There is a reason why I haven’t posted on my blog in over a month…

It’s not because I wanted to finish my blogging career covering the Old Spice guy.

It’s not because I haven’t had anything to say.

It’s because my team and I have been work hard to reach a sustainable point of business with ConvoSpark and provide our clients the best service possible.  Therefore, I have unfortunetly been in “workaholic” mode for the past few months.

Running an agency can be challenging and demanding of time and energy.  Agency works has been synonymous with scotch drinking executives that work 15 hour days and go home to their mistresses (think Mad Men).  However, I have not adopted this outdated notion and work-style.  Instead, I consciously think of the “how” when I am working…as long as that “how” is leading me towards results for my clients, learning for me and happiness I know the “how” is right on.

I believe savvy entrepreneurs find time saving ways to gain leverage and avoid this migraine producing work style.  However, I also believe that when an entreprneur is working towards reaching a defined destination..they need to maximize their effort.  And sometimes maximizing effort literally means pushing effort to the maximum (especially when running a service based company).

Being in this state of “maximized effort” for about two months, I can see it isn’t that bad.

Pursuing a destination does not have to be correlated with relentless grim determination (and Scotch drinking).  You can actually choose to enjoy the work you do…all 14 hours of work if necessary.  It takes endurance, the right mental approach and some mind slowing outlets.  Here are some methods and principles I have been going by that have made the past two months enjoyable and fulfilling.

Watch the trees

Find ways to slow down the mind.  My girlfriend’s mom sent me a quote today that read:

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s ahead of us that we sometimes forget to take the time to enjoy where we are.” -Calvin & Hobbs

Ain’t that the truth!  Running an agency can make you insane; constantly thinking about what you have to do…and what you have done…that sometimes it’s tough to get the mind to slow and just take on the task at hand.  What I have learned is that the best results (for you and your clients) come when you have intense focus on one item at a time.

Remember, sometimes it takes taking a step away from the laptop and smart phone to slow the mind a bit.  I prefer cereal at 7:30 while looking outside at the trees.  Nothing works better for me

Have great clients

As an owner or team member of an agency, you are only a portion of the equation.  The client typically plays a large roll in all major projects. Therefore, you better make sure to be working with some awesome people.

It is ok to discriminate a bit.  If a client is overly demanding for the sake of being demanding…they’re not worth your time.  Your mental health and your other clients will suffer because of that one client.

With this being said two things are very important.  One, you get a good understanding for your client, their needs and the details of their project pre-sale.  This way you can qualify the client and they can qualify your company as well.  Maybe the project is not worth the investment in terms of the time you will give and the money they will provide.  Maybe the client wants to work far outside your processes which will over extend you and your team.  Maybe you don’t like the client and they don’t like you (100k can’t get me to work with someone I don’t like).  Two, it’s is of the utmost importance to set expectations.  Give clients a look into your operations and how you will be handling their project.  Set specific deliverables and meeting times, making your company professional and minimizing the constant back and forth that can waist everyone’s time.

Embrace cosmic laughter

Work can gets crazy at times.  Servers can crash, a feature may not be working, designs might be all wrong…it happens.  Best thing you can do is laugh it off…like really laugh hard!  Recognize that the universe is still in motion and that the situation can be addressed.  Sometimes it take a little laughter to recognize those truths.

Measure Progress

I never have been good at treading water.  I prefer to be swimming forward (I really prefer to be on land).  Stagnation is never good for a business…and results are never as good if they aren’t measured.  By making sure to gage progress you are moving forward towards gaining momentum.  You will subconsciously be moving towards bettering your progress and hitting the goals you set.  Incremental success is paramount in obtaining fulfillment in work.

We make sure to measure our client’s and team success frequently.  This keeps moral up since we feel like we’re working with purpose.  We are also trying to get better at celebrating our successes that are well deserved.

I would love to hear what you think…any tips…thought…or specific tree locations…let me know.

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Realizing that coffee is a short term fix for eye droopiness…I found a high powered recharge over the weekend.

At GenJuice San Francisco I was able to connect and collaborate with an incredible group of passionate innovators who loved to help others and share ideas.  Emerging yourself in an environment like that does something for your mind, body and soul.  You feel the positive wave of possibilities and can’t help but to ride it.

Getting together with amazing people that empower others is my new energy source of choice.

