Part 1 - Introduction - Think Video and Get Rich

There's been a lot on my mind recently about how to use low-cost almost no cost web video technology to grow business supporting my growing list of small business, non-profit, government, and enterprise clientele. At the same time, I have been reading some excellent books about wealth-creation and actualizing prosperity.. and so the mind is a beautiful thing... What's been  unfolding is a course ... Think Video and Get Rich that practically applies lessons learned to actually achieving some remarkable outcomes...like entire channels of marvelous content that can help develop multiple communities in our now 21st Century world. Here are applications for this that I been working on thus far:

• Community Resource Development Television - People watch it and contribute to it as part of growing physical world and online community
  
  
• Small Business Development Television - Small business owners watch this and contribute to it so that they can do better job of not only just surviving but also thriving in a now 21st century world.
  
  
• Health and Wellness Television - All the local naturopaths and yoga instructors I know still aren't taking advantage of new low cost almost free web television to grow their business. If they mastered the web television thing... their businesses would flourish.  There are several health and wellness shows on traditional cable television to learn from... as a point of departure, and web television using now Google+ HangOuts sessions could be even more social.
  
  
• Non Profit Capacity Building Television - Executive directors, their development people and countless volunteers, as well as organizational members can all benefit from quality content that they watch and that they contribute to that communicates how to develop non-profit capacity in a rapidly changing, 21st century world. All kinds of organizations could use some help achieving their mission and their vision in a now even more competitive marketplace.
  
  
• Government Human Services Television - Local, Regional, National, and International Governments could also use some help with empowering entire communities and neighborhoods to address critical issues of health, enterprise innovation, employment, and continual learning by authoring some of their own "how-to" web television content in a specially-developed social learning online virtaul space that I can design as a communications and learning architect.
  
  
• Social Venture Partnership Television - Even large corporations are finally starting to get wiser about becoming authentically involved in front-running projects and new initiatives that create win-win scenarios for multiple stakeholders.. not just for the "1 percent". They need to learn from and become involved in front-running initiatives by community-stakeholders that actually work. Microsoft has been considered by some to be an "Evil Empire"... and Google itself ...as it connects its numerous properties is next. Getting more socially involved and promoting heart-centered applications of their technology can greatly improve their brand.
  
  
• ...And on and on - Creatiivity is the source of unlimited properity once folks learn how to tap into it and leverage it... which is what I am committed to help orchestrate.

The books I mention can be found online in my Amazon-powered New World Virtual Bookstore. Also see how affordable web television technology now is on my Web Television Technology page. All of this content development and business development can be rapidly accelerated via the use new Google+ and other social networking architectures. I welcome your own comments and thoughts. Let's connect if you like to communicate - my phone as 206-920-8067 and welcome your comments. 

Telestream's Wirecast 4 - Turns your computer into a TV studio

This morning, celebrating all things that I am grateful for..right before Thanksgiving, I celebrate my continuing journey across a new world communications landscape that prominently includes authoring one's own television programming in it..and even webcasting some of it "live". Wirecast 4 from Telestream.net is one such product that can turn your computer into a "live" TV studio.  See their video overview.

Wirecast 4 is desktop software ($449) that can add a lot of high-end production value to a desktop presentation by allowing you to set up "shots" with composited elements in them like title overlays, etc in preview. You can then "go live" with them...pushing them to a streaming webcasting service like Ustream.tv, Justin.tv, or Sermon.net.  Their higher-end version Wirecast 4 Pro ($995) even has virtual 3D sets, and chroma keying capability with remote IP camera switching, for more complex live simulcast events and can handle more demanding HD feeds. 

Folks at Telestream.net are also in the transcoding business and can convert content in Windows Media, Quicktime, and Flash formats, depending on the needs of the end-user and the kind of viewing device used. Also see my previous post about Ustream.tv. WireCast 4 can feed to Ustream, if you need fancier production values than those provided by Ustream Producer ($0) or Ustream Producer Pro ($199 one-time fee.), but Ustream.tv is good lower cost place to start. 

If however  you or your organization ever get to level of web television sophistication demanded more system capability. what's nice is the fact the folks at Telestream also have a full Enterprise Product line with awesome products engineered to work together that can help you scale. At the same time, their Wirecast 4 basic version and their excellent tutorial helps even the novice television person started. They even provide helpful advise of about lighting set decently and about using decent audio. 

Wow, am I feeling grateful going into this Thanksgiving in 2010...and already beginning to consult with some of my existing clients about leveraging the power of the new television to move business phenomenally forward. It's nice to have a television systems and programming background and to "fast-forward" that experience...to now. Call me and let's connect if you too are interested in seizing new television opportunities to develop sustainable business in our now 21st century world that are rapidly becoming part of a newly emergent new world communications landscape - 425-780-6872.

Google TV and Logitech Revue - Here's What the Interface Looks Like...and Some of What's in it for Us

This morning Google TV and communicating what the interface looks like...and what's in it for us... is on my mind.  The interface made by Logitech is called The Logitech Revue, and with it you can watch what you want wherever it comes from - from the web or from TV... on your HDTV. It consists of a black box interface with its own microprocessor in it running Android and the Chrome web browser and a wireless full QWERTY keyboard with built-in touchpad that allows you to do all kinds of cool things, accessing the web...and accessing television on the web... as well as television ..on an HDTV. DishNetwork is the first on the block with it, selling for as low as $179 when purchased with their satellite service. Suggested retail price is $299.

