Phil Montero 2.0 – Why 2 heads are better than one!

I recently entered a fun video contest sponsored by HotHardware.com and Viddler where they asked you to upload a short video telling them about your personal hardware or tech gear and why it enhances your world. The prize was a Flip UltraHD Camcorder.  These amazing video cameras shoot in HD and are small enough to fit in your pocket (a perfect addition to The Anywhere Office).  I’ve been wanting one for a while so when I saw the contest I just had to enter!  After some brainstorming with Jason we came up with a fun idea that not only highlighted some great tech but also explained the productivity boost I get from using it.  There were some very creative entries to the contest but happily about a week ago they announced me as the winner (waaahoo)!  Here is my winning entry:

If you’re not familiar with their website, HotHardware.com features computing/hardware news and reviews f0r technology enthusiasts and IT professionals. They have a wonderful active community and I highly recommend you sign up for free and join in the discussions. Read more

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)

Ready.gov’s National Preparedness Month 2009 Business Fact Sheet

It’s not really a ‘put on a funny hat and blow a paper noise maker’ sort of event, but September is National Preparedness Month and I thought in honor of that I would share The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov Business Fact Sheet. The fact sheet is distributed as part of their Ready Business campaign and you can find more details and resources for appropriate disaster planning and business continuity at www.ready.gov.

As our contribution to National Preparedness Month we have made our on-demand teleseminar, Riding the Storm Out, available FREE for the rest of the year.  Visit this page to listen to 4 South Florida experts discuss strategies, tips, and best practices for building a simple but effective business continuity and disaster recovery plan. The whole seminar is only about an hour and is packed full of real-deal advice, and each speaker also provided supporting documents that you can download.

2009 Business Fact Sheet Follows:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Fact Sheet

September 1, 2009

READY BUSINESS

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Advertising Council launched the Ready Business Campaign in September 2004. This extension of Homeland Security’s successful Ready Campaign, designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies, focuses specifically on business preparedness. Ready Business helps owners and managers of small- and medium-sized businesses prepare their employees, operations and assets in the event of an emergency.

• Ready Business was developed by Homeland Security and launched in partnership with U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Administration, Society of Human Resource Management, The Business Roundtable, The 9/11 Public Discourse Project, ASIS International, Business Executives for National Security, International Safety Equipment Association, International Security Management Association, National Association of Manufacturers, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
• The goal of Ready Business is to raise the business community’s awareness of the need for emergency planning and motivate businesses to take action. The campaign encourages business owners and managers to: plan to stay in business; talk to their employees; and protect their investment.
• Emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks, can paralyze business operations. Small- and medium-sized businesses in particular are most vulnerable to these events. Having an emergency plan can help protect a company and maximize its potential to survive and recover after an incident.
• According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent more than 99 percent of all employers; provide approximately 75 percent of the net new jobs added to the economy; and represent 97 percent of all U.S. exporters. If these businesses are prepared to survive and recover, the nation and the economy are more secure. Read more

Special interview with federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra – CNET Blogs

Back in April, President Obama announced that Aneesh Chopra, formerly Virginia’s secretary of technology, would be the United State’s first Chief Technology Officer.

“Aneesh will promote technological innovation to help achieve our most urgent priorities — from creating jobs and reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure,” said Obama.

“Aneesh and Jeffrey [Zients, the newly appointed chief innovation officer] will work closely with our chief information officer, Vivek Kundra, who is responsible for setting technology policy across the government, and using technology to improve security, ensure transparency, and lower costs,” he added.

After hearing the news of Melissa Hathaway’s resignation I got to wondering how Mr. Chopra was holding up. I found this interview he gave on Buzz Out Loud just a couple of weeks ago.

BOL 1033: Special interview with federal CTO Aneesh Chopra | Buzz Out Loud Blog – CNET Blogs.

If you are interested in some background on Aneesh Chopra, Tim O’Rielly posted a comprehensive article on his O’Rielly Radar blog back in April entitled Why Aneesh Chopra is a Great Choice for Federal CTO.

Join me for the Flexible Work Summit: A free virtual event

I want to invite you to join me and 9 other experts as we reveal how to revolutionize your business by harnessing the power of workplace flexibility. Flexibility is a proven business strategy, not a passing fad. In this free virtual seminar series you will learn the insider secrets of increasing flexibility, productivity, and success! Sign up for your free pass now: FlexibleWorkSummit.com.

Dr. Ashley Acker, of Workstyledesign.com, will be the host and emcee for this exciting event. On 4 consecutive days she will be interviewing a group of experts sharing techniques for increasing the flexibility of how, when, and where you work. You can participate in these FOUR 75-MINUTE TELESEMINARS for FREE.

I’ll be interviewed on Tuesday, May 12th to discuss How Small Changes Lead to Big Results in The Anywhere Office. I’ll be sharing best practices for successfully managing virtual teams.

Here’s an overview of the 4 sessions:

Strategies for Stretching WHEN You Work | Monday, May 11th, 2pm CST

• How to create a competitive edge in your business by harnessing work-life integration.
• Why work-life fit is more important than work-life balance.
• How workplace flexibility isn’t just about mommies (Secret: it’s actually a cross-generational and gender-neutral issue).

Read more

Thinking about starting your own business? Get some Free Expert Advice from the folks at Changing Course

If you’re like many people the current economy may have cost you your job – or has you concerned about the stability of your current workplace.  You’d love to start your own business but you are not sure if this is the right time.

Our colleagues over at ChangingCourse.com are offering a free 60-minute telephone seminar this Sunday on why this is the perfect time to start your own business and i wanted to tell you folks about it.

Here is their invitation describing the event:

Here’s why this is THE perfect Time to Start Your Own Business

Have you ever thought of simply putting out your shingle and starting your own business? Yet maybe your plans came to a screeching halt because of what’s going on in the economy. Well what if I told you now was THE perfect time to start your own business, would you believe me? Well, here’s the deal, it’s true, now is really the perfect time to start your business.

Did you know that some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies today were started in a down economy? This is just one of the many things you will discover when you sign up for Valerie Young’s call this Sunday, April 5 at 7pm. You’ll hear Valerie interview Tom Kennedy (a former consulting client of hers who took the ideas he got from our brainstorming session and ran with them) as well as two graduates of her Outside the Job Box Career Expert Training, Cheryl Young and Sherrie Porterfield – each with very different personalities, perspectives, and approaches!

All three of these individuals offer a unique perspective on why now is the perfect time to start your own home-based business. Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »