The Rogers News

Author: Chris

  • What Are We If Not Potential?

    Pop!Tech is a:

    unique innovation network – a global community of cutting-edge leaders, thinkers, and doers from many different disciplines, who come together to explore the social impact of new technologies, the forces of change shaping our future, and new approaches to solving the world’s most significant challenges. We are known for our thriving community of thought-leaders, breakthrough innovation programs, visionary annual conferences and deep media and storytelling capabilities.

    I attended the conference in 2004 when I worked for Ruckus. I vividly remember the trip north from Washington D.C. – arriving in Portland, Maine on a JetBlue flight – driving up the coast to Camden, Maine where Pop!Tech takes place – the classic coastal views of water crashing against the rocky shore – beautiful leaves full of red, orange and yellow – the Talking Heads blasting on my car radio. By the time I arrived in cozy Camden, I was on an emotional high like none other I’d experienced before and had no idea how transforming the next few days would be.

    The conference astonished me. I couldn’t believe how many ideas, things and experiences there were beyond those I held personally. I tried to capture as much of the conference as possible by furiously taking notes and recording the conference on my iPod. (I didn’t know that it would later be available online and they had yet to start showing it live or post videos – now they do both.)

    I quickly realized that there was no way that I could process all of the information being presented, and didn’t, and still haven’t! I’ve still got the notes and look at them from time to time. I’ve kept up online since, but the experience isn’t the same as when you’re sitting in the Camden Opera House elbow to elbow with a bunch of geeks, entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers. There is an atmosphere to it – an atmosphere that I’ve found present few other places – Sundance to a degree, the Traverse City Film Festival, and a handful of undergrad and law school lectures.

    For all of the schooling I’ve been through at the University of Michigan and the Franklin Pierce Law Center, I look back and must say that I am underwhelmed by both of the experiences. There are a scant few professors, classes, and individual lectures that moved me the way Pop!Tech did/does. There is a difference – conferences have exciting presenters and powerful streamlined flashy ideas. I don’t care. At the end, higher education should be as powerful as a good conference presentation. Students should leave each semester with an excitement and hunger for more information.

    If I were to travel back, knowing what I now know, I would do only two things differently. First, I would major in English instead of Economics. I thought I would make more money majoring in Economics. Whether that was true or not, I now view it a foolish. I should have followed my heart and my talents, which both fell firmly in the English Department. Second, I would worry more about the courses that captivated me than those that fulfilled some predetermined study path – e.g., concentrating on financial economics, etc. I closed a lot of doors before I looked through them.

    As I walk through life meeting new people, moving to new places, and attempting new challenges, I am slowly coming to the realization that doing is living – that if I don’t open my mouth or take the first step or make a decision then the world will continue and I will stay. I think back to Pop!Tech 2004 when I say that because although I took in a lot of information at that conference and it exposed me to many new things, I didn’t stick out my hand and introduce myself, I didn’t realize how much I had to give, and I still feel as though I’m hoarding my experience and knowledge. It bring me to tears, as I write this, to think about what I could do and what I have done and I feel as though I’ve let the world down. I realize that’s a very narcissistic thing to say, but the feeling of great personal potential is something I’ve come to believe is integral to being human. What are we if not potential? There is a bigger message here than me feeling a responsibility to make this world better – it is that we should all be doing our part everyday to make this world a better place to live in now and in the future.

    With all of that said, I’ve been watching a good deal of the 2009 Pop!Tech conference via their live stream. I like the theme this year – America Reimagined. It places the focus on home, while showing what we can do to make a better world. I am personally setting goals for the coming year that will change the feeling of lost potential and make the world a better place for all of us.

  • Trail Building and Trailblazing at the CRNA

    There is a new park along M-37 (Center Road) called the Center Road Natural Area. Part of the park is cleared orchards, which are connected by grassed-over two-track roads. The more exciting parts, however, are the new single track trails that have been added and blazed.


    View Larger Map

    Today, thanks to Jason and Paula, I learned the difference between trail building and trailblazing. Jason explained trail building in a few definite steps, which I’ll detail below. Paula shared more about trailblazing that I could ever have imagined existed. I expected trailblazing to be a vicious attack on nature, but instead it is the act of painting six inch by two inch stripes of purple paint on trees along the trail to guide hikers. I’ll note some tips below.

