Category Archives: GFM in Action

Video: The Social Media Habits of Denver, Colorado

We talked a lot lately about our social media habits here at GFM and we recently wondered how our feelings on the medium compare to the Denver community at large. We’re lucky to have an office nestled right in the middle of Downtown Denver, affording us the opportunity to take to the streets to get a “pulse” on what Denverites are thinking on a variety of topics.

And what was the latest question we had on our minds that implored us to approach lunch-goers on a recent sunny afternoon in Denver? Social media uses and preferences. Check out our latest video blog and you’ll find out some surprising social media quirks from the new friends we met on our stroll through downtown. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to compare our man on the street interviews to our recent post analyzing the social media habits of a typical GFMer.

One resounding takeaway we learned from our time stopping strangers? Whether they’re right or not, people don’t feel like they’re addicted to social media. But I bet if you took it away from them for an extended period of time, those feelings might quickly change…

Mountainfilm in Telluride and Giving in Your Community

Telluride Mountain Film Festival Just as I anticipated, I left Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride energized to help save the world. And before reality settles back in, I want to share some thoughts from my amazing Memorial Day weekend experience and shed some light on why GroundFloor Media (GFM) is such a strong proponent of being involved in the community – no matter how big or small YOUR community is.

Whether watching “The Crash Reel,” which details Olympic-hopeful Kevin Pearce’s traumatic brain injury and his newfound passion to help others in their recovery, “The Water Tower,” which was described as a “climate-change movie that involved some rock climbing,” “Bidder 70,” which shares the story of how Tim DeChristopher bid on 22,000 acres of Utah land worth $1.7 million (which he never intended to pay for) in order to protect it from oil and gas exploration, or “High and Hallowed: Everest 1963,” which chronicles the first American ascent of the renowned 29,029-foot peak – I was moved by the large and small actions individuals take each day to further the causes they are passionate about.

Read more after the jump…

VIDEO: Add Video to Your Blog – Tips and Strategies to Get Started

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Alexandra Hilker, founder of the Denver Bloggers Association, during the last several months. I admire her passion for the local blogger community and jumped at the chance to help her plan the group’s latest meet up.

Held at the ultra-cool Black Eye Coffee shop in the Highlands, the event brought together 20+ local bloggers for networking, ideation and support of what we all love—creating content for ourselves and our beloved readers.

Read more after the jump…

GFM @SXSWi: Tuesday’s Sessions

The Lytro Light Field Camera.

The Lytro Light Field Camera.

Another South by Southwest Interactive is in the books, and while it will certainly take us a few days to process everything we saw, heard, experienced and learned, the final day did not disappoint. Overall, some common themes were “serendipity” when running into the right people at the right time while building your business, making sure that you’re still thinking logically about your customers despite all of the Big Data that marketers have at their fingertips, and the overall blurred lines between journalists, influencers, consumers and marketers. Indeed, the Internet continues to level the playing field in significant ways.

 

Jon’s take:

  • Tuesday’s sessions were cut a bit short because we had to have a final (and somehow, first) tex-mex before departing and heading to the airport, but we were still able to take in three really great sessions. First up was a discussion about something we take very seriously here at GroundFloor, workplace culture. Dan Graham, the CEO and founder of Austin company BuildASign.com, talked through how he has grown his company to 240 employees while still trying to maintain a culture of giving back to the community. BuildASign goes as far as making their employees accountable for these initiatives, even reviewing them in performance appraisals. Interesting story.

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GFM @SWSWi: Tuesday Favorites

South Congress Avenue

 

The final day of SXSWi is always a strange one. The sessions typically go out with a bang (our session recap will be posted later today), the musicians are nearly in full force, the interactive people are exhausted, and hydration, caffeine and nourishment are at a premium. Which is why these were our favorites from Tuesday in Austin:

Nom nom: We did make a second stop at the Taco Shack, because breakfast tacos are a food that is far superior to pretty much anything else. But we also made a stop at Guero’s Taco Bar on South Congress before heading to the airport. Getting away from downtown for a few minutes and eating some Al Pastor tacos was a great TexMex way to wind down.

Libations: The temperature soared to nearly 80 degrees in the afternoon, so seeing the Austin Frigid Frog Shaved Ice truck was like an oasis sent from the heavens. The list of flavors is lengthy, use your best judgment when you order and enjoy!

