Every Friday I break down and comment on an article I’ve read recently that inspired me, enlightened me, challenged me, or otherwise made me think. I also share some of my favorite links from the week that was. This is: The Friday Response.

9 Ways You Can Build a Blog That Matters by Benny Hsu on Get Busy Living

Benny recently wrote an article that will without a doubt inspire you to either 1) start blogging or 2) make your blog better. I’ve shared before that I believe starting and maintaining a blog can completely change your life. It will introduce you to people you would’ve never met. It will open the door to business opportunities. It will make you smarter. It will change your perspective. It will open your mind to new ideas. It will give you solace. It will spark conversation. It can inspire change. And overall, it feels damn good to write about something you care about.

Benny hits the nail on the head in a very real and tangible way with these nine tips:

(1) Write epic shit: Without good content, the other 8 steps won’t make a difference. My biggest piece of advice? Don’t worry about narrowing your focus TOO much. Don’t over-think things. Allow yourself to be a bit random, but above all, write with passion. Passion is relatable, interesting, and compelling.

(2) Have a nice blog design: It matters. Trust me. If you pull up a blog that’s still sitting on Blogger, it could have the best writing in the world, but I may never pay attention because I’m automatically de-legitimizing simply based on the look and feel of the site. I know, it’s judgmental, but it’s the way our mind works. It doesn’t have to involve a huge investment, but it’s very much important to have a nice place to house your great writing. (Also, I can help with that)

(3) Leave comments: Leaving comments not only allows you to build conversation with other bloggers, colleagues, and peers, it’s excellent for building links back to your site, which is huge for SEO.

(4) Reply to comments: Want to spark and build conversation on your site? Make time to reply to those who have made time for you. Plain and simple.

(5) Make it easy to share posts: Self explanatory. If I can’t share your post with the world, at least on Twitter and Facebook, it’s not going to get shared. Even piece of great content needs to be marketed and shared, it’s (very rarely) going to share itself.

(6) Show some of your personal side: One of the most important points Benny makes: Be personal. This is what people want. You’re not going to be the first to write about Apple’s innovative approach, but your unique perspective makes it interesting. Be yourself.

(7) Share other people’s content and expect nothing in return: Part of building recognition for yourself is in being a thought leader and information sharer. It’s not always a “I scratch your back you scratch mine” approach, instead, it’s about being relevant and present in the community you’re focused on.

(8) Build your tribe: Your “tribe” are those who are closest to you – the one’s you can count on to help you promote and share things you need shared. The one’s who are always there for feedback and creative brainstorming. Above all, they’re your friends. The blogging game is filled with ups and downs, mostly fueled by self-doubt and second-guessing – build a tribe that will be there when you need the nudge to keep going.

(9) Always keep learning and improving: In other words, don’t get too comfortable. Keep learning. Keep trying new things. Expand your niche. Don’t worry about writing about something that is out of the realm of what people expect. The beauty of blogging is it’s value in self-discovery and finding out things about yourself you never knew existed. Discovering new passions, and sharing them with the world.

I highly encourage you to check out Benny’s full article, and his site, Get Buy Living. Great stuff.

Some other links I enjoyed this week

• Build It. Create It. Launch It.
• 10 Great Alternatives to Lorem Ipsum (my favorite: Samuel L. Ipsum)
• Best Books of 2011: For every entrepreneur and intra-preneur
• At the risk of sounding like a hippy, be inspired by yourself.
• 10,000 Sales Later: Lessons Learned from Selling Evernote Essentials
• Hope Vs. Anger: How Obama’s SOTU Set the Tone for 2012

What were the best things you found this week? Share them in the comments below!

For the first time in 2012, TGIF! As a blogger and as someone who reads a lot of blogs, what I love more than anything about the first week of the year is the unanimous optimism amongst writers and thinkers everywhere. If you make it through the first week of the year uninspired, check your pulse.

The trick? Keeping that momentum going every day of the year. Taking pictures of the sunset every Monday when you get off work, just to admire it’s beauty. Posting to Facebook how much shit you’re going to make happen during the week ahead, and commenting on how awesome last weekends spontaneous dance party was. It’s things like this, celebrating every little moment, every success – those things we’re all doing right now, that I implore you to continue doing, every Friday, every Monday, and every day throughout the year.

