Just complete the Next Chapter – http://ping.fm/EayVq

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

On August 3rd I opened a new chapter in my professional life – I began my journey anew with American Express in Merchant Services here in Phoenix.  I have been blogging over the past four months about my job search – my trials, frustrations and general life experiences being unemployed.  It hasn’t been fun, enjoyable nor light.  Yet it has allowed me to come forth with humor, joy, and a bit lighter.

For those of you following me on this blog – you probably know what I mean.  The past four months have been months of discovery, self-realization, and the rare chance to meet great people I would never have met otherwise.

Think about this – some of us go to work at 7 and back home at 5, we see in that huge portion of time in our days and weeks – the same people, doing the same thing, and expecting sometime no more than that.  Yes, we do encounter brilliant people, and folks who benefit from our being there with them.  But, we can quickly miss out on meeting other brilliant folks – doing much the same within their own circles and routine.  I find it a shame.

Think of what we might accomplish together in this world if we could make time for journeys beyond our comfort zones, our routine, or our professional obligations!  The minds and thoughts we miss out on.  The sage advice from the experienced.  The knowing smile of acknowledgement.

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT NOW ON MY BLOG?  Please send me your thoughts.  I’m enjoying this. . .   Like to know where you think I should go as I forge ahead.

In my next blog, I will tell you what I miss and don’t miss about being unemployed though!  Stay tuned.

In the meantime – I feel the need to acknowledge and give a huge shout out to some truly brilliant, dedicated and adventurous folks I have met along the way – they are all young (at heart!) business folks here in the greater Phoenix area who I have had the distinct pleasure of spending my days with.

Please take the time to visit their businesses and support them!  They will not only appreciate you forwarding this  blog posting to friends, but utilizing their distinct services!

GOOD PEOPLE

Hattaway Creative! What a friend.  Stan met with me early on and encouraged me to start this blog and will continue to be a mentor!  Stand and his wife own this company and are not only fun to work with, but multi-faceted in their work.

Work Out the KINKZ! Kinkz Massage – Nina is working to build her business and is looking to develop corporate relationships for her services.  Stress?  In this economy?  Are you kidding?  Give her a look!

Looking for a unique history and art tour of Phoenix?  Ultimate Art Tours should be bookmarked for the relatives we all have visiting throughout the year!  Ace is, well just Ace, a unique and gifted woman who is passionate about the history and art of Phoenix and Arizona.  She is an authority on local art and so personable your guests will love her!  And, you don’t have to be a guest – we need to know the landmarks around town we drive or run by everyday!  Check Ace out, and spread the word.

www.azvibe.com – Aaron is getting it done!  Bookmark his site for the absolute latest in the PHX sporting and entertainment world.  Hot events, hot parties, and all.  And subscribe to his Twitter and Facebook to get the latest.

www.developcoach.com and www.developcoach.com/blog/ – Leslie is a great career coach and motivation to anyone.  Haven’t utilized her professional experiences – but if her professionalism, drive, and enthusiasm match her desire to share – it’s a no-brainer!  She is always on the move and available to seemingly everyone.  Check her out for your next business meeting, corporate retreat, or personal development coaching.

 wwww.Lose14lbs.com and www.david-mould.blogspot.com – David and his wife have a fantastic business – healthy, not stressful alternative to weight-loss – that anyone can do!  No fancy supplements, diets or deprivation – just common sense.  I think I actually lost 14-pounds just hanging out at networking events with them!  The best events are at local bars and restaurants – but I never saw more than a small plate of food in front of them.  Much love. 

LISA SORG-FRIEDMAN  – check her out on Facebook and follow her!  She is starting to blog and is an excellent public relations professional – we could all use!

And finally – Gabriela Cojanu.  My journey could not have been more enriched without her.  Our contest website is below – forward to anyone you know starting a new business for website marketing and the fabulous contest!

If I missed you. . .I’m sorry, there have been so many great people – POST A COMMENT and I will surely make it up to you!  Keep defying gravity!

NEW BUSINESS – www.imarketu.com, Twitter – imarketu2 , and Facebook – ImarketU

I’m blogging at https://defygravity2009.wordpress.com/
I’m LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_side_pro
and now Tweeting http://twitter.com/robvickersAZ – FOLLOW ME

VOTE FOR STARTUP CONTEST—Spread the Word! www.voteforstartup.com

Technorati Tags: Hattaway Creative,Lisa Sorg-Friedman,Lose14pounds,ImarketU,Vote For Startup,AZVibe,Kinkz Massage,Ultimate Art Tour,Ralph Waldo Emerson,DevelopCoach,American Express

New business contest–U entered yet? http://ping.fm/qoYSs
Check it out TODAY

Over the past four months spent discovering myself and my passions – I’ve reunited with my spirit.  Understanding that the silos I built up working– and only working for the sake of work have limited me.

