A Taste Of Home

So I have been toying around with a Flip Video ever since I left on my deployment. The thing is great for shooting simple short videos which is exactly what I have been using it for. I think it will be a great way to let all my family and friends know what I am doing while I am away. I have been having a hard time describing what it is like to my wife, family and friends because it is so difficult to describe something so different from what any of them have experienced. It is like trying to describe a color. How do you tell someone what red looks like? Maybe I am just not as descriptive in speaking as I am while writing but regardless I need to get better at ensuring that my important human connections feel connected to my daily life while I am away, if for nothing other than for my wife's sanity.

I must say it is a pretty awkward feeling when you are by yourself talking to a camera so my hat goes off to all the video bloggers out there. I plan on setting up a YouTube page and getting it organized so that people who care can get a little taste of what my experiences are like over here in Iraq. The one thing that I have noticed in the few videos I have shot is how different things can come across in video versus just writing about them. You only get one shot to say how you feel on camera so it is a bit different than editing a blog post and it definitely feels a bit more invasive and personal. I guess it is something I will just have to get comfortable with. Well here is a short clip and my inaugural video blog post. Stay tuned for more and for an organized YouTube page with more clips.

Guitar String Manufacturer Gets Lean

When I think of D'Addario I think of the strings I use to create bludgeoning melodic death metal riffs. I think of face melting solos, headbanging, and on stage theatrics. The last thing I really think about is lean manufacturing. But after watching this video from CNN's small business blog I can tell that CEO Jim D'Addario gets it. Although the video is fairly light on real lean manufacturing content there was a passage that keyed me into the fact that D'Addario is practicing and succeeding using real lean. The part I am speaking of is when he talks about not laying people off. The moment you lay someone off because of the success of lean your lean journey has ended; in fact it has died a horrific death. No one is going to improve a process that works them out of a job. As I have discussed on BadskiBlog before, labor is cheap. It is your materials and inventory that make up the majority of your costs. By reducing inventory and waste while simultaneously increasing throughput and capacity you have effectively paid for all your labor. I think that the fact D'Addario is producing a product that is basically a commodity in one of the highest taxed states in the United States really says something. These strings certainly could be made in China, however D'Addario is using lean which is a growth strategy instead of resorting to a cost cutting outsourcing strategy. Good story that shows that manufacturing in the US is not and does not have to be dead!

Great Viral Marketing And A Few Good Laughs - Guitar Hero Video

When you think of cat like screams, a few sweaty bodies, horribly odd & contorted body motions, smeared makeup, and loud evil music, there are plenty of thoughts that come to mind. A video games with plastic instruments isn't necessarily the first scene that comes to mind. But the odd description above is quite typical of any group of people shredding their hearts out while playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band, and anyone who has participated in a living room jam session can attest to the games fun and addictive qualities. The concept of the game is remarkable enough to spread sales through word of mouth, but as all great marketers do the makers of Guitar hero are looking to get the word out through multichannel marketing. When I came across this beauty video I couldn't help but think that there is a little of this music nerd in all of us. I think the video below is a great example of what internet/viral/whatever you want to call it marketing should be all about. Not only does the clip have an ethos, eliciting a feeling that there is a little rock star in all of us, but it is funny as hell and likely to be emailed to friends and family, talked about in the office, or posted on blogs. The story screams that no matter how much we have repressed our inner rock demons the Guitar Hero gift from the rock Gods is the way to unleash the fury within. Even if you don't know much about music or have never considered yourself to be a musical person the message is loud and clear in this video. I love how they narrate via cheesy 80's power ballad in the background similar to the hugely successful "real men of genius" series by Bud Lite. My favorite part though is when he signs the ladies rack at work...classic! Enjoy the presentation and I would love to hear some comments on this video and how it does or does not do it for you from a marketing or a comedy standpoint.

Guitars, Negotiation and Saving Money

Yesterday I bought that little beauty pictured next to what you are reading. The "Ibanez PF5ECE Acoustic Electric Guitar with Cutaway" is listed in most stores and on the Internet for around $299.00, but I didn't pay that much for it. Why? Because I asked.

I have expressed my inability to relate to cheapskates that say to stay inside, sew your own clothes, spend all night cutting out coupons for your shopping, etc. I think those dudes are ridiculous. Who wants to live like that? And better yet, who has the time?

I am a few pages into Ramit Sethi's "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," and it is really good so far. The one point that he made that I liked was that people don't focus on the large stuff, they are always focused on finding that cheaper latte or something along those lines. I thought that was a great way to look at it. I have been meaning to get better at negotiation and being assertive. My wife is always on me about being more assertive with people I don't know. For some reason I am really shy with people I don't know which definitely isn't indicative of my personality once I get to know you. I am the kind of guy who orders something at a restaurant and gets the wrong order and just eats it anyways because I don't want to trouble the waitress or something? I don't really know why I don't say anything to be quite honest but that is the way I am.

My point is that I have been trying to put myself out there more with people I don't know. I really want to focus on getting better at negotiation. So yesterday when I went to purchase my guitar I knew that I wasn't going to pay retail value for it. Everything is negotiable I kept telling myself. I ran through a couple scenarios in my head of how I was going to deal with common responses and rejections. However, when I got there and asked for a military discount (which was my first strategy) the guy had a brother in the military. They obviously had no formal military discount at Guitar Center but he went and asked his manager. He came back and said he could give me 10% off, and just like that I had saved myself some significant money. Not only that, we started talking about his brother a little bit and he recommended the guitar that I ended up buying which wasn't even in the showroom. The guitar kicked ass for the money and I found it all because I pushed myself to negotiate. Now I wouldn't even really call this scenario negotiating, but I imagine this scenario would unfold more often if I went into more experiences prepared to negotiate.

Back to Ramit's point, most people spend so much time and energy on finding that discount or sale on a latte or laundry detergent but then they walk into a Guitar Center and buy a $300 guitar because that is what the price is in the store. Focus on big ticket items when you try to save. I am using experiences like my guitar buying experience as practice. How am I going to negotiate on my next property when I can't even negotiate a guitar from a headbanger at Guitar Center? Something I am still working on but its food for thought.

A Metalist Update

I came across this beauty! This one is for all you metalheads. I can't wait for this DVD release. These guys are one of the best things going right now and they are awesome musicians. I used to describe them as a guitarist's wet dream but then I realized that the whole band is unreal so I've moved on to less offensive descriptors.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER upcoming DVD will not suck

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