What's "A Day with Seth Godin" Like?

If you know someone “remarkable” who can change your life for the better, you’re lucky.

That makes me lucky.

I waited three years for “A Day with Seth Godin” and yesterday, Feb. 13, was truly “remarkable.”

A full day with Seth is like having your brain go through a car wash...time to get rid of all grime and “noise” we have accumulated over the years. Time to evaluate what we have been doing over and over and look at our efforts from new and different angles.

Seth loves lists, so here is my list from the day. In no particular order. They are my “take-away’s.”

1. “Me mail.” It’s about me. I’m busy. Please make it about me or I’m outta here.

2. The “Permission/Fashion Complex.”
Be remarkable. Use permission to tell your story to your “sneezers.” They spread the word. Get permission to communicate with them again.

3. Brainstorming doesn’t work. Most people aren’t trained to do it properly. So…

4. Go to the edges. No one is there. Own it.

5. Flip the Funnel. Stop yelling and interrupting to get customers. Flip the funnel and let them shout for you.

6. Squidoo. Challenge your customers to build lenses about you or themselves. Offer a contest.

7. Why blog? To think differently. To write differently. To act differently.

8. Blogs. No traffic = not worth reading. Not worth reading = not worth talking about.

9. Technorati. Search for your name, company name, product or service. Subscribe to the “Search” RSS feed for immediate updates on who is talking about you.

10. SEO. Save it for last. Be remarkable first. Build the community. Let others spread the idea. Then, maybe, just maybe…work on SEO.

11. Chocolate or real estate? Which would you rather talk about? That’s the point.

12. The art of charging money is about making the commitment. When you pay, your focus is different. You become committed; engaged.

13. Youtube. The value is in helping others learn more about you.

14. Every one of us is in the media business. Nobody told you, but it’s true. You now have your own channel.

15. Websites: Pt. 1.
Two questions to ask yourself: 1. What do I want my visitor to do? 2. Why?

16. Websites: Pt. 2.
Turn a stranger into a friend. Turn a friend into a customer.

17. Being average. It’s overrated. Being average is the worst possible thing you can do.

18. Infinity. We are surrounded by an infinity of choices. What’s your choice? Being “the best in the world” just might work.

Reading this is the easy part. Doing it is the hard part.

Thanks for the “brain food,” Seth. And thanks for being “the best in the world.”

---Tom

"Hey! How Much Is A Pound of That Video?"

"Is that with or without actors, a scriptwriter, an original music score, transcriptions, motion graphics, narration, Hi-Def or DVCAM, small crew, large crew, with travel or without, one day of filming, two days of filming, oh...I forgot, do you need a director, too?"

"Uh...geez, I'm not sure!"

"Well, then, pull up a chair and let me hear your story; from the beginning. Tell me about the time you..."

Funny, it always goes back to the story.

In over 20 years of producing and directing corporate films, this is without a doubt, one of the most often asked questions I get.

Here's the answer: there is no answer.

"But, hey Tom, what about that '$1,000 a minute' rule of thumb that everybody keeps talking about?"

Sorry. Urban myth, legend, fairy tale. If I had a dollar from everybody who believes that, I'd be a millionaire.

There is no magic answer to how much a video costs because telling video stories is a handcrafted art form. Every film is unique. No two films are alike. Each one is a "limited-edition collectible painting."

Here's a refresher from dictionary.com: (hānd-krāft') hand·craft·ed. To fashion or make by hand.

Every film is indeed fashioned and made by hand. There are no shortcuts. There are no assembly lines to create a video story. There are no "put it in here and it comes out there" video machines.

Every film is a new story and every story is a new film.

When a producer and a client begin working together on a new project, they are starting from scratch to "handcraft" the strongest possible story with the highest possible return on investment on two levels simultaneously: 1. igniting the audience, and, 2. effecting the bottom-line.

It takes time to handcraft a story through video that shines brilliantly for all to see.

Yes, films are still fashioned the old way; with your hands.

Of course, the only difference now is we have a 'mouse' to make things easier in the edit room.

But a mouse can't tell your story. Not yet, anyways.

---Tom

My Interview as a Squidoo LensMaster

It's "squid" time, folks!

I confess. I'm a Squidoo fan.