In my time off (if you have been reading my blog you know what I mean) I have re-discovered my true passions and the passions of others, and how they relate to me.  I have realized and met many wonderful people who I would never have met otherwise – because I would have been busy with work!  Can we slow things down a bit?  Expand our universe somehow?  Maybe we miss out on “true-living” by not meeting these folks? 

I was reminded of the importance of this recently by a now good friend Stan Hattaway.

Do we live, work, and breathe within our own silos?

The events recently in Iran re-awakened, for me, the dangers of being siloed.  They, of course, are forcibly siloed.  As Americans, we generally are not—except by our own choice.  Or, maybe as long as we allow others to make that decision for us!

I’ve at times allowed myself to be voluntarily siloed, they by comparison have no choice in the matter. Why do we (who have many freedoms) allow ourselves to sometimes be led (separated) like this?  Your experiences?

I was reminded once again about imposed limits on communications and dialogue via government dictates with what has been going on in Iran and fair elections.  What an ordeal – developing all the more via outside methods like Twitter.

I was following Titter and Tweeting during all of this and monitoring developments, and then came the recent anniversary of the Tiananmen Square uprising this past month.  Was following the memorial events via Twitter – and was reunited with one of the student activists I had met years ago (1989) at the King Center while I was training college students in the philosophy of nonviolent social change.  He was a guest speaker and shared his experiences from that violent period of time in China and offered practical advice to our students – and quite frankly myself.

 He was delighted I remembered him and I now follow him on Twitter – –Shen Tong — we will sharing our experiences since them – and I’m certain his are far more ground breaking than my meager attempts.

I personally had my first substantive breaking through the silo moment when I was a young man just out of college.  I answered a call for volunteers to learn and educate young people in Dr. King’s nonviolent philosophy promoting social change while in Atlanta.  The program was led by none other than Coretta Scott King , Christine King Farris (Martin Luther King’s sister) and their daughters – who essentially lived history with me and informed me that what I had learned in history books and saw on TV throughout my formative years was essentially wrong.  Yes, wrong.  Growing up in a totally white (and non-minority) communities in small town Ohio — I had no idea.  I had been siloed!  My life was changed forever.  I would later work for Mrs. King –

I was ALREADY being siloed at that young age — how was I to know?  My point is, don’t accept out of hand things you are told or learned.  Open your mind, your attitude and your life — you just might experience things going on around you that you had no idea were taking place.

I’m grateful for the friends and associates I have today because I met them OUTSIDE MY SILO!  Defying Gravity?  I think so.

Your experiences venturing outside the silo?  Interesting. . . .

 

Technorati Tags: Tiananmen Square,Iran,Coretta Scott King,Christine King Farris,Defying Gravity

This past Monday, I was at my usual spot for my social networking meeting in the lounge of the Valley Ho in Scottsdale.  I’m relaxing on a sofa awaiting the arrival of other folks, and bumped into this guy!

 

 

 

 

Yup, minding my own business and this guy scurries into the lounge followed by paparrazi and fans of all sort in hot pursuit.  Hid him on a bar stool out of view of the cameras and the crush of fans.  He thanked me later with my own photo.

 

 

 

Turns out he was at the Valley Ho as part of a Travelocity contest traveling around the country to resorts that fans vote on.  Even has a Facebook Page, and was later caught getting a Mia Tai (Check out the link).  Tooo much fun.  The second video is his waterslide ride (defying gravity) at the Arizona Grand Resort.

Well, that’s enough excitement for the week for me!  This dude is really DEFYING GRAVITY!

Yes friends, a lot to talk about today and many things going on.  And, for those of you thinking I’m just sitting by the pool drinking Mint Julips . . .

Vote For Start-Up Contest is part of a new business I’m involved in starting and quite excited about – ImarketU. Read on . . .

VOTE FOR START-UP CONTEST COMING SOON!

Do you know of someone who could use a Web Presence Boost? Crazy about their business? Creative enough to post a YouTube video promoting their business?

Check out our unique and exciting contest for new businesses and Start-UpsI have been working on! Please distribute within your social and professional circles!  You can share it by clicking Share in the top left-corner to email contacts, Twitter, Facebook, etc.—EASY!

And better yet – if you have your own business or know someone who does — fill the contest interest form on the bottom of the page! (more details/rules/regs. coming in August)

The Vote For Start-Up Contest is designed to highlight great entrepreneurs and small businesses and the passion they have for their work. The GRAND PRIZE (worth $2,500) is a valuable BOOST YOUR WEB PRESENCE PACKAGE– that provides small businesses with critical eMarketing, Networking, Public Relations and e-Commerce.

