My Blog is my second home

September 1, 2011 by Raul Colon

I have been writing for quite a while. I also set up my first personal website without a blog in 1997 just when I was about to leave high school.

I have jumped from one social tool to the next from ICQ, MSN Messenger, Hi5, MySpace (which I never liked), Facebook, Twitter, and now Google Plus.

Building Your Contacts List Again

I also started to build contacts on all these social tools over and over again. This time around with Google Plus I have been able to get many of my contacts on that platform quicker than any other one. Yes there have been some tools that helped me move over those contacts but the main reason has been my blog.

My Virtual Home

My personal blog is the place where I share my thoughts on various subjects and try to gather your opinion on my thoughts each time I write. My blog is the equivalent of me inviting you to my home. The only difference is my blog is available 24/7 and you can always pick up on the conversation where others visitors have left off. You can also go back and find anything that I wrote about in the past and re-start the conversation. So no invitation is needed to visit my blog. You are free to make comments and I will respect your views as long as you respect everyone else’s point of view.

What I use my Blog for in a Nutshell

I use my blog to inform others of what is going in my life. On other occasions I find something neat that might be of interest to you and create a post to share. On other occasions I get lucky and they send me products or books to review and I get to share with you if I liked the product or if I did not.

My blog has been the place in the last year where I can reach an audience and instead of communicating the same story over and over again; I get to write it once and share. I have gotten to meet many great people via their blogs and mine.

Connecting me with Real People on Social Networks

I have also been able to connect my social profiles in one place. There are other options like buying a Meet-Meme card, which you can hand out and have all your social profiles centralized in one place. My blog does that for all my visitors by letting them know I am on Google +, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.

Overall I hope that my blog connects me with other people that can get to know who I am and what my interests in life are.

Do you have a blog?

If you do please share it in the comments area so I can make sure I go visit it and others visitors here can do the same.

photo credit by Keith Williamson

6 Ways I Battle Distractions

June 14, 2011 by Raul Colon

My good friend @joesorge who is also in charge of my Small Business Advisory board the Kitchen Table Companies gave me some great tips on helping me clear my mind and focus. One of the exercises he gave me, I have been doing for the last few days and plan to write a post about it once I am finished with my full two weeks.

I Joined the Kitchen Table Companies in January and have really taken advantage of it since it has given me the opportunity to interact with many people. I get value out of the personal interactions which I have with other members of the group including @chrisbrogan, @joesorge, @raffel, and @margieclayman.

I am in the right set of mind the problems are the distractions

I am not sure if working with music makes me think faster. I think it distracts me and makes me repeat phrases and cut out words when I am writing. It is funny that I notice how I keep on repeating the same thing unconsciously when I am doing my morning writing exercise. One of the phrases I write is that I need to get things moving and on track. This makes me realize that I might be in the right state of mind. The problem is the execution and the distractions I have during the day.

We have so many distractions and we keep on adding to them on an hourly basis.

When realizing I have too many distractions I do the following:

1. I restart my computer

I turn my computer completely off and then rev it back up. It closes the many programs that are probably running in the background. I also make sure I close all the windows so I don’t get distracted .

2. Stay away from twitter and facebook

When I stay away from twitter and facebook I get a lot more done. When I see a tweet or status update of interest, I respond as quickly as possible. The problem is that I receive plenty of messages during the day that can take me off track very easily. These platforms can be excellent tools if used correctly; the key is not allowing them to control us.

3. Don’t Open Your Email Client

Once I see an email from a client or a close friend, I want to quickly respond. If someone took the time to write a message or needs something, I want to respond to it with a high level of urgency. The reason I bought a Treo back in 2005 was to be able to conquer email 24/7. Now I realize Email really conquered me and it does the same to many other people. Keep the email client closed so it does not alert you that a message needs to be read.

4. Stay away from your phone and don’t look at it.

If you stay away from your phone you are more likely to get things done. Have someone look over it and take important calls for a few hours a day. Having something buzzing telling me an email, tweet, status, text, or a call is coming in quickly distracts me. I have some colleagues working on an application that might be helpful. Have an assistant or someone push those messages to you. They are looking for Beta Testers so it might not be a bad idea to sign up and see if that tool works for you.

5. Find a Quiet Place

I am doing my morning pages and I try to find a quiet place which is very difficult with my 18 month Labrador who decides to bark and make noise when I am just getting started to write. This is a loud distraction that breaks my thought process. Today I decided to not play music and I have to say I am had better progress than other days.

6. Choosing a style of Music that complements and creates relaxation.

I love writing, although I am not sure if I am any good at it. I write throughout the day, so listening to music every once in a while might change the mood. As much as I like many types of music I try to listen to blues, jazz, bhangra, or music that makes me focused and relaxed. I never use Salsa or Merengue because those make me want to get out of my seat or put me in a state of wanting to get things done quickly. What type of music works for you? If you don’t know try a few and monitor which ones really keep you focused when working.

What things do you do to eliminate distractions and to focus on your task at hand?

3 Reasons to Discard Printed Materials When Promoting a Blog

June 11, 2011 by Raul Colon

One of the things I struggle with every day is promoting my blog. I guess self-promotion can be a good thing if done right but if done in an intrusive and wrong way it can really hurt you.

