Obviously online marketing works, it’s an industry I work in, and I’m for it. I’m currently marketing to you and you don’t even know it! I mean, have you seen my new headshot profile picture? CLEARLY I want to look professional online and have an audience that likes what I say…I’m actually working on and implementing some creative ways to build my own email list and social media following as well.

However, the pattern I see repeating in this specific circle grates against me- particular for Christian, Bible based material.
I have seen this scenario play out 4 times in the past 3 years, and each of the authors were non-fiction Christian (I have seen in both male and female authors):

???? 1. Author starts with a fairly small project that (somewhat) unexpectedly takes off.

???? 2. He scrambles to keep up with the popularity and has quickly amassed a strong social media following.

???? 3. He produces great free content online. Incredible blogs, inspiring videos, and free resources that drive home all the points that made me fall in love with him to begin with. He speaks and travels.

????4. He writes another book, this time with his larger audience and the marketing is stronger. He’s getting better at this. His message is still authentic, raw and true to himself.

???? 5. *the weird part starts* Somewhere here he starts turning everything in to a marketing pitch for his (now) brand. It starts feeling less authentic. You’re no longer connecting with the story as deeply… you’re starting to feel like his customer being upsold to.

???? 6. He comes out with an e-course video series for several hundred dollars. Or a conference. Or both. Of course, if you enter your email you’ll get a free e-book with a teaser of some of the same content. This will show you how badly you need his course or conference.

???? 7. Now he has begun the shift from authentic raw author to digital marketing, brand, and message expert pitching me on why I need his digital products.

????NOW LET ME SAY that I understand writing books is not very lucrative for 97% of authors. They truly have to get creative to make money other ways – and monetizing a platform is a great idea.

I just wonder if anyone else feels the way I do – does this strategy dilute the messaging and story, or is it simply a necessary nuisance we’re okay with because we love the original message the author conveys?

Have you noticed this trend or am I reading too far in to a few isolated examples?

Should I back off and let authors do what they need to do to make a living?

Have you grown numb to all e-courses, e-books, and digital downloads because you feel like it’s all just a ploy to get your email?

This rant has been brought to you by some spicy Chinese food, the letter R, and the ???? emoji.

But times have changed, and it’s possible to have access to great entertainment without having a cable bill or contract!

I’ve shared this with a few other people personally, and most people that feel like cable or dish is the only option are pleasantly surprised to read about some alternative options. My suggestion is not for everyone, but it’s worked for us the past 2 years and we’re not left wanting for any TV entertainment. We canceled cable when we moved from our apartment in January 2013 and haven’t looked back….our reason was primarily for cutting back on constant entertainment, but many will find that this also saves some major $$ every month.

Ready to cut the cord? Here’s what to do:

1. Cut cable or dish entirely and revert to internet only plan – high speed (20mbs or higher)

2. Buy a Roku or Apple TV. (One time cost of $70-$100)

I’m an Apple guy for sure, but rather than an Apple TV, I suggest a Roku. Lots more content options and a little more open to new “channels” (you can pick and choose which “content channels” you want, like apps).

3. Then, subscribe to:

• Hulu – $8/mo
• Netflix – $8/mo
• Dish Sling live TV subscription – $20/mo (more $$ if you add other package options)
  (Sling has fairly limited content right now BUT it does show live ESPN)
• Optional: Amazon Prime $99/yr (comes out to an average $8.25/mo…it does have a lot of duplicate content from Netflix, but there are additional Prime benefits that make it worth it in my opinon.)

4. Buy a HD Antenna for local channels like ABC, Fox, NBC, etc. (one time cost of $50)

Numbers breakdown:
Initial equipment cost – $130-$150
Approx Monthly cost – $44 (depending on streaming options, able to cancel individually on a month to month basis)

You’ll be paying a total of less than $50 a month (plus the cost of internet, which you would have anyway) for on demand entertainment that you want, not wasting money on extra stuff you won’t use.

