Lessons From The Web (Spider, Man)

Two nights ago I was walking around back to bring the dogs in when I almost walked right into an enormous spider web. It was a magnificent web, strung delicately and perfectly from the branches of a tall bush to the ground. It was probably seven or eight feet tall, tall enough so that the center of the Web, the bullseye, was practically at my own eye level, putting me face to face with the spectacular web's proprietor.

Spider, man!

The spider was right there in the middle, chomping on some smaller insect that had fallen prey to the sticky strands, as intended.  I didn't have my phone to snap a picture, and I didn't think I'd get a good shot anyway given the darkness.  I made a mental note to try and catch a picture of it when I put the dogs out again in the morning.

But in the morning the web was gone.

All that work, the perfect construction, form and function, just for an evening's feast.  As slick and symmetrical as it appeared, the web could not withstand the wind, rain and other vagaries of the night.  Oh well.  So much for getting a picture of the web.

Rinse, repeat.

Then last night, once again I went to retrieve the dogs and lo and behold, there was the web again.  Not quite as big this time, but almost in the exact same place, and once again with my friendly neighborhood spider right smack in the middle.  This time I got the shot.

And then I saw the lesson in the weaving of the webs...

Every day the spider has to create to survive.  He has to do the work to spin his web, and do it well.  Do it as perfectly has he can.  Even though that work may only last the day, it is the most important work he can spend his time doing.  Again, and again, and again.  He's not discouraged when the wind (or a person) ruins his work because he knows he is fully capable of doing it again, and maybe even more perfectly the next time.  He makes every web he creates count.  He has to.

Setting aside any aspirations to become Peter Parker, I'd like to approach my own daily creations more like the spider, putting forth my best each day, for that day...

What do you think?

Mobile Is Dead, Long Live Mobile!

I've been involved with the Mobile Industry for a long time, and for more than 10 years there has been a "buzz" about the so-called "year of mobile."  Has it already passed?  Is it finally going to arrive? What do you think?

Last week I gave this presentation to the South Florida chapter of WITI (Women In Technology International).  I've given many presentations over the years, and I enjoyed giving this one.  Since I am working with cartoonist Hugh MacLeod (@gapingvoid) at Social Object Factory, I used a number of Hugh's insightful cartoons to illustrate my talk, which is called "Mobile Is Dead, Long Live Mobile."

There is no question that the smartphone has changed the face of mobile, but there are other forces at play as well.  As addicted as we may be to our smartphones, we are also now creatures of multiple devices - "Digital Omnivores" as comScore calls it.  Thanks to the prevalence of apps and the ubiquity of "the cloud" the idea of mobility goes way beyond our phones.  So, while an older vision of what mobile is may well be dead, our multi-device, cross-platform mobility is most certainly here to stay.  Long live mobile!

I'd love your feedback on this presentation.

Can't see the video? Click Here.

For more information about Jeff and to book him as a speaker, please visit http://about.me/sass or http://www.jeffreysass.com/speaking. Cartoons courtesy of @gapingvoid.

A Smart Use Of Smartphones: Emergency Weather Alerts

The old adage "fish where the fish are" can also apply to the latest application of the Emergency Broadcast System.  When I was young, the television was the uncontested center of our media universe.  If you wanted to reach the masses, all you had to do was get your message on TV.  Thus, my childhood was filled with the high pitched warning signal followed by an odd image on the screen and the announcement, "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system..."  But putting such a message on TV today is no longer a sure way to alert the citizenry...

We Live In A Mobile World - So Fish Where The Mobile Fish Are

Tonight, as Tropical Storm Isaac passed into the Gulf of Mexico, safely to the west of my South Florida home, after a dreary, rainy day, I was sitting at the kitchen table watching HBO GO (catching up on The Newsroom) on my Android phone when suddenly I heard that familiar "warning" tone.  But my TV was not on.  Then the message above, popped up on my phone's screen, pausing Aaron Sorkin's pithy banter midstream.  Within minutes, I could hear the wind outside winding up... things outside rustling and shaking and moving.   The dogs, inside for the day, huddled together, happily not out in the yard, where surely their dog house would soon be airborne a la The Wizard of Oz if indeed the tornado threat proved to be real.

