I do it myself
is something Jessica has added to her vocabulary and ever growing independence at the age of two.
It’s often voiced when Jodi or I are trying to help her with something or do something for her. She seems to think the task isn’t outside her grasp and that she may possibly do it better than even mom and dad. How dare we mock her by thinking she needs our help.
I’m thinking about this because it’s pretty close to how things are in my life right now. I’ve been working for the same organization for a little over two years and for any job I have, two years is about the time when I get my independence and I often feel as if I don’t need anyone else’s help. I don’t need an employer telling me what to focus on or going in a direction I don’t think is smart. The simple thought of I do it myself
is the annoying little devil that always pushes me to working for myself.
Late last year (2006), I started to get the strong, entrepreneurial itch. Nobody told me I’d been at the same organization for the past two years, it just came over me as natural as spring coming after winter. I’d been in one spot for to long and I’m needed to begin thinking about Elevator UP more seriously and the type of future I wanted to have.
Of course, it’s more than just an annoying feeling - it’s also the realization that you’re working for someone else and helping someone else grow their ideal company and not pushing the clock for something other than what you’re truly passionate about.
So March 16, 2007 was my last day at The Image Group as an employee. Elevator UP has way to much potential for me to deny its calling. We have a lot in store over the next year and are excited to get things moving along. We may be quiet for a few months but you’ll start seeing things pop up here and possibly even get excited along with us.
Wish me luck and if you know of someone that needs a place to host their website - have them give us a call.
posted on March 21, 2007| 9:07 PM EST
Out of the whole day - only Bruce Sterling’s rant was worth it.
After Bust 2.0: Ten Years Later, Where Will We Be?
There’s a frenzy of activity on the Internet again, unseen since the grand time we had back in 98/99. But there’s a wariness in the air, too, since we know that the party never lasts and the bubble always pops. In preparation for this inevitability, this panel will discuss what’s happening now that’s lasting, what’s merely trendy, and where we’ll be ten years down the road when everything shakes out.
How to Easily Attract Your IDEAL Clients
Experts in direct response marketing and relationship marketing discuss how to use simple relationship marketing techniques and copy writing to dramatically increase your client base. We will also address the topic of direct response marketing vs. relationship marketing.
Bruce Sterling’s SXSW Rant
Close your SXSW Interactive panel experience with the traditional Tuesday-afternoon talk from the outspoken author and leader of the Veridian Design Movement.
posted on March 13, 2007| 7:29 PM EST
Day 3 of South by South West. It’s been crazy.
The 4-Hour Workweek: Secrets of Doing More with Less in a Digital World
In a digital world, it is possible to design luxury lifestyles in the here-and-now without waiting for retirement. This presentation explores extremes of creating time and mobility, including: how to check e-mail twice a day…or once per week; the end of time management and the birth of “selective ignorance”; how to travel the world without your boss (or customers) ever knowing. First 50 people to arrive will receive via mail a FREE advance copy of The 4-Hour Workweek.
American Cancer Society: Applying Disruptive Technology for the Nonprofit Sector
The foundation of many nonprofit groups is to organize and empower communities to move a mission or achieve a goal. Social networks, virtual worlds, and many net 2.0 applications do just that. The panel will address the challenges facing nonprofit organization as well as highlight examples of successful programs. The number of nonprofit organization is growing and it is vital that the technology address and service their organizational needs.
The Growth and Evolution of Microformats
In its first year, microformats.org ushered in the rapid adoption of key formats for publishing and sharing tags, licenses, contacts, relationships, events and reviews on the Web. See what new microformats are being developed for resumes, classified listings, music, and media, as well as how tens of millions of established microformats on web sites of individuals, companies, and organizations are driving innovations in desktop applications and advancing personal data portability.
Bullet Tooth Web Design: Plan Your Web Site like Pulling off a Robbery
Just like pulling off the perfect robbery, pulling off the perfect web site needs to be planned and executed with care. Do it right and you’ll go home with the jewels, do it wrong and you’ll be doing time in the Pen! This informative and light hearted presentation will take you through planning, pulling off and of course, the getaway.
