I Had a New York Change of Mind

Growing up a diehard Philadelphia sports fan, you know it comes with a few givens: you’re going to have your heart broken & you’re going to hate New York teams. That hatred occasionally leaks into an unwarranted disdain for the city of New York. And then that grudge is soothed via days like yesterday.

Yesterday, Wednesday February 1st, I had an interview with VaynerMedia on 373 Park Avenue South. Beautiful office, young, buzzing staff, all working diligently in the busiest social media hub on the East Coast. The interview went swimmingly, had a terrific discussion with Steve Campbell about the potential of Social Business and the real world business effect. We shook hands at the end of a productive hour, hoping to talk again soon.

From there I began to walk to Chelsea Piers to meet the bundle of energy- and guy that got me the VaynerMedia interview- that is Harrison Kratz of 2tor. The walk from Park Ave to Chelsea was a good distance. It gave me a chance to see the views of a city so many have called home. I had never actively considered NYC as a possible landing spot until a few years ago. With Philadelphia in your blood, it’s not always the easiest concession to admit New York as a career destination … but make no mistake, it absolutely is for me.

Harrison showed me around the gorgeous offices overlooking the water on the Pier. A bunch of brilliant and affable people occupy those desks as well; I was happy to spend the better part of 90 minutes there. We talked education, entrepreneurs, the future of #TweetDrive, and where we should go next.

Next was the Chelsea Market, a place I could’ve spent the remainder of my night exploring. Instead, we took a shortcut through the market to a dark but intriguing bar called The Tippler. It carried the air of a secret known to a select few. The Top Cat drink I got was definitely one that could get me into trouble.

After a drink and reflective conversation, we cabbed over to Union Square and had dinner at Shake Shack. That Smoke Burger was the most delicious thing I’ve had in a longtime; the chocolate peanut butter shake was heavenly. Throughout the course of the night, Harrison showed why he was so in-demand in the world of social media. More importantly he affirmed my belief that he’s a good guy and friend. Thanks for all your time yesterday, H.

I do hope to hear from VaynerMedia soon, because, quite frankly I’d like more time in NYC. Perhaps I’ll head up for Social Media Week in 2 weeks time.

In the meantime, I’ll reflect positively on my look into the city’s growing industry and my chance to maybe be a part of the scene. Has a visit to a city ever changed your outlook on life in your own hometown? Ever swayed a longstanding opinion?

And the Nominees Are- (Plus Why Bridesmaids Sucked)

You like me! You really like me!

January in Philadelphia is typically a tough time. It’s cold, it’s rainy, and the people are ornery from an Eagles season ended in misery. For me, January means the possibility of snow, a baseball season (read spring) on the horizon, and the Academy Award Nominations are about to be released. Today was the day we got to see who will honored in Hollywood.

(Note: I won’t predict each category, but I will touch on a few.)

I love movies. No matter how expensive the experience of going to the theater has become, I’m in love with going to see a picture on the Silver Screen. When the Nominations are released, it gives me a checklist of which movies I’d like to see before the actual Awards Ceremony.  It also challenges the predictions in the past 12 months over which movies I believed would compete for the coveted Oscar.

Best Picture: ”The Artist”, ”The Descendants”, ”Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”, ”Hugo”, ”Midnight in Paris”, ”The Help”, “Moneyball”, ”War Horse”, ”The Tree of Life” (Films Seen: 2 -Does reading Moneyball count?) 

Billy Beane never looked so good.

This is always the biggest category as it is the unofficial ‘Best’ of the year, allowing to be placed into esteemed company (The Godfather, The King’s Speech, Rocky). “The Help” will have a lot of support having been a successful summer smash, while “War Horse” benefits from two things- War & Spielberg (like Schindler’s List).  ”The Descendants” of course has George Clooney, who on top getting more charming and handsome with age, increasingly is attracting the attention of the Academy. My guess? “Moneyball”- it’s different and has the soon to retire Brad Pitt. Billy Beane never looked so good.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”, Jessica Chastain, “The Help”, Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”, Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”, Octavia Spencer, “The Help” (Films Seen: 2)

Hello, Jessica Chastain

Octavia Spencer & Jessica Chastain were both sensational in “The Help”. Their characters interacted in a beautiful way, a relationship that became more intriguing than Emma Stone’s main character’s plight. Octavia Spencer so embodied the feel of the story that she was asked to be the narrator of the audiobook version. The nomination that I’m most excited for though is Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”. She’s hysterical on her main television show, Mike & Molly, and for me was the brightest light throughout the entirety of the movie. It’s rare that you see an actor in a comedy nominated, which is why she’s my selection for the Oscar.

Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”, JC Chandor, “Margin Call”, Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”, Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, “Bridesmaids” (Films Seen: 1)

Thank you, Melissa McCarthy, for saving this movie.

