Last night, the sales and marketing teams met for dinner to discuss the upcoming few months. Project Hail Mary was the main topic.
To see the excitement in their eyes after hearing the next few steps is pretty amazing. They are able to understand that there is no time to be stagnant and GoNextWorld is now taking action to become something more than a universal rewards program. It has always been my intention to make a company more than a company, but last night, it was great to finally start showing how we will do just that.
Projects are set in place and we will all meet back up in 2 weeks.
As you may know, I am a big fan of traditions... and I believe we have just started a new one last night.
On Sunday night, our good friend was killed in an automobile accident. It's absolutely mind blowing, that a person you just saw recently, healthy and 2 years younger, is now gone.
It's always sad when you know someone that passes away, but when its sudden, that's when it really takes the wind out of you and makes you sick to your stomach.
And it can put some things into perspective. For example, on Saturday, I was losing my mind trying to fix a water pressure problem at my house. I thought it was the end of the world if I didn't fix it that night. Now, looking back at it, that was ridiculous.
It reiterates a few things that I have always wanted to live by:
-End everything in a way that leaves no room for regret.
-Never go to sleep if you have something you need to say to someone.
- Each year you blow the candles out, vow to make it count.
Project Hail Mary is fully underway and the first few images are coming to light. Rather than spend the next few years gaining a yard each day, I'd rather go for the deep ball.
These past two weeks have helped us see what needs to be done if you really want to put something on center stage for the world to see. Im baffled that we didnt think of it earlier. Regardless, we have it now. And that's all that matters.
This weekend I was able to catch up on some documentaries that have been on my list. Afterwards, I took the GoNextWorld mascot for late night run and to see if his girlfriend Indiana was out... or his best friend Hank was around. Unfortunately, they were not, but something else came from that walk.
For awhile now, I have been trying to think of a new name for one of the additions included in Project Hail Mary. After hearing a song off in the distance, I think we might have it.
In most cases, when a terrible song like Maroon 5's "Daylight" gets stuck in your head, it usually doesn't turn out to be a good day.
This was not the case yesterday. It was a day that our new project was presented to the CTO to get some insight on the implications and time frames of the minor addition.
Turns out, the addition was accepted and added to the objective list without any hesitation. And, it doesnt seem to alter the scope of the other projects, which was our main concern.
After running our in-house management app for more than a month now, we are able to see the true strengths that we could really capitalize on. This means adding one more ingredient, which could really change things.
This reminds me of when we were an entertainment company 4 years ago. One of the events was the annual Ski Trip, which involved the gathering of 40 people on a bus and taking them to New York. On our final night, we would prepare a large pasta meal for the entire group. Forty people sitting around a table, listening to oldies music, and enjoying amazing pasta - there was nothing like. I still remember people talking about how amazing the dinner was.
Some years later, I spoke to the chef that made the pasta and the sauce for the trips. He mentioned that the pasta sauce made for the trip involved a certain procedure that took immense time and a few ingredient secrets - one of which was a certain type of pepper used to really set it off. He also mentioned the difficulty of cooking for 40 people because all of the time it takes in making sure the amounts are just right.
Whatever he used, it did something that took it from a good sauce to "a sauce worth forever mentioning". Whatever you call it... the x-factor, the final piece, or the perfect timing... businesses need it just as chefs do.
This is, of course, if you want to be mentioned years after the world gets a taste of it.
In a blog last year, I mentioned how a start-up business is in a metaphorical "street fight" every day.
Start-up businesses are in a constant whirlwind. The entrepreneurs of the world have to fight through all of the noise in order to accomplish their mission. Even when you know you are doing the right thing, something or someone is there to try and stop or slow you down. However, I feel that being pushed around is not always a bad thing. It toughens you up inside.
Most of the time, its best to smile, save the energy and find another way around - Knowing another path is always just around the corner.
But sometimes, there is only one way. Then... and only then, its all worth it. And this is when you have to stand and fight.
Start-up businesses are constantly pushed around. It's only time until that start-up business pushes back.
In all of pro sports, there's nothing sexier than a shootout goal in playoff hockey to win the game. A close 2nd goes to the 'last second hail mary' in football.