The black box hooks up between a digital television box and an HDTV using HDMI cables and you plug your Internet cable right into it. The net effect is that this device seamlessly merges television data programming with web information. For more info see "What is Google TV?" on my New World Television Channel page. Also see my NWC Overview 2010 while you are at it to see how the new web television and be used in conjunction with web conferencing to develop business in quality assurable "steps". 

So what does all this MEAN economically... and culturally..for the small business entrepreneur, for the community television group, or for community-based educators, for advocates of social change and for our world? Though Google TV and this device just came out a few weeks, already the economic, cultural, and educational implications are far-reaching. Here is just a few of them for you to think about:

• Your own channel.. or series of channels can now show up on HDTV in living rooms, in board rooms, in classrooms and in training rooms and in retail locations....without having to access or pay for time on a cable channel..... and even after public access cable television facilities with older, more expensive and less capable technology with less business reach get shut down. 
• Your own content promoting your business, your program, or your product service can show up... without paying a dime for cable advertising air time, and cost of spot ads can be less. 
• You can author your own experiences on television, framing the world.. in your own best interest ...rather than having your experiences authored by someone else framing the world not in you own best interest....this is a BIGGIE for democracy.
• Entire communities can produce their own educational programming that can make a phenomenal difference in multiple peoples' lives, locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally.

The other great news, is that new technology is easier to use... and radically lower in cost... making the producing television possible for any person or group willing to step up to plate to do the new television... and to learn how to do it ...and mastering it well.  This is a whole new world communications landscape that is opening up before our very eyes... it's a whole new frontier... and the earliest birds... who catch the most worms...will win. Call me today and let's talk about moving forward to seize this new opportunity. 425-780-6872.

Sir Ken Robinson's Educational Paradigm Shift Animation Provides Excellent Insight

This morning I am enjoying yet another powerful use of the new web television,  a brilliant animated overview of changing paradigms for public education narrated by progressive educator Sir.Ken Robinson in Great Britain.  This creative piece provides much insight on problems of the public education the world over and focuses on how older-think concepts and approaches to public education, driven by 19th century industrial revolution ...and mindset...are not serving us well.

Wow, does he hit the mark when it comes to why public education, done the old way is failing our children in droves, and why public educations systems do not speak to natural indigenous genius of children. Longitudinal studies show that kids are actually dumbed down by old standards of educational "excellence" which discourage their natural creativity and curiosity ...kids are even drugged and punished...kicked out, suspended or expelled...or discouraged enough to drop out... if they don't tow the line behaviorally and psychologically. Yes, standards of education need to be raised...but what is needed are new standards of excellence for education and for achieving better learning outcomes.

Much insight is provided here, at least as far is the analysis goes. The need for more divergent thinking and critical conversations among diverse learning stakeholders is what he points to. This really is a call for something beyond mere "educational reform"... a  learning revolution... if you will. Also see Sir Ken Robinson  recent February 2010 presentation on TED about "Bringing on the Learning Revolution". What's really exciting for me personally is the role that the new communications... web television and web conferencing will be instrumental in transforming our world.. and hopefully...just in time too. Call me and let's connect if you are interested in working with me to help bring that learning revolution on. 425-780-6872.

Sustainable Business Development - What's in this for You

This morning, what's on mind is sustainable business development, and how far reaching this concept is. It crosses all the lines. In every area of the marketplace, the following sectors are all struggling to to sustain themselves:

• Consumers - Young people, adults, seniors, elders, women, men, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, daughters, nieces and nephews, care-givers, homeless, unemployed, laid off... about to be laid off, job seekers
• Small business, micro-business, large business, retail, wholesale, business-to-business, business-to-consumer
• Tribes/Ethnic Groups/Sovereign Nations/Immigrant Groups
• Government - local, regional, national and international
• Military/Veterans
• Political Parties/Candidates/Incumbents
• Organized Labor
• Public Safety & Health
• Juvenile Justice and Adult Justice
• Education - Pre-natal, early-childhood, K-12, higher ed, continuing ed, learning & development
• Transportation
• Architecture
• Banking & Finance
• Not for profits, community groups, faith-based organizations
• Manufacturing
• Utilities
• Television/Entertainment Industry

The CHALLENGE, and the OPPORTUNITY is two-fold. It squarely has to do with COMMUNICATIONS and LEARNING related to defining and achieving what we mean by "Sustainable Business Development" with more voices at the table talking about what it means to sustain ourselves on a deeper and more meaningful level than doing the more obvious stuff - e.g. landfill recycling, biomass, windpower, solar. In a now 21st century century world it's really dumb if we also don't utilize newer and more cost-effective tools and strategies that we have at our disposal now..and at the same time....recycling our minds...by  "Walking Through a Virtual Door" to engage in critical conversation...changing ourselves and the world...locally, regionally, nationally and internationally...all at the same time. ...using powerful and cost-effective web conferencing, web television and social media...where authentic conversation happens... instead of expensive stupid attack ads..for political campaigns that insult our intelligence and put out even more negative energy. Without the conventional hesitation... and with the usual excuses, and working together, we could take the following steps:

• Step One - Have a series of virtualized physical world and online meetings to plan for "Developing Sustainable Business in a 21st Century"
• Step Two - Leverage the power of the new television to do this...focus on the front-runners and best practices to inform, involve and inspire people.
• Step Three - Engage the world in a series of critical conversations about "Developing Sustainable Business in a 21st Century World"
• Step Four - Develop and work with a world class cadre of consultants, subject matter experts and activists to put together a world class remote consulting and e-learning practice and curriculum
• Step Five - Plan and do our first virtual International Conference and Trade Show on "Developing Sustainable Business in a 21st Century World.. and what's in this for you?"