As I mention in my blog title, I thought that “Bridesmaids” sucked. It’s a shame since this nomination might actually be deserved for the concept. When I first saw the trailer and all the surrounding buzz, I couldn’t wait to laugh my ass off. Unfortunately, the finished product was a run-on Kristen Wiig SNL sketch (2:40 is when the bit is too much). Don’t get me wrong- I think Wiig is funny, but she tends to take a bit too far. There were parts of “Bridesmaids” that were so stretched it made me want to leave the theater. I hope anyone other than Wiig and Mumolo win this award, if only so that poor execution of a good idea isn’t rewarded.

So with all that, here are the movies I’d like to see before the Academy Awards: “The Descendants”, “Moneyball”, “Hugo”, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, “Albert Nobbs”, “The Iron Lady”, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Yup, Glenn Close doing her best reverse 'Tootsie'

Which movies do you want to see win? Any of these nominations not worthy of the nod? Did you think “Bridesmaids” was funny? Let me know, I’d love to hear all about it!

M-iView

Apple released the iPhone 4S a few weeks ago. If this is news to you, then I believe all you’d need to do is ask Siri what’s new these days with Apple.  But of course, if you hadn’t heard of the 4S, you wouldn’t know what Siri represents.

While Siri may be the greatest feature sported on the iPhone 4S, its capabilities cannot be shackled to the mobile communicator. With its rumors of Apple TV (not the current product, but an honest to goodness television display) running wild, Macintosh Manics have let their minds go free as to what else Siri could be used for, from alarm-clocks and interactive message boards, to car-displays (The BatMobile?) and desktops.  For this post, however, let’s focus strictly on the notion of Apple TV.

I’m sure it’s similar in your home, but for some reason we can never find the remote. Someone is always either sitting on top of it or it’s buried under a cushion or blanket…or 3 rooms away. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the yelling from our reclined, comfortable position actually made the television change to the desired program we’d like to view? Siri might be the answer to that cry.

In the same fashion new cars allow for their owners to start and operate their vehicles with keys on their person, Apple TV’s might use the iPhone as the remote. Voice activation would then be present as a means to manage your viewing, as the iPhone (or iPad, iPod) could become the microphone and amplifier to transmit your voice command to the Siri powered TV. The traditionalist (or button lover) in me can still envision the iPhone, iPad, or iPod, as a way for Apple to employ ‘classic’ remote controls. A native app could be produced that synced to your personal Apple TV, so that when you visited your friends with Apple TVs…you couldn’t ghost-channel-surf on them.

Another cool thought I had was the ability to have touchscreen on the Apple TV.  How cool would it be to walk by your television, determine that the volume was too loud and have the option of either telling the TV to quiet down, or physically slide your finger across the screen to decrease the volume? That’s an idea that might be lost in the shuffle during Apple TV ponderings. When Apple started production on the original iPhone, they made a shrewd decision in purchasing (a ton of) touchscreen glass overseas, making it cheaper for them and more expensive for their competitors.  This kind of forward thinking allows for quicker product manufacturing, meaning more scrambling for competitors and greater control (and profit) for Apple.

So what the hell does any of this have to with humantivo? Well, ‘tivo’ IS in the title…and last I checked, TiVo is one of the largest influencers in the way we consume media. Apple TV may be game changing in terms of how producers and writers create television programming. I’m eager to see how 2012 pans out in the world of media and tech.

ROI &…ROI

In September I signed up for Social Media Bootcamp through BrazenU. For less than $300, I received 4 weeks of daily material and networking with access to some of the brightest stars in social media. I really was thrilled with the product and the ability to access all the materials for a full year. As much as everyone says you don’t need to pay in order to learn this material, the curriculum provided was certainly of great value.

My main reason for signing up was to get a better handle on strategy and ROI (Return on Investment). I knew that Google Analytics and Facebook Insights were available, but I had no idea how to interpret them, let alone explain to a potential customer what the hell I was jabbering about. While I was able to get a grasp of what social ROI was all about, I began letting my mind wander. The thought occurred to me like this- we have ROI, but what about another kind of ROI? The Reward of Information (or Intelligence, take your pick*).

The more we go down the rabbit hole of social media, we all want to see who is sharing, who we influence, why we follow X instead of Z, and what’s working. For the most part there are standard metrics for these things that are generally accepted by all social practices. Yet we occasionally gloss over the beautiful content that provides us with a new or augmented knowledge. The Information Super Highway has never been driven as hard as it is currently, and there’s no reason to think the traffic will decrease. There are exits and GPS systems, in this case our favorite networks and platforms, that are providing us with tremendous amounts of knowledge and ways to give back.

The Reward of Information, for me at least, is the personal satisfaction gained whenever an article or blog  has left a reader feeling they’ve benefited from clicking on a link. It is then up to the observer’s discretion to determine what was known before the materials were consumed and  how they’ve increased their knowledge base or added to their opinion.

