the websmith blog

Action Sports Growth in Employment. The niche is growing...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:31:00 -0600

Action Sports Growth in Employment. The niche is growing (incredibly fast) on the backs of the personal brands of empowered athletes. Travis Rice, Shaun White, Ryan Sheckler, Nigel Sylvester, Jen Hudak, Rob Dyrdek, Paul Rodriguez, Travis Pastrana, and others who’ve capitalized on sponsors dishing out top dollars for more access and meaningful exposure than many athletes in the big three sports.

Needless to say, employment has grown because of the astronomical growth. Here is a great explanation as to why.

Never outnumbered, never overwhelmed. Recently, I had a...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:24:00 -0600

Never outnumbered, never overwhelmed. Recently, I had a conversation with a college kid that I used to mentor. He felt it was always him against the world. He said that he could “never win because it always felt like there were so many that wanted him to fail”. I grew up feeling that same way and I still have occasions where I revert back to this, “I can never win” mentality. So, I could relate to his struggle. Sad but true. The message that I relayed to him, however, was far from sad:

It’s not you against the world. No one is ever outnumbered or overwhelmed. If you can’t find someone to your left side, right side, or behind you, you’re not done looking. There’s two important directions left that people seldom seem to search out. You can look upwards and you can look within. Like I told this young man, everything that you need to overcome anything is found in these two places.

Lines in the sand. Who needs Twitter and that social media stuff...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:24:00 -0600

Lines in the sand. Who needs Twitter and that social media stuff for business? We have Facebook. Who needs Facebook for business? We have perfectly good email. Who needs email? We have a fax machine. Who needs a fax machine? We have a landline. Who needs a landline? We have the postal service.

People always draw lines in the sand. And then embrace the technology when it becomes common practice. Early adoption is seldom a waste; innovation has its benefits.

Best advice. We hear about people that come out of nowhere all...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:47:04 -0600

Best advice. We hear about people that come out of nowhere all the time. By the time we know who they are, they’re on top of the world. But, like everyone else in the beginning, self-belief has to be overwhelming, positive, and lasting if you want to move past all of the doubt and obstruction that every success sees in its infancy.

The Brand Of: Social Media Isn't Silly

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:48:00 -0600

There is a thin line between the gimmick of social media and the contributory function that the platforms can serve as a layer of top a business’s brand, customer service, and community relations operations. I know very well that social media is not a gimmick. But lets face it, when you are stretched thin with operations, answering emails, and keeping the other 10 sails at full capacity - platform names like: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and so on sound like childsplay.

It’s not. As the analogy goes, if you stand in front of a speedway and watch cars pass, for everyone that you don’t flag down - you miss. That “traffic” is gone for ever. Recently, I searched a few important topics on Pinterest. What I found was simple and obvious. Just because a company is not participating doesn’t mean the conversation isn’t going on without them. And why does that conversation matter? I found that the traffic was passing me by and I didn’t even know it. Wherever people are recommending content, preference, or commerce - a business needs to be there to communicate with their most important and powerful asset - the consumer.

The bedrock principle of social business is learning and evolving with new advancements, using every tool available to listen and understand those around you. The names of the social platforms may sound silly, the means by which they work may be before their time but where people congregate, businesses need to listen. This personal use of social media shouldn’t be any different for any business that cares about their people. The key is to be wherever “there” is.

"It only takes a person or two to lift you up. One voice saying ‘can’ will always drown..."

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:06:00 -0600

“It only takes a person or two to lift you up. One voice saying ‘can’ will always drown out a brigade of voices saying ‘cannot’. It may not make sense as to why that one or two people will believe in you. They will say you’ll be great, even if you don’t believe it yourself. The possibility seems so slight, its comical. But instead of applying pressure, they will just require you to be a work in progress. It is amazing what you can build when the goal is progress, itself, and not a destination. But then you look back at every mile marker and you see significant goals met. You look forward and you see goals yet-to-meet. And then you realize that it’s not so ridiculous anymore, you may well end up where that one person envisioned from the start. The finish isn’t always determined by the start, it’s determined by the decision to move toward progress.”