So, the first Quick Hits of 2012. I better make it a good one, eh? Here goes nothing…

Best From Around the Web

• How To Survive Your First Year as an Entrepreneur - Outstanding, or at least, interesting advice shared in this article on TechCrunch. I’m all-in on Jame’s advice of bringing in a masseuse to the office every Friday, but the one point that I agree with more than any other? Follow up. I am a perpetual follower-upper, and for the few times it may be annoying to clients, it’s more than paid off time and time again.

• How to Set Goals and Keep New Years Resolutions – Laura shares some great advice on not only making resolutions, but keeping them. Her best piece of advice? Post your goals in a physical space you can see them every day. Be reminded by them. Don’t stow them away in a diary or Word Doc. Post them up, pass by them daily, and be reminded, often, to stay on track.

• Resolved – I love Paige’s writing. It’s refreshing, but above all, real. In her inaugural post of 2012 she talks about having that “rock”, that someone in your life that loves you, supports you, and in short, is always there. We all need that rock, whether it be a significant other, a family member, a friend, or a business partner. In short, don’t be afraid to lean on someone else from time to time, and let them lean back.

• Commit to the Right Things – The title says it all. Amber Rae hits the nail on the head and it’s something we ALL should take note of and instill into our own decision making this year, and every year after. Don’t over-commit. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Say no to the wrong things and leave yourself open to say “yes” when the right thing comes your way.

• Resolutions are hard – Melissa splashes a bit of realistic optimism into the mix of “you can do anything” articles we know and love. Her point? That yes, you can accomplish anything you set out to do. But it’s going to be hard. Damn hard. Don’t expect that greatness, and achieving incredible things, will be easy. It’ll be tough, but totally worth it.

My Week in Review

• Last week I shared the most important lesson I learned in 2011. That lesson? That none of what I’ve done or what I do would be possible without the help of others. 2012 will be about collaboration, trust, and working effectively with others.

• On Monday I shared a recap of my 2011 year and slapped a label on 2012 of “best year ever”. Yeah, I called it. Now I just have to go make it happen.

• Tuesday I took things a step further and shared 10 things you MUST do in 2012 to make it the best year ever. Little things (though not necessarily easy things) that will have a massive impact on your health, your productivity, your stress level, and your success.

• Wednesday I posted my first marathon-training update, answering the question “Why do I want to run a marathon?” (If you want to keep tabs on my progress leading up to the big day head over here)

• And yesterday, we asked the question, “What do you think about while you run?” and learned that above all, you do NOT want to poop your pants.

What did you discover this week? How is your year getting started? Here’s to an incredible year ahead of us!

Hello from my second-home of Chicago! I’m spending a couple weeks here visiting friends and family, eating entirely way too much food, and trying, as hard as I can, to legitimately unplug and relax. Here’s to hoping the next week leading up to Christmas is as relaxing and stress free as possible for you!

Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. It’s perfect “right-before-the-weekend-already-checked-out-at-work-on-a-Friday-afternoon” reading. Without further ado, here goes nothing.

Best From Around the Web

• How to Explain Gay Rights To An Idiot – Read it and share it with anyone and everyone who still doesn’t “get it”.
• in honour of the fact that life is short: ecstatic sex, quitting, and wearing your best – It’s been spreading like wildfire around the web. My favorite point? Live every day as if it were a special occasion.
• Probably the coolest holiday ale packaging design ever.
• The Comic Sans Project - If Comic Sans ruled the world, it would look a lot like this.
• Reverb 11 Prompt 13: Achieve – This is an excellent reminder from Sarah that we need to be celebrating our accomplishments and achievements. Because if you don’t, who will?

Life Without Pants Week in Review

• Keep Going (The Psyche of a 13-Mile Run) – Whether you’re running 13 miles, running a marathon, or running a business, you have to keep going.
• Only Stupid People Never Change Their Minds - The title says it all. In what  is the first and possibly the last time I quote Donald Trump, I share some thoughts on the value of changing your mind, and why flip-flopping may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Pantsless Wisdom

I’ll be sending out a new holiday-themed installment of Pantsless Wisdom next week. If you’re not already subscribed, go ahead and sign up here. You’re going to love it. And if you don’t, it’s ridiculously easy to unsubscribe.