Personally, I’ve always felt an urge to share more links when I’ve gained useful knowledge from online content. I’d imagine many active social users would agree. We click, read, and watch because we want to know.  We share with our friends and more often than not, our friends share similar curiosities.  It is our best educated guess that those in our communities want to know what we know!

So is there a way to measure this other kind of ROI? Perhaps the best way to see if Reward of Information is working is to gauge comments and conversations. These things are obviously already being monitored by many a company, but it’s the best way to see if your ideas are having impact on your readers or viewers. Maybe we should begin asking our audiences if they’ve benefited by the content we’re providing? How about the third-party links we’ve been retweeting- have they found those insightful?

Comments hopefully then would come back as, ‘Yes, Angela, I’m glad you shared the _________. I never knew that __________ was a ________. Thanks!’ If there were more responses like that example occurring in our blog/website conversations, then the Reward of Information would become something that we as a community could be proud in continually sharing, instead of simply sharing to get our names out into the blogosphere, twitterverse…ad nauseum.

We humans are curious creatures; inquisitive beings that need to know what’s happening as soon as we can. Our curiosities are being rewarded faster than ever before, allowing hungry learners as much tangible and useful we can click.

Feed your brain, and please don’t forget to pass along what you’re having…especially if it’s delicious.

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*Because I know you’re dying to know what the asterisk is doing there.

The definitions of knowledge and intelligence and why they’re different.

knowledge- (1) : the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) :acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique.

intelligence- (1) : the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : reason; also : the skilled use of reason(2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (as tests).

The reason I did not present my version of ROI as the Reward of Intelligence is simply because intelligence varies from individual to individual. Intelligence is more a measure of a person’s capacity to learn, interpret, and critique based on their acquired experiences. It is not my place to decide whose IQ is altered by the materials they’ve read. Feel free to share your opinions.

Oportunidad

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op·por·tu·ni·ty

noun \ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nə-tē, -ˈtyü-\

plural op·por·tu·ni·ties

Definition of OPPORTUNITY

1

: a favorable junctures of circumstances

2

: a good chance for advancement or progress

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“Even when opportunity knocks, a man still has to get up off his seat and open the door.” -Anonymous

I am that man.

                                                                    * * * * *

 A few weeks ago, I sent a message to my Uncle asking him a few questions about his career, how he would approach the turbulent times of our day, and how he continues to cultivate his success. To my surprise, he suggested we speak on the phone, so that he could provide me with substantial answers- my Uncle is a very busy individual, so this suggestion was met graciously.

On the day I finally called him, we discussed the questions I had asked, spoke our lives, personal and professional, and made idle chit-chat. He was a tremendous source of information and I truly enjoyed our talk. But my Uncle was just starting his surprises. It seemed the reason he truly wanted to speak on the phone was to extend me an offer.

Here’s the thing about my Uncle- he is not a relative of mine. In truth, he is my father’s best friend since elementary school. Each found the male sibling they never had in the other. They made a promise to be the other’s best man in their respective weddings, a commitment each fulfilled. They’re brothers by choice. He is my ‘Uncle’.

He enticed me by saying that, ‘if you could fly down here, I’ll show you the ropes of my office, introduce you to the different teams in the department’. This opportunity would mean learning from an executive for one of the largest entertainment companies in the US. The grandeur of the possibility began to creep into my head while sitting in my chair, gravity slowly pulling me from an upright to a reclined position. I began to imagine the soft knocking on the door, my feet twitching, propelling me to answer its call.

In early November, I’ll be flying 1000 miles south to Florida in an effort to prove myself worthy of earning a chance to eventually return – and stay. The reason I have such great hope is in the way opportunity presented itself- organically, originating on my Uncle’s end. I may have initiated the contact, but he went further by drawing a scenario where I’d have the chance to learn and work from the best.

I will in no way shortchange myself, my Uncle, or the rest of those supporting me back at home. I wanted to share this good news and opportunity with all of you, and pray that I take everything in like a sponge. I’ve been reading and absorbing as many articles, blogs, books, and any other form of media during that fateful phone call, not wanting to squander any opportunities I’ve been presented.

I’m humbled and grateful to my Uncle, a man who in no way owed me anything but a friendly ‘How are ya, buddy?’ I’m blessed that my parents and girlfriend are encouraging me to try my luck and explore this possibility. I’m fortunate to my Grandfather who volunteered to take care of my airfare, round-trip. I’m a very lucky young man to have such good people surrounding me- to all of you who have offered a kind word, a ‘go-gettem’, or thought on my behalf, I thank you wholeheartedly. I’ll let you know how it all goes and will certainly post pictures of my trip.

