Disqus - Latest Comments for briandshelton

Re: What Taylor Swift And Her Mom Taught Me

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:01:20 -0000

This is amazing, Aimee! Stay courageous and bold with the knowing that things always have a way of working out. To live in your truth and according to your own core values is the greatest accomplishment you can have! Be true. Be you!

Re: The Best Talent is Always Open to New Opportunities

Brian D. Shelton — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:57:51 -0000

Absolutely! Talented people do most things/jobs well, even if they don't love it. That's where the openness comes from - the desire not just to find the next thing, but to find the opportunities that inspire and fulfill them.

Re: 7 Things You Need to Know From My Content Amplification Test

Brian D. Shelton — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:35:21 -0000

This is THE crux of this post: "we tend to overrate traffic and underrate behavior in our assessment of online success."

In general, I have found "amplification services" to be very ineffective at driving business results. The only way amplification works is if the (right) message is being amplified to the right audience. My message touting the highest quality rain boots and slickers being amplified to thousands (or millions) of consumers who live in the desert southwest is sure to have little to no impact to my bottom line. Sadly, this is often illustrative of amplification services.

The only traffic worth paying for, in my opinion, is targeted, relevant traffic based on your specific messaging and intended business outcome.

Re: On fears and USA Today…

Brian D. Shelton — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:20:02 -0000

Scott, I couldn't agree more. Success is found in the journey itself... it's the incremental achievements in the face of fear that coalesce to become "success." Fear and courage cannot coexist, so be courageous!

Re: Beware of bias…

Brian D. Shelton — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:52:21 -0000

Scott, I believe many companies have an innate bias. In many cases, it is perpetuated under the guise of "branding." Visit a few corporate websites. You will see HEAVY use of words like "we," "our," and "us" with rarely - if ever - a mention of "you" (the customer). So the prism through which the communication is being filtered should be pretty obvious.The problem is, those statements are the equivalent to a promise (to the customer), so accuracy/honesty is crucial. As I like to say, "Saying you're purple doesn't make it so... no matter how loudly or how often you say it." So, take a step back and make sure the statements you make (as a company) truly reflect the culture and end-game you deliver... that's how trust and relationships are built or destroyed.

Re: http://garyvaynerchuk.com/post/13750389663

Brian D. Shelton — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:07:45 -0000

13:25 mark - Awesome (and true).

Re: My Own Adventure in Wayfaring: Saying Farewell to Radian6

Brian D. Shelton — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:42:10 -0000

Congratulations, Amber. Wishing you continued success in your next big adventure.

Re: http://blog.briandshelton.com/post/11381091879

Brian D. Shelton — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:05:24 -0000

Thanks, Dave. She is definitely tapped into the "human element." I certainly hope she continues to dream, create and inspire as she gets older. I'll certainly do my part to encourage her to do so! :-)

Re: Conversation Isn’t Hard

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:04:51 -0000

C.C., to me the most profound piece of this post is the assertion, "You either enjoy talking with people or you don’t." Conversations are not difficult for those who enjoy it, that's true.

I believe too many companies, however, in a rush to "do social," don't take the time to find the right (type of) person to lead the charge. They're setting themselves up for failure before they begin and can be traced to the most basic (and most important) level - people.

P.S. - Thanks for the hat tip, C.C. ;-)

Re: When They Call Your Baby Ugly

Brian D. Shelton — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:32:08 -0000

Simon,

Thanks for sharing this. For me, giving and receiving criticism come from the same core place - caring and helping.

When providing criticism, I always attempt to provide it constructively, always avoiding criticism that questions the creator rather than the creation.

On the flip side, any time I receive criticism (regardless of HOW it is delivered), I try to strip away the "personality and emotion" it is often packaged in to reveal the potential insights inside. Those are the gifts.

Cheers!

Re: Help! My Groceries Are Tweeting And They’re TERRIBLE!

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:03:55 -0000

Chris, there is always a "better way." Time and experience always leads to clarity. It is sad, however, to see so many struggle to be human.

One the one hand, I think the social media carcasses are simply a symptom of companies' knee-jerk "we need to be doing social media" response to how the world is changing - a response not backed by thought or strategy, just the mentality that "being there" is enough. It's not.

On the other hand, even companies that still have an "active" presence can't seem to appreciate that this space is about people & relationships. Rather they seem to see social media as additional channels to be littered with insincere slogans and "push" marketing.

There is one part of your post that caught my eye - Mrs. Butterworth's. You wrote: "Second, repeat it more and more. Maybe it’ll be answered more often. Holy cats." Perhaps they had been studying and experimenting based on Guy Kawasaki's OpenForum post "How to Drive Traffic with Repeat Tweets" (http://bit.ly/oMQ44J). ;-) Granted, I didn't see any @ replies or anything really engaging, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on that one.

