People In The Know: John Terry

Position Title:

Public Relations Manager with Channel Intelligence

Define your business role:

The position description probably has a bunch of HR jargon about “re-conceptualizing synergistic distributed relationships,” but it really boils down to external communications with the media, potential and existing customers, and the financial community.

What do you see as your responsibilities to your clients?

I’m focused on serving internal clients as opposed to our company’s paying customers. My clients are the product managers and sales reps who are out there selling our e-commerce solutions to manufacturers and retailers. The most important thing I can do to move Channel Intelligence forward is spread the word about how we help customers sell more stuff online. For the rest of this year and going into 2011, my primary focus is on telling the success stories of our existing customers.

You recently started a blog did you not? What have you learned blogging so far?

Who told you that? I thought everything I wrote was private!

What continually surprises me is there are a handful of people in the world who actually have an interest in what I write. I regularly hear from people who tell me they like my writing style … they like the way I tell a story. I squirm a little bit at saying that out loud, but it’s nice to hear those comments. A former co-worker commented on a recent post and said it was like sitting down to talk with an old friend. Dude -- that about made me cry. Of course I didn’t ACTUALLY cry, because I’m way too manly for that.

I guess what I’ve learned is that even when I think no one else will give a damn about what I’m writing – I’m probably wrong.

Talk to me about marketing and building a brand around a technology company?

First of all, I think you can remove the word “technology” from that question. I feel like sometimes we all get too carried away with the “gee-whiz” aspect of working for a technology company. The fact is that the basics haven’t changed in the past 20 years. You still need a good product that solves a problem for your customers. Then you build from there. Sure, we work with data instead of widgets on an assembly line. But just like a traditional manufacturing company, we need to deliver our product on time, on budget and with minimal defects. Then we need to communicate that story to the outside world.

It’s a little different for a B-to-B company, because we won’t get a lot of attention from mass media outlets. Our message is targeted at a niche audience, so we’re trying to reach and influence the industry publications and bloggers within that space.

If you had a chunk of cash to sink into a new technology what would it be?

A machine that would hook up to your home television and record TV shows when you aren’t there to watch them. I know, I know, you think I’m on crack because we’ve all had VCRs for years. No, sir. I’m talking about a TAPELESS machine that not only records shows, but allows you to pause and rewind the shows you’re watching in real-time. Trust me – this will revolutionize the way people consume television.

You’ve been involved in a VC .com startup. What has that experience taught you?

I’m fortunate because I’ve had a good VC experience at Channel Intelligence. Our CEO, Rob Wight, has always said that when it comes to investors, you should pick your parents wisely. Your investors need to share your vision, trust you, and give you the space you need to execute your plan. I’ve seen him do that, and it’s been a good lesson. I also learned that frugality is a good thing when you’re spending other people’s money. During the DotCom boom and bust, when start-ups were burning cash on $600 chairs, fancy offices and forgettable TV spots, we were operating lean and working on a business plan.

What are you most proud of in your career?

That I’ve had the opportunity to work with the man, the myth, and the legend … Mr. Justice Mitchell …at not one but TWO companies. And that once, in a land far away, I managed to expense a very expensive phone call you and I made from 37,000 feet to a colleague back in Orlando. A seatback phone, a platinum Visa card and a flying bar – what a dangerous combination.

Beyond that, I’m proud of the annual benefit concerts I organized in the late ‘90s to raise money for The Orlando Sentinel Holiday Fund. Back then it was called Sentinel Santa. I was covering the Orlando music scene at the time for Digital City Orlando, and every year my musician friends would come out and play a show to raise money for the kids. It was always a pretty big effort and required a lot of organization, but it was incredibly satisfying.

I still have a recording of Rob Thomas and Steve Burry singing a duet together at one of those things, and I’m willing to give Rob the master if he’ll come back and do another benefit.

If you weren’t here, you'd be doing?

If I had the chops, I would be a musician. But I suck.

For a long time I had the idea of doing a Web-based series of audio and video features on interesting everyday people.

