Thoughts On Business

Running a business is the most exhilarating and challenging experience of my life, rivaled only by my tours overseas. What I've learned in a very short time is that very few people actually know what they are doing, while most of us are just trying to figure it out. Here I hope to share my own insights and opinions, in the hopes that my experiences can be of some value.

Digital Learning

Published in Business on March 19, 2020

In a previous post I shared some of the tools I use to be a constant learner. They are amazing resources that help you invest in yourself.

Today I’ll share some more resources. Some come from a post my good friend Heather Dopson made on Facebook, and others are other resources I’ve thought of.

Want to write a book?

Scrivener is a tool for you. They offer a 30 day trial, about $49 for the product. You could download the tool free for 30 days, take the webinar on Friday and be on the best path for getting your book written.

There is a webinar on 3.20.2020 that is designed to help you get started.

Want to build an online community?

Ever thought of building on online community? Membership communities are an incredible way to generate revenue.

The guru in the space is Stu McLaren and he is offering a free guide to get started.

Want to learn about Digital Marketing?

Ryan Deiss’s is an accomplished digital marketer with DigitalMarketer. He is offering his Lab Pro for free through the end of the month.

Want to learn about working remotely?

My good friend Chris Lema has a great resource for leading teams remotely, and the guys at BaseCamp literally wrote the book on Remote work. Another great resource to learn more about distributed work is Distributed.blog.

Looking for places to apply for remote work?

Is your company making you go into the office? Do you find yourself wondering, why? Can’t I just do this from home? Ever been interested in working remotely?

Remote.co is a great resource for remote work opportunities.

If there is something I have learned over the years, and continue to be reminded of, is how fortunate I am to work in the tech world. I, like many of you, probably forget what it is not to know.

As of late, as I detach myself more from tech, I find myself meeting some amazing, talented, individuals with amazing potential but lacking in the basic knowledge I take for granted. Their opportunities and potential cut short because they lack the basic knowledge of a professional email or how to establish their digital presence.

It kind of sucks.

With so many forced to hit the pause button, I can’t think of a better opportunity to capitalize on the moment.

Finding Ways to Entertain and Educate Your Kids

Published in Business on March 18, 2020

If you’re like me, you have kids that have been sent home and you are now charged with ensuring they get educated. You are also, probably, petrified at the idea of passing on your stupidity to them, or at least concerned they’ll see it too. :)

Thankfully, while parsing through the noise across the myriad of social platforms I found this list of amazing resources that parents should be made aware of.

For the life of me I can’t remember who the lady was, and I have tried looking for her. Either way, she has been homeschooling for a while and has prior experience as a teacher. She shared the list below, and if someone knows her please let me know so I can credit her for the list.

A few things to remember, this is a PERFECT time to make memories with your children and learn things beyond “normal” math and reading.
Lady on Facebook..

If you know of a resource for FREE education (either permanent or only during this time) please share it in the comments and I’ll update the list.

✅The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour! https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/

✅Tour Yellowstone National Park!
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm

✅Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover.
https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/

✅This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs. https://www.farmfood360.ca/

✅Indoor Activities for busy toddlers
https://busytoddler.com/2020/03/indoor-activities/?fbclid=IwAR3tYXAqw7tJRAzLExpPcJo4rApLsKtgL0AwghzxgnhwOajc4auX6o12_xw

✅Play games and learn all about animals
https://switchzoo.com/

✅Play with fave show characters and learn too https://pbskids.org/

✅Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.
https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

✅This Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China is beautiful and makes history come to life.
https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china

✅Math and Reading games https://www.funbrain.com/

✅Phonics skills https://www.starfall.com/h/

✅This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/

✅ Read, play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss https://www.seussville.com/

✅300,000+ FREE printable worksheets from toddlers to teens https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printables/

✅Geography and animals
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

✅Math practice from counting to algebra and geometry http://www.mathscore.com/

✅Fave kids books read by famous people https://www.storylineonline.net/

✅Crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dot, etc, https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/

✅High school chemistry topics https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articles-by-topic.html

✅Math and reading games https://www.abcya.com/

✅Math and language games https://www.arcademics.com/

✅Hands on Elem science videos https://www.backpacksciences.com/science-simplified

✅Voice based learning… learn through Alexa https://bamboolearning.com/resources

✅Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities https://www.highlightskids.com/

✅ClickSchooling brings you daily recommendations by email for entertaining websites that help your kids learn. https://clickschooling.com/

✅Math as a fun part of your daily family routine http://bedtimemath.org/

✅Games to get “into the book” https://reading.ecb.org/

✅Online history classes for all ages preteen through adults https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive

✅Biology https://www.biologysimulations.com/

✅ Elem Math through 6th grade https://boddlelearning.com/

✅Educational games K-12 https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome

✅Digital archive of history https://www.bunkhistory.org/

✅Test Prep for SAT, ACT, etc. https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com/handouts.php