Another week in the books and we’re already almost at the halfway point of December. I’m heading back to my second home of Chicago this weekend for the holidays, and am looking forward to eating way too much, visiting family, seeing my Chicagoland friends that I haven’t seen in over a year. Good times. What are your holiday plans? How are you planning to get away and unplug over the next couple weeks?

Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. It’s perfect “right-before-the-weekend-already-checked-out-at-work-on-a-Friday-afternoon” reading. Without further ado, here goes nothing.

Best From Around the Web

• Modern Love – My Husband is Now My Wife – My “read of the week” goes to this true story of a woman and her man-turned-women husband-now-wife. It’s a true story of acceptance, understanding, and above all, love. Do yourself a favor and give it a read.
• Selling: I Love This – People want to connect with something larger than themselves. In branding, marketing, and selling your business, think not only about the end product, but about the emotion it evokes, story it tells, and experience it provides.
• Taking some time off - Sometimes a day at the beach is much better for your business than a day at the office. Why stepping away and unplugging can do wonders for your productivity and efficiency.
• Millennials are Born Entrepreneurs. Wait, Really? – Was my generation born into a life of entrepreneurship, or are we victims of circumstance, the way we were raised, and the current state of our economy? How has our circumstance provided opportunity? Interesting stuff to consider.

Life Without Pants Week in Review

• “I Don’t Know What I Want to Do” – In the latest installment of Pantsless Wisdom, I talk about the biggest thing that holds us back from doing what we want to, and should be doing. It isn’t money, it isn’t stability, it’s simply not knowing what we want to do. Discovering your passion can and does set you free.
• Do You, Can You, Should You Love What You Do? – Can you love what you do, even if you don’t like it? Why your work isn’t about the day to day, but rather, about a bigger purpose, a grander mission, a larger goal.

Hard to believe it, but 2011 is coming to a close. Where has the year gone? I’ll be spending a good part of the month on vacation, taking some time to unplug, recharge, think things through, and approach 2012 full speed ahead. What do you have on deck this month?

Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. It’s perfect “right-before-the-weekend-already-checked-out-at-work-on-a-Friday-afternoon” reading.

Best From Around the Web

• What’s the worst thing that can happen to me? - Nina Yau, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year before she really took of toward where she is today, asks the very, very important question, “What’s my worst case scenario”. As I talk to people looking to make big transitions and changes in their life, personal or professional, this one question is absolutely critical.
• Archer unveils new office – Mostly, I’m including this because I want to work (and live) in this office. Me likey.
• All You Need is Love – My friend Elisa is bringing back her “All You Need is Love” series on her blog. If you haven’t been a part of the series the past couple years, I highly encourage you to get involved. (Also, check out my post from a couple years back)
• A great way to give thanks – Seth Godin helps put into perspective that you, and I, and everyone else who has the opportunity to read this, is in a spot that thousands would do anything to be in. Don’t waste the opportunities in front of you.
• The One Page Career “Cheat Sheet” – Do you like your job? Do you like what you do? Sarah Peck has drawn up a career “cheat sheet” (that you can download as a PDF). Check it out, ask yourself the questions, and maybe gain a little clarity.
• NaBloPloMo Goals and Milestones – November was a big month for Laura – both online and off. One of the key takeaways for bloggers? Don’t worry about writing epic blog posts. Keep it simple. Don’t self edit yourself (see my post on that from last week). Just write.
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (soundtrack) - If you read this blog often, you know I have a crush on two things: Saved by the Bell and Trent Reznor. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo looks to be one of the best remakes ever (though you really SHOULD see the originals) – and the soundtrack/score orchestrated by T. Rez (we go way back) will no doubt be awesome.
• Why Girls Don’t Want Careers in Tech – An interesting piece on FastCompany about women working in the field of technology (or the lack there of) and why it will be up to us to raise our daughters to be uber-good at coding.
• Best About Pages – My company (Proof) was featured on bestaboutpages.com. We’re honored to be included with such sexy company.

Life Without Pants Week in Review

• Finish With a Bang – As 2011 comes to a close, how will you finish the year with a bang and walk into 2012 with momentum?
• Constrained Freedom - Why, in a world that craves freedom, rules, restrictions, and constraints (within reason) are critically important.
• Ninja Turtles. Mom(s). Catholicism. Equality. – My personal story of growing up with a gay Mom and a conservative Dad. What it taught me about life, acceptance, change, faith, and equality.

