You Must Go Digital

Change creates fear and stress. For most businesses, they know they need to change and adapt. We won’t tell you what you already know. No, we won’t tell you that if you don’t go digital that you’ll go out of business. Although, that is a possibility. Really, not going digital won’t put you out of business, but it’s more the thought process. If you can’t look to the future, you will be left behind. Look to the future. Educate yourself now. If we can help, reach out to us.

In the meantime, enjoy this brilliant campaign by Canvas called ‘Cubical Contagion.’ We have to applaud them for their forward thinking and sense of humor. Nice work! Enjoy the video.

The Best Book I’ve Read This Year

I read often. Honestly, I read a lot. For a while I bought music, then I moved to DVDs. Both collections bulge. I stopped collecting both, I ran out of room. Books are next most logical thing, especially if you don’t have room, right? Yes, no..not really. My collection runs around my office, sitting on the window ledges, creating a kind of high castle wall feeling. This summer I bought one book in particular, and it really got me thinking. I wanted to share it with you.

Early this year, Jack Cheng (follow him on Twitter @jackcheng) put together a Kickstarter campaign to raise money, so he could publish his novel, ‘These Days‘. I remember one of the tech blogs (or several) picking up the story and campaign. I was blow away by the idea, the story and that someone was writing a story with this particular subject matter. (Well done Jack)!

As the year progressed, I’d forgotten about it, until my book stack dwindled. It was time to restock. Looking down at a yellow sticky note on my iMac screen was ‘These Day’s by Jack Cheng. Bingo! Of course none of the bookstores around here had it (always go to Amazon – always). So, I ordered it online (I’m such a millennial. Whatever). The novel came and I had a very hard time putting it down. I’m the type of person who will start the day by reading a chapter or two. As I got about a quarter of the book completed, I couldn’t read a chapter a day anymore. I was so sucked into the story and direction, I would sit and read ten more pages, then ten more pages, then an hour would go by. Needless to say the novel didn’t take me long to finish.

What’s is about? Oh, yes, sorry, I bet you’d like to know that. It’s about a guy (Connor) who lives and breathes the 2.0 world and feels unsatisfied with his job. He meets a young girl (K) who doesn’t own a mobile phone and she opens his eyes and life to a whole new world. Connor’s life is forever changed in a world filled with technology and entrepreneurship.

If you are a designer, entrepreneur, coder, developer, dreaming, doer or an aspiring to do something great with your life and talent. You need to read this book. It might save your life. It might open your eyes to a world within yourself. It may allow you to know and understand that someone else just like you has wondered, “what if?” Don’t wonder. Try. Fail. Fly. Fall. Sink. Swim.

The only way to accomplish anything is to do it. Don’t ask permission. Don’t tell anyone your plans. Just move forward. Gain momentum and don’t look back. Trust me, if I could explain in a blog post, how much of an impact this novel had on me, I would, but I feel that I’ve gone on and rambled long enough. Buy this book, seriously. I’m not a sell crap for people kind of guy. I sell stuff I believe in. I evangelize products, services and people who challenge me and push me to grow to become something more than I already am.

I’ve never met Jack Cheng and I don’t know that I ever will, but he has opened my eyes. That I know for sure.

Apple vs. Android (my story)

About a month ago I was eligible for a phone upgrade. I have had the iPhone for about three years and have been very happy with it. A great product with a lot of functionality. In the three years I had it, the only problem I had with it, was when it tried to synch with my CRM software (a tool I use for my business). On multiple occasions it lost all my contacts, that after long hours of stress, I was able to recover.

I’m writing this article on my iMac (which I love very much). I threw a fit in the Apple store when the first iPad came out and the sales associate (who later became a friend) told me they didn’t have any. In truth, I wasn’t upset because they didn’t have one (which they did, I was able to purchase the last one), I was however upset that nobody would help me. Service with a smile? Yes, please. I have an iTouch, which I don’t use very much, but do love. It was a great tool, before I purchased my iPhone.

