- New websites for The Humvee C*Series vehicle and 8th Wonder Wines will be live very soon. Keep an eye on our portfolio as we get closer to launch.

- Last week we mentioned that a project and client of ours had been featured on CNBC.com. Later that day it was great to see our site shown work shown nationally on CNBC in a television segment along with discussion of our custom plugin work being done for our client. Word is more national media coverage is coming soon.

- Business owners in the Southeast Michigan area: there are a few seats left but the class is filling up for tomorrows Business Website and Social Media Marketing Class. Visit our home page to learn more.

- Small businesses in the Southeast Michigan area, check out our home page to learn more about a free website and social media class offered this Thursday.

- What a miserable support experience at an Apple store this weekend. Really? You had to send me an email to my phone to let me know you couldn’t help me with my phone for another 40 minutes when you were all of 20 feet away from me doing nothing when you sent it? You couldn’t take all of 10 steps over and tell me in person. There is automation for efficiency-sake, then there is automation that seems like you are trying too hard to be clever.

Almost 25 years later the person still works for the Lakers and from that day on a tremendous weight was lifted off his chest and he never worried about a decision he made working for Dr. Buss again.

-I finished Enchantment and the second time through was much better. There was a lot of useful information but the main ones that stuck with me were making sure you tell stories through your business, make sure your business is serving a purpose / cause, and that cause is being served with passion. His chapter on the importance of a “demo” product that your potential clients can use and abuse was also beneficial and I have just the idea on how to utilize that for Prompt.

-I received an email notification from the Heath Brothers’ website that their new book will be out very soon. If you are not familiar with them, their previous books were “Made to Stick” and “Switch.” I still feel that “Made to Stick” was by far the most influential book determining how I run Prompt and also how I work with my clients. I recommend that book time and time again to clients.

-thank you to Zapier.com. I just signed up a couple weeks ago for their service and they were a KEY piece of the puzzle to streamlining our support. With their help, now when someone sends a support request, a ticket is automatically generated and then pushed right to our tasks management app. So now when someone fills out a support request, it goes from their email right to the coder needed to fix it in just a matter of a couple clicks or less.

-We have just about completed a new WordPress widget for a long time client and he will be sending out press releases on it very soon. We are very excited. In the past our work for him has been featured on national media outlets and featured on websites such as CNNMoney.com and WSJ.com.

-Totally unrelated to business: Michael Jordan is turning 50.  In addition to making me feel old, it also reminds me that no matter how hot LeBron is right now, MJ never left Chicago to join Magic or Bird to get his rings.

-Despite all the solutions offered up in last night’s State of the Union address, I have yet to see this pattern fail.  It seems the connection between economy and gas prices is about $3.65.  If the price goes higher than that, things seem to slow down.  When the price is lower than that, money in all sectors seem to move, even the businesses not directly tied to gas prices.

- Great programs starting this month for businesses looking for an “out of the box” solution or on smaller website budgets.

-Next book in the rotation is set.  ”What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast” by Laura Vanderkam.

- It’s still early but I might be spending a couple hours with small business owners at the end of the month giving a presentation on website marketing and social media.  More information on this to come.

But other days it could just be pop culture blurbs that I found worth writing about.  For instance:

-heard a cool story last week on my favorite Podcast – The B.S. Report with Bill Simmons.  He told a story about being at a party in New Orleans during Super Bowl week.  A young man came up to him, told him he was a big fan of his work, also a fan of the Celtics, and enjoyed Bill’s latest book.  He chatted with the fan for a few minutes.  A couple minutes later a gentleman approaches him.   The man thanked him for taking a minute to talk to his step-son.  The man was Paul McCartney.  Too cool.

-On that note, today during my breaks I am using the guitar at my office to work on the clarinet melody of “When I’m Sixty-Four.”

-Making my second attempt at reading Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki.  I love his books but this book didn’t grab me like his previous works.  I seem to be enjoying it more the second time.

-I am addicted to the magazine app NextIssue.  Tons of magazines for one, flat monthly rate.

-My broken rib only hurts when I sneeze or cough now.  I should start light workouts this week.  I can’t believe how quickly I put on weight and fell out of shape by being laid up with  this injury.  I tried to keep active by making a commitment to alternate standing up for one hour and sitting for one hour at my desk.  Sat down to start today and never remembered to stand up again.  Maybe I can try a couple hours this afternoon.

-Argo is back at the theater leading into the Academy Awards.  I hope to make it out this week to see it as well as Zero-Dark-Thirty.