I would love that! When do we start?

Then one day I heard “This American Life” on NPR and realized Ira Glass was already doing it. I’d still like to do something in that vein, particularly with old people, who have so many amazing stories and experiences to share.

And no joke – I would love to combine that kind of work with running a little farm or orchard. I dig the rural life. But it would be helpful if the rural area has a place with a nice microbrew selection, a great pizza joint, and somewhere I can get a good Cuban sandwich.

And by "little farm" and pizza you mean growing weed in your garage. I gotcha ;)

When do we get flying cars and food pellets?

I’m tired of waiting so I’ve decided to go retro: A burro and salt pork.

Create a new superpower for yourself:

I am SlickMan. I have a huge ‘50s-style pompadour that I dip in the ocean to soak up oil spills.

Bio and Social Media Links you wish people to connect to at:
Website Address: www.channelintelligence.com   
Blog Address: www.talkstoomuch.com
Twitter: JTspeaks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JohnTerry
Linkedin Account: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmterry
Email Information: john@talkstoomuch.com

Thank you for your time and consideration.

People In The Know: Alison "THE Media Diva" Woo

Your Company:

Alison Woo Media
New Media Mavens

Position Title:

Chief Media Maven

Define your business role:

As a new media author, digital strategist, and communication expert, I use my background in both journalism (TV, print, radio and online) and help businesses and individuals harness the power of communication. I help clients get their point across in a way that their customers understand and would welcome it.

What do you see as your responsibilities to your clients?

I have a number of them:

1. To help them connect to their customer using authentic communication not marketing speak.
2. To help them realize it’s not just what they say but how they act and what they do to follow up on their promise that matters.
3. And to help them realize that what they want to say isn’t always what their customer wants or needs to hear.

Clients hire me when what they’ve been doing isn’t working or if they want a fresh approach. It’s my responsibility to be honest in a constructive way.

I've known you for years and you've done it all! What pray-tell are you doing right now?

I’m taking my journalism prowess and my digital media savvy and using it for good not evil. I’m launching a new media distribution company for one of the fastest growing areas in journalism: weekly community newspapers. It’s called Lifestyle & Entertainment Newswire. Look for exciting things to come soon!

So many people talk about getting work. Talk to me about what to look for in a client.

As a business owner, you have to realize it’s not about chasing clients. There are tons of clients out there but not every one of them will work for you. You have to have synergy. They have to get you and your unique take on what you do. And you have to be able to execute what they need.

For me, creatively it’s important for me to be on the same page and my client and I have to share the same vision. Most of all, clients need to be open. A client who initially says yes and then is passive resistant is draining you from what you could be doing for someone else with a better fit.

I also enjoy it when my clients pay on time. I’ve been burned enough. I now have a late fee clause. If they balk I know at the onset there may be issues and I reconsider their prospects.

What makes you different from the 100k SME's claiming that they "know" the social spectrum?

Quite frankly no one is really an expert because the medium keeps changing every single minute. I feel it’s even more important to understand the what and why’s of communication than the how. As humans, we started out using a tablet. Now we use Twitter. The difference is the medium but as humans we need to communicate and connect.

What makes me different? Great question…. I’m stalling…. OK…this is tough because one doesn’t normally think of themselves in a “Bob Dole likes this!” sort of way.

I am a passionate communicator. I want to know the unknowable like what’s someone really thinking. The only way we have to do that is language. It’s imperfect but it’s all we’ve got! When you know what someone is thinking or how they came to that conclusion, you can begin a dialogue.

Good business isn’t about cramming a product down someone’s throat. It’s about meeting a real need or desire and fulfilling it. Good communication starts that process.

I feel like we're at the beginning of the social arena. What's in store for us in the next five years?

Truly, this is the best time to be alive! We have all the modern conveniences imaginable.

We’re on the leading edge of this social arena. The addition and accessibility of more hand held devices is making updating and connecting around the globe possible. BTW, when are we getting the Dick Tracey wrist phones so we don’t even have to push a button?

