The Rebel Voice crew popped into Toronto for a lesson on the evolution of social media to mobile with one of North America's eminent experts in the field - AmberMac herself. We filmed at a small cafe called Te Aro on Queen Street East which turned out to be a great venue to escape the heat. The full interview will be live soon but here are some behind-the-scenes photos from the day. … [Read more...]
This article originally appeared on MobileMarketer There is an awkward pause at the beginning of most social engagements for smartphone users today as everyone launches their location based service du jour and checks in to stamp their location and broadcast it out through Twitter, Facebook and every other available medium, except television. Welcome to the hyper-local world of mobile applications. Two years ago, New York-based Foursquare launched its location-based service and since then the number of companies offering similar check-in software has grown into a micro but popular industry. Foursquare is still the industry leader and recently closed a financing round that valued the company and its 2-million-plus users worldwide at … [Read more...]
Well, we don't have a real site yet but this is the latest episode of Rebel Voice: Mobile. This time I talk to John Craig about his company, Purple Forge, who help politicians use mobile to get elected. Rebel Voice captures the voice of change agents and thought leaders in the mobile industry. Rebel Voice is an informative and entertaining web series that examines what's important today in the mobile industry and looks at where the industry is headed in the next few years by talking to the people that are leading the next wave of growth and development. … [Read more...]
You've got to hand it to Apple, they have single-handedly created the mainstream mobile application market. I know, for all you (former) Palm Pilot and Windows Mobile users out there (of which I am a card-carrying member), the application market was robust for you "way back when" but, for some reason, Apple made it seem just a little more, well, cooler. You could argue that the slogan that summarized 2009 was the ubiquitous "there's an APP for that" - this century's version of Wendy's Restaurants, "where's the beef" - but with this over-exposure comes some risk and confusion that I fear will sully this incredible industry. So, here goes nothing: You may NOT need an App for that. There, I said it. Feeling better now that I got that … [Read more...]
I read like a madman. When I was younger it was something I hated to do but as I’ve aged (gracefully of course) I have found myself drawn to the old-fashioned, old-media storytelling and am now trying to make up for all those years lost on television. If you’ve forgotten about books, these titles might be just what you need to get back into it. Delivering Happiness - Tony Hsieh This book is an epic tale told in a human voice. Tony is clearly not a writer but the story is so great, the relentless passion is so apparent and the obsessive focus on the customer is so inspirational you will never look at customer service and shoes the same way. The Facebook Effect - David Kirkpatrick Don’t wait for the movie, this story is … [Read more...]
There isn’t a lot of money out there that is hanging around, waiting to find you and your idea. There aren’t a lot of investors these days who are willing to part with any amount of money without a little bit of effort on your part. There isn’t a lot of money out there for “me-too” companies that aren’t creating anything new. So if you are waiting around with another 37signals-like business model expecting to get funding you will be sitting alone for some time. Now, there IS a lot of money out there waiting to be spent in good companies - those that are innovating, creating new business models and generating (or close to) revenue - but it isn’t a given. This is where effort is needed from the companies. Here … [Read more...]
This morning I was explaining my personal view about how to integrate new employees into a company to a client I’m advising and it dawned on me this might actually be of interest to others. First off, my philosophy is to focus on the new hire and celebrate the fact they have decided to come to work with us at our company. The decision to take a job at one company versus another is always a risk and you should always show your appreciation for that choice. This is my process, refined over many years and many different companies: The first day on the job, the new employee is greeted by their office, cubicle or desk completely set up. This includes (but not limited to): 1. A fully set up computer including email address and access to the … [Read more...]
For 18 years I've been a student of business, immersed in roles ranging from founder, strategic advisor, board member and coach to VP Operations and President & CEO. In each of the companies that I've been involved with, I've helped shape strategy, marketing initiatives and product development, built exceptional teams and spoken to thousands of people about a wide range of topics.
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