From the creator of podcasting

The Marketing Revolution

byJeph/Mar 28, 2022/inAdvice, Blogging, Innovation, Leadership, Marketing, Motivation, Presentations

The Brains Behind the Muscle

Hello my name is Jeph Maystruck and welcome to the marketing revolution!!! I started this podcast first and foremost to talk shop, business, (and maybe a bit of silliness) with all level of enterprising giants. Discussing topics like corporate social media pitfalls to hard-learned lessons from burnt website developers. I love talking to people, and I am not afraid to tell you what’s on my mind. I’ve seen a lot of different organizations in a lot of different industries, business fascinates me. So let’s talk about it 😀

The Goods

Episode #1 – Corporate Twitter accounts don’t need to be boring

Episode #2 – Why would a car dealership use Social Media?

Episode #3 – Nothing’s Impossible for the Regina Symphony Orchestra

Episode #4 of The Marketing Revolution Podcast feat Ryan Holota

Episode #5 – What Does The Vintage Tea Room & The Imax Have In Common?

Episode #6 – Who’s Derek Wu? – Part 1 of 2

Episode #7 – Poking on Facebook & How Squareflo Looks at Your Website Feat. Derek Wu – Part 2 of 2

Episode #8 - Linden Wilcock on Twitter, Facebook, the Tweetup and the future of Social Media

Episode #9 - The Friendliest Twitter Handle in the World, The @ReginaPolice?

Episode #10 - Why Earls is Better, an Interview with Jim Demeray

Episode #11 - Regina's Great Bambino, Kip Simon of 22Fresh

Episode #12 - The Coda Clothing Story Starring Colter Wood

Episode #13 - How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System? (A Freakonomics Podcast Encore)

Episode #14 - A Website Over Night With NorthWorks.ca

Episode #15 - The Leader of The HR Revolution Jillian Walker

Episode #16 - How do you Teach Business in HighSchool? Feat. Jordan Mcfarlen

Episode #17 - The Living Sky Media Conglomerate

Episode #18 - A Blogger For Hire - Roger Currie

Episode #19 - Judging a Newspaper By Its Cover With Dan Nicholls

Episode #20 - Being The Change You Want To See In The World - Feat. Thomas Le

Episode #21 - Filming The Earth, 50 Shades of Grey, and Nightmares w: Jillian Walker

Episode Synopsis

Episode #1 – Corporate Twitter accounts don’t need to be boring

In this episode @Lindenwilcock and @Kiltedbroker join myself for a conversation on corporate and local Twitter accounts. Should you have a separate company Twitter account? Why not? If all you’re using Twitter for is another mega phone to “get your message out there”, please stop. You’re wasting your time. The solution conceptually is quite simple. Just add value, that’s it. Now how we create and perceive value is different for everyone so the more feedback you can get the better.

We talk about @reginapolice @ReginaSymphony @codaclothing @HickoryGrill what’s good about some of these accounts and a couple stories on what not to do.

Episode #2 – Why would a car dealership use Social Media?

In this episode, the brilliant Mitch Gallant and I talk about how Capitol Ford (@CapitolFord) uses social media within their marketing mix. Mitch heads up the online marketing department for Capitol Ford. Along with a star studded team, including @Kiley_G @theRealBernando and himself @mitch_4.

In this episode:

We get down to the bottom of why a car dealership uses social media.
How he determines success, and some of the metrics he uses
How Capitol Ford prioritizes, in a fascinating story about a football field, project management and how to track long-term success
Mitch talks about his greatest accomplishment of his career thus far
We talk a bit about mobile and what marketers need to focus on in 2012
Mitch’s book recommendations for young, aspiring marketers, Unmarketing by Scott Stratten, Six Pixels of Seperation by Mitch Joel, All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin, The Thank You Economy and Crush it! by Gary Vaynerchuk.
Finally, Mitch answers a question from Twitter, “which platform do you think is the most useful to you at this point and why?”

Episode #3 – Nothing’s Impossible for the Regina Symphony Orchestra

In this episode I talk with Taron Cochrane (@taron_cochrane), the man behind The RSO on Twitter, The RSO Facebook Page.

We talk about how he’s built a substantial following for the Regina Symphony and he doesn’t exactly have the most common approach to marketing. That’s why he’s so darn successful at it. Read more on Episode 3 with Taron Cochrane.