Its all about one last chance.
When the team knows that opportunity is limited, they take crazier risks. People stand, hold their breath, and wait for the smoke to clear to see if the gamble paid off. Usually, the clock runs out and the risk was unsuccessful.... usually. But, sometimes it works.
The risk and the suspense have a lot to do with the attractiveness of it. It could change everything if it pays off.
When starting and creating a business, I often feel that its one hail mary after another. It always seems that there is a need to pull a 4th quarter comeback with some 'miracle play'. To me, entrepreneurship is the ability to constantly create and add new plays to the playbook. One of them could be that miracle play you are looking for.
The miracle play is necessary because the world is full of people that commend entrepreneurship, but do nothing to help. Recently, we went to a very large organization on the east coast to get their approval on a gifted sponsorship we wanted to offer them. It was our way of offering a resource of ours to them because we believed in their organization. However, they rejected the sponsorship because they did not want to be attributed to such a new company (less than 5 years old) and company they have never heard of, even though they supposedly stand behind entrepreneurs.
This is just one example of how people dismiss any idea that immediately doesn't put money in their own personal pocket.
There are many, many of these type of people. And that's the way its always going to be. The numbers are truly not in your favor when starting and running a business.
The solution - one big play. The only way to beat these people is by taking the ultimate risk.
The game is not over. Take the shot down field.
Last night, a new play was added to our playbook...
Last night, I went to sleep with a feeling of anxiousness. There is much to do this week and time is fleeting.
Project #DDOP is picking up steam and is actually coming to life.
Recently, I was honored to be asked to write a few letters of reference for a couple of the Duquesne University students helping out with GoNextWorld, LLC's content and strategy.
As I was sitting there in my 52 degree office, shaking off the cold, putting together my thoughts for the letter of reference, I read the student's personal statement. I have worked very closely with these people and I know them very well, but one particular personal statement caught me by surprise.
When I was in school, creating personal statements seemed to be an unnecessary lesson. But, after reading this student's personal statement, I think much differently about them.
Their honesty poured through and it showed a human being with a personal mission. The story contained a glimpse of the past and how it didn't go "as planned." It led into how the unplanned steps brought him to realize that Law School was the personal mission... and the next step in line towards the end goal.
In a recent blog, I discussed GoNextWorld's mission and its importance. But, this student taught me that a personal mission statement is just as important.
I am extremely proud to see how our team is able to correlate early mistakes with progress. It means a few things to me - One in particular: they are applying what they learn to their own lives.
On Friday, we noticed a trend among our members that caused an issue with our mobile website. The result was quite severe and it required our full attention.
We needed to have a solution... and fast.
It became one of those nights that I could not sleep until I figured it out. As I was sitting at my desk at 1:30 am, I could hear the local tavern across the road listening to the usual karaoke jams. One in particular caught my ear - Pearl Jam's "Last Kiss", a personal favorite of mine.
As I was listening to the people outside celebrating their Friday night, a possible solution popped into my mind. It needed to we worked out on paper, but the general template was there. The next step was to see what others thought of it.
With approximately 3 hours of sleep under my belt, I woke up with wicked headache and a little bit of a nervous pep in my step.
The first thing I did was call John to hear his thoughts. Fortunately, he liked the idea and it was ready to be fine-tuned and put into the assembly line.
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The bottom line is that we had to change something big....without slowing us down one bit. When this happens, it can be as scary as seeing a car drifting backwards on Route 28 while you are going 65 mph straight at it. (yeah, that happened)
Not only is it truly scary to see, its scary to deal with. It could be life or death without the right decision.
To fix the problem, we had to do some re-writing of the story.
To hear how it turns out, just keep reading...
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...AND NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I swore I heard that karoake singer on Friday change the lyrics...
At least I hope he did...
"She's gone to heaven so I got to be good, so I can see my baby when I Go-Next-World"....
Coming Soon - A place for members to find motivation & for members to inspire each other every day. Contributing to someone else's progress can be the greatest Reward.
Last night, GoNextWorld and Summit Computer Networks met at our usual dinner meeting grounds - Applebees.