The cost of doing this... is far less than what it is costing us now...going about our lives... the same old tired "old-think" way, not sustaining ourselves.. just working with physical tools and strategies..wasting a lot of time and energy. Instead we could be approaching this issue with new tools, strategies and value innovation. With a renewed commitment as human beings, we all could make the difference. Call me and let's connect about moving forward with this... and without further hesitation. 1-425-780-6872.

Adobe Premiere 9 Video Editing Software Makes Consumer-authored Television Even Easier

This morning I got an e-mail from Amazon.com about new Adobe Premiere 9 video editing software. I clicked through to watched their features video. Then I looked at the under $70 price ...after rebate... and the experience  put me into deep contemplation, thinking about how far television technology how now come and what the possibilities now are. 

Back in the day when I was a broadcast/industrial video systems sales engineer, everything was way more expensive, and it did  way less than what consumer gear over the Internet can do now...shooting for birthday parties?...  I not worried ... because often times things are not like they appear. The same mom that learns how to videotape her kids and tell stories about them can also develop into being a full-blown "new world communicator'' creating television that change the world.

Now is never a better time. From end-to-end, television technology has been radically transformed and put right into peoples hands. The only thing that still in the way...is awareness and consciousness...but even that is changing..as people get more comfortable using the medium. Wow is this a great time to be alive, awake, and aware of some the possibilities...like creating whole television channels even that this year will show up even on HDTV screens. The possibilities for business development, for economic development, for community development and for reforming education are nothing less than phenomenal. Call me and let's connect if you too are interested in seizing television in our now 21st century world - 425-780-6872

Reflections About Media These Last Few Days: What Sense Can Be Made of All This?

This morning, I am reflecting about the media... film and television these last few days... experiencing new possibilities for change in areas that really matter to me personally. Beginning with Oprah, the nation and the world was introduced to the Waiting for Superman film and school reform project with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Then there was the group view of the film, paid for by Stand for Children, a national interest group invested in leveraging the the films progressive charter schools message to mobilize a voting public, and putting all stakeholders on notice, including all teachers, their unions,  and principals, school superintendents...entire school systems. There were 600 people that showed up and filled the house... This is BIG.

The film debut downtown in Seattle was on Friday and there had other coordinated screenings...across the country... as well....then on Sunday nite on 60 minutes the public is treated to a rare glimpse of Bill and Melinda Gates at work... with a commitment of giving 60 billion dollars away... 90% of their wealth away for HIV, malaria, polio eliminations, and education... We see Bill Gates...again... this time as part of the Bill and Melinda Gates...team.. The message points were both philanthropic and human... as well as corporate...reflecting an enlightened understanding of our dependence upon one another...a good business to be in.

What I keep asking myself is "What Sense Can Be Made of All This?"... and why now?

What particularly speaks to me is the way that even commercial media is being leveraged to create a new reality that promises a better and more just world. I keep thinking to myself... how can I make the world better... with media that is now...in our own hands? We can produce films television programs ourselves.. and these programs can now be uploaded... to our own "channels"... There are also various business models that pay for television to study, learn from...and to practically apply..by those of us right here on the ground. Call me and let's connect 425-780-6872.

Google TV for Small Business...What's in this for You?

This afternoon, and as a small business person... still buzzing about new Google TV, let me share with you what's in this for small business. The first thing you need to do is understand What Google TV is by going to my New World Television Channel page on my website and viewing Google's two-minute, twelve-second "What is Google TV?" video.

For me personally, it's one of the best two minutes and twelve seconds I've spent for the following reasons:

• Currently there are no less than about 4 billion television viewers worldwide... and Google TV streamed across the Internet...is also world wide. $70 billion a year is spent on television advertising...worldwide.
• My own Television Channel can be accessed by Google TV viewers...also...worldwide.. without having to go through...any other entity... no commercial television station gate-keeper...  no public television station gatekeeper... no government channel gate-keeper... no public access channel gate-keeper
• I can communicate my offering... with global business reach...beyond cable audiences... without paying a cent for broadcast advertising or cable advertising... Now I can reach local, regional, national, and international audiences with information of value... programming that can serve multiple audiences... phenomenally well.

Just get quiet a moment... forget TV and just contemplate the implications... related to the things you care about - small business development and capacity-building, mobilizing communities of interest, reforming public education, transforming organizations, growing not-for-profit organizational capacity, reforming government, growing green business, changing the world...making it a better place to live...then think about using Google TV channels...programmed...and...instructionally-designed... to do that.

My cup now runneth over thinking.. and flowing energy into practical...mission-critical... applications for a new world television. What about a television channel for something you care about? .... or even a Primetime television show idea that we can brainstorm together. Call me and let's connect. 425-780-6872.

Now is the Time to Re-Think Television in All of its Manifestations

Older-think "public access" studios are like dinosaurs destined for extinction

What's on my mind this morning, after hearing about Seattle Community Access Network (SCAN) public access TV being eliminated from City of Seattle's 2011 budget,  is our need to "re-think" television, in all of its manifestations...not only "public" television...but also commercial television...and government television ..and for a number of reasons, all having to do with the technological change, economic change, media literacy, consciousness and it's growing  impact on the television marketplace itself.