There are different ways of approaching how to promote your blog. It all depends on the approach and type of audience you want to reach. I run into people that focus a lot more on promoting their blog offline than online.

Just a few days ago I had someone indicate that they wanted people to look at their business card and when others went into the blog, they wanted people to have the same experience. Although I understand what the person is trying to accomplish from a branding perspective, I don’t understand why using a business card is a key factor in promoting a blog.

I carry business cards, and yes I have my corporate cards, my personal cards which are to promote my blog, and then my all time favorite which go with my personality; Meet-Meme cards are a unique and fun way to break the ice and connect.

I really think we should focus on making sure people can find our blog and yes printed materials do help but I can assure you that if you are listening to your readers and finding interesting stuff for them to read the word will get around.

Pricey

My biggest concern with using printed materials is that the cost per person is a lot higher. I prefer to share an event online with those who might be interested instead of handing out a flyer. Many people like me receive a flyer or any other type of printed material and they discard (recycle) it the first chance they get (In my case they might live in my bag or car for weeks).

It might cost you more to print out business cards and hand them out than strategically place ads on google or Facebook.

Less Reach

By handing printed materials you are only able to reach those in close, physical proximity. With other methods, you can reach anyone with access to the internet, computer, tablet, and/or mobile phone.

People Discard or Lose Printed Materials

I personally lose or discard most of the printed material I receive. Or even worse, I bring it along to never touch it or use it for any other purpose. It ends up collecting dust until the next spring or fall cleaning at the house, which makes it end up in the recyclables.

Overall I think that it is ok to provide someone a link to your blog. If someone asks questions and you have the answers in a post, then direct them to your blog. In this instance, if you asked for their email and send them the direct article or post answering the question. It might even bring the opportunity for you to follow up with asking permission to add them to your newsletter.

How do you promote your blog? What methods have worked for you and which ones have not?

A celebration of Independent Expression @PuertoRicoIndie 1 of 2

April 25, 2011 by Raul Colon

Puerto Rico Indie is a blog written and managed from Puerto Rico. I have enjoyed reading this blog from time to time. This blog is an example to follow when compared with many local blogs since there content is refreshing and they put the spotlight on other local and global talent.

I have found a common interest in @PuertoRicoIndie and that is why I want to share with you a a few questions I asked @redod , the editor of @PuertoRicoIndie team.

I appreciate the time @redod took in answering my questions with a great amount of detail which allowed me to divide his interview in two posts. For those music lovers read along and don’t forget to visit PuertoRicoIndie.com , Follow @redod and @PuertoRicoIndie on twitter.

@PuertoRicoIndie Interview

“A celebration of Independent Expression” Puerto Rico Indie Part 1

@rj_c: Tells us a bit about your background related to establishing Puerto Rico Indie and what is your main function?

@redod: Well, first and foremost, I am very much so a music lover. My high school years were spent listening to the alt-rock classics – Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Weezer… Those types of big fuzzy guitar records I gravitated to.

I didn’t know many people then who shared my taste for this music but I was fortunate enough to be in a band with some classmates who did. These were people I could talk about the intricacies of The Cure’s melodies and the influence of 80’s british groups on Soda Stereo’s music. Having these conversations helped expand my sonic palette and music collection and sent me off in different paths of discovery that were much easier to traverse during my college years abroad thanks to the Internet, the digitizing of music, a large variety of concerts, and good old record shops in the States.

I came back to Puerto Rico missing some of that access to music. I wanted to connect with music on other levels besides listening to it and my career was taking me away towards the video production and web development end of the creative spectrum, leaving me with little time to join a band – let alone take a stab at writing and composing songs. But a friend of mine had joined a group called Recordando En Febrero and they requested my help designing their logos, t-shirts, and website. That was my way into the local independent music scene. After that band called it quits I had to find another way in, so when I heard that Startup Weekend (www.startupweekend.org) was coming to Puerto Rico back in summer 2009, I got a few friends together and decided to start this blog.

We wanted to make a splash, so I designed an iPhone app developed through Vaya Broqui (another one of my ventures) and released exclusively through the App Store a compilation of seventeen bands related to Puerto Rico’s “indie” or DIY scene. It didn’t sell well, at all – in retrospect, it was a crazy move – but it established PuertoRicoIndie.com as a serious project and gave us some credibility. We were new to the scene, but we wanted everyone to know we had good intentions and would strive for quality work.

All of this to say that starting PuertoRicoIndie.com just came naturally. I try to write about stuff that doesn’t get the coverage I think it deserves. The blog is “a celebration of independent expression” and that includes music, as well as the other arts and technology. And we love to share our opinions, ask questions, contribute, and collaborate with other creative people online.

@rj_c: Who else forms the Puerto Rico Indie Team?