I think the next five years will see complete integration of our work, personal, school and family and friends to a greater degree. I love sites like Meetup.com that uses technology to facilitate real life face-to-face connections. I think we’ll see more of that.

Sadly, the net will get even more monetized with pay walls going up on all my favorite free content spaces like the NYTimes.com.

But the real dark side is that older people, who haven’t been included in the digital wave and people who don’t have access, will sadly be left behind. It’s already happening. My parents are in their 70s and are skittish to get online yet all their daily life needs are coordinated remotely (by me of course!) I don’t know how they’ll live when I move to another planet.

You do coaching. Tell me about that.

Coaching is really interesting because unlike consulting where you diagnose the problem and fix it, here you are teaching your client how to fish rather than fishing for them. The goal of coaching is to have me be obsolete at the end of the process. It empowers clients with the knowledge of how to approach their business challenges for the mid and long term. I find it very fulfilling because I celebrate independence not co-dependency, which a lot of consulting relationships can sadly fall into.

Talk to me about what you're seeing people 'thinking what they need' vs. 'their actual needs' for success.

Almost every client I see thinks they need to be on Twitter and Facebook but when you ask them about the basics like let’s look at your website or what type of e-mail communication do you have with your audience, they give you the deer in the headlights look.

There’s also a big disconnect about the need to continually be involved in social media. They think it’s something they can outsource or do once and be done.

Very sad. :(

What advice would you be willing to grant me for the Neo-Entrepreneur?

As brilliant Jerry Seinfeld told Oprah about life, “It’s yours to design.”

If you’ve got the moxie to be an entrepreneur, first of all congratulate yourself for being bold. Entrepreneurship is about responsibility, risk and reward.

You’re taking on the responsibility to put yourself out there to do good work. Make sure you choose work you LOVE not just like or tolerate because that what gets you through those 12-hour days.

Assess your risk. Can you do this part-time before you give up your day job? What do you really have to lose? You can always get another job. If you have passion, a plan and can get paid for it, do it!

Let yourself enjoy the rewards. They will come. Don’t be the person who slaves away as the company’s BEST employee. You deserve the luscious rewards of ownership.

Other thoughts: pick a target audience. Make sure you niche yourself. Do generous, good things for other businesses – refer people and it all comes back to you ultimately; charge fairly and have fun! Make sure your days are filled with joyous people! Don’t work with sourpusses…that means clients too!

Who's doing social right? Who's doing it wrong?

In my hometown of NYC, I love how the food cart revolution has found a phenomenal use of Twitter. When I hear my BlackBerry ring I know it could my favorite Wafels & Dingels place telling me they’re right around the corner. It makes sense. People get hungry. And it feels like a new media version of the ice cream song that used to play at my childhood park in Sheepshead Bay.

The people doing it wrong are anyone who sends me a link to try out a product when I become their Twitter follower or Facebook friend. No way Jose. Don’t sell me. Let me come to love you! Then I may check out what you have to offer.

Talk to me about 'brand protection' in the social landscape. Pitfalls and protection?

American Airlines is my favorite example of this. They have a fairly decent product and a strong brand traditionally. But if you check out what anyone has to say about them on Twitter or Facebook at any random time you’re bound to find a slew of complaints.

AA started their own Twitter channel and posted three tweets in 14 months. Not good! They’re not engaging anyone!

They need to be there online dialoguing with their customers, fixing what they can. If you read the tweets it’s like they have zero customer service awareness. And I’ve been a loyal customer and know that in “real” life, that’s not true.

The preponderance of bad things on the web about them can only erode their brand in the long-term. I’m sad for them. And my miles…need to cash those puppies in soon before it happens.

To the 'displaced professional' (or as I say "executing a transitional phase") what advice can you give?

You have to have a good grip on what social media tools are used in your industry to promote business, not just your own personal stuff, because if the job choice is between you and some other person who is social media savvy, it’s a no brainer who that job is going to. (Ahem, the other person.)

