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This episode is brought to you by DIY Themes.

In this interview I talk with Louis Gray of LouisGray.com.  Louis is an early adopter and influencer in the online space.  I’m sure you have heard of those individuals who were making things happen before the Internet was called the Internet.  Well, Louis was one of them, but as you will learn in this audio podcast, it took him some time to build that reputation for himself.

Just because you have a website today, doesn’t mean readers are going to come swarming to your site.  This was true for Louis in the early stages, but that wasn’t the reason he was blogging.  He did it because he enjoyed what he was doing and that’s what many people today forget.  Through consistency and writing posts that engaged the reader, Louis saw a growth in the traffic to his website.  He enjoys the interaction with others the most and understands that to build anything, trust and relationships need to be made with that other individual.

Louis also has a great handle on social media and understands how to leverage it.  He doesn’t believe there’s a right or wrong way to use it because there’s an audience for everything. Although, major corporations are still not using social media to their full advantage as Louis notes, but its due to the fact that they are use to traditional forms of media.  He mentions that becoming an early adopter within the social media space is due to the fact of recognizing things before others do.  Its not something that’s easy to do because you really have to pay attention to what is going on around you.

Louis Gray provides a lot of great insight in this interview as to what it means to be an early adopter and his role in social media.  The audio podcast is definitely worth the listen because everyone can really learn something valuable here.  Louis has never labeled himself as a “social media expert” because like many, he doesn’t believe in that title, but he does do social media consulting for large brands to help them gain more recognition for their company.

Further reading:

Cali Lewis Interview – Tech, Social Media, & GeekBeat.TV

Interview With Robert Scoble – Future Of FriendFeed & Other Networks

Andrew Warner Interview On Using Social Networks To Get Interviews

Chris Pirillo Shares His Thoughts On Companies Using Social Networks

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/hyku/

In this week’s episode of the STZ Podcast, I interview Cali Lewis of GeekBeat.TV.  Cali is one of those unique, intelligent, and well known people in the online space.  She’s very passionate about technology and interacting with those that make it possible for her to do what she does for a living.  For those that don’t already know, Cali does an online tech show called GeekBeat TV. She reviews the latest gadgets, hardware, software, etc. that appeal to her and gives her thoughts and opinions.  What makes her show so great is she’s informative and she keeps her show at 5 minutes.  She understands where everyone’s attention span is at with consuming online video.

During this interview, Cali and I talk about her passions for technology, social media, and Geek Beat TV.  I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and talking with Cali.  She brings a lot of positivity to the online world and is really great with helping others understand what’s going on in our space, which we enjoy so much.  Cali has done very well with bringing in sponsors for her show as well and she gives us tips for bringing in potential sponsors for our own shows.  It is something quite difficult to do and it starts with your audience.

I always enjoy getting well known guests on my podcast and I hope you enjoy those individuals that I am able to bring on to share their wisdom.  I’d really appreciate any feedback you may have in regards to my interviewing skills or potential questions you would like me to ask guests for the future.  Are there any guests you would like me to bring on the show?  What did you think about this episode?  Do you watch GeekBeat TV?  If not, you should.  It is a great and entertaining show!

Further reading:

Software Chat Live On Frugal Brothers

Talking Tech On The Tech Buzz Show

How To End The Negativity From Social Media Users

Interview With Robert Scoble – Future Of FriendFeed And Other Networks

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardlow/

EP # 254 Tech & Tuesday Frank Angelone 6 22 2010 from FrugalTech on Vimeo.

Many thanks to Bruce Naylor of FrugalBrothers for letting me share this interview.

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Bruce Naylor of FrugalBrothers on his live show.  Not only was the chat room very active, but the discussion was quite lively.  I always enjoy being on a variety of online web shows talking about technology or social media, especially when those in the chat room contribute their thoughts.  During this show, Bruce and I touched on quite an interesting topic.  The primary topic of discussion was whether or not open source software will be the choice of software in the future.  Currently, many consumers prefer proprietary software due to the fact that they are use to paying for a name brand they trust.  However, they fail to realize the outstanding usability that comes from open source software.  Just because it is free, doesn’t make it less of a product.  In fact, I’ve noticed that some free alternatives work just as good, if not better.

