Small Business Owner Advice on Managing Personal Finances

In Chapter 13 of 19 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, female entrepreneur Hattie Grace Elliot answers "How Has Being a Business Owner Changed Your Perspective on Managing Your Personal Finances?"  Elliot notes how the unpredictability that comes with managing a small business - in her case an event planning and destination travel business - has forced her to be more frugal and creative to make ends meet as the business grows up and stabilizes. 

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How has being a business owner changed your perspective on managing your personal finances?

Hattie Elliot: Well, I think when you work for a company, and you get, you know, a paycheck every month and you have certain things covered, your health insurance, and there’s just kind of a level of to a certain extent, you know, transparency and predictability, monotony. Which I would say is not bad, I quite miss that sometimes. You know, you have a very strong sense of, you know, how much if you’re realistic about it, you know, what you can afford, what’s within your means. You know, the size of the apartment that you want, the amount of vacations you take a year, how much you spend going out to restaurants, all that stuff, you know. You just—you have a sense of that.

When you have your own business—and this really does vary from business to business, especially for the first few years, really there’s like, you know, great discrepancies, there’s, you know, my business is very seasonal for instance. So there are certain times—because it’s event and destination based, that people tend to, like around the holidays, right before the holidays, really wanna meet someone, and want that connection, so, you know, that’s a time that we’re really busy and that people are—we’ve got new members joining, we’re doing more things, so with not only is the business seasonal, so the amount of the cash that we bring in just kind of changes, but, you know, based on what happens with the company, with mine, you know, we have a great piece of press and all of a sudden there’s so much interest and we’ve got all these new members joining.

So it’s a little bit less predictable but as the business grows, you know, you get—gain more experience, I now know there’s gonna be certain months of the year that I’m not gonna make as much money, and it’s never perfect but you do have the more of a sense of, you know, cash flow. But because there isn’t a predictability, I think you have to be much more careful to pick and choose what you prioritize and like what you spend your money on.

And there has definitely been times I have been terrified because I’ve got, you know, my rent is due in 2 days, and I’m like, “uh, am I gonna pull this out of like a magic hat?” Like, what is gonna happen? As terrible as that situation is, and stressful, I’m just like, “oh,” you know, it gives me heart palpitations to think of that, it just forces you, you’ve got no choice, like, I’m not gonna live in a cardboard box. I’m an adult. I’ve worked really hard. I’m not gonna move back with my parents, so it forces you—it’s forced me to find ways to succeed, to make my business succeed.

And in an ideal world, as the years go on, and the, you know, the more experience you gain and the more your company is established, you figure out ways that you have to—less and less you have to deal with that kind of situation, you know what I mean? Because not only do you kind of know the cash flow, but you just—you strive to have that sustainability, you set to strive to be your own corporation, you know what I mean? You’re cutting the checks.

So, it’s made me very frugal in many ways. But I’m a girl with expensive taste, you know? I like my champagne. So I’ve had to figure ways and make compromises that you can’t—I have not been able to have everything, but I’m working towards, hopefully, you know, to be able to have that, but in the meantime, like, you know, you just have to prioritize what’s important. You know, what you’re gonna spend your money on.

And just come to terms with the fact that it’s a very—it’s—having your own business, especially in the early days, you know, most people take this risk ultimately, you know, big risk, big reward, because the ultimate payout and the benefits and pleasure you’ll get out of your business are so much more than, you know, that’s what we all of us entrepreneurs hope than when you’re working in the corporate world, but it is a big risk. And it might not be that way, so I just kind of try to own the fact that this is the life I chose. And not get too stressed out but—and not have a pity party for myself when I’m not making as much money as I have, but it’s the life I chose, and it’s been really extraordinary.

Mark Graham on Why Mutual Respect Matters in a Marriage

In Chapter 3 of 17 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, digital media executive Mark Graham answers "Why is Mutual Respect Important in a Marriage?"  Graham talks about his pre-marriage or premarital process talking about goals with his fiancee.  The open communication puts a foundation of respect in place before and after the wedding. 