In this episode:

We talk about the RSO on Twitter and Facebook
Why they’re no longer on Foursquare
He tells us why they don’t have a blog
Taron shares several stories about Canada’s Polka King
He shares some lesson’s he’s learned over the years
And he tells us what to focus on in 2012

Episode #4 – Ryan Holota On Why Your Marketing Strategy Needs To Be Risky

I met Ryan Holota roughly three years ago on Twitter. Since then we regularly go for coffee or a lunch sharing ideas on how we’re using social media. He’s very smart. I have a lot of respect for Ryan and his thoughts on social media are bang on. If you’re looking for an expert on writing and social media in Regina look no further, Ryan’s the best, I’d definitely hire him.

Visit Ryan Holota on Twitter and his website here.

In this episode:

Ryan talks about the beginning of his writing and marketing career
On writing: “Don’t expect to have a masterpiece every time you sit down to write. Just like the marathon runner gets up every morning and stretches before they run, you must practice your writing like a professional for a long time to see results.”
Books on writing “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, “Accidental Genius“ by Mark Levy
Ryan predicts 2012 “the year of mobile” for the third year in a row and adds that next year will probably be “the year of mobile” as well.
Social Media isn’t new, people have shared media throughout time. It’s just easier now. Communication doesn’t wait for a story to be printed in the weekend paper, we share media in real time.
He talks about how companies could use social media platforms much more effectively.
At the core of your marketing strategy, Ryan says there’s one great way to tell if you’re effective, increased sales.
We talk about how agency’s are going to withstand the new social/digital marketing convergence and if having an agency manage your social media strategy implementation.
How do you ensure your company or marketing department is still relevant in the next three years? “Don’t be safe”. Experiment, take risks, test things out, never assume your marketing is flawless.
We talk about how Christopher Penn experiments on his blog and Twitter account with extreme transparency and he shares the results of what he finds.
We talk about the infamous “Kenneth Cole Tweet” that created an uproar early last year.
Near the end I ask Ryan “does sex sell?” based on a blog post he wrote on the topic.
He also shares how he works, the life of a writer and what his days are usually like.

We also talk about these three articles:

6 Potentially Wildly Inaccurate Observations about Tostitos and Social Sentiment – How do you know your message is resonating with the right demographic? Is “everyone” your target market?
Direct From Google: How To Build A Quality Website In 2012 – What do companies need to be looking at in a website this year? Ryan shares some ideas on improving your website strategy, if you’re building a new website this year, this conversation will definitely help you in the planning.
How People Watch TV Online And Off – Contrary to what you’d think, the US is watching more TV than ever, but they’re also watching it with another screen in there hand more than ever. An interesting discussion follows.

Episode #5 – What Does The Vintage Tea Room & The Imax Have In Common?

I had an absolute pleasure talking to Greg (@Hluska) and Collette (@colletteparks), both are quite fascinating individuals. I met them on Twitter and since have seen them at Tweetups, and have lunch from time to time. Greg is the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors but really has a love for entrepreneurship and web development. Educated as a marketer but really in an technology practitioner. You’ll enjoy the stories Greg shares in this podcast. Visit Greg’s website www.Hluska.ca.

Collette Parks is the Manager of Marketing & Communications at the Saskatchewan Science Centre (@SKScienceCentre).She’s a very smart marketing professional that takes a different approach to social media. See her website here: www.ColletteParks.com. When she started on Twitter with the Science Centre she listened to what local people were saying and tried to determine ways she could add to their conversations. Collette also approaches Facebook differently as she believes it’s an entirely different audience then Twitter. Take note (this is very smart). and she has taken Facebook on as her 2012 project.

In this Podcast we talk about:

Does everyone need a Twitter account?
What types of businesses could a Twitter account really benefit
How Mom and Pop shops could utilize Twitter
At the core of social media is word-of-mouth, if you’re good, people will tell people about you. If you suck, people will tell many other people that you suck
Greg tells the story of an amazing magazine he started and transformed some lives while doing so
Collette tells her story of meeting astronaut Chris Hadfield
We also talk about how Collette knows one of my favorite authors Julien Smith
Julien wrote “The Flinch“ – it’s free on your Kindle or Kindle app
Collette’s thoughts about Social Media summed up: “Don’t worry about what you’re supposed to be doing, just do what you think makes sense to you, share what you’d want to see.” Brilliant, simply brilliant.