We discussed the next few weeks and started to push around ideas for the next levels of the advertising campaigns. However, the true decision-making meeting will not happen for another 30 days.
In February, the entire team will sit down and put every idea out on the table. After a 2-3 day time period to think about and discuss each others ideas, we will make a decision.
That decision will come from a collection of minds. I can't wait....
This morning, I put together a rough draft of the emails that will be sent to the 15,000 registered GoNextWorld members emails. If we decide to push the button, this is idea #1.
Rough Draft Email is seen below-
GoNextWorld is now offering you, the member, the ability to show the world what is important to you.
Do you have something you would like to promote? Something you want others to see?
If you want it to be seen and heard on center stage, GoNextWorld is the answer.
This is for:
bloggers and authors
health and fitness gurus
bands and musicians
your YouTube videos
your business services
the charities you believe in
twitter accounts
facebook pages
website owners
LIFE is all about progress. This goes for all people and all businesses.
To Get Started and to Keep Moving Forward, visit : insert URL
Let the world see your passion and advertise it in a new kind of way.
It's time to bring your voice to LIFE.
My mentor once told me "It's ok to be wrong, but its not ok to be uncertain".
It took me a few years to comprehend this statement. Only when I went out on my own is when I realized what he was trying to say: " Make a decision and go with it."
The older I get, the more people I see wanting to go against this mentality. Making a decision for themselves or the company they work for can be scary. Decisions lead to good results or failed results. Rarely, does it have no effect. If it leads to failed results, it can change the landscape of their life: they can be fired from the job, they may not like the new position, they may have to work harder, they may lose what they have, etc.
-These are the basic things that run through people's minds when making a decision.
I see less and less people thinking of the good that can result from a decision: they may be promoted, they may like the position more, they may gain something that they did not have, etc.
Uncertainty leads to inactivity. Inactivity leads to no progress.
Inactivity can stop you from getting what you really want -
"I'm not sure what I want to be, so I will stay at the job I hate."
"I'm not sure what I want to do with my life, so I will keep going to school on someone else's dime."
"I'm not sure if thats the right decision, so I will push that decision off to someone else."
"I'm not sure what I should do next, so I will just wait for something to come along."
"I'm not sure if I want to work hard for little pay, so I will just file for unemployment."
"I'm not sure if its worth it, so I will keep doing what I have been doing even though its not leading to the results I want"
I'd rather try and paddle to shore than wait for someone to come for me (They might be waiting for the storm to pass) By then, it will be too late.
The way I see it, there is only one way to get you where you really want to go...
Most nights before I try to go to sleep (and before I put on the early episodes of Married with Children"), I read a little from "Sexy Little Numbers" - a book that highlights the importance of story-telling data.
If you have a business and/or are thinking of starting one, I highly recommend that you read this book.
So far, my takeaway from this book is simple: We are on the right path but there is much more we can do.
Turning people into customers is very important. And turning customers into frequent customers is even more important. But, turning frequent customers into great customers is what your goal should be. This can be accomplished in a few different ways (amazing product, aamzing prices, location, relation of customer to brand, etc)
The starting point is to know where you stand.
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Growing up playing hockey as a short, stocky, ugly dude, I knew where I stood on the hockey team. If the puck went into the corners, it was my job to go in, fight like hell, and come out with it. Most of the time it worked, because I knew where I stood.
Businesses must know where they stand in order to make the right decision...and come out with the puck.
As seen in our video below, our first round of reports can do this.
As you read in the last blog, we are here to accelerate the user's progress.
Members- Financially Businesses - with sales and previously unknown information Advertisers - Efficient, targeted, budgeted, effective ...and soon to be automated exposure.
It's about setting goals, figuring what you need to get there,,,and then actually doing it.
Our software will aid in this process.
In "Sexy Little Numbers", it talks about the future. It mentions that someday, your refrigerator will be able to notify you whenyou are out of eggs. Then, it will auto-order eggs from the store and deliver it to your house. Total automation. (By the way, 3 states have already legalized self-driving cars).