Mark Graham is currently a managing editor at VH1, an MTV Networks company. Previously Graham worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media.  He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. 

Erik Michielsen: Why is mutual respect important in a marriage?

Mark Graham: Particularly before you get to a point where you’re going to get married and decide to commit your life to somebody, you need to make sure that you have a lot of open conversations. Again, like, I think throughout my relationships but particularly with this one and this is why this one was right is that we really worked hard from the very beginning to make sure that we were open and honest with each other about things that we wanted to do with our lives. Goals that we had, places we wanted to live, amount of time that we spend on our work and our careers and how you balance that with time at home, and really getting that information all together early and openly was very, very important to I think building us to a place where we were ready to take that next step and go from a couple who’d been dating for a year and a half and some change to getting engaged and going through the—you know, roughly 9 or 10 months of being engaged and making it all the way through the marriage process. 

So, you know, I think that for us, making sure that we’re always open and honest and forthcoming about what we want to do and where we wanna go, and those are the things that have been really, really important and something that I think that we’ve really learned from each other. And because we’re both—we both work in similar fields, being able to bring out, you know, mutually respecting each other, our boundaries, as well as what we do—professionally, you know, we’re sort of competitors in some way which makes for an interesting relationship, and our house is not a fun place to watch award shows and things like that because we’re always furiously typing, but we both have tons of mutual respect for each other, what we do. 

I think we both really have come to a place where we understand that, respect that in each other and try to help someone out when they’re feeling a little down and be sure to—you know, be really reassuring, and also, you know, celebrating successes I think is an important part, and the respect that we have for each other when we both do something well, whether that’s at home or in our professional lives, making sure that we really celebrate those things together and really work as a team, that’s been super important for us.

Antatole Faykin on Where to Get Relationship Advice in Your Mid 30s

In Chapter 4 of 12 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Anatole Faykin answers "At This Point in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?"  Faykin still finds himself asking his closest friends for advice.  He finds the friends he has known a long while are able to understand where he is coming from and give him answers.  Faykin finds this useful asking his friends about what it is like to settle down and start a family. 

Anatole Faykin is an entrepreneur currently working on a new startup as part of the Startup Chile incubator program in Santiago, Chile.  Previously, Faykin founded Tuanpin, a Shanghai, China-based daily deals site he grew to 25 employees and sold in the fall of 2011. He has worked for British Telecom in London, Intel in Shanghai, American Express in New York, and Oracle in San Francisco as well as several startups. He holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a BS in computer science and biology from the California Institute of Technology.

Matt Ruby: How to Go From Good to Great in Standup Comedy

In Chapter 4 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Would You Assess Your Progress To Date as a Standup Comedian?"  Ruby notes that starting out in comedy, he had rapid learning cycles.  As his experience grows, he notes how the the improvements in his comedy work become smaller and less frequent, forcing him to work harder.  This process takes him down the path of killing his own ego and becoming more vulnerable and open on stage. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University.

Matt Ruby on Taking Comedy Skills Beyond Just Being Funny

In Chapter 5 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby talks to Erik Michielsen about honing his comedy voice and improving his skills over time.  Ruby notes that he has more work to do being vulnerable on stage and giving himself greater stakes to make a difference to the audience on stage.  He notes that his work is becoming less about just trying to be funny all the time and instead taking charge of what he wants to talk about and then layer the humor in that work. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Stacie Bloom on How to Be a Better Mentor

In Chapter 11 of 18 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, Neuroscience Institute Executive Director Stacie Grossman Bloom answers "What Do You Find To Be the Most Important Elements of a Mentorship Experience?"  Bloom shares how mentors have shaped her non-traditional science career outside the laboratory.  She notes the importance of respect, trust, open communication, selflessness, and dedication to your personal network and knowledge development.  She also makes it clear a good mentor does not necessarily need to dedicate a large amount of time to the relationship; rather it just needs to be focused and dedicated. 

