Link: http://www.synapse3Di.com

Gina explains what Second Life is and has a warning for the meetings and events industry.  Speakers and trainers, listen up!

Link: http://www.Synapse3Di.com

I can't say that the word "perfectionism" has ever been linked to my name, except when it comes to how to load silverware in a dishwasher...I know it's weird!  Some live by the motto, "Measure twice, cut once." I on the other hand say, "Why measure? Just start cutting.  You can always go back to Home Depot tomorrow for more wood!" I'm not proud of that fact...well actually I am!  Who am I kidding? I love just jumping in and trying new things. I don't start by reading instructions or doing lots of research.  I push buttons, I download applications, I start making mistakes.  I would rather learn by doing, than to spend time reading how to begin doing. 

Oh sure this has bitten me a few times, like the time I decided to surprise my husband and put together the BBQ grill before he got home but missed the entire page of directions that showed how to run the wire the opposite direction from where I thought is was supposed to go and we ended up having to undo everything I had done to start over when it didn't work.  But lately, I've become convinced that it is better to be adventurous and make mistakes than to put off doing anything because enough research has not been done. 

I had two speaker friends who after watching my "Gettin Geeky" video series, wanted to do a similar project.  It has been over a month and neither has done anything! When I checked back to see what they had done, I found that both shared the same problem--perfectionism.  One friend said she hadn't taken the time to write the script out and was nervous about doing it in one take without any editing. WHo said you can't edit?  That would take more research and skill to learn to edit or find someone who can do that for her.  The other friend was still researching cameras.  Now perhaps this wasn't really a project that was high priority for either one, but what have you been putting off because you want it to be perfect?  Are you still putting off creating your LinkedIn page or does a blog seem too daunting a task?   

When it comes to using technology, many people put off jumping in because they don't want to do it incorrectly. I beleive it takes practice to do anything well and there are somethings you just have to jump in and begin.  Using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, these are just some of the examples of applicaitons that you have to jump in and begin playing with.  There's no way to get good at these unless you are already doing.  I was on Twitter for four months before I figured out how to really use it for business.  I created an avatar in Second Life, Google's Lively and a few other virtual worlds, just to check them out and explore.  Nothing broke and I didn't have to be perfect! As a matter of fact my Second Life avatar went bald with a clump of hair growing out of the side of my head for a few days when I clicked on something that messed up the hair.  Other avatars walked by typing in, "LOL"-it was humiliating but I survived.  My avatar now attends weekely virtual therapy sessions, and is getting along just fine. 

So my advice to you is quit measuring.  Quit collecting data.  Quit putting it off one more day, and just start cutting!

Link: http://www.synapse3Di.com

Gettin' Geeky is a fun little show where you can learn tech tips, tools, and techno gadgets that will help the not-so-geeky feel a little geekier!

Link: http://www.Synapse3Di.com

After a phone call with a seasoned professional speaker last week, I hung up wondering how people can ignore the changing technology in the days we live in. I mean being busy is just not a good excuse any more. I am amazed by how few speakers and trainers are technologically savvy or even want to be. I still have speakers tell me they don’t have a FaceBook page or they don’t understand how Twitter can help their business. “Those are all time wasters” they say. After all, if you have a website why would you need a LinkedIn or FaceBook page?

To address the time waster comment, let me just say that the telephone can be a total time waster if you aren’t using it right. If you have meaningful conversations and engage people with discussions that actually TEACH them something, it’s not a time waster. If you just Twitter about how cute your kids are and that they are the cutest baby’s on the planet, well then you are wasting your time and especially my time.

It’s about engaging a whole new audience member and using the tools they are using, Just look at the elections this past November. Obama’s camp had a Twitter account, a FaceBook page and even held rallies in Second Life with an Obama avatar appearing on the scene. They were everywhere the young people were. They engaged the youth, they got them to take action. McCain’s camp did not think to use these tools. Hmmm what can we learn from this?

People don’t want to read stupid brochures or text heavy websites any more. Give me a 5 min video instead. Engage me in a discussion on Twitter or your blog. What's your cool quoitent? Are you hanging with the right crowd anymore?

Now about how these tools help your business? For the most part, these are FREE marketing and PR for you and your organization. And If used correctly, they can create an engaging environment for your potential customers or employees to learn, share, discuss and check you out. In your organization, are you banning employees from using FaceBook or Twitter? Is Second Life just too “out there” for you or your stodgy training department?

One company told me they couldn’t use any of these tools because their IT department would have to get involved. Oh boo hoo! Put them to work on the future of learning in your organization or when it comes time to elect the next great company to work for…your ballot box won’t be getting the check mark.

Link: http://www.synapse3Di.com

After reading a great post by Gary Vaynerchuk (http://garyvaynerchuk.com)about doing what you love, I found myself thinking about it all day. I left corporate American 15 years ago to do what I love and have felt lucky to get paid to do something that I am so excited to do every day (well...okay most days!)so I wasn't sure why this particular post made me go hmmm, but all day I kept hearing his words in my head, "when you love it, live it, and it comes out of your face..."

Perhaps it was because recently I have rekindled the passion for what I do. I guess you can say I have reinvented myself and now the flames of passion are burning hotter than they were those 15 years ago. It's as if my marriage to my work had gotten stale and now the heat had been turned back on high.

I think I'm having a torrid affair with my work all of a sudden. I mean, I sneak away when the kids are doing their homework at night, and I neglect household chores (well, I guess I have always neglected them, but now I feel a sense of guilt about it). I stay up long after everyone else is in bed, sneaking into my office to write one more article, respond to my Tweets on Twitter or video tape another edition of Gettin' Geeky (www.gettingeeky.blip.tv) at 11:30 pm.

The other day I actually found myself shamefully slipping away from the living room, where everyone was watching a football game, to write a blog post before the idea left me. I have even felt as if I should quickly turn off my computer when I hear my husband coming so he doesn't see me working AGAIN. I'm careful though, just like a secret lover would be, to make sure and spend time with my family. We eat dinner together, I go to soccer and basketball games and even volunteer to drive on field trips, but I wonder...do they know? If I pull out my blackberry at half time to reply to a Twitter, will people see it in my face?

I sit here even tonight feeling a flush of excitement flood my face. I've been commenting on blogs, connencting with Twittermoms, writing a list of activitites I have lined up for tomorrow morning and scripting out ideas for more Gettin Geeky episodes! Oh, the rush.

Do you get to do the work that you love or are you stuck in a loveless marriage with your job? Perhaps your true love is waiting just around the next blog post.