Re: A Review of EntreLeadership, a New Book by Dave Ramsey

Brian D. Shelton — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:50:56 -0000

What can I (or anyone) learn from Dave's book? Nothing directly. That is because knowledge is in the mind; wisdom in the hands. In other words, just 'knowing' something isn't true learning. You have to ACT to truly learn. That is why I want to read the book - to uncover ACTION items I can implement to improve, to grow.

Re: The Lifespan of Words…Longer Than You Think.

Brian D. Shelton — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:39:19 -0000

It's amazing how the truth always seems to resonate with people. Your post is spot on. Unfortunately, there seems to be a general disregard for the power of words. Perhaps if people could see words in the same way they see nuclear energy - it can power a city or wipe civilizations off the map - we'd all be better off. So, let me exercise some of that power to let you know, "I appreciate you." ;-)

Re: Another of MANY wise points from the National Speakers Association convention…

Brian D. Shelton — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:01:17 -0000

Scott, this should be a pull quote - "If you are willing to be something other than mediocre, you will naturally attract those who don’t like you…because it’s infinitely easier for them to dislike your efforts than to do anything on their own." Looking forward to the day I get to finally meet both of you face-to-face (although it will be easier for you and I since we live in the same city!) ;-) Thanks for sharing this.

Re: Seth Godin on Zig Ziglar

Brian D. Shelton — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:06:04 -0000

Scott, thanks for sharing this again. It's amazing how stories about people connecting from the heart resonate with all of us... we (as a society) should strive to do more of that.

Re: http://blog.briandshelton.com/post/8084817927

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:04:20 -0000

Thanks, Tim. We all - myself included - need to realize when were relying too heavily on others as a way to guard against failure/fear. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

Re: http://blog.briandshelton.com/post/7892640856

Brian D. Shelton — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:58:57 -0000

Jenn, Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it very much. And, I think you are right. At the core of *everything* is love. Thanks for being a part of my journey and for being someone committed to spreading love in the world. :-)

Re: http://blog.briandshelton.com/post/7810700299

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:00:29 -0000

Chuck, I suppose the folks at Klout just prefer the Reds and Skyline Chili over the Cubs and El Toro Cantina. :-) Although, one person I heard from mentioned her score actually got a (very small) bump when she linked to Foursquare. Strange. The jury is still out. Thanks for chiming in! I appreciate it.

Re: Gmail Has a New Inbox for You

Brian D. Shelton — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:39:52 -0000

Chris, as a helpful tip, the new UI design can be accessed by clicking the gear icon, choosing "Mail Settings," clicking the "Themes" tab and choosing "Preview" or "Preview (dense)" from the options listed. It doesn't appear that choosing a "new inbox" triggers the new IU theme. Hope this helps folks.

Re: Gmail Update… Better Late than Never

Brian D. Shelton — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:46:12 -0000

Doug, I can't wait for the new interface! You're absolutely right in your assertion that you should start with the baseline product and make the "enhancements" and "advanced features" easily available to users who want them. Thoughtful post. Did I mention I can't wait for the new Gmail interface? :-)

Re: The Glory of a Life that Could Have Been

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:37:40 -0000

2 months late to the party, but yet perfect timing. Sharing this one with my wife now, AJ. You and Melissa keep up the phenomenal work you're doing and keep loving each other and the world. I can't wait for our paths to cross again very soon.

Re: What Small Things Are You Grateful For?

Brian D. Shelton — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:46:21 -0000

Waking up each day with the opportunity to make that day - that moment - better than the one before. What a great reminder, Mark. Thanks for sharing.

Re: http://garyvaynerchuk.com/post/5514933955

Brian D. Shelton — Mon, 16 May 2011 11:16:18 -0000

Gary, you've said it before: social media = business.

Therefore, you can re-frame your argument by switching "social media experts" to "business experts." If you do that and look at the success rates of businesses - the U.S. Small Business Administration cites "80% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years" - the numbers seem to prove that the vast majority of people out there are not business experts. If they were, the success rates would be higher, right?

Even without your clarification, the numbers support your hyperbolic claim. ;-)

Re: http://garyvaynerchuk.com/post/5192919965

Brian D. Shelton — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:02:17 -0000

You hit it out of the park, Gary! Nicely played...

Re: Social Media Has Made You Lazy

Brian D. Shelton — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:39:28 -0000

Dear XXX - err, C.C. - the bottom line is this: you absolutely cannot take shortcuts and expect to establish meaningful relationships. And, we all know (or should) that relationships are how business gets done.