• Technology change - Public access television saw its birth driven by the explosion of cable television and the fact that cable companies gave up a few public access, education, and government (PEG) channels in exchange for being able to lay cable and access thousands of cable subscribers. More channels also drove the development of analog broadcast/industrial video and teleproduction technology that costed considerably less than professional broadcast technology. Back in the day, as a former broadcast/industrial television systems sales engineer, I used to design and sell public access studios to cable companies working with municipalities, experiencing and taking advantage of the growth.
  
  Then the digital revolution and the Internet hit changing the game from the early 1990s until now. Now the Internet is a much bigger "Internet-work" than cable. Any consumer who accesses YouTube, or Vimeo can create their own "channel" that can be be watched on the Web and new Google TV will even allow consumers to create their own channels that will be able to display on HDTVs without having to "access" an older think public access television channel.. at all. Consumers now even have access to easy to use HD-capable recording capabilities on ultra compact digital camcorders and  mobile devices.
   
• Economic change - What has also radically changed from end-to-end has been the cost of television production and dissemination technology. Fast-forwarding my life a bit,  I was at KCTS Public Television when they brought in and started using first huge experimental hand-built High Definition camera in from NHK in Japan to do gorgeous Over Washington content. The technology then from camera to TV transmitters was extremely cost-prohibitive and broadband access over the Internet was non-existent for consumers and very expensive, affordable by only a handful of corporate users.
  
  Then the broadband explosion and the introduction of YouTube and its phenomenal success has now changed the game...for ALL television... both public and commercial. The price for everything, from cameras came way down as the quality continued to improve. A few years ago, a music video produced by consumer was virally shared by more sets of eyeballs than watch the SuperBowl. Advertisers paid attention, and this changed the commercial television marketplace forever. Now as television moves to the web, advertisers are following and as virally-shared Web 3.0 consumer-authored.... and consumer-recommended  television...will come to dominate even HDTV home television sets...with the advent of new Google TV. With it you can even watch TV and chat on Facebook...picture-in-picture... all at the same time.  (See below).
  
  
• The Development of Media Literacy...and Consciousness - Changes in technology, making it more accessible and easier to buy and to use have also resulted in the development of media literacy..from "critical viewing".... to "critical doing"... Producing television ourselves...and understanding that now we don't have to access tightly controlled...older think "public access television" facilities or commercial stations... or pay for cable advertising... in order to do television....both public... as well as commercial... is what's radically new.
  
  The only thing that's preventing us from taking advantage of this is lack of consciousness and awareness of how people themselves are creating... and driving the development of a new television marketplace that promises to change a whole lot of things - e.g. education, economic development, community development....and over time the world itself. This is is where delivering the mission-critical learning a new world needs can come in. See the new series of  new world television workshops that I am putting together.

....Therefore, my recommendation is for folks to "re-think" how television can now be done...in all of its newer-think manifestations rather than waste a whole lot of time and energy attempting to keep older-think government-controlled public access facilities going....because now in this exciting 21st century world... there are now "way bigger fish to fry".  See my New World Television Channel page and "What is Google TV?" for instance.. at least to get the conversation going. Call me and let's connect if you too are ready to "re-think" television in all of its manifestations. 425-780-6872

Jaycut - Free Online Video Editor will Help Fuel the Google TV Explosion

This morning, still resonating with the Google TV announcement (..see my New World Television Channel page and "What is Google TV?") and just for fun I decided to search Google for free online video editors... and BINGO the search returned JayCut.com, an online application that lets you edit your videos online... for FREE...without even having to pay a cent! All the basic features are there, video layers, transitions, audio, titles and instant rendering, so it's yet another way to do more complex projects than just creating a plain video "mix" with Flipshare software that comes with the Flip. 

I have a project coming up where I can have my clients use this if they need to.. even though I didn't have budget for editing software. Nice!... and right on time too! I also intend to watch the folks from Jaycut.com closely. They really are software application designers and developers who even have a free API that even let's you host their application in custom developed web applications, and I wouldn't be surprised if this video editing software "engine" didn't also go mobile at some point in time. 

Of course its not a Final Cut on a Mac or an Adobe Premiere Pro type editor (on a PC) but the higher cost of these local installable applications have been barriers to a larger, explosive new marketplace that is rapidly becoming more and more television literate. Adobe Premiere Elements 8 also is a great choice but it will set you back for about $130 and you'll have to upgrade your laptop's memory to get it work right  

Wow is this television... revolution something... Already YouTubers can create their own playlist and web television channels, and new Google TV..released first via the DISH Network as on option, will put your television channel even on HDTV screens. See my blog about it. 

Wow, is it great to continue to grow with new developments in television.. in our now 21st century world. I have been in television systems and programming before some of my younger clients were even born. It's nice to have the long view and to be able to seize the new television in a strategic way. Call me if you'd like to know more about how you can use it too to phenomenally grow your business - 425-780-6872

Thumbtack.com is a nice high-tech business referral service...that's now generating new business

This morning I was thinking about the subject of this morning's blog and where the next opportunity would be coming from...and BINGO!, my Gmail inbox has a nice referral waiting for me from Thumbtack.com a new nation-wide high-tech professional services listing service out of San Francisco that makes its money by connecting people in need of local small business professional services with small business people who need them.

What a cool service Thumbtack.com is. Their listings are free you get rated if you supply them with information that makes your more credible in the eyes of people shopping for your services. One very cool feature is that you can post your Thumbtack ad on Craigslist for free and its already formatted with your avatar. After your Craiglist. ad runs for a week, then they automatically send you another e-mail to run the ad again. This morning's website development referral was only $2 which was well worth it... nice!

