Veteran @ed shot me an email about this video from Steve Haldi - another #30dc vet
@Ed knows me to well - I never damn cry at movies or youtube videos or even Dan’s attempts at moonwalking in a pink thong.
But damn it, this was a three kleenex special.
If you’re a father to daughters, I DEFY you to not cry.
Now, having pulled myself together and having just finished a 30dc plus lesson on Photography….
I had a thought…
Some of the most gratifying stories for me from the Thirty Day Challenge have occurred with people using the stuff they had learned in other areas of their life (the above example being Exhibit Freaking A)
They may or may not have made a dollar, but they got a new job, started a business, made a video THAT STILL MAKES ME CRY THE SECOND TIME!!!!!!!
I’d love to hear from people who are using their #30dc skills in other areas.
Leave a comment below.
But for now, i’m just going to watch Steve’s video again.
Ed
PS KLEENEX!!! WE NEED MORE KLEENEX!
Love ya for giving us all the chance to spend more time with our families, Ed.
As a retired commercial fisherman and truck driver, I had no real computer experience at all.
I had to get out of trucking because the stress was killing me. So, this high school drop-out had the bright idea to go and get an Associates degree in communications at the local community college. There I took the classes on computers that got me familiar with them.
Near the end of my schooling, on a summer break, I was using StumbleUpon, a web surfing search tool. I liked to search the videos in the entrepreneur category. That;s when I came across Ed Dale and the 30DC. Within minutes of watching him, I was hooked. I started the 30DC back in 2008. I got in on the pre-season and decided early on to forget the 30 days and just take it at my own pace. That meant watching the day 1 videos, 20 times, the day 2 videos 20 times… you get the point.
So I focused on doing it EXACTLY as the 30DC laid it out. Got Market Samurai, also learned how to do the keyword research on Google Anaytics Tool.
After signing up for WP Direct, I went at it and learned all I could in just a few weeks. I had ZERO background in blogging, websites, or Internet marketing.
What I did was use the forum, a lot. I learned a lot by helping other people.
Another trick I had learned in school, was how to search the web for answers. In fact, they teach a whole class on how to use search engines.
That’s how I found a lot of answers. I would Google the things I knew nothing about. Then I would read, read, and read some more.
I think because I had been on an intentional spiritual quest to eliminate or at least minimize unnecessary stress in my life, I was able to stay calm throughout the whole experience.
Having just gone back to school as a 50 year old, I KNEW the learning curve would be steep, and I accepted that. All the things I did not know, never became a source of stress. If I didn’t know, I looked it up, read about it on forums, or filed tickets.
Needless to say, I got very familiar with WP Direct. I loved it and still do. In fact, I just installed 3 more sites a few minutes ago.
It was not long after signing up for the Silver account, all I could afford, that Marty, WP Direct owner announced they were going to have a birthday party for Emily, a key figure in the company. He offered an invitation to any 30DC WPD customer’s to attend. Since they were in Somerville, MA, a suburb of Boston, where I live. it was an easy decision to go.
I was impressed by the camaraderie and warmth they whole team extended to the few of us customers who came.
I talked about my excitement with 30DC and WPD. Shared some of my vision of what I wanted to do with IM. Talked about how I was using the program to make those dreams a reality. Impressed on them how easy it was for a Noob to build a blog empire with WPD.
It was very apparent that they were swamped with work. As any new software company has to, they were clocking 20 hours a day tryinrg to keep up with support and all the rest that comes with running a business.
However, it soon became apparent that they were working like dogs to meet the needs of the customers. This company is funny like that, they care about the customer.
I offered to help with support hoping to get a free account or something. They trained me for a few weeks, and took me on as a support specialist.
To this day, I have worked mainly in support, but also on a variety of other projects. I LOVE helping the noobs. I was one, I understand.
In my opinion, It is about attitude. You can’t let it stress you out. If it does, leave it alone. File tickets sooner, rather than later. I’d rather explain a simple thing than fix a royal muck up.
Oh, and be kind to the support people. They care, and they will try to help you all they can.
But don’t give up. pluck away at it bit by bit. Systematize wherever possible. Before you know it, you’ll have 100 sites up and running.
Kudos to the 30DC folks who made it all possible.
And I thought I was just going to learn about websites and computers from your folks:-). Thanks.
Couldn’t do it. Not cry that is. I’ve just finished celebrating my daughters 19th
birthday with her. (Dec 10th)
We just said goodnight and exchanged “I love you’s” as we do every night
and every time she leaves the house.
That is a beautiful video and a great song too.
She just finished her photography course today too which is part of her
theater arts program…she got an A+
Just a few days ago I made another Animoto video incorporating some of
her art works that fill our house.