Episode #6 – Who’s Derek Wu? – Part 1 of 2

This week on the Marketing Revolution Podcast I talk to Derek Wu. I’ve had the pleasure of being friends with Derek for a while now and have worked with him several times. Of everyone I know, no one knows more people than Derek Wu. And not in a sleazy used car salesmen type way. Derek sincerely takes the time to get to know people every day.

I try to understand how he does it. How he began growing this tribe of people who look up to him, myself included. It’s a fascinating story about how socializing and partying ends up helping charity’s, and how the guy at the centre of it all, was doing it for the right reasons.

Part 1 of 2, this Podcast includes:

How he began networking/reinvented networking
The evolution of a party. It began with Cabarets, moved to Gringo’s, then Derek took over the Distrikt and left his mark as the go to guy for a night out on the town.
The Cabarets supporting charities began in a very unusual way. You’ve heard of companies trying to create goodwill, how about a young teenage kid trying to impress a judge during his next court appearance by doing a good deed.
We discuss his 3,898 friends on Facebook. Yeah that’s correct, three thousand eight hundred and ninety eight. Probably over 3,900 by the time you read this.
I find out how he remembers the names of at least 90% of the people he knows.
Derek Wu on Twitter

Episode #7 – Poking on Facebook & How Squareflo Looks at Your Website Feat. Derek Wu – Part 2 of 2

In Episode #7 on the Marketing Revolution Podcast I talk to Derek Wu, again (with much better sound quality this time). The first one is more about where he came from, lessons he learned early on, and how he began the behemoth social butterfly he is today (haha sorry Derek, told ya I could get behemoth into your title).

This episode is different. Derek spills the beans on some very smart tips for your website, the future of them, how Squareflo looks at them, and some take-a-ways that’ll make you smarter. If I were you I’d stop reading this now and hit the play/download button. Go on now.

In this episode we talk about:

Episode #8 – An Interview With a Professional Wordsmith, Linden Wilcock

Enter Linden Wilcock. He’s about to graduate from the Hill School of Business at he University of Regina. I met Linden on Twitter and several Hooka Lounge nights later a friendship was born.

Linden is working on Social Media strategy and implementation over at Highland Mortgage Partners. He’s smart. He gives presentations regularly on Twitter and Facebook. If you want to attend one you should ask Linden (tell him Jeph sent you and you’ll get a free session).

Linden thinks differently, he’s not afraid to disagree with you and look at a problem or situation in a completely different light. He thinks beyond today and tomorrow and tries to understand the future implications of implementing ideas. I enjoy talking to him because he makes me look at problems differently. I think you’re going to learn something from him in this episode.

In this Episode:

What is a Tweetup?
What happened at the last Tweetup in Regina?
What goes on at a Tweetup? (Hint: its not just a bunch of people Tweetin’ away on their phones)
Who goes to a Tweetup?
Tweetup’s are a great place to meet a wide range of people, you never know who you’re going to get in a conversation with
Linden tells us about the first day he joined Twitter
How Twitter has affected Linden’s life
How Linden uses Facebook
How he’s changed since the beginning of his Facebook career
I ask him “If you had to explain Facebook to a person who’s never seen it before, how would you do it?”
How could a business use Facebook?
How could a business use Twitter?
What other platforms Linden’s on (Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, ICQ?)
I talk about how Zlatan from Lookmatters gave a Social Media presentation and talked about how Hillberg & Berk use Pinterest. Very interesting example
What other companies could make a win out of Pinterest?
What does marketing look like in two years?
How will the younger generation continue to push the envelope on how we marketing ourselves?
Why Greg Hluska is the man
What Linden loves in life (and writes about in his blog)

Episode #9 – The Friendliest Twitter Handle in the World, The Regina Police

In Episode 9, I have the pleasure of talking with Kaeli Madill, you probably know her better as, @ReginaPolice on Twitter or Regina Police Service on Facebook. She’s absolutely brilliant. She has a wonderful personality and her passion really shows in everything she does. Talking to her in person, you instantly realize she loves her job, she’s fun, smart and really wants you to think of your Police force in a positive, friendly light.