- ws. (Thank you, Lindsey Smith.)

Social Media + E-Commerce. The separation between social...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:30:50 -0600

Social Media + E-Commerce. The separation between social currency and social currency is continuing to lessen, by the month. This is a great infographic to explain the importance of social recommendation. And how actual currency (think iTunes) will make it easier to complete third party e-commerce on social platforms. Making it a whole lot easier for people to put their money where their “likes” are.

Glory. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter performs for 2,500...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:59:00 -0600

Glory. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter performs for 2,500 people at Carnegie Hall. Lucky for me, a member of the Smith family was in the house to shoot video. Carter was the first solo hip hop performer to grace this stage, in history. It shows that his path to the top has been legitimized by industry colleagues and those who only scarcely understand his facet of culture and what it has taken for him to arrive.

It’s definitely a momentous occasion for anyone who may not yet understand that a “start” does not always determine a “finish”.

Bitter Taste. We all know the story about how Michael Jordan was...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:48:27 -0600

Bitter Taste. We all know the story about how Michael Jordan was cut from his high school’s varsity team as a sophomore. It sounds crazy to think that, in an age when 8th graders are signed to NCAA D-1 scholarships, the best basketball player in the world - ever - wasn’t one of the top 12 athletes in the school that year.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth and he took it out on his competition for the next 20 or so years. Imagine every story like that. It happens every day.

"Some may call it angry, intimidating, or even hostile. The simple truth is that - for some - that..."

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:42:00 -0600

“Some may call it angry, intimidating, or even hostile. The simple truth is that - for some - that impression is caused by the outward expression of relentless focus and determination. The driven would agree that they are on fire. They are burning. And the only way to douse a hostile flame is to use a bucket labeled ‘victory’, ‘completion’, or ‘success’.”

- ws.

The Brand Of: What Really Matters

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:28:00 -0600

When I was younger. My Dad used to tell me, “If it wasn’t for your (high school) tuition - I’d be driving a (your favorite sports car).” Even though, I was benefiting from his “poor choice in resource allotment”, I still used to snicker to myself. What a fool for not cashing in himself just to pay my prep school tuition! And then here I am, 10 years later. And this is what I am, just now, beginning to begin to learn about life. He understood the real meaning of success.

I’m one of those pesky members of the millennial generation. AKA: Generation “Y”…don’t I make six-figures for doing what I love, while working four real hours per day. For my generation, a talented yet entitled bunch, having a school-aged child by 28 years of age is either considered rare or even economically detrimental. The point is, even at our most selfless, it is in my generation’s DNA to have that “gimme” gene. But that constant toil between the two urges - normality and maturity - have helped me to learn a great deal.

Nothing means more to me than giving my daughter her best chance possible. The best schools, the most positive influences, the most dedicated parental experience. I once made the proclamation that I wanted Alexis to be the President of the United States. As irrational as that may sound to some, my expectation for her life is the absolute highest. So why not aim high? It’s not a figure of speech or an anecdote. It’s just my belief in her potential. So in a lot of ways, that is my motivation, my “jet fuel”.

Success. Just doesn’t mean the same thing to me anymore. I mean, “success” shouldn’t be just about you or me. It should be causal. Success should be a result of what positive change we can effect around us. For me, my greatest hope is to see my daughter do what she is capable of. The entirety of my motivation is somewhat intertwined in the ability to equip her - socially, economically, and spiritually - to take on the inevitable obstacles that she will face. Like my parents equipped me (Thank you, by the way - Mom and Dad).

“What really matters” isn’t how light we can make our load, how much flash we can accumulate, or who we can impress. What matters is what we give. I don’t mean that in a cheesy way. Sure, make your money. Stack your racks. Be successful. Just define “success” in a way that would mean something beyond: a number of clients, number in your bank account, or the infancy of the luxury vehicle in your garage. It should represent an ideal or a solution. And an ability to influence that ideal, for the better, with what success you have. For me, one of those ideals is my daughter’s future. She’s my pride and joy. Find what really matters and then work tirelessly to uplift it. Find your jet fuel.

