The swarming of bees...

"Do you want me to add a virtual bee to your business card for your bee thing?"

"You mean beBee?"

"Yes... that."

At this point I couldn't help think that as an advocate for the new social media platform beBee I was at least building some sort of familiarity; although "bee thing" wasn't exactly what I was shooting for. I had seen what Olga had done with her own business card so I was excited to see what she could do with mine — I enthusiastically said yes.

Olga is a very talented sculptor and artist, and lately she has redirected her talents into the area of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, has invested in the equipment, and is out front advocating for the future and potential of VR and AR. In my view, as she repositions her skill, she has caught the wave of virtual augmentation (and virtual reality) and is becoming a domain expert when it comes to leveraging visual art — in less than a year she has built a LinkedIn following of 3,162 followers, and her recent post illustrating her virtual card had 15,479 clicks, 337 likes and 48 comments.

Sure the bee augmentation has been a fun activity for me but what really resonates is how someone is repositioning their skill sets for new opportunities, and particularly those opportunities that reflect the coming "step change" shifts in the market. There's virtual and augmented reality, artificial Intelligence, robotics, shifts in consumerism, decentralization through blockchain, advances in healthcare, the redefinition of what it is to be human, et certera, et cetera — all part of a revolution that may be unlike anything we've see before. I have said I'm a lousy futurist and stand by that, but what I do know is that we all have skills that have value, and more than ever it will be important to understand these skills, and how they can be leveraged.

• Understand what you are good at and build on it.
• Pay attention to what is happening outside your comfort zone and don't simply dismiss it.
• Appreciate that you don't need to be involved in everything, just something.
• Don't believe you are insulated from everything that is happening.
• And if you don't see it — search out someone who can help you.

As I said, my augmented business card was fun and I can easily see the utility (particularly in education, merchandising and entertainment), but that's Olga's thing. As for me, I still see great value in my sales and marketing skills, and how to leverage them in various "go to market" activities (particularly in the areas of social media and leveraging blockchain). It will be interesting where it all takes me. 

Olga and I are not the only ones doing this sort of thing because as we know, the market will do what the market does, doesn't really care much about us, and it's up to us to keep up (if we want to stay relevant).

And there are still lots of people who want to "stay relevant".

iamgpe

PS — at the very least I was also able to work the humble honey bee into my blog... which as many of you may know is in decline (and a crucial part of our ecosystem). With everything going on let's not forget our environment — and although I know there is still some debate over the causes, I think we can all agree we have way too much single use plastic littering up the place. 

PPS — Olga Nabatova

12 rules for work — an antidote for chaos

As I am apt to do once in a while I'll just wander a bookstore aimlessly; I'll meander through the various sections and let the countless titles wash over me. On one such sojourn there was a title that caught my eye — in part because there were dozens of books stacked waist high but also because the title was so intriguing.

12 RULES FOR LIFE — AN ANTIDOTE FOR CHAOS by Jordan B Peterson

I flipped through the book thinking to myself that I definitely have to read this; then I checked myself because I already have three books on the go. Setting the book down I walked away knowing I would be back to pick it up later. Quite frankly you can never have too many books on the go and I should just accept it.

Shortly afterwards I couldn't help but think about what the 12 rules for work would be. The urge became so strong I had to sit down and write out the first 12 rules that came to mind. This is what I came up with in the order that they came to mind:

1. Never forget work is much bigger than what you do.
2. Although you are good at what you do, remember that doesn't mean you are good at everything.
3. The person that you forgot about will throw a wrench into what you want to accomplish.
4. When someone asks if there are any questions... ask one.
5. Work is an intellectual pursuit, not an emotional one.
6. You know your business when you know your numbers.
7.  Nothing gets done without good people.
8. You will get nothing done without objectives and expectations.
9. It is better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.
10. Measure as much as you can.
11. Raise the bar once you think you know what you are doing.
12. People don't pay for easy.

In no way is this a definitive list or even a correct one — what the list does represents is the first 12 things that came to mind for me. I'm definitely going to think about this further and deconstruct why I instinctively believe these are, at the very least, 12 very important rules.

I will get back to you.

iamgpe

PS — I would like to thank Jordan B Peterson for the inspiration.

Moments — two times two wheels...

It was a wonderful morning to ride — the sun was out, the wind was down, and the country air filled the lungs; it was one of those moments when someone says, "It's a great day to be alive". 

But no one did.

What someone did say was they'd just got the tags for their motorcycle and were ready to ride. Akin to the shame that must come when you know you have a red headed stepchild locked in the attic, I finally said I would order my tags right away.

You see, I have another two wheels just sitting quietly, more than a little neglected, and patiently waiting — my Yamaha FZ-09 is covered from the elements and if truth be told, symbolically covers my guilt. She was built for the open road and hasn't seen it for two years. If this isn't shameful, than at the very least it's rude.

With my ride behind me, it didn't take long before I found myself standing quietly with a motorcycle battery in one hand and a key in the other — with some trepidation I removed the cover to behold the same beauty I remember. With the battery installed, and with little hesitation, she started up right away; the "seductive purr" of my bike recognized instantaneously like the whispers of a lost lover. My neglectful ways were forgiven and the only stipulation for complete absolution was the open road. She will be tagged in a week.

I don't have the heart to tell either of them that my Gary Fisher in the basement is going to see the trails this year. And sadly, "three times two wheels" is just a little too many so one of them is going to drawn the short straw.

I like to spread the neglect around — after all, it's the fair thing to do.

iamgpe