Hound Dog Blog

You have no idea

Really? Is that so? These four words used to p#@$ my Dad off so much, and I could never understand why - until now.

Some people do have an 'idea,' some have more than one. Some people have many ideas and plenty where the many came from. 

That is why before you spout out: "You have no idea," you'd better be sure that it's true they have none because perchance they do, a) you probably already knew they had an idea or you wouldn't have said it or b) their idea of whatever it is you think they have none of, likely covers a much broader range than your 'idea' that you believed was yours dead to rights.

DMB two steps ahead of us... again

The Dave Matthews Band is brilliant. Not only because of the music, but because of their respect for their fans or customers, you might say. This act is the only band of such fame (that I know) that successfully built a grass roots following, made a fortune on their authentic sound through selling cds (almost unheard of anymore), then capitalizing, uniting, and exceeding fan's expectations over and over. Meanwhile delivering more than a fan could desire. All the while, innovating at each and every stop.

In 2000, Metallica, Dr. Dre, and Madonna brought their senseless rebukes to the U.S. Capitol for copyright infringement of their music because of Napster. 

Dave Matthews did the opposite. They recorded an album, called the Lilywhite Sessions (a.k.a Busted Stuff), and released it on Napster, for free. Why?

 

Matthews: I don't see the sense in fighting something that is the future. I don't feel that I'm in the position to say I'm being ripped off by Napster in any way. It is the future of music. We have to go with it, we have to embrace it. We will always be able to play music and no one will be able to take that away from us. There will be a lot more positive things that come out of Napster then negatives. It's going to give people access to music they otherwise wouldn't have, because of the nature of the industry. It's nothing but a good thing in the long run, so why not do it? I mean, they got the album anyway.

This book alludes to this model for all business, not only the business of music.

Dave Matthews has done it again, in an innovatory fashion. This band outdoes itself every single time, and not only with the music, but with new media and unmatched vision inviting people to embed the hulu.com broadcast of their show in NYC.

On Social Media's Misuse - Part III

This is facebook.com's elevator pitch, right there on the landing page:

Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.

It is right there in blue and white. Right above the 'heads and the global map.' And right after that, it says: Sign Up It's free and anyone can join ... have you figured out why it's so successful yet?

My question is: why would you want to share and connect with people that don't even resemble the 5th degree of separation, let alone the sixth? Facebook, et. al, are what we all want and desire and perhaps to a greater degree, according to Maslow, what we may possibly need - as far as I can tell, anyway and facebook has not provided me with any of these needs... yet, that is. Hence, the Hound Dog Blog... I belong to a hound, and her name is Ruby, and she was born on January 23rd, 2006 in Baird, TX about 30 miles east of Abilene, TX to Cowboy's Kid Billy and Cowboy's Lady Cottonwood:


These are the things that I like to 'share with the people in my life.'

The larger point is: just because it's free, doesn't mean you have to consume it - just because 'everybody' can sign up, doesn't mean there aren't any consequences to your actions or what you post or who you befriend. (i.e. befriending anyone - see this post)

If it is true that scarcity creates value ... (which makes sense) than why would you let anyone into your life... especially if all some, (perhaps you) really have to 'share' is your alcohol consumption and the frequency in which you attach yourself to 'this year's best thing' or the bars you frequent?

Don't get me wrong, I share a lot of personal stuff here - my blog - and it is connected to facebook and my facebook friends can find me here, but facebook itself??

Facebook is rapidly becoming a staple of communication - even if it is primitive, much like email was ... To each his own, but don't say I didn't warn you... also, don't blame me because I asked you to to join. I didn't think you would be doing kegstands and emulating Paris Hilton.

On Social Media Part II

Social media... blah, blah, blah... If I had a nickel for every goofball that told me how stupid facebook, twitter, myspace, or linkedin is, I think I would have enough money to pay for my typepad.com membership for a year.

All I can say is this: there are people I know that have embraced social media and have become some of my best friends - some of which I have never met, and there are friends that I have known and know that have told me how 'idiotic' and pedantic these tools are - the latter have given me a lot of inspiration. Paradoxical maybe. But true.

The power of social media is beyond a blog post and far beyond a 'tweet.' It is in the community in which you are or (perhaps are not) part of - Here's a real life and death example:

A friend of mine lost her husband. Tragically. I had fallen out ouf touch with her like we all have done, but was able to reconnect through facebook (yes, THE facebook). Not only was I able to reconnect with her, but I was and am reconnected to all our circle of friends that knew, loved, and still love one another.

Loss of a loved one is not the point here - the connectivity of social media is - Get that first, if you are one of those 'morons' who follow people on twitter and call yourself a social media expert (or the likes of). Facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc. rely on a greater factor than mass communiqué and instantaneous information transfer - they rely on people actually caring about one another.

Case in point, my friend above - she went through, and is going through the single most difficult trial in her life right now, and it was through facebook that we (our circle of friends from days of yore) were able to touch her, love her, reach out to her, reach out to one another, and let her and others know that we were there for her and we were thinking of her...

Case in point 2, another friend lost her brother to Lou Gehrig's Disease - it was through social media that I was able to raise money for awareness for the local chapter's annual fundraiser walk... people - friends who from time to time stumble upon this blog, whom I meet on twitter and facebook were where the majority of the funds raised came from...

Two things to think about before you start to 'monetize your brand' and be a 'facebook entrepreneur' or a 'social media expert': 1) make sure you are sincere - don't just pay lip service to these tools and 2) make sure you give as much as you take.