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Last week I declared that I have made the full fledged nose dive into self-employment.  This week it’s time to reveal the company behind the entrepreneur (at least more extensively).

I have been fortunate enough to partner up with some amazing business people and friends to create ConvoSpark; a social media agency that focuses on creating social technology that engages and sparks conversations about our clients’ companies.  What exactly does all that marketingy copy mean?  It means that if you have a conversation that needs to be started with a group of people, we help you craft your message, customize an application that will carry your message and execute a strategy to spark a conversation with the right groups.  We leverage platforms that consumers socialize on like Facebook, Twitter, iPhone and the Android to help build out polished social media presences. To sum it up, we bridge the gap between our client’s current digital properties with their future social properties.

We have already been fortunate enough to work with some Fortune 500 brands and some ultra creative agencies.  We look forward to building relationships with many more to come.

If we can help you or anyone else you know, you can drop us a line and schedule a free initial consultation.

Thank you to everyone for your unyielding support with the building of ConvoSpark.  Don’t you worry, you will get your fair share of updates along the way.

You can follow ConvoSpark on both Twitter (@ConvoSpark) and Facebook .

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Last Wednesday:  I Left my job at a social media agency.

Today:  I write my own paychecks (assuming that I can)

And I feel more alive then ever.

There is something thrilling about uncertainty.  Ask my two partners at ConvoSpark and myself about it.  We are now moving full force into a dualistic world of well known work (social media marketing) followed by the unknown self-employment arena.  An uncertain future is sparking an invigorating present.

Not knowing if I can pay rent or buy food makes me hustle harder, conjure up some deep seeded creative juices and value my clients more.   Sometimes you have to make yourself uncomfortable to grow…and now is the time break through the threshold.

Becoming a full time entrepreneur is a whole different ball game than the part time gig.  Of course, entrepreneurship is a state of mind therefore being a full timer doesn’t entitle you to a state of superiority.  However, it does pose a whole new set of circumstances that you have to take into account.

Making a living

You know when people ask you “How do you make a living?”.  Typically, you reluctantly give them a templated version of your day to day.  Nowadays, I can literally say: “anything”.  To most that may sound snarky or overtly existential…however, today, I do “anything” I can (within the confines of the law and the positioning of our business) to make a living.  It’s kinda fun to respond to that question by saying…”anything I want”.

More time=Different time management

When you are an entrepreneur that works a 9 to 5 you also have a 8 to 1. It takes incredible discipline, preparation, task management and delegation to make that schedule work effectively.  When you jump ship and start working full time on your own business you automatically assume that you’re freed up time will lead to greater productivity.  That usually is the case, but for me it took a while.  It took schedule adjustments and equally focusing on a “work life balance” (I live more of a homogeneous model).  Most importantly…focusing on what is most important.

The supporters, the envious and the non-believers

In the minds of many spectators, your entrepreneurial efforts will go from “aww that’s cute” to “what’s this guy got up his sleeve”.  You should be prepared to handle all types of commentary.  Some are going to love what you do and will do anything to support you, others will want to be in the position you’re in and some will think you’re doomed to fail.  You’re mom’s going to want to make sure you can eat from month to month.  Your dad will want to know if you’re making the right career decision.  It’s always of the utmost importance to surround yourself with positive people that believe in your cause but will give you the harsh realities when needed.

Well everybody…here’s to ramen noodle and 14 hours days (I am being a bit dramatic).  Really…here’s to freedom of choice, possibilities and making good things happen.

Check out ConvoSpark.com to see a bit more about what I am doing.

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I have learned alot in the past month!  It seems like my January 2010 = the sum of my UCSB college years from an educational standpoint (it’s not you UCSB, it’s me).  I think I have already made my point, but just to reiterate…I am committed to learning this year.

I have committed 2010 to being my breakthrough year.  I have been pursuing new and worthwhile opportunities, establishing myself in my industry and trying to soak as much as I can in between.