Since I have already made a prediction about San Francisco 49ers winning the Superbowl back in week 2 of the season, I would like to make another prediction about the future, regarding advertising...
On second thought...maybe I will save that for now and just show you in one of the next software updates.
It's still fun to keep you guessing....most of the time...
A long time ago, when I was cleaning sinks, toilets, and floors at night to help pay the bills, I remember cleaning an office for a company that sold medical supplies. On the walls, in front of every computer was a piece of paper that outlined their mission statement.
At first, I thought that was a little unnecessary. Then, I realized what the owner was trying to accomplish. Every worker that went to work was reminded as to what exactly that company was trying to accomplish. This will help in the day to day confusion that can lead people down the wrong path and to spend time on things that are not in line with their "mission".
People start new types of businesses because the feeling of creativity is like a drug to some people. It can be truly addictive. However, the end goal is all that matters and trying to get too creative can lead some people astray. Reminders need to be in place that keep the team all on the same page.
Seeing that successful medical supplies company posting their mission statement made me understand how important it is to always re-evaluate the journey and the objectives. Are the day-to-day objectives in line with the mission?
If you ever stop by GNW Headquarters, you will clearly see what our objective is:
To benefit society by creating software that accelerates the end user's progress.
What's your mission?
OWN 1,000 experiences for only $20
Details -
$20 for 1,000 people to see your ad.
Offer available only until February 15th.
Ad begins in March.
Includes an image (optional), summary, and your url link
To save funds when I moved out on my own, I never ordered Cable TV. It's not that I am against cable tv at all, its that I look at it as one expense that can be eliminated due to my preferences. I consider myself a movie guy, so I always thought the 8.99 per month for Netflix via the ROKU far outweighed the $100 per month for Cable. Yes, I do really miss all of the episodes of Conan,.. but I do not miss the advertisements for "The Big Bang Theory".
This past weekend, I was searching through the lists on the roku and came across a Van Morrison Documentary. As you may know from my other blogs, I am a big fan of documentaries.
An interview with another musician brought up a question he said he was constantly asked - "Who was the best songwriter, Bob Dylan or Van Morrsion?"
Both of these are two of my favorites, so I was pretty blown away with his response:
He answered "Both. Bob Dylan writes for the head and Van Morrsion writes for the heart - the two best ways to tell a story."
Damn, that is profound. And with anything, I began making analogies to a business. It all comes down to how you tell the story. I believe if you can tell a story from multiple perspectives, that's when you really got something.
I think we are doing a pretty good job of that.
You see, our merchant management reports tell a story to the participating business owners.
Our capability for self promoters to advertise will tell another story to the members.
Our way of financially helping our members with universal rewards will show them another side of the story.
But if you prefer Van Morrsion's way of telling a story, I recommend that you check out all of the blogs...
Ever since I was 5 years old, I always wanted to play guitar and sing a few songs in front of a group of people AND EARN MONEY FOR DOING IT.
Well, due to my inability to sing and not having the funds to buy a guitar until I was 23, that dream didn't come true until a little over a year ago.
By coincidence, a friend that plays in a successful band needed an opening gig for a bar in Ohio. Until then, I only played open mic nights, so my confidence was not too high. He said he would pay $120 to me and my friend Tom if we played that night. We had no idea what we were getting into, but that is half the fun.
When we showed up, it was apparent that we did not have a playlist that would satisfy the crowd. Most of the people were wearing Marilyn Manson T-shirts and dog collar-looking jewelry.And our songs consisted of stuff I knew they would not enjoy too much - a few originals, a few Social Distortion acoustic songs, and even a Connie Smith cover of "Once a Day". Regardless, we were going to give it all we had.
Long story short, our 15 song playlist was cut to 11 when we saw how things were going.
After we left the stage, we grabbed a must needed beer. The main band entered the stage and started performing the real hard music that the crowd truly wanted.
As I was sipping on an I.C. Light contemplating what we could have done better, someone came up to me and turned the entire night all around. By complete surprise, a person kindly told me that they loved the "Once a Day" song.
That comment made the trip a success... and the fact I had an extra $60 in my pocket.
The way I see it,even if you can only reach ONE person out of 75, then the trip is always worth it...
