But it had been months and months since I had ridden (was a brutally cold winter).  So I went out today.  For a couple hours. Nothing amazing happened. I did not meet a field of bluebonnets, or a majestic owl.  I just rode a bit.

The thing I like about riding is that I seem to somehow be able to think about things that I am not actively thinking about – much like I sometimes do when I am sleeping.

Problems seem to get solved in the back of my brain while I focus on the road, the smell, the machine and the now.

Very few people that I know like for me to ride.  Most of my friends, almost all of my bosses, and my kids.  None of them really like it.  None of them really get it either.

When I am riding my bike, slicing through the wind, and leaning into the curves – when I am not thinking about kids, or work, or friends, or anything – I come out a better something after.  I come out a better friend, employee, parent, and boss. And a better me.

Riding a bike is something that escapes a lot of people. The freedom.  The sense of release – having to focus enough of your brain on the moment… it lets you forget the stress, the deadlines, the commitments. It lets you find that freedom, for as long as it lasts.

Interestingly enough, a 2 hour recharge can last many months. The promise of the next ride gets me through the times in between.

Not suggesting we all ride motorcycles.  Am suggesting we need something that rejuvenates us this way.

We all need a recharger.  And we all have different ones.

While we love to have employees that are in loving and stable relationships, we don’t judge what those relationships are.  We recognize, and provide benefits to both “alternative” (whatever that even means any more) and traditional (you know, 50% plus fail in five years) relationships.

I’m actually quite proud that here, deep in the heart of Texas, where some might expect some lifestyle prejudices (and they certainly do exist) – at our company they are not expected to exist. Like a snake – when we find them, we eradicate them.

The best people I have ever worked with have been in a happy personal relationship.  They have someone to care for. Someone they want to earn the respect of.  Someone they trust to have their backs. That could be a husband or wife. Or even a best non-sexual friend.  Or in my case right now, two young adult children that I still need to inspire, meld, guide (and feed, cloth, and educate, but that is a different topic!)

I work in a company where they don’t care if my lover is a man or a woman – or if I have one at all.

But we do know that happy employees deliver more, stay around longer, and show customers more love. So we encourage happy. We include partners, friends and family in our events (my son has attended many with me).  It is all about how we work together to change the world for customers.  Even if our worlds are vastly different. Customers still need cared for in the same ways.  Code isn’t written “gay or straight” – it is just written, and it is just bad or good.

I’m glad I lived in many places in the world that erased my prejudices and enhanced my world view.  I am glad I am not a close minded ass-hat.  I am glad I can look at people, beyond their religion, sexual orientation, or love of Windows vs Mac and just find a way to work with the human behind the face.

I am a Mac person.  So is my girlfriend.

Would you think less of me if I were Windows, or she were he?

If so, rethink your life instead of judging mine. Or anyone else’s.

And yes – this was driven by the loss of a great friend that never saw the difference between black, or white, gay or straight.  Not even Republican verse Democrat. She was the most open minded, liberal draft dodger, lesbian, Reagan voting, man-loving hypocrite of a human being I have ever loved. And she could sing.

And I miss her.

I wish you could all have learned as much from her as I did.

Thanks,

Rob

A few years later I married the Army.  My ex was a lifer.  An army Nurse who went to Iraq, earned the Bronze Star – she was no freaking joke.  But by then our marriage was over – but not the respect I had for what she was doing.

I had the kids, she had the country.

I had the better deal. We are almost a decade later, and we share the kids.  And they are not kids – they are both in college. We raised kids together, even though apart, in amazingly hard times for our [military] family.  This is what a military family does.  They sacrifice.  They deal with shit.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for what my ex-wife did.  What my fellow medics did 20+ years earlier.  What friends of mine are still doing today. Who my ex-wife is today.

I am proud to be a Veteran.  This year, last year, and next year.  Nothing can take away from that experience.

I can never not be a Veteran. It is part of what defines me, just as it was part of what raised me.  And I am a better person for it.

To all of the Veterans who cannot make a blog post today – you have my respect.

For Ever.

Rob

I’ve never done a good job explaining WHAT I do on a day to day basis. I am sure some coworkers will be just as interested as anyone. In a company of over 3K employees, it is hard to know what people do. Especially people like me. Why?

