Latest posts from Danny Brown

Enjoy the latest posts from Danny Brown, and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments after the post.

Why I Love Bloggers with Balls

There’s a great post over at Blog for Profit today called Blog Comments Are Not Roadkill, about blog comments and some of the discussions around them.

Written by Grant Griffiths, it’s a great counter to the numerous posts on why blogs don’t need comments.

The reason I love this post is because, reading it, it’s clear Grant has balls. Big balls.

He doesn’t care about reputations, or whether a viewpoint is by a blogger usually revered by the masses and who can (in many eyes) do no wrong.

Instead, he goes after people like Michael Gray and Seth Godin – not in a link-bait way, but with countered reasons why their views may not be the right ones (or even contradict themselves).

And it’s something that too many bloggers don’t do for one simple reason.

Social Media Has Made Us Soft

While social media is a fantastic medium for working smarter for businesses, it’s also softened us a little. There’s almost a kumbaya feeling of not being able to speak your mind, because when you call a “name” out in social media, or disagree with them, you’re labeled a hater. Never mind the fact you have a valid opinion – you must be a hater because your opinion isn’t the same as The Chosen One(s).

This leads to blog posts being praised to the rooftops, despite being rehashed content from two months previously (sometimes even less – I’m looking at you, certain A-lister). Comments rain in – “Great post!”, “So true and only you could say that!” and so on.

Now, I’m the first to really praise a blog and share it on my networks when there’s great content, as well as comment and show my appreciation. Yet more and more I’m feeling less inclined to comment, because I land on a post with the same safe viewpoint, or circle jerk comments. And this is a shame, because blogs (and their community of commenters) can really offer fresh takes on tired subjects. Instead, we see the warm fuzziness of adoration – and there’s no real need for that.

Grow Balls – Grow You

We’re all individuals. We all have opinions – sometimes right, sometimes wrong. We all have unique personalities and thought processes. This is what makes us such an interesting animal. So why are we softening this up?

If something isn’t right and you feel it isn’t, say so. If you land on a post of the biggest blogger on the planet and it’s dire, tell him or her. Show why it’s crap, and challenge them to live up to their reputation.

And if you’re the blogger yourself, don’t go with the flow just because it’s easier than swimming against it. Instead, be like Grant, or Mark W. Schaefer or Bill Sledzik and have the balls to speak out. Show your readers respect and why they put their faith in you in the first place.

After all, it’s the very least they deserve, no?

photo credit: Robert in Toronto

Shadows and Beacons Redux

In a recent post, I asked whether you were a shadow or a beacon. I wanted to explore the area of those who look and learn compared to those who learn and lead.

There was no real right or wrong to either stance; simply a different approach. Sometimes being in the shadow works better than being a beacon; other times vice versa.

The post generated a great discussion and outlook in the comments section, and it reinforced why I always feel incredibly lucky to have such an amazing community around this blog. That you share such amazing insights with me and everyone else here – I’m always grateful.

One of the comments was from Sally G., who blogs over at SallyG.me. I thought the comment was perfect as a standalone blog post – so here it is. Enjoy.

I am sometimes a Shadow. I observe from a place where I?m not in the way, I maximize the light that is beamed by others and I determine the compatibility of what I see to what I believe will work for me.

I am sometimes a Beacon. I have shone bright for those who are where I once was, I illuminate my best practices, my valued resources, my key connectors and connections ? rendering them visible and accessible to all who may determine them an appropriate match too.

I am also all the nuances in-between ? flickering between shadow and light, much like the sky in the image you?ve chosen. Sometimes I?m a dark cloud that gets completely in the way of my own success ? blocking any light from shining. Until the point where I?ve built capacity, or confidence, or experience ? igniting my embers to the point where I?m blazing trails once again.

I am relatively new to Social Media. If not for the sanctity of the Shadows, I would not have been so quick to assess what seems to work, what seems more smoke and mirrors than real value, and what must be avoided at all costs. If not for the Beacons, well ? same assessment.

I feel that knowing your position in your Readiness and Values Spectrum will ultimately determine the role you take on in affecting the vision of others. When you have something of true value and significance to offer ? no Shadow can contain you. If your fuel is void of Integrity, Passion, Purpose and Value ? in time, your light will burn, or fizzle, out.

photo credit: BUR?BLUE

Be a Magician

David Copperfield convinced audiences that he walked through the Great Wall of China.

He also made the Statue of Liberty disappear and once flew above his TV audience.

Even though we know that walking through almost 20-feet of solid stone or hiding more than 300-feet worth of statue is impossible, we believe the illusion and wonder how he did it.

Magicians know the secret of perception. They know that if we want to believe something, we will.

How many magicians does your business have?

Walking the Talk or Doing Business Right

Sometimes opportunity strikes from the most unlikely of sources.

Ideas come to fruition from adversity, and that goal of yours becomes a reality quicker.

So it is with the launch on Saturday May 1 of my new venture the SRM Group, a business I co-founded with a great strategy and marketing guy, Troy Claus. Our mantra is simple – ethics over profits.

Working with clients of all sizes, every single one will receive the same care, honesty, expertise and one-to-one attention that every business deserves.

No charging extra to the bigger clients “because they can afford it”, and no short-changing smaller clients with less of a service “because they don’t pay as much as the bigger ones.”

Every strategy that’s put in place will be ones that we would use ourselves. Every piece of business advice that we give will be advice that we would adhere to ourselves. Basically, we’ll walk the talk we give our clients and for one simple reason -? we care because you care.

And because our complete approach will be built around being socially responsible, we’ll be giving back with every project we work on. Whether it’s free non-profit workshops in our local community, or donating 5% of our profits to the 12for12k charity initiative, it’s our way of supporting the world around us.

Clients benefit too, by giving back automatically through project fees when working with us without the need to set up their own programs – something that our existing clients are really happy to be part of.

As I said at the start of this post, opportunity strikes from the most unlikely of sources. My recent ill health allowed me the time to assess where my focus wanted to be, and that led to the birth of the SRM Group. Thankfully, I have an amazing business partner and co-founder in Troy who shares exactly the same values and ethics.

There are many ways to do business, but to me there’s only one way to do it right. The SRM Group will always work to that mantra. If you’re interested in working with a business that puts ethics before profits and you before us, get in touch with us today.

It’s not just smart marketing – it’s simply the right way to do business.

The SRM Group website launches 12.00 noon eastern on Saturday May 1, 2010. In the meantime, you can connect with us on Twitter @SRMgroup.