How Social Media Culture Impacts Projects and Jobs - Mike Germano

In Chapter 11 of 13, social media agency co-founder Mike Germano highlights the challenges traditional businesses, specifically advertisting agencies and public relations agencies, face in building in-house social media groups. Advertising is designed to send a tailored message. Digital media agencies do this by designing a specific plan with clear performance metrics. Public relations firms add a control element to that message, making sure it is effectively communicated to identified stakeholders, including media. Social media projects see individuals as standalone media outlets, building relationships to promote favorite selection, linking, and sharing. It is also often a platform that allows for less control and more user freedom that traditional digital projects, and as a result this influences the type of people willing to work in a traditional versus non-traditional environment.

How Social and Digital Media Projects Differ - Mike Germano

In Chapter 10 of 13, Carrot Creative co-founder Mike Germano shares how setting client expectations in social media projects differs significantly from that of digital media. Traditional digital media projects include product specifications and blueprints and can be built. Progress, budget, and performance is very measurable. Social media requires planning, budgeting, and building a platform and the unknowns are many. This includes how many will show up, how they will participate, and what conversation this participation creates. It is an ongoing learning experience Germano embraces in his work rolling out over 100 social media campaigns at www.carrotcreative.com

How to Create a Profitable Education Services Firm - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 3 of 14, MyFootpath.com founder J.T. Allen shares how he and his mother started the company to help others navigate education and how it has evolved into a focused, profitable education information services business built for growth.  Ten years of experimentation has shaped MyFootpath.com's business model into helping people find what comes next in life.

How Law Firm and In-House Roles Differ - Jen Duberstein

In Chapter 12 of 18, Jen Duberstein, now a Major League Soccer (MLS) legal counsel, shares the challenges in transitioning from the Proskauer law firm associate culture to an in-house position for media company Time Warner.  Duberstein learns how in-house positions expose lawyers to broader business culture and focused company objectives that contrast with broader responsibilities and pure legal focus withing law firm environments.

Joe Stump on How General Manager Role Challenges New Entrepreneur

In Chapter 16 of 16 of his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur and SimpleGEO co-founder confronts new challenges present in starting a business. Managing and motivating staff as a general manager promises to be a big initial challenge for Stump as he builds headcount and assembles a product team.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  Where is your entrepreneurial transition challenging you most?

Joe Stump:  I would say management is challenging me most. At Digg, I was not a direct manager; it was more like captain of the football team.  I’ve always been more in those type of positions and much more comfortable in those type of positions.  Now, I have to plan, do sprint planning, I have to implement that, follow up on that, there is paperwork minutae that is involved with that.  Then, figuring out how to motivate people.  There is a lot of stuff that goes into being a good manager and I don’t think I’m a great manager right now.   So I think that is what is challenging me the most.

Joe Stump on What Uncomfortable Tuk Tuk Rides Teach Us About Life

In Chapter 9 of 16 of his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, Internet entrepreneur and programmer Joe Stump parallels discomfort encountered in foreign travel experiences - "You don't get any more uncomfortable or challenged than in a Tuk Tuk in Bangkok" - with the uncertainty encountered in Internet programming. Both motivate him to build new experiences in life and career.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  How has your love and embrace of world travel affected your life perspective?

Joe Stump: I’m going to start out my answer with a quote.  One of my favorite all time quotes by Mark Twain is that “Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudice, and narrow mindedness.”  So, I get out there….  It goes back to like “I like challenges.” That is why I’m in tech.  I dated an accountant for a very long time.  Accounting has not changed as a profession – before Sarbanes-Oxley – for 1000 years. 

I’m in a profession where the technology, the knowledge I learned two years ago is worthless today.  Absolutely worthless to me today. Travel appeals to me for that reason.  I like being uncomfortable and I like being challenged.  You don’t get any more uncomfortable and challenged than in a tuk tuk in Bangkok. 

Joe Stump on How Short Projects and Fresh Starts Accelerate a Career

In Chapter 5 of 16 of his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Joe Stump highlights how fresh starts keep him motivated, happy, and fulfilled. Stump looks for problem solving opportunities, addresses them, and then prefers to move onto the next challenge.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  How does embracing change play a role in both your personal and professional life?

Joe Stump:  I like new challenges.  I have this track record of working someplace for 2 ½ to 3 ½ years and then leaving.  I normally start each thing that I do with… I take that on because I see challenges.  Once I’ve kind of completed those or overcome those challenges it is time to move on. 