Safe and Sound

I was not aware that the Emergency Alert System had gone mobile, but I am glad it did.  Like many of you, my smartphone is practically a physical extension of myself, a near permanent appendage, by my side more than my most loyal of pets.  I am naked if not accompanied by my handy Android, and based on countless studies and statistics I am not alone.  So it makes perfect sense for emergency warnings to move from our kitchens and living rooms to our pockets and purses.  It makes perfect sense to take advantage of the fact my phone is far more location aware than my TV...  To make sure warnings can be targeted and accurate, to be delivered into the hands of those who most need the information.  Sure enough, as the warning predicted, right around 10:15 the winds calmed down.  If there was a tornado in my area, thankfully it did not make its way into my yard.

I guess I will turn on the TV to find out...

Have you ever received an Emergency Alert on your phone?

From Transcendent Man To Transcendental Meditation

Ray Kurzweil

I recently was fortunate to attend an information and inspiration packed event in NYC.  The theme of the event was "Abundance" and the roster of incredible speakers included everyone from science and tech stars such as Ray Kurzweil, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Peter Diamandis, media giants like Arianna Huffington and Steve Forbes, best-selling author Neil Strauss, and countless others over two packed and powerful days.  I took more than 20 pages of notes at the event, which I am sure will fuel a number of blog posts here over the coming weeks.

The Singularity Is Near

One of the highlights (of many) for me was to hear inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil speak.  I have long been a fan of, and fascinated by, his works and visions of the future.  As an avid science fiction fan it is hard not to want Kurzweil's vision of Transcendent Man to come to fruition (and science fact seems to increasingly be on Kurzweil's side).  His talk focused on "how to create a mind" and how "you are what you think" and, thanks to technology, the advent of our "expanded mind."  Heady stuff about exponential growth, abundance, and both the true power of our human brains and the shortcomings that technology will help us overcome.

Transcendent Man to Transcendental Meditation

While the theme of the event was Abundance, many of the very successful, highly motivated speakers shared their personal stories of how they are motivated and maintain their focus to keep their businesses and personal lives moving forward.  Quite a few referenced meditation as an essential part of their daily routines.  Feeling inspired myself, I was reminded that, back as a senior in High School, I went through the Transcendental Meditation program and practiced "TM" for a number of years thereafter.  I don't exactly recall when (or why) I stopped meditating, but it was certainly a decade or two ago.  Repeatedly hearing of the benefits of meditation from so many provided the social proof I needed to reengage myself with the process.  As I sat in the audience the conclusion for me was clear.  I should start meditating again.

Habits Eat Intentions For Breakfast

In order to get back into meditation it was clear to me that I had to figure out a way to make it an inexcusable part of my daily routine.  I had to make meditating a habit, not a goal or an aspiration.  For my work with gapingvoid we recently put together a presentation on some of the science behind changing behavior through visual communications.  We cite neuroscience expert Robert Cooper whose work on behavior change highlights the importance of creating habits to effect change. His line, "habits eat intentions for breakfast" resonated with me, and the intention to begin meditating again seemed like the perfect objective with which to prove Cooper right.

An App To Create A Habit

So how was I going to turn meditating into a habit?  Since the singularity is near, I turned to my extended robot brain, my (aptly named) Android smartphone, and sure enough found the perfect app to help me reintegrate meditation into my daily life.  There were actually many choices, but based on ratings and reviews I installed Meditation Helper Pro by Neill Alexander.  What I love about this simple program is that it instantly makes you accountable by adding a widget to you phone's desktop that shows how many days in a row you have meditated, and your longest stretch of continuous days meditating.  This little reminder system, inspired by Jerry Seinfeld, has made it easy and fun for me to begin meditating regularly (going on 10 days now...).  The app lets you set the duration of your meditation sessions, marks the start and end (and other points at your option) with a soothing gentle bell, and best of all, during your meditation time it puts your phone into airplane mode, so there is no chance of being interrupted or disturbed by the beeps and buzzes of our connected world.  Meditation, by definition, should be a respite from all the "noise" and this app, for me, is a great way to help create the right environment for some peaceful moments of meditation, twice a day, every day.

I may not yet be a transcendant man (yet), but I am well on my way to becoming a meditating man... and hopefully the better for it.

Do you meditate?  If so, what is your method for making it part of your daily routine?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

A Colorful Tribe, Just Be-Cos (At Florida's Comic-Con)

Some tribes are hard to spot, but we know they exist.  People with similar interests have greater opportunities to find each other today than ever before... if you know where to look.  Other tribes are very visible when they come together and are quite easy to spot.  There's a large gathering of one massive tribe of comic and pop-culture fans going on right now in San Diego at Comic-con. 

Con-Men (and women... and children...)