I think this is such an interesting example of how to use Social Media for good, because Kaeli is putting a positive face on an organization that for as long as I can remember does not have a great reputation in the community. I mean, how can you like the Police? They are the law enforcers, they give you tickets and tell you what to do. But every single one of those officers are people too. They have feelings like the rest of us and I think Kaeli has changed the way I look at Police officers and the Police force in general. They are now very much an integral part of our online community. The Regina City Police are very lucky to have Kaeli on the force. I absolutely love her motto for Social Media: “Be a human and don’t be a jerk.” Brilliant, simply brilliant.

In this Episode:

Where did Kaeli Madill start?
Where did you work before at the Regina Police?
Did Eric Hosie run over someone in a school zone?
Can we get away with Texting/Tweeting while driving?
How does the Police use Twitter?
Has Twitter been affective for the Police?
How does the Police use Facebook?
How does the conversation on Twitter and Facebook differ?
How did you get permission to Tweet and post on Facebook for the Police?
Do you know of any other Police force using Social Media like you are? (She gives some REALLY interesting examples here)
Her two overarching values of how Kaeli uses Social Media (Be a human and don’t be a jerk)
What do you do when someone posts a negative comment?
Regina Police Tweet to Me and Dan Bowman and Bart Soroka
The Tweet that sold me on @ReginaPolice
How do you define success? (she gives an amazing answer)
Traditional “exposure” vs. Facebook “exposure” cost per 1000 impressions
“If we’re not talking about us, who is?” -Elizabeth Popowich

Episode #10 – Why Earls Is The Best, an Interview With Jim Demeray

In episode 10 I talk to Jim Demeray (follow Jim on Twitter or see Jim’s MySpace Page). He’s the managing partner at the Earls Vic East location. I met Jim in University and he always was a little different, a little weird. In a good way.

I always looked up to Jim because he had an amazing gift of entertaining people back in University and he still does to this day. He’s a natural entertainer. Couple a shining personality with a strategic thinking mind that’s constantly learning and you get a brilliant leader and partner in Earls Vic East restaurant.

In this episode:

Where did Jim Demeray come from
What was he like as a kid.
How did he become to social butterfly he is today
How people like Derek Wu, Jim Christie, and Colter Wood influenced Jim
Mirror neurons
What was Jim like in elementary school (he liked girls)
How confidence builds as you mature – “A kid on a play ground in grade three could have the same level of confidence as a marketing manager in a board room, in comparison to their peers.” Confidence is relative.
“You should choose to hang around with people you look up to.”
How do you run Earls differently?
How did the Earls Partner Awards (EPA’s) start?
How he helped open three additional Earls restaurants in Canada and the US.
Earls Vic East on Twitter (@EarlsVicEast)
Does Earls Advertise?
How did you build the team you have a Earls right now?
What he believes in the hierarchy of traditional management
What do you want to do in the future?
Other than work what else Jim loves to do
What should people think of when looking at choosing their career? – “Put the company before yourself.“
‘Vincent Chase‘ Jim’s dog

Episode #11 – Regina’s Great Bambino-Kip Simon From 22Fresh

I went to Kip’s high school, we were on the K-team together. He was a leader back then and has grown exponentially since. I’ve always looked up to Kip, he has a brilliant marketing mind, a great personality, and he’s really fun, humble guy to be around. He runs 22Fresh and is a partner in Captive Audience. He’s a busy guy.

Kip was probably the first person from Saskatchewan to have Facebook, and he was on Twitter before I was. 11,538 likes on Facebook (as of March 11, 2012) and 5,070 follower on Twitter. I know what you’re thinking, holy $%&@!

I continue to use what Kip has done with 22Fresh as examples in presentations as a case study. Having a ‘cool’ brand in general is extremely difficult to achieve, let alone having a ‘cool’ company on Facebook. But 22Fresh never ceases to amaze us, from a racy video of how their bats are made to a shirt that says “Moon Fruit” on it.

22Fresh is the coolest brand in Canada and you’re going to see it grow in popularity for a long time. Listen to the Podcast to find out why.

