"I fear that most contemporary people are answering questions not because they're flattered by the attention; they're answering questions because they feel as though they deserve to be asked. About everything. Their opinions are special, so they are entitled to a public forum. Their voice is supposed to be heard, lest their life become empty. "
-Chuck Klosterman, Eating the Dinosaur
Dear team,
I've been making lists to cross things off. WHAT? Don't look at me and my 5 million lists like that. I like to keep track of stuff. And prioritize it. And then make it into a new list. It is easy and makes me feel like I'm getting stuff done. However, looking back at all the lists, it seems the daily tasks get finished and the big picture, future looking goals get tossed aside.
While I'm definitely getting things done, it seems as though I'm not moving towards the direction I want to be going, even though I clearly know where I want to be going and what is important to me.
Last year, I wrote out my 2009 New Year's resolutions. It seemed incredibly silly at the time, but it blows my mind to read it now, remember what I was going through then and think about how much I've grown. Interestingly, I wrote about what I love, what I love to do and how I want to be doing it, but not in an actionable format, more of a "wouldn't it be great if..." kind of way. Well fuck that, I don't see very much similarity between what I love and me right now, even though I've had a year to work on bringing my life closer to my passions. So even if it's lame, I'm writing it out.
5. I love to help, connect and organize people. As soon as you say hello to me, I'm thinking about who else I would invite over for dinner if I knew you were coming 'round. I can't help it. I like smart people and the interesting discussions that come from being around them. Either when they are with their peers, or with people who have backgrounds that are completely different.
4. I'm a music addict. Sourcing rad music is probably one of my top 3 skills. I haven't figured out if this could ever be a paying gig (I doubt it), but I'm happy to just have it be a big part of my life. Every moment has a soundtrack and I want to ensure that I've got the time to enjoy it and share it with others.
3. I am enamored with mobile/tech/web. This is 50% shiny gadgets, 50% my love of connecting with people. Show me a new phone and I will want to touch it, figure it out and integrate it into my daily routine. Show me a new use for current technology and I'll want to tell all of my friends. Show me something that is completely innovative and you'll have my heart forever.
2. I am an idea pump. If you tell me what you want to do, I will give you three options to do it right away. Give me a few days and I'll have a laundry list of possibilities. I like to think about people and what makes them tick. Then think of ways to tap into that. There's nothing quite as cool as putting a smile on someone's face (well, putting a smile on someone's face, plus getting them to open their wallets might be the coolest thing - hey, a girl's gotta eat).
1. I like to write. I'm not about to write a novel, nor is any of my writing hanging out in the deep end of the pool. I write like I talk and when I talk, sometimes I ramble :) However, more often than not, I find it is the best way for me to communicate. I get nervous and I'm kind of shy when it comes to talking about me. It is so easy to share stuff with people by writing it down.
So there they are. My five things I'm passionate about. If you catch me doing things that aren't on this list, call me out on it. I'll need a little help from my friends on this.
Dear Team,
Whenever I encounter something strange while travelling, I inevitably hear the calming voice of my best friend saying, “not weird, just different.” She know what she is talking about, having lived all over the globe and takes in differences in culture with a grace and style that I can only dream of.
That being said, no matter how different things are, there are a certain number of things you can count on when abroad. For example, I’ve never been lost in an airport, I love the familiar fizz of Coca-Cola on my tongue and of course, the smile and laugh when someone realizes you are trying ever-so-hard to communicate, but cannot speak the language.
It makes me wonder, why are some of us obsessed with travel? This mix of seeking different while seeking same? Why is it when more than a month or two goes by, my feet itch and I long to once again wheel out my little carry-on and the awkward, hard shampoo I only use if a trip through security is required? Is it dissatisfaction or unhappiness? I hope its something with less discord. A sense of wonder and curiosity? Last year’s existential crisis aside (let’s not bring that up), I like to think that I’m quite happy…
My mother once said, “you’ve been here before, but you must look out the window, I promise you these mountains never look the same way twice.” It sounded rubbish at the time, but I believed it and still do. There is nothing more beautiful than climbing up to see the sunlight hit the icy blue water of a mountain lake. Or turning one more corner in a museum to unearth a hidden painting that one can briefly pretend is secret treasure.