In November I was heavily looking into a Google Chromebook, which is a stripped down laptop. It doesn’t have any software, only Google and the internet. In truth, I wanted it because of the price and because 98% of my job requires me and the internet, that’s it. Okay, maybe a pen and pad of paper (yes, this is the digital age..). I decided to sell my iPad, because for as much as I loved it, I never used it. Most of the time I’m in front of an iMac anyway, plus I’m much quicker with a keyboard. I sold my iPad to my brother-in-law and purchased the Samsung Chromebook. I love it. The ten hour battery life, Chrome and it’s overall simplicity and minimalism. That’s truly what I wanted and still want out of a device.

Back to my phone upgrade. I had a decision to make, get the iPhone 5, which was a slimmer version of what I already had, or purchase something different. Now, you have to understand, I’m a person who enjoys change and believes that it’s inevitable anyway, so live a little. Yes, I made the switch. I did not purchase the iPhone 5 and instead elected to go with the Samsung Galaxy S4, which i LOVE. I have since fell in love with the flexibility of Android. Apple is a love that will never fade for me, ever. But, the reality of it is, is that I’m a Google guy. I have been for years. Honestly, my dream job is to work for Google. I don’t care if I was a janitor, just to be able to say I work for Google. Their goals, mission and vision relate to my on a personal and professional level.

To close, I also recently purchased the Nexus 7 (second generation). Yes, I’ve gone full on Android. Judge me if you will, but I have to be true to me. I haven’t even opened my Nexus 7. I ordered a case for it today. Once it arrives, I’ll break it out and start playing, but until then, it will sit waiting on my desk. Read more about the Nexus 7 and how the world feels about it. Also, check out the new device from Google, Chromecast.

So, where do you stand on the Apple and Android divide?

A German Friend

A couple weeks ago, at my wife’s birthday party we met Lars. Our fried Nick asked if he could join us for dinner and a baseball game. With my wife’s open heart to everyone and excitment about meeting new people, we had no issue with this whatsoever. Lars joined us from Germany, visiting the United States to work with Nick’s dad. He spoke English very well, and minus our tendency to introduce lingo into our language, he was able to keep up very well.

Over the next two weeks we saw Lars often. It was his first time ever at a baseball game, stating afterwords “it’s kind of boring,” but the guy caught a t-shirt (who ever catches a t-shirt while attending a baseball game)? Everyone goes, everyone wants to grab a size XL t-shirt from the air, but it never happens. Later in the week we took Lars to the racetrack to watch the horses run, he’d never done that either. The fist race (me playing with real money and Lars playing with imaginary money) we placed our bets on the first race. He won! What are the chances of such amazing beginner’s luck. In total, we watched six of the nine races that night. We totaled that Lars would have won four of the six we watched. Amazing!

Lars was in the United States for a total of six weeks, spending the last two with us, running around like crazy people in Des Moines, IA. It was a blast and I’m sad he had to go back to Germany. But, like many things in life, we were able to experience together, create experiences for him, and learn about different cultures on both sides of the table. I think we’ve talked him into coming back next year, or inviting us all to fly over and run around Germany like crazy people. I, myself, would be fine with either option.

Since leaving, I’ve decided to learn German. I’m not bilingual and should be. In fact, I’d love to be trilingual at some point, focusing on German and French to add to my poor English (which most days sounds like Pirate). I, at times, have a tendency to swear a lot. In summation, I’ve learned that Germans don’t eat much for breakfast, having a very meat and potatoes diet, and are a very kind and polite people. I hope I’m able to travel to Germany to learn more about their culture, my roots (as I have German heritage in my family) and experience life with new, fresh eyes.

We miss you already, Lars. Don’t forget us, there’s no way we can forget you.

