Twelve years in the biz of building sites and I bump up against the same challenge with every client… content. As with groundhog day, it’s a 50-50% chance that I will have the site structure built before the content is ready!
ps. This was a “nod” to my uncle who has been asking for the last 3 Januaries in a row to help build him a site. And yes, the site is up but the content… where’s the content Uncle Bob?
This morning’s Facebook stream included a little “game” of adding a line from a page in a book that was sitting closest to you, to your FB status. I know what your thinking… “oh she is one of those that plays ‘those games’ on Facebook.” Usually, I’m not. But as I read this post from a friend, I looked to my left at the pile of books I just cleaned out of my car — which had been in the back of my car since I was laid-off back in June.
The book is “What Would Satan Do?” by Pat Byrnes. It is a coffee-table type of book that I used to keep at the edge of my desk when I was a director of digital media at an entertainment company. I’m smiling as I write this because I had a phenomenal crew on my team — quirky but phenomenal. Ahhh the memories. I say “quirky” because it was a creative environment and my team was a hybrid of design and development with immense pressure to produce within “need it yesterday” time-lines. Anyhow, I digress…
I kept this book on my desk as a tribute to the times when one of my team members (or often someone from another department with a dilemma) needed help problem solving, or advice or just wanted me to be a good listener for a few minutes. When times were too “heavy” or the conversation wasn’t “going anywhere,” I would refer to the book and say “how about we take a moment and read from this book… just pick a page and I guarantee it will put a smile on your face.” You get the picture.
Pat Byrnes’ “What Would Satan Do?” provided many a laugh during stressful points while I was a director.
Ps. The picture added to t his post says “Rationalizations 50 cents” from the street bum to the suited man walking near him.
This project was quite a success!
While I was the director of digital media for the AVN Media Network (2007 – 2009), I often rolled up my sleeves and scoped projects myself, as well as front-end dev and project management. We ran so lean, it was just easier to spend a few weeks of late nights rather than tax an already taxed team.
To view a sampling of my sitemap, wireframe, user personas and flowchart, download this pdf document: Visio_ELA_sitemap_wireframe_personas_layout_flow
For those interested in a brief overview of the project, see here below.
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Right now I’m on a plane flight from LAX to JFK… with FREE internet access. The 80′s in me wants to write, “this is totally bitch’n.” The 90′s version of me wants to say, “fabulous, just fabulous.” Now, I’m sitting here thinking, “If I have a Coke over ice, there’s more of a chance I will spill it on my laptop or iPhone, or my guy’s laptop or Crackberry which would have devastating ramifications. Decisions, decisions…I’ll just have a shot of Patron.”
Now, what should I do with my FREE internet? Hmmm, well, I’ve been meaning to jump on the bandwagon and wave. Ok Google, here I come. I think it’s time to get my wave on.
(And yea, I’m sitting next to the closet genius… thousands of miles up in the sky “geeking-out” together.)
I was just on the phone with a friend who had me laughing OUT LOUD as she recanted some “good old times” that I seem to be reliving in my “good current times.” The just of the conversation was about how an old dog never learns new tricks.
Now off the phone and still laughing to myself as I make my lunch, I’m thinking about how the notion of “managing up” (usually used in the business sense) could be applied to other relationships. And then I remembered watching my seven year old niece on Christmas day… she was paying close attention to those of us cooking; she jumped in when help was needed, kept us updated on the oven timer as it counted down closer and closer to zero; and she even offered to help take out the trash. Then, as the dinner rolls came out of the oven, I realized why she had been “managing up” all of her aunts who were cooking in the kitchen. She played the odds that one of us would let her have a hot flaky roll right out of the oven because she had been so valuable in helping us. She devoured that first roll (of four that I counted) with holiday joy that you only see in a child’s eye.
I think it’s time to ask the great Google for current day results on “managing up”.
Custom Building Products' newest Product Launch
had to look at my resume to remember how long i’ve been the webmaster for Custom Building Products… it’s been 5 great years! Custom is known for innovative products — good people, great company. if you are a DIYer (or just a weekend warrior like me) check out Custom Building Product’s newest innovation called SimpleMat, found in Home Depot. it’s phenomenal for tile setting!
MJ Barnett's Realtor Blog
helped my lil sis get her professional life online and into social media.
site: MeganJaneBarnett.com
twitter: MJwithCentury21
held a home-office *workshop* for Phi & MJ on how to build a blog using wordpress!