In this episode:

Where and how did 22Fresh start?
Who else is involved with 22Fresh?
Where were the first 22Fresh pants made? (the answer will surprise you)
What were the difficult aspects in the beginning?
What is 22Fresh? “22Fresh is clothing that unapologetically wedges itself between sports and lifestyle.“
Where do you get your ideas for shirts from?
What the process to ensure you’re “on brand”?
22Fresh – The Michael Bubblay shirt
Who are the most famous people who’ve been caught in 22Fresh? (Michael Morse, Brice Harper, Darian Durant, Cabbie Richards)
Every order on 22Fresh.com still comes through Kip’s phone. He see’s every purchase that’s made.
How many different countries how you sold to?
What do you do when sales are down?
How have you changed your usage of Facebook over time?
How do you treat Twitter differently over time?
Facebook contesting and how people won ‘wood’.
How do you balance running 22Fresh and being a partner on Captive Audience
How much I paid to get Kip on the Podcast
What advice would you give a young, budding entrepreneur?
Who sticks out it your mind as a mentor or a leader you look up to?
Will you ever create a “The Heckler” 22Fresh shirt?
How many home runs did you hit last season in senior mens baseball?
What the new 22Fresh app has to offer
22Fresh – mens shirts
22Fresh Website: www.22fresh.com
22Fresh on Twitter: http://twitter.com/22Fresh
22Fresh on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/22Fresh/

Episode #12 – The Coda Clothing Story Starring Colter Wood

This weeks episode is an interview with the man behind Coda Clothing & Shoes, Colter Wood. Coda is no stranger to my blog. I’ve written about Cause Marketing and how Coda brands itself in the community. I am also currently working with Coda on their online marketing.

Colter is a fascinating business man and a friend that sticks out in my mind. He’s opinionated and very smart on many topics. It’s very refreshing He’ll disagree with you to your face without making you feel bad about it. He thinks about business differently. He’s made some astute business decisions early on in his career that I don’t think most people would have in the same situation. He has a unique mind, doesn’t agree with the status quo, and has delivered on the vision of what he set out to create. It’s an inspiring story.

In this episode we talk about:

“Cody, from Colter Clothing & Shoes” – J Brand if you get this, its “Coda Clothing & Shoes”
Where did the idea start?
How did you start Coda?
A great story on how they ended up in the building they’re in
How did you come up with the name Coda?
How did you market Coda in the beginning?
Some of the key people that helped to spread the word in the beginning
Seeking out the influencers and helping them to talk about you
Facebook helped a lot in the beginning, Coda now has over 5,000 people ‘Liking’ it’s page
Coda’s Sponsored Fashion shows
What Coda’s focusing on right now, just visit Sask Fashion Week’s Website
Follow Sask Fashion Week on Twitter (@SKFashionWeek)
Coda Hits The Runway
Chelsea hates when Colter says “in saying that” #Fact
Coda also sponsors @PSFresh(DJ Drewski and Ageless), The Sound Society, and DJ Kid Shine
What’s the hardest part of starting a business?
Who’s helped you a lot along the way?
One of the best books to read on Entrepreneurship, The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
Chelsea Oconnell is a major reason why Coda has been so successful. Colter says some awfully nice things about her, I’ve met her. She’s that good.
Follow Chelsea on Twitter (@GirlWasteLand)
How do you compete with the people buying on the Internet?
What advice would you give to someone starting a business?
“You have to make sure you’re working on your business, not just in your business.”
“In any business, it’s always about the people.”

Visit the Coda Clothing & Shoes website here
Visit the Coda Clothing & Shoes online store here
Follow Colter Wood on Twitter
Follow Coda Clothing on Twitter
See the Coda Clothing Facebook Page

Episode #13 - How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System? (A Freakonomics Podcast Encore)

The Freakonomics Radio Podcast is one of my favorites by far (subscribe here on iTunes). The show’s about Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner exploring the “hidden side of everything”. Along the same lines of their two wildly popular books, Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics (I highly recommend reading both).

They always approach problems from a different angle, trying to change the way we look at the world. It’ll make you think differently. Smarter.

I put this podcast on here because I love the idea of “School of One”, the program talked about in the podcast. It’ll change our education system for the better. If the public school doesn’t adopt it soon enough we’re going to see more private schools established in the larger centres. I would rather help the public school system adopt smarter teaching methods, and raise the quality of our education across the board. However, like all major issue in our world, if you don’t drastically change an input for the better, you can’t expect an improvement in output for the better. To improve the education system, there needs to be an innovative solution, and School of One may be just that innovation.

The concept of School of One is remarkable, hence I want you to know about it and see what you think of it. If you’re at all interested in the future of the education system you’ll love this podcast.

