Ninety Day Blitz

New Blog Location for Mark Kithcart

2010-01-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

I'm moving my blog to a Wordpress hosted solution.

The SEO tools are better and the layouts are more flexible for my needs.

So starting tomorrow my blog will be fully functional at www.markkithcart.com

It's up and running now but under construction. It will be completed by tomorrow - Jan 11, 2010.

Sorry to all of the commenters on the blog - those were lost when I migrated it to Wordpress.

The blogger blog will remain but will go back to offering free network marketing tools for those that come in a constant stream looking for them.

Thanks for the support and I look forward to 2010 and beyond in all areas of growth from Social Media to Network Marketing for all of the readers.

So if you are looking for Mark Kithcart - you can find me on my new blog.

Or you can find me on these sites as well:

LinkedIn - Mark Kithcart
Plaxo - Mark Kithcart
Facebook - Mark Kithcart
Twitter - Mark Kithcart

The Coolest Social Media Infographic I Have Seen

2010-01-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

This is the coolest thing ever. It is a catagorized social media cornucopia of the different platforms, tools and sites available for businesses or individuals. It takes the vast nature of Social Media and brings it down to a well thought out and easy to understand Infographic. It's called the Conversation Prism.

Best viewed by zooming and dragging the screen to see the detail and each logo is clickable so you can jump right to their site (how cool is that - interactive too!).

Brian Solis is one of the co-creators of this Infographic - I have been involved with sponsoring some tweetups in Silicon Valley he attended. Brian knows his stuff and knows Social Media. In the land of Social Media Snake Oil (where eveyone is an expert...) Brian is the real deal.

Tweeting Cars from Ford - What Next Your Toaster Updates Your Facebook Status?

2010-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, CES 2010 is obviously full of surprises this year. I was mildly amused and somewhat alarmed to find out that Ford is unveiling a tweeting car.

This, of course, has some folks up in arms about safety but what does this say about Social Media? We hear that it is a passing fad and perhaps this whole Social Media thing will finally blow over and we can get back to business. But is it?

This new development from Ford seems to suggest the exact opposite of Social Media being a fad or a passing moment on the internet. But it does make sense from one perspective, Scott Monty, uber social media guru, is the Social Media Head at Ford and very much engaged in building the Social Media presence at one of the oldest brands in the world. Scott has done some "experiments" with Social Media while at Ford so far and it looks like they are getting some traction (ROI is debatable).

So, I would love to hear from you - Is Social Media a passing fad or do you have some personal concrete experience and examples to share that indicate Social Media is integral to our lives and also to businesses?

Conversations, Interactions and Authenticity in Social Media

2010-01-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

I just watched a video, suggested by Francine Hardaway, The Machine is (Changing) Us: YouTube and the Politics of Authenticity that "woke me up" to what is happening and what could happen on the internet.

A quote from Mike Wesch about the Video & the research:

Nobody there was blindly optimistic, thinking technology was going to make everything better. They were all continually trying to figure out where we are, where we might be going, and the possible downsides and dangers of new technologies so we can use the new technologies to serve human purposes.

For anyone who is really truly engaged in Social Media or is driving to create meaningful conversations online should watch this video. If you are just online to spam marketing messages, spam comments for backlinks or "game the system: i.e. Google & others" then this isn't for you. But wait, yes it is...actually it is more for the spammers and "hit and run" marketing message droppers than anyone else.

This is the best 33 minutes I have spent online in long time.

The internet is evolving and so are we as communicators and information-a-holics. Prior to the internet we had the one-way conversation of the TV only. And the shaping it does to our minds, trends and pop culture is unrivaled until now.

I truly believe we will see the internet eclipse the TV because of the interaction, conversation and authenticity that can now flow from one to many or from many to many.

News is not just News anymore online - it becomes a conversation - albeit a vulgar and juvenile one at times but none the less a conversation that can breathe and give life to a story, event or occurrence.

The video by Mike Wesch, of The Machine is Us/ing Us Fame with over 10 million views and counting, really asks some questions that many of us are not considering but should be given that the internet is playing a HUGE role in our lives and the lives of billions around the planet.

Social Media and the internet have a place now and we have personal control of where it goes and how we choose to interact with it and others. We will always have the juvenile and immature behavior online but we also have a chance to really make decisions to be authentic and connect like we have never had a chance to before.