Stacie Grossman Bloom is Executive Director for the Neuroscience Institute at the NYU Langone Medical Center.  Previously, she was VP and Scientific Director at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) and, before that, held editorial roles at the Journal of Clinical Investigation and Nature Medicine.  She earned her BA in chemistry and psychology from the University of Delaware, her PhD in Neurobiology and Cell Biology at Georgetown University and did post-doctoral training in Paul Greengard's Nobel Laboratory of Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience at Rockefeller University.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen:  What do you find to be the most important elements of a mentorship experience?

Stacie Grossman Bloom:  You know I think a relationship with a mentor is really important. For me, it was really key in helping to shape my career, I try really hard to be a good mentor, in particular to people with PhD’s who are looking for careers outside of the laboratory, so outside of that very traditional career path. And I’ve hired a lot of those kinds of individuals and they’ve gone on to do amazing things. I think a lot of communication, open communication, having a mentor who you really respect and trust is really important, someone who’s really selflessly being helpful to you and not undermining you. And I think someone who can help you build your network, someone who will take you to places where you can meet people who may be able to help you in your career. I really think of a relationship with a mentor as being like a lifelong relationship.

Erik Michielsen:  And how do you set aside time to be a mentor? 

Stacie Grossman Bloom:  I don’t think it takes a lot of time to be a mentor. I don’t necessarily say, okay, today I’m gonna set aside an hour of my time to being a mentor, but I get contacted by a lot of people. I’ve spoken at a lot of conferences and I’m invited to give talks at a lot of universities about my career, and afterwards I’m contacted a lot. I also have hired a lot of PhD scientists who have worked for me and I’ve spent a lot of time with those individuals. I don’t think that you necessarily need to set aside time, but I do think that it’s really important to take the time to help people like that, so I get a lot of cold calls, I get a lot of emails, I’m always trying to respond, if I can’t respond to an email directly then I usually ask someone who’s worked with me or -- and for me, to help me and maybe they can step up and be a mentor to that individual. I think it’s very hard to field all the calls and all the emails but I do try to make an effort to get back to everybody. Because I think my career path has been unique and I think that it’s a really—that it’s a career path that a lot of people could pursue, I don’t think that I’m so special, but I think knowing how to do it and how to navigate it is really important.

What Married Friends Can Teach You About What Makes a Marriage Work

In Chapter 5 of 15 in her 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Audrey Parker French answers "What Have Your Friends Taught You About What Makes a Marriage Work?"  French listens and learns from married couples, including those starting and raising families.  She learns about the power of transparency, communication, and family values.  Audrey Parker French returns to CYF for her Year 3 interview after a one-year sabbatical from work and getting married.  She co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm.  In 2010, CLEAResult ranked #144 in the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies.  In late 2010, CLEAResult was sold to General Catalyst Partners.  She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What have your friends taught you about what makes a marriage work?

Audrey Parker French: Well, one of my closest friends has been married for 10 years, and I was the maid of honor at her wedding, and I’ve watched her and her husband over the last 10 years, and she’s taught me a lot more than she would probably know or say that she’s taught me. Because I’ve done a lot of observing, they have a very healthy strong marriage, and in spending time with her and with other friends who have the kind of marriages that I really have looked up to, they’ve taught me how people can be real, how it’s important to be real.

It doesn’t mean you always put on a happy face if you’re not really happy, you really have to be with whatever is in – whatever is there, you have to really be okay to talk about it or get it off your chest and it’s not always pretty per se and yet even after you go through something that’s not pretty, it can get a lot prettier because you’ve had the courage to hash out whatever is in the way. And I’ve also watched them move from being a married couple, a happily married couple into being a happy parent couple. They have 3 children now and they are just watching the – I mean the – talk about life changes, I mean marriage is one, having children is a big life altering change.

And watching them as a couple go through that 3 times and watching them interact with their children, it’s taught me so much. And I’m very, very grateful to have friends in my life who can demonstrate those values to me because, you know, I’d recommend to anybody, you know, before you dive into starting a company or starting any kind of new venture, it’s important to have something that you’ve seen before or that you can envision so that you know what you’re aiming for and I really – I’m very, very glad and grateful and blessed to have the friends that I do so that I can feel like that I’m entering my marriage in this stage of life with some really good role models and some really good teachers and some really good confidants that when I have a problem or question or whatever that I have some people that I can go to for support. It’s wonderful. 