    Trail Building

    When you’re building a trail, you’re either on the side of a hill or you’re not. If you’re not, then the trail building is significantly easier. You simply clear a path with you tool, remove roots, stumps and rocks and then pack the trail. With wear, it should become defined enough to be identifiable by hikers. If not, that’s where trailblazing comes in!

    There is more of a technique to trail building when walking along the side of a hill where the ground is higher on one side and lower on the other. The best way to describe this process is to present it in 5 steps.

    1. Rake the leaves, needles, and loose organic soil up the hill.
    2. Dig into the hill and drag the dirt down the hill. “Broadcast” (as Jason says) the dirt away from the trail and down the hill.
    3. Drag your tool along the path of the trail from the higher point to the lower point. There should be a curb on the higher side that gives way to an 18-24″ path that slopes slightly downhill. Like this: \____
    4. Pack the curb. Pack the trail.
    5. Brush the debris that was raked uphill back over the trail to allow for a more natural look.

    Follow Jason’s tips, keep your space and communicate and the trail practically builds itself! Not really. It’s hard work, but the time passes quickly.

    Trailblazing

    It was nice to learn what trailblazing actually was. I have a good appreciation for it because, having hiked many trails, I am aware of how easy it is to get lost if the “blazes” (aka – confidence markers) are not readily identifiable. If you are not a confident outdoors-man, then the sense of confusion and fear of being lost can ruin an otherwise enjoyable hike.

    When trailblazing, keep these tips in mind.

    • Blazes should be a bright color and uniform in shape and size.
    • It is ideal to place the blazes at six feet in height to prevent snow cover.
    • Hikers should be able to identify the next blaze while standing at the current blaze.
    • It may be necessary to trailblaze in both directions.

    There was a lot more that was mentioned, but that’s the gist of it. The bottom line is that you don’t want to mislead hikers or allow them to mislead themselves. Common sense applies here!

    It was a great experience and it was nice to meet a few people passionate about the park and the environment. I’ll be back out there again soon building and blazing away.

  • Late at Night at Home #1 and #2

    Two months ago, I wrote a post about what it is like late at night at home. For some reason, which I cannot explain or justify, I deleted the post. I remember that it involved dealing with the two dogs – the husky and the labradoodle – while making banana bread.

    Tonight, I watched and listened to the labradoodle sleep on the uncomfortable for humans but very comfortable for dogs green chair in the living room. She must have been dreaming because she whimpered and shook from time to time. It worried me, but then she’d open her eyes a bit and stare at me. I roused her and put her out. After, I found myself tiptoeing around on the hardwood floors as if not to wake her (She usually sleeps in the basement). I had forgotten that she was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for me to take her down.

    That’s two late nights at home, and it may become an irregular series.

  • Building a Cabin: Part 1

    I am in the exploratory stage of wanting to build a cabin. The idea of building a cabin is new, but the idea of owning or living in a cabin is not. They have always appealed to me as a way to get away from the highly stylized facets of modern life.

    I enjoy the out-of-doors, camping, and hiking. At some point while I was working at Ruckus, I discovered old fire lookout towers that were converted to sleeping units for hikers. Staying in one is something I hope to do someday. (Most are located out West.) I also have memories of fishing with my dad and friends at a lake in Canada. We flew in on a seaplane and were dropped off at a cabin, which was the only one on the lake. The setting of being away from everything was something I wouldn’t appreciate until many years later. What I am trying to say is that when I think of owning a cabin I am thinking of a unique experience that gives me room to breath. Building it myself would be that much better.

    The cabin doesn’t have to be much. I won’t mind if it doesn’t have water or electricity. I don’t need those things. I will need an outhouse and I would like a simple table with red chairs, a sleeping loft, a porch, and a green roof.

    I’m currently researching how to build the cabin, what it will cost, and open lots on which I can build. If you have any experience or pictures of cabins you find appealing, I would love to hear from you.

  • Dear Grandchildren

    Mike Lewis inquired in his blog entry, “Things We’ll Say to Our Grand Kids,” (Link) about the things will tell our grandchildren about today that the grandchildren will be unfamiliar with. This was inspired by a Wired magazine article. (Link) Mike and Wired each came up with some good ones.