We can now connect without;

- feeling subconscious
- someone laughing in our faces
- telling us that our thoughts or ideas are irrelevant, or worse - stupid
- feeling the repercussions of revealing more than we would normally reveal face-to-face

This opens up huge opportunities to be authentic and supportive of each other thereby creating new conversations and communities that would have never been formed due to the potential for the lack of authenticity from a one-way conversation (TV), a face-to-face conversation or the distance that would normally separate us geographically.

We all now have a chance to create communities and be something more than what we may show, say or act like when at work, home, school or other face-to-face social situation.

Watch the video and then start your journey to be authentic, be real, create new conversations and create new communities. And then we can potentially create a new future of what social media can truly become.

LeapFish - Where Web Meets World

2009-11-05T08:00:00.001-08:00

LeapFish released a new traditional, social and real-time search experience today.

I think a lot of people will perceive this as a release of "just another search engine" if they just read a press release or post and fail to go to the site. That couldn't be further from the truth with this new version of LeapFish. This is the first search engine that allows socialization of all discovered content at the click of a button.

Social media adoption is at unprecedented levels and content is truly becoming "king" as engines like LeapFish allow a simple sharing mechanism that is integrated into the search stream.

From the Press Release:

“Aside from the Web’s growing size and variety there is an emerging duality of “real-time” and “traditional,” which now requires a completely different search experience. One that includes both the content and the “contributor” in the search experience, such that both traditional and real-time searching and sharing are integrated seamlessly in our use of this Living Web,” said Ben Behrouzi."

This, in my opinion, was the missing step to a much larger movement in the search industry that is now moving away from static links and search results to a more dynamic search and socialization experience.

The best part of this release is that the combined searching and sharing functionality is only one of the incredibly innovative features that users will have access to when using LeapFish. My favorite feature is the customizable homepage that have feature-rich proprietary Twitter and Facebook apps that allow me to interact with my social communities without leaving my "personal dashboard to the web".

Go to http://www.leapfish.com/ dive into this new experience and start Living the Web.

Why "WE" Will Change the Web

2009-10-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

The internet has always changed at a rapid pace. Recently (in the past 2 years) there has been a growing movement of real-time user generated interactions and content that is creating a completely new "internet" fueled by twitter, facebook and social media, essentially being fueled by "US".

Ben Behrouzi, posted an article today that captures the movement of the real-time web and how there is a need for integrating and sharing this new mountain of content that is created daily and how "WE" are creating the new "Web that will take the form of a living breathing database".

Excerpt from the article: Real-Time Search - 5 Reasons Why “We” Will Change the Web

"What is clear is that our daily use of the Real Time Web’s driving platforms — Twitter, Facebook and the like — is unprecedented. The Internet is no longer simply just a disconnected 3rd party container of tops down aggregation, “We” is now part of its determination. And, search as we know it will soon change to accommodate, thereby delivering a completely different experience of the Web."

The new web will require new tools to address the bottoms up approach to content and interactions that occur in real-time. Ben Behrouzi does an excellent job of giving us a sneak preview as to why this movement is critically important to the search industry and how "WE" are influencing the internet today.

Crush It! Is Cool...

2009-10-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

I've always been a Gary V fan and I have enjoyed his principles and philosophies that he lives publicly. His new book "Crush It!" just hit the streets - its excellent and you get a deeper understanding of his philosophies as well as get some insight into what makes Gary tick.

Gary is real, unabashed and raw at times but THAT is what makes Gary who he is and why he is so loyally followed (and not just on twitter).

It's a fast read and you can pull some great nuggets from it if you are engaged in the online world or not. This is truly a book on "life-lessons" rather than just "online lessons".

His section on Authenticity is something that those online (and offline) really need to read and live - here is an excerpt from the book:

"If you want to dominate the social media game, all of your effort has to come from the heart; and it can’t come from the heart in the passionate, irrational, wholehearted way it needs to if you’re trying to be anyone but yourself. Authenticity is what will make it possible for you to put in the kind of hustle necessary to crush it"

Gary lives life on his terms and his authenticity blares through the usual "stuff" we see online.

Get his book, read it and then go out and do what you were designed to do - "Crush it!"