For example, Microsoft Office VS Open Office was one of the examples we used to base our discussion around.  I’ve always felt that Open Office is a perfect free equivalent.  It has very subtle differences in my opinion as compared to Microsoft Office to a point where it is easy for a user to adjust.  Now, there may be many of you that disagree with me on this point.  Tell me what you think.  Would you rather used paid software or are you fine with free equivalents?

Bruce continues throughout this interview to ask me some really interesting questions to think about and if you want to hear what they were, listen to the video interview above.  I’m really thankful to Bruce for giving me the opportunity to share my opinions on the show and interact with him and his chat room.  It was an enjoyable experience and talking about something such as software that I don’t get into often, really challenged my thinking.  I’d really like to know your thoughts on how I answered Bruce’s questions and your thoughts on the topics in general.

Further reading:

My Guest Appearance On The Great Tech Debate

Talking Tech On The Tech Buzz Show

Interview With Erica Douglass – Passion For Technology Turns A Profit

Interview With David Risley On Different Aspects Of Technology

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/szjason/

In this interview of the STZ Podcast, I talk with Steve Heywood, the Founder of The Tech Buzz. He recently had me on his show and I wanted to have him on mine.  The topic of discussion was Google TV.  Yes, I know you are all probably tired of hearing about it since it has been the big topic of discussion lately.  However, we didn’t just tell you what Google TV is like all the other sites are doing out there.  We talked about whether or not Google TV will become successful and if it will replace cable television.

If there’s one thing I know its the length of time its going to take for users to adjust to something like Google TV to replace cable television.  It definitely is expected, but both Steve and I feel it will succeed.  Anything with the Google logo backing it up is going to appeal to users.  My personal concern is will Google follow through with this product?  They’ve been known to start products/services like Google Buzz and leave them alone for quite some time.  Users want changes implemented immediately.  Without question, Google listens to their users, but they seem to generate too many products/services at once to keep up with.

Overall, Steve and myself feel that Google TV will succeed in the long run, but it will take some time to get the “non-tech savy” individuals on board.  There’s almost too much trust with Google for Google TV not to succeed.  Who knows…there may come a day when cable television doesn’t exist?  What do you think?  Will Google play out as talked about in the interview or will it just be a fad?  Will this new technology only appeal to the tech enthusiasts?

Further reading:

Talking Tech On The Tech Buzz Show

Interview With David Risley On Different Aspects Of Technology

Google Maps Navigation On Android

Google – We Want You

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/

In this audio interview (listen to above), I talk with well known technology evangelist, Robert Scoble.  Robert used to be a huge supporter and frequent user of FriendFeed.  However, both of us now feel that the social network is completely dead.  There’s no changes or value coming from the platform anymore which explains the lack of active community participating on the site.  At this point, users just connect their FriendFeed to sync with their Twitter posts.

One of the reasons why I started on FriendFeed was because Scoble supported it. The platforms he recommends or uses are always credible and FriendFeed at one point was synonymous with him.  Robert used it all the time, but he realized, like I did, that when it was bought out by Facebook…this is the end of FriendFeed.  Ultimately, it only worked out in Facebook’s benefit.

During our conversation we talked about almost every mainstream social network and the future of these platforms in today’s online space.  Robert also gives us more of an insight to the constant debates over Facebook’s privacy issues and what the people of the company are saying. He also shares what he knows about Zuckerberg and what his thoughts are.  However, Robert and I both agree that Facebook needs to simplify their privacy strategy.  It’s important to remember that everything you put on the internet is public whether you think its private or not.