 If you've ever attended a "con" before, you have probably witnessed a very colorful sub-tribe of attendees, dressed as their favorite characters, competing and collaborating in "cosplay" (short for "Costume Play.")  Where else can you go to see people of all ages dressed in elaborate costumes to rival the best of Halloween and Hollywood?  From toddlers to grandparents, a good con gives everyone the chance to release their inner superheros in a very public way.  As an attendee in "civvies," it is a blast to witness this tribe in action and see such a motley cast of characters so comfortable dressed so colorfully.

A Super Time at Supercon

I was recently invited to speak at Florida Supercon, which, while smaller than the San Diego uber Con, still attracts an awesome local crowd as well as many comic and film world celebrities (including Alex Kingston of Dr. Who and ER fame, cast members from The Hunger Games, and many more).  At Supercon I interviewed my former employer, Troma's Lloyd Kaufman, and I gave a workshop presentation based on a book I am working on called "Everything I Know About Business I Learned From The Toxic Avenger."

Why Finding Your Tribe Rocks

While I enjoyed catching up with Lloyd and giving my own schpiel, the most fun I had at Supercon was watching the cosplay tribe in action, and seeing so many people, young and old, embrace their fandom so fully.  It really demonstrates the best aspects of finding your tribe.  Once you do, you have the comfort of being part of a true community and the satisfaction of fitting in and belonging, no matter who you are or what you may look like.  At a comic con there are no geeks, freaks, whackos or weirdos...  there are only fans!  It was fun to be one for the day.

Have you ever dabbled in cosplay?  If you need some inspiration, here is a video of some pictures I took at Florida Supercon .  Enjoy.

Measurement and Motivation

I am not a numbers guy, but I am a gadget guy.  Lately my love of gadgets has been teaching me the value of numbers, and more importantly, the value of measurement and tracking when it comes to achieving goals.

Is the Weight Over?

As someone who has always been "big boned" (read: overweight) I work very hard to be health conscious.  I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and vegan for the past 5, and generally I eat well and healthy.  I go to the gym, run and bike ride regularly.  Yet still, the older I get, the harder it seems to be to drop weight.  However, I recently lost 10 pounds and I attribute my sudden success to my gadgets.

Satellites and Smartphones

Even before every smartphone was GPS enabled I used a bulky Garmin GPS watch to track my walks, runs and bike rides.  While it was fun to know how far and fast I went, the data stayed on the watch and I didn't really watch it, except when I was in the midst of exercising.  When my smartphone became GPS enabled, I gave up the Dick Tracy sized watch and starting using apps such as CardioTrainer and RunKeeper to keep track of my physical activities.  With the smartphone it became easy to share my exercise progress on Facebook and Twitter, which led to lots of "moral support" from friends and followers - a great motivator. But still, I was not losing any weight...

Steps Count, And Make You Accountable

When the first FitBit came out I was intrigued.  I had tried a standard pedometer before, but found it inaccurate, and a bit boring.  But the first FitBit had received some mixed reviews and I decided to pass.  Instead, when Jawbone introduced the UP bracelet I was sold.  I own a few great Jawbone products already so I had high hopes for the UP, and liked the idea of a smart bracelet that could be worn all the time.  And I loved the UP... while it worked.  As you may have read, the UP turned out to be a downer, with Jawbone maturely acknowledging its flaws and taking them all back for a full refund.  So it was back to the FitBit, and by now the much improved Fitbit Ultra was available.  I love my FitBit the accompanying software and apps, and being able to see my steps and progress.  I also have a Nike Fuel band and a Motorola MOTOACV gps sports-watch (yeah, I am a gadget geek).  The bottom line is, no matter which device you choose to use, tracking your daily movement will change your behavior, and changing behavior is the best way to lose weight and improve your fitness.

A Daily Race Against Time

All these fitness trackers generally re-set to "0" at midnight, and I find myself frequently taking late-night jogs or extended walks with the dogs just to make sure I hit my daily number, and that, I think, is the magic benefit of tracking your activity.  Knowing where you stand (or move) at any given moment makes you far more likely to take that extra step to hit an attainable daily goal.

Lesson Learned


I am enjoying tracking my Fuel, steps, miles and calories and, based on my experience watching the numbers for my personal fitness, I am finding myself becoming more focused on metrics and measurement in business as well.  The same principles apply.  If your goal is clearly defined, and you know exactly where you stand at any given moment, then you are far more likely to put in the extra effort to make sure you reach that goal.


I'll always be a gadget guy, but now my gadgets have made me more interested in being a numbers guy too...  How about you?  How do you track your fitness and business goals?

*Note: Some product links above are Amazon Affiliate links to help support my Gadget habit...Thanks!

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