Business Athletes via Ben Behrouzi & Maverick Entrepreneurs - Cut from the same Cloth

2009-08-14T15:04:00.001-07:00

I just read a great post, 10 signs of a Business Athlete, by Ben Behrouzi on his MaxStartup blog. He speaks to hiring Business Athletes rather than just hiring employee's. I like this one the best "#6 In any business, its important for team members to be able to make quick decisions with less than 100% of the necessary information"

Yanik Silver, cut from the same type of entrepreneurial cloth, also touched on a similar subject with his post about Maverick Entrepreneurs. This one is the best in my opinion "#20 Focus most of your time on your core strengths and less time working in areas you suck at."

Do you want to find out what it takes to have the edge in life? Read these two posts, print them out and put them up on your wall and read them everyday. The Business Athletes & Maverick Entrepreneurs won't need to do this because they already live it daily. But those that aspire to be a Business Athlete & Maverick Entrepreneur can't miss this opportunity to discover what their true potential is.

Ben Behrouzi of LeapFish Interviewed by Search Cowboys

2009-07-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ben Behrouzi, CEO of LeapFish, was interviewed by the Search Cowboys blog last week. It is a deeper discussion of where LeapFish is going and why LeapFish is not just a meta-search engine or another aggegator in a sea of new engines that are appearing on a regular basis.

Ben Behrouzi in a quote to Search Cowboys makes it very clear where he believes search is going and especially where LeapFish is going to focus;

"We live in a time with a very multimedia and sophisticated Internet and we believe its time our search tools function in a similar way. LeapFish is undertaking a progressive and systematic application of advancements and innovations in search over the next several years that empowers users with the ability to access more of the multimedia web as well as interact with the data they find in a whole new way"

Search is heating up with a Microsoft/Yahoo partnership that was just sealed, Twitters new homepage and Google slowly sneaking in new features. Search is also evolving into a fresh, new, real-time and engaging experience for the user.

Read the rest of the interview at the LeapFish Blog

LeapFish CEO Engages Social Media But Social Media is a Failure for Most CEO's

2009-06-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

LeapFish CEO, Ben Behrouzi, tweets on a regular basis. But many CEO's do not tweet or if they do the content is less than stellar.

An article from UBERCEO speaks to the marked absence of tweeting CEO's and calls them slackers:

We looked at Fortune's 2009 list of the top 100 CEOs to determine how many were using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, or had a blog. The results show a miserable level of engagement. Here are the topline results:
Only two CEOs have Twitter accounts.

13 CEOs have LinkedIn profiles, and of those only three have more than 10 connections.

81% of CEOs don't have a personal Facebook page.

Three quarters of the CEOs have some kind of Wikipedia entry, but nearly a third of those have limited or outdated information.

Not one Fortune 100 CEO has a blog.

Social Media is now ingrained in the fabric of our interaction with each other as well as our interaction with companies and brands. Meeting someone new prompts a search and social media profiles, if present, are typically the main content that will rise to the first page of the engines.

Not only is Social Media engaging and controllable by the profile creator it also allows for "meeting others where they are". Instead of "requiring" others to seek out information on a deeper level (i.e. find the corporate website and dig through the About Us page or Management page) you can get a quick snapshot of not only a CEO's profile but also their personality as they engage others.

The other aspect that makes social media engaging and allows the type of interaction that would never happen is the "accessibility factor". I tweeted Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco, and he tweeted me back and then even sent me a Direct Message. My chances of interacting directly with the mayor of San Francisco were practically nil unless I was prepared to engage in a concerted effort to meet him. Twitter gave me quick access to what he was engaged in at that moment and allowed me to "connect" with him on a specific, and potentially fleeting, topic.

Social Media can be a tool that will allow a more personal connection with many CEO's and companies that seem untouchable. It can also allow your voice to be heard by the top dogs via a channel that was never available until the services (twitter, facebook et al) hit critical mass. CEO's that are socially disengaged have a lot to gain via social media channels and connecting at a deeper level.

Historical Changes Happening Right Now - CellPhones, Twitter, Facebook & Realformation

2009-06-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Clay Shirky has his finger on the pulse of the New Realformation Age. Realformation? Real-Time-Information, yes that's a word I just thought up but it's accurate. It's here, it's now and it's happening with or without you.