    Here are some that I expect to say:

    • My electric toothbrush used to be the size of a banana.
    • It used to cost a lot of money to travel into outer space.
    • Things used to wear out before nanotechnology.
    • We all used to drive individual cars.
    • The weather wasn’t always completely under our control.
    • Sports leagues weren’t always international, but were merely national.
    • There used to be farmers in America.
    • Batters only lasted a few hours before needing to be recharged.
    • Gay marriage was only permitted in three states in 2009.
    • Kids used to have to go to a physical school, not just join in online.
    • I used to buy text books, not just download them to my tablet multiple use device.
    • In my day, health care wasn’t what it is today.
    • We used to regularly replace light bulbs.
    • There were only two main political parties when I started voting.
    • Not many people recycled when I was growing up.
    • There was much less green space than there is now.
    • There used to be these things called traffic jams.
    • My boss used to make me go to the office.
    • I used to only work for one company at a time.
    • There were only 50 states when I was younger.
    • I’m not sure I like these new smell televisions.

    Here are some that I hope to say:

    • There used to be (such-and-such) disease.
    • We cured global warming by…
    • There used to be wars in which humans fought each other in hand-to-hand combat.
    • Hunger used to be a problem.
    • Racism? Sexism? You’re not aware of these?
    • We used to cut down trees to make paper.

  • TCYP Conference

    I attended the inaugural Traverse City Young Professionals conference (Link) yesterday and I would like to congratulate the organizers for putting on a well planned, professional and successful event. I’d also like to thank the speakers, whose presentations are summarized below. The conference was rewarding in that I was exposed to community leaders I had not yet met and I had the chance to meet other young professionals in the area. I’m finding the Young Professionals to be, like many of the other events that are new to me, a vibrant group/event that adds texture and viability to Traverse City.

    The conference was comprised of four speakers and a panel. My thoughts on each are below.

    Onlee Bowden is the owner of Onlee Bowden and Associates (Link) where she provides professional speech training. Onlee’s presentation was excellent. She did a wonderful job of both showing and telling how even someone who is deathly afraid of public speaking could conquer their fears and “turn nervousness into excitement.”

    Onlee made two points with regard to public speaking:

    1. Fear is misunderstood – you should set it beside you, not let it upstage you.
    2. Structure is freedom – you should have a basic outline, but allow room for your speech to breath.

    I’ve never been a big fan of public speaking, and I’ve had some horrible experiences where I was ill prepared and performed poorly and was so nervous that my voice was quivering. I will take to heart her advice from the conference and hopefully be a better public speaker in the future.

    Jodi Mallow Mass is the co-founder along with Michelle Corteggiano of ATI Attraction Marketing (Link), which is “your number one source for Integrating social media into your business marketing plan.” There is a lot of value in Jodi’s presentation. I have long been an early adopter of social networks and social media. At one point, Jodi put up a slide of what appeared to be the logos of 30 to 40 different social networking websites. I couldn’t find one that I have not, as some time, been a member of. Then she put a slide up that read, “We recommend you join three to four.” Ha!

    In speaking with family, friends and business people, there is a growing curiosity and realization that Facebook and Twitter are legitimate sources of business. Jodi did a great job breaking this down by speaking about the value of having a Facebook page versus just creating a group. She also touched on where the value of Twitter lies – you get multiple answers instantly instead of waiting weeks.

    There was one point that Jodi made that hit close to home. She complimented Traverse Legal on leveraging social networks to help build a legal practice and also stated that, traditionally, lawyers are slow to adapt such new methods. What she said is true, but I’m not sure it is because attorneys do not realize the value of tying into social networks. It may be because they recognize that the value is not yet there for them. As a young attorney, I see the value and will push for such a presence in whatever firm I become a part of. A small effort writing a blog, Tweeting links to legal articles, or developing a following on Facebook.

    In sum, a few of Jodi’s points were:

    1. Ready. Fire. Aim.
    2. Alot a set amount of time to manage your social network presence, which hits close to home for me. It’s always seemed to take way too much of my time!

    McKeel Hagerty is the CEO of Hagerty Insurance Agency (Link), which insures classic cars and boats. McKeel’s talk focused on branding and leadership, and was most like the presentations I saw at Pop!Tech and have watched in TED videos. There was a lot of substance that indicated depth, which is exactly what I am looking for in a conference. I want to be exposed to new books, ways of thinking, and experiences.

