Analog Solutions despite a digital exchange

Sitting in the back of a speeding taxi, I was able to check into my early morning Delta flight with my iPhone. I was able to pay my baggage fee and it was easy; all while speeding down the freeway at more than 70mphs.

I usually pay for my taxi fare with a credit card. It makes managing my expenses so much easier and cuts the preparation time for monthly expense reports. It took the bellman about 10 minutes for find a taxi on South Beach in Miami who would agree to accept a credit care...they prefer ca$h. The driver happily agreed to accept the credit card for the healthy fare to from South Beach to FLL.

Imagine my surprise when I handed him my credit card at the end the trip and he pulled out his pen and clipboard to transfer the credit card number to the carbon paper form. He didn't think it was odd to scratch the number on to the form...despite the success of NYC taxi and the cashless system. I guess Florida is a long way from NYC! (This all strikes me as technically bizarre because Delta and other major airlines have gone cashless within the last year, with their handheld credit card terminals).

note: When I see handheld terminals at use in restaurant's and bars in UK/Europe I don't give it a second thought but I still get a chill when I see someone here in the State whip one out!

Adult Women should NOT wear rompers...period!

I get it...vacation and all but really??
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Changing minds one swimsuit at a time!

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from someone who's name I didn't immediately recognize. A couple of years ago that would have startled me but in the age of Foursquare, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook (even with the revised privacy settings) and TripIt - I generally assume that I've actually given you my contact information and you aren't a stalker.

I waited until I was in the office to read the message and not violate one of Oprah's live guiding principles of "no texting and driving" (I'm assuming she also meant no reading of emails, as well). The email opener made me think this was some sort of spam or one of the 100's of random business soliciations I receive every morning. It was both surprising and refreshing to note it was from a woman I met almost a year ago at a party and in a hot tub, no less. (This is ironic because there are people who've known me for 20 years and have never seen me in a swimsuit despite the fact that I prefer beach vacations and live 5 blocks from the pristine beaches of Southern California.

At any rate, I read further to find that my hot tub gal pal "Anita" had actually been listening to my ramblings that hot afternoon and decided to make the suggested upgrades. I was humbled.

I am missing an opportunity here - I feel it, but for now the evangelising goes on and I hope to keep bringing others along for the ride.

Here is Anita's recap of the encouter. Good Luck Anita!!

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Clients and Associates,

Who says you can’t network in your bathing suit? Last year at a 4th of July party, I met the social media marketing manager for the Grammy’s in a hot tub. As we chatted about using social media tools in business, I was somewhat embarrassed to admit that I was avoiding getting involved and hoping that the Twitter craze would die out like an outdated pair of bellbottoms. She laughed at my response and told me that if I didn’t hop on the technology train soon, I’d be left in the dust. Then she showed me her iphone and demonstrated how her twitter & facebook were all integrated and at her fingertips. When I told her I didn’t even TEXT, she said, “Oh please don’t tell me you still have a pick flip phone?” My face turned as pink as my flip phone and I had to admit … I was living in the mobile phone ice age. It was then I decided it was time for a techno makeover. So that’s when my journey began.

So here I am 9 months later with my shiny new blackberry, a new & improved website, a BLOG, a Facebook Fan Page, Linked In, You Tubed and am I beginning to murmur a few tweets here and there. It’s a start. So check it out! Go to my website www.thecoachingcompass.com and click any of my Links Buttons on the right to explore my facebook, twitter, YouTube and Linked In. On the left side my navigation buttons will take you directly to my blog. And be sure to check out the video on the home page and my action shots slide show on the teambuilding page.

Enjoy!
Anita




Anita Goldin, SPHR
Leadership Coach & Training Consultant
Business: 949-387-3436
www.TheCoachingCompass.com




Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.- Author Unknown-

Social Media, Social Graces

I love being connected, in fact, there are some who say I prefer connectedness which allows be to avoid direct human contact. I tend to prefer text messages to phone calls and email to my PO box. I can go days without actually having a verbal conversation but "saying" a lot about a variety of wide ranging issues with thousands of people around the world.

On the days, I actually have a personal conversation with someone I trust, it tends to be life changing. I've had 2 such conversations recently and they both resulted in some powerful ideas and action items which will shape my goals for the next 24 months.

Ironically, the subject of each conversation included Social Media and the future. This Social Graces is simple and should have been my very first; No matter how socially connected you are, you should make room for the platform of personal one-to-one communication. In 2 one-hour conversations with trusted members of my "network" I found the clarity and direction I've been seeking.

Filed under: Where's my Flying Car?

This post was written back in November of 2008 by Jim Emerson and posted at (http://directmag.com/mobile/mobileAds110408/) and it was exciting news at the time. Typically advertising will drive greater usage and integration. For those of us who are eagerly awaiting the mobile transformation in the American marketplace it may have sounded like music to our ears but nearly 18 months later - the rose colored vision of a mobile integrated commerce based system in the USA is yet to materialize. (although "non-opt in ads" have found their way into my various iPhone apps at an alarming rate).

I remain hopeful that we will see relevant opt-in ads in exchange for greater functional integration of devices into useful and meaningful mobile-based transactions. (my long winded way of saying - you can send me advertising when I can use my mobile device to pay, find, and generally improve my experience and interaction with your product or service).

Mobile Advertising Discovers America
Nov 3, 2008 9:17 PM, By Jim Emerson

Mobile searches for products and services and mobile advertising are becoming more commonplace among U.S. consumers, following in the footsteps of longstanding trends in the European Union and Asia.

Recent developments in the U.S. indicate that significant growth is under way related to mobile marketing. This expansion is illustrated by consumer research and seemingly routine announcements concerning launches of new mobile advertising services.

About 15.6% of consumers with mobile devices searched locally for products and services online during the last six months, up from 9.8% during 2007, according to the latest figures released by The Kelsey Group and its research partner Constat. Some 14.3% of consumers with such devices searched outside their local area for products in the last six months, compared to 6.4% in 2007.

The increase in online consumer search activity corresponds with the rapid consumer adoption of “smartphone” technology.

Nearly 40% of consumers with cell phones (104 million) recalled seeing advertising on such mobile devices between July and September 2008, according to quarterly research data released by Limbo, a social mobile network.

Text messages were the most commonly viewed type of advertising on mobile devices. The audience that recalled seeing such mobile ads was comprised of 57% men and 43% were under age 34.

“The U.S has traditionally been behind Asian and European markets in terms of consumer use of mobile devices. The latest Mobile Advertising Report shows that U.S. consumers are accelerating their use of mobile devices and advertisers are hot on their tails, said in a statement Colin Strong, head of mobile communications research at GfK Technology.

Internet advertising networks are expanding. Yellowbook announced on Monday that it has begun distributing video advertising on the YouTube network. The MobileEyes Advertising network launched by 3rd Dimension Inc. yesterday is one of the newest video advertising networks.