2010 - Some Stuff I Did...

Twenty-ten (or two thousand and ten) was a great year. I experienced a few firsts, met some amazing people, and, in general, had a blast. After Forbes named Stockton the second most miserable city in America, Rod and I had the opportunity to be on KXTV and KCRA (and Rod finished the trifecta with his solo appearance on KTXL.

I helped a friend get his Kickstarter project, The Amazing Fist, funded, by producing the promo video.

To help raise money and awareness of sexual violence against women, I walked a mile in high heels. Ouch!

I joined the Stockton Earth Day Festival committee and served as emcee for the annual event at Victory Park.

Along with my partner in crime, Rod, I co-emceed the SJDC Media Fest. We even found a way to show up wearing nearly identical shirts.

With the help of many great friends, I had the chance to perform Podcast Stockton Live at the Taste of San Joaquin and Way Out West BBQ Competition.

Dressed up as the Mad Hatter, and along with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, we particpated in the Library & Literacy Foundation’s Trivia Bee. We didn’t do any better than my past teams, but due to a rules change, we made it to the second round (the rule change was to allow all teams to compete in the second round).

Wes, Rod and I held our second and third Stockton Tweetups, bringing social media enthusiasts together in real-life.

What a year!

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011.

7th Son

J.C. Hutchins's first installment of the 7th Son trilogy, 7th Son: Descent, hit book stores recently.

I don't read much fiction. I prefer to get my fiction fix by watching movies. This book, however, is worth reading over and over again. J.C. Hutchins tried, unsucessfully, to get his story published before releasing it as a free podcast. I discovered his podcast just before his final book was released on audio. He took to the podosphere and used the power of the internet to spread the message about his book.

After amassing an enormous following to his podcast, publishers finally started to take notice. And now, 7th Son is in print!

The story starts with the brutal assisination of the President by a 4 year child. Readers quickly learn that there is an evil conspiracy consisting of clones and government officials with code phantom clearance.

J.C. is a masterful storyteller and 7th Son is the creepiest story I have ever read. The podcast version of the book is still available, check out the info here. You can also purchase a copy from your favorite bookstore, or from Amazon.

If you're in to sci-fi thrillers, this one will not dissapoint!

If you do pick up a copy, tell J.C. that Beta Clone #235 sent you.

100 Things?

Recently, on Dancing with Elephants, I heard about a man trying to whittle his personal belongings down to 100 items. Greg and Tonya asked their audience to write in with what 10 things they couldn’t live without. That got me thinking: as a self-professed, but improving, pack-rat, could there be only 10 things with which I couldn’t live? So, to start, I did a rough inventory of the Outback. For those of you that are new here, that’s the name of our home office / recording studio. Our first home had a separate room in the back yard, which was the whole reason I wanted to buy that house, that served as an office and studio. When my oldest brother, Ken, saw it he instantly christened it the Outback. On a somewhat unrelated note, it was also Ken that gave Emily the nickname she uses today, Emo, the day she was born. Back to the story. These days, the Outback is inside but still serves, in addition to a home office and recording studio, as my personal junk drawer. While I was up late recently I started counting and cataloging nearly everything in the Outback. Here’s what I came up with so far:

87 shot glasses 9 century patches 4 century pictures 3 shelves hanging 3 shelves waiting to be hung 1 Paul Stanley framed pictured (B&W) 8 misc framed pictures 1 Apple Store opening shirt in tube (Arden Fair) 34 Kiss CDs 2 Kiss albums 2 Kiss 8-tracks 1 picture of Blackie Lawless 1 Yamaha synthesizer 1 M-audio keyboard / MIDI controller 1 movie poster - Gore Vidal’s The Best Man 1 framed poster with hundreds of stickers from CDs and tapes 1 framed poster with 55 concert and game tickets 1 replica "flying disc" patent drawing, framed 118 magazines 1 television (I didn't realize this was still in here) 7 guitars 2 mandolins 1 bass 5 guitar cases 3 guitar pedals 6 microphones 1 guitar amp 1 bass amp 1 bottle of Kiss wine 1 Gene Simmons bottle topper 1 double deck tape player / recorder 127 books 239 cassette tapes 3 mic stands 1 complete set of the New Yorker magazine on DVD 27 pens 1 Rubik cube 1 wireless router 1 DSL modem 2 money clips 2 computer (PC) 1 monitor 1 PowerBook G4 1 iMac 1 iCurve 3 Mice 4 keyboards 1 tape dispenser 2 cameras 1 pack of blank DVDs 1 pack of black CDs 1 corded phone 1 printer 5 surge protectors 1 bobble head 7 post cards 4 trophies 2 desk calendars 1 Roland mixer 1 MOTU ultralite mixer 1 mic pre-amp 1 DV-AV switchbox 2 set studio monitors 1 desk 2 chairs 1 barstool 1 4-drawer cabinet 1 2-drawer file cabinet 1 calculator 1 scientific calculator 3 sets of headphones 1 Zoom portable recorder 1 iSight camera 6 sets of guitar/mandolin/bass strings 9 guitar cables 17 various audio cables 1 M-audio guitar pre-amp 5 power supply units for unknown devices 3 Lacie external hard drives 1 VCR 1 magnetic dart board 5 clip boards 3 Kiss comic books 10 3-drawer cassette tape holders 8 conference badges with lanyards 139 home movies on VCR tapes 2 hole punchers 1 Yamaha 4-track tape recorder 4 Kiss matchbox cars 1 Kiss toothbrush 3 rulers 14 notebooks 1 can of Mountain Dew from the middle east 1 miniature NFL helmet 1 picture frame with 10 pictures (1 pic at a time) 1 12-drawer plastic cabinet 1 2-drawer plastic cabinet 3 guitar stands 1 set of computer speakers 1 camera cable 2 iPod cables 1 iPhone cable and dock 1 whiteboard 4 boxes of thank you cards 2 mouse pads 2 decks of cards 2 letter openers 3 magnetic clips 7 keychains 9 owners manuals 3 various packs of KC Chiefs stickers 4 unused gift certificates 9 used Moleskine notebooks 2 unused Moleskine notebooks 238 business cards 1 pocket knife 2 name tags from previous jobs 19 various buttons and pins 4 bumper stickers 1 can of Copenhagen from 1991 2 cork boards 1 box of jewel cases 190 California lottery tickets from 1987-1990 1 wireless print server 1 KC Chiefs punch puppet 2 photo albums 1 camera tripod 2 shoe shine sets 1 ziplock bag with my hair from 1992 - the last time I had long hair 1 man purse (unused since 1989) 3 cell phone chargers 2 boxes of football cards 8 binders 1 homemade "Outback" sign 2 framed / autographed Nick Lowery portraits / paintings 1 scanner

