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A Decade in Review: Tech, Business and You

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:22:59 +0000

I want to invite you into a quick journey of the last decade. A journey that started with the Apocalyptic craze of Y2K and witnessed how technology turned the world from 6-degrees of separation to 6-pixels of separation; eventually reaching the Great Recession. America also elected the first Black president in history while Google took over the world. Apple changed personal computing and they way we listen to music while Facebook redefined how we socialize and share our lives with family, friends, and those old high school friends we haven’t seen in years. Twitter…came to challenge those of us who use long sentences, and the way we complain about brands, and repeat (RT) what others are saying.

A Decade Recap feat. Business and Technology

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm7FyShb7Bk

Among the many things we’ve learned during this decade and recession, both as people and communities, we have learned that playing the market, trusting the government, and living on credit are things of the past. We have learned that if you have the passion, determination, vision, and education you can become president (fyi: this is a positive statement). We have learned that job security is a myth and a “rainy-day fund” is not for paranoids.

The video concludes: “The only thing that’s certain, is that nothing is certain anymore.” Really?

Question: So, how has this decade shaped you? What’s next?

You are encouraged to share your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for sharing!

A Purple Cow Evening with Seth Godin and Hugh MacLeod

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:25:04 +0000

Last night was quite a thrill for new media marketers, social media strategists, artists, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and fans of Seth Godin and Hugh MacLeod in NYC. We were part of a private event limited to 100 people at ilili. The purpose of the event was to celebrate/commemorate MacLeod’s cartoon for Seth Godin’s Purple Cow Best Seller book.

Art which made this event possible.

Hugh MacLeod started working as a copywriter for a NYC firm, who soon after his arrival in NYC, started to illustrate on the back of business cards. His witty, unorthodox, and untamed approach to corporate worklife, technology, and society, have earned Hugh international acclaim and a unique place among contemporary artists. You can learn more about Hugh and read his blog here. I had the opportunity to chat with Hugh and ask him what is his favorite piece. He chose and spoke to me about two of his favorites. One of them is below. Available for sale, here. Seth Godin needs less of an introduction. He is a business champ! Seth has paved and radically shaped new media marketing and business. Not only with great ideas, writing, and speaking, but also superb start-ups. Make no mistake, Seth is in the Business Hall of Fame. Seth blogs everyday and everyday, he challenges our thinking.

Seth Godin and Me. Photo by David Parmet.

For more info and comments from the other guests, check the hashtag: #purplecow A cool slideshow from the event on Flickr by David Parmet.

1,000 True Fans can Generate a Six-figure Income

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:17:14 +0000

Kevin Kelly wrote a hot article titled, “1,000 True Fans” that blew my mind. In a nutshell, Kevin presents a concept where 1000 True Fans are enough for a creator (artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, videomaker, speaker, author, etc.) to make a six figure income.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

Then there are your other fans (not true yet faithful) which will buy some of the things. In essence, you don’t have to target a whole continent to make a decent living. 1000 True fans are good enough.

This concept is very cool. It has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks. Last night, I met a true fan at a Lakers game in Los Angeles. My friend Brian Dowd and I, sat next to Betty and her husband (a cute Chinese couple in their early 60’s) who have owned a couple of season seats for 21 years. Even before the Staples Center existed (they played somewhere else), the couple owned seasonal tickets. As I talked to Betty, my excitement for the Lakers (and basketball) increased. Betty’s joy is contagious. She has not missed a single home game in 21 years!!! She wore a Lakers shirt, jersey on top, cap, and carried her Lakers’ jacket to keep herself warm. I asked her about her Laker goodies and learned that she has drawers filled with apparel, posters, photos, memorabilia, and even “Lakers room,” with a real-size Kobe Bryant mannequin. Her custom license plate spells Kobe and Lkrs . Make no mistake, Betty is a true fan.

The goal of reaching 1000 True Fans is achievable and can be highly rewarding. Now imagine 1000 more fans like Betty. Ten-thousand, a hundred, or a million.

Ask yourself: Do I have true fans? Who are they? Why do they rave about my art or my brand? Where are my true fans? How can I get more of them? What tools can I use to nurture our relationship? How can I add more value to this relationship?