We have an on-again, off-again relationship with Sling. I paid for 2 months when it came out, then canceled it for 3 because I wasn’t really using it during a busy season of my life. Then I started again a month ago to watch FoodNetwork, but will likely cancel again if I don’t feel like I’m getting my money’s worth out of watching it.

So that’s it! Pick and choose your options, and you can have great on demand entertainment without selling your soul to the cable company! Don’t let your dreams be dreams.

Yes, I’m changing my mind. What happened?

Well, a couple things. One, I tried on an Apple watch, and I loved it. Felt amazing on my wrist – definitely felt like a more classy and elegant gadget…made my Pebble almost feel like a toy.

Secondly, I did some more comparison research, and I found although the new Pebble has some great features, iPhone users will not get to fully take advantage of them. Check out this blurb (hands-on review from The Verge):

“But if you have an iPhone, notifications on the Pebble Time are far less useful. The Time will buzz (and I mean buzz, it’s like a can of angry hornets on my wrist) with every notification that lights up my iPhone’s display, and there’s no way to filter them specifically for the watch as you can with an Apple Watch or Pebble with Android. Further, the only thing I can do with an iOS notification on the Time is dismiss it — there are no voice replies or quick actions with an iPhone. Pebble says it is working to add voice replies to Gmail notifications on the iOS, but it’s not likely that it will be able to for text messages.”

(Read the whole review – really good: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/27/8661863/pebble-time-review-wearable-smartwatch)

Here’s a few quick bullet point final summary thoughts of the whole smartwatch battle that wages in my mind:

• AppleWatch has  richer featureset combined with iPhone, while Pebble has some severe limitations with iOS
• Pebble battery lasts longer (a fact that still bugs me about Apple Watch)
• AppleWatch feels like a classy piece of jewelry, combined with a smartwatch – while Pebble just feels like a geeky plasticy watch.
• AppleWatch display is CRISP and BRIGHT – while reviews say the Pebble display leaves much to be desired.
• The AW Taptic feedback engine is incredible – far more robust and useful than the simple vibration of Pebble.

Simply put, after wearing one, I felt like the Apple Watch was more of an upgrade from the Original Pebble than the Pebble Time was. I should have interacted with the AW more before putting out a strong opinion, and I hate back pedaling – but the AW feels like a superior product.

Whoops, gotta go – my watch is ringing.

So if you don’t have a GoPro and have thought about buying one for upcoming summer family trips, here’s some simplified thoughts on the current models, starting from the cheapest and most basic, to the most current/ most expensive:

*Hero – Entry Level ($129)

Unlike some of the others: It’s built in to the case, so it’s not as versatile, but a great starter go pro for use just once in a while. this is for you if you want to capture some moments on vacation, random trips, etc. Not a ton of footage options – very basic, good for beginner who won’t use it very often. Note: no screen on back of camera OR wireless connectivity.

*Hero 3 White ($199)

One step above the Entry level model. Originally released in 2013. Biggest difference: Wifi built in, which lets you view images from your iPhone or Android once you connect to the camera wirelessly. Again, no screen on back of camera..but solved with connectivity to your phone for preview purposes.

*Hero 3+ Silver ($299)

Basically a little slimmer and smaller than the 3White, and gives you a few more footage and photo options. Adds 60FPS, which allows for good action shots and slow-mo…10Megapixel camera. Now we’re getting a little more advanced, this is for you if…you want to take it on trips a few times a year, and have it around the house for fun with the kids. You maybe want to try your hand editing some of the footage, and getting fancy with photos and action effects. **Still no screen on back of camera, but does sync with your phone like the White.

*Hero 4 Silver ($399)

Now we’re getting to the latest model – released late 2014. This is for you if you want to use it ALL THE TIME. It’s the first model that has a built in touch LCD screen, so you can view images directly on the device, OR sync to your phone. Same advanced footage options of the 3+, but better 12MP camera for photos.

