Brad Marley

For all of its faults and petty arguments and useless knowledge, the Internet has provided us with an incredible opportunity to meet people who are doing awesome things.

The woman I interviewed for today’s version of “The Five and One” is one of those people.

Her name is Megan Gebhart. She is the blogger behind 52 Cups, one girl’s year-long experiment with caffeine and conversation, one of the coolest blogs I’ve come across lately.

I think we, as humans who aspire to be successful, are programmed to go to college, get a comfortable job, get married, create a legacy, and die. And when you read it like that, it’s sort of depressing.

Megan is not following that agenda, which is why I was drawn to her quest in the first place. As you’ll read below, she’s not content with being comfortable.

I’m thrilled she took time out of her coffee-drinking and conversation-ing to answer six of my questions.

Brad: So, first of all, where did you get the idea for ’52 Cups’?

Megan: Two years ago, out of the blue, I received an email from a kid named Brett. He was also a Michigan State student and had heard I was interested in entrepreneurship. He wanted to get together for coffee to see if there was a way we could help each other out with our respective projects. I said yes, never expecting that result of the meeting would be an incredible friendship that would really influence my college experience.

One day I was thinking about the impact that initial cup of coffee and thought, if one new connection could change my life, what would a year of new connections do? I figured there was only one way to find out decided to launch the yearlong experiment.

After the recent passing of Steve Jobs, a lot of the coverage (especially blogs) focused less on the technology he created, and more on the words he shared with the 2005 Stanford graduating class: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” Not to say your idea is foolish, but what you’re doing seems to fall under this idea that you are trying to discover your passion, than settle for a desk job. Am I wrong in operating under this assumption?

I think that’s a pretty great assumption. I often use the term naive when I talk about the start of the project. I really jumped into it headfirst without taking a lot of time to consider the details, which, under the right circumstances, can be a great approach. I was so excited about the idea of 52 Cups I couldn’t wait to get started and I had a sense that if I worked hard to create good content the project would fall into place. I also wasn’t expecting the project to lead me to a job–my plan was to do what everyone expected me to do and get a fancy corporate job.

After 52 conversations though, I’ve definitely adopted the “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” mentality. I’ve talked to so many people that have followed their passion and found careers they truly love. It’s not easy to chase your passion, but it is worth it. I first listened to Steve’s commencement address seven months ago and I like the “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” quote; however, the line that really stuck with me was:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living some else’s life.

Because of 52 Cups I feel comfortable chasing my passions instead of seeking the comforts of a 9-5 job.

The list of people who you’ve had coffee with is pretty eclectic. You’ve talked to everyone from the head coach of Michigan State’s basketball team, to the co-founder of Apple Computer. How do you decide who to talk to?

A quarter of the Cups were people that I knew of through Twitter, Michigan State or just being fans of their work (like Wozniak and author Seth Godin). The rest of the Cups were recommendations from friends. I was doing a lot of traveling so I would ask close friends if they could suggest someone that might be interested in meeting me for the project.

According to my math, you have three cups worth of conversation left. What will you do after the last cup?

The answer to this question is a little tricky. I’ve got a few ideas/opportunities that will allow me to continue traveling, writing, and meeting new people–it’s just a matter of sorting out the details. Fortunately, I’ve still got a little time and am really excited about what this next year will bring.

Has this project lived up to your expectations? In other words, have you gotten out of it what you anticipated?

Absolutely. In fact, it’s exceeded my expectations. I can’t imagine what my life would be like had I not done this project–the friendships created, memories made, and lessons learned have profoundly changed my perspective and helped prepare me for a career I’m really excited about.

When you set an ambitious goal that you’re really enthusiastic about–and push through the good time and bad–you often get more than you anticipate because pursuing something you love opens doors you didn’t know existed.It’s an addicting experience, I’m already trying to figure out what I can do for my next big project!

Finally, the random question: If you could hand-pick a job right now, what would it be?

I think Ellen Degeneres has a pretty great job–she gets to meet people, share interesting stories and have a lot of fun in the process. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past year with 52 Cups and I’ve never been happier.

***

Mad thanks go out to Megan for participating in the interview.

You can read all of the Five and One interviews here.

Finally, the random question: I love to read, and I love to hear what others are reading. So, what is the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?

OMG! The Hunger Games series. I seriously had to tell myself to go to work and, as my reward for working the entire day, I would get to go home and read. I read all three in a week. So. Freaking. Good.