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“A man who misses his opportunity, and monkey who misses his branch, cannot be saved.” - Hindu Proverb

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Why Humantivo?

     Good evening everybody, hoping all is well in your world. Well, as I had stated in my last post, Come On, Irene, the hurricane that the Northeastern Seaboard had braced for…never really arrived. We certainly felt its presence, but it wasn’t the storm of record we had been led to believe. My family’s basement was pretty well soaked but fared better than some of our neighbors. All in all, we were pretty lucky.

     Now that I’ve gotten that out-of-the-way, we return to main reason for this evening’s post: Why Humantivo?  The simple answer would be that it’s a nickname bestowed on me in high-school, courtesy of my friend A.J. But simple answers aren’t any fun, nor do they keep you reading this riveting blog post.

     During middle school, I found it kinda tough to make friends (don’t worry, I’m not looking for pity here, stay with me). My family moved when I was going into 4th grade and the kids in my new school weren’t warmest Christian souls. My parents were a bit strict and monitored the kinds of media my siblings and I consumed. Classmates of mine apparently either didn’t have the same restrictions or they were much younger in finding their age of rebellion.

     ”Have you ever seen Billy Madison?”, “No. My parents won’t let me”. Oh how the taunting and teasing began…but it was my own fault. I didn’t know how to roll with the  punches and tell a white-lie in order to save my hide. My peers were learning what adolescents and young adults found funny. I was still watching Disney Channel. Something had to change.

     Change came in the form of a new school and new favorite channel: Comedy Central. These were the rogue days of Comedy Central, when South Park was just getting started, Kids in the Hall was brash, and SNL was being shown 7 times per day. I fell in love styles of Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, John Belushi, Molly Shannon, and Will Ferrell. The quotable scenes, sketches, and characters were memorized instantly, locked in a vault to later show to fellow SNL lovers.

     After getting a taste of what humor and performing was, my Mom had the brilliant idea of signing me up for a summer camp that focused on improv comedy (think Whose Line is it Anyway?). I thank her everyday for doing so. That camp opened so many creative avenues for me and unlocked so many hidden talents I never thought were possible. Imitation and impersonation became more fun than any sport that I had ever played.  

     Currently I sport a pretty eclectic set of voices, all stemming from different TV shows, radio hosts, and real people I’ve met throughout my life. I hope to eventually put some of them to the test on YouTube, Vimeo, facebook, and any other appropriate channels. If you have any requests, I’d love to hear your challenges- and please don’t hesitate to demand to hear my supposed talent!

     When I was finally comfortable enough around a group of fellow actors during high-school to let my reenactment skills run wild, I was dubbed the Humantivo. I was amazed that I could remember verbatim what I had watched once, years before. I still get a kick out of watching faces go from, ‘yeah, right’, to, ‘oh wow, that’s spot on!’ 

     What makes you unique? How do people react when you reveal your hidden talents? Are you a fellow Humantivo? If so, feel free to connect with me, @jwsteiert. 

Come On, Irene

 I wasn’t planning for this to post to be my first on humantivo, but I actually find these spontaneous thoughts to be the best summary of why I’m starting this virtual adventure. My family and I began preparing our basement to weather Hurricane Irene’s wrath as it nears the New Jersey and Delaware coastlines. Being roughly 85 miles inland, we’re not expecting the spectacle of which the shore will most certainly bear witness. However, in the 14 years we’ve lived in this house, we’ve probably had to deal with seven floods…so we’re not taking our chances with a hurricane.

     The process for flood proofing  jury rigging the basement in my house consists of taking all electronics and wires upstairs and get the rest of everything else off the ground. That second category always seems to uncover buried treasures in a soon too be unplanned lagoon. Tonight’s gold mine was a giant box of old VHS tapes that I’m sure I watched dozens of times. Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Tim Kerr: Fighting Back (a Flyers forward whose shoulders couldn’t support the weight of his awesome talent), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (green before it was chic), and so many videos that I wore out the tracking on as youngin’.

     I found a lot of other toys as well, but nothing struck me as heavily as the boxes of videos. They are remnants of an old technology and I looked at them as though they were a picture I drew in kindergarten. It’s the first clue as to why I would love improvisation, acting, and theater. When I was about 4, if a part in an audiotape or movie struck me as funny or poignant, I’d recite it word for word after one sitting. My mother had to stop letting me watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit? after I began reenacting this scene.

     The unflattering way I mimicked Baby Herman, as he decided to excuse the direct path to his trailer, was a sign of the way my brain works to this day: observe, interpret, replay. Observation is key for me to see and hear everything around me. To interpret is my way of gathering what I’ve experienced and then knowing how I’ll try and execute or retain this new information. The replay is where I’ll always get the greatest joy; that’s where I’m able to show that the first two stages are functioning properly and have great value.

     Observe. Interpret. Replay. This could be a lot of fun.