Call me if you need to know more about powerful new ways to promote your business. Doing new website with web television channel and webinar capability can really make a difference. Call me and let's connect 425-780-6872.

NWC Offers New Google TV Workshop Series...Create your own Content...Create your own Channel... Create your own Empire

With most of the pieces Google TV (See "What is GoogleTV?" on my New World Television page)  already here and in place... and with the home television piece about to be released, it's time to get the jump by ramping up quick... to reach multiple television audiences...on the web, on mobile devices, on YouTube, and on HD television screens... with your own CONTENT, with your own CHANNEL, and building your own television-based EMPIRE. Here's the workshop series we have just put together to help you move forward:

• Workshop One - What is Google TV? - This 90-minute session provides a more in-depth overview of the new Google TV and its implications, for the smallest micro-business, to retail businesses, to government, to large business, to non-profit groups, and NGOs, and the largest nation-states and developing countries.
  
  
• Workshop Two - Planning and Producing Your Own Content - This 3-hour session provides a hands-on crash course on planning and producing your own Google TV content, complete with hardware/software choices and approaches. You will learn how to plan, shoot, and edit complete programs withs special with insider tips for doing quality audio voice-overs, etc,. and how to render and upload to the web.
  
  
• Workshop Three - Creating and Programming Your Own Television Channel - This 3-hour session covers Google TV channel creation from A to Z from targeting your audiences and learning about their needs through virtual focus groups to creating your channel on your website... and on large screen HDTV displays in homes and in businesses for point-of-sale and training applications.
  
  
• Workshop Four - Distributing Your Own Television Content - This 3-hour session covers exciting new ways to reach multiple audiences via the web, via mobile devices, via home and business television, in your blog and across Facebook and Twitter. Special time-saving "insider" tips will be shared. We' also cover how your Google TV content can be used in e-meetings, and webinars...and even in multi-day virtual conferences and virtual trade shows...for phenomenal advantage.
  
  
• Workshop Five - Business Models for Television in a 21st Century World - This lively 3-hour session will briefly cover the history of television and the impact of new technology and a more media-literate, empowered viewing audience ...and doing audience...that is now capable of authoring its own high quality television content on business... challenge-wise...and new opportunity-wise... even for the smallest micro-business. We will also focus on not-for-profit economic development, community development, and educational reform applications for the new television. 

Get the jump! Call us now about these sessions...for you, for your staff and possibly for your customers: These sessions will be offered on both a group basis as well as on a one-on-one consultative basis. The new Google TV... is a huge opportunity for multiple stakeholders.  For more information, contact me at 425-780-6872.

Catching that Perfect Wave and Reflections About Riding Out the Economy.

This morning, still resonating from the What is Google TV? experience...what I am feeling... and flowing now...is that feeling of what it most be like to catch, be inside of and ride that perfect wave...after paddling out and waiting for such a long time, for the currents to shift and for the energy to build...and crest...as I do my own part to go with it, over and over again, and getting better and better at each time... in between the wipe outs!.

Waves, surfing, and "Surfing the Waves" are great metaphors that my good friends and coaches consultants Matthew Ferry and Thach Nguyen help me get in touch with, in coping with life and dealing with the ebb and flow of it...and  riding out the economy.

In thinking of water, flow... and this economy, two phenomena come to mind, "Recession" and "Tsunami" helping me gain greater understanding of forces at work. Here's what I mean. Right before a Tsunami, all the water "recedes". It doesn't go away, it just seems like that. What is really happening  is that new energy is building... gathering up phenomenal force and power. Then it comes roaring back, taking people and things in its path not already on higher ground and positioned to withstand the force....so positioning is really important.

Sometimes the perfect place to be is right "inside" the curl... yet at other times it's way safer to be on higher ground...or to run like hell.

Interestingly the animals... especially elephants... wise old creatures with wrinkled skins sense the low frequency energy and danger and head for the hills before humans even know what's going on. Then after chaos, life returns to normal again... at least until the earth moves again. The lessons here really are multi-fold, paddle out and catch those waves, getting better, and better at it...balance-wise.. as you ride. That's what I am doing, paddling out to catch this new Google TV wave.  The other part I will leave to the animal kingdom and the Universe to pay attention to and take cues from. I welcome your own thoughts. Let's connect 425.780-6872.

Google TV...The Experience is Almost Like Having an Epiphany

Today is an afternoon publish ... after allowing more time... to have powerful ideas come tumbling forth as an outcome of deep contemplation of the phenomenal implications of the new Google TV.

Here's a nice little exercise and experiment to try. Watch this little well-crafted two minute and 21 second video ... What is Google TV?.. with nice female voice...on my New World Television Channel page... and then try to go about business as usual.. Then watch what comes tumbling forth to the foreground of your consciousness... in a few days.

For me personally, the experience because of my television systems and programming background...is close to having an epiphany ...close to my intellectual and spiritual core... as a communicator... as a educator... and most importantly as a living breathing 21st century... human being. Google's bringing Web to TV and TV to the Web...in such an elegantly simple way...completely changes "The Game" ...for me in my ability to serve multiple audiences from the smallest micro-business... to the largest nation-state.

And shared with other, minds, and hearts...and souls...it can positively change the world...in a marvelously powerful and joyous way. That's all I can say about this experience for now. What, after viewing this video.. comes forward for you... in a few days after trying this little experiment? Call me and let's connect. The entire world has already changed for me personally...resonating positively...thinking about... and now working with this stuff. 425-780-6872.

