Google just keeps AMAZING me.....checkout its latest news.....

Google has acquired GrandCentral.com

One Number, One Voicemail Box, SO MANY FEATURES!!!

What's next????

One of my colleagues pointed out another one of Google's latest tools this morning - Google Insights for Search

With Google Insights for Search, you can compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, and time frames....hoe cool is that!!!  Go Google!!!

What will they think of next?

I cannot believe how often I meet with a traditional marketing firm or ad agency and the members there look at me funny when I mention Google Radioor Google TV- two services that MANY people in the business DO NOT know about....yet two services that extremely valuable and hige cost savings!!

Are you in the know?

I spoke with someone this week who I met via LinkedIn (first time I did that)...turns out he is a great serial entrepreneur and maybe we will do something together.....had a great one hour conversation/exploration off a LinkedIn conversation he started....

He did mention KookyPlan.com to me and after clicking thru the site within minutes I was SO entrenched in the info that three hours went by in a FLASH....great stuff here!

Definately checkout and bookmark KookyPlan.com and let me know what you think.

Need something designed?  I came across 99Designs.com today and it connects clients needing design work such as logo designs, business cards or web sites to a thriving community of 15,237 talented designers....

The site has connected over $1M worth of creative projects and its founding team includes Mark Harbottle who is the co-founder of sitepoint.com

If anyone has used these platform to get creative services please let me know how your experience was....

thanks

I came across an interesting list of famous entrepreneurs this evening....as I scanned the list and read thru the names the first thought that came to mind was that these people were driven by passion that surpassed any obstacles that came in their way.......and than I came across John Osher....

John has developed hundreds of consumer products, including an electric toothbrush that became America's best-selling toothbrush in just 15 months. He also started several successful companies, including Cap Toys. He built sales to $125 million per year and then sold the company to Hasbro Inc. in 1997. But his most lasting contribution to the business world just may be a list of screw-ups he jotted on the back of a piece of paper.

"After I sold my business to Hasbro, I decided I'd make a list of everything I'd done wrong and [had] seen other entrepreneurs do wrong," explains the 57-year-old Jupiter, Florida, serial entrepreneur. "I wanted to make a company that didn't make any of these mistakes. I wanted to see if I could come up with the perfect company."

He came up with an informal list of "16 Mistakes Start-Ups Make"- since expanded to 17- that has been used in a Harvard Business School case study, has been cited in many publications, and has become a part of what he teaches budding entrepreneurs in his frequent university lectures. He also used the list in 1999 when he started Dr. John's SpinBrush to sell a $5 electric toothbrush that quickly became America's best-selling toothbrush. In 2001, Procter & Gamble purchased the company from him for $475 million.

You can read the 17 Mistakes Start-Ups Make

One of my colleagues turned me onto TradeVibes the other day.....
TradeVibes is the best way to discover, research and discuss hot (and not so hot) startup companies. Their community finds cool and interesting startups and adds them to TradeVibes. By leveraging the collective wisdom of our community, TradeVibes separates the best startups from their competitors. Come share your opinions, or just come see the ratings, opinions, and discussions about which startup will be the next star.

There is another great site called StartUp Spark ...here is their widget

I had the unfortunate experience today of a 19 yr old girl running a red light in her bmw at 50 – 60 mph while I was going thru an…and that she crashed into me.

I am OK (went to the hospital and the Dr checked me out) and ALL THAT MATTERS is that I was able to walk away and see my family tonight!!

Please note:

1. I was wearing a seat belt – you should too!
2. I was NOT speeding (in fact was doing about 3 mph going thru an intersection)
3. The police have a witness that saw the girl run the red light
4. I was NOT talking on my cell nor texting
5. The music was not loud in my car

Point here is that even when you are “doing everything by the book” – some other schmuck can take your life – enjoy life and don’t waste it!

According to the NY Times, Google will reveal tomorrow (Tues 6/24/08) a new AdPlanner tool that "was designed to help agencies identify sites where their target audience might be active. While it uses audience measurement data, AdPlanner also combines it with search engine data and information from third parties, to determine with more precision what sites attract a certain demographic audience. It then uses that data to help agencies determine where to place ads."

Read more at the Google AdPlanner

It isn't often that I get the pleasure of sitting on my back patio, laptop in hand, and get to surf the web as birds chirp, the wind blows the trees and my three kids are not home....I had that "pleasure" today for a bit and came across Steve Pavlina's website....some very interesting, intense and deep stuff here!

I especially like when Steve speaks about zero-based thinking:

"Ask yourself this question: "Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible. This is called zero-based thinking. I know a lot of people that have a limiting belief that says, "Always finish what you start." They spend years climbing ladders only to realize when they reach the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong building. Remember that failure is your friend. So if a certain decision you've made in the past is no longer producing results that serve you, then be ruthless and dump it, so you can move onto something better. There is no honor in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you. This is another situation where you must practice integrity in the moment of choice. You must constantly re-assess your present situation to accurately decide what to do next. Whatever you've decided in the past is largely irrelevant if you would not renew that decision today."

I suggest you read the entire article at Steve's Palvina Website