Pantsless Wisdom

I’ll be sending out the latest edition of Pantsless Wisdom early next week. If you’re not already signed up to get my super-awesome newsletter, sign up here.

Hello and Happy Friday from someone who can’t believe we’re less than a week away from Thanksgiving! How did that happen? At this time next week, I’ll be taking part in the annual tradition of Black Friday shopping with my cousins. The only other brave souls who would dare attempt to deal with those crazy post-turkey-and-dressing-induced-food-come folk with me at 5am. Who’s with me?

Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. It’s perfect “right-before-the-weekend-already-checked-out-at-work-on-a-Friday-afternoon” reading.

Best From Around the Web

• Generation Make – This is a great, great piece over on Techcrunch that summarize so well what my generation is all about. Debunking some of the stereotypes and recognizing others in a real, honest, optimistic way. We are a generation of makers, creators, and doers. (Also read this: Generation Sell)
• What’s Your Story? - Great brands and individuals are great because they have a compelling story to tell. A story that’s relatable and distinct. One’s that inspire and bring others into something that’s larger than themselves.
• The hard work is worth it - I speak frequently about the value of hard work. Hard work is the key to success and the opening of doors to great things. I love Sarah’s take on hard work – and her relentless pursuit to try new things and constantly learn. We should all follow in these ambitious footsteps.
• On Not White-Lying by Omission: 12 Mini Confessions – What’s the life of a twenty-something entrepreneur really like, behind the scenes? Let Jenny Blake share some (very true) insight into the day to day.

Life Without Pants Week in Review

• A Generation of Creators. Makers. Doers – Welcome to a generation that doesn’t simply ask “what” or “why” but instead, seeks to find their own path and create their own solutions.
• Plans vs. Missions - In which I discuss the difference (and there is a difference) between plans vs. missions. What are you working towards? What matters most? What’s your mission?
• The End of the World As We Know It - The world around us is (constantly) changing. The question isn’t, “Will things change”, the question is “Are you keeping up?”
• Doubting Your Capacity - Are you overwhelmed? Too much on your plate? Be refocusing and reshifting priorities, and making time for yourself, you can begin to eliminate “overwhelmed” from your vocabulary (because let’s be honest, it’s just about the worst feeling ever).

I sent out the latest edition of Pantsless Wisdom this week. If you’re not already signed up to get the newsletter from Life Without Pants, sign up here.

Hello from San Francisco!

Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. It’s perfect “right-before-the-weekend-already-checked-out-at-work-on-a-Friday-afternoon” reading.

Best From Around the Web

• 28 in fifty-two notes: a year’s worth of writing, lessons, and people - I had the pleasure of (finally) meeting Sarah in person this week. And in the midst of conversation, she wrote in several thin Moleskine notebooks. Her ideas, her passions, and lessons learned. It wasn’t distracting. It was inspiring. We should all take a page (pun intended) out of Sarah’s book and take time to reflect more often – to remember where we’ve been, in pursuit of where we’re going. This post, in light of her recent birthday, shares 52 wise nuggets of wisdom worth considering.
• There’s nothing wrong with having a plan – But missions are better, so says Seth Godin. More on this from me in a post next week.
• 23 Incredibly Useful Insights on Shortcuts to Becoming an Expert – Corbett has launched his latest venture, Expert Enough. Everything he does is great, and this looks to be no different.
• Project Budgets & Secrets – This is an oldie but a goodie from Brian Hoff. Extremely useful insight for anyone working with client budgets.

Life Without Pants Week in Review

• Trust Me – We all need more trust in our lives. In a professional sense, when you trust who you hire, you allow them to be at their best, and allow yourself to focus on the things that really matter. Who do you trust?
• Call of Duty, Customer Relationships, & A Culture of Sequels – Leave it to me to find marketing inspiration in a video game. Call of Duty understands and embraces that all of their players (the veterans and the n00bs) play a vital part in the success of their brand.
• What Do You Do? – A question you’ve undoubtedly been asked a thousand times. But maybe it’s time to start rethinking your answer, or the question altogether.
• Fuck Up. Make Art. – A lesson in creating something beautiful, and the chaos and unrelenting hard work it takes to get there.

