Coffee Pods Research

Doing some quick research.
How many of you currently use have used the coffee pod machines? What are your thoughts as it relates to:

• Convenience?


• Quality?


• Variety?


• Cost?
  
  I am looking to do some work for a boutique premium coffee manufacturer that is entering this space and I would love all the feedback and comments I can get. There will likely be more specific questions later.

Thanks,

EPTFA

Just finished the first meeting for the EPTFA board of directors for the upcoming 2009 season. This is the fourth season of the EPTFA and its growth is getting stronger and stronger. The number of athletes continue to increase as do the required number of volunteers to run the program. This upcoming season we are expecting over 400 athletes and will be looking to host our first open/competitive meet following next year’s season.

I got involved in this organization after listening to running into one of the founders at registration. It turned out that we ran track in college together back in 1987 & 88. Twenty years later we end up living in the same community and are now working together on the same track & field program for K-6 graders.

Thought for the Moment

Social Media is fast becoming an integrated communication channel within business. I look at Social Media as more than a craze or a strategy but more of a way of thinking. Managing a website and keeping it fresh with updated and timely content takes a lot of thinking, project based work and processes (schedules, roles and responsibilities, due dates, etc…) where Social Media, if done right, is literally an extension of the person, team, business. It can’t be held to a schedule nor can it be looked upon as a task or responsibility. It is a hybrid of thinking out loud and creative expression. There is not going to be a right way to Blog or an incorrect Tweet.

The greatest part of Social Media is the fact that it is being done without an audience in mind. The fact is ninety percent (I totally made up that number) of blogs and Tweets and other Web 2.0 communications likely go unnoticed. But yet people still have this urge to share their story and to think out loud. Those that do build relationships and have followers still do it to share their story and think out loud. The agenda should never shift.

More SCBA work

Last night’s class was all hands on or should I say all hands and knees on. We don'd our full PPE & SCBA gear and had four stations.
Station 1: practice Donning the full PPE & SCBA in under two minutes. More importantly doing it with 100% accuracy. I think most of were able to get it done in around 2:20. A little more practice (It is harder than you think)>
Station 2: The Trailer Maze. Think a fully enclosed, large utility trailer. Fill it with steel grated dog kennels stacked two high and the entire length side by side. No cut holes, doors in the sides, tops and bottoms, throw in a 2ft diameter tube and you have a fun but difficult maze. We went in 2x2 and navigated the maze in complete darkness, wearing the full gear. Fun and tough.
Station 3: Get the heart rate up. Run and down seven flights of stairs, full gear and then hammer the Kaiser Sled.
Station 4: More maze work, low light, wooden boxes and crawl spaces, wires hanging and stuff on the floor.

All in all it was a fun night. Next time we add more search and rescue.

Purist vs. Corporate

I just attended a great meeting on social media this morning. One of the many topics discussed included a major focus on where does social media sit (or not sit) inside a company. This has been a struggle for me personally at my former company as there was too much concern on the impact of the message.... would it offend a customer, would it offend a partner, don't express personal views or share personal information.

To me those are the ingredients for a healthy, productive and social environment.....dialogue and engagement....pure.

There were a number of comments/suggestions that really hit home for me that I want to capture here:

Purist vs. Corporate. Ask your company the question...do they want a transaction relationship where you show up, do your job, get paid and go home? Or do they want a engaged relationship where you build friends, share ideas, and share experiences. Both are okay but both cannot mutually exist within one another (it more difficult for a purist to thrive in a corporate environment).

Work does not end I walk out the door. Nor should my personal life when i walk in the door.

An engaged community that is pure and believes will moderate itself. There is no need for corporate governance in the Social Media plan(s).

You can't have a Social Media department.....you are either social (purist) or not.

A guiding council lets you off the hook.

I am claiming any of these statements as they were shared by individuals at the MSP SMB (Social Media Breakfast).

Can a company blog be personal?

I started this social media endeavor as a business strategy to help my company become recognized as market leaders in their respective space. At the same time I became focused on blogging for a pure social perspective about my adventure racing team.

Now my lines have begun to blur and I am allowing a little of my personal content influence my professional content. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. I mean why do people follow blogs and Tweets? It is not get a corporate overview on a company or product but to follow an individual (a unique, warm blooded person that has original thoughts, ideas, and expressions) that talks about the business right? So the fact that personality, individual comments begin to influence the content is what makes it all interesting?

Should a company/corporate blog be kept "corporate"? Is there room for the author to bring their personal life, stories and thoughts into a corporate blog or does it need to be kept separate?

Bio--Overview

David Gandrud is an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for adventure and fun. His alter-ego spends the day helping businesses better understand, attract, motivate and retain customers.......aka, a Marketing Professional since 1991.


Gandrud started in Adventure Racing in 2007 but is no stranger to the outdoor multi-discipline events. Gandrud, a decathlete in college has moved his passions to just about anything that has to deal with grass, dirt, snow, rock and/or water. A gear-junkie at heart, Dave realized he had problem when is wife pointed out he had 'way more shoes' than she had.....(last count was fourteen not including casual or dress shoes).

In 2008 Gandrud joined the Eden Prairie Fire Department as a volunteer. He is stationed out of Station 4 and is the only Probie (yellow helmet, probationary, first year, rookie) in his fire station.

Location: Eden Prairie, MN
Year Born: 1968
Height/Weight: 6’ 2” /190-5 lbs
AR Strength: Mountain Biking/Kayaking
Pay the Bills: Marketing Professional
Hobbies: Family, Hunting, BWCA, Skiing, Kiting, Camping
Motto: Work Hard. Play Hard. Live Harder