Club Chaos Agents - All Things Hollish, Wacked, and Jacked

After posting a couple of times about my weight loss and fitness goals here, I am very pleased to report that I met and exceeded my original weight loss goal yesterday. 

Since today is my 40th birthday, this was a terrific gift.

I started out at 248 pounds (my heaviest ever) and today, I weighed in at exactly 208 pounds.  Needless to say, I was truly excited.

I've worked very hard at getting this weight off and the speed with which it happened surprised me, frankly. 

When I wrote about my goals publicly, I promised to update my profile picture when I got to 210 pounds or less.  As you can see, I kept my promise.  :)

For the sake of comparison, here are my "before and after" photos:

Since this is the first time I've seen them side by side, I am astounded at how much healthier I appear to be now.  This is the result of (almost) daily exercise, along with much better eating habits.  I'm pretty sure that I am almost unrecognizable to my friends, unless they've known me since college, since I was this weight as a sophomore in school. 

I plan to continue my fitness journey, mainly to see just how much more I lose, then to gain muscle on top of that.  I feel amazingly good and I have more energy than I can remember having in the past 15 years or more.

THANK YOU to those of you who have encouraged me and sent me emails and messages of support.  If you are interested in knowing all of the details of the applications I used, along with a general idea of my calorie consumption and exercise regimen, let me know.  Basically, I ate less without horribly depriving myself, and moved my body a whole lot more. My exercise included walking (lots), running (less than walking), some biking, calisthenics, and, as of 2.5 weeks ago, the P90X workout system.

I hope this doesn't come across as bragging - I truly managed to surprise myself, too!  Basically, I wanted to share the fact that, even though I was a very sedentary almost-40-year-old man who ate whatever he wanted for many years, I was able to make a change for the better.  If I can do it, you probably can, too.  :)

Thanks for reading!

This is the third post in a series about how to use Twitter to form relationships for business and personal connections (which could lead to business, too, right?).

One of the quickest ways for me to explain how to properly use this platform is to use a real-life analogy.  Pretty much everything you can do in person while networking can be done online now, with the notable exception of a handshake or hug.  Video conferencing even allows you to make eye contact with the person you’re getting to know.

If you’ve read Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, you may recall that the first of his “Six Ways to Make People Like You” is this one:

Be Genuinely Interested in Other People

In fact, if you spend your time asking questions of others at a networking event rather than talking about yourself, they will later describe you as one of the most interesting people they met that day.  Simply put, being interested makes you more interesting.

When I’m working with real estate clients or interacting at a networking event, I have used a “talk show host” mindset for years.  I ask questions and sincerely listen, in an effort to learn more about them and their needs.  If you want to see a true master of this craft, watch Johnny Carson via DVD or online sometime.  Here’s a link if you would like to see a good example of his skills in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu9cSMy-k4Q (interviewing a then-22-year-old Michelle Pfeiffer).

One of the other reasons Johnny Carson had such a long career was because he was a tireless promoter of others.  His show provided a stage for comics who were virtual unknowns and he could instantly put them on the map.  Over the years, he met pretty much everyone who was worth knowing in entertainment.

With that in mind, when you’re using Twitter or any social media platform, think about ways to help promote other people and their work.  If you retweet interesting and entertaining stuff, those whom you’re helping will take notice.  DON’T overdo it, however, because you want your efforts here to be authentic, not forced.

I tweet more than average.  Okay, I tweet a lot more than average.  I have over 29,000 tweets at this point.  That being said, I ALWAYS notice when someone takes the time to retweet what I have shared.  I try to remember to thank them each time, too, although I don’t always remember to do so. Consequently, I would be more willing to help someone that I already “know”.  Become a known entity.

As I mentioned before, this is the type of thing that will come in handy for you and your business in general, not just online.

In a nutshell, if you take the time to help others get noticed for their work, blog, event, or cause, and you will be noticed, too.  Don’t focus on the superstars exclusively – they have ample support.  Don’t forget to help the people that seem worthy of attention who don’t have a huge following already.  That being said, doing both will help in the long run.

Thanks for reading!

Here are the first two posts in this series if you’re interested:

How to Use Twitter – Tip #1 – Start or Join a Conversation

How to Use Twitter – Tip #2 – Panning for Gold Nuggets

Originally Posted at: 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors

This is one of the most touching videos I've seen this year.  It's a montage of various members of our troops returning home and surprising their loved ones. 

Quick warning: I would highly suggest having Kleenex nearby.  I watched most of it with tears in my eyes.

Interestingly, they used the exact same music as one of my all-time favorite videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY

Enjoy!

Many of my friends have asked me to post about my weight loss journey, and a good number of them have contacted me to let me know that they were inspired to start their own program from reading about my progress. In an effort to bring a few more people along with me, I thought the time was right to give an update here.

As a quick reminder, I started at 248 pounds, and my original goal weight was 210. 

This morning, I weighed in at 212 pounds. 