Peace

The Ideal Marriage...Like Two Peas in A Pod...Marketing Communications and Instructional Design

Wow! This morning a lot is own my mind as I think about marriage, on multiple levels. At one level, there is the marriage to my lovely wife and entering into a new phase with her as "empty nesters", after we helped our youngest child move into her college dorm room this week. On the other level, there is the ideal marriage of two things continually on my mind as I strive to develop my consulting practice...Marketing Communications and Instructional Design.

Then the thought came to me .. they are like ...two peas in the same pod....Then BINGO! I searched Google Images and found this great image of a wedding favor..a wedding candle of two peas in a pod ...that I could do a little PhotoShop magic on...adding my two powerful concepts.

Many of the people that I work with don't even have "Marketing Communications" or "Instructional Design" in their vocabularies, yet an understanding of them both...practically applied to developing all aspects of their business is what they seem to need most. A case in point... like how can a website "make the mark" and be on target with customers if the the self-proclaimed "web developer" himself or herself is completely in the dark about practically applying these two inter-dependent approaches? It is therefore no wonder that so much time, effort, and money is wasted, while opportunity is missed.

Market Communications understanding can change all that, illuminating the path, every step of the way.  It can strategically inform and shape every thing you do:  1) From setting up virtual file services and working with virtual applications and collaborative documents using Google, 2) to developing your product/service offering, 3) to developing your website, 4) to informing your blog, 5) to even strategically informing your Facebooking and Twittering approach. 6) It can even inform how you develop and program your own television channel on your website.. like I am doing. It can be part of a strategic plan.

Marketing communications strategic planning can also 7)  inform how you reach people in the physical world marketplace via your phone calling, your appointment-setting, your business networking, your organizational membership affiliation, and even your volunteerism. Good marketing communications involves taking steps to learn about what people want and need, developing and positioning your product/service offering so that they can get that they get their needs met from you because you helped them so well. That's also where good instructional design comes in.

Instructional Design understanding is closely related to marketing communications understanding because learning needs to be designed into each marketing communications step. What we need to understand, particularly in today's highly competitive, and now very technology-driven marketplace is that today's customer is also today's learner...profoundly challenged by explosive technology change...and information bombardment. Not only does today's business owner need to continually learn, but so does his or her entire staff... even before he or she can take fullest advantage of what you provide. 

A well-crafted instructional design approach is like a good marketing communications plan in that it: 1) Analyses what the client's learning need is. It then 2) Designs what the learning approach should look like. In a 21st century world, the learning can happen in the physical world as well as online...like in  reading this blog, or even via a web television channel, or webinar series that informs and empowers. 

Even the creation of a virtual learning and conference center that uses now affordable web conferencing is possible to create...even on your website. 3) Development, the third step...informed by the analysis and the design then results in the development of the learning product/solution ...which in most cases can be through marketing communications venues themselves  - e.g. via your website, via your virtual print collateral, via your social media approach, even via your web television channel . Then comes the fun parts, 4) Implementation that with a road map can be rapidly done. Finally there is the 5) Evaluation ...piece to this... like how your product/serving offering "makes the mark" and actually generates new business...by educating the customer.. as part of the solution. 

Marketing Communications and Instructional Design...can do that and really are "two peas in a pod", and the marriage of the two in one consulting approach is what I strive to provide. Wow! Is it great how the universe responded with just what I needed to express that. 

Now let me work in the other marriage...my wife is calling me to take her shopping. Call me and let's connect if you'd like to learn more how to be more strategic and more on target with everything you do....illuminated by an integrated marketing communications and instructional design approach.   425-780-6872.

What Ocean Would You Rather "Swim" In?

What's on my mind this morning is what a difference working with strategically innovative people can make. If other competitors just do what every other competitor does, with little or no creativity, basically giving you the same "solution" as everybody else has, then you what you remain in is a blood red shark-infested ocean of competitors yourself.... just another "vendor" who bids on the "same" things as ever other "vendor" and late in the game too. Oftentimes...too late.

A better and more advantageous approach would be to work with people who can give you a competitive edge using value innovation and strategic thinking that can leap you way ahead of that blood red ocean of "me-too" competitors.  They can work with you to create a whole new "blue ocean" of uncontested market space, making all other competitors irrelevant. Being more innovative, and consultative can also get you in the design-and-build game earlier, where they can even contract you to develop specifications for projects that utilize and let you further leverage your unique approach...even before formal bids come out to competitors. If they come out at all. Some companies can get so unique that have to be sole-sourced.

That's what we've been working on, based on a book and strategic approach that has allowed us to do just that called Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competitors Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim, and Renee Mauborgne. See it in our Amazon.com-powered New World Virtual Bookstore. As someone who also works in clay, I really like their approach to creating a new "value curve" for a business because it is "sculptural".. like shaping clay. 

Here's what I mean: In creating your new value curve, you "eliminate" some things that competitors take for granted, maybe like bidding on projects the same way. You also get creative by "reducing" some things the other less creative competitors take for granted, like the cost of travel and hotels needed to convene physical world collaborative meetings and training sessions. Leveraging a knowledge of e-learning can accomplish that. You also can get creative by "raising" the quality of what you do well above what other competitors typically provide through more advanced instructional design and graphic design skills if you have them. You can also "create" whole now approaches to communications and learning via the introduction "virtual transportation-to-virtual architecture" applications...some even using 3-D...that we are getting excited about.