*Hero 4 Black ($499)

The BIG DADDY Go Pro. Same 12MP photo camera & touch screen back, but even more upgrades for video footage. Awesome slomo footage features (does require editing with free included software for Mac or PC), new NIGHT FOOTAGE option that does great low-light footage, and recently updated option for NARROW VIEW…basically means you have the option to record without the distorted wide/fisheye view. Also gives you 4K recording! This is for you if you’re more of a video nerd, and want to really get fancy, or even use it for more professional purposes. Or you just have the $$ to splurge and get the fanciest model…even if you don’t want to mess with all the options.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

• I personally have the 3 Black – equivalent of the 3+silver – and it meets my needs for the amount of time I use it. If I was buying TODAY, I would probably get the 4 Silver, because it has the touch screen back and gives me all the footage options I need. Few things to note:
• The camera by itself does not come with a memory card. you’ll need a Micro-SD…you can get a good 32 GB (make sure it’s class 10) or higher on amazon for around $20 http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Memory-Adapter–SDSDQUAN-032G-G4A-Version/dp/B00M55C0NS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431362620&sr=8-1&keywords=32+gb+micro+sd
• They also do not come with a ton of options for the mounts, if you buy just the camera. You can buy accessories as you need, or if you buy a Surf Pack, it comes with a bunch of random stickies and mounts you can use primarily for the beach. I bought the Surf edition, then bought a GoPole, Chesty mount, and Head mount on Amazon. TIP: Budget an extra $100 for SD cards and mounts, to really get the fun ones.
• GoPro traditionally releases new models in the fall or late summer – Good news: this means current models will be cheaper, and new updated models will sell at the $399 range. Bad news: if you want one for the summer, you’ll be buying one just a few months before they update. Like buying an iPhone 5 right before they release the 6… Just know that, it’s not guaranteed that new ones will come out in the fall, but it’s been their company pattern and current rumors about the Hero5 support this. (I bought my 3Black for a crazy good Black Friday deal in 2013).

Hope this helps! I am not the only “Go Pro geek” out there so I’m sure you can find other thoughts and opinions, but I do enjoy their products and believe that it’s a great thing to have in your travel arsenal if you can spare a few hundred dollars.

Here’s a few thoughts on the Apple Watch and why I won’t be buying one. Don’t get me wrong …I AM a smartwatch fan. Having a Pebble made me in to a smartwatch nerd. Pebble launched on Kickstarter in 2012, and raised over $10 million…the most successful campaign of its time. I have owned one since November 2013 ( they were so backed up, they didn’t finish fulfilling all the orders till April 2013). I love it. I can’t imagine not using a smartwatch after owning it now for almost 2 years.

This year, they launched the Pebble Time: the second major iteration of their smartwatch. (watch their slick promo video here)

I still love and use my original, but when it kicks the bucket, I’m buying a Pebble Time Steel. So why the Pebble over the Apple Watch? Especially coming from a self proclaimed Apple fan?

Time Tested

See what I did there? Pebble has a 3 year head start in the smartwatch market. I’ll be honest, they had their fair share of issues when they first launch. Several defects, problematic units, issues with screen tearing…but now, they’ve really rounded themselves out as  a proven technology company. Apple is just getting started in this game – although they do usually dominate whatever market they step in to. It will be interesting to see how the launch plays out since Pebble’s on their second version, and for Apple, this is version one.

Simplicity

Pebble is all about simplicity, whereas the Apple watch mantra seems to be focused on all the things you can do with your watch. I want my watch to be a supplement to my phone – not an annoyance on my wrist. We’re already too connected as it is…a watch that can “connect” us to the digital world even more is a bit overwhelming.

Battery Life

Pebble is rated for 7 days at a time…7 days. I usually get 5 out of mine…but still! Initial reviews of the Apple watch say 18-24 hours. Every day? Every day I have to charge this thing? No thanks – I’ve got enough stuff to worry about plugging in every day.

The American Dream

I gotta be honest, the fact that a couple guys tinkered in their garage with an old blackberry and went on to raise over $10mil in 60 days is remarkable, and it feeds that side of me that loves the underdog story. See their history for yourself: getpebble.com/our_story

It Works For Me

Pebble does what I want!  I’m all about Apple, but at the end of the day, I’m gonna use the technology brand that does what I want. I’m more loyal to personal preference than any one brand. If the Pebble didn’t sync with my iPhone, then there’d be issues. But it does, so I have complete synergy among devices.