Nine days ago, I started a new exercise program along with my good friend John Cannata (loan officer in Dallas area).  We are committed to finishing the P90X system, which will last 90 days.  After that, I may just repeat it in order to maintain what I have worked to achieve.  Truly, the workouts are very challenging, but I have seen swift results in my strength, endurance, and appearance.  It never hurts to get compliments from my wife on my abs.  :)

I continue to count calories using the iPhone LoseIt! application, and I am also walking/running most evenings if time permits. 

I found that the hardest part for me was in the initial week or two, when I was adjusting to a new regimen, but at least 80% of the battle was making a firm decision to begin.

Part of my original motivation was to help my son with his weight loss, and I thought it would be a great thing for us to do together.  He has lost 23 pounds so far, and he's feeling and looking much better and healthier.

The only drawback I've found to this point is the fact that I had to buy new clothes, but that is a price I'm willing to pay, of course.  My waist size is down four inches to this point, and my extra large shirts are too big on me now.

THANK YOU for your continued encouragement and compliments.  I truly appreciate the support from my friends. 

If you decide that you want to do this type of thing yourself, I would be happy to provide some encouragement for you and to bug you a little (in a friendly way).

Thanks for reading!

As part of our continuing effort to educate at 210 Consulting, we are offering an encore version of "Facebook for Business".  Jeremy Blanton and I will be the instructors.

Date: Monday, August 16th

Time: 1pm Eastern (noon Central, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific)

Duration: One hour (with time allowed at the end for extra questions you may have)

Cost: $24.99

Essentially, this class is a beginners guide to using Facebook effectively.  By the time you finish this course, you will know the following:

• What is the difference between Facebook Pages & Profiles
• The basic elements to running a successful Facebook business page
• What types of things to post on your page
• The importance of choosing the right title
• How to get fans to your page and, more importantly, how to get them interacting on your page

If you have been hesitant using Facebook for your business or think it only about catching up with friends or playing Mafia Wars, this is the class for you.

Although the title of this post says “Tip #2″, it could rightfully be called “Tip #0.5″ since it probably should have come before my first post on this topic. 

One of the biggest points of confusion/complaint with Twitter is this one:

“How can I possibly keep track of hundreds or thousands of people and their tweets?”

Well, you can’t.  So, I would highly recommend using a tool to screen out the noise so that you can really focus on the people you care about.  The top three sites that I can suggest for this purpose are Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, and Seesmic.

Each of these tools has its own features and advantages, which I’m not really intending to cover within the scope of this post, although I may visit each of these in a separate post sometime.  In a nutshell, Tweetdeck must be installed on each individual computer, while Hootsuite is a web-only application, and Seesmic offers both versions.  I have friends that love each one of them for different reasons.

Why are these applications so valuable?

If you remember nothing else here, keep this in mind:  Using a tool like this will enable you to create columns of people and things that YOU deem important.  In other words, you can sort out your REAL friends from the masses.  You can also set up searches by keyword, which is exceptionally valuable.  As a quick example,  wouldn’t you like to know every time someone mentioned moving to your area?

Sadly, many people give up on using Twitter as a business tool before they get around to filtering their feed. It seems overwhelming unless you take the time to narrow it down.  Believe me, I felt the same way when I started there.

As of this writing, I have just over 12,000 Twitter followers and I follow close to 9,000 accounts.  However, I have about 300 people/accounts in my “Real Friends” column.  Obviously, I add (and very occasionally, subtract) people over time, but it’s a focused list of folks that I’m interested in.  Maybe I know them “in real life”, or maybe we’ve just had some good conversations online.  Either way, these are set apart for easier digestion, as opposed to the social media firehose that Twitter could become if unmanaged.

I hope this helps – thanks for reading!

Originally Posted at: 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors

Do you need a new set of business cards?  Thinking of a possible re-design or maybe just running low?

Jeremy Blanton and I are the co-owners of 210 Consulting.  We specialize in helping companies and individuals learn how to use social media tools for business growth and networking.  Recently, Jeremy was given an opportunity to give away two sets of 500 business cards from a company called Uprinting. 

We decided to have some fun with it, and hopefully gain more exposure for our fledgling business in the process. 

We made it supremely easy to enter the contest, which will run through the end of the month.

To see the details (along with a video), visit Jeremy's post right here:

http://210consulting.com/business-card-contest

Thanks for reading!

When I started using Twitter back in the fall of 2008 (I had joined many months earlier, but barely used it up to that point), I was a little stumped by all of the lingo and the fast pace of the platform:

What is a "retweet"?  Why do I have to use an "@" symbol in front of everyone's name to talk to them?  Is anyone really listening?

Over time, I became much more comfortable with the platform, and it has been invaluable to me as a business tool.  I connected with my radio co-host there.  I recruited some people to work for our company.  I had real-world dollars in my pocket because of the things that I learned there and the people I met, some of whom I got to know in person as well.

In an effort to share some of the things that have worked for me, I am starting a series of posts about Twitter and its usage.  If you're looking to learn how to use Twitter as a legitimate tool to grow your business and your base of connections, you will probably want to follow along.