Introducing ImarketU

ImarketU – is a new business that my partner and I have launched that I’d like your feedback on!

Our company’s target markets are start-up and small businesses, providing affordable eMarketing, SEO and customer experience building features boosting a profitable web-presence. Check out ABOUT US to learn about my business partner – Gabriela – her unbelievable passion and amazing life story! I’m so fortunate to have met her.

IMarketU is our new company and passion, so check it out – forward the contest link or share it widely – and do personally let me know what you think of IMarketU!

PINKEDIN – July 23rd in Tempe, AZ

Going to give PinkedIn another try on July 23rd. The organizers received my personal feedback (and apparently a couple others) and promised to be more diverse in recruiters and companies attending. Let me know if you are interested in going and we can make arrangements to get together.

CHECK OUT START UP NOW!

Come meet great entrepreneurs and small businesses just forming! This where my business partner and I met – matched our professional competencies and our dreams of working for ourselves.  Check them out!

 ABC-TV debuting DEFYING GRAVITY on Sunday, August 2

Any suggestions on how I might take advantage of this free name publicity? Might it push my blog hits? Confusion? It looks GREAT! Love to hear from you – post a comment below!  Know this has probably been in development for a time – but am I leading or following?

Post comments and discuss. . . and continue Defying Gravity!

Technorati Tags: ABC,Defying Gravity,ImarketU,Vote For Startup,small business,start ups,Start-Up Now,PinkedIn,SEO,emarketing

EXHAUSTING TEMPS

Yep, it’s gonna be a scorcher the rest of this week and even worse this weekend (114-degrees?).  Get outta town . . . wishing I could!  Good times to all heading to the Mountains or San Diego – wish I could be there as well.

My mister sprung a leak yesterday while I ran to the grocery and completely flooded my back back patio in fifteen minutes.  Even it is exhausted!  Luckily an easy fix – duct-tape?  Yep.  COOL and EASY once again.

EXHAUSTING DAY OF TV

Spent what seems like most of my day glued to the TV and MJ’s “Going Home” Celebration.  I’m sure you have by now at least seen the highlights, so I won’t bother to post any of them.  This too has exhausted me.  Touching tributes by Brooke Shields, Queen Latifah, Magic Johnson, and wonderful Maya Angelou’s poem.

I personally think the family did a spectacular job of sharing life with the World once again, and it left me feeling a sense of real loss, like most people.  It was especially thoughtful that they included his casket in the tribute to more clearly bring finality to his passing.  Much to miss.  Who knows what could have been?

EXHAUSTING CAREER SEARCH TOO. . .

Seems like everyone is still enjoying the Fourth, as I haven’t received any of the anticipated follow-up calls from some interviews done before the Fourth.  Am I impatient?  Not persistent enough?  Or, do I just NEED TO COOL OFF?  How are you handling it?

Keep it cool and water plenty!   And, DefyGravity as you do it!

Technorati Tags: MJ,Michael Jackson,Defy Gravity,Career,interviews,Fourth of July,dry heat,San Diego,Queen Latifah,Magic Johnson,Brooke Shields,Maya Angelou

Finally able to get back blogging after a tough weekend.

What happens when you lose a critical part of your teen years on the same day?

Yes, I’m thinking of losing both my first “Crush” and “Thriller” in the same day.

Haven’t been able to process the loss yet – and not sure I will ever.  Something is missing now. . . is this what getting older brings?   Just on the SAME DAY?

I vividly remember when Farrah Fawcett entered my life as a teenager – yes, I did have the poster in my bedroom like any young teenage boy at the time.  It remained there until my Father delivered the news that my Mother didn’t much appreciate it.  It went into the closet on the back of the door!

I was a religious “Charlie’s Angels” viewer and followed her throughout my teens’ and eventually felt gratified when she produced “The Burning Bed”, that groundbreaking movie that brought domestic violence to our consciousness as a nation.  I always knew she had something more to give us artistically.  And, what a courageous fight she battled to the end of her life with us.

Then the news about Michael Jackson broke— for God’s sake.  Enough – OK? 

I fully realize he had problems (most certainly brought about by his crazy childhood) and not being properly prepared to deal with adulthood – but, for the love of God. . . another slice of my growing years has been ripped from me —- in the same day!

I’m one of those millions of kids who grew up with the Jackson Five.  The music on the radio (no MTV then), the Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, the Saturday cartoon show – everyone wanted to ” Be Like Mike” (long before Michael Jordan)!  And though I have long discarded my 45s and LPs (to my regret), even my cassette tapes and 8-tracks, I still have the memories.