—

Here’s the thing: get what you want and get what works for you. You may not even need a smartwatch – it may be more annoying to you than beneficial! Take note I also didn’t bring up price. I don’t mind paying a premium for a product that’s worth it…and I’m sure the Apple watch is worth every penny.

Happy Timekeeping!

P.S. I don’t get paid by pebble for this content or anything – simple wanted to weigh in my personal preference in the smartwatch conversation and they’ve produced a product I’m a fan of.

It was getting late, and things were quieting down…I resorted to my cell phone for some entertainment. Reading a few blogs, catching up on twitter, reviewing google web analytics – the usual nerd stuff. One problem – I was at 6% battery.

I’ve raved on here before about Android, but the battery life is certainly not a strong suit.

I knew I had about 25 minutes left, and mentally made a checklist of “important” things I wanted to do before the inevitable power down came. I divided up about 4 things in to the allotted time slot.

  1. Bookmark a study note in my Kindle study Bible
  2. Catch up on my Twitter feed
  3. Scan a few Facebook pages I manage, and respond to comments
  4. Respond to the many Merry Christmas mass texts

I did number 1 fine. took 3 minutes. Then I got to number 2…my weakness. Twitter is my Achilles Heel. I got off on a tangent, checking activity, viewing profiles that didn’t matter, clicking on random pictures of Christmas lights, favoring a tweet here and there.

Then BAM. Power Down…off. No more battery. Gone. Dang. Frustration set in – I really meant to finish those last 2 items, but my rabbit trails got me distracted and I didn’t finish something that was important to me because of an attention grabbing monster.

There’s 6% battery life left…what are you doing right now that’s taking away from what’s important?

Apple’s long anticipated touch screen tablet has hit the ground running, with mixed reviews. I have no desire to blog from a gadget reveiwer’s standpoint – plenty of that has been done already. I simply want to put out my opinion on the table.

“Big whoop – a bigger iPod touch with a retooled OS, more apps, and a slightly faster processor. $500 for a bulky iPod?!? Heck no!”

That sums up my first initial thoughts. Then , through a conversation with pastor & mentor Daniel Norris (I’ll reference some of his thoughts later), my imagination came out to play for a bit. I invite you: let yours do the same for a moment.

(if you could care less about the iPad, this post isn’t for you. I’m not trying go all fanboy on you, I promise. Feel free to leave now.)

Okay, is your imagination out and ready? Let’s put our thinking caps on, boys and girls!

I believe that the iPad can bring healthy change to two  sectors of society, if we’ll let it.
And I’m not talking as an eBook reader or bigger portable media player. Allow me to get specific for a moment.

Sector One: Ministry / Preaching.

Right off the bat, this thing replaces my yellow notepad for taking to meetings. Yes, there is power in handwritten scrawl – but the digitization for sharing and backup trumps that. Having to carry a stack of stuff to meetings is no more! Or, at least greatly reduced. Looking over budgets, purchase orders, service plans, etc becomes really easy with iDisk – everyone in the office has online access to it. Got a thought for a sermon to develop later? Type it in. You can fully develop it on iPad later, or export to your home computer. Really no need to do that though – you could do all your online studying and referencing straight on the pad. I’m sure Christian publishers will put out a plethora of studies and resources to make this thing a Word powerhouse. Keep in mind, I really like typing on an actual keyboard, and for long, in depth prep, you wouldn’t be able to tolerate holding the device in one hand and trying to type with the other.