My parents carted our family all over as a child, never wasting a Saturday, always driving to Cathedrals, castles and museums. “I’ve seen enough.” my brother says, now happy to be at home. He says his travelling days are done and prefers the company of his friends in the comfort of his own home to dingy hotels and back-aching plane rides.
I envy him, but remain a wanderer at heart. There’s nothing I love more than being in yet another city, drinking a coffee and watching the world go by.
Dear Team,
I'm skipping my wrap up on Amsterdam, mostly because there wasn't much to report on WiMax post-Singapore. Conference went well, the sessions I attended ended up being really interesting, and the city of Amsterdam is perfection in the Spring. Ria, Ryan and I walked. A lot. Straight from there out to nextMEDIA - a conference with great content, people and location. Although I missed having Jasmine there with me this year, I still did some learning.
Dear team,
Ok, I tweeted enough about my love for Singapore, I'll give it a rest. What I didn't have much of a chance to talk about though, was the amazing people I chatted with during both the Mobile Marketing Forum and WiMax: Asia Congress. I came back feeling like I had the chance to connect with some true innovators. Definitely a great experience for someone like me who might sometimes feel a little jaded :)
I'm lucky that my "several jobs" expose me to so much of the internet/mobile web. I see nothing but opportunity ahead!
That opportunity got me thinking with my crowdsourcing hat on - in the mobile space (what? I can't help it!). I definitely want to think on/discuss topics like the four below with other people.
1.
Mobile commerce – micro-payments from your phone. Not
just crowdfunding Kiva.org style, but “hey, I’ll give you $5 to do task A” etc.
or using 2D barcodes as a means to interact with your customers – A 2D barcode
on a poster at a movie theater – snap a picture with your phone, sms your
feedback, get a coupon, etc. Very cool companies like ColourZip SEA working on stuff like this
2.
Going into green fields - Africa etc. How do we
crowdsource best practises? Do we need to?
3.
Using crowdsourcing to Innovate on emerging
technology hurdles you don't think about. People talk about how India is this
huge untapped market for mobile – but when Mobile Marketing through SMS and
mobile web is just gaining traction, it won’t go anywhere in a market where most
can’t read – how do you reach the illiterate?
4. Crowdsourcing practical applications for new technology. Location based real-time information from your phone to ease everyday life - surveillance, health (monitoring patients, etc) Amber alerts with FemtoCells (lets you know when a phone/rfid chip is in the area), etc.
Huggles,
Blue
Dear Team,
The good times are over and I'm back home. WIsh I could have hit up W2E and CTIA, very curious to read up on what went down in San Francisco, but for now, the last of my thoughts on CTIA.
People were in agreement that attendance was way down at CTIA Vegas this year, but this gave people the opportunity to spend upwards of twenty minutes with companies that they would have previously only been able to exchange cards with. The word is that deals were getting done all over the place. Less people, more value. I like it. The other loudly discussed feeling was that for companies, the Green Initiative isn't reason enough to do something. Companies are looking to save money on efficiencies and from this, there are side-benefits that are green/environmentally friendly, but no one is very concerned at the moment with Mother Earth :)
Got some great interviews and I'll try and post some of the more interesting ones on here as they become available. I very much enjoyed speaking with Harald Braun from Harris Stratex, ignore the hair RIGHT IN MY FACE and instead listen to what he thinks the four growth pillars of mobile are.
Personal thoughts about Vegas: Everything happens indoors. It is such an interesting mix of everything that isn't me! Also: it is just as dry in Vegas as it is in my home town of Calgary. I didn't know that was possible.
Huggles,
Blue
I'd say everything I do is about building a community, whether it is around a product, on a website, or in my city. I really see the value in meeting others and figuring out how I can help them. Getting that going and seeing how it affects people's lives is definitely one of the best feelings I know of.
The community environment is where one starts to see extreme periods of growth. Sharing a wealth of knowledge leads to rapid innovation, sharing the workload leads to individuals being able to take on more - history tells us this is a good thing, we are all not our own islands.
Unfortunately, it would appear that everyone wants something for nothing...and I can't bankroll that attitude :(