See the Freakonomics post “How is a bad radio station like our public-school system?” podcast here.

Episode #14 – A Website Overnight With NorthWorks

Live from Smitty’s in the Golden Mile, I talk to Brandon Wu about his company and how he got his start.

I’ve known Brandon for at least Seven years now, though we didn’t start our friendship off on a positive note. I remember in fourth year university I was talking to people about going to the next Business Students Society event and Brandon didn’t like it. We had somewhat of a heated debate, I called his brother up immediately and proclaim to Derek that his brother was a “bitch”. It wasn’t long after a few conversations with Brandon and Derek, and several BSS events later, I think he changed his mind and Derek and I both agreed that brandon wasn’t actually a bitch.

Brandon has always been a thinker. Always learning a new skill set or developing his next entrepreneurial idea, I think he’s really found a niche in building amazingly affordable websites.

In this episode:

How he got started in website development (The beginning of NorthWorks)
The first website he was a part of; ThePoutine.com
How he builds websites
Why he uses WordPress
Why the websites Brandon creates are cost effective and a smart choice for small business owners
What does the future of website development hold?
What will websites look like in the future?
What Google likes in a website
Why NorthWork’s website’s are incredibly user friendly to update
How his remarkably fast turn-around on completing your website will be a competitive advantage over time
Why he doesn’t want to do large, high maintenance websites

Brandon’s company NorthWorks Web Design and Development

Follow Brandon on Twitter @Brandon_Wu

Episode #15 – Everything You Wanted to Know About Why HR Sucks – Featuring Jillian Walker

One day last year I began following this HR professional from (Calgary at the time) now Vancouver. She sounded smart, shared a lot of great content, and actually talked to other people! She had me at retweet, I was sold.

I end up in Vancouver just before the Grey Cup last year and thought I’d throw a Tweet out there to see if this mystically smart, yelling in her avatar, Vancouvian influencer, would go for supper with me. She did have to verify I wasn’t just a Tweetin’ creep through a mutual friend, Kendal Harazny, his referenced checked out though. (thanks Kendal)

I’m fascinated with Ms. Walker, she has already done so much, and she’s very smart to talk to. A strong work ethic and a wonderful personality make for a very accomplished Human Resource (HR) professional who’ll end up changing our world for the better.

Visit Jillian Walker’s website here

In this episode:

Where Jillian came from and where she resides now.
How we first met (she wore “pleather” pants).
Where she first worked in a corporation and how it taught her a very important lesson.
How she became the “Gen Y HR girl”.
How she won a much more valuable prize than money in a video contest (the prize was 5 one hour meetings with 5 CEO’s of National and International companies).
A shout out to KPMG for the kind words from the CEO.
Why doing informational interviews is a good idea and why more people should take the initiative.
Especially if you want to understand a company more thorough.
The story about why sometimes you just need to haul ass.
Why she doesn’t want to grow her business, seriously, she doesn’t.
What business owners, CEO’s and executives need to know about HR.
What the future of HR and it’s practices will look like.
Why the future of HR should not be left in the hands of HR minded people but instead, business minded people.
It’s time for a major change in the Human Resource industry.
If you are a candidate for a job you can assume some one Google’d you and looked up your Facebook profile.
Google and Social Media platforms are more of an opportunity than a liability if you’re a candidate for a job.
Why guys should be aware of the length of their pants when dressing up. A warning from Jillian. Pants are Too Short
What Jillian does in her spare time (if she actually does have spare time)
Where she writes online
Her Social Media Policy where you can learn where to connect to her. Follow her on Twitter here.
A lesson from the show The Real Housewives of Vancouver.
She gives some very smart advice at the end; “Just be yourself”. “You are the sum of the five people you hang around with the most”.
“If one person learns, you’ve done your job.”

Episode #16 – How Do You Teach “Business” in High School? Feat. Jordan McFarlen

I met Jordan McFarlen in High School, we won a city championship on the same volleyball team. We still play volleyball together on, arguably the best beach volleyball team in the city, the Volley Lama’s.

Jordan has always been very smart and just a really a fun guy to be around. Now all grown up, he’s one of the most progressive teachers in the Regina Public School system. He’s a great guy and an inspiring teacher, I think he’s going to do something amazing in this world.

You’ll enjoy what he has to say.