How to Build Relationship Trust - Ken Biberaj

In Chapter 19 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, New York City Council candidate and public relations executive Ken Biberaj answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?"  Biberaj shares the challenge of creating relationship trust working real estate business and government public service.  He shares the importance of managing risks while being outgoing, sincere and committed to building relationships over time.  Ken Biberaj is currently a 2013 Candidate for New York City Council for the West Side of Manhattan.  He is also a public relations executive for the Russian Tea Room restaurant at One Fifty Fifty Seven Corporation, a family business focused on real estate development, investment sales and retail leasing.  Previously he was Florida Research Director for the Kerry-Edwards for President Campaign. He holds a JD from New York Law School, a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in Political Science from American University. 

Fabian Pfortmüller on Learning to Work With Coaches and Mentors

In Chapter 9 of 15 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, community builder and entrepreneur Fabian Pfortmüller answers "At This Moment in Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?"  Pfortmüller is learning to take advice and coaching more seriously after realizing, as an entrepreneur, he has been learning by doing when, in fact, learning from others may often be more effective.  He details how he engages his mentor and peer support networks to make the respective relationships more valuable.  Pfortmüller is co-founder of the young leader accelerator, Sandbox Network, and HOLSTEE, an apparel and design firm that sells meaningful products to mindful shoppers.  Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University and its school of General Studies. 

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: At this moment in life, where are you seeking advice and coaching?

Fabian Pfortmüller: Where I stand right now, I realize that advice and coaching actually is more and more important and I start to take it more seriously and I start to more proactively look for it. I realized over the last year that I as an entrepreneur have been very often learning by doing and very often there is no need to do it the first time yourself because so many people have done it before and I think looking to other people to learn from them, also to books or existing sources of learning has been a big change in my life.

I look for mentors on two levels, on the one hand more senior people. I've been fortunate to have a few very senior people supporting me for several years now. I usually try to interact with them and talk with them in a very informal setting. So, we meet over breakfast or we meet for dinner where I think the more open I can be the more valuable that relationship is. Also the more I can show what is not going well, the more valuable it is for me.

The other group of people that is really supportive and has been extremely helpful is a peer community like Sandbox where people are my age or even younger than I am but they are going through the same things and the more and more I start to really take advantage of that peer group. It’s working with mentors and working with coaches for me has a lot to do with being able to show weaknesses, being able to formulate what you’re not good at and being able to formulate your challenges and that’s something that I have to learn. It’s not something that I can just do by nature.

Michael Margolis on How Vulnerability Creates Trusting Relationships

In Chapter 6 of 17 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and entrepreneur Michael Margolis answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?"  Margolis uses vulnerability, which he cites as the most overlooked part of storytelling.  He notes how truth gets attention, empathy establishes connection, and vulnerability reminds people of shared values and similar interests. 

Michael Margolis is founder and president of Get Storied, an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative.  He earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How do you establish trust when building relationships?

Michael Margolis: So, it’s something that I called the V-factor and it’s actually the most overlooked element of storytelling, it’s vulnerability. So, you have to have truth. Truth is what gets people’s ears to go [make sounds], right? It’s like Scooby Doo time, oh, there’s something over here. I better pay attention. Or, wow, this looks interesting. So, truth gets people’s attention. 

Then you have to establish empathy, which lets people know that you really care about them. You care about their world and what they’re going through, right? You really give a crap and you understand what your audience is facing or struggling or challenged with and it all comes home though. 

