Jason Kotecki’s Escape Adulthood is a blog by a National Speakers Association member who is also a professional cartoonist.

Blogging since: April 22, 2002
Posting Frequency: 3-4 times a week
Post Length: 50 – 500 words
Aesthetic Appeal: Outstanding, unique
Graphics: Photos, book covers, banknotes, newspaper covers and lots and lots of cartoons grace every posting
Categories: Adultitis, Be Honest, Business Wisdom, Delight in the Little Things, Dream Big, Get Curious, Have Faith, Kim & Jason News, Live Passionately, Maintain Perspective, Play, Podcasts, Random Musings
Blogroll: 19 quirky, independent, playful blogs
Target Audience: The child in all of us…
Comments allowed: Yes
Trackbacks: No
Bonus: Podcast audio
Alexa.com traffic ranking: 999,829 (way high!)
Sites that link to this blog: 197
Yahoo Links: 2,599 (off the charts!)

Review:

The first thing to note is that Jason is a great cartoonist:

The second thing to note is that as well as Jason’s own blog, there’s a link to his wife Kim’s blog. I’ll limit this review to Jason’s, but couples who blog might be the wave of the future. He said, she said.

I don’t know how many cartoonists blog but Jason is as adept at blogging as he is at drawing. Both are forms of communication that require a regular commitment and become interesting when they demonstrate new ways of seeing the world.

Jason’s Bio offers wonderful insights into what makes him tick:

My dream is to use the talents God has given me to entertain others, while inspiring and encouraging them to renew their childlike faith and to believe in their dreams. In a world crippled by the desire for job security at the expense of their dreams, I am inspired by the saying that you should do what you love, and the rest will come.

Jason blogs on everything from the Pope to the Crocodile Hunter; Fidel Castro to Bolivian currency; Scrapbooking to Seattle. But the core of this blog are his rants about the importance of children and childhood, of seeing the world with a child’s eyes and combating what he terms ‘Adultitis’. If you have a moment (and if you think you don’t you are probably an Adultitis sufferer and need to take a moment) click on the Adultitis Category in his blog. You’ll find a treasure trove of whimsical advice. Example:

My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I come to the end of it, that same wonder will have weaved it’s way through my entire life story. I don’t want Adultitis to gloss over the wonderful things that life has to offer. These wonderful things are missed when we are moving so fast that we miss the smile from a stranger. They’re missed when we stop dreaming big, stop asking “why?” and stop taking time to just “be.” Slow down. Make the most of the time you have with your friends and family.

If reading Jason’s blog is too much of a grind then simply enjoy his cartoons and the wonders to be found in the rest of his web site, such as the reader photos, the Time Capsule or the 40 day Adultitis Escape Plan.

Jason’s blog, and the web site to which it so seamlessly linked, manages to include all the NSA “tricks” such as selling product and testimonials without seeming to be overly commercialized. The spirit of childhood and delight is apparent throughout. Unlike many NSA bloggers, Jason actually blogs about his speaking engagements, the audience feedback, the places he visits, and even information about how he can be booked (Hire a retired superhero to speak at your next shindig).

There’s very little to suggest for improvement. I would like to see the link to the blog more prominently displayed than under Tools off the home page. Other than that, I’m looking forward to taking some time to catch up with some of his gems from the last four years worth of blogging, starting with that 40-day Adultitis Escape Plan!

I recently reviewed NSA member Marilynn Mobley’s Remain Relevant blog. Marilynn’s colleague Steve Rubel reports top PR agency Edelman has launched a special landing page to aggregate blog content from their employees around the world. Currently the Edelman Landing Blog includes links to 16 different bloggers as well as two podcasts. Marilynn is listed in 9th place on the Edelman page.

Remain Relevant in Changing Times is a PR professional’s blog from a Senior VP at Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm.

Blogging since: July 15, 2005
Posting Frequency: 2-5 times a month
Post Length: 500-800 words
Aesthetic Appeal: Clean look and feel of a standard Blogger template, corporate, dark blues and light greens
Graphics: none
Categories: none
Blogroll: none
Target Audience: Corporate communications types, PR professionals
Comments allowed: Yes, but only after you sign in via Blogger
Trackbacks: No (except for the Blogger facility to ‘Create a Link’ to your own blog)
RSS Feeds: No (only available on Blogger Pro)
Alexa.com traffic ranking: 5,735,835
Sites that link to this blog: 9
Yahoo Links: 437

Review:

I well remember Marilynn’s excellent break-out session on speechwriting at my first NSA Convention in Atlanta last year. I was delighted to find at least one other speechwriter at the Convention. She totally impressed me with her two decades of experience in a field I’d only been in for four years. She presented herself as an independent speechwriter who had worked for major CEO’s such as IBM’s Lou Gerstner. Since then she’s moved on. Nowadays she is very much the corporate employee, a Snr. VP who rides the elevator to the 29th floor while, literally, quizzing people on their elevator pitch.

But she hasn’t lost her independence. She’s into Country Music, George Carlin and movies such as When Harry Met Sally and Frieda. She might be a suit with a 2006 Lexus, but she’s not an empty suit. Her blog clearly shows that.

She’s passionate about the importance of blogging. She claims “The blogosphere has become one of the most relevant forms of communication on the planet.” And states: “That’s the beauty of blogs… they’re immediate, real, uncensored and equalizing.” Marilynn ignores concerns about “How can I make money from blogging” (as perhaps only those of us with corporate jobs can afford to?). Not that she’s shy about ways to monetize content. Her blog is filled with innovative ideas. Example: pre-loading video iPods with the DVD content professional speakers sell at the back of the room. Example: tips on creating and selling a ‘blook’ (a book written from blog content).

Marilynn promises readers that they will “Find out what it takes to remain relevant in the face of change. Learn from good – and bad – examples how relevancy drives longevity.” Her strategic counsel centers on what it takes to be a SPUD (Strategic, Proactive, Universal, and Dynamic). She shares insight and opinions on the relevancy of everything from movie theatres to the Olympics and greeting cards. She heavily skews her