I work at home most of the time. I manage a nomadic team, so they don’t need me in their faces every day. I trust them to do their jobs, and they trust me to let them. And when I work at home, I work with customers. A lot of them.

I am also part of a larger team that understands that I add a different value – one I can’t add in an office. Usually, at least . I trust them to appreciate me, and to ask me for help when they need to. And I often ask them for the same. They are amazing people to work with, and they have a ton of my respect.

I spend my days, and nights (on good days and nights) talking to customers. Or potential customers. I love what I do, and who I do it for, so I spend a lot of time and energy doing it. I honestly don’t mind talking to a customer at 2am. 6am is harder for me though .

I run Social Media for our company. And that is a pretty big job – we get a lot of mentions on Social Media. Our entire Social Media plan consists of two words though – “Be Helpful”. Not a lot of fluff there. No 37 slide PowerPoint Deck. We are singularly focused on helping our customers win. No fluff there.

I love customers – even one’s that aren’t happy with us – I spend a lot of time with them. I try to “fix” whatever we broke. A promise or a process has probably failed us. We are a big company – that happens. I want to fix it. It is not my job – it is my passion. My team has adopted it as their passion.

I’m empowered to cause change – and I empower my employees. And I have interesting employees. I have AMAZING employees, in fact:

Two Linux Senior Systems engineers that know more about hosting than I will ever know. Robert (Robot) Taylor and Robert Collazo have spent most of their technical careers helping customers.

Robert Scoble and Rocky Barbanica, who bring life to building43.com, and introduce us to amazing people that just need a bit of help by someone that just gives more than a shit. That’s why we do building43.com – it is helpful.

Yes – I have a team of five, and four of us are named Robert. And we have one Rocky. It DOES get confusing!

But we all have the same focus – to care for customers, share their successes, and help them build the value they deliver to their customers – that is our goal – we all win together. And it is our commitment. It is so simple.

And it is so fun! If you are not having fun, you are doing it wrong.

We have a different thought about “Social Media” than many public companies. We think we need to have a staff that knows the company and the products so well that they can actually FIX issues we see on Social Media. And we do. I am the former Director of Software Development for our Cloud. Robot and Rob Collazo are engineers that have built and supported our company for years. No fluff there either.

We also support and appear at as many events as we can possibly support. As recruiters, engineers, evangelists, speakers – it is all the same thing. We want to be where customers want to talk to us. And if that is on Twitter at 2am, you have a good chance of seeing me tweet my home phone number. Or one of my team reaching out to make sure we help, at almost any hour.

So yes – I love my role. I can touch a lot of parts of the business. But mostly, I can interact with a huge number of our customers – and help us find new ones. Mostly because I have a lot of people supporting me – from my employees, to my managers, to my coworkers.

And our Senior Leadership Team that is just willing to “think different” – and allow me to try some crazy ideas, (responsibly) and see where they take us.

And where they take me – which is to places I would not have imagined just 2 years ago when I went from a customer to an evangelist.

Find a company you love. Then find a job there. Then find a way to help them win. It is an amazing feeling.

You really can’t hire people that have the dedication my team has. You can inspire them, and empower them – trust them, and have fun with them. The right people weren’t looking for a job when they found you though.

They were looking for a mission.

Create one.

Why I am a Racker

I’m going to start managing Social Media for third parties.  I’ve already obtained a lot of useful twitter handles that I think will drive business, like @comcastreallyreallyreallyfreakingcares and @buyafordbecausetheywontkillyoulikeToyotawill and @Ilovethefactthatwalmartletsmespendmoneyintheirstores

The really long twitter names are not an accident.  I really don’t want to work too hard on this stuff and really long names give me even less characters to “share” with your customers – who really don’t care who I am except for the value I add to you.  Besides – you pay me by the character so I am saving you a TON of money since I charge only 75% on the characters in the handle (LIMITED TIME OFFER!)!

I want a check and I am measuring my worth by dollars/character – so short conversations mean I make more – which adds value to you.  And if I make more I know my customers are happier.  Because that is what motivates them – making me happy.  And that is how your business wins, and gets to that next amazing level – of making me happy.