Something Completely Different

If you’re a nerd like me, the only thing that matters this week (besides this awesome online reading material) is the release of Skyrim. So, rather than wasting even one more second NOT playing, I’m off to nerd out with my Dark Elf Mage Thief. Yeah, I said it.

Each week I recap some of the best things I’ve read/seen/heard from around the web. I also get you up to date on what you may have missed here on the blog. And, sometimes, if you’re lucky, I share a cool video, an addicting game, or something totally random – you know, the perfect thing for you to pass around the office around two o’ clock, because let’s face it, you’ve already checked out for the day.

Best from around the web

• Crappy Day? Tell Me About It. - Sam, in response to this post from Peter Shankman, asks the questions, “How much is too much” when it comes to being open and transparent with your emotions, especially the negative ones, online.
• Lessons Learned from Fitness Bootcamp – Getting active and working out regularly is something I’ve committed to in 2011. It’s paid dividends from an overall healthiness and studliness standpoint, but it’s also taught me a lot about drive, dedication, and focus. Check out this post from Sam Davidson for how his weekly bootcamp has whipped him into mental and physical shape.
• How to Get a Job with a Small Company – Want to know how to get a job with a small company? Look no further than this great post from Seth Godin. Spot on.
• How to Speed Up Your Website – I’m a sucker for a good tutorial. This is a good one for anyone looking to improve your website’s load time (which is super-important for SEO).

Life Without Pants Week in Review

• Twenty-Six: Now What? – An ode to my 26th day of birth and a look toward the year ahead and focusing on the “now”.
• What Story Are You Telling? – A reflection on the eulogy of Steve Jobs and how it relates to us all (maybe even more than you think).
• Occupy Opportunity – My take on Occupy Wall Street and why now is a better time than ever to create your own path.
• The Hustle – The one thing you must bring to the table, every day? Hustle.

Something completely different

If you haven’t noticed by looking around this site, I’m slightly, okay, very obsessed with Saved by the Bell. Check out this music video for New Romance by Miles Fisher. A very random Saved by the Bell/Final Destination upbeat mashup. (Kudos to Julie for sharing this with me)

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of joining an entourage of great people in the pursuit of writing, filming and editing a seven-minute film as part of the 48 Hour Film Festival in Nashville. We were given a genre (Superhero) a name (Paul Duncan) a prop (flowers) and a line (“Tell me how you really feel”) – the rest was up to us.

And so, during what started as just another ordinary weekend ended, magic happened and history was made. The result? Mr. Wonderful.

Watch our film in all it’s glory below. It will without a doubt be the best thing you could do with the next seven minutes of your life.

And keep an eye out for yours truly as The Bug Man, the Mugger, and perhaps most notably, Bar Patron #3 (and yes, that’s Sam Davidson as Mr. Wonderful himself).

For more info about the film and some behind the scenes photos, check out the website: www.mrwonderfulthemovie.com

It’s back! Well, it never really left – but I’ll play the comeback card anyway. Friday Quick Hits has returned and this week I’m talking Mom & Pop Marketing and a redux of my favorite childhood computer game, Oregon Trail (truly, something for everyone). Check out the video above (for the first time shot in the brand new Proof office) and follow the links below…

Best thing I read this week:

Creative Marketing for Mom and Pop Shops: In this article, the concept of David (your local mom and pop) competing against Goliath (the Wal Mart and Best Buy’s of the world) is discussed – offering up some creative case studies and opportunities for the little guy to not only compete, but take down the big wigs of the world with a little marketing savvy and ingenuity. (via Fast Company)

Read the full article…

Coolest thing I found this week:

Oregon Trail Redux: If you’re looking for a way to waste away at least an hour of your day today (and who isn’t on a Friday?) look no further than this post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested version of everyone’s favorite 90s computer icon, Oregon Trail. Epic is an understatement. (via The Men Who Wear Many Hats)

Get started on your trip to Oregon…just watch out for measles, cholera, and of course, zombies…

Find something great this week? Read anything worth sharing? Leave a comment below and share the love – and of course, have a great weekend!

Can’t see the video? Click here.