Let’s move on to the actual preaching part. Here’s where it gets good. Laptop? Too cumbersome to preach from. Obvious. Whenever I see someone open up their laptop and begin preaching from it, my mind instantly wanders:
“Oooh, sweet.I wonder if he’s tweeting right now. What would his twitter be? Maybe I can find him really quick… Hm,  I bet Jesus would’ve owned a Mac. Yeah, definetly. Oooooh, look! A pretty glowy apple! Prreeeetttyyyyy…”
… or something like that. I’ve found it distracting. An iPad is the perfect size to be useful for the preacher (phone is too small) and subtle enough to avoid being a distraction. Like I said, it replaces the notebook. The preacher could prepare his notes on the mac, then upload it to iDisk and access from the iPad. Revolutionary? Maybe not. Easy and polished? Yes.

If you’re one of those guys that has a power point every time you preach, that’s a no-brainer. The iPad will allow you to access the file and  sync it with the computer in the soundbooth so that what you’re seeing on the iPad is what they’re seeing on the screens. It’s a presentation dream come true! Just add your notes to your sermon slides, and your entire sermon could be based on the keynote. Daniel had some other thoughts he posted on my facebook in this area :

Perhaps you’d like to keep an entire library of books in one location easy to read and access

subscribe to newspapers and magazines that update automatically and can always be searched for info

have access to every sermon you’ve ever written, and use the device to deliver it… think of the cool points as you earn

To all the haters, you can use your notes and control a keynote presentation at the same time (no more asking the unattentive graphics guy to skip to the next slide)

Watch movies on a screen larger than 2.5 inches. Yes you can use a laptop on a plane… but it just doesn’t fit on that little tray

Instant Portfolio

Great pad for taking notes on and working with Documents (it’s the 21st Century Yellow note pad)

Did we even mention that iwork works on the device???

I’m just getting started

For churches … it’s a 10inch multi touch screen

Kiosks just went obsolete

Discipleship, Follow Up, Sign Ups, Guest services just moved to where ever the individual is

No better way to browse the web when sitting on the couch

Games… Games… Games… not so much for me, but for those who like to waste time (hummm)

100,000 apps … there’s an app for that, and not there is a screen large enough to actually do some pretty cool things with them.

Well said, Daniel. Kiosks just went obsolete – Instead of having greeters with just cute little church logos on, give them an iPad! Now every visitor to the church is recorded on the spot, and synced with a database. Is your imagination following? This is cool. Children’s check in, youth follow up, altar call respondants: all can be done in the hand. I likey.

I don’t think I need to expand any more here – I could go on and on, but I don’t want to sound like I’m working on commission for Apple or something. Just play with the implications of this thing in your head – especially if you’re involved in ministry or at a church somewhere.

Okay, when you and your mind are done playing with that idea, let me hit one more topic:
Sector Two : Foodservice.

Okay, I’m a server also. Did you not think I was going to talk about this? My mind goes wild at the idea!
Every restaurant I’ve worked at uses a computerized ticketed ordering system called “micros”.
You’ve been here: Server comes to table, takes order on notepad, goes to the back and punches some buttons on the “micros” computer. Boom, 20 minutes later, your food arrives. Pretty good system…but…

How much more could this be improved with an iPad?!
Every server gets one. The restaurant has had a personalized micros app developed, and it is wirelessly synced with the kitchen’s printers. The server comes to your table, and whips out the iPad. He shows you pictures of the specials of the day, that aren’t in your menus. He takes your entire order and punches it in right at the table – no more notebook-to-computer translation (an area where I have certainly messed up an order or two).

Another thought is to have an iPad at every table – nearly eliminates server interaction. The menu is all digital, just drag and drop your selections in to course categories, make any modifications you have (no mushrooms, extra waffle, etc) and your meal comes out timed perfectly. In this case, the introduction of the iPad to the food industry would hurt it: suddenly the demand for servers is replaced by a tablet (similar to what automated checkout lines did to cashier jobs).

Again, I could go in to more detail here – I’ll spare you.

Those are just some ideas. Criticize if you want – we each have our own opinions. Is the iPad necessary to incorporate in to both of these fields? Oh, no way. But it can make it a heck of a lot cooler – we’ll have to see how this pans out.

How could it affect your line of work or life?

It’ll be interesting to see if this is the “magical” “revolutionary” device Apple is hoping for or just another Newton.  I tend to lean far towards the former.