Even if you have to build a fan page of Snapple or some product you adore, just the fact that you’ve grown a FB fan page, engaged people online, know what works and what doesn’t work, you are a huge step ahead.

Now you may think…I’m an accountant, why do I need to do this? Many companies are asking staff from a number of departments to blog, tweet, etc. If you can add your spin and say what accounting could say that would be intriguing to customers, you’ve made yourself a utility player! And that’s crucial in this marketplace where competition for jobs is high.

Lastly, make sure your own personal social media platforms are devoid of non-professional photos and updates. Either delete them or put them behind privacy guards because it’s highly likely your potential employer will be checking you out online.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I like how I’ve been able to go from 18-year-old college graduate with a finance degree to working as a manager for an international airline to advocate for kids with disabilities to journalist in TV, print, and radio to start a newspaper to writing a book and now I have evolved into a coach and a speaker.

I think I’m a product of my times –both economic and technological. I’m most proud of my ability to challenge myself, take my skill set into the next appropriate industry and keep innovating.

If you weren’t here, you'd be doing what?

The only other jobs I would love to tackle in another lifetime: Broadway singer, dancer and actor. I’m intrigued by the notion of stepping into another persona other than yourself, doing it in front of a live audience and finding something new in the same role night after night.

Create a new superpower for yourself.

My favorite superhero is AquaMan who can talk to animals with his supersonic thought waves. I’d like to have the same power for humans. LOL!

Bio and Social Media Links you wish people to connect to at:

Your personal Website/Blog Addresses:
http://www.newmediamavensblog.com
http://www.alisonwoo.com

Twitter/Tumblr:
http://www.twitter.com/alisonwoo

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/alisonwoo

Linkedin Account:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonwoo

Email:
woo [at] alisonwoo.com

Additional comments, mentions, shout-outs or prognostications?

I’d like to thank Justice for allowing me to share some thoughts in his most excellent space. I met Justice when I was a senior marketing VP at a startup in Celebration, FL some moons ago and this proves that technology can never supplant real life friendship.

Fabulous questions! Very insightful!

You're so sweet, and our friendship and your professional guidance will ALWAYS be held in the highest regard. Thank you again for taking the time with me.

If You Don't Know Them You Should: Dwain DeVille

Position Title:
Author, The Biker's Guide to Business
Navigator of entrepreneurial companies

<and pro "Bad Ass">

Define your business role:
Simply put, I help successful entrepreneurs get to the next stage of business and life…whatever that is. It’s personal and unique to each.

What do you see as your responsibilities to your clients?
I am their ‘trusted advisor’. As such, I am in a position to challenge their ideas, their drive and their focus. We subscribe to a code that says “if the two of us agree all of the time, one of us is useless.”

How did “The Biker’s Guide To Business” come to be?
About a year after successful cancer surgery to remove my left kidney, I was talking with a business associate about how to combine my two passions, business and biking. She reminded me of a workshop I do for the local university that takes business leaders through my Navigation Process and she suggested I do that for those leaders who ride. I half jokingly said, “Yes! And I’ll call it The Biker's Guide to Business!

The rest is history.

Give me a timeline. How did Dwain DeVille come to be?
Born in Opelousas Louisiana in the mid 50’s and grew up as a latch key kid where both parents worked. Left home at 17 just after graduating high school and moved to New Orleans for six wonderful years…my period of enlightenment. From there I moved to a small town where I broke into banking and eventually moved to Orlando in 1986 and have been here ever since.

I left banking in 1994 to start my consulting company and began writing my book in 2007.

So being a biker, what do you ride? How many bikes have you owned?
I currently ride a Harley, Road King Custom. It’s my fourth bike, with my first being a 1973 Honda 100 when I was 16 years old.

What makes a biker different from John Q. Public?
Bikers crave the open road. We’re bold, independent, strong-willed, adventurous and intolerant of ‘fences’ of all kinds. We chart our own course because we have a better idea and go where others don’t because we not only understand risk, we embrace it.