***

Again – big thanks go out to Gini for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

You can find all entries in The Five and One series here.

Today’s guest on the world-renowned Five and One series is Marissa Raymo, a member of the special projects team at The Oakland Press and the paper’s Horse Sense blogger. [Editor's Note: She is also married to one of my best friends.]

Before we dive into the questions, I want to briefly explain why I asked Marissa to participate.

I am fascinated by the digitization of news media. The entrepreneurial journalists that “get it” are quickly starting to establish their presence over those who don’t, and Marissa is involved in a project that seeks to explore how new digital tools can enhance the news-gathering process. It’s really quite a fascinating project, but I don’t want to steal her thunder, so let’s get down to business.

What is the ideaLab?

The ideaLab is comprised of 18 Journal Register employees from various departments (editorial, sales, circulation, IT, and production) that were selected by our CEO John Paton and Advisory Board to experiment “with the latest technology and tools to help our company think differently about what we do and how we do it.” We were each given an Apple iPad, HP netbook, iPhone or Droid (based on our preference), and 25% of our work week to experiment and innovate. Pretty cool, right?

In your opinion, how are iPads and Flipcams changing how newspapers operate?

Our mobile tools have not only allowed us to transform into a multimedia company, but they have also allowed us to mobilize the print aspect of our business as well. Our reporters now upload stories and videos remotely, live stream at local events, and integrate print & digital with QR codes. One of our newspapers out of Connecticut recently opened it’s newsroom to the public as a newsroom café. Mobile technology allows us to be more in touch with the people we serve everyday.

You work for The Oakland Press. What is the consensus among some of the seasoned employees when it comes to the digitization of newspapers?

For the most part, I feel like people are excited about the changes. Digital First allows us to broaden our product offerings and the way we offer them. It also opens up the opportunity for new faces within our organization to step forward and make a contribution to the big picture (i.e. ideaLab). It’s been exciting and overwhelming and a bit scary at times, but mainly, exciting.

How difficult has it been to change perceptions on the news-gathering process?

At this point, it seems that most people have at least accepted the Digital First approach, if not completely embraced it. It was never really a question anyway. This is the way the industry is going and those that don’t want to follow along will eventually fall behind. I’m not sure why the perceptions of the newspaper business are so much different than other industries though. It’s still business and we have to evolve to meet the needs of our customers. It’s really that simple.

How do you plan to factor in what you’ve learned through ideaLab in your career?

The ideaLab has really allowed me to test the limits of my abilities. I had ideas before (more like fleeting thoughts), but never would have imagined that they could make a difference. Eventually I hope to use these skills to move into a position in digital product development and/or digital product sales training.

Finally, the “and One” portion of the interview: I know you enjoy writing. Who are your writing heroes?

Hmmm, that’s a toughie. I look up to writers that know how to “keep it real” without sacrificing their audience in the process. A few of my favorites would be Augusten Burroughs, David Sedaris, Stieg Larsson, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Jordan, William Faulkner….oh, and of course Brad Marley. [Editor's Note: Of course.]

***

I’d like to thank Marissa for flattering me taking time out of her busy schedule to answer a few of my questions. I hope this helps provide some insight into the changing face of journalism.

You can read all of the interviews in this series here.

Today’s guest on the world famous Five and One series is none other than Kate Storey, social media manager at The Henry Ford.

In the interest of transparency, this is where I tell you that Kate and I used to work together. But I didn’t ask to interview her just because she’s a cool chick. No, she’s a cool chick with a cool job.

She gets to spend her working days at a museum among such American relics as the chair Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in, and the bus where Rosa Parks made a stand.

In short, I’m jealous.

But when I heard she had recently taken over as the social media manager at the museum, I thought she would be a perfect fit for the series.

Kate was nice enough to take some time out of her day to answer some of my questions.

Please. Enjoy.

When you think of an entity that prescribes to the notion social media can be positive for its existence, a museum would be low on the list. Why is The Henry Ford embracing social media?

Actually, it’s a perfect fit! We have 1.6 million visitors each year – members, friends and people who just love history in general who love learning about all the different artifacts and programs we offer, and social media has provided an amazing opportunity for us to connect with them and give them even more than what they might have been able to experience during their visit – or, if they can’t visit, hopefully help them feel like they’re right here.