Jordan McFarlen (@mcfarljo) on Twitter

Mr. McFarlen (@mrmcfarlen) on Twitter

Jordan McFarlen’s “Blogfolio”

In this episode:

What does Jordan McFarlen do
Where he went to school
Where he teaches now (Campbell)
What he’s “done” to his classroom, he tries to create a “creative and innovative” work space.
Jordans business card wall
We talk about a couple businesses that his students have started.
Jordan has a different teaching style, he talks about how he looks at teaching and trying provide the best education he can.
What are some of the bright spots so far? In year two they increased the enrollment in their class by 100 students (Business classes are electives, students don’t have to take Jordan’s class).
Why his goal is to be the best Business class in Canada….eventually. First things first he’s striving to be the best business school in Saskatchewan. (They already won school of the year this past year).
What does the future of education hold in regards to the the adoption of technology and the internet?
How should teachers adapt to the use of online tools to help students learn better?
What “push-back” do you get from parents and others on what your students are publishing online?
Focusing on helping students create a positive “online footprint”.
What do you as Social Media’s role in education in the next five years?
A couple professors that made a difference in Jordan’s mind, Alec Couros (@courosa) and Dean Shareski (@shareski)
What’s the most valuable social tool you use?
What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen in your business classes?

Episode #17 – The Living Sky Media Conglomerate

I’ve known Riley for a while now and have been working with him for at least three years. Riley has always struck me as a different kind of character. Wait, how do I put it….. Riley’s weird. He’s an extraordinary individual, I’ve always said he’s a brilliant artist. You won’t know exactly what I mean until you do a video with him and begin to understand why he so passionate about telling a story with film.

Riley’s been running his company, Living Sky Media since he finished University several years ago. He’s filmed at the Olympics in 2010, did a tour of Saskatchewan with Scott Schultz last summer and last fall put together a very moving documentary on the housing problem in Regina.

I look up to Riley as an entrepreneur and an artist. A very unique combination in the business community, and a reason that I believe Riley stands out. He’s not like other companies and he’s an all around fun guy. You can learn a lot from this young James Cameron.

The Living Sky Media Website

@LivingSkyMedia on Twitter

@AdamBurwell on Twitter

In this episode:

How did Living Sky Media start?
He has a film degree from the University of Regina
Why he wanted to do his own thing
Living Sky Media began in 2009
Where the idea of Living Sky Media came from
He was slow to get into HD
What is Living Sky Media doing these days?
Riley partnered with Adam Burwell
They just acquired a “Red cam”
What Living Sky Media actually does
What they’re working on currently
“Bridging The Gap” documentary
A couple of the fun projects he’s worked on. Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and touring
Saskatchewan with Scott Schultz
I ask him about the Saskatchewan Government taking away the film tax credit
What advice he’d give to someone starting out in the industry
What will come after HD

Episode #18 – A Canadian Storyteller, Roger Currie

I met Roger Currie on the set of Access Communications “Talk of The Town” program. Roger had talked to Jack Shaw (President of Crown Shred & Recycling) he just so happened to tell Roger about the new style of marketing Crown Shred has adopted by using Social Media (they were a client of mine last year). Roger then invited me to talk Social Media on his show and a beautiful friendship was born.

I had a lot of fun on the show so I begged them to have me on again. Since then I’ve done several more shows and even shot a pilot to a show I can’t tell you about. HA!

Roger could keep a conversation on with a def blind mute if he had to. Seriously though, this guy has skills, you’ll hear. I’ve learned a lot from Mr. Currie in the short time I’ve known him. I do believe he is one of Canada’s legendary story tellers.

Click here to visit Roger Currie’s Website.

Follow Roger on Twitter here.

In this episode:

Where is Roger Currie from?
What is the Roger Currie story?
How he just started a blog
The original Social Media, a story about Rotary
Who the most awe inspiring interview Roger ever did
Who was the biggest jerk to interview

I think Roger’s awesome, he’ll go down in history as the guy who gave me my start television. All the best in Winnipeg Roger.

Episode #19 – Judging a Newspaper By Its Cover With Dan Nicholls

I met Dan Nichols when he was working at Squareflo a long time ago, we have a lot in common and think the same about a lot of things so we’ve been great friends ever since. Dan has since moved to the fine offices of Oh! Media (a division of Phoenix Group Advertising), a website design and development company in Regina, Saskatchewan. Dan does amazing things with websites, he’ll be an asset to any company that he works with. A programmers mindset with the humor of Jack Black crossed with Ashley Schaeffer around the office (yes, quite the hilarious combination). Dan is a great friend to have.