There's word Devil in your last name; coincidence?
There’s more than a little in me as I have a dark side and embrace it regularly.

You have a book coming out correct? When is it being released?
Just came out this month, 8/09.

Talk to me about releasing a book. What was that like? Any surprises?
It’s one of the most interesting processes I’ve been a part of. This book has allowed me to speak to and ride with some of the top CEOs in America. Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.Com, John Paul DeJoria of Paul Mitchell Systems and Patron Tequila and it won’t end there. I’m looking forward to meeting and riding with more.

My biggest surprise is how dropping ‘Author’ at the end of your name changes the way people receiving you. It’s something everyone wants to do but few actually make happen.

That said, at the end of the day it’s all about people and your ability to communicate with them whether on the pages of your book, via Social Media or in person.

I know that you’re a professional speaker. Who do you admire in these circles and what makes a great speaker?
There are a ton of great speakers out there and go back into history like Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer. But of my contemporaries, I have to say James Malinchak, Brendon Burchard and Jonathan Sprinkles really know how to communicate from a stage.

I must know! Given that someone stumps you with some question you just have no idea, what do you do? Besides giving him a beat down after to keynote –naturally.
Ha ha…well, after the fists have flown I usually thank them because it gives me something new to learn.

How has what you tell CEO’s and entrepreneurs differed since to collapse of the economy?
My advice is the same as I’d have given two years ago because no matter the overall economy, most businesses are one catastrophe from struggling and going under. How you survive depends on your approach…and in times like these, you need to make sure your day to day activities, or as I like to call it, ‘the in-between’ match the path to your destination.

It’s all about laser focus and if you’re off just a little bit you’ll end up wasting precious energy and resources. We all work hard, but the greater the focus, the straighter your path to success. It’s all in my book.

What technologies are exciting you currently?
Nano technology, everything’s getting smaller and putting more and more power at our finger tips.

<Yes, I read “Prey” on audio book – spooky.>

What trends are you keeping an eye on for your clientele? And Why?
Without a doubt, Social Media and the way it’s changing the whole buyer/seller conversation. It’s bringing us back to the small town principals of who you know and what your reputation is among them.

Have you ever been in a rumble, knife fight or ‘shived’ a punk-ass?
Nope.

<Too bad, I say!>

What is the number one problem/challenge you see with your clients that they are trying to overcome? Why do you think this is?
Holding onto the past. Thanks to the economic times, the landscape is changing rapidly and in some cases, the fundamental way they are doing business needs to change in order to respond to the market.

Unfortunately, over time we become creatures of habit and our muscle memory makes it difficult to change. We all need to stop, go quiet and take stock of where we are and what’s it going to take from this point forward. It’s like the early explorers who when topping a mountain went from lush greenery to a desert environment. You have to shift.

Is business ‘broken’ right now? If so what advice do you give freely?
Business is by no means broken, instead it’s evolving. And by its very nature, in order for something to evolve, parts of it must die in order for there to be new growth. So my advice is to clear your head enough to ensure you recognize which are dying and in which direction you need to grow.

You talk about the new CEO and entrepreneur. How can the aging CEO get back in the game?
That’s the great thing about this game of business as opposed to other more physical games. The older we get the better we become through experience.

Therefore the key for the aging CEO is to find ways to continuously re-kindle their passion. Find those new challenges that stoke your fires and then go for it.

What are the potholes for the CEO?

There are many. I’ll just cover three:
Losing sight of the original goal – often CEOs forget why they began their companies in the first place – to fulfill their dreams and build a great life. Unfortunately over time the business can take over and they begin working for it instead of it working for them.

Their team doesn’t/can’t keep pace – the most difficult thing for a CEO is to recognize when a key team member is no longer pulling his/her weight in the organization. Indeed there needs to be loyalty both ways, but at the end of the day, decisions need to be made for the good of the company.

