Scott Allen's Blog, page 3

Will the real #ScottAllen please stand up?

Since Google+ and now Facebook have added hashtags, there’s a whole new level of branding and reputation management opening up. In light of that, I think I’d better lay a strong and early claim to #ScottAllen.

So, if you’re looking for the real #ScottAllen, you’ve found me.  :-)  I’m also on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Instagram, Empire Avenue, and just about everywhere else on the social web.

I am NOT…

K. Scott Allen aka @OdeToCode (I consider myself an ex-coder)
The 1964 Olympic bronze medalist in men’s figure skating (I took lessons at Ice Capades when I was 8…does that count?)
Director of the United Heritage Center at The Dell Diamond (though I live right around the corner)
A Seattle architect (though my cousin is)
An investigative reporter for The Boston Globe (though I used to be a Guide for About.com)
A killer rock guitarist (I try, but…)

Those are all very fine other Scott Allens who you’ll easily find on Google. But they’re not #ScottAllen (sorry, guys — I call dibs!).

Seriously, though…if you haven’t started laying claim to your name and started making your fame, better hop in the game and get on your way to #HashtagFame.

OK, that was #lame.

Anyway… #GetThePoint? #WhatUGonnaDoAboutIt?

I miss #FollowFriday

I kinda miss #FollowFriday…looking to make some new connections. Who are YOUR top people to follow on Twitter?

— Scott Allen (@ScottAllen) June 14, 2013

I Miss #FollowFriday

I kinda miss #FollowFriday…looking to make some new connections. Who are YOUR top people to follow on Twitter?

— Scott Allen (@ScottAllen) June 14, 2013

What your body does and is — is amazing

This is absolutely the most inspiring thing I’ve ever read about body image. It was originally posted at Muscle Motivation, and used here by permission.

What Your Body Does and Is — Is Amazing

In fitness and health, people have this tendency to despise what their body does, or what their body looks like. We want you to take a minute right here to remember that your body is incredible. Women and men alike have lots of self-confidence issues about how their body looks, or what their body does. It’s important though, that despite all of your perceived negatives, there’s a very specific reason your body does that.

If you are vascular (man or woman), it’s showing that your skin is tight to your body. Your muscles are firm. When you squeeze something and your veins pop out your strength is showing.

If you have fat, it means you have a surplus of food in your life and a surplus of energy to store. It means your body is properly storing energy as it believes it will need in the future.

If you are pale, you have been afforded a life where being in the sun all day with no clothes is an option, not simply a fact you live with.

If you have stretch marks, it shows the battles you have fought to earn them.

If you gained them from gaining muscle, you have grown so much and so fast from where you started that you have marks, showing how quickly you achieved significant results and progress.

If you have them ’cause of the weight you have lost then they’re showing how you managed to shape and mold your body so quickly.

If they’re from pregnancy, it’s showing that you have survived and gone through one of life’s most painful experiences, and out of it gained one of life’s greatest joys.

Even if you’re fat, hell it’s simply a distinguishing factor that makes your body unique.

And one day, if you want them to be, those will be your warrior marks too. They will remind you of where you started.

When you sweat be thankful that your skin and glands work properly to keep your body from overheating and damaging itself.

When you have “gross” bodily functions be glad your body uses those to expel toxins from itself.

If your thighs are large be glad you have large powerful legs.

If you have acne be glad that it probably means you have active hormones.

If you can’t lift a lot of weight, be glad you have realized this and are making efforts to change it. So many go their whole lives without ever  testing their body’s limits.

Your body is an incredible piece of art. It’s genuinely amazing what all it can do and how many little things simply go into you twitching your finger or clicking a mouse. Your body is so magnificent, so impressive and amazing in all regards.

However your body is as it is, it is there not because of a dysfunction, or some deficiency in your body. It is as great as it is and not worse because of your body’s amazing ability to adapt, to survive, to improve and to continue to function.

Don’t get down on yourself because you are the result of millions of years of evolution. You are made up of the same cellular material as the people you sit and envy.

It may sound cliche, but it’s the truth when we say that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

If you found this as inspiring as I did, please leave a comment, either here or there, and share it far and wide. Also, be sure to connect with Muscle Motivation on their blog, Tumblr and Facebook.

