Remarkablogger

Shane asked me if I was doing the interview, and even though there is no way that my answers would ever be as witty as Naomi’s, I said absolutely I would do it. So here’s the deal: you interview yourself and add your own question at the end. Then you post on your blog and link back to their original post. So here’s me, interviewing… me. That makes me feel kind of dirty.

What’s your personal mission statement?

Are you kidding me? What kind of dork has a personal mission statement?

What’s the biggest mess you’ve dealt with this year?

Microsoft Windows Vista.

What current entrepreneurial efforts consume your time?

Blog coaching and consulting, establishing myself as “the business blog guy.”

Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?

I totally have flashing stars in my eyes about the internet. Cluetrain was right. Possibility inspires me. My granddaughter’s face inspires me. I get the most excited when my clients get all excited about blogging and they have caught the bug. That, and when the Chemical Brothers put out a new album.

Boxers or Briefs? or as Naomi says, Bikini or Thong, duh?!?

Boxers or nothing. Not that you really needed to know that (and stop making pictures in your head).

What do you do when you’re not [designing | programming | managing | writing | toiling for the wo/man]?

I spend time with my family and I sleep.

What one thing made the biggest difference when getting started?

Just knowing that I was ready and that I wanted this even though I still didn’t feel ready. Everything else has led from that.

What’s your exit strategy?

My what?

What is the last thing that made you belly laugh?

My granddaughter. I can’t tell you what it was because she makes me belly laugh every day with some amazingly cute and funny thing she does.

Have you ever been in business before?

Yes, but I didn’t know it. Years ago I sold vacuum cleaners, which is like the worst thing ever. But I learned a hell of a lot, and one of the things I learned is that you are always in business for only one person: yourself. Years later it was web design and contract training, where I wasn’t ready at all but had no choice. Now it seems like I’m in the right gear.

At what point do you consider yourself successful?

Right now. No, wait: now. No… NOW! There is no point. Success is a continuum. Everyone’s at a certain point along its path. I used to be really harsh and judgmental and think of some people as losers, but now that seems crude and immature to me. Some people do stay at the same place on that path for quite a while, but we’re all walking along it somewhere. The only thing that matters to me is that I’m not backtracking on my own path, but progressing forward.

What was your first experience with a computer?

I’m not sure if it was the Apple 2Es at my junior high school or the Texas Instruments TI 99/4A with cartridge slot and cassette tape recorder. Although, even earlier than that, There was the Fairchild Gaming System and then, later, ColecoVision. I was incredibly disappointed that they didn’t do the things we expect of them in science fiction, but at the same time, I was in an utterly hypnotic state while using them. Now it’s all cute and retro and “8-bit.” At no time did I ever do anything useful on one, until in college and I had to write papers. When I was in high school, it was still called “typing class.” Oh, man, I am so dating myself now.

Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates in a jello wrestling match, where’s your money?

Well, Steve stole his moves from Xerox, but then Bill would do everything upside-down and backwards from Steve, making him hard to pin down on anything definitive. Basically, Bill would win 90% of the time, while Steve gets massive style points. But then Linus Torvalds suddenly appears from out of nowhere (how did he get past security?) and starts slowly growing into a giant while the wrestlers fail to notice. He eats all the jello.

Where do you do your best thinking?

When I’m staring at my reflection in the mirror as I brush my teeth.

What does your average daily work / life balance look like? How much time do you work, play and sleep?

You mean imbalance, right? I work a full-time job as well as work nearly full time on blog coaching, which is also basically the same thing for me as playing. I sleep about 5 to 6 hours a night, with the occasional alpha wave break.

If I could introduce you to anyone, who would it be?

Myself in 10 years. I’d like to see that.

What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?

My granddaughter’s face.

If Chuck Norris and Steven Hawking had a baby (hey it’s my damn interview), would you vote for her for president?

Not if she were running against the love child of Dave Chappelle and Lindsey Wagner, no.

And here’s my question: What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?

McDonald’s.