Going Back to Cali, Cali, Cali

Just like that, I'll be on a plane back to the OC next Wednesday. Seems the power of word of mouth and referrals has me leading the jet-set life back down South. It will just be a short trip, a day trip, if you will - but it's worth it if we can add another satisfied customer.

It is our intention to make and keep big promises - if we do that we can be a fish - big or small - in any pond.

Photo of the Day 3/8/2012 - Play Ball!

During my baseball playing days I was able to play games in several different places. I loved the travel, loved the stadiums, the time on the road with the team. It was always a pleasure to have family be in the audience for games. It did not happen all that often as I was in Washington state and most of my family was everywhere else.

One of my favorite tournaments was in the now-extinct Kingdome in Seattle, WA. During this particular trip, Uncle Frank and Aunt Rose attended the game (along with my folks from GA, Uncle Dick and Julie from Spokane). Following the game we ate at a restaurant a few miles south of the stadium in old train cars.

I think this was the last time I saw Uncle Frank.

I have many fond, though fleeting memories of trips to Seattle to visit Uncle Frank and Aunt Rose when I was much younger. I remember being afraid of their basement - even though I think there was a pool table. I'm told I was bit by their dog (it was my fault, but Uncle Frank wanted to punish the dog), I tried Pecan Pie (didn't like it), my parents both caught big salmon on a chartered trip, and I was Aunt Rose's "precious angel".

South Sound Technology Conference

If you're in Tacoma, I'll be speaking at this Friday's South Sound Technology Conference on Mobile. Word on the street is that registration is filling up fast, or has already filled up, so visit the event page to register and reserve your space.

We'll be discussing Mobile Wine Tour, MultiCare Urgent Care Wait Times, as well as how to execute on a mobile strategy.

Hint: An "App" is not a strategy.

Photo of the Day 3/7/2012 - Land Cruising

1972 was a good year - and if you ask me it was the perfect year for Land Cruisers. This photo was taken out in front of Dick and Sue's house in Spokane, WA shortly after I moved north from California in the summer of 1990. I lived for the first year in Spokane at Dick, Sue, Rebekka and Paul's house. Dick had the white and red cruiser with the canoe on top, mine was the green one. I learned to drive in winter snow, did a couple 360s through the intersection of Maple and Northwest Blvd on ice and made the trip to and from Burbank a couple of times in the Bwana.

We purchased the 1972 from Tim Champ before heading north. I sold it in the summer of 1993 while coaching in Wenatchee, WA and ended up purchasing an RX-7.

It would've made a great fishing rig about now.

Photo of the Day 3/6/2012 - A Game of Toss

During the summer of 1992 (I believe) I spent some time back home in Burbank. Dawn, Tim Paul, Timothy and Kendra were living in the John Boysen's childhood home on Cordova. As a way of passing time, we decided to play a game of toss with Timothy. I'm pretty certain he could toss either us much further today - and despite the game he turned out pretty awesome. This photo was taken by his mother.

Like Clockwork...

So it's been nearly 9 months and I'm due for a blog post. Excuses, excuses I know. I have been busy over here at SiteCrafting and have been posting a ton of stuff on Facebook, but still it's no excuse. I am working on a few things so I will try and get rolling here again soon...if not, I'll post something in June, just like this.

Commodity vs. Remarkable

I've been trying to put a certain concept into words for some time now, and only now after getting a little bit into Seth Godin's latest book Poke the Box have I been able to figure out what I have been trying to say to myself and my team. To summarize Seth - "Things pretty much work as expected, cars don't break down as much, iPads turn on every time to push the button..."

In our world content management systems and website management systems all pretty much work - though some a bit better than others.

In this world, not only can you not afford to put out shoddy products, but you can't compete with only good enough. If you're competing on good enough you have a commodity and are now subject to competing on price. Something most small businesses can't win. You have neither the volume, nor the cost advantage to compete on price. So what to do?

You already know this - be remarkable - move beyond competing on good enough - chart the course.

YouTube video is barely good enough, compared to DVD, what's remarkable is that YouTube put the ability to publish and distribute content into the hands of mere mortals. It was the implementation that was remarkable...

At SiteCrafting we are creating remarkable solutions and it all starts with people committed to that mindset - good enough is never enough.