Today's tip (as you probably noticed in the title above) is this:

START OR JOIN A CONVERSATION

One analogy that I've heard and used to describe Twitter is that it's much like a big party.  If you are hanging out at a party, you will probably be part of many conversations throughout the event.  Sometimes the conversations get a little more in-depth, and sometimes they even get private.  Other times, you're just kidding around with friends and having a good time.  Most things that you can do with regard to networking in person can be done on Twitter as well, although I am not suggesting that Twitter or any other social media tool should replace face-to-face meetings.

HOW TO START A CONVERSATION

I know that this seems really rudimentary, but we've had so many clients ask this that I thought it would be pertinent to include here.  Think of how you start a conversation in person.  Do you mention a blog post you just wrote?  Well, maybe, but only if you describe it somehow and then chat about it afterward.  The same applies with Twitter.  Simply broadcasting your posts to the tweetstream with no commentary is valueless, in my humble opinion.  You can include them, to be sure, but only as part of a larger plan.

Try these ideas:

• Mention a cool article or video you have seen
• Take a poll
• Ask a question of any kind ("what is your favorite TV show/movie/80′s song?")
• Say something funny  - anything truly funny will usually get a good response
• Promote others by retweeting stuff you find interesting or wise

HOW TO JOIN A CONVERSATION

Unlike being at a real-life party, Twitter offers you the opportunity to join conversations with little chance of personal rejection.   If you spot something of interest, respond to it, as in, "Me, too.  That book changed my outlook on life in general."  If you see something funny, respond accordingly, "I laughed so hard just now that milk came out of my nose."

If you see a discussion about something that looks interesting or about which you can converse, just jump in and participate.  The worst case is no response at all, and you haven't really risked much, right?

Again, I recognize that this is pretty basic stuff, but I'm trying to illustrate that Twitter isn't mysterious or difficult.  It can facilitate things if you use it the right way.

I hope this is helpful for you.  I would love to hear your input below.   Thanks very much for reading!

Next Twitter tip (coming soon): Promoting others

As I detailed in my last post, I am attempting to lose roughly 40 pounds of excess weight over the next few months.  I was simply tired of feeling sluggish and out of shape, and I had watched a season of "Biggest Loser: Couples".  I figured if the guy who weighed 526 pounds could run, so could I.  :)

At any rate, in an effort to keep my photo current, I decided to switch it out tonight.  I am roughly at the mid-way point for my weight loss, having dropped almost 20 pounds so far.  Mainly, I am feeling stronger, thinner, and healthier, which is what matters.  I probably won't switch it again until I meet or exceed my goal.

I have placed both photos below for comparison purposes.  I decided to stick with the "thumbs up" pose.

Thanks to those of you who have commented on my previous post, and also to those who have emailed privately to encourage me.  I appreciate the support and accountability more than you know. 

Thanks for reading!

Recently, I decided that it was time to lose some weight.  I was the heaviest I have ever been, and although I don't think most people thought of me as overweight, I was/am.  At 6'4", I just carry it better, which means that it doesn't show as much on my frame, but I was nearing 250 pounds.  Officially, I think my highest weight was 248 or so.

I started eating better (meaning less junk), and lost about 10 pounds over a couple of months.  I also started exercising a bit more - mainly walking when I had time.

This past week, I made a bigger commitment, and set some tangible goals as well.  I am doing the only things that have ever worked for me when it comes to weight loss.  I am counting calories and exercising daily.  Nothing overly hardcore, but enough that I should be able to continue to lose a pound or two each week.  I think this will result in a lifestyle change, as opposed to rapid weight loss from Atkins or something similar. 

I started the week at 237.6 (the joy of digital scales, huh?).  This morning, I was 233.4. 

I heard about an iPhone app that has been helping, called Lose It!.  It enables me to easily track my caloric intake and to add exercise, which means I "earn" more calories.  My wife, son and I are all trying to lose roughly 30 pounds each. 

My goal weight is 210 or less.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to hit this by late September, but my wife has a high school reunion event and I am hoping to be close when that happens.

This past week, I have been biking with my son, walking, some running, swimming, weightlifting, and doing calisthenics.  Using another iPhone app, "100 Pushups", I have worked up to doing 32 real pushups over the past week.  On the first day, I could do exactly 4.  :)  My longest set is 11 thus far.

One of my other goals is to be able to do 3 or 4 real pullups.  I don't recall ever having done ONE pullup properly in my entire life, so this goal is far loftier than it may appear at first glance.

I've found so far that it's much easier to lose weight when we are supporting each other, and I've also discovered that I have more time to exercise than I thought.  My energy level is much higher already, and I feel stronger and thinner.

If you actually read this far, you're probably wondering why I decided to share this level of detail.  Two reasons:

• It will allow me to look back and track my progress
• I think it will be motivational and hold me accountable to know that many other people know my goals for this

Thanks very much for reading!  I'm off to get another glass of water now.  :)