But the folks over at Squidoo already knew that.

That's why they wanted to interview me about my experiences as a Squidoo Lensmaster.

Hmmm. LensMaster. Sounds like I spent 6 years getting a Ph.D. as a "LensMaster." Not.

At the heart of Squidoo are its "lenses." Lenses are like single web pages with one person's view on a topic that they are passionate about. A lens points to other places.

Think of it as your first starting point when you're looking for something on a topic.

My interview will get you introduced to the idea of lenses and why I think they're valuable:

Robert Hruzek over at Middle Zone Musings ran a post recently wondering about the value of Squidoo. We've I mean...I've been recently chatting about the advantages of Squidoo over a traditional website. I recently offered this explanation to Robert which he said was the best one he's heard so far, so I thought I'd share it:

Yes, a website is more versatile than Squidoo but lenses were created to make searching for something easy.

For instance, if I'm looking for a new espresso maker, Google gives me a gazillion hits. Hmmm. Where to start? I don't know about you, but I get overwhelmed with all those hits on Google!

Squidoo, on the other hand, gives you lenses from people who are into espresso and built lenses on their personal experiences with espresso machines. That's all. It's a personal touch; it puts a "face" on Google.

As an example, here's my lens for clients and potential customers on corporate-image filmmaking:

You can tell your personal story in a fun way too.

Creating a lens is ridiculously easy, fun and quick. The modules in Squidoo help you think in "chunks." You break down your passion into segments. Added bonus: search engines like Squidoo. Another good reason to create a lens (or two or three or .....)

Squidoo lensmasters are really cool people; it's community-driven which means you can meet really neat folks who share the same passions you do. I've met some incredible folks this way.

Lenses are also great way to point your clients to something else besides your your website.

OK...what are you waiting for? You don't need a degree to be a LensMaster!

---Tom

Finally...You Can Now Call Me an SOB!

No, no, no...not THAT kind!

This kind.

I was thrilled when Liz Strauss over at Successful and Outstanding Bloggers wanted to include my blog as part of her SOB Hall of Fame.

OK. So, what's an SOB?

Liz: "When the SOB program started, I was looking for a way to encourage the sense of community that Successful-Blog stood for. We’re all about relationships and conversation here. The conversations are fun, fast, and sometimes irreverent. Discussions on the blog often brought up good ideas, and I wanted to make sure those ideas continued and become more out in the blogosphere–everyone making everyone a little bit better. It’s the only way that we can make ourselves strong here in what they call “The Magic Middle.” We talk to each other and we listen too."

Take the time to check out her inductees. You will find dozens of progressive leaders, thinkers, companies and ideas all packed into one place!

This past weekend Liz and I chatted for an hour about blogging, creativity, personal branding, how the "Director Tom" blog is designed to help marketing executives, PR filrms and corporate personnel deal with the difficult issues of producing their corporate video, and so much more.

Thanks, Liz, for igniting the "conversational fires" in the blogosphere and inspiring all of us to unleash the creative potential within each of us.

You are a gift.

---Tom

My "Quought for the Day"

The odds are not in your favor.

10-to-1 you haven't thought about the -ONE- most important question you need to ask yourself this year.

 I can tell you I didn't.  Until Rajesh Setty asked me.

My entrepreneurial friend Rajesh thinks questions are so powerful he is featuring a series of questions on his blog called, "Quought for the Day."  (and Raj is quick to point out...it is not a typo!)

Rajesh explains a "Quought" as a question that provokes thought.  And as the year 2007 kicks into high gear, Raj is posting a series of questions from brilliant and remarkable thought leaders.

When Raj asked me for my "Quought for the Day," I jumped at the chance...I love asking questions!

Quantum physics raises more questions than it can answer.  But understanding the basic concepts behind quantum physics can help you look at life differently...just like asking questions. 

So my "Quought for the Day" is therefore, quantum based:

"If every physical creation is first created mentally, then what will you be creating in 2007?" 

 

That's my question to you...and to myself as the year unfolds. 

It is an honor to be a part of Raj's network and I am especially proud to be associated with such high caliber leaders.

Do take a minute to check out the other "Quoughts for the Day." 

Remember...just -ONE- question is all it takes to trigger the answer you've been looking for!

---Tom