Not taking enough time off – I fully believe that if the leader of the organization doesn’t take a minimum of 30 days off a year he is hurting the company. As leader, you must take time away in order to clear your head and get a better view of what’s going on. Nothing is worse than running headlong into a ditch that could have been avoided with a different perspective.

I read in Fortune that more than 60% of millionaire CEO’s and entrepreneurs got there in less than four years. Why do you think that is?
I think it was a product of the go-go times and you’ll probably see that time frame grow as the new normal for the economy takes hold. There’s less money around so the pace of success will stretch a bit as a result.

Create in your mind what the future renaissance; what do they need to be?
I think that those successful in the future will value incremental growth over the big hit. Drucker once wrote that ‘size doesn’t equal significance’

What are you most proud of in your career?
Probably the impact I’ve had on my clients and other businessmen and women whom I’ve mentored. A successful career is about waking up every day and doing it right. To try, stumble and try again until you get where you’re going.

If I wasn't here, I'd be doing?
Riding across country…most any country will do.

Create a new superpower for yourself.
The ability to seamlessly go through solid objects so I’d not have to worry about crazy cagers pulling out in front of me while riding.

Bio and Social Media Links you wish people to connect to at:
www.BikersGuideToBusiness.com
www.BikerBusinessPosters.com
Follow me on Twitter - BusinessBiker
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dwaindeville

Dwain DeVille combined his two passions -- business and motorcycles -- into The Biker’s Guide to Business.
Biker’s Guide to Business is both a book and a series of principles that Dwain uses to guide business leaders through difficult times and onto success. In seminars and during his Retreat on Wheels course, business leaders achieve the type of breakthrough thinking that comes while riding through dazzling countryside.

DeVille is the founder and CEO of WaterMark International, Inc., a Florida based consulting firm that serves business leaders. He helps entrepreneurs and business leaders achieve top performance in both business and life.

DeVille spent 15 years in the banking industry, working his way up from the loan department to branch manager to turn around management, before leaving to form his own consulting business.

Born and raised in Opelousas, Louisiana, DeVille got his first start at business working in his father’s cotton gin. He later worked as a hand in the Louisiana oil fields before moving into the “front office” of the business world.

DeVille has been riding motorcycles since he was in high school. He currently rides a Harley Davidson Road King, is a H.O.G. member, and most recently rode to New Orleans for their first annual Bike Week.

DeVille is a cancer survivor, having successfully battle kidney cancer. He has been cancer-free since 2004.

DeVille is 53 and lives in Orlando, Florida. He has a grown son.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If You Don't Know Them You Should: Rob Williams

Position Title:
VP, Global Brand Development

A description of Kaseya:
Kaseya allows IT professionals to monitor, manage and control IT assets remotely, easily and efficiently from one simple web-based dashboard.

Responsibilities at Kaesya:
Managing the internal creative agency and any outsource creative or production assets. Monitor and engage audiences directly through social media platforms. Direct the Kaseya brand's personality and how we engage with the market.

What technologies are exciting you currently?
Obviously Twitter and all of its offshoots are exciting right now. I can get lost in Twitter with all of the interesting info scrolling by - I follow people who Tweet good fodder. Still love Facebook, but for a brand it's still mostly a pay to play to see any worthy results.

What technologies are you keeping an eye on? And Why?
The continued expansion of Twitter and its usage is very intriguing - love that it's making the world an even smaller place. Measurement sites like Hubspot, Radian6 and the Twitter analytic sites are on a good track. The latest iPhone (LOVE) apps I'm playing with are AudioBoo, Reportage and iCam - but I'd still like a good Fantasy Football app. Google's OS will be VERY interesting to see what happens there.

As a member of the human race, I look forward to concerted efforts in creating Earth-friendly, energy-efficient and affordable alternatives for mass usage.

What technologies are the plague on mankind? And Why?
Anything that Microsoft makes I loathe having to use because it's always a horrible usability experience. And MySpace just hurts my eyes.