Design Patterns: Defining and Sharing Web Interface Design Languages
This panel will take an in-depth look at defining and sharing Web design patterns. In particular we’ll explore communicating when and how specific design patterns should be applied, what it takes to develop a usable design language, and how disparate lists of design patterns can converge into a shared online resource. based on an ongoing conversation
posted on March 12, 2007| 2:54 PM EST
Day two events at the SXSW conference.
Making Your Short Attention-Span Pay Big Dividends
So you are easily distracted by whatever new is happening. Learn how to use new media to turn this supposed weakness into your greatest strength.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Mobile Web…but Were Afraid to Ask
Practical advice about designing and developing for the mobile web is virtually non-exisitant. As a web developer it can be difficult to make heads or tails about one of the essential mediums of the information age. At the end of this session you will know not only how to create mobile websites, but why you should from one of the experts in the field.
Ten Ways to Run a Startup Like Genghis Khan
In twenty-five years, the Mongol army subjugated more lands and people than the Romans had conquered in four hundred years. Whether measured by the total number of people defeated, the sum of the countries annexed, or by the total area occupied, Genghis Khan conquered more than twice as much as any other man in history and he did it all with an army that was nearly always outnumbered 3 to 1 on the battlefield. While every technique doesn’t always translate well, we’ll show you ten that works great in a startup.
Create a Campaign in an Hour
Watch and learn as four top creative directors improv an interactive campaign in less than an hour. They’ll spare, debate and fly through ideas to uncover their proven techniques for compelling and winning integrated campaigns. Who knows, maybe there’ll be bloodshed.
posted on March 11, 2007| 6:32 PM EST
I’m over at the 2007 SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas and having a good time. I thought I would post the workshops I went today for those of you wanting to know what’s going on.
Terraforming the Internet: When 3D Models Meet Business Models
This panel will explore the rise in popularity and sophistication of online virtual worlds such as Second Life. The discussion will probe the (somewhat contentious) idea that participatory online worlds offer a glimpse of the way people will interact with information and with each other in the future. The panel will highlight the competitive necessity of developing a strategy for moving web work into virtual worlds.
Getting to Consistency: Don’t Make Your Users Think
Making software predictable and consistent makes it much easier to use. This session will explain UI consistency and point out examples of failures and their consequences. We’ll discuss when it’s appropriate to break consistency, and how to build tools and process to ensure applications are consistent with human interface guidelines and real-world practices. Specific attention will be paid to consistency in your everyday tools: Mac OS X and Adobe applications.
Kathy Sierra Opening Remarks
By merging technology and cognitive science, Sierra brings an entirely fresh perspective to the challenges faced by today’s new media professionals.
Stop Designing Products
The world of business and product design is changing. In fact, we have seen a number of trends taking shape that we believe are all pointing to the end of “products.’ There is a growing realization that we are no longer designing single, stand-alone, centralized, static things, web sites, or systems. As the internet and digital networks in general become more ubiquitous, more distributed, and more integrated in our lives, we’re finding that it’s hard to find a “product” that is not also, or even mostly, a service. These service design projects generally involve multiple touchpoints or channels (i.e. the web, mobile devices, and physical spaces, etc.), a focus on long-term relationships, and the need for consistent experience across throughout. In fact, consumers expect more variety, more control, more interoperability, more adaptability, and more consistency in experience than ever before. This has serious implications for business, design, and development.
When Your Partner Is Your Partner: When Home & Office Collide
“Honey, let’s work together!” sounds like a good idea at first — but how does it actually work in practice? In this session, you’ll hear what succeeds, what doesn’t, and what (nearly) brings couples to the break-up point as several successful programmers, designers, and writers talk about how they work with the person they love and love the person they work with. Their site is: backupbrain.com.
From Tags to Riches: Life After Code
You know web standards backwards and have redesigned countless websites. You don’t want to do it forever, but you don’t need to start from scratch either: what you have is an excellent foundation. In an industry where career paths and professional development options are yet to crystallize the array of choices can be bewildering. Where to? Fivepanelists discuss the challenges of their diverse journeys out of the xhtml trenches.
posted on | 2:53 AM EST