1,430 items in the Outback alone. Of course, I have all of my CDs (which I haven’t touched in years) stowed away elsewhere, another collection of books, 23 Franklin Quest / Franklin Covey storage cases and other keepsakes in my bedroom. Then there’s the garage. Two road bikes, a mountain bike and of course, the penny farthing; tools, bike accessories... the list goes on and on.

What 10 material things could I not live without? That is a very difficult question to answer. If I had to name the top 10 things I couldn’t live without, I’d have to say:

PowerBook G4 iMac Acoustic guitar (probably the nylon string one) Electric guitar (Fender Stratocaster) Guitar amp Camera Yamaha synthesizer Zoom H2 Bose headphones Kiss Music From the Elder album

Of course, as much of a pack-rat as I am, this has actually been a good exercise for me. I have too much stuff; maybe it’s time for a purge. If you want to take any of the other 1,420 things off my hands, feel free to make me an offer - iwilltakeyourjunk@mattbeckwith.com

Manager Tools Conference

Last week I had the privilege of joining the Manager Tools Effective Manager Conference as an associate of Manager Tools. As a long-time listener and premium member since day one, I was honored that Mark Horstman and Mike Auzenne gave me the nod to working with them in San Francisco. After their first conference last year I considered it the most valuable conference I have ever attended. This time, as part of the Manager Tools team for two days, it was absolutely the highlight of my professional life.

My role was to interject with my thoughts as Mark, Mike and Michael presented on effectively using one on ones, feedback, coaching and delegation. It was my goal to talk about the successes and challenges I’ve had in, and after, the implementation of one on ones, feedback, coaching and delegation. Just the same as last April, the conference was high energy with over 100 other managers who were all passionate about becoming better. At no other conference have I ever seen attendees stay for two hours after the formal close of the conference, digesting more content.

I met a lot of other very talented managers from all parts of the US (and beyond) and from very diverse backgrounds. I found it refreshing that other managers at all levels struggle with the same things I’ve struggled with. Interacting with the attendees was very rewarding. I felt like a million bucks when some of the attendees told me after the close that they appreciated my insight and contributions to the conference. I share Mark and Mike’s passion for the powers of good management and was thrilled to share the stage with them on the subject. Mark has said before that good managers can change the world. I couldn’t agree more. Management is about people and good management has to come from love. Mark and Mike acknowledge that there are not a lot of other management consultants that talk about love as the basis for good management. This is one of the things that makes them different.

Mark, Mike and Michael did an amazing job throughout the two days and I learned a lot about presenting from them. Again, it was a great honor to play in their very large sandbox for a couple of days.

Thank you to my friends, Steve Holden and Rich Ruh for blazing the trail and helping me prepare. Mark, Mike, Michael, Kate and Maggie - thank you for allowing me this awesome opportunity.

When I was a teenager I wanted to be a rock star and dreamed of being on-stage, playing rhythm guitar, with some of my favorite bands. Now that I’ve grown up, I aim to be a better person and better manager, more than a rock star. Rock stars have been replaced by great leaders. Dream fulfilled.

For some time I referred to Mark and Mike as being the greatest management theorists of today but, after spending more time with them I am reminded they are not theorists at all. They don’t talk about theory, they talk about what you can do today to be a more effective manager. If you are a manager (or hope to be in the future) you owe it to yourself to subscribe to Manager Tools.