The good thing is that the “stuff in between” is not slipping through the cracks as I have been “flippin” new videos of myself letting anyone who cares know “What I Learned Today“. Most of the videos are indirectly related to my life as an entrepreneur in the social media space.  However, I am hoping that there are takeaways for anyone trying to learn something new, helpful and insightful every day.  Here are a few videos on what I have learned last month:

Go to Bed Before 2:30am (Jan 5th)

How to Get Featured on the Tim Ferriss Blog (Jan 6th)

Creativity is Paramount! (Jan 12th)

Leaders are Direct (Jan 15th)

FindingWood.com Has Launched! (Jan 25th)

Partnerships: Leave Everything on the Table (Jan 27th)

For more of “What I Learned Today”, check out my Posterous blog Brenton’s QuikFix

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Most likely this post will come off as a shameless plug for my good friends’ websites, startups and projects…so be it…they deserve it!

After spending a little time with one of my best friends and checking out his ridiculously hilarious, well written and random website Finding Wood (launches today might I add) something struck me as it sometimes does.  I thought to myself: my friends group of friends are like no other group!  I am proud to say that many of us bypassed the young professional martini sipping lifestyle for the young entrepreneur 12am tea drinking  culture.  I am excited to say that amongst my friends, unordinary has become ordinary.

I have grown through my 20’s along side the best friends a person my age could wish for.  Yes we show each other nothing but support and love  but far beyond that we never allow each other to settle.  Each of us has sacrificed comfort and conventional success for our dreams (or at the very least what makes us happy).  I am proud to have the friends I do and owe much of my current and future achievements to them.

Daniel: My best friend and constant supporter.  This guy has backed me since the  2nd grade.  I’ve never met a person more capable when he puts his finger on what he wants.  I’ll always look up to Gip.

Kyle Rutty: His creativity scares me…literally.  Someday you will see him on SNL, but for now you can find him at FindingWood.com.  He has lived the classic story of  becoming a special government agent only become a coffee shop literary samurai (but I’m sure you have heard that before).

Wafi: Waf is a friend that will never leave your side, even if you want him to.  His knack for business and his ability to get things done impresses the hell out of me.  He always seems to be doing something big…next month is is launching MyCollegeSpot.com.

D Man: Derek taught all my friends that education must be pursued far beyond school.  Even better, real life education comes from investing in yourself and your business.  He is responsible for teaching me about system based businesses.

Killa Cam: Cameron never settles.  He lives life the way it is ought to be lived…whatever way he wants to.  He has built CampusBooze.com up to be the main resource for thousands of college students trying to get drunk for cheap.

Austin- Every group of friends needs their Tim Ferriss.  You know the guy that travels the world while building his startups?  Ya that guy.  He teaches the world how to do it at FullFoundation.com.

Sam- Sam will change the face of preventative health care.  He better, I’ve listened to him talk about it for too long for him not to.

Cath- I have never met a college student with so much drive and vision.  When I was her age I couldn’t see past Thursday nights in Downtown Santa Barbara.  I am so proud to be her boyfriend!

Plus all my other great friends who are foolish like me….JC$, Javi @ StuVu.com, Max….the list goes on.

If I could recommend on thing for young folks right out off college, entrepreneurs or anyone trying to get the most out of life, it would be to surround yourself with abnormal people…they will help you live an abnormal life!

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Photo from Ethan Hein

If you are working on or thinking on working on your first startup, read this. It should help you avoid a messy situation.

In the journey of entrepreneurship, ups and downs are expected. So when BlackTop Hoops had an entire month of everything going right, it was to be assumed that the perfect storm was waiting right around the corner. Here is a quick story of how the perfect storm hit my first big scale entrepreneurial project, BlackTop Hoops, how I handled it and how you can do better.

I tried to forge the river and my wagon got flooded (everyone likes nostalgic analogies right?).

For those of you not familiar with me or BlackTop Hoops, I have been working on “BTH” for a little over a year trying to figure how to help recreational basketball connect and organize. I set forth to create social platform which would allow online communities of basketball players to highlight their basketball skill set, find courts to play on and organize game to play in (this was BTH’s core). Our (I’ll tell you the reason for the “our” usage later) grandiose plan was to help basketball organizations (leagues, tournaments and trainers) promote their companies and organize their members. We believe that rec. basketball is far too segmented to the detriment of basketball players …so we would build the community, bring in the organizations and create a meaningful/ profitable company Yayayy!! Easier written then executed. It turns out that when I started I knew absolutely nothing, but was ballsy enough to take the leap of faith and get going on the project. I guess I knew so little that a year later, I still didn’t have a finished product to push public.