✅Geometry https://www.canfigureit.com/

✅Resources for Spanish practice https://www.difusion.com/campus/

✅Chinese learning activities https://chalkacademy.com/

✅Music is for everyone https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments

✅Science, Math, Social Studies https://www.ck12.org/student/

✅Grammar practice for middle grades https://www.classroomcereal.com/

✅Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home.http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/

✅Chemistry https://www.playmadagames.com/

✅Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions. https://www.commonlit.org/

✅Vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Latin. https://conjuguemos.com/

✅35,000 pages of online content on the cultures and countries of the world. https://www.countryreports.org/

✅K-5th Science lessons https://mysteryscience.com/

✅Tons of free classes from leading universities and companies https://www.coursera.org/

✅Free printable K-8 Reading and Math activity packs (available in English and Spanish) https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-away-from-school

✅Digital learning content for preschool through high school https://www.curriki.org/

✅A wide range of math content from middle school through AP Calculus. https://deltamath.com/overview

✅Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

✅3 Free Weeks of Maker Stations to keep your children creating at home! Each challenge includes simple instructions using materials around the house, QR code video resources, and a student recording sheet. bit.ly/freemakerstations

✅Classes for older teens or adults https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/lp/t1/freemo?source_id=FREEMO&utm_source=Social_Media&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=1000614&fbclid=IwAR1vaJx-3_aCdyE75S0fTJg4JZ_jI6KJvsJb4CnXY03tnfTm3FdgflaNpYs

✅Online homeschool platform & curriculum for Pre-K to 12th grade. All main subjects are covered, plus extra curriculum courses. http://discoveryk12.com/dk12/

✅Printable board games, activities and more for phonics and reading all using evidence-based methods. Can be customized to any student’s needs including creating flashcards for other subjects. https://dogonalogbooks.com/printables/

✅K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them. https://www.dreambox.com/at-home

✅Engaging reading game for grades 2-8 that combines strategy, engagement, and imaginative reading passages to create a fun, curriculum-aligned literacy game. https://www.squigglepark.com/dreamscape/

✅Higher level math series… online video series with detailed solutions to more than a thousand publicly-released College Board SAT Math, Subject Test Math Level 1, and Subject Test Math Level 2 problems.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbQoCpvYRYRkRRvsObOPHaA?reload=9

✅Foreign languages https://www.duolingo.com/

✅Interactive video earth science based curriculum supplement. https://www.everyday-earth.com/

✅A safe research site for elementary-level readers. They are offering — free 24/7 access
USERNAME: read (case sensitive)
PASSWORD: read (case sensitive)
https://www.facts4me.com/

✅Resources for AP students including live reviews, live trivia, and study guides! https://app.fiveable.me/

✅Educational brain breaks to help students review essential literacy and math skills, while getting in some exercise. Find over 900 videos to help your child keep learning at home and burn off some extra energy. Our site is best used for ages 4-8. https://fluencyandfitness.com/register/school-closures/

✅Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. https://www.gonoodle.com/

✅7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas https://hippocampus.org/

✅Carmen Sandiego videos, stories, and lessons for all subject areas https://www.carmensandiego.com/resources/

✅Math Videos with lessons, real life uses of math, famous actors https://www.hmhco.com/math-at-work

✅Entertaining & educational videos for all levels and subjects
https://www.izzit.org/index.php

✅Online education program for toddler through high school… https://www.khanacademy.org/

✅Free Printables for PreK-2nd Grade https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Literacy-With-The-Littles/Price-Range/Free

✅Free printables library with activities for children 0-6 https://www.littlesparkcompany.com/printables-library

✅Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans https://littletwistersyoga.com/online-store/

✅Magic Spell is a carefully crafted spelling adventure. https://brainbox.games/

✅Resources for AP students https://marcolearning.com/

✅Enter your math problem or search term, press the button, and they show you the step-by-step work and answer instantly. 2nd grade through college. https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php

✅Elem Math games, logic puzzles and educational resources https://www.mathplayground.com/

✅Poetry and music https://www.thewell.world/mindful-music/mindful-poetry-moments

✅3D printing projects and Coding projects, involving math and other K-12 subjects https://www.instructables.com/member/EdgertonCenter/instructables/

✅Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators. https://www.musictheory.net/

✅Scads of free resources, games, learning resources, and lesson plans for teaching personal finance https://www.ngpf.org/

✅Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with up to 5 typers from around the world. https://www.nitrotype.com/

✅Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, math, and science. https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library

✅Online curriculum that builds better writers. https://www.noredink.com/

✅80+ do at home science activities https://elementalscience.com/blogs/news/80-free-science-activities

✅Daily lessons and educational activities that kids can do on their own https://www.superchargedschool.com/

✅Adaptive curriculum in Math and ELA for Grades K-8
https://www.scootpad.com/

✅Novel Effect makes storytime a little more fun for kids (and grown-ups too!) As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) music, sound effects, and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice. https://noveleffect.com/

✅Quick & easy at home projects curated for kids 2 and up
https://www.kiwico.com/kids-at-home