Beardvertising: Dollar Shave Club

At the end of May, I read an article on Design Taxi (one of the best places to find inspiration) about beardvertising. Yes, I said beardvertising. It is a real thing. Reading the article, there was a link to a website, where you could sign up to become a beardvertiser. With my beard being a large part of my brand, I had to sign up. I did and a couple weeks ago received an email saying I had been chosen.

My first beard board is for Dollar Shave Club. I will be wearing a beard board starting today for the rest of the week. I will be sharing photos of my epic beard and my beard board through my social media accounts. Make sure you follow the hashtag on Twitter #beardvertising.

I hope you enjoy all the photos and videos to come! Make sure you check out Dollar Shave Club too, their blades are F*CKING GREAT!

Modify Watches -A Custom Experience

Since this summer, I have been wanting a new watch. Nothing fancy, because I already have a very nice and expensive dress watch. I wanted something fun, something inspiring, and something that I could wear everyday. It needed to be creative, make me feel good, and express my playful side – one that has been buried for some time. At times, there is just too much to do and not enough time to play.

In 2013, one of my goals is to make time. I plan to be more playful on many levels, so I can enjoy my time. No pun intended. After deciding on a style I liked, it was a matter of investment (money) and time (searching for the right brand). I found some great watches that were not badly priced. However, I stumbled upon Modify Watches. The interesting and unique thing about them are the possibilities. You can choose a face and a strap. You can custom create your own watch, order it, wear it, and enjoy it. I loved the idea, and after careful consideration, I placed my order.

I chose the Domo face and SF orange band (mini, because I’m built like a European). I received my order, as promised, in just a few days. It came in a plain brown box. I didn’t expect anything from their packaging, but that’s where I assumed wrong. Opening the package, there was orange shredded paper (for decoration and protection), my Domo face in it’s own plastic package, and my SF orange strap. The interesting thing, was that the entire inside of the box had information about the brand, how to put your watch together, and the Modify Watch branding. It was impressive, to say the least.

The cherry on top, was the hand written note. A hand written note, you read that right. They also threw in another strap that they thought I might like. With customer service like that (I can’t say I’ve had a better experience with online shopping anywhere, ever!), I have quickly become a huge fan. I should also mention that the quality of their product is wonderful. The experience in total was more than I could have imagined. Also, their engagement on Twitter is very impressive. Don’t believe me? Reach out to them.

Stil, I wonder. If they are writing hand-written notes to all their customers, how many are they writing every day?

Note: I wrote this a while ago, but have neglected to publish it due to my poetry project. I’d like to share that since writing this post, my wife has ordered two Modify Watches and I ordered another one. The new face I ordered was defective, so I contacted them via Twitter (@ModifyWatches) and had the issue quickly resolved and a new working watch. Their customer service is superior!!

Books On The Shelf

So I finished my book, ordered copies, and received them in the mail. The next step was getting them on the shelf. Prior to ordering my book and raising money, I did some research. I met with and spoke to multiple book retailers in Des Moines, IA. All of them were very supportive about my project, my poetry, and my upcoming book.

After a long wait and a great deal of work, the books are now available at three different retail locations in Des Moines, IA. You can pick up a copy of Chaos Mind: Inspiration from Moments of Desperation at Beaverdale Books, Plain Talk Books and Coffee and The Book Store.

You can also order my book online or purchase a copy of the book directly from me.

Books Are Here

After writing poetry for fifteen years, I have written and self-published my first book. Most of what I wrote in my mid- to late teens was illegible and not that great. As I’ve matured, so has my writing. Writing poetry, for me, has always been a form of self discovery and self expression. I do it for myself, so I can get what’s in my head on paper and out of my head.

I launched my Indiegogo campaign in late March and it ended in mid-April. After the campaign ended, I raced to finish the layout (thanks to my wife), and decide how many copies to order. I ended up ordering 100, which was my first thought and hope. There were already a dozen spoken for by the time my campaign ended. I thought with friends and family, there is another dozen or so. I also spoke with a half dozen local bookstores in the Des Moines Iowa area who said they would stock it.