I do though now remember the mob scene (think Beatles) at the the Ohio State Fair in 1971 (I had to Google search the year) and getting to see the Jackson Five perform.  This was probably just a year or two prior to getting to see “Sonny and Cher” at the same venue!  Another story altogether.  See – growing up in Ohio wasn’t all that remote. . .

And, who can forget all the dance moves we were inclined to attempt to imitate at school dances that Michael introduced us to through “Off the Wall” and “Thriller”?  What fun we had!

I even remember sitting up late in front of the TV for the premier of “Thriller” on MTV.  There were no VCRs or TiVo then – you caught it first or you didn’t.  (Only later did we realize it would be so phenomenal to be replayed in a shorter version over and over again.)

My question:  Am I crazy?  Is this a loss I should not feel?  Am I being too personal about these losses?

I am just not sure that young people today realize what they have missed out on.  Today there are all label of “stars” who last a day or three  — grabbing some news for doing nothing.  But young people today relate to them for really no obvious reason I can ascertain – certainly not much talent or genius body of work!

As I’ve thought about this over the weekend – I guess that I’m coming to realize that as you progress in life, the more you understand seemingly crazy things you heard your parents and grandparents talk about in their lives.  Sock-hops, country dances, the 50s, Elvis, the Motown Sound, Rock-n-Roll, radio days, indoor bathrooms, and walking three-miles to school each day, uphill both ways!  Who’s to say . . .

I’m just feeling like a part of me has left, and thankfully a larger part of me understands that because I experienced these talents in my lifetime – I’m better for it!  I think we all are in some way or another.

Do you have any memories to share?  Love to hear them – share. . .

Thank you, Farrah and Michael.  You will continue DEFYING GRAVITY for ME.

I know it’s Monsoon Season here in the Valley, clouds are starting to gather over our the city, breaking the yet simmering sun — and I’m getting sprinkles here.

Things are breaking for me FINALLY.  I’m getting calls back from several job postings.  After three months of diligent work– searching, strategizing, posting and networking– things are starting to break free.  Is this happening to anyone else out there?  Are you starting to get noticed?

Could this be the start of a break in hiring?  Does it have anything to do with second quarter earnings at some companies?  Positive predictions for the near future?

Are people starting to feel a bit better about the outcome?  Anticipation?  What are your thoughts?

I don’t normally do this – but thought this inspirational video was great enough to share (it is 2 min.). Take it to heart.

 THE SECRET TO YOU – from You Tube

And, this is something being done to “kick-start” the Arizona economy I like – AZ Central Credit Union has put together – GetAZMoving.com in an effort to focus on supporting our local economy.  Let’s get working. . .

Now go out – and DEFY GRAVITY.

Technorati Tags: Monsoon Season,hiring,second quarter earnings,AZ Central Credit Union,GetAZMoving.com,defy gravity

D-Backs vs. SF Giants.

If you have never been to an event in the Diamond Club @ Chase Field – you gotta do it! 

Tuesday I attended a joint networking event hosted by PRSA and IABC Valley chapters and had a great time. Got to see and meet everyone I had hoped would attend and more. . . The game was really a side attraction for me, but it was sure different in the confines of the private area the event took place in.

The event featured raffle drawings for drink tickets, free hotdog and nacho bars an water. Sure – the drink tickets would have come in handy (after two Blue Moon’s @ $10.50 each!) but . . . well the price you pay.

The setting in the Diamond Club was perfect for social mixing – lounge seating, plenty of room to move around, private bar with plenty of other sports on TVs – (NBA play-offs), and even a pool table. Keep this in mind when planning any events for medium to large groups.

Re-connected with Cory Craft (former AMEX communications) now at Honeywell, my new Tweet – Suzanne McCormick and her husband, Don; and met another fellow traveler on the unemployment highway – Lisa Sorg-Friedman. Cheers to all!

 

 

 

 

THEN WEDNESDAY CAME . . . the unthinkable and senseless shootings and murder in DC at the Holocaust Museum. I’m sure more information will come– along with discussions about the ramifications and limitations of both free speech vs. hate speech, and much needed responsible gun control.  And, I personally hope that this will remind us all to be careful what we say, how we say things, otherwise espouse, or communicate with each other.

I do hope that we collectively take a deep breath. Reflect the shame. Acknowledge any guilt. And then be the change we truly need to move forward together. My only hope from this tragedy is that “chatter” starts to “matter”.

I blogged some time ago about the potential effects of our poor economy and frustrations with unemployment, but never considered what is now happening. You hear the news so there is no reason for me to post links – I just need to be silent for a moment and think about the family of the murdered security officer. Just doing his job.

Peace.

 

Technorati Tags: Diamondbacks,PRSA,IABC,Networking,Unemployment,economy,American Express, Phoenix,Holocaust Museum,Tweet