✅Teaches students how to write a paragraph through interactive online tutorial http://www.paragraphpunch.com/

✅PreK-12 digital media service with more than 30,000 learning materials https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/

✅Curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students.
https://pebblego.com/free-pebblego-capstone-interactive-access-school-closures?fbclid=IwAR0ldr6TT3grhEDzJ_fEpYvNGG13kqYo5ogwEqYneW7QBkX8L4u7cEIS0nE

✅Science and math labs and simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/

✅An online physics problem and video bank designed for conceptual, standard, honors or AP1 physics. https://www.positivephysics.org/home

✅Prodigies is a colorful music curriculum for kids 1-12 that will teach your kids how to play their first instrument, how to sing in tune & how to understand the language of music! 21 for free https://prodigiesmusic.com/

✅Free videos from around the world from grade 3-12
https://www.projectexplorer.org/

✅QuaverMusic is offering free access to general music activities to all impacted schools, including free student access at-home https://www.quavermusic.com/info/at-home-resources/

✅For students to practice and master whatever they are learning. https://quizlet.com/

✅ReadWorks is an online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12. https://www.readworks.org/

✅Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students https://marketplace.mythinkscape.com/store/redtkids

✅Music Based Spanish Learning https://rockalingua.com/

✅Science simulations, scientist profiles, and other digital resources for middle school science and high school biology
https://sepuplhs.org/

✅The Shurley English program for grades K-8 provides a clear, logical, and concrete approach to language arts. https://www.shurley.com/

✅Sight reading and sight singing practice exercises. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/

✅Music practice transformed https://www.smartmusic.com/

✅Spellingcity is free right now with code VSCFree90
https://www.spellingcity.com/

✅Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move for Kids, OR create your own custom kid workout. https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts

✅A collection of hundreds of free K-12 STEM resources, from standalone models and simulations to short activities and week long sequences of curriculum materials. https://learn.concord.org/

✅Course sets (Levels 1–5) that combine and thoroughly cover phonics, reading, writing, spelling, literature, grammar, punctuation, art, and geography—all in one easy-to-use, beautiful course. https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/

✅At home OT, PT, and ST resources designed to build skills in children through movement and play. https://www.theottoolbox.com/

✅Science projects that can be completed with or without Internet access https://sciencespot.net/Pages/classhome.html

✅Keyboarding practice https://www.typingclub.com/ or https://www.typing.com/

✅Next Generation Science video game focused on middle school where students directly engage in science phenomena as they solve problems. https://www.tytoonline.com/

✅Short videos and readings that answer various burning questions for students. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions. http://wonderopolis.org/

✅Math practice https://xtramath.org/#/home/index

✅K-5 curriculum that builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students https://www.zearn.org/

✅A quick start resource to help families pull together a plan for surviving the next 1-2 months at home with their kids, but it can also be a time of slowing down and enjoying kids as they learn.
Preschool through 8th grade https://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/learning-at-home-everything-you-need-in-one-place.html?fbclid=IwAR0Lo2FZ5cWLMt-6nto19auqTtI5kztqLqwi3japOPl1rcR_rLaNuCUcaYw

✅450 Ivy League courses that you can take https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/ivy-league-free-online-courses-a0d7ae675869/?fbclid=IwAR0tbYeSJTzmrzgs1z1Brpoh-Lg8zoqnThQAUTFqR-bBX9O6AEh2_lnLhTs

✅Spelling 1-4 grade
https://www.spellingtraining.com/

✅2,500+ online courses from top institutions https://www.edx.org/

✅22 languages to learn https://www.memrise.com/

✅Learn to code https://www.codecademy.com/

✅Miscellaneous games for all subjects k-8 https://www.funbrain.com/

✅Phonics and learning to read https://readingeggs.com/

✅PreK – 5 games for all subjects https://www.turtlediary.com/

✅Online digital coloring pages https://www.thecolor.com/

✅Every course you could possibly want to homeschool preschool – 8 https://allinonehomeschool.com/

✅Every course you could possibly want to homeschool for high school https://allinonehighschool.com/

✅Phonics worksheets for kids https://www.funfonix.com/

✅Free stories online ages 3-12 https://www.freechildrenstories.com/

✅National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students. Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. https://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/index.html

✅Learn all about earthquakes https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/

✅Learn all about the periodic table https://www.chemicool.com/

✅Farmer’s almanac for kids… Date, weather, moon phase, etc. https://www.almanac.com/kids

✅Guide to gardening for kids https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/

✅Website allows students to play basic games to reinforce math skills and compete against the computer or others https://www.mangahigh.com/en-us/

✅Space science for kiddos https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

✅Math Games, Logic Puzzles and Brain Builders https://www.mathplayground.com/

✅Games, quizzes and fact sheets take kids on a journey through time. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/

✅NGAkids interactives offer an entertaining and informative introduction to art and art history. https://www.nga.gov/education/kids.html