The third principle is vulnerability. So, vulnerability is reminding people that, “you know what, I may be an expert or I may have a solution for you but we’re more similar to each other than different. Here’s what we share in common”, I have my own foibles you know, it’s why -- you know as we sat down I talked to you about, “Geez, the last six months my health has kicked my ass”, right. Very humbling process. When I'm teaching or coaching students, you know, in my programs online, I'm very open about sharing my own personal journey because this is a fallacy – This I think really, in a way it captures the paradigm shift of what we’re all going through in the world of business. It used to be we lived in this world of objective reality. Of being the brand that spoke with the voice of God, “I have all the answers for you. I am the guru”. And instead we’re now shifting into this place where it’s peer-to-peer learning, right. Where we’re all co-learners together. Part of it is things are so challenging and so complex. None of us have like all the answers. 

So, we have to be more in relationship with each other. So, it’s really important this vulnerability piece is what makes you human. And here’s the kicker on vulnerability, is if you establish vulnerability with people in an authentic way, you really share a part of yourself and where your edge or your struggle is, do you know what happens? People become more forgiving of the hiccups and the bumps in the road. It’s a really important principle for any brand especially if you're in startup mode, you have a new product, a new service, you’re doing something that’s different. If you wanna build that halo around your brand where people feel emotionally connected, vulnerability is key. 

A great case and point is look at Netflix in the last year, they’ve got an awesome product, okay, so they raised their prices from what was it $8.99 to $11.99 and everybody had a shit storm. I think the way that people reacted was actually the way that Netflix talked about it. They talked about the price increase like they were doing us a favor as a consumer and then once sort of the crisis hit they were still -- sort of they came off in a very arrogant fashion, which I think ultimately really hurt their brand. Now, are they bouncing back, are they here to stay? I think so, because ultimately they have a product that many of us want and reflects sort of the new way that we’re consuming media but that’s a really great example to keep in mind the power of the V-factor or vulnerability. And if you can build that halo of having more disclosure, of letting people in sort of behind the curtain, the places where you’re struggling -- not in a poor pity me or [make sounds], okay but in a way that’s relevant, in a way that’s relatable. 

Again, by building a brand halo that includes vulnerability, people become so much more forgiving about the bumps in the road. It’s just like being in a relationship with a significant other and let’s say your partner has certain places that are kind of their tough spots, their edge, their place of growth. You’re far more forgiving if you have a partner that’s like, “Yeah, honey you know what? That’s what I'm working on” versus if you have a partner that’s like, “What are you talking about? That’s not my problem, that’s your problem,” right. That same dynamic that shows up in relationships, same thing shows up with brands or, you know, in our own individual relationships with each other and that’s the power of vulnerability when it comes to storytelling.

What Marriage Teaches About Teamwork - Mike Germano

In Chapter 6 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, social media ad agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Has Marriage Taught You About Teamwork?"  Germano finds he likes married life more than he expected.  He highlights how formalizing the relationship creates more openness and helps him better understand responsibilities.  Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO, Brooklyn based social media advertising agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

How to Create an Inclusive Company Culture - Mike Germano

In Chapter 13 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, social media ad agency CEO Mike Germano answers "What Steps Have You Taken to Create an Inclusive Company Culture?"  Germano finds culture building the most important thing happening at his company.  Culture building comes with respecting each other and listening to one another.  He finds these often get lost as organizational charts become more tiered and employee levels get clustered.  Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO, Brooklyn based social media advertising agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University.

Why Corporate Partners Should Share Your Values - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 16 of 21 in his 2011 interview, Phil McKenzie answers "How Are You Learning to More Effectively Sell Corporate Sponsorships?"  McKenzie reshapes the question around finding corporate partners who share his company's values.  This becomes even more critical when planning a long-term collaboration.  McKenzie is the founder of Influencer Conference, an international event series bringing together tastemakers across the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology.  He is also managing partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC.  Previously he worked in Domestic Equity Trading at Goldman, Sachs, & Co.  He earned his BA from Howard University and MBA from Duke University. 

Why to Be Trusting When Building Relationships - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 18 of 21 in his 2011 interview, Phil McKenzie answers "How Do You Establish Trust When Building Relationships?"  He notes trust is something you just have to give.  McKenzie notes that people's actions will prove out that trust over time, so he feels it unnecessary being suspicious entering situations.  McKenzie is the founder of Influencer Conference, an international event series bringing together tastemakers across the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology.  He is also managing partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC.  Previously he worked in Domestic Equity Trading at Goldman, Sachs, & Co.  He earned his BA from Howard University and MBA from Duke University. 