What Your Body Does and Is — Is Amazing

This is absolutely the most inspiring thing I’ve ever read about body image. It was originally posted at Muscle Motivation, and used here by permission.

What Your Body Does and Is — Is Amazing

In fitness and health, people have this tendency to despise what their body does, or what their body looks like. We want you to take a minute right here to remember that your body is incredible. Women and men alike have lots of self-confidence issues about how their body looks, or what their body does. It’s important though, that despite all of your perceived negatives, there’s a very specific reason your body does that.

If you are vascular (man or woman), it’s showing that your skin is tight to your body. Your muscles are firm. When you squeeze something and your veins pop out your strength is showing.

If you have fat, it means you have a surplus of food in your life and a surplus of energy to store. It means your body is properly storing energy as it believes it will need in the future.

If you are pale, you have been afforded a life where being in the sun all day with no clothes is an option, not simply a fact you live with.

If you have stretch marks, it shows the battles you have fought to earn them.

If you gained them from gaining muscle, you have grown so much and so fast from where you started that you have marks, showing how quickly you achieved significant results and progress.

If you have them ’cause of the weight you have lost then they’re showing how you managed to shape and mold your body so quickly.

If they’re from pregnancy, it’s showing that you have survived and gone through one of life’s most painful experiences, and out of it gained one of life’s greatest joys.

Even if you’re fat, hell it’s simply a distinguishing factor that makes your body unique.

And one day, if you want them to be, those will be your warrior marks too. They will remind you of where you started.

When you sweat be thankful that your skin and glands work properly to keep your body from overheating and damaging itself.

When you have “gross” bodily functions be glad your body uses those to expel toxins from itself.

If your thighs are large be glad you have large powerful legs.

If you have acne be glad that it probably means you have active hormones.

If you can’t lift a lot of weight, be glad you have realized this and are making efforts to change it. So many go their whole lives without ever  testing their body’s limits.

Your body is an incredible piece of art. It’s genuinely amazing what all it can do and how many little things simply go into you twitching your finger or clicking a mouse. Your body is so magnificent, so impressive and amazing in all regards.

However your body is as it is, it is there not because of a dysfunction, or some deficiency in your body. It is as great as it is and not worse because of your body’s amazing ability to adapt, to survive, to improve and to continue to function.

Don’t get down on yourself because you are the result of millions of years of evolution. You are made up of the same cellular material as the people you sit and envy.

It may sound cliche, but it’s the truth when we say that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

If you found this as inspiring as I did, please leave a comment, either here or there, and share it far and wide. Also, be sure to connect with Muscle Motivation on their blog, Tumblr and Facebook.

The 7 Keys to a Powerful Network – The Dash Radio

The central organizing concept in my first book, The Virtual Handshake, is “The 7 Keys to a Powerful Network”, a strategic framework for all of your business relationships that will make you far more effective in how you use your time, and help you align your relationship-building activities with your business objectives. I gave an overview, along with some first steps to start applying the concepts, on The Dash Radio last week. Enjoy!

[image error]The Dash on Blog Talk Radio

Digital Doesn’t Matter: Reinventing The Advertising Industry – Why I love this idea

I’ve always been a big fan of the concept behind Napoleon Hill’s Law Of Success, or the more recent Education of Millionaires book. Both of them set out on a journey to interview the world’s greatest minds, examine what they do and how they think, and then compile it into far easier to consume, relevant bits of information. Almost like a cheat sheet to success.

That’s what Heresy decided to do with this book, Digital Doesn’t Matter: Reinventing The Advertising Industry. Shot into action by the slow dying of the advertising industry they so dearly loved, authors John Lambie and Josh Sklar spent 6 months interviewing over 100 of the top CEOs, executives, directors and journalists in the advertising and marketing industry, including people from Google, Ogilvy & Mathers, Nike, Dell, Y&R, and more.