As we prepare to launch the Pre-Sale ad spots for non-affiliates, its exciting to see how versatile we can make it.
Not only will businesses that are part of our program be able to advertise, we will also offer spots to our members. We have received requests from members to advertise a) their blogs b) their bands c) real estate agency 4) their twitter account and a few others. Basically, any person that wants to increase exposure to something, can do it right through GoNextWorld.com.
As we have just recently entered into our 12th state, we are really starting to capture some attention.
Our goal is to show people that they are not simply buying advertising spots if they join us; They are getting a chance to own someone's experience.
I feel that when you own something, you take much more pride in it. This will ultimately lead to a better result for the "advertiser".
Also, a good experience can trigger a memory and/or will create one. Advertisements come and go....but if you can leave a lasting impression by being associated with a good experience, then it becomes much more than an advertisement.
When you take someone out to a restaurant that they have never been to , or buy someone a gift that they never heard of ,or show someone an area that they never seen before,... you generally want them to really like it. In a way, you sort of own their experience. If its a really good experience, it will be very hard to forget.
The Advertising Campaign has begun! Even though the GNW advertising APP will not be finished for a few weeks (which will allow anyone, from anywhere, to advertise to a selected clientele), we are ready to begin manual advertisements. This means that they can call us and we can set everything up for them.
We are going make it as easy as possible for someone to advertise, set a budget (even as low as $10/mo), start/stop an ad campaign, and to own a member's experience.
This will be made to be used by all businesses (start-up and/or 3rd generation businesses), brands, products, universities, self-employed people, and even for people that just want to promote their service (real estate agents, carpenters, bloggers, bands, etc)
Spots are now open.
Run with us now and we'll give you all we have.... and a little more....
Why do people at they gym insist on telling you their workout/diet regiment and think you actually care?
Why do some days seem to follow Murphy's Law in every which way?
Why do people leave chocolate on the floor and then ask their landlord to get rid of the mice that the chocolate attracts?
These three things happened to me in the last 24 hours. Yesterday was absolute mayhem.
Even though the storm lasted all day, something happened at the end that made it all worthwhile - We realized an idea we gambled on actually worked.
We are constantly throwing thousands of ideas at the wall to see what sticks and what doesn't. Most of the ideas don't make it, but the ones that stay pinned to the wall...that's what we live for.
I never will understand why some ideas fail... and fail miserably. But, I do know one thing:
you are quite proud of the ones that do succeed.
Early on in this adventure, we were lost. We overestimated certain aspects of our original program.
This sent us down a path that showed us how the world really operates. The detour taught us that there were a few things that needed to be set in place in order for this idea to come to life. Our original kindling just wasn't good enough.
This caused us to keep searching. The unplanned detours will ultimately lead you directly into some awful situations. But, in the end, I believe that is a good thing. Eventually, you will come across something thats better than the kindling you were originally hoping for.
Example: You see, if a customer walks into a restaurant, buys a sandwich and leaves. That business has no way of reaching that customer directly ever again without the customer actively doing something. Sure, if the business gets their email, or the customer follows that business on facebook/twitter, there is a chance for communication again. But, why leave it up to chance anymore. Never leave something important up to chance.
Our system won't leave it up to chance anymore.
The message -
Leave the deadwood behind. Grab all the kindling you can find. Hope for gasoline.
In 1992... I remember leaving the Scholastic book fair with a Goosebumps book to read for the Pizza Hut "Book It" Program. By reading the book, I received a certificate for a free Pizza slice from Pizza Hut.
In 1996... I remember going to Pizza Hut to receive a "Space Jam" basketball they were giving out as a with every purchase of a large pizza.
In 1997 ... I remember going to Pizza Hut to celebrate winning the bantam league hockey championship with the team.
In 2009...I remember ordering Pizza Hut pizza as we sat outside my friends house and watched the Penguins with the Stanley Cup on our homemade projector screen.
January 3rd of 2013... I remember ordering Pizza Hut pizza for a different reason....
I once told someone that they should never ride on the back of a guy's motorcycle if the guy has a helmet on. It's a sign that he's planning on crashing.