✅News and more for kids https://www.youngzine.org/

✅Randomly generates 356,300,262,144 story starters
https://thestorystarter.com/

✅Immerse yourself in cryptography https://www.cryptoclub.org/

✅Math games galore https://gridclub.com/

✅Tons of science experiments that you can do at home
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/

✅An interactive way to learn history
https://www.mission-us.org/

✅Just explore, have fun, and learn some science along the way. https://thehappyscientist.com/

✅Interactive games based on the book series
https://www.magictreehouse.com/

✅Work on the 8 parts of speech https://www.grammaropolis.com/

✅Learn all about cells https://www.cellsalive.com/

✅All sorts of learning here if you dig in https://www.google.com/earth/

✅Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning. https://scratch.mit.edu/

✅A wonderful, endlessly detailed way to get kids engaged in the world of art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/

✅Tests kids’ geography skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are. https://www.geoguessr.com/

✅Allows students to type in any city, state, or country to view an archive of historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help them learn about history.
http://www.whatwasthere.com//

✅Short videos about numbers that help kids explore complex math topics and make math more fun. https://www.numberphile.com/

✅A human visualization platform that allows students to explore the human body in really cool ways. https://human.biodigital.com/login?returnUrl=/dashboard

✅Helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art. https://artsology.com/

✅Lets kids play instruments online. Instruments include the guitar, piano, pan flute, drums, and bongos. https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/

✅Crafts, activities, bulletin board designs, and finger plays for early education teachers and parents to use with kids.
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/

✅A large selection of fun songs to help teach preschool and kindergarten students https://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm

✅Resource section includes free flashcards, coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources for children, teachers, and parents. https://supersimple.com/

✅Life skills curriculum for students in grades K-12. Their resources include strategies for teaching social and emotional skills. https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/

✅Coding for ages 4-10 https://www.kodable.com/

✅No need to travel to one of the Smithsonian’s zoos or museums — this website brings your child everything from live video of the National Zoo to the Smithsonian Learning Lab right to their screen https://www.si.edu/kids

✅Cool Kid Facts gives your child access to educational videos, pictures, quizzes, downloadable worksheets, and infographics. They can use these to learn about geography, history, science, animals, and even the human body.
https://www.coolkidfacts.com/

✅This interactive website, hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benjamin Franklin. https://bensguide.gpo.gov/

✅This NASA initiative covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants, and animals. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/

✅Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Kids can send Dr. Universe any question they may have about history, geography, plants, animals, technology, engineering, math, culture, and more.
https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/

✅Your child can play games, learn fun facts, and find out how to turn coin collecting into a hobby. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids

✅From rainbows to tornadoes and winter storms to tsunamis, meteorologist Crystal Wicker breaks down the fascinating world of weather. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/

✅Kids Think Design explores careers in fashion design, graphic design, interior design, book design, product design, film and theatre, architecture, animation, and environmental design. http://www.kidsthinkdesign.org/

✅This educational website hosted by the Smithsonian Museum takes a deep dive into ocean life. https://ocean.si.edu/

✅Brainscape offers over a million flashcard decks for every subject, entrance exam, and certification imaginable. https://www.brainscape.com/

✅The Theta Music Trainer offers a series of online courses and games for ear training and music theory.
https://trainer.thetamusic.com/en

✅Banzai exposes students to real-world financial dilemmas to teach them the importance of smart money management. https://www.teachbanzai.com/

✅Innerbody explores the 11 bodily systems in depth. With interactive models and detailed explanations, this website will help them learn more about the internal mechanics of the amazing human body.https://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html

This is also a great opportunity to learn ways to create a family friendly network environment on your home network to help restrict access to porn / obscene content.

Resources to Help You Take Advantage of Time

Published in Business on March 17, 2020

With time comes opportunity.

As we all get more accustomed to working from home, many of us will realize how much time and energy we waste in our business lives. Time is lost doing a number of things: driving to work, chit-chatting with friends, joining endless meetings, and the list goes on. Mind you, this experience is not the same for everyone (i.e., industry specific).

Needless to say, the advent of working from home, should, technically, introduce a lot more time to your life. I personally believe that for those that are truly productive you’ll likely be able to finish your work in a fraction of the time, adding even more time to your life.

So what is one to do with this new time?

It doesn’t take much to find meme’s across the web sharing insights into how to use the time to get more fit, spend time with your family, or play more with your pets. I am, however, a big advocate for distance learning.

Distance learning is how I have accomplished much in my life. This post will focus on the resources you have at your disposal. It will focus on the educational resources we have at our disposal to take control of our own destiny.

When things are down you can’t sit and wait for things to get better, you have to double down on yourself so that when it gets better you can capitalize on the new opportunities that will present themselves.

Sources of Professional Development

This applies to anyone that has to earn money for themselves, or their family. Doesn’t matter if you’re in tech, business, retail or the restaurant business.

As I often tell my teams, it’s not about what the institution is going to do for you but what you are going to do for yourself.

Many of these resources offer you trials, 7 – 14 days sometimes, it’s amazing what you can learn in those short time periods.