How to Manage Up and Manage Down - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 21 of 21 in his 2011 interview, media and marketing entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "What Has Your Experience Taught You About Managing Up and Managing Down?"  McKenzie believes setting clear expectations is fundamental in both cases.  McKenzie is the founder of Influencer Conference, an international event series bringing together tastemakers across the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology.  He is also managing partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC.  Previously he worked in Domestic Equity Trading at Goldman, Sachs, & Co.  He earned his BA from Howard University and MBA from Duke University. 

How Non-Profit Creates Sustainable Growth Framework - Kyung Yoon

In Chapter 19 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, non-profit executive Kyung Yoon answers "What Are You Doing to Make Your Non-Profit More Sustainable?"  Yoon highlights four areas the drive non-profit sustainability.  First, her organization is strengthening its grant making ability to better support the non-profits it serves.  Second, her organization is focusing on diversifying fundraising streams. Third, board development - creating a pipeline of potential board members - ties into more effective strategic visioncasting.  Lastly, financial management  Lastly, financial accounting and management improvements allow both sponsors and partners have visibility into the organization.  Kyung Yoon is the executive director of the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) in New York City.  An award-winning journalist and documentary film producer, Yoon earned an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in History and Political Science at Wellesley College.

Jullien Gordon on What Gets Easier and What Gets Harder

In Chapter 1 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, motivation teacher Jullien Gordon answers "What is Getting Easier and What is Getting Harder in Your Life?"  Gordon, who shares his recent engagement to be married, notes how a progressive challenge is staying balanced as his relationship becomes a larger part of his life.  He notes how not forcing things and being present in the moment is allowing him to live more fluidly, productively, and stress free.  He notes the big moments have come through relationships, most often through being true to himself.  Gordon is the founder of the Department of Motivated Vehicles, a personal and professional development company that helps clients identify purpose and map it to successful outcomes. Gordon has written five books and speaks regularly to college students across America.  He earned masters degrees in education and business from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree from UCLA.

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen:  What’s getting easier and what’s getting harder in your life?

Jullien Gordon:  Wow!  So I just got engaged about two weeks ago, yeah so I’m excited about that.  So what’s getting more difficult is, how I actually shift my business model so that I’m not traveling as much as I currently do so definitely looking into the productization of the things that I’m doing and how to scale that via licensing, training the trainer etcetera.  So that’s definitely getting more difficult is holding that balance now that I’m committed to another person and of course in the future other little persons.  So really just thinking about that now before it gets out of balance and out of control. 

What’s getting easier is…what’s getting easier?  I don’t know if anything’s getting easier.  What’s getting easier is me not forcing things and me just being very present in the moment, being who I’m being and trusting that things will come.  I would say when I started out on this path a lot of things were forced, I was pushing, pushing, pushing and now as I’m moving through the world in a great alignment with my purpose I really feel an attraction based –yeah, I had like – when I look at all my deals and relationships and things like that, they’ve all come through just my relationships.  They haven’t been me doing SCO optimization or advertising on Google or great designs of flyers and banners.  It hasn’t been any of that that has led to the business that I’ve been able to generate and so I realize that as I’m more of who I am and making my – being clear about my unique contribution that opportunities are coming out of every different direction and so I come into the new year and like yeah I think my business is gonna go in this direction and then all of a sudden these two opportunities come and I’m in this direction and this direction still doing my purpose but in ways that I couldn’t even imagine on my own.

How to Design a Corporate Social Network - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 10 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "So How Has Your Approach to Solving Problems You are Having Led You to Developing Social Tools for the Enterprise?"  Ferrentino, who concepted a corporate social network called Chatter, walks through the process that informed why and how Salesforce Chatter was built.  He compares and contrasts corporate social networks with consumer social networks and what he learned about applying Web 2.0 and social tools in an enterprise environment.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.