But it is all about the customer – so I hope I get a couple.  Especially some with money, because they rock.

I want to help you sell more stuff to your customers.  I have Twitter bots, spambots, robots, and ding-bats all ready to help me help you help your business grow!

I’m an online social media expert. I am a wizard at talking to your customers.  I will make you millions and take only about half of it. Sometimes I take less than more than half.  Call me – I am open to almost anything that moves money from you to me!

That is just the way I guru it.

Together we are twice as good as I am without your money!

Please feel free to contact me with proposals that gain me more than 50% of your company – but sorry – I don’t accept debt anymore.  I’m so beyond that!  So make sure you at least make enough money to pay me enough to make you look amazing and make me feel marvelous.  If you underpay me you will be perceived as weak.  And in some cultures with a small penis.  Go big or stay home.

And if you just don’t have time to talk to me, but want the benefits of working with me, just send some money to kr8tr on PayPal and we’ll both be happier. And your investors will be amazed by what you have accomplished!

And don’t forget - I don’t make money unless I take money from you.  Really! 

I guarantee it!

This should be an amazing new stage in my career – and in your business.  Prove it to yourself – take that first step now.  SEND ME MONEY.  The results won’t be measurable but they are guaranteed.

BTW – I am currently offering a 1% discount (on pseudo-services only) to anyone that gets me an iPad before 05APR10.

When I woke this morning it was already 64 degrees, and not quite fully light.  But before I even brewed coffee I knew I was hitting the road.

As the coffee brewed I prepared my bike, and myself.  While 64 degrees sounds warm I would be riding north, and knew it would get colder – so I layered up on clothing, filled my thermos with fresh coffee, and took off to wherever the wind and whim took me.

Normally when I head out of San Antonio I shoot straight up US281 – the fastest way for me to get to the Texas Hill Country.  But today I headed West first – until I hit Highway 16.  I’d never taken this path before, so it was immediately my favorite path. I love what I do not know.

I was near the town of San Geronimo before I felt I had truly left the city behind.  I visited the “Blue Hole” at San Geronimo Creek, where I stopped to drink my coffee and just spend some time with myself.

I followed Highway 16 in a large slow loop until I reached Bandera.  I thought I had spent time in Bandera before – but I was wrong – I must have had it confused with Blanco or Boerne.  I liked Bandera.  Of course I like Blanco and Boerne as well.

From there I took a slow ride south down HWY 173 to Hondo, TX – a familiar place to me.  After a late breakfast taco I hit the highway for the 40 minute ride back to San Antonio – and home.

I was gone a couple of hours.  Time I needed to spend away from me, and the Internet, my kids and Twitter.

I miss these days where I wake with no plan other then, “get out there and go”.  It’s part of why I hate the winter, which keeps me shut it.

The Spring begs me and my bike to find something new, and amazing.  And sometimes all it takes is me not being here.

Sometimes the journey is all that matters.

Sometimes amazing means nothing less than different.  And today I had a different day.

I have work, and love my work.  So if a “I love my job” post is going to irritate you, you should probably leave now

25 years ago I though I was a Neonatal Respiratory Therapist – and that I would be for life.

20 years ago I thought I was a Sales guy – and that I would be for life.

10 years ago I thought I was a Developer – and would be for life.

5 years ago I thought I was an independent consultant (and that I would be for life).

Then a vendor of mine hired me.  And I thought I was a “Development Manager”.  Not for life – but I figured for a few years – that lasted less than 6 months.  It just wasn’t me.  Not in a company that loved customers as much as I love customers.  I was better at loving customers than managing developers.  It was more natural to me, and a better value proposition for my employer.

I went to work as the Director of Software Development for Rackspace Cloud (then Mosso) in June of 2008.  I loved the people and the company, but the company and I made a mistake.  I was the right guy in the wrong place – and we both knew that.  It took some time for us to both admit it at the same time.  And then find what really worked for us both.

About a year ago, during SXSW, we announced that Robert Scoble and Rocky Barbanica had joined Rackspace.  We did this from a hotel room at the Hilton in Austin – on Gillmor Gang (then hosted on Leo Laporte’s channel, and now hosted on building43.com).