That's what the authors call their "4 Actions Framework" and what as communications and e-learning consultants, New World Communications has been working with... "walking the walk" ourselves via our own unique product service offerings now ahead of all other competitors ..still just doing stuff in their own "lane" - e.g. web developers who just do web development... who can't teach with no television background, television people who just do television, who still  don't understand how partnering with their now television-producing viewers will rocket them way forward...architects and transportation people...who just do architecture and transportation who still don't understand how new 21st century communications can now rock their world.

What really feels great is the kinds of oceans that people can now choose to swim in... the same 'ole bloody red ocean or a cool blue ocean that can now be created. What ocean would you rather swim in? If blue is also for you, call me and let get together and talk about crafting your own "Blue Ocean Strategy for your business or organization. 425-780-6872

Google TV A Huge Opportunity...for the Television-Savvy Entrepreneur

This morning I am buzzing again and at a very high positive frequency...feeling how great it will be when even smaller businesses can benefit from the new television that they'll be able to produce and program themselves...for phenomenal advantage. This is not wishful thinking here...but a manifestation of intention that has now been fueled by what Google is launching this Fall in year 2010 ...the new Google TV. See "What is GoogleTV"? on my own New World Television page. 

So what's the big deal and why is television important in our now 21st century world? Just looking at the numbers tells you why. Currently there are over $4 billion television viewers worldwide that watch more than five hours of television a day. With exposure to that many eyeballs, this results in more than $70 billion in ad revenue each year. Compare that with 3 billion mobile users and 1 million Internet users. See Google's launch of  Google TV at their I/O Developers Conference introducing Google's new LeanBack user interface.

Not only are the numbers important but so is a changing audience with now changed demographics and a television marketplace that has now become radically more democratic due to revolutionary no-cost video hosting and viral sharing/social media technology like YouTube and low cost camcorders, and new smart phones and iPods. Even HD video production is radically easier to do and radically lower cost, even right on you mobile device. Currently there are now over 14.6 billion videos on YouTube, and revolutionary YouTube playlist technology allows for the creation of entire television "channels" that will now find their way onto large HD television sets.... this means that your own content could show up there!

And it gets even better. On your TV screen you'll also be able to use Chrome Internet browser to search for anything... and the entire operating system is Android so it will run Android apps and talk to Android-based mobile devices....yet another phenomenally powerful reason to "Go Google" like New World Communications has. See my New World Television Channel on my website and see my overview about leveraging the power of the new television, then jump forward to the new content I've added of Google launching new Google TV. It is fun to do! Nice!

So what's this in for today's entrepreneur?... a whole lot.. that is if they can "get clear"..and wake up in time to get television-savvy... in time to start producing their own content and  programming of other content providers' content as a service to their customers ...on their own television "channel" ... on their own websites. That's what we are doing... "walking the walk" ourselves... and we can help them with all of it...from concept to completion.

Wow, do I feel good about being involved in television..of all sorts..systems and programming as long as I have, and about the way that I can now help other entrepreneurial types seize this new opportunity...and run with it...rather than be passed up by it  and be left even further behind. Call me today and let's connect if you too are interested in moving forward with the powerful new television in our now brave new 21st century world - 425-780-6872

A Practical Strategy that Applies to All of Us: Go For the Lowest Hanging Fruit

What's going on mind after connecting with my friends, my colleagues...and most importantly... myself this week... is our need to all be more practical... keeping things simpler.. with respect to our own business development strategy. What I am talking about is our "scary smart" tendency to focus our attention on going after complex longer term opportunities that take a longer time to hatch, while not paying much attention to more immediate and simpler, fruitful "lower hanging" opportunities that can get us where we need to go sooner...financially and good feeling-wise. Here are some of them:

• Confer with a friend, colleague, consultant or coach: People whose opinions and perspectives you trust can provide you with fresh insight about not missing more immediate "lower hanging fruit".. that you might not be aware of.  Wow, can this save you a lot of time, money, energy and frustration... especially if for some reason you feel "blocked" and could use some coaching and business advising that can help you "unblock" feel good-wise, energy flow-wise, and most importantly productivity wise. Maybe a little tweaking on your consultive selling skills could help.
  
  
• Do a Business Facelift and MakeOver: This can start by re-thinking and upgrading your website...but at much deeper level, this can be about re-thinking your whole business strategy and about building your "brand" - e.g. what people think and feel about you when ever your name or business is mentioned. Does your tagline make sense...to anyone else besides you?  Deciding to do website upgrade is typically a "low hanging fruit" because it's much easier to deal with emotionally than "strategic planning"...but then Voila! you then discover that you've actually been engaging in strategic business planning...even to have your website make sense and get finished...and without "analysis paralysis"...Nice!!
  
  
• Leverage the Power of the New "Television": What I am talking about is not "old-think" television done the old cost-prohibitive, inaccessible, technologically complicated way... but "new think" web television using low cost, almost no cost radically new technology that I and other early adopters have been pioneering that potentially has phenomenal business development power...once you develop the literacy and skill sets to leverage it. See my other blogs about this.
  
  
• "Walk the Walk" Using More Next-generation Web Conferencing - This, when used in conjunction with new television programming that we are developing is also "low hanging fruit" that shoot your business forward if you use it in quality-assurable steps from virtualizing physical meetings and doing virtual-only e-meetings and webinars to participating in highly lucrative big-reach, and learning-rich multi-day virtual conferences...which themselves will become "low hanging fruit" once working with web conferencing and web television becomes a "no-brainer"... helping you take on even the most complicated of long-term projects as well. 