The Word of the Year...

Drum roll, please. Merriam-Webster gave the honor to 'w00t'. American Dialect Societygave it to 'subprime'. Locavore earned the dubious honor fromOxford.

Not one to shy away from popular fads on the internet, I wanted to play along. After careful consideration and some deliberation with Dawn, I have chosen the mattbeckwith.com word of the year:podcast.

Ok, so some of you might catch me on the technicality here. Oxford named 'podcast' their word of the year in 2005. I started listening to podcasts in 2005 and in the time since I have all but given up terrestial radio. Driving nearly three hours a day, I used to be an NPR junky. Nowadays, I might just need to pull out the owner's manual for my car stereo to figure out how to turn on the radio.

I subscribe, and listen, to 67 podcasts. Most are weekly, some are daily, some are between monthly and weekly. I listen to shows on technology, news, management and couple-casts, among others. So, is 'podcast' the word of the year because I spend so much time listening? There must be more to it than that, right?

Of course. 2007 brought so many great podcast moments. Some highlights:

September - Podcast and New Media Expo May - Pizza Go Here is born April - Beckwith Family Podcast is launched April - Manager Tools conference April - My Mostly Trivial "appearance" February - Tour of California January - Macworld / Mac podcast meet-up January - I started writing for Typical Mac User

Through podcasting, we have met some great people, in the real-world and in the podosphere. I've had the chance to spend some time with some of the brightest, most interesting people I have ever met, way too many to list. We are grateful for the amazing people all over the world that have allowed us into their amazing lives.

Podcast.

If you have a computer and a pulse, there is a podcast for you. You don't need an iPod. Download iTunes, go to the podcast directory and take a look. While you're there, check out our show, Pizza Go Here.

Me and Victor Cajiao, one of the kings of podcasting.

Podcast.

Podcast and New Media Expo 2007

Dawn and I made the drive down to Ontario (California, not Canada) for the 2007 Podcast and New Media Expo. We have met a ton of other podcasters and are having a great time. Last night we met up with some other podcasters at the Couple Cast meet-up at the Ontario Mills Mall. It was great to meet Dan and Cj from Love Long and Prosper, Steve and Dawn from For What It's Worth, Matt and Amy from the Redboy Podcast, Rob and Tina from Learning to Fly Together and Barely from Barely Podcasting. There were a lot of other podcasters there but we didn't get a chance to meet them all.

It was great to finally meet Steve and Dawn from For What It's Worth. We have been listening to their podcast for a long time but really wanted to meet them to personally thank Steve for the Pizza Go Here art work.

Today, we met Chuck and Kreg from Technorama (and others), Doug Welch from Career Opportunies (and others), Shelly Brisbane fromShelly's Podcast, Rob Walsh from Podcast411 and Today in iPhone, Ken Ray from Mac OS Ken, Tee Morris from Billibub Baddings and Podcasting for Dummies, Adam Raimer from Mad Town Aces, Don McAllister from ScreenCastsOnline, Aaron from the Big Show, Charles Cadenhead from Mostly News and Desperate Husbands, and a bunch of others.

Congratulations to Chuck Tomasi on being named the co-author of the upcoming Podcasting for Dummies book, along with Tee Morris!

Tonight we had dinner with Steve Holden from Tech News Radioand the Jersey Boys Podcast and Mike Auzenne from Manager Tools. Afterward, we hung out with Victor, Adam, Steve, Chuck, Kreg, Mad Marv, Chris from Amateur Traveler, Steve from Geek Cred- thanks guys for letting us hang out with you.

Check out the pictures here.

Grand Opening of Pizza Go Here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1:16 a.m. PDT, May 13, 2007

STOCKTON, California (AP) - The Beckwith Family - Matt, Dawn, Emily and Makenzy, have announced the grand opening of their newest website, Pizza Go Here - a family podcast.  Nearly 10 years after they started sharing family news and pictures on the world wide web they have jumped on the podcast bandwagon.

"We are so excited to be podcasters" said 8 year old Makenzy.  A sentiment that was echoed by her older sister Emily.

Matt said, "The name, Pizza Go Here, came from a famous slip-up my Mom uttered years ago so we thought it fitting to make our announcement on Mother's Day."

Pizza Go Here has already received praise from the handful of select friends, family and other podcasters that were given a recent sneak preview.

The show will feature Emily's joke and video of the week, Mak's Mac tip as well as other random thoughts.  The podcast will also feature their "Would You Rather" question.

"We hope that all our friends and family subscribe to the podcast and we hope to get some new listeners as well" said Dawn.

For years you've had MattBeckwith.com and BeckwithWeb.com.  Pizza Go Here is a new way to experience this whacky family from California's heartland.  "It's like pizza for your ears!" proclaimed Matt.

Visit Pizza Go Here online at pizzagohere.com.  If you have no idea what a podcast is or need help subscribing, send an e-mail to help@pizzagohere.com or call the Pizza Go Here listener line at 206-309-1631.

Download the show promo here.