The strangest power that social media has, IMHO, is the tremendous power of marginalizing the transparent people who use these tools as 'popularity contests,' from the authentic one's whose voices reverberate around each of us that have embraced them from the beginning.

Look It Up

My Dad used to say, "The world's too small for cynics." He was right. It is. Especially now - with IM's, twitter, facebook, linked in.

The word cynic has it's derivation from the Greek word kyon, which means dog. The word cynic is defined a few ways, but the way I understand it best, and for the most part - the way it is passed around is: 2: a faultfinding captious critic ; especially : one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest.

— cynic adjective - if you don't know what captious means, click on it, I had to. Incidentally, when I didn't know what a word meant... he used to say: "Look it up!" - There is no shame in not knowing something, that is why it is used in the definition of the word 'cynic.'

People aren't always 'up to something.' Sometimes people do things because they want to. Sometimes people don't feel like arguing. Sometimes people feel like giving because they want the person receiving the gift to have something, often people's faith is genuine and sincere... and often these people are people you can count on - that is, if you don't slight them with cynicism and sarcasm.

What if

I was reading somewhere, and I can't remember where... but there was a point about doing what you're doing... and it had to do with time and 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years... maybe 1 month, 1 year and 5 years... I can't remember... but the point is or was to 'weigh' all actions against this test...

Will what you are going to do really matter in 1 month? 1 week? The decision you are going to make... what will be the ramifications if you weigh what you are going to do against the 'time' test...

If you are going 'slug' someone for cutting you off in traffic, for example, will that really be a good choice when you look back in 5 years? (maybe, what do I know)?

If you are going to 'not answer your phone' because you are 'angry' or upset, is that going to help or hurt things in 1 week, 1 year, or 5 years? 

If you decide to make that move, that change in your life, that big purchase - or perhaps say things you've always just thought about saying... would you be better off doing them now... as opposed to doing or 'not' doing them in 1 week, 1 year or 5 years?  

Happy Mother's Day

What if ...

What if you knew how your life would end? 

What if you did everything a certain way because you knew that on May 21st, it would be the last day of your life?

What if every time you got ready to slam the horn or curse at the heavens for rain you knew this?

What if when you couldn't sleep, instead of cursing the night, you thanked the rising sun because you knew it was to be your last?

What if tomorrow never came?

What if tomorrow did come in the middle of the night... and last night was your last? 

Love the one your with - My Mom did - for 35 years... the strongest, most courageous women I have ever known... 

I love you Mom... I'm lucky to have a mother who was such and an amazing wife to an amazing father.

aggressive passive

Just about to go to sleep when it occurred to me that micro-interactions (tweets, wall posts, status updates on facebooks, diggs, delicious saves, etc) are so misunderstood by people ... and ... what's more... on the other side of the coin - understood by so few.

A microinteraction doesn't take the time it takes to 'compose' an email, or to 'compose' a blog post, or what's more to write a letter (yes, the post office is still in business). You even have to pay for a stamp or at least postage to send the letter...

The larger point here is the psychology behind being behind the 'passive-aggressive' wall post, or semi-flirtatious tweet, or the overly-flirtatious tweet, or the angered status update...

I must confess, I'm guilty of them all... I'm not calling anyone out here... just pointing out that our society and much more our consumption of media has been 'engaged' by the the micro - interaction and it's numbing effects that it (at some point) could present a micro-problemo.

The hare brain emotion

Who are you helping by going through the motions?

One of the oldest sales adages in the book is you 'gotta believe in what you're selling.' If you don't believe in it, don't do it - you're not doing the organization any favors, the prospect any favors, yourself any favors or the owners of the company who have dedicated their ENTIRE lives to the product.

Why do anything without conviction? Especially sales...Sales is about numbers - yes - but more than that - it is about 'transfer of emotion' - if your emotion is negative... maybe 'hare-brained' marketing jobs are what suit you best.

Reality of realty branding in the dip

Sometimes this guy reads my mind. You must read his blog - It is read by me as often as I wake up in the morning.

He points out the differences between Luxury and Premium. Working for a media company that markets luxury goods, products and services - I see this a lot.

Being in what Seth calls 'the dip' - incidentally, I am in the Grand Canyon of dips - because I work with Realtors - who haven't had the best of years lately. 

Branding and advertising have almost become silly words in this economy because so many of the 'less savvy' agents don't understand that branding and marketing are necessary - especially now. 

All day long my occupation is to provide, educate and persuade agents who want to remain in the market - the luxury market, that is - to stay in front of people - who, you ask? But nobody's buying, you say.... really? That may be true - but you are in a 'luxury market' - very few people buy anyway...

Got it? I'd like to send Seth's recent post to agents who tell me nobody's buying right now, because I have some news that you won't find in the failing newspapers... There are people out there who have a lot of money... a LOT of money... and if I were a luxury real estate agent that wanted to dominate the market in one year, two years... heck, maybe 4 years... I would be branding myself exclusively and often with the most beautiful, luxurious exclusive media outlet in the world.

If I were an agent selling homes in my local area... I would be branding myself exclusively and often with my local Homes & Land. 

Incidentally - regarding premium - Homes & Land is a premium publication - wonderful and effective ... also, I own and play a Les Paul, a Fender Stratocaster, a Martin 000-C16... (premiums)... Someday, I'll buy myself a 1957 Gold Top Les Paul, or a 1969 Martin D-28 with Brazilian rosewood... but those luxuries will have to wait, and I'll stick with my premiums.