Besides “work” Dan’s a great guy to party with. He’s been known to blow an amp or two while singing Kareokee (because of the magical sound) and frequents music shows on the regular. Also, Dan does have one of the best Twitter bio’s around, check it out.

Follow Dan on Twitter – @dannicholls

We have some wonderful conversations, here’s one we recorded.

Meet Dan Nicholls:

What do you think of all the print publications popping up all over Regina?
The nine print publications in circulation in Regina (Leave a comment if we left one out): Metro, Verb, Prairie Dog, City Slicker, QC, The Sunday Post, Fine Life Styles, Business Regina, LeaderPost
How do you filter out the good from the bad content?
Judging a book by it’s cover, or an article by it’s headline.
Will people who can write a catchy headline or convey a lot of mean in 140 characters increase in value to companies?
Will we see a change in creative departments of adding more creatives that can think in Tweets and headlines?
Why Twitter is replacing many uses of print publications as a news source.
What is the future of the younger generation? How will older generations keep up with the speed of society?
As a side note, I do not believe ALL people over the age of 50 have no specialized knowledge other than experience in their field, please don’t take my comments to heart, of course there are exceptions to the rule.
Do we believe the misconception of the always connected, always on world is making our children dumb?
I’m pretty sure my parents told me as a kid that TV would make me dumb, are we going through the same phase? Parents think the internet will make kids dumb because they don’t understand it?

Episode #20 – Being The Change You Want To See In The World – Featuring Thomas Le

Welcome to the fascinating mind of Thomas Le. We met in third year university. Thomas was getting his MBA and I was still a young party animal. We stayed in touch when moved he to Saskatoon a couple years ago to take Law at the U of S.

I’ve always looked up to Thomas, as you’ll hear, he lives his life for others. An amazing role model and truly a person who will change our world for the better. The more Thomas’s in our world the better off we all are.

Follow Thomas Le on Twitter.

I think he has one of he best Twitter bios: “There are no barriers to life than discovering your talents and believing in them enough to nurture them. People have ‘Special Abilities’ not ‘Disabilities’”

In this episode:

Episode #21 – Filming The Earth From Space, 50 Shades of Grey, and Nightmares w/ Jillian Walker

Episode 21 with our Westcoast, fashion, marketing, HR, running and yoga Correspondent Jillian Walker.

You all remember Jillian (how could you forget her?!?). She’s always good for an entertaining conversation. Oh and I’ll warn you on this one, there is a wee bit of swearing, so don’t listen to this on the family trip up to the lake with the kiddies.

Follow Jillian on Twitter

In this episode we talk about:

What is UrtheCast?
It’s actually this project where they’re putting a camera on the international space station and broadcasting a real-time video of the earth on www.urthecast.com, crazy hey?
Do you use Pinterest?
People getting generic engagement photos always love to share them online.
How our world is changing from generation to generation. She introduces me to the concept of “Pretirement”. Not traditionally waiting to retire but doing so in a way where you can live out your dreams while still working in a nontraditional sense.
Why she believes in “surrounding yourself with the people you want to become.”
She explains “you’re the sum of the people who you hang around the most.”
We talk about this blog post: Life…..Filtered. In how our lives are really a product of our own self imposed filters.
We find out about her one weakness, she’s gullible.
Where she get her news from other than Twitter.
What she’s reading now. We discuss 50 Shades of Grey.
Manuscripts found dating back before the Bible was written were erotic stories, that’s correct, ancient porn.
The problem with the generation following us.
People with entitlement issues.
When to get an MBA and the value of it today.
Jillian’s opinion on furthering your education.
I talk about the book The Coming Jobs War and the central thesis of the most sought after aspect of life is no longer food and shelter but having a good job.
We talk about this blog post Nightmares, My Normal . You see, Jillian has nightmares regularly, you should hear her story.
I bring up the story of the guy who was haunted by a reoccurring nightmare for 20 years and how he used lucid dreaming to stop it from happening anymore. A fascinating story to listen to.
What she struggles with the absolute most.
Jillian share some great advice: “Never let the things you want make yo forget the things you have”

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