I went on a double date with my wife and some friends last night and we documented the fun on Facebook. Before we had even arrived at the restaurant we already had 2 comments related to the photo I posted of us driving there. Many more rolled in throughout the night. Not historical or groundbreaking but definitely indicates that communication as we know it is changing rapidly.

My mom even follows my Facebook updates because she lives in Colorado and it's the most up-to-date place she can see what is happening in our lives and to see the latest photos of her grandkids (no phone call required).

With my iPhone I can take a photo and add a caption within about 60 - 120 seconds and update my twitter and facebook accounts. No cables, no downloading to a laptop, no waiting = Realformation!

Clay Shirky is a master at pulling it all together and this video depicts real time and extremely impactful examples of how this medium can literally elect a president and begin to change countries policies about realformation. Enjoy...and get engaged.

LeapFish Affilate Program is LIVE - Earn Cash

2009-06-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

The LeapFish Affiliate Program was recently launched and is getting bombarded with blog and website owners who are downloading the free widgets and are earning cash within minutes of installation.

LeapFish created the Affiliate Program due to numerous requests from advertisers and users of the engine to allow them to get engaged with LeapFish at a deeper level. The Leapfish Affiliate Program has been a definite success for the new affiliate members who have installed the free LeapFish widgets on their sites and started to earn extra cash immediately.

I installed the LeapFish search widget at the top right hand side of my blog so you can see how it looks and allow you to take it for a spin. Once you take it for a spin you can go to the LeapFish Affilate Program page and get your own free widgets and begin to monetize your blogs and sites today or just offer one of the best search engines on the planet to your users.

My LeapFish Twitter Feed for the Past Day

2009-06-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

My LeapFish Feed from twitter;

oliviatrewatha: Helping WAHM & SAHM search the web faster! Go www.leapfish.com and see how fast we are!!! about 10 hours ago from web
leapfish: A picture's worth 1,000 words: http://bit.ly/ijuSy about 10 hours ago from web
bobbyringstrom: RT @markdotnextinc: RT @aprilgregory: Using http://leapfish.com? It's a great search aggregate[brings google,msn,yahoo & Youtube together] about 11 hours ago from TweetDeck
bobbyringstrom: RT @markdotnextinc: RT @aprilgregory: Are you using leapfish.com? It's a great search aggregate[brings google,msn,yahoo & Youtube together] about 11 hours ago from TweetDeck
markdotnextinc: RT @bobbyringstrom: FIND IT FAST on all (3) top search engines at once! http://leapfish.com about 12 hours ago from TweetDeck
markdotnextinc: RT @bobbyringstrom: Try searching with this powerful search engine: http://leapfish.com about 12 hours ago from TweetDeck
bobbyringstrom: FIND IT FAST on all (3) top search engines at once! http://leapfish.com about 12 hours ago from TweetDeck
bobbyringstrom: Try searching with this powerful search engine: http://leapfish.com about 12 hours ago from TweetDeck
tylerfleming: @leapfish Yup. To the dentist. about 13 hours ago from TwitterBerry
leapfish: @tylerfleming You took the subway? Whoa. about 13 hours ago from web
leapfish: Why does every weather forecast in Toronto include "but cooler near the lake"? Yes, we know, okay thanks. about 15 hours ago from TweetDeck
leapfish: @GARich74 Excellent! Let me know when you're around next, and I'll try to score some good seats for us. about 22 hours ago from TweetDeck
LenaShaw: @Building43 vry cool concept discussing The 2010 Web. I met @Scobleizer when he stopped by LeapFish w/ his infamous Mino! http://bit.ly/ ... 1 day ago from Seesmic Desktop
LeapFishMedia: @aprilgregory A new LeapFish 'er! The LeapFish Team is working on groundbreaking technology that will be released soon. Stay Tuned. 1 day ago from Seesmic Desktop

2009-06-16T18:56:00.001-07:00

My first post to my blog from my iPhone. Technology is crazy isn't it?

Btw check out www.leapfish.com

Project Natal for Xbox & LeapFish Search

2009-06-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

LeapFish pulls very cool results for Project Natal for Xbox 360.

You can see the results here for the LeapFish Search - http://www.leapfish.com/?q=project+natal+xbox

Its like a Wii but no controller - How cool is that. But not sure how it actually works yet without the controller. If anyone knows please leave a comment.