How difficult was it to get the museum to pursue social media as a viable method for accompanying traditional PR?

It really wasn’t difficult at all; when we realized how much our guests were already sharing of their experiences and questions on Facebook, Twitter, their personal blogs – you name it – it was easy to see that this was something we wanted to be part of: to better understand what everyone liked, what they didn’t, and to be able to help respond to any questions that they had along the way.

How does The Henry Ford plan to incorporate social media into their everyday PR efforts?

We’re already weaving in much of the details we would include in our press releases and pitching efforts through our Facebook posts, tweets and now in our blog – but our goal is to provide a bit more of an inside look at everything we do and offer, which traditional PR sometimes just doesn’t allow for.

The blog you recently rolled out is still in its infancy. But, from what I’ve seen, it will be used to highlight different exhibits within the museum. Is that the plan?

Yes, but not just exhibits – it’s that inside look that I mentioned; we want to give our guests an opportunity to dig a little deeper into everything that goes on at The Henry Ford, from the dance steps learned at our Ragtime Street Fair event to how we grew the lavender and hops in Greenfield Village for our newest beer!

History seems like such a perfect fit for this type of initiative. What are your thoughts on the way The Henry Ford will parlay history into content that is compelling, yet, informative?

One of our core values is to bring the past forward – and our goal, especially with the blog, is to do just that: to help bring history to life, so that it’s not just something that you stare at in a glass case but something you can relate to, that you can use in your very modern life. We want people to touch and experience it, to try it out at home and make those connections between the past, present and future.

Finally, the random question:

Is that really Henry Ford’s last breath in the test tube? (I think it’s Henry Ford, right?)

Ha! Well, you have it about a quarter of the way right: It’s actually Thomas Edison, and it’s sort of his last breath. A scientist right to the end, Edison had a bunch of open test tubes in his room, so after he passed away his son sealed up one of the tubes and sent it to Henry Ford, knowing what good friends they were and how he might appreciate having some of the air in the room where Edison took his last breath. The tube and an accompanying letter from Edison ’s son explaining all this were found in Henry Ford’s things long after he had also passed away. If anyone wants to see it for themselves, it’s in the Made in America exhibit in Henry Ford Museum , next to Tesla’s death mask (heh heh).

***

A big thanks goes out to Kate for taking the time to answer my questions.

If you have a few spare minutes, please take some time to read all of my interviews in the Five and One series.

Becky Johns is one heck of a communicator.

Whether it’s through her blog, her photography, or a combination of the two, I have been impressed with the depth of style in how she gets her message across.

So smitten was I with her writing, and the passion she exudes from what she creates, that I dropped her a line a few days ago to see if she would be interested in participating in my ongoing “Five and One” series.

Thankfully, she was more than willing to let me pick her brain.

Brad: Many bloggers say that a blog has to have a specific purpose in mind to be successful, but it seems like you are able to toe the line between personal and professional quite well.  What is your take on the value of writing a blog that mixes both?

Becky: Blogs tend to be more successful if they’re written with consistency in terms of what readers get out of it. In many cases that’s consistency of subject matter but in my blog’s case most of the consistency comes from the point of view. I write about about I’m inspired by, what I think is interesting, things that confuse me or issues relevant to the industry I work in. I’m a young communications and PR professional working in Michigan, I’m a freelance photographer on the side, I love social media, I love interesting events and a nice mixture of all that comes through in my writing. It keeps it interesting, helps me think through ideas, hopefully inspires others or helps them look at an issue differently and provides an environment where I can write with freedom and work on developing my voice. My life is one big blur between “professional” and “personal” so I guess it’s just natural to write that way.

Your Influencers Series is pretty awesome, and it contains a veritable “Who’s Who” of stars in the social media space. Why did you start this series? And what have you learned about social media from talking with people like Chris Brogan and Christopher Barger?

The Influencers Series is one of my favorite ongoing projects. It started because Chris Brogan and I found an hour to grab a drink while we were both at a conference, and he let me run my video camera while we talked. I’ve looked up to him for a while and have learned a lot from what he’s written. I wanted to do a different kind of interview than what you normally see with social media thought leaders so I just asked them about something they are passionate about. It’s cool to see the kinds of things people love that aren’t normally associated with them professionally and it’s even cooler to see how those passions and interests inform what they do for a living. I knew it would be a good way to connect with people I’m influenced by and many of them happen to be prominent members of the social space. A lot of people ask how I’ve been able to connect with some of the “stars” and it’s really simple. I read their content, I talk with them and when the time is right I make the ask to do an interview and snap a few portraits. They’re awesome people and have all been more than happy to connect with me.