Are you surprised that social media has taken such a dominate role in the mind of the advertiser? And Why?
Not at all, it's perfect for instant gratification. People can bitch and be heard by thousands, which makes brands pay attention. People like to have a more open forum where they have a voice too and can respond to what brands are putting out there. As a marketer, I appreciate that also, instant feedback to measure whether you're really on the right track with what your market wants.

How do you use social media at Kaesya?
We use social media to engage the customer. It's about starting a conversation rather than another place to push marketing messages to the audience. We try keep things as one-to-one as possible. No one wants to listen or talk to you if you're always selling. Social media is the personality that keeps your audience interested.

Has social media superseded design? If so/not why?
Design still has its place, but it's always been the lipstick on the pig. If you were lucky enough to combine a good make-up artist and a useful product, life was a lot easier. However, now being able to better define the personality of your brand through social media gives the audiences experience with your brand more depth. It's no longer a one-way street.

Define essential brand components.
Obviously, marketers should strive to create a consistent, recognizable personality for their brand where there's no question who can benefit from it and how. Social media has broadened the ability to do that by adding in new traits such as character, likability and responsiveness. Your audience now wants you to be a part of their community, instead of just lobbing pitch salvos at them.

How do you extend those components in your position?
We engage daily directly with people talking about our areas of interest. We don't pitch and preach but discuss and even ask their advice. Brands often believe they know what's best, but they usually live in a vacuum and the audience is the one with the real-world experience - that makes them the experts.

Fundamentally in the advertising spectrum what do you feel is broken? Beyond repair?
I think the connection between lead-gen and measurement is flawed right now. The improved measurement from traditional media to online was a tempting lure - but now you have more numbers and metrics and many that don't understand what to do with them OR that place too much emphasis on them. They are valuable tools but you can have great Google campaign numbers that you're paying a lot money for and not seeing the conversions in the end. Marketers may soon look at online marketing's inflated costs and industry standard poor results and realize that though efficient, it's ineffective. They'll have to learn to engage not just throw banners and Adwords - Google is not the pied piper.

Create in your mind what the future of the advertising agency is. Agency 3.0 if you will. Describe.
The focus is going to become more about the product or service. Agencies won't be able to rely on just a flashy campaign or catchy message - the proof will be in the pudding because now it's too easy to be exposed if you're a fraud. So, I think the Agency's job should become easier if they focus on credible brands. The benefit for the consumer will be greater available knowledge about the brands that deliver on their messages and the ones that do not.

Product Launch: If a client is burdened by budget for marketing (say $25,000), what do you feel is the best ROI today?
That's a tough question - there's no magic bullet and really depends on the product or service. Demographics - global or local only? There are too many variables that predicate whether you go for mass marketing tactics or direct lead gen, etc. Need more of the scenario to comment.

What agencies are doing it right? And Why?
Mostly the big ones. That's where the best creative thinking seems to be coming from right now. I see less boutique shops with the creative chops - maybe it's the economy driving the boutique creatives toward the big boys with the consolidation that's going on. I love everything that CPB's Bogusky puts out - brilliant!

If I wasn't here, I'd be doing?
I'd love to do charity work with children, but domestically, I still like to return to the comfort of my home and broadband connectivity - now if that were on an island with a boat, that wouldn't suck either.

Create a new superpower for yourself.
Right now, I'd appreciate a greater ability to GTD! So much to do and so much more I want to do, but time is too limited. Heroes' Hiro's ability to control time would be a very useful trait.

Bio and Social Media Links you wish people to connect to at.
Personally connect with me here:
Follow on Twitter: http://tr.im/krow272_tw
Friend on Facebook: http://tr.im/krow272_fb
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Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thanks for thinking of me.

Who should I know?

I've decided that I want to feature some of the awesomely talented people in my network. So, I'll be interviewing people in a feature I will affectionately refer to as "If You Don't Know Them You Should:" With that said, if there's someone in your network that you'd like me to reach out to please send me the following information:

• First and Last Name
• Email Address
• Business Type
• Position Title
• Any "Must Ask" questions

Thanks in advance!