago. I returned to Disney World to do so, which always puts on a good race with a fast course and a fun time (you can get your picture taken in front of Cinderella's Castle or with Donald Duck, for crying out loud).<br /><br />I was excited to return to where I posted my PR (personal record) <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/01/business-lessons-from-half-marathon.html">back in January</a> to see if I could best it. And, I was excited because all of my family would be down there, covering the Family 5k the day prior.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgMCmuEpQD5fTTg60XCXQT3b1JkEhJPS7ASg1ZuOpsNyewI-X2553VAhtKzvRLQ7hNBcJUE_F44BltCicKmfKl4uqeNLF67DlahCodvdvDr74vs21Z-IXA1fCNGf00pclGC3Obg/s1600-h/famrun1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgMCmuEpQD5fTTg60XCXQT3b1JkEhJPS7ASg1ZuOpsNyewI-X2553VAhtKzvRLQ7hNBcJUE_F44BltCicKmfKl4uqeNLF67DlahCodvdvDr74vs21Z-IXA1fCNGf00pclGC3Obg/s200/famrun1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319309806375851042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Leading up to the race, I'd been training well. My <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/02/business-lessons-from-half-marathon.html">previous half-marathon</a> was about three weeks earlier, so I mainly ran between 3 and 6 miles when going on my regular jogs. I thought if I maintained a general pace on those runs, I'd be able to keep that up over 13.1, provided I didn't hit a wall <a href="http://samdavidson.blogspot.com/2009/02/business-lessons-from-half-marathon.html">like I did in Birmingham</a>. I was planning on preventing that by toting some carbohydrate gel with me to ingest at mile four or so.<br /><br />But here was the ultimate kicker: <span style="font-weight: bold;">I had to wake up at 2 AM to go run the race</span>.<br /><br />The race was at 7 AM, Eastern Time. The last bus to the start line left at 5. So I'd have to get up at 4. Which is like 3 my time. And it was Daylight Savings weekend, so it was really like 2.<br /><br />Trying to run on just a few hours sleep, waking up when you usually are in sweet, sweet slumber is not fun. In fact, it's downright difficult. I think I could have done it if I'd been out of the gate an hour after waking up. But because I had to get on the bus, get to the start line and wait for a while, it made things troublesome.<br /><br />So there I was at the start, sitting on the ground, covered in a cheap blanket, listening to that techno stuff they play through the loudspeakers, trying to relax before covering 13.1 miles.<br /><br />In other words, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I had to hurry up just to wait</span>.<br /><br />Sometimes, our work can be like this. We want to launch a new project, redesign a site, hire a new team member, market to a different audience or jazz up our employee relations. A lot of excitement and ideas are generated, but then there's a lag between when we're able to do the work, interview the people or make the decisions. We feel stuck, frustrated, and maybe even angry.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKPz-Zl-3XQMUpIm99DheaeytLM0GefQga05NrKm0-BEzOOfsq6Ie7zm_vtSccOAOMv6Cq1AjApWWtw_syR6qKCVNQEEx_ZbdSAbfA8-5ELIzwoashhO0O02PQ_2xjNTYDBv-Mw/s1600-h/half3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKPz-Zl-3XQMUpIm99DheaeytLM0GefQga05NrKm0-BEzOOfsq6Ie7zm_vtSccOAOMv6Cq1AjApWWtw_syR6qKCVNQEEx_ZbdSAbfA8-5ELIzwoashhO0O02PQ_2xjNTYDBv-Mw/s200/half3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319311176243807778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So what can we do while we're waiting? <span style="font-weight: bold;">If you find yourself waiting on someone else or on something to happen, try these ideas:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stretch yourself.</span> I used some of the waiting time to stretch my legs periodically, making sure I'd be loose and limber when 7 AM finally rolled around. In our work, we should be doing the same thing. Read a different trade publication, or think of a free or low-cost way to do something you're currently paying for. Dream bigger dreams. Learn about someone else's job. Stretch yourself so you'll be stronger and faster when the project finally gets green lighted.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Make friends. </span>I didn't do this, but I could have met as many people as possible in my corral. I wasn't looking for long-term friendships, mind you, but it would have been a great way to pass the time. In fact, in a race like this, where folks come to run from all over the US, I'm now curious as to how many people I could have met from different states. And, while you’re waiting for something to happen at work, it's a good time to build alliances. Talk to people in other departments. Eat lunch with someone you don't know. Get to know your boss better. You never know when random encounters and relationships can develop into strategic partnerships or mutually beneficial networks.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Look around and laugh.</span> There were no port-a-johns at the starting line. And that meant folks were darting into the woods to relieve themselves. Most runners have done this plenty of times, so it's not a big deal, but you can't help but laugh when hundreds of people dip behind the tree line to empty their bladders. At work, downtime can give the same opportunity to observe what's around us, and if appropriate, have a chuckle or two. The delay itself may be something to laugh at, especially if that's all you can do. Or, maybe the way something is always done, something you overlooked, or something that needs fixing give you reason to laugh. And, while waiting isn't always fun, laughing usually is.</li></ul>Delays are frustrating, and a simple silver lining won't remedy them. But, there are plenty of advantageous things to do in the meantime. Taking advantage of the waiting will have us ready when it's finally time to run.<br /><blockquote>This post, like most of my running posts, was generously sponsored by <a href="http://www.swiftwick.com/">Swiftwick socks</a>. They're a carbon neutral company that quite simply makes the best athletic socks in the world. <a href="http://www.swiftwick.com/">Give them a try.</a> If you don't like them, you can get your money back. And, if you use coupon code SD10 at checkout, <a href="http://www.swiftwick.com/">you'll get 10% off of your order today.</a></blockquote>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-55749677134680236152009-03-30T13:23:00.001-05:002009-04-11T23:01:12.471-05:00How Long is the Middle?Here's a quick thought about getting through the middle part of what you're doing. The 'middle' is difficult, because we never know how long it will last. We usually have a good idea what starting something looks like, and we usually know when we've succeeded or when it's over.<br /><br />And everything else falls in the middle somewhere. And that's why you need someone to journey with you.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3925672&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3925672&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3925672">Getting Through the Middle Part</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/samdavidson">Sam Davidson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645385.post-44552218415412196512009-03-27T08:48:00.001-05:002009-03-27T08:48:00.972-05:00I've Gone PantslessSort of.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.lifewithoutpants.com/take-it-off-guest-post-by-sam-davidson">I just have a guest post over on the blog, Life Without Pants. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.lifewithoutpants.com/take-it-off-guest-post-by-sam-davidson">And I think you should go read it now.</a>Sam Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049749319910657955noreply@blogger.com0