I truly appreciate all that I have learned,and continue to learn through Ed
and all you great folks of the Thirty Day Challenge “Tribe”
Here’s the 35 sec. video I did. http://bit.ly/6jPqeI
Sherman Hu posted up a beautiful video on his posterous blog today called “Sisters”
That’ll probably make Ed cry too! Watch here http://bit.ly/4FGiGx
Sherman’s post here. http://bit.ly/7GNBtG
Sure do wish I could attend the Melbourne Coming home. Too hot there though. LOL
Oh good lord, that was a very mean thing to do. One minute I’m quickly checking what’s been going on on my fave sites before I start an afternoon of work and next thing you know I’m weeping like a girl!
Of course, if Ed ever lets us see his performance in the Nutcracker I might just be weeping for a completely different reason
Fantastic story from IMStrong too.
Lisa x
I love that song. I have a daughter and I can see her and my husband singing that song.
As an educator and youth group leader, I knew that it was important to teach kids digital skills. But, my own skills were limited to basic Microsoft programs and Google. How could I advise kids on social media safety, when I’d never even been on MySpace? I didn’t even know about any social media sites except for MySpace.
Fortunately, the Thirty Day Challenge provided all the training that I needed to become sufficiently tech savvy. Now, I’m the one starting a Facebook group for my Girl Scout Service Unit, Twittering other educators, and using Google Reader to stay informed. And I’m sharing all these digital skills with parents, other educators, and all the kids that I mentor.
The past couple of years have been awesome! Now , Ed, when are you going to teach us how to use Google Wave and Foursquare?
I cried too. But I knew that was coming. Great video. My 14 month old daughter is the reason I work from home. Due to circumstances, I worked a lot more than I wanted to her first year. Yes, I was here in the house and it was her wonderful grandma watching her, but it was still too much. Her second year we are fixing that as I learn to work smarter instead of longer. Thanks for the reminder of why I do things this way instead of getting a J-O-B.
I don’t doubt for a minute the sincerity of the video, but I thought that this kind of thing was illegal on u-tube. By that I mean the video is using copyrighted music. I’ve done many such videos/slideshows for me and my family, and I use my favorite music sometimes, but I never put them on U-Tube because I think it violates their TOCs for copyright. With my luck I would upload a video and get busted by U-Tube, or get a Cease and Desist letter from the music maker. I am not trying to anger anyone here, just wondering why some folks can get away with this and others cannot.
Ben
Great website you have a great service. Teaching people how to work at home is a lifesaver. More and more people are turning to the Internet as a source of a 2nd income. And if there good enough down the road it can be a great full time business venture. I help new people learn to work online also, but I can always learn something new! Great post… And to our success in 2010!
Only one word for this video … AWESOME!
I too have daughters - one flown and one to go as well as a son for a few more years my only regret is not getting enough video footage of them when they were younger although being in the music and recording industry I did get some audio.
Thanks Ed and all the other contributors - especially @Ed and Steve H. What a beautiful video.
PS - MORE KLEENEX!
I really did cry. I was trying to hold it together but couldn’t, it was beautiful.
I went into online business because I wanted to stay at home with my family without being poor. I love working on the computer and I’m a complete internet marketing nerd - thanks in part to IMTW! I’ll be so happy when I don’t need to look for external funding sources for my businesses, but then I know there are multimillion pound corporations that borrow more than I’ll earn in a lifetime LOL!!
2010 is going to be the most successful year of my life so far and I’m grateful to the 30DC for playing a part in that.
Let me preface by saying, I’m not a copyright law expert - not even a little bit.
That said, simply performing or rendering a performance version of someone else’s work that is copyrighted, does not in and of itself constitute copyright infringement, per se, especially if appropriate credit is given to the actual creator or copyright owner of the original work in question.
There are a few terms kicked around that relate: 1) Fair use, 2) Performing rights, and 3) Derivative works
With the video above, I may be in copyright violation because I used a background music track that I purchased from iTunes and sang over it. But I’m not using it for commercial gain - and because I recorded vocals over it, the track is not usable to anyone else for that purpose. Plus, I gave them credit at the end - as well as credit to the songwriter. YouTube added advertising to the video promoting buying the original recording as well. So, I think YouTube is covered and so am I. If someone wanted to be a real stickler, maybe they could make a case - but as it is - the original songwriter and the background music company stand to make more sales by leaving it out there as free advertising for them.
As an artist, it’s okay for me to perform somebody else’s music because of the provisions for “performing rights.” As a video producer, I created content that is considered a “derivative work.” I’m not trying to sell it and I’m not trying to claim copyright to the song or the background music, just the vocal performance and the video images synchronized to the music. That falls under “fair use” and shouldn’t get me in any trouble.
Again, I’m not an expert - if you have a copyright concern about a video you want to upload, it would be best to talk to a copyright lawyer about it.
Whew! - I would like to say thank you to @Ed and @Ed_Dale for their exuberant encouragement - and to everyone who viewed and commented - I really do appreciate knowing that I could use my musical gifts to touch your hearts…
By the way, I just submitted this video to America’s Got Talent - who knows?