Who would have known back then that Robert and Rocky would end up working for me – and that we would build http://building43.com, where Gillmor Gang – the very show that announced them joining our company, would now be hosted and sponsored by us.  Not me.

I DID recommend to Rackspace that we hire Robert and Rocky.  But I never imagined they would work for me.

So it has been just about a year since I went almost overnight from being a “dev guy” to working more in corporate communications, PR, and Marketing.  I’ve sponsored over two dozen events, and we have shot and published 99 HD videos as of today.

It’s been an amazing amount of work.  And very rewarding.  And confusing, and educational.  And challenging.

So I get to run building43, meet some amazing people, enjoy being with Robert and Rocky  – and I still spend most of my time talking to customers.  Which is what I love most of all.

I get paid to talk to people.  Which I love to do.

I work more hours in a week than most people are awake in a week.  Because I truly love what I do – and what I am allowed to do.

And I love the company I work for because they are bright enough to see the value in someone that thinks differently – and is passionate enough that it sometimes gets him into trouble

Figure out what you love, then figure out how to get paid for it.

Life is really grand once you do!

Rob

And each day, at least once, sometimes many times, I get a spam IM.  How they get through security procedures on the platforms, I don’t know.  But sometimes they do.

I “always” just click “block” and close the window.

But several times over the last few weeks -  a “girl” – always with the same name followed by random and changing numbers – would send me messages.  They looked like spam.  So I blocked each of them in turn.

Until things turned.  The messages started to actually talk about things I did, or said.  Usually something I posted on Twitter, but sometimes a link to a comment I made on a random blog.

Then I got, “You need to mow your grass – but I do understand that is has been raining a lot, and your mower would trench the yard”.

Whoah!  This was odd.  While the person could have assumed that I needed to mow, how would “she” know that I have a large commercial mower?  Unless “she” knew me?

Still, I blocked the message as spam – just as I had the many others.

Until late last week.  I responded to one of the messages, “Who are you, do you know me?”

I received no response.  About 20 minutes later I clicked “block” on her message and went to make something to eat.  I almost immediately heard the “ding” sound informing me of a new message.

The message was simple, “To find me again, you have to block my IM – for I am.  You follow me on Twitter, but I don’t follow you”.

Aha!  I could narrow it down!  But there are about 2200 people that follow me.  And I follow under half of them.  So I couldn’t narrow it down too much.  But still – assuming she was a she, and that she lived near me, I could whittle the list down to about 60.  Based on those of the 60 I knew, or knew of – I got to 52.  I could have made a mistake here, but was pretty careful to only “remove” those I knew for certain weren’t the mysterious IM’er.

52 might as well be 500.  And then I thought, what if it is a friend just messing with me, or perhaps it is actually a guy?  The 52 seemed like a useless number.

Anyway, I blocked the latest account and didn’t hear? anything for a couple days.

Then I got a new IM that said, “Be honest and be rewarded – how large is your suspect list?  <50?  >50? >100? <500?.  Win a clue.”

I replied >50, then blocked the account.  It was now an amusing game.

Fifteen minutes passed before I got a new IM, from yet another account – it said, “Not good.  Not bad, but not good.  I’m two blocks away, at a place you like, but I’m leaving now”

OK.  There are four places within two blocks of me that I have talked about publicly (or checked into from FourSquares).  Three are VERY public places.  One is a quiet store where I am usually the only customer.

I replied back, “Did you enjoy your drink?”  – thinking this would narrow things down to two places.  I should have worded it better so it could have been narrowed to one – but I wasn’t that clever.

Same routine – blocked the account.  Woke up the next morning to this: “Drink was great. I’ve been reading your blog – five posts from APR 2007.  Are you IP-Savvy?”

OK – at this point I am pretty much having a good time with this entire game.  So my curiosity was really peeked.  Whomever this was had a sense of humor, and some tech savvy.

I replied back, “I see your IP. You humor me.”

Blocked.

Next day I went to both of the local bars I have been know to hang out in and connected to the open WiFi – and checked the IP address assigned.  < Bingo!  Had her/him!  Blanco Tavern.