LinkedIn Learning

This platform came way of the acquisition of Lynda.com. I personally enjoy their training style and curriculum. You can learn almost anything you want, from how to develop a website to how to manage your finances to how to start a company.

Reference: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/me

Linux Academy

This platform is the go to for most things technology related. It’s an amazing resources, with amazing hands-on-trainings and labs. You have the ability to spin up your own test environments and try everything you’re learning. It’s an amazing resource for technologists and those interested in technology.

Reference: https://linuxacademy.com/

Code Academy

Ever wanted to learn how to start programming? This is where I would send you. It starts from the very basics, and provides a great interactive platform.

Reference: https://www.codecademy.com/

WP101 / WPBeginner

Want to know more about this WordPress thing you keep hearing about? Here are two great resources. WP101 and WPBeginner have committed their existence to helping you get acquainted and be successful with the platform. With what you learn from them you can quickly get your idea online and start your own digital organization.

Reference: https://www.wpbeginner.com/

Reference: https://www.wp101.com/

For Veterans Interested in Technology

If you’re a Veteran that was honorably discharged I encourage you to look at this new resource Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC).

For Kids

If you’re like me and you have kids, don’t worry there a number of great resources at your disposal. I have heard of two that I am only now getting familiarized with. Depending on your country, county, state this might become your friend really quick. In Riverside county, schools are being shut through April 30th.

Kahn Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/

Scholastic Learn At Home: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

Your Future is Your Responsibility

Whenever a team member would ask me what we were going to do to for them to improve, I would typically respond – “Show me you are investing in yourself before I invest in you.” As crude as it might sound, it was intentional. My personal belief is that if someone is unable to invest in themselves first, then why should I.

Regardless of where you are in your professional career you can never be too proud to advance yourself. Thankfully, we have been presented with an amazing opportunity. Let’s take advantage of it.

If you’re working from home you can probably do all your work, and still have time to invest in yourself, and if you’re out of work because of a lay off or something similar, you can use this time to learn a new skill. Regardless, immersing yourself in professional development is a great way to disconnect yourself from the overwhelming noise you might find across other mediums. Who knows, you might enjoy it! :)

I have no affiliation with any of the organizations above, they are just great resources with exceptional knowledge.

This is also a great opportunity to learn ways to create a family friendly network environment on your home network to help restrict access to porn / obscene content.

Leadership Behaviors

Published in Business on January 8, 2019

I have been given a lot of thought to Leadership lately. I have been placing special emphasis on the things I personally look for in Leaders. It doesn’t matter if it’s someone I report to, or someone that reports to me. Coincidently, my biggest observations about leadership in corporate America is that we too often align leadership with an individuals position, and as those in those positions we rely too heavily on that assigned leadership. We get lazy.

Leadership is servitude, and we’re here for our teams, not ourselves.

Don’t Allow Yesterday’s Failures Stop You From Getting to Tomorrow

Published in Business on September 21, 2018

When you’re building or leading your team, it’s easy to be crippled by the myriad of decisions, and indecisions, you’re faced with on a daily basis. It’s easy to be dissuaded from something you know can be done, but when measured against your own rational thought seems improbable.

We spend a great amount of time focusing on the external obstacles, when in reality – the only obstacle that keeps us from achieving something great is ourself. – @perezbox

Ask yourself, in this scenario, which one are you?

A. Look at past failures and tell yourself, “we can never do X because we have failed at A, B, or C.”

B. Look at past failures and tell yourself, “we can do X because we have failed at A, B, or C.”

I chose to be B, intentionally. How about you?

I intentionally say “I choose” because it’s an active choice, my rationale mind by default moves me to be A.

The rationale mind tells me that the odds are against you. The math doesn’t make sense. The opportunity is wrapped in intangible benefits, and no explicitly attribution to a tangible metric. My irrational heart, tells me – but imagine if you can!

Failing doesn’t scare me, not trying does.

Whether you’re building, or leading, a company, product, platform or team, the same principle applies.

Don’t stop dreaming!

Thinking Through the WP Engine Acquisition of StudioPress

Published in Business on June 28, 2018

As a fun thought exercise I decided to think through the WP Engine and Studio Press acquisition. Specifically, what I would do, and think they will do, with the new asset. While I know all the parties, I have less than zero knowledge about the deal or intentions. In other words, this is pure conjecture and insights from a dude in his hammock and flip flops thousands of miles away from the discussions.

I will focus on what I would do with the asset and why I think it makes a lot sense. I won’t focus on the people or the community. I encourage you to also read StudioPress’ Release, Jason’s (WPE Engine Founder) Thoughts, Brian Clark’s position, and finally Bob Dunn’s insights.

Strategic Alignment

Strategically this deal makes sense. To understand this you have to understand the penetration the Genesis framework has amongst developers and integrators, and WPE’s strategic direction.

This is chess, not checkers motherfucker – Ben Horowitz (Hard Thing About Hard Things)

In my opinion, the Genesis framework is one of the most powerful and utilized framework in the market. They have been for years, and while the theme market has dramatically changed they continue to be at the forefront.