    Some of the highlights of McKeel’s talk were:

    • Make your brand savory – which is to say that, like Nike, Apple, and Vigrin, your brand should evoke a strong emotion, trigger a very precise memory, and provide a leading gut feeling.
    • Step away from your company from time to time to evaluate what you are doing right and wrong. I am a huge believer in this through out life, and have found it good to “look at the big picture” when I need to bring things back into focus.
    • Consumer trust was demolished post-9/11. I’ve heard this before, but haven’t revisited it. It’s an interesting concept to keep in mind and emphasizes how hard a company has to work to captivate its customer base.
    • There is huge value in being the best in your category, especially over the long run when your customers perceive your quality to be better even if it is not. Again, strength of brand.
    • Have a carefully crafted story about yourself. This reminded me of the concept of “elevator pitches” in which you have a soundbite to pitch yourself to a prospective boss in an elevator ride. But, it’s bigger than that. It’s about being able to tell your life story and be proud of who you are, how you got to where you are, and that you know where you would like to go.
    • Eastern vs. Western Shepherding – or, rather, leading vs. managing. Be a leader.
    • “Have a James Bond.”
    • Writing is the most critical element in business. This resonated with me, being both a writer and highly valuing writing myself. It is lost on a lot of people. The skill goes far beyond what can be auto corrected in a word processing program.
    • Annual goal setting – I’ve tried to do this, but have not stuck to it. A friend of mine does a good job of this, and I hope to do a better job of setting goals and then striving to achieve them.

    As I’ve said, McKeel gave me a lot to think about. I found his life trajectory interesting. He grew up in Traverse City, moved away for many years and then returned to Traverse City. I’ve recently returned after having been away for school and work for nine years.

    Joan Jackson spoke about how to get into community and political leadership. She has a few interesting anecdotes about being on campaigns in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, but was hard to hear and understand. It would be interesting to speak with her individually, as I think I would get more out of that than I did from her talk. She led in to the panel session.

    Panel: State Senator Jason Allen, Mayor Michael Estes, and incoming mayor Chris Bzdok.

    I found what each of the panelists had to say interesting, but the questions presented were repetitive. It may have been beneficial to open up the panel to the audience and allow for some more specific questions beyond, “How can young professionals get involved?”

    I enjoyed speaking to the panelists afterward. Each was approachable and eager to talk. Bzdok made a comment that being mayor means being a conduit for the public’s voice – as mayor you listen to the public then try to accomplish tasks set forth and deal with issues raised. To my surprise, it was less about achieving your own vision, which was my perception of national politics. I have no experience in politics, but would like to get more involved. I hope to learn more from experiences like the panel and from speaking with local representatives.

  • For Every Friend

    Maintaining friendships is a daunting task, which is why we seem to leave so many friends behind at each stage of our lives. When we are young, it is the switching from schools – elementary to junior high to high to college to graduate – that often changes our personal milieu and with that our friends. Sometimes we travel equal distances, but to different places – you may head to the west to pursue your doctorate in construction engineering and I may travel east to get my law degree. Other times you travel further than I, or not as far. It is each of these changes that leads us down a slightly different path than that of even our best of friends who, at one time long ago in elementary school, dreamed the same dreams.

    With that said, I recently read a New York Times blog post titled, “The Referendum,” which elaborates one what I’ve said above, but hits on a slightly different point – that by middle age we resent one another for making different decisions than us. The idea that we are all rational beings (interested only in our own self-advancement and happiness) has long since been shot to hell, either because we are not rational or because the success of others can, honestly, increase our own well being. I hope that the reason is a little of each.

    The one sentence from the aforementioned post that most resonates with me is a James Salter quote that reads as follows:

    For whatever we do, even whatever we do not do prevents us from doing its opposite. Acts demolish their alternatives, that is the paradox.

    Accepting this, and I believe we must or risk being reactionary beings, is absolutely necessary to moving forward in life. If we do not live believing that with each door that opens we must close one, then we can not advance our work, family, or individual existences. Years ago, a family friend commented that one of the most daunting obstacles upon graduation from high school is having to close doors for the first time in our lives. It is the first time when we are forced to make a major decision – to go to college? and what college? For the now lucky many, college is a reality they must choose. But the demolition does not stop with choosing a major. In the long run, that is as insignificant as one’s grade school GPA. Yet in the present, every minute detail matters so much that, if we look back and see a discrepancy between our decision and that of our friends, then it is impossible not to feel something – anything at all – be it positive or negative. (Cite)

    I hope for the sake of my future middle-aged self that I am not as rational as my economics degree would have me be and that I make enough “right” decisions to be satisfied with who I am when I look across the table at my old friends at reunions, tailgates, etc.