Here is a Video that shows up on the right side of the LeapFish results;

LeapFish Enables Search 2.0

2009-01-17T10:27:00.001-08:00

LeapFish has had an incredible increase in traffic as it has grown over the past few months. A foundation was built around the ability to allow users to get information that they normally do not get when using other search engines.

This foundation was recently expanded to include an incredibly fast search interface - deemed the Fastest Search on the Planet. This was the piece of the Search puzzle that has enabled them to increase traffic and users at an exponential level.

Search has been the same for quite some time. And the big boys of search have now determined what is relevant for us. But what about all of the information we are missing? When you search the Big Boys of Search do you make it to the second or third page of results? If you're like me NEVER.

So who is to say some of that information isn't important to you? What if it is that all important piece of information that you needed but you never find it because someone deemed it to not be important?

LeapFish solves that problem. Increasingly, there is more and more information that matters to you, blogs, social networks, videos, images, shopping, news and smaller pieces of information that you want and sometimes NEED to have to get a full picture of that product or service you are buying or researching.

LeapFish gives YOU what YOU are looking for. We don't deem what is important you - You deem what is important and get it with LeapFish.

I've Been Quiet - But No Apologies

2008-10-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

Wow - It's really been that long since I posted?!

It's funny I read blogs and when someone hasn't posted for a while they always apologize and say they will be more diligent.

It's like they are apologizing for being lazy....Well, No Apology Here!

I've been crankin and busier than heck! And I won't apologize for it either. As a matter of fact the busier I am the more excited everyone should be because sooner or later I will get on here and share it with you so we can all learn together.

So what keeps me so busy? Internet Marketing. I have finally finished the 8 DVD set that teaches the newbies or advanced marketers how you can crank out the results and then build a relationship and market like a friend not a used car salesman. They will be available soon for purchase on the internet at www.e-volvenow.com

I have also started a new venture with a partner and we are cranking as usual and doing very well in the process - BUT I won't lie it has been a very challenging past year.

I have learned a lot about me, you and what it means to get results and what it means to build a business from scratch! AGAIN - you would think after bootstrapping it before building an engineering company from nothing I would have learned my lesson.

But No - where would the fun and struggle come-in. The best part is the business is thriving more and faster than anything I have ever done. What are YOU doing?

Are You pushing yourself? Are you out there winning everyday or are you watching the news and cowering in a corner? NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Stop, Give-up or Let-up!!

OUR TIME IS NOW....

The New iPhone, The Internet & Pink Elephants

2008-07-15T20:33:00.001-07:00

When you aren't having success what do you do? Look at all of the new-fangled ways to get more success?

Maybe I should get a new iphone, that will help me! Maybe I should have a website, that will help me! Maybe I should get a pink elephant.......etc, etc

When Success is not coming do you continue to look external? Or do you start to look internal?

Think about it, inside of YOU are all of the answers. Especially if you are in the same business or using the same business model as others and the others are winning bigtime but you aren't. The answers are definitely WITH YOU.

But it is an interesting study to see people continue to look external to themselves. The ones winning must be cheating, the ones winning must be doing something secret, the ones winning must have iphones, internet sites and pink elephants.....

Actually the ones that are winning are using timeless success principles that have been around for decades.

Where can you find the success principles? The principles are all within your reach right now.

It's all writted for you to read in books......why not get a couple of free books like "Think and Grow Rich" the timeless classic by Napoleon Hill or "Speed Wealth" by T Harv Eker.

Stop looking externally - Build YOU and YOU will Win - As a matter of fact you cannot lose - Thankfully, It's a Law of the Universe!

If you Don't think like one of these - You Don't Make it!

2008-05-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

A MAVERICK Entrepreneur - What is it? It is someone who knows where they're going, may not know how to get there but they are willing to TAKE ACTION!

Yanik Silver is a Maverick Entrepreneur and he just put together the 34 rules for Maverick Entrepreneurs. This is a must read for anyone doing any business.....

It's awesome to be inspired by those who exude greatness and are willing to take risks and forge the way for others. Yanik was inspired to write this after meeting and working with Richard Branson.

Those that inspire us live by these 34 rules Always - those that don't make it live by these rules when it's convenient.

Is it convenient for you to win right now or is it How You Live Your Life?