Later that day I received a new IM that said, “Bet you figured it out.  But I am never there when you are, but am often in other places you are.”

Damn!  This was getting pretty interesting

So I wrote a private blog post.  I sent her a link, “Here’s what I’ve found, let me know if it is sound”.

Then I blocked her.

And watched for an IP address to hit that post (and yes, with Woopra, I can see in near real-time).  Just 8 minutes later someone was reading my private post – from the Lion and Rose Pub, just two blocks away (it was one of those IP addresses I had checked earlier).

I didn’t respond then – I didn’t want her/him to know that I was on to them.  I grabbed my laptop and keys and hit the door.

5 minutes later I was sitting on the patio – the lone patron outside that day.  And I opened my laptop.  I sent a simple IM back to “her”, “I am on your sub-net.  And I am on the patio. – Step out”.

Then I blocked her/him.

And waited, but just a moment.  The door opened, and the waitress came out.  She handed me a napkin with “DSL” written on it.  Said a woman (yes!) had asked her to give it to me, and that I would know what it meant.

I did – that is the “name” of my primary WiFi network at my house!  I paid for my drink and quickly headed back home.  As I pulled in front of the house, there was nobody in the driveway – just one car – up the street.  Tapping it’s break pedal.  I took it as a signal, and followed.

It was 1.5 blocks and a stop-sign ahead of me, but I rushed to catch up.  I didn’t – but I saw where the car went – Blanco Tavern.

I finally crossed the busy Blanco Road and walked into the bar – which is very dark, and it was very bright outside.  So I could barely see.

But I heard, “Hello, Rob.  That took you a while”

As I approached the table at the nearly empty bar I could finally make out the face of someone I had met before, but wasn’t sure where.

“Interesting game”, I said. “You play well.”

She laughed and professed that she didn’t mean to get “caught” just yet.  Yes, she was attractive, and yes, she was younger than me.

“I don’t recall where I met you – I’m sorry”, I offered.

“You haven’t”, said she.  Just call me (and she gave another variation of the numbers based yet always changing name she used on IM). “We’ve been in the same places, but never met”.

We chatted about how she pulled this off – “easy”, she said.  What a Geek – and a Linux hack at that.  We were getting along wonderfully, and chatted for 35 minutes.  But not about who she was, or how she knew me.  I figured that would all come out eventually.  The conversation did not seem as if it were about to stop anytime soon.

Until the door opened and a man yelled, ‘Sam, I know you are in here”.  To wit “Sam” told me – “you better go” – which I did – by taking advantage of him being blinded coming in from the sun.  As I took the long way out of the bar I heard him yelling at her about “no wife of mine”…

Two days later I got another IM from her.  I replied, “No wife of mine…” and have blocked the last several chats without responding.

Perhaps I should – but I don’t want to get in the middle of any drama – and certainly not in the middle of a marriage.

But if Geeky Sam figures all that out, and wants to spar again without the baggage – you know my IP’s

And yeah – I know this wasn’t a really happy ending, but it was fun playing the game.

What is building43—and should you want one?

Today I started unfollowing people that weren’t adding any value to my social graph.  I am sure I made some mistakes, and unfollowed a few people I should not have – if that is true in your case – if we know each other, please email me and I will follow you back.

I am doing this manually, one account at a time – so I am trying to be careful.  I meet so many people in so many different contexts though – I am sure I will unfollow someone I didn’t mean to.

Don’t take it personally.  E-Mail me and I will add you back.

So – why?  Noise.  I used to enjoy Twitter, when I could have a conversation on Twitter.  Then I followed too many, and it ALL became noise.  The people I wanted to hear were lost in the clutter.

So I started relying only on Twitter Search – which only showed me what *I* was interested in, and not what each of you were interested in.  Again – much less fun – but at least manageable.  But I lost the value of your inputs.  The conversation disappeared.

So now I am going back to a “thin-stream” – a stream of input from people I know, admire, like, and/or trust.

I thinned several hundred accounts out today, and will continue to do so – one account at a time, through personal inspection.  Until I have a feed stream I think I can manage (perhaps 500-1000 people).