I purchased my own ISBN, in fact I purchased 10, since it was a better price and the eBook and softbound book have to have separate ISBN’s. It made the most sense. My wife helped me get all the files ready and loaded to LuLu (where I had my books printed) and I ordered. On their website, it said 3-5 days for shipping after they were printed. I ordered my books on a Sunday night, in the middle of a tornado infested thunderstorm. On Wednesday the books were waiting for me just inside the main entrance to our apartment.

I elected to make one trip, caring the two boxes that equaled 40 pounds up five flights of stairs (kids, don’t try this at home). Once there, they sat until the day was done. I opened the boxes at 6pm that evening. The fear of things not looking as they should, pages out of order, or the artwork not looking right was a fear the moment I cut the first bit of tape. Everything, luckily, was as it should have been. Perfect.

A process that started years ago became something I could hold in my hand, open and close, and hand to someone. The journey is far from over, but my book was made and printed. Now to share them with the world, the scariest part of it all, in my opinion.

Note: The top photo was taken by my wife Ashley.

Poetry Reading

In March I put together a Facebook event. I decided to get some friends together to read some of my poetry. It was the first time I have read poetry to a group. I can count the number of people I’ve read my poetry to on one hand. I was very nervous and excited at the same time. The goal was to share the deeper aspects of myself with people I know and care about.

Nine people came to Caribou Coffee to listen to me read. I felt blessed to have people spend their time with me, and allow me to share myself with them. The more I read, the more I realized that I needed to practice reading my poems. The next reading I do, I plan to have some of my poems memorized, so I can project more emotion into the presentation.

After reading about twenty poems, my voice needed a break. I passed the stack of poems (the rough draft for my first book of poetry) to my wife, and asked her to read a couple. I enjoyed listening to her read my poems to the group, and put my words and thoughts in a different perspective, listening to them instead of  writing them. I asked the group to take a poem or two and read them as well. Before too long, the large stack of poems was making circles around the room.

Leaving the coffee shop about 10pm that night, a wave of calm washed over me like a baptism. I felt cleansed in a way I can’t explain. Pulling all the emotions out and pressing them between pages is a very wonderful experience. Reading my poems and others reading them aloud made all the bad emotions disappear. Waking up the next morning, I no longer felt the weight that had consumed me for years. I felt clean and I felt ready to take on a whole new list of emotions that I have not had room for in years.

Thank you to those who came, who indulged me in reading my poems, especially Nick, who didn’t want to read any. I love you all. You can check out some of my poetry (updates coming this weekend) here.

Indiegogo Campaign and Thank You

At the beginning of April, my Indiegogo campaign ended during National Poetry Month. I’m thankful and excited to announce that thanks to the below people, I was able to raise $700.00 (some came as check and cash donations, apart from the Ingiegogo website), towards my goal of $2,000.00. I will be using the money to order as many copies of my book as I can. Although I didn’t reach my goal, I am committed to making sure  that those who chose the donation option of the book will receive a copy.

I would not have been able to complete this goal without the following people’s support. Thank you for being part of this experience. Thank you for believing in me and supporting my poetry. I am very thankful to have you all in my life. I look forward to supporting the many campaigns in your life.

I would like to thank the following people for their unwavering support.

-Becky Mollenkamp
-Megan Pralle
-Jason Kohles
-Doug Enright
-Danielle Rogers
-Chelsea Kelly
-Luke Leidal
-Alyssa Willis
-Thomas Frank
-Steve Schott
-Gayla Moore
-Geri Sieberling
-Kimberly Powell
-Jenni Schwartz
-Dan Richardson
-Pam Schwartz
-Chris Sieberling
-Maegan Pankey
-Mike and Debbie Culver
-Nick and Kendra Covington
-Steve Willis
-Dianne Harwood
-Ashley Moore

I could not have done this without you. Much love and respect!

-Dallas J. Moore