@redod: As editor and head writer, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people through PuertoRicoIndie.com – and many of these new acquaintances have become collaborators and writers for the site. Damián Torres, Mercedes Carrillo, and Limari Colón are currently active as members of our writing team, and we’ve collaborated with over a dozen other contributors from other blogs and web projects. I am currently editing a post by a new collaborator to the site, and hopefully people will keep sending in their suggestions, essays, etc. Puerto Rico Indie’s extended family consists of fellow Puerto Rican projects Frecuencias Alternas, #EnProfundo, Esoez, Vórtice, UndoDigital, LaserEater, El Cassette Grabao, .Crudo, and others. There is mutual respect in the work being done to entertain, inform, and expose people to other things besides what they get from the traditional – and poorly lacking – local media channels.

@rj_c : What is the main function and main reason Puerto Rico Indie was created?

@redod: Its purpose was three-fold: I wanted to have a place for me to write about subjects I am passionate about and collaborate with others; I wanted to learn more about and get involved with Puerto Rico’s independent arts scene (otherwise I would have left the country from boredom); and I wanted to help spread the word about local art and entrepreneurial efforts. With that said, Puerto Rico Indie is less about reposting press releases and news found on other sites (we can easily do that through Twitter, no need to rewrite things), and more about creating original quality and in-depth content.

@rj_c : Which area of Puerto Rico Indie Do you recommend us to visit? Which one is a reader favorite?

@redod: Calle 13 (@calle13oficial) have given us plenty to say over these past two years (as well as most Puerto Ricans). Posts commenting on the group’s work and the media’s perception of their music tend to be the most widely read on the site. This in part because the group has shared some of these posts with fans through official Twitter and Facebook channels.

Interviews with other Puerto Rican bloggers and content creators also tend to be really popular on the site. Some reader favorites include our interview with LCC (La Cabeza de Christian), a Youtube vlogger/talking-head that comments on the weekly news; the comedy duo known as Esoez and loved for the wicked and very NSFW humor; and anything with the popular underground band Los Niños Estelares.

I would also recommend opinion pieces such as “Nosotros somos el sector privado” by Alfonso Gómez-Arzola y “La violencia, el género y la doble vara” which I wrote after news broke out of someone having been gunned down at a bachata concert this past February.

@rj_c : Is there a specific post that is key for your guys?

@redod: I think the coverage we gave to last year’s Coors Light Indie Rock Fest is the perfect example of what Puerto Rico Indie is capable off as an online medium. We wrote posts before the event, informing our readers about each artist and directing them to their music online; we commented in the organizer’s odd choice for a headliner and wrote about the word “indie”. We posted two photo essays on the event, as well as two reviews – one being our “official” reviews, the other written by one of our Twitter followers who wanted to share a point of view of someone who knows little about the “indie” scene. And all of this led us to collaborating in other efforts surrounding the event, such as Frecuencias Alternas’s radio program dedicated to discussing the festival, and art collective Dos Trigresas y Un Caballito de Mar’s video interview series with artists who participated in it.

La Mesa Redonda – a series of posts that grouped music and film recommendations by our various collaborators – also captures well the spirit of our blog, one of collaboration, communication, and sharing.

Part 2 will be published tommorow. You can always come back or receive it directly by Subscribing to Raúl Colón’s Blog via Email.

Pacing Myself!

April 17, 2011 by Raul Colon

I have always gotten myself into trouble for not Pacing Myself. I remember that a full year after getting out of Initial Entry Training (IET) for the Army I had to do a PT test. I remember while at IET, I was running two miles in less than 10 minutes and 30 seconds which for was a huge accomplishment. A year later I had not been running or training as I did in IET so I ended up running the first 400 meters as if I was going to bring my two miles to less than 9 minutes. Reality was that I hit a wall and ran out of steam and couldn’t finish my run. I decided to train hard for the next Physical Training Exam in a month. I took my savings and reached a deal with a personal trainer at my gym to train me for the next 3 weeks.

The Importance of Pacing Myself

I was able to get back on track finishing the two miles in less than 13 minutes. I finished with highest running time for my age group. I failed the initial test because I was not being able to pace myself.

More than a week ago when I presented at one of my sessions at Hispanicize, I ended up speaking fast and going through my presentation at lightening speed (as always). Thanks to my good friend @jaqcarly who was telling me to slow down, I did just that, slow down. Although I had some glitches in that first session, it earned me a business card with the message, “Awesome Presentation” . I think I need to work on my presentation skills.

When I compare my presentation to my failed IET running time, I am able to find many reasons why I think I talk fast.

I want to keep the momentum going. I see too many people who are lethargic when they speak. On the other hand, I guess if people can’t understand what I am saying, my message won’t get across to them. I am going to have to slow down and find a way to emit the same energy.
Cut down on the material I wanted to share. Usually I have loads of information I want to share. I am going to have to focus on the key points that will resonate with my audience.
Move around. Everytime I get stuck in front of a Podium, I end up trying to release my energy in another way (which ends up making me talk fast). I guess if I can walk around and release my energy, it might slow down my pace.

Besides speaking fast, another place where I still need to improve a bit more is on my writing. I need to pace myself and at least write a few posts a day so I can continue sharing my ideas with readers like you.

I will be working hard on improving my flaws and have learned many things from speaking at Hispanicize where I took the stage 4 times.

Is there anything you do that I can improve to pace yourself? Any Advice?

Do you need to pace yourself at something?

photo credit by familymwr