Sorry if I stepped on any toes.

Twitter was just becoming useless to me as a tool to keep track of what my friends were talking about.  I miss that.

Rob

Every launch is fun. Every launch is a ton of work. It doesn’t seem to matter how large or small the launch is. The level of fun, and the level of work, seems to be consistent.

And at the end of he day, you never know what you’ve launched until it grows up. This is as true for websites as it is for children. Each will evolve, over time – based on their audience, friends, experience, and the feedback they receive.

This is why I am not completely wrapped up in “what are we launching today?” I am more interested in, “What could it be in two years?”.

But I love experiments. I love trying something that sounds like it should work, even if I have no idea how it will possibly work.  I had no clue how to be a father.  That evolved.  Everything evolves.

Finding out if you were right or wrong can take a very long time.  But you can affect the outcome every day.  You can influence your child, your community – and your audience.  But in the end, websites and children become what they will become.  All of your influence is best spent early in the process for both – because as each matures, your influence wanes dramatically.

Today I launched a new website/partnership – and I launched my daughter off to the college dorm.

It’ll be a few some time before I know what either of them will become.  I have great hopes for both.

So what did we do?  I invited Derek, and his younger sister Lauren (18), to a Tweetup here in San Antonio.  The establishment says they think we had 75 people there. I’ve been doing local Tweetups for a couple years.  This is the first I invited my kids to. It was a special day for me.  My son is now 21.  And nothing pierced, or tattooed; no records tarnished, no fingerprints taken.  My work here is done

He can now decide his own future, and either learn from my mistakes (which I have openly shared with him).  Or he can do it the hard way – and do it from scratch.  Every parent hopes they teach their kids enough that they each start in a better place than we did.

So why did I invite my “kids” to a Tweetup?  They use social media, but they aren’t overly geeky (OK, my son IS – but in a diferent way than me).  I invited them so:

a) they could meet my friends and “other family” – my community.  To include some coworkers, my new boss, and a couple of employees.  I want my kids to understand what I do, even if it seems impossible that someone would pay me for making friends and treating people well (they actually do!).

b) I could buy my son his first legal beer (and did).

c) And honestly – I just wanted to show them off.  As the custodial parent for about a decade, I wanted people to see that I didn’t screw them up!

I did NOT expect one of my employees to buy my son his first legal shot as well – DAMN you, Rocky!.  Luckily my daughter drove (and at 18 she was drinking soda).  My kids understand the perils of excess – whether that be alcohol, infatuation or anything else.  Too much of a good thing is too much.

In any case – thanks to all my friends.  I had a boss there, customers there, ex co-workers there, partners there, employees there, coworkers there, and job seekers there.  And my kids there.

All friends.

That’s what makes my job and life so cool.

Back already?  Did you really read that?  OK, no harm no foul.  I’ll wait.  Trusting you to do the right thing here!

OK, assuming you actually did read that the second time, this post may make sense.  If you tried to fake it twice, no problem.  Go read it.  I’ll wait (again).

OK, so you read it!  Great!

Here are my ten favorite words, and why.

1) Helpful – From being a parent to being a boss – helpful is a very powerful word.  Nothing makes me feel better than just being helpful.  Nothing gives my life more meaning.  Really.  It’s fun being helpful – and rewarding!

2) Disruptive – I know this looks like a weird one, but it is actually a great word, and an even better tool that every business should employ.  No company is ever perfect.  Disruptive forces cause people to re-think things.  To question “norms”.  And eventually to re-invent themselves.  Hopefully for the better.

3) Emotion – Because without emotion, nothing has meaning.

4) Compassion – Because all of us should be able to put ourselves in others shoes – to look at that homeless person and think, “if”.  If I had made different decisions, that could have been me.  With different friends, that could have been me. In different circumstances, that could have been me.  Tomorrow, that could be me.

5) Timing – Because many things depend on it.  Including conception

6) Hope – Every day can be a better day.  For me, for you, for the planet.

7) Trust – I no longer deal with people I can’t trust, even if it costs me money, or love.  I am richer in the end through this decision.

Sharing – This encompases a lot – generousity, gratefulness, success.  All things that are better shared – like a hot tub.