Interestingly, it’s not it’s themes I find most attractive – it’s the framework. Countless developers and agencies leverage it as the foundation of their development work. It’s so prevalent in this specific community (the Agencies) that I would argue that it powers more sites in WP than even the website owners are aware of.

I can also attest to its prominence amongst this market with my experience at Sucuri, agencies are also an important cohort for us, and I can tell you, without-a-doubt it’s the preferred preferred platform.

Understanding this point makes the strategic partnership oh that much more so sweet.

Winning the Agencies

Coincidently, this week I read a report highlighting WPE initiative to win over agencies. It’s grown well over the past twelve months. This is an important insight, it speaks to what and where they are focusing their energy, where they see the opportunity

Note: You could argue that Agencies have always been at the core of their strategy, whether intentionally or not.

If I were to guess, WPE realized that the Genesis framework is most prevalent in their environment and amongst their core market.

Give the people what they want!

If you are strategically pursing a market and you realize they all use a tool, then the next step is obvious – buy it or partner with them. In this instance, buying makes the most sense. Buying will allow WPE to execute against their strategy to provide a fully immersive platform. Speaking of which..

Simplifying the Experience

If you think that WPE is competing against hosts, you’re wrong.

While WPE might have started out as a host I would wager they are positioning themselves towards a fully immersive experience. WordPress just happens to be at its core, but like Automattic’s .com I’d wager that soon it’ll be similar only in name.

What the hell is a fully immersive experience ? Think Hub-spot.

If you haven’t tried Hub-spot, you should. It aims to put all the tools you need around marketing, sales and the core application at your finger tips. As Sucuri grew, this became exponentially that much more important. I think this is where WPE is going. To do this though, they have to do it in pieces.

While they have simplified the end point experience (you never have to worry about the servers availability, state, security, speed, etc..), they have to move upward in the stack, into the application layer, to truly encapsulate the “experience”. That’s where the real opportunity with the Genesis framework comes into play.

In today’s world, those with the desire to get their presence online via a “website” have a number of things to think about across multiple vectors. There’s the endpoint, the application, the supporting systems and services, and the list goes on. Just to get online!

Imagine a world where you streamline that experience. Imagine a world where getting online is a seamless click of a button, and now you’re simply tuning. You’re not starting at zero, you’re starting at the 50 yard line. You don’t have to worry whether something is in the application, the server, the service provider.. it’s all one thing. You’ve removed all the blurred lines.

Oh yes, and all while giving your audience the tools they already use and love.

This is where I would go. This is where I think they are going.

Congrats to the Entire Team!

Huge congrats to the entire team. Having just gone through my own acquisition, I can tell you this is where the real work will began. I fully expect this acquisition to be very different than the last one with Copyblogger. In this instance you have a technology company buying a critical asset to propel them closer to their strategic objectives.

It will all come down to their ability to integrate.

The Lost Art of Making Decisions

Published in Business on June 25, 2018

At the end of one of my keynotes last year I was asked:

Tony, how did you know what decision to make?

In war, there is nothing worse than a leader that can’t make a decision. People die. While not as dire in business, your indecisiveness will slowly kill your product, your team, your moment, and eventually your company.

Gutenberg and The Impacts It’ll Have on the WordPress Business Ecosystem

Published in Business on December 4, 2017

As has become customary over the past 8 years, I joined thousands of fellow WordPress enthusiasts and supporters for WordCamp US 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. For me, the highlight is always the State of The Word (SOTW), delivered by Matt Mullenweg (Co-Founder of the platform).

The SOTW provides an opportunity to reflect on the last year, and where the platform is going. Where the platform goes is often a strong indicator of where the rest of the ecosystem will follow.

The WordPress Business Ecosystem

Last year it was a pivotal year for the platform. We did away with release cycles, introduced a multi-lead approach, but more importantly it introduced the hottest and most contentious idea since the platforms inception- Gutenberg.

We were treated to a live demo. It provided a fresh, awe-inspiring, view of Gutenbergs power. It wasn’t at this point that I gained a completely new appreciation for the role it will undeniably play in reshaping the WordPress business ecosystem.

How many plugins would it have taken to achieve this experience?

This is what I kept asking myself as I watched.

Today the WordPress business ecosystem is comprised of products (e.g., plugins, themes, etc..), integrators (e.g., Pro’s, Agencies, etc..) and services (e.g., hosts, security, maintenance, etc..). Tomorrow, it’ll look dramatically different in large part to what Gutenberg is doing. Are you prepared?

Gutenberg site customization…

Future of 2018 – Matt Mullenweg

As Gutenberg moves beyond the posts / pages, into the world of site customization I find myself wondering how many more thing it’ll simplify and consolidate. Specifically, how that will impact the small businesses that power today’s WordPress platform; those that have built themselves dependent on a platform’s specific design.