We delve into Google Buzz being like FriendFeed and how this social network needs to be cleaned up due to its poor user interface and usability.  We briefly analyzed the future of MySpace and how they are rebranding themselves for the music industry.  (They should have never left this space.)  Finally, we talk about geo location sites and how they really are going to be a game changer.  Users should give them a chance because this is the world we are moving towards.

I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to the interview?  What were your thoughts on what Robert shared with us?  His knowledge and inside information really helps gives us all more insight on topics we thought we knew a lot or a little about. Don’t you agree?

Further reading:

How To Stay Connected Without Compromising Privacy & Security

It’s Not About The Which But The What

Google Buzz At This Point Is Google Bust

Do You Give New Social Networks A Chance?

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbisaacs/

In the audio interview above I talk with Erica Douglass of Erica.Biz.  Most know her as the girl who sold her web hosting company business at the age 0f 26 for $1,100,000.  Now she teaches people how to build their business and different strategies she uses to be successful.

Her web hosting company all started with her passion for technology.  We talked quite a bit with how much technology interests the both of us and the excitement that comes along with technology advancing.  Then we kind of got a little off topic with how she builds traffic to her site.

We kind of look at the idea of traffic building a little differently.  She believes in SEO and even though I think SEO is a good thing, I think commenting on blogs and interacting with the community is a lot better for building relationships.  We continued on this path with discussing mailing lists and the techniques that go into getting a massive amount of opt-ins.

It may seem like we got off the topic of our passions of technology, but actually we didn’t. Mailing lists are an advancement in technology, especially how improved and customizable they are today.  SEO is not something many people like, but it is a technology that is used to drive traffic to your site and business.  It’s the alternative form of social media if you think about it.

What do you think of Erica’s tips?  Are you as passionate about technology as we are?  If you ever thought that driving a profit from a passion was impossible, Erica is living proof that with hard work that it can happen.  Finally, how do you feel about the format and structure of the interviews I do?

Further reading:

4 Questions To Help Assess Your Technology Back-Up Plan

Interview With David Risley On Different Aspects Of Technology

The Best App That Technology Has Brought Us

10 Reasons You Shouldn’t Say No To Technology

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/drbeachvacation/

The interview above is with well known blogger and internet entrepreneur David Risley who is the Founder of PC Mech.

We talked quite a bit about technology and the many platforms that are out there for consumers to use.  In regards to this, we got into the well known debate of why people still aren’t understanding how the “game” works today and that technology is our friend and not something to avoid.  David shares with us how PC Mech came about and where it currently stands today.

Finally, David shares with us how he became interested in technology and for those of you who read my blog and are really into the social media content, we talked briefly about those tools, but we kind of went on a rant about Facebook.

Further reading:

10 Reasons You Shouldn’t Say No To Technology

5 Tips For Keeping Up With Technology

Skype – The Technology With So Much Potential

Past Technology – What’s Dead VS What’s Different

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetechbuzz/

Roberto Hoyos is the Founder of Throwboy.com where he makes geeky tech pillows.  He also has a podcast called For The Geek.  Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with him about how he’s seen a difference in sales on his pillows just from using social networking sites.

As with most of my guests on the podcast, Roberto and I also discussed the importance of community and interacting with your fan base.  Granted I get into this conversation with a majority of my guests, but not everyone is going to have the same outlook and it’s good to get all perspectives.

I also asked Roberto quite a bit on how technology has played a roll in his business.  Since he is making a product and for the most part does it all on his own, technology is going to play a roll here.  He gives us insight on how he came up with the brand name and some future plans with the company!

Do you own one of Roberto’s pillows?  If so, what do you think of it?  What did you think of his story on how he came up with the brand name?  I thought it was really creative and it’s definitely helped him gained recognition on the internet especially since he has made pillows for some well known internet celebrities.  I hope you enjoy the interview.

Further reading:

Jordan Cooper Interview – Being Transparent On Social Networks

Andrew Warner Interview On Using Social Networks To Get Interviews

Skype – The Technology With So Much Potential

T.S. Elliott Interview – How Are People Using Twitter?