I actually don't believe that statement, but it did put their mind at ease.
The point of the story that I tried to make was that everyone has their own limits. Some know their limits. Some do not.
This goes for businesses too. We at GoNextWorld feel that we know our current limits very well.
Yesterday, a business in India requested GoNextWorld Activation. Yeah, India.
Unfortunately, for right now, we limited our system to businesses in the U.S only. This is to make sure we have a good handle on United States activity before we jump to the next level. Keeping it slow in low gear is the best way to learn the bike. Someday soon, we will speed it up and break through that ceiling. But, that day is not today.
It all comes back to knowing your limits.
As we stay within U.S. boundaries, we MAY keep our helmet on. Then again, to feel the air - there is nothing else like it.
About 5 months ago, we had our sales/marketing team working on an idea that we never implemented....
until today.
I still remember seeing the frustration on their faces. They knew that it would be a long time until they actually see their work rise to the surface; if ever. Of course, a few changes still needed to be made, but the general outline of the project was complete.
The work we put in 5 months ago saved us a bunch of time this past week.
Certain pieces fell into place and the project was green-lighted again. So, we dusted off the documents and went back at it.
Many could not see the reason behind the project in the beginning...but they do now.
It only took time. Sometimes, the work being put into something is wasted. Sometimes, the work leads to a finished result right away. Sometimes, it just takes the right timing before it sees the light of day.
I just started to read a book that John has been referencing (every 5 sentences) titled "Sexy Little Numbers". Using any and every resource to gather as much data as possible before implementing an idea is a key point of the book.
And I think thats what these past 5 months were all about. It just took the right timing before it saw the light of day.
Each year, I hope to answer some of the problems that I encountered the year before. This past year has shown me a few things.
Creating this blog has allowed me to tell a few stories. And the way I see it, life is just a collection of a few short stories. Hopefully, the stories are worth telling...and worth listening to. I've always felt that you only get one chance to live the story. One.
Below are two stories from 2012 that helped shape my viewpoint for 2013.
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Story 1 -
Early on in the year, I went on a blind date. You never know what to expect on blind dates, but they seem to always lead to a great story. The date was going very well. She was a very pretty girl with an interesting history. Somewhere around hour 6 of the date, I started to get very, very sick. Something in my dinner disrupted my stomach and I needed to vomit. I'm pretty sure it was bar's quesadilla with mushrooms. At this point, I have two choices:
1. Tell her I am very sick and end the date early.
or
2. Man up, vomit in the bathroom and pretend like everything is ok.
Because of my viewpoint of: "You only have one chance to live a story."... I went with option 2.
If I ended the date early, I may not ever have a chance to share time with her ever again.
As time would tell, I made the right decision. I never did see her again. We both started to talk to another person and it just wasn't in the cards. If I would have ended the date early, I think I would have regretted it.
And its better to regret something I did, than something I was too timid to do.
We both would find another story to tell...
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Story 2 -
One night, I met a great girl visiting Pittsburgh from a different country. She visits Pittsburgh once a month for business purposes for only a couple days each visit. After getting to know her, I found out something I never experienced before. You see, time was not on our side when she visited. She only had a few days here, so we lived those days a little different than if she lived in the same city. The lack of time and sand in the hourglass forced us to live differently. Everything that usually pushes a person to say "I will save that for tomorrow" was not there. We had very little time and we knew it.
I learned that this is the way it should be. Knowing there is a clock (invisible or not) winding down, forces people to cut out all of the things that simply just waste time.
She remains a great friend to this date. In many situations, the lack of time, or recognizing the fact that there is a lack of time, can show people for who they really are.
This lesson can be applied to all aspects of life.
In 2013 I want to keep these two morals very close. When it comes to GoNextWorld, we as a company, only have one chance to live the story. One. It must be worth listening to and worth telling. But most importantly, worth living.
I know that we must accomplish today what can be accomplished today... and never to push it off until tomorrow. There is a lot to do in 2013 and very little time to waste.
After seeing the GoNextWorld transaction list today, I know that this is our year......just gotta stay away from the quesadillas with mushrooms.