Read more after the jump…

GFM @SWSWi: Monday Favorites

This is what a $6,000 lens looks like

This is what a $6,000 lens looks like

Things are winding down for the Interactive portion of SXSW, but that doesn’t mean the town isn’t still buzzing – particularly as the scene changes from digital to music. Here’s a sampling of what was happening during our last full day in Austin:

Nom nom: Its somewhat amazing that we’d been here for four days and hadn’t had sushi. Fortunately, Kenichi solved that problem. Much like Denver, don’t let a land-locked city fool you into thinking there won’t be good sushi – try the Blake Roll if you go (spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, topped with tuna and eel sauce).

Libations: We always like to see our client’s products while on the road – like spotting the party-goers at the Sales Force Cloud Lounge enjoying tallboys of Oskar Blues’ Deviant Dale’s. It’s a big beer…even for Texas.

Celebrity-ish Sighting: Mashable’s Pete Cashmore strolling down 6th Street (with his entourage in tow).

Read more after the jump…

GFM @SXSWi: Monday’s Sessions

AA 1

Maybe managers aren’t so necessary…

It’s counterintuitive when a conference that is all about digital and interactive communications has recurring themes of “being real,” “connecting with people in person” and “putting your devices down,” but those are all concepts we’ve heard consistently in Austin. Today was no different. From Livestrong’s recent crisis communication efforts to a Microsoft employee’s 15-minute presentation on productivity, Monday has been our favorite day of sessions to date. Here are some takeaways from day four at South by Southwest:

Jim’s Take: 

  • Deloitte’s Chairman John Hagel delivered a presentation entitled “From Story to Narrative” in which he started by sarcastically apologizing that he didn’t have a PowerPoint. He discussed how we need to think of all things as a narrative rather than a story – narratives are not finite, and they are opportunity-based rather than threat-based. So, ultimately narratives highlight the reward and motivate people to take action. Food for thought when it comes to content creation and curation.
  • Livestrong’s CEO Doug Ulman spoke about their crisis communication efforts following Lance Armstrong’s recent announcement – a rare opportunity to hear from a CEO of a large organization that is currently going through a large-scale crisis. Livestrong had only six day’s notice prior to Lance Armstrong’s Oprah interview and they made the immediate decision to openly talk about the issue, “We have a moment in time when people are paying attention, and we need to take advantage of that. If we go into hiding for 6-8 months, no one will care anymore.”

Read more after the jump…

GFM @SWSWi: Sunday Favorites

Sunday is the day people typically start to become a little punchy at South By, but the past couple of years its also been the day when the sun comes out and the weather brightens everyone up a bit. Here are our favorites from Sunday:

The sun came out in Austin

Nom nom: We had an amazing dinner at Lambert’s Downtown Barbeque with our friends from 34 Degrees, complete with ribs, brisket, ribeye, roasted Brussels sprouts and grits. Reservations are recommended, as is the coconut cream pie.

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GFM @SXSWi: Sunday’s Sessions

The Main Stage at SXSWMaybe it was the lost hour of sleep, or maybe it was the varied session topics at SXSWi on Sunday, but the day and its sessions flew by for both Jon and I. From the future of search in a mobile world to online influencers to meet ups, day three at SXSWi left us with a lot to think about:

Jon’s Take: 

  • Since I had missed many of the other “big name” speakers like Al Gore and Elon Musk in the first two days of the conference I decided to make sure and take in some panels in the large exhibit hall today. First up was Guy Kawasaki (who Jim and I were lucky enough to meet the day before) hosting a discussion with Google’s Senior Vice President Amit Singhal. Later in the day I returned to see FiveThirtyEight mastermind Nate Silver speak in the same room. Both forums were interesting and at times provocative, but I don’t feel that I get the same out of that type of presentation as I did in some of the more intimate sessions. Generally speaking, the panels taking place in locations other than the convention center have been significantly more insightful.

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GFM @SWSWi: Saturday Favorites

Saturday is typically the dangerous day at SXSWi for a few reasons – big-named sessions, more attendees, longer lines, more parties…and losing another hour of sleep thanks to Daylight Savings Time. Its also one of the more fun days, for a variety of reasons:

Nom nom: We stopped by one of our favorite Austin eateries, Frank, not once, but twice yesterday! Between the pork meatball sliders with marinara, parmesean and basil; the lengthy list of hot dog and house made sausages (with pretzel buns!); and a complete menu of waffle fries (try the cheese fries with bacon, cheddar, sour cream and chives) – not to mention the campfire hash, corn cup and other delicious fries – it was easy to make two stops in one day.

Libations: On a day when we were losing sleep, we knew caffeine would be vital. Frank also has one of the best coffee bars in Austin. We both opted for the “Frank Crank,” a mixture of house-made vanilla simple syrup, house-made ganache and cold-brewed coffee concentrate – making us both bulletproof for a few more hours.

An amazing coffee concoction at Frank.

An amazing coffee concoction at Frank.

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