This book looks to be a go-to resource for any person remotely interested in marketing, advertising, or PR that wants to know how to make it as we try to smoothly and effectively transition these fields into the digital era. Covering a broad, but very specific set of topics such as:

Marketing Strategy
Account Management
Strategic Planning
Data Analysis
Social Media
New Business Development
Talent Development
Recruitment
And far more

All of that though, is only half of the reason I’m excited about this book. At another angle, this book, while available in PDF, Kindle, and hardcover form, seeks to hit a whole new level of dynamic interaction with the reader through a mobile app. Imagine if while you were reading your favorite book, let’s say Harry Potter for now (I hear it’s pretty popular), that you could comment and talk to other readers while reading your favorite sections, skip to only the parts that talk about dragons (or Cerberus, ogres, unicorns, etc.), share your own stories, provide immediate feedback to the author for her next book, give ideas, and read stories from either her or other readers that continually give insights into the world.

That’s the kind of groundbreaking concept this book looks to achieve. People will be allowed to comment, annotate, submit stories, provide feedback, and offer ideas. The app will be forever changing and updated, with the authors providing case studies, research, extra education, as well as a community to discuss what’s happening, connect people with mentors, vent anonymously, and critique the latest ads. Innovative and ambitious, to say the least.

Now, the real kicker with this? It’s not one of those things you get psyched about, look at, then wait around for 2 years while the groundwork occurs. Heresy is looking at obtaining funding by early March, and then having all of this delivered by June of this year. If this is something you want to get involved in, you can view their Kickstarter page and their Facebook page.

I hear those who donate early and keep posted on Facebook may get some special opportunities for a sneak peek at the book. I’m certainly in for a few bucks just to help see this be realized.

Digital Doesn’t Matter: Reinventing The Advertising Industry – Why I Love This Idea

I’ve always been a big fan of the concept behind Napoleon Hill’s Law Of Success, or the more recent Education of Millionaires book. Both of them set out on a journey to interview the world’s greatest minds, examine what they do and how they think, and then compile it into far easier to consume, relevant bits of information. Almost like a cheat sheet to success.

That’s what Heresy decided to do with this book, Digital Doesn’t Matter: Reinventing The Advertising Industry. Shot into action by the slow dying of the advertising industry they so dearly loved, authors John Lambie and Josh Sklar spent 6 months interviewing over 100 of the top CEOs, executives, directors and journalists in the advertising and marketing industry, including people from Google, Ogilvy & Mathers, Nike, Dell, Y&R, and more.

This book looks to be a go-to resource for any person remotely interested in marketing, advertising, or PR that wants to know how to make it as we try to smoothly and effectively transition these fields into the digital era. Covering a broad, but very specific set of topics such as:

Marketing Strategy
Account Management
Strategic Planning
Data Analysis
Social Media
New Business Development
Talent Development
Recruitment
And far more

All of that though, is only half of the reason I’m excited about this book. At another angle, this book, while available in PDF, Kindle, and hardcover form, seeks to hit a whole new level of dynamic interaction with the reader through a mobile app. Imagine if while you were reading your favorite book, let’s say Harry Potter for now (I hear it’s pretty popular), that you could comment and talk to other readers while reading your favorite sections, skip to only the parts that talk about dragons (or Cerberus, ogres, unicorns, etc.), share your own stories, provide immediate feedback to the author for her next book, give ideas, and read stories from either her or other readers that continually give insights into the world.

That’s the kind of groundbreaking concept this book looks to achieve. People will be allowed to comment, annotate, submit stories, provide feedback, and offer ideas. The app will be forever changing and updated, with the authors providing case studies, research, extra education, as well as a community to discuss what’s happening, connect people with mentors, vent anonymously, and critique the latest ads. Innovative and ambitious, to say the least.

Now, the real kicker with this? It’s not one of those things you get psyched about, look at, then wait around for 2 years while the groundwork occurs. Heresy is looking at obtaining funding by early March, and then having all of this delivered by June of this year. If this is something you want to get involved in, you can view their Kickstarter page and their Facebook page.

I hear those who donate early and keep posted on Facebook may get some special opportunities for a sneak peek at the book. I’m certainly in for a few bucks just to help see this be realized.

New Empire Avenue strategy yields impressive results

If you’re already familiar with Empire Avenue, skip the next couple of paragraphs.

Empire Avenue is a social stock market game that yields real business benefits. People (and businesses) buy and sell “stock” in other people and businesses, and those stocks pay dividends based on the social media activity of the person or business. It’s great for several reasons: first of all, it encourages people to be really, truly active and engaged in their other social media channels, not just in the game. As a result, the people who play it become more influential in social media.