My dad doesn’t seem quite so crazy anymore.

A friendly reminder. Here’s to the crazy ones out there...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:08:56 -0600

A friendly reminder. Here’s to the crazy ones out there that decide not to hedge their futures on a back up plan. Sometimes, insanity is an asset.

"Something happens when people refuse to quit. It may not hurt any less to continue. It may not seem..."

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:58:00 -0600

“Something happens when people refuse to quit. It may not hurt any less to continue. It may not seem any more desirable to carry on. But the thing is, the able-person comes to the assistance of the stubbornly determined. Unbreakable brick walls become as feeble as drywall. Paths of hot fire suddenly feels like cool ash, when heat is your only opposition. Bridges are built over deep gorges, when depth is your only obstruction. This seems to happen when people decide, whether favorable circumstances or not, that they will move forward. With enough will - what obstructs, destructs.”

- ws.

Early Adopters. It’s always cool to see businesses who buy...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:41:54 -0600

Early Adopters. It’s always cool to see businesses who buy into social shifts, early, and see dividends paid because of it. Pinterest is surprising many in e-commerce because it seems to be driving an abnormal amount of convertible traffic to their platforms. The demographic of the group has a lot to do with it. If it appeals to Pinterest’s top demographic - middle aged, rural women - Pinterest might be a good move.

Friday. Finish it.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:40:23 -0600

Friday. Finish it.

Pretty much. The interesting thing is, while somethings are more...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:59:49 -0600

Pretty much. The interesting thing is, while somethings are more fun than others, it is the entire spectrum that I enjoy. It’s the lessons that I learn and the defeat that I experience on a daily basis that generate the most forward momentum. Without that, there is no jump from “toying with a concept” to “implementing a successful idea”. Soak it up.

Part One: Social Power. If you know my friend Jess Holland, you...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:16:00 -0600

Part One: Social Power. If you know my friend Jess Holland, you know that she likes her some Whataburger. The burger spot is the best in Texas, especially at 2 AM - when in need of 100 taquitos for six friends (circa 2001). This shot of a DM Twitter response from Whataburger is what social is about for businesses - large and small. Jess is not only a valued customer, she is a socially popular one. This one gesture has already gone a long way. Jess was excited enough to fire out text messages and tweets about the attention received from this venerable Texas institution. And I was impressed enough to post it here for a different audience.

I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, Whataburger has a better Social Media operation than McDonald’s. This was just a great example.

For a creative-minded person. Creativity comes in waves....

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:02:18 -0600

For a creative-minded person. Creativity comes in waves. There’s a time when you can make something and thousands of people show their appreciation. There are other times that there is nothing to make, nothing to alter, nothing to influence. For a person that loves creation, that is a rough spot. It casts a shade over your view of your worth.

For those of you that thrive on creativity, here is a great list of 33. Read them and remove that doubt. When you do, you’ll see all of those reminders of work you’ve done that was good enough to persist without you.

"Whether you put that vision on a wall, on a blog, or on a sheet of paper next to your bed - if it..."

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:23:00 -0600

“Whether you put that vision on a wall, on a blog, or on a sheet of paper next to your bed - if it means anything to you, it’ll happen. Just yesterday, I revisited an old vision board. I hadn’t thought about it in a while. I looked at it and then I looked around. There was little difference between what I aimed for - two years ago - and where I stand now. Even arbitrary numbers and quotes seemed to make more sense. When you have a vision for yourself, do your best to hold on to it. Because if you hold on to it, you will eventually hold it.”

- ws.

Arte. Post Civil Rights Era, well-to-do African-American males...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:42:00 -0600

Arte. Post Civil Rights Era, well-to-do African-American males hanging out in the capital city of France.