That’s generally how my career has been, a succession of climbing mountains.  And my personal life…  I was telling these guys earlier that I tend to like to move – just like I move from job to job every two to three years, I also move from city to city.  Within 2 ½ to 3 years you can be in a big city, you know all the cool little nooks and crannies and things like that. 

Once something becomes familiar to me, I’m bored with it and want to do something else.  So, I get to the top of one peak, I look and there is another one and I say, “That’s fun, let’s go to that.”  I’m not the guy who gets to the top of a peak and decides to start building a fort to solidify his fortress.  I’d rather move on.

Why Blogs Remain Relevant as Media Business Transforms - Mark Graham

In Chapter 11 of 13, New York Magazine writer Mark Graham highlights why blogging remains relevant amidst shifting media and publishing business models, especially for weekly print publications. Blogging continues to make more substantial impact both within Internet based context and overall business context. Graham highlights examples within his daily environment as well as detailing importance news organization collaboration plays in blogging performance.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)

How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety Moving to a New City - Mark Graham

In Chapter 7 of 13, writer Mark Graham accepts a New York City digital media position at MTV Networks and confronts life change elements leaving Detroit for New York. Born and raised in Michigan, Graham confronts the uncertainty present in leaving behind family and friends for the unknown. Graham prioritizes being himself through the transition, embracing the relocation experience and all the new discovery present in the process.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v), Flash Video (.flv)

How New York Magazine Editor Built a Personal Brand - Mark Graham

In Chapter 3 of 13, New York Magazine Vulture editor Mark Graham talks about first covering the space. After his May 2001 Beyond Interactive layoff and time spent reflecting on what comes next, Graham starts a blog writing about his annual year-end pop culture awards - The Grahammys. By January 2002 this blossoms into his blog www.whatevs.org - he creates in January 2002. Throughout following years at next position at General Motors doing OnStar marketing, Mark spends mornings and evenings cultivating whatevs.org, building a following, and ultimately enabling his transition into a full-time writing career.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)

How a Writer Adapts Within Changing Publishing Business - Rachel Lehmann-Haupt

In Chapter 6 of 11, "In Her Own Sweet Time" author Rachel Lehmann-Haupt navigates the changing publishing business by complementing writing work with event production and editorial consulting. Her diversified focus provides exposure to new experiences Lehmann-Haupt integrates into book proposal ideas. 

How a Winery Created an Optimistic, Innovative Culture - Patty Green

In Chapter 7 of 7, Oregon winemaker Patty Green shares how staying positive while managing change allows her to be opportunistic.  Green promotes a creative work culture that embraces, not shuns, change.  She experiments with business partners, focusing evolving relationships.  All the while, Green diversifies her thinking while maintaining a consistent winemaking style.  A more positive personal and professional outlook results.

Why Big Record Labels Are So Great Creating Superstars - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 15 of 15, Island Def Jam executive Andy Epstein shares how label goals - to create and monetize superstars - do not change while other elements do.  Amidst declining music sales, labels are building "360 degree" artist relationships, built on advertising, touring, merchandise, and music sales, to create superstars. 

What Makes a Successful Music Artist - Andrew Epstein

In Chapter 12 of 15, Island Def Jam promotiions executive Any Epstein shares this surprising yet understandable insight - talent reigns supreme - as it relates to the changing nature of music big business. In an industry where direct audience engagement, including touring and appearances, is more relevant than ever, music artists are as exposed as ever and forced to rely on individual talent building their personal brands.

What is Hard About Changing Newspaper Reading Habits - Yoav Gonen

In Chapter 5 of 9 of his 2009 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, reporter Yoav Gonen reflects how changing news delivery models impact a generation conditioned to embrace printed newspapers and force behavioral change.  Gonen highlights the different news reading behavior older and younger generation experience and calls for an openness to embrace change through continued industry evolution.   Gonen is an education reporter at the New York Post newspaper in New York City.  He earned his masters in journalism from NYU and his BA in English from the University of Michigan.

Where to Find Real Estate Opportunities in a Recession - Brett Goldman

In Chapter 4 of 9, real estate developer Brett Goldman highlights how distressed financial markets are creating broader real estate opportunities for patient investors, deal makers and developers. New options beyond traditional broker and owner relationships combined with non-performing bank loans and borrowing shortfalls provide real estate developer Goldman a platform to offer services, including buying loans, fee managing properties, or forming joint ventures.