It also starts with getting some help with identifying the lowest hanging fruit yourself. Call me and I'd be glad to help you get started with that. 425-780-6872.

The Amazing Google Phenomenon: We Are Now Rapidly Growing Our Own Television Channel

This is the "old-think" expensive, inaccessible  television channel "reality"... Not any more.

This morning is yet another break-through for me personally as well as for my communications and e-learning consulting firm, New World Communications and it has to do with learning more about the absolutely amazing Google phenomenon and how I can now deliver world-class information via my New World Television Channel ... "delivered at the speed of need" to my growing list of happy customers via more rapid development of the programming.

The old-think television channel image above.. is a mental teaser... Actually you don't have to spend even a dime on expensive, inaccessible old-think television like this...and you don't have to go through countless hassles trying to gain access to it via the old Public Access, Education, and Government (PEG) channel way. 

Consider this:  Most small business people I talk to, including moi have not been able to keep up with rapid technology changes, especially regarding to using whole sets of of new applications that can now be used to deliver more visitors to their websites and drive more business their way... that's the challenge. 

Web Television is the way to go to address this but yesterday, I thought that I had to produce all this video content myself and then program it into to my playlist... but this morning... BINGO!... I discovered that I can now program in... any how-to content...from any content provider....from all over the entire world...so I immediately searched it, found it... and added it to my playlist. 

Wow! I am speechless feeling the powerful implications of this... Now my New World Television Channel...can stream the best content in the world... and I can rapidly grow the kind of information that my clients need...delivering it at the speed of need... and address their challenge of having to drink from a fire hose.

This also moves me way forward of all other competitors with respect to developing and delivering a world-class remote consulting and e-learning practice... using the world's very best local, regional, national, and international subject matter experts and working with them on a collaborative basis. We can even meet "inside" our website and collaborate on projects in my New World Virtual Meeting Room.

I now sit here resonating at very high frequency...filled with joy... as an outcome of learning more about the Amazing Google Phenomenon...and leveraging it. Awesome! This also means that besides rapidly developing a powerful website, I can also rapidly deploy your own web television channel on it... even if you know nothing about producing web television content yourself.

We can now deliver phenomenal advantage.. Call me today and let's connect so you can deliver phenomenal advantage as well. 425.780.6872

Web Television: What Story Do YOU Need to Tell?

This morning the art of storytelling is on my mind: "Once upon a time, there were all these people in businesses small, medium and large that lived in the village by the sea. They all happily went about business as usual... not changing a thing... that is.. not until this huge fire-breathing dragon called Economic Recession showed up and started terrifying the entire countryside ... and landscape... laying whole businesses and governmental agencies to waste. 

Business owners and managers from the smallest start-up and micro-business, to the largest enterprise were all terrified due to lack of sales, paltry tax revenues and looming budget cuts. Even executive directors and their fundraising managers at the non-profits were all upset that even their traditional fundraising approaches, their annual galas, and their annual breakfasts were still coming up short...even after venturing onto Facebook and "tweeting" frantically with Twitter ... six to eight times a day. 

People also frantically drove around in their gas-guzzling...carbon emitting cars, going from one Meet Up group, and Business Casual to the next, hoping to drum up some business, and even though they all smiled their "Northwest Nice" smiles, when you asked them how things were going... you could see in their eyes that they were all terrified... not knowing what to do.

And where was traditional media in all this? The newspapers and the radio and television stations, both commercial and public with their impressive buildings, their broadcast towers and transmitters dominating the city skyline, and their cable distribution..going into virtually every home? Most of their stories were as glum as the people who read, watched and listened to them. With the sky falling... and things getting worse ...with unemployment and all ..and the risk of a "double dip" recession looming...and more fire-breathing dragons threatening to be on their way...what was there to do?

Luckily, on the horizon there appeared some new communications technology... some tiny little cameras...and other devices... even cellphones.. that at first...you barely even noticed...and a new generation of iPods that made some amazingly good video that people could use to frame and tell their own stories...with better endings... than the ones that they found themselves in. But people still weren't aware of how to use them that way...so they just used them to record birthday parties and to socialize with...futiley trying to overcome all the low energy "vibes" all around them.

But then things started to change... quite nicely and just in time to... once they discovered Arthur of The New World with his brave little $89 Flip camcorder and his laptop virtual studio...and once they experienced the wonderful stories he told about his own amazing little micro-business, and about the amazing businesses of others that he helped empower both large and small. He did it by connecting with them as human beings and by resonating and flowing positive energy using the structure of story to communicate the value of what these businesses uniquely provided... and this really helped make the economic picture .. a whole lot brighter..because of all the hope...and because of all the consumer confidence that this created. People bought more goods and services, as a result and this helped turn the economy around. 

And people really liked they way that Arthur of the New World leveraged his "New World Television" to help people and organizations learn... and change the world ...locally, regionally, and even nationally and internationally... by combining television with big reach, learning-rich web conferencing events....and 'everyone lived happily ever after"'. The End...and the beginning.

We now have the power ...leveraging the power of the new television...to create our own reality...based upon things that we deeply care about.. and based upon stories with more happy endings that now need to be told. What story do YOU need to tell for you and your business? And what happier ending do you need to see, hear, touch...feel...and create. Call me today, and using the power of the new television, I can help you with that. 425-780-6872.