Of course, there’s the benefit of social interaction with the other players, but the real payoff comes in missions, in which you can use the in-game currency (“Eaves”) as a reward for social actions — likes, tweets, comments, YouTube views, and so on. It does require some initial investment, but there’s a model of significantly increasing returns. Social media moguls like Chris Pirillo, Kim Garst and Chris Voss are using it to boost their social activity. It’s also become popular with several network marketing leaders, including Art Jonak, Randy Gage, Eric Worre and Orrin Woodward, just to name a few. I’ve been using Empire Avenue for both myself and my clients for about a year-and-a-half, and it’s one of my best, if not particularly well-kept, secrets.

I’m always looking for ways to optimize my Empire Avenue strategy, and this week I had a major breakthrough, based entirely on a shift in buying strategy. My investing strategy that I’ve worked out is to invest in a mix of stocks based on 3 main criteria:

High-yield
Promising newcomers (because you can buy them cheap)
Buying back stocks of those who have invested in me (encourages them to hold your stock)

This week, I tried something different:  I invested in stocks I didn’t previously own, and that hadn’t invested in me, based primarily on two factors only:  their average shares held and that they’ve been recently active on Empire Avenue.

The results?

My account:

 

Client 1:

Client 2:

To be clear — this was based on my normal daily buying volume, not a big spend saved up over several days. I also didn’t ask for them to reciprocate — they just did automatically.

You’ll notice that in the last one, the impact isn’t as dramatic — as you can see, though, it also had a significantly higher growth trajectory already.

If you want to give it a try, I use insideEAv for my portfolio management. Once you’re registered, you can use this query as a start. You should just need to set how much you want to invest and run the buy. If you try it, let me know your results.

P.S. – I’m not going to completely drop my other buying strategies, because they all serve their purpose, but I will be allocating a lot more of my funds to this strategy.

New Empire Avenue Buying Strategy Yields Impressive Results

If you’re already familiar with Empire Avenue, skip the next couple of paragraphs.

Empire Avenue is a social stock market game that yields real business benefits. People (and businesses) buy and sell “stock” in other people and businesses, and those stocks pay dividends based on the social media activity of the person or business. It’s great for several reasons: first of all, it encourages people to be really, truly active and engaged in their other social media channels, not just in the game. As a result, the people who play it become more influential in social media.

Of course, there’s the benefit of social interaction with the other players, but the real payoff comes in missions, in which you can use the in-game currency (“Eaves”) as a reward for social actions — likes, tweets, comments, YouTube views, and so on. It does require some initial investment, but there’s a model of significantly increasing returns. Social media moguls like Chris Pirillo, Kim Garst and Chris Voss are using it to boost their social activity. It’s also become popular with several network marketing leaders, including Art Jonak, Randy Gage, Eric Worre and Orrin Woodward, just to name a few. I’ve been using Empire Avenue for both myself and my clients for about a year-and-a-half, and it’s one of my best, if not particularly well-kept, secrets.

I’m always looking for ways to optimize my Empire Avenue strategy, and this week I had a major breakthrough, based entirely on a shift in buying strategy. My investing strategy that I’ve worked out is to invest in a mix of stocks based on 3 main criteria:

High-yield
Promising newcomers (because you can buy them cheap)
Buying back stocks of those who have invested in me (encourages them to hold your stock)

This week, I tried something different:  I invested in stocks I didn’t previously own, and that hadn’t invested in me, based primarily on two factors only:  their average shares held and that they’ve been recently active on Empire Avenue.

The results?

My account:

 

Client 1:

Client 2:

To be clear — this was based on my normal daily buying volume, not a big spend saved up over several days. I also didn’t ask for them to reciprocate — they just did automatically.

You’ll notice that in the last one, the impact isn’t as dramatic — as you can see, though, it also had a significantly higher growth trajectory already.

If you want to give it a try, I use insideEAv for my portfolio management. Once you’re registered, you can use this query as a start. You should just need to set how much you want to invest and run the buy. If you try it, let me know your results.

P.S. – I’m not going to completely drop my other buying strategies, because they all serve their purpose, but I will be allocating a lot more of my funds to this strategy.