In September I worked with my CMO on bringing on a developer who would be a partner of the project and work for sweat equity. It sounded perfect! A month earlier I spent too much time and money on a development team who could not execute. I was desperate, I did not want to spend any significant amount of money yet at the same time, I didn’t have many options. That was until my CMO came to me with what seemed to be a great option. He was a good programmer, a better business man, a cool guy and best of all, he believed in BlackTop Hoops. This was going to work out perfectly.

Fast forward a month later. It’s early October and we’re about a month away from launching our Beta version to the public. I was rushing to solidify our marketing plan, incorporate our business, and make sure the development process was running smoothly. Being in the web development sector, I should have known that development never goes smoothly. So in the first week of October, right before me and my developer got our meeting rolling, he uttered the unequivocally painful words, “I am going to have to pull out of this project”. I remember this so crystal clear, everything stopped; I listened and did not respond. I felt a slight sense of shock mixed in with the emotion you would feel if your baby was kidnapped (no adjective for that). His reasoning was he did not see the benefit outweighing the cost at that point and the benefit in his mind was money. After reflecting on this, the real reason it fell through wasn’t the money potential or compensation. It was because we didn’t take enough time to fully understand each other’s expectations. Since I am the president of the company…I deserve all the blame.

I remember just sitting at the desk after the phone was hung up. My mind stopped and I was immediately comforted by the feeling that ran through me. It was the feeling of opportunity. Idea after idea came to my head. Some having to do with how to move forward with BTH and others suggesting that I buy a ticket to Peru; the good thing was that they were all ideas of hope instead of self loathing. After babying it at the expense of my girlfriend I love, I decided to put BTH on the back burner for an indefinite amount of time and focus on my next move.

So here I am today, almost a month later and have one temporarily stalled project on my hands. Hindsight is always 20/20, so I thought I’d cast my eagle eye vision on this blog post and tell what I would have done differently to prevent this mini catastrophe.

Here is what I would have done differently

• Defined each partner’s expectations right from the beginning- I am not that dumb. I made sure we all define our expectations. However, not to the extent that we all were completely on the same page. We were fine with the undefined gray area (in this case it was partnership terms, rev share, etc.) hoping that we can work on good faith until we were ready to solidify the partnership fully.  That turned out to be a big mistake as I was working with a developer who owned a dev firm so needed to see immediate ROI.  He wanted revenue streams from the start while I wanted to build a community first and monetize second.  No wonder it didn’t work.

• Created less of a Partnership and more of a Team- We were working to better basketball, we should have known the concept of team. Each person in the group worked together but seemed to have their own agenda. The camaraderie wasn’t there and it really needed to be to make it work. Make sure to not commit to a team before you need to. Get help from friends, VAs, mentors, etc…but when you get your first partner you best make sure they are a true team member.

• Do a little more market research- You MUST test your assumptions. If you feel like your market wants X…ask if your market wants X. I got held up with thinking my concept was full proof. Of course I met with some amazing people who had some amazing input and made sure to include my friends in on the process, but for the most part I failed to ask the people that mattered…the basketball players. Do not make the same mistake.  On the other side of the coin, don’t get caught up doing too much market research.  Too much research can be more of a hindrance then anything else and doom a promising project right from the start.

• Created a budget for almost everything- I jumped in not understanding competitive pricing of web development.  Boy was that a mistake…actually…I’ll call it an expensive education. Next time I will make sure to find a development team that will work at a fixed project rate, that has a development shop big enough to deliver a finished product on time and give the project the attention it deserves. Disclaimer: many large development shops do not work under the guiding principle of transparency. You must make sure to find one that does.

• Gave it that extra percentage point- It’s hard for me to admit this but, I could have put more into this project. Don’t get me wrong I shed sweat, blood and tears for BTH but I could have hustled a bit more. You can always hustle a bit more, ask Gary V. As a young entrepreneur you most likely have fewer resources, less knowledge, a smaller network then your competitors. What you do have is an unlimited amount of energy, passion and the naivety that could possibility work in your favor. Embrace being the underdog and hustle like crazy!

Please let me know what you would do differently if you were in my situation. Better yet, please let me know what tips you have for BlackTop Hoops…I would love to hear from you and this time my ears are fully open.

Thanks for listening…I hope you can learn from my mistakes!

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…Oh, what a year!

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