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Forewarned: Strong Language (It’s all about being authentic and who you are!)

In this interview, I talk with Jordan Cooper of Not A Pro Blog.  Jordan is a comedian and blogger who likes to inject his humor into the ways we look at social media and blogging.  His humor is very sarcastic and he is brutally honest.  He won’t sugar coat anything.  We discuss how he has used social networks to build his brand and most importantly his thoughts on being transparent and authentic on social networks.

Jordan believes that if you want to broadcast that you are, “taking a crap” – you should do so.  He dislikes as much as I do when people say you need to use social media in a certain way.  Use it how you want is what he suggests.  It shows your personality and tells everyone you aren’t being fake.  That’s one of the biggest problems with people on social networks is that they try to be someone they’re not.  The moment you do this, you are doomed because people will see right through it.

One of the examples that Jordan uses is that it’s not necessary to say to someone all the time, “thanks for the retweet.”  At first I was a little puzzled by this.  However, he explains if you do that all the time, how thankful are you really for the individual sharing what you wrote.  Don’t get him wrong, he believes in interacting with people.  It should be done by everyone and businesses, but be authentic.  If it warrants a response, RESPOND!

Users shouldn’t feel ignored when someone doesn’t respond to what you said because they may have felt there’s nothing they can respond with.  If you add something valuable to the conversation, they will respond.  According to Jordan, responding just for the sake of responding is not authentic.   He says that people are using social media tools to make money; that’s the primary purpose.  You interact with people to build a loyal customer base in hopes that they build trust with you to buy your product or service.  Although, he does mention that it’s perfectly fine if you’re not looking to make money, but many others are.

Jordan’s style may not be for everyone, but I understand and appreciate his perspectives as a fellow New Yorker.  As mentioned earlier, he’s a comedian and has a different approach to how he views things.  Although, he’s intelligent and shares some great stories in this interview.  Did you get a lot out of it?  How did you like his delivery?  What were your overall thoughts?

Further reading:

Me Being Interviewed By TheNerdTV On Social Networking Strategies

Love It And Your Audience Will Love You

Andrew Warner Interview On Using Social Networks To Get Interviews

5 Tips For Using Social Media

credit attributed to http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevcole/

Recently I was interviewed live on The Nerd TV.  For an hour the Founder of the site, Charles Zink and I talked about my opinions on brand building, what I am currently doing as far as online projects, and social networking strategies.  Usually, you guys are use to me interviewing someone else on building your business with social networks, but this time I had the pleasure of being interviewed.

Charles’ audience was very interactive and asked me some great questions.  One question during the interview that stuck out to me the most was, “how do you compete with well known people in the industry?”  My simple answer was, “you don’t!”  I feel you need to do what works for you and focus on what your doing.  You don’t want to copy what somebody else is doing because than it’s not who you are!

I am very passionate about social media and using it to build a business, but it was definitely a change of pace to have some asking me questions instead of the other way around.  I really appreciate Charles allowing me to post the MP3 here for you all and the opportunity to be on his show and talk about something I really care about.

I think the most rewarding feeling from this interview is I was told that I taught him and his viewers a lot about social networks and different strategies to approach when using the internet to help leverage your brand.  I love sharing what I have learned and what others have taught me. That’s the beauty of the social media space, it’s all about interacting and giving back. I sure hope to do similar things like this in the future.

How do you think I did in answering Charles’ questions?  Was I thorough enough?  What did you like most about the interview or least?  I’d really like to hear your feedback because it helps me grow and lets me know what you all are looking for in an interview.

Further reading:

Cate Colgan Explains The Importance Of Meeting People Through Social Media

Claim.io Interview – Protect Your Brand On Social Networks

Love It And Your Audience Will Love You

Chris Pirillo Shares His Thoughts On Companies Using Social Networks