In terms of what I’ve learned from them, well, they teach me things all the time with what they tweet, write, record, etc. They’re influencers in the first place because they’re putting valuable and interesting content out into the world, and they’re all just incredibly intelligent people. I learn a lot by hearing how things like baseball, comic books and Sherlock Holmes connect with social media or marketing or communications. I learn how to be a better content creator by putting together videos, photos and words into the posts about them. And ultimately, they’re friends and mentors I can talk to. Chris Brogan has been happy to answer questions for me. Chris Barger and I grab a drink once in a while and talk about PR, Detroit or whatever else we’re thinking about that day. I think I owe Scott Monty a lunch one of these days and each time I see him I always feel smarter by the time we’re done talking. I can call Charlie Wollborg to talk through ideas and he always gets me to stretch my brain a little further. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to surround myself with people smarter than me and the learning happens naturally. It really is all about having real relationships with people through social media and the Influencers Series is one way of doing that. Meet cool people, get to take photos and get great blog content…works for me!

You are obviously passionate about photography and I love how you weave that passion into your blog, especially the “Friends in a Frame” project. What was the impetus for that idea?

I do love photography and do a little freelance work in addition to my full-time gig and plethora of other projects. Friends in a Frame started as a simple portrait project with a few close friends and has turned into sort of the signature of my photography. People love it because the shots are natural and show personality. So, its taken on a bit of a life of its own and I’m just continuing with it. Having a project that made me become more disciplined about shooting regularly made me a better portrait photographer. And creating something people like and want to be part of played a huge part in having freelance opportunities come my way.

It lead to my first speaking opportunity at the #140Conf in October where I invited the crowd to see the world the way I do, through a lens. There are tons of beautiful things and moments in the world and I wish more people noticed them the way I get to. I try to write about photography sometimes and in each post, I share my photography. It’s a nice way to share my art and sometimes I have to get pretty creative to find or create a relevant image to what I’m writing about. My favorite photography subject is people, so I write about people a lot so I can have another excuse to take portraits of them.

In your opinion, what is the most challenging aspect of being a young professional in the communications industry?

I think the most challenging thing young communications pros face is the expectation that we know everything about the digital world. Yes, it’s true that many of us are very comfortable online, can navigate it without much fear or confusion and are anxious to try new tools and networks. But, understanding how to use the tools is one thing and understanding how to use them for business is quite another. I can feel the intrinsic value of social networking but I need to also be able to prove it can generate revenue, save money or meet some other goal or metric. Digital communications is an essential part of any job in this industry so reading as much as possible, testing out tools ourselves and keeping track of the nuances in the way people communicate and spread information is critically important. We’ve got even more to prove sometimes while battling against a lot of really negative stereotypes about our generation. That, of course, isn’t limited to communications professionals, but I think it’s an issue that’s been pretty unfairly painting young professionals in a negative light.

Maybe it’s just because I’m from here, but I get the impression that there is an abundance of hard-working and creative people in Detroit, like yourself. Why do you think that is?

Well, technically I’m about an hour down the road in Lansing, but I spend a lot of time in Detroit because I love the community. Some of my best friends are there and you don’t have to twist my arm very hard to visit. Detroit is full of smart, motivated, creative, entrepreneurial people who feel strongly enough about the community to stay there and try to make it better. There’s an energy that draws people in and I think it’s undeniable that there are people making positive moves. Michigan is America’s high five. That’s not a coincidence.

Finally, the “and one” portion of the interview: I read an old blog post where you talked about receiving a seat upgrade from the fan club at a recent Dave Matthews Band concert. As a fellow hardcore fan, how life-altering was that experience?

In a word, it was incredible. I’ve been to a lot of shows, but the front row is a totally different experience. Maybe I had some good karma stashed up that day or something, but it’s definitely the type of experience that turns a customer into a fan and a fan into an evangelist. Just thrilled to have been so lucky.

- – -

Huge thanks go out to Becky for participating in this interview. If you want to continue to read what she’s putting out there, I strongly encourage you to read her blog and follow her on Twitter.