If it was not apparent, the platform is changing. If your product is meant to simplify some aspect of the platforms experience, your future is inevitably numbered, as it’ll likely be commoditized at the core level.

The message and direction is clear for the platform. We achieve our BHAG if we can optimize the users experience. We’re doubling down on this.

Good or Bad – Doesn’t Matter

It’s not that the plugin / theme community isn’t valued or that no one sees the platform exists because of it. But it is about hitting goals, and what the platform needs today to get to it’s BHAG is very different than what it needed when it required growth / user adoption.

If I were Matt I would be doing the same thing. It’s about combating the encroaching affects of outside closed-source platforms, the threats they pose on the larger open-web conversation, and also hitting that platforms big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) of 51% market share.

If I were the plugin / themes shops I would be rightfully concerned and upset. It’s this feeling of frustration, and possibly betrayal. As a small business, there is already limited time and resources to support the needs of acquiring new customers, let alone supporting the ones you have, and now there is new requirement that feels extremely exhausting.

The real question I would be asking myself is not whether I can support it, but rather what does it do to my product category when it becomes standardized in core? My general feeling is that the WordPress business landscape will be look dramatically different in five years. Where does your product / business sit?

This does not mean that there won’t be a plugin ecosystem in 5 years, but rather that it’ll be dramatically different than today. Tools that prove invaluable in moving the platform forward will prove market need, and this need will be productized at some level.

The impacts here will move beyond just the plugin domain, there are affects to be felt within the theme space as well. One could argue that when the site creation process is introduced how themes are leveraged will fundamentally change. When you simply the creation process, do you really still need a theme at all? If so, what does that theme really look like?

There is also the impacts to integrators, specifically the professionals that make a living on helping users establish their online entity and do it by taking a theme and configuring it. I’m talking about that process that many Pro’s take today – sell a site to a customer, buy a framework (think Genesis), read the document and configure the site for their customer. In many ways, you can argue the Do It For Me (DIFM) market exists predominantly because the Do It Yourself (DIY) space has proven to hard. What happens when that technical divide becomes smaller? We’ve always known the platforms achilles heel is 5 minutes to install, 3 weeks to configure.

There are certain things / products that deliver such intrinsic value that it transcends any platform. Security is a good example such a product. These are the areas we, you, should place your energy as a small business if you’re targeting WordPress. These are the areas that cannot be consolidated or commoditized. If you build around how something works today, you might find yourself out of a job tomorrow. This evolution is not unique to WordPress, it happened with Google, Twitter and the list goes on. The platform will always do what is in the best interest of the platform.

Just because WordPress is democratizing publishing, it doesn’t mean it is a democracy.

CaboPress – A Business MasterMind (I Think)

Published in Business on October 21, 2017

For the past three years Chris Lema has invited me to join him at his event – CaboPress. For three years I have declined the request.

I declined previously for two reasons:

Didn’t think I had much to offer,
Afraid of the impressions hanging out on a resort in Mexico would have on my team.

What I failed to realize however is that it wasn’t about what I could offer, but the impacts it would have on me as an individual, and more importantly the renewed insights I could bring back to the team. In short, like many of the decisions in my life, I was an idiot.

This year, with the beginning of a new chapter in my life I said yes. As I sit here and reflect on that decision, I feel strongly it was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.

Automattic’s Push into Managed WordPress and It’s Potential Impacts to the Hosting Ecosystem

Published in Business on August 7, 2017

The Managed WordPress ecosystem welcomes a new entrant – Automattic. Today they officially announced that WordPress.com Business now supports plugins and third-party themes.

I am fascinated by the move because I believe it to be an obvious impact to the Managed WordPress ecosystem. In the interest of full disclosure, I work in the security division for one of the largest Managed WordPress hosts – GoDaddy – via my affiliation with Sucuri.

Define A Financial Structure Early

Published in Business on June 20, 2017

If you’re looking to exit your company, building the financial structure for your business will be important. It will be the most important piece of the equation in any future conversations. Unicorns need not apply.

It is the most under appreciated. They will get you to the promise land, but then they will also fall back into the abyss. There are only a few groups of people that really care about your financials.

Understand the Problem To Build A Better Mousetrap

Published in Business on June 13, 2017

When I talk to organizations that are entering a new market I can quickly identify the ones that will succeed. I do so by looking for answers to two questions:

Do they understand the problem space?
Are they building a better mousetrap?

Lacking appropriate visibility, that assessment often comes at a distance and fueled with personal bias (impossible not to). It can be defined by paying close attention to a) the way they position themselves and b) their understanding of the customer, specifically the customers journey (which is reflected in their positioning).

Establish a Personal Brand

Published in Business on June 11, 2017

It’s only recently that I have grown a deeper appreciation for personal brands. Prior to 2010, the idea of establishing a personal brand was a foreign concept to me. In 2010 Dre Armeda came up with perezbox, and the rest is history. It’s perhaps the single most impactful thing I have done for my own individual personal and professional growth.

While I don’t believe everyone needs a personal brand, I do believe that as a business owner it should be part of your larger go to market strategy.

A Chapter Ends. A New One Begins.

Published in Business on April 8, 2017

This chapter in my life began March of 2011. I was invited to join the team by Dre and Daniel. Coincidently, it ended on the month that I officially hit 6 years with the company. The idea was never mine, it belongs to Daniel; it was his vision, his idea. It was something I found fascinating and challenging, it was something I felt I could execute against.

We often joke that it’s about the experience, and what an experience it has been.

Lessons Learned Playing With Pricing

Published in Business on May 4, 2016

When we first started, our pricing by all accounts was absurdly low. In my last post I chronicled the details of our pricing journey at Sucuri. Developers were finding that the cost was low enough that it was easier to send websites to us rather than invest their time, that could, at the time, run $40 to $100 an hour or so. Also, contrary to the traditional Information Security (InfoSec) domain, focused on the enterprise, there weren’t that many players in the website security domain focused on the everyday website owners. There were a few competitors in name only, not in product or quality of service.

Here are a few things we were working with:

Didn’t have the capital investment others had (we wanted build something sustainable);
Weren’t going to go the freemium model (zero sum game that devalues security outright);
Knew diddly squat about SaaS, selling to anyone (let alone consumers or businesses);
The market was not established (people weren’t waking up thinking security);
It was never about building a business (it sounded like a fun project);
We were focusing on a market in which the expectation was either free or low cost (think open-source and hosting);

Accounting for the Pricing Journey

Published in Business on April 23, 2016

You will undoubtedly undervalue your product or services, and your pricing will be wrong; this I am sure of. It will be echoed by every seasoned business person, professional coach, and everyone in between. You will start researching and googling how to raise your prices and you’ll find over 7 million results offering you advice.

Your inability to make any sense of it will be frustrating, and with every article you read you’ll find some qualifier that holds you back. The fears you feel – “what if we’re wrong”, “can we just revert?”, “what will the impacts to the brand be?”, “will my market work with this change?” – never really go away. Your frustrations won’t be that you don’t understand the idea of raising prices, but more along the lines of how.

A Pricing Journey with Sucuri

While we are all accustomed to reading advice that starts at the conclusion, I instead want to focus on our journey. Specifically our journey with pricing at Sucuri. The real insights come from analyzing how someone reached a conclusion, because what we’re really after is the thought process more than the end result. How do I navigate the process of raising or changing my prices? I honestly have no idea, but I’ll tell you our story.

The Fallacy of Measuring Everything

Published in Business on April 8, 2016

We have all been in those talks. You know, the ones in which they are telling you to measure all things? Test everything!!! The one in which they share the secret to achieving a 300% growth! How it’s impossible to make a decision without data? How data will set you free? You know, the talks that make you question everything you’re doing and leave you so confused at the same time?

I’ve found myself in the same situation as most, struggling to grasp the discussion. Not because I didn’t understand what they were saying, or disagreed with the logic, but I was having very different results and the experiences with the journey of testing. My failures in the domain were overwhelming and exhausting, especially since the rest of the industry kept saying this was the way to go.

I had become content with my thoughts of confusion until I heard Beka Rice, with Skyverge, speak at WooConf this past week and was compelled to revisit my thoughts on the subject.

Accounting for Irate Customers

Published in Business on March 13, 2016

What is it about customer support that drives us mad? Not just for those of us that manage and provide customer support, but ourselves as consumers. Is it that as a society we have lost all faith in the ability to get what we perceive to be quality service that we immediately begin each engagement with a chip on our shoulder?

As a consumer myself, I can attest to this feeling. Try picking up the phone, calling your bank, maybe your ISP, or god forbid a government agency. All I want to know is why my bill is so high, or why my network is performing so poorly. You follow all the phone prompts and somehow the call is disconnected, or you’re in the wrong group. Let’s say you get to the right group, but they’re unable to assist and have to push you over to another group, but that group is unfamiliar with your problem and you have to start from scratch. Sound familiar?

This is the sad reality of customer support these days, and as someone that runs a company that also provides customer support, it provides for a challenging dilemma. Whether we like it or not, it’s these experiences that create an overly negative disposition to working with support that our teams have to work with.

Thinking About Competitors

Published in Business on December 25, 2015

When you think about your competition, how do you account for it? Do you stress over them? Do you find yourself constantly looking at what they are doing? Maybe comparing yourself to them?

I know I did, and sometimes still do. Every move felt like it would change the game for us.

It rarely did! It rarely does!

Conflicted with Business Processes

Published in Business on November 15, 2015

The idea of implementing a process is one that should provide insight and guidance. Yet, I find myself conflicted when I think about the idea of putting them together. Not because they lack value, but because I know that their intentions will be lost over time, and they’ll inevitably be leveraged as a crutch and seen as an absolute.

This bring about a fear within me around the idea of processes. There is no denying their effectiveness, but you also can’t deny their ineffective attributes; like their affects on the innovative qualities your team sometimes requires. Granted, there are obvious situations in which you require them.