9) Friendly – I was recently in Palo Alto, CA.  I walked down the streets during the day, and at night.  Giving everyone I met a cheery “Hello!”.  Some were surprised, and cautious.  Some thought I was a nutcase.  Most smiled back, and some I even started a conversation with.

10) Content – This is something you can only develop within your mind.  Neither job, or car, spouse or savings can make one content.  To be content, you must like who YOU are.

Now, I am certainly not arguing that I have achieved all of these things – but they are what I aspire to

How about you?  Do your own post, and link back.  And if you tweet it, use the #10words hashtag.  (But if you read the linked post you already knew that!).

I have NEVER taken a dime from SeaWorld (and they have never offered me a dime!), or anyone else, for any post on this blog.  My thoughts are my thoughts.  Sure – if SeaWorld shows me something cool, I will probably write about it.  This is NOT any different than what Robert Scoble does, what Techcrunch does, or what any other news blog does.

Why is this coming up?

A recent article in Forbes mentions SeaWorld in conjunction with a pretty negative post about Izea, AKA PayPerPost.

A long-time reader saw that article – and asked me, rather bluntly, if I had taken blogola.

I absolutely have NOT.  I have sold a few ads over the years (maybe totaling $500) based on content I had already written and published, but I have NEVER written a post in trade for anything.  Not even a free beer.  I write what I want to write – nothing more, and nothing less.  NONE of those posts that paid me ad revenue were in any way related to SeaWorld.

It is also true that I *did* sign up for PayPerPost, back in the day.  Back when they were being raked over the coals for being unethical.  I didn’t want to take the word of someone else – I wanted to see how it “worked”.  So yes, I signed up on PayPerPost.  I have NEVER received a dime from them, or submitted ANY content to them.

I find it distressing that SeaWorld is even named in the same post with PayPerPost/Izea/Ted Murphy.  I am also distressed that this has caused my own motives/ethics to be questioned.  I don’t know what is going on in Orlando, Florida, but I am very confident in the SeaWorld San Antonio team, and how they handled the invitations for me to attend events.  They never asked for ANYTHING in return from me.  And I have been to large events, like launching a new roller coaster, to small events, that were more about their vision for the future, etc.  I might have eaten a free taco, but those of you that know me know that I am not an eater – so free food cannot bribe me.

SeaWorld San Antonio is my friend, and I have made many friends there.  My daughter has a season pass that was PAID for (by my ex).

So no.  There was absolutely zero quid pro quo in any of my posts about SeaWorld San Antonio.  Nothing more than friendships.  Like many of my posts, I do talk about cool things friends are doing/have done.

I don’t know the details of this, beyond the article I reference above.

I just know MY SeaWorld here in San Antonio.  And the PR team I have dealt with.  And they have treated me with nothing but respect.  Had they offered to pay me to post, I would have been offended, and they would have lost a customer, and an advocate.  And probably a friend.

Instead they DID respect my morals as a blogger (and as a person) and offered me nothing in exchange for my attendance other than the ability to attend.  To me, that was payment enough.  Friends launched something – and I wanted to be among the first to play with it.  In this case, it was an idea, or a roller coaster.

In most cases, it is a website.

But to me, the same criteria applies – I have to be interested in it, and I need an emotional investment in it.  In the case of SeaWorld San Antonio it was a combination of both.  Loved the new coaster I got to ride, and am emotionally attached to some of the staff.  They are friends.

And friends don’t need to pay me for a post.  Friends know me well enough not to offend me by offering.  Friends know I will write about them when they do something that interests me.

Rob

1. I usually only need 3 hours of sleep a night.  That makes it easy for me to work a lot of hours in one day – because I love working.  When I love my work.
2. I don’t eat much – one meal a day, at most.  Some days I just don’t eat.  I weigh 138 pounds.  I weighed 145 pounds when I joined the Navy – 30 years ago.  I have a metabolism from hell.
3. I am a single parent – father.  Got custody of my kids when they were 10 and 12. They are now 18 and 20.  I haven’t fucked them up.
4. I know who I am, and what I want.  Sure, I question myself at times, but basically I am happy being me.
5. I get to teach, and this is extremely meaningful to me.
6. If I can’t make a difference, I can’t work for you.  I need to be an “impact player” – or I take my ball and go home.  It is just how I roll.  In my current role, I am making a difference.
7. I am divorced, and get along with my ex.  We have keys to each others homes.  We are friends.  We live close together, raise our kids together, and work as a parental unit.  No matter our personal history with each other. I got the best of both worlds.  My kids, and a mother involved in their lives.
8. I work at home, whenever I want to – which is most of the time.  It is where I do my best work for customers, so my employer allows it.
9. I live in San Antonio, TX, which is a place I have moved BACK to nearly a dozen times.  I will move again – from my current large home – but NOT from San Antonio.  I am here to stay.  This time.
10. I have a very few employees – but they are really amazing employees, and I appreciate them every day.  They make me look good, feel good, and act better.  What more could you ask of employees?
11. Finally – I am at a point in my life that I know what I want.  I know what I need.  And I work for a company that puts up with me sometimes being a bit crazy   They trust me.  And I trust them.  And THAT is something I have looked for for a long time.

So, Paul – I hope this satisfies you.  It was fun writing, because limiting it to 11 items was tough.

Rob

I know what I want.  I want to amaze customers.  I know I need support, and when internal systems fail me, I bitch.  LOUDLY.

I know customers depend on me, and the promises I make.  I get pissed if we miss a promise. And I bitch.  LOUDLY.

I am trouble.  I do NOT apologize for it.

I know some of my leadership wonders just WTF they were thinking by hiring me.  But I take care of customers.  So I generally make them happy.  Making people happy is what I love more than anything.

I am trouble.  I don’t accept ANYTHING because that is “the way we do it” and the “norm” generally annoys me.  I don’t care “how we have always done it”.  I don’t want to hear about “rules” if they slow me down.  I want a superhighway – I want nothing in my way.  I want no stoplights.  I just want to help people do what they are best at doing.  Building a website, managing a server, etc.  Doesn’t matter, as long as we make it easy.

I am trouble.  I know this.  I warned my employer before they hired me.  I’m not trying to hide the fact.  I am actually proud of it.

I won’t settle.  I demand a lot.  From my employer, my coworkers; my customers, even.

I also bust my ass

So before you become Trouble, make sure your are worth the trouble.  Am I?  Every day is telling.  Every challenge is telling. Some days I am more trouble than I am worth, I am sure.  But most days – most days I kick ass and help customers.  Most days, I am worth the trouble.

So far, my employer is standing up pretty damned well, and standing behind me.

So if you are going to be Trouble. make sure you know what value you add.  And make sure you and your employer have some level of agreement.

But if you ever get the chance to be trouble, and get away with it – you can do some amazing things!

If you work really, really hard.

Really hard.

Otherwise trouble will get you fired.

Then, a moment later, a little lick. And finally a head laid softly against my shoulder, in an attempt to not wake me.

I love my dog

This is Yoshi.  He rocks.  He knows when anyone in this family is stressed, or tired, or sad, or angry.

But mostly, he loves us.  And we love him back

Anyway, this morning I woke to this drawing, emailed to me from my daughter.  She drew it on her Wacom tablet.

My daughter is always thinking of me.  She will make a great artist (and perhaps even a great wife and mother, should she decide to push her skill-sets) some day.   Love her to death.

Later my kids did the grocery shopping, and fixed me a wonderful meal, which they insisted we ate at the table together (at 18 and 20, my kids are rarely home for meals, much less eating together!).

My son has recently started cooking – and he has a knack for it.  Love him as well!

It was a wonderful day.

But not for everyone.

This conversation, which my friend Robert Scoble started, explains why.  Hard to enjoy this day when so much of the world is in pain.

If you can stomach it, here is the before and after photos of one father’s daughter on Father’s Day.  Don’t click if you are squeamish.  She was shot and killed while walking in a peaceful protest with her father.

I am proud that I served my country, and am inspired by all of those in Iran who are doing the same.  Sounds like a cliche, but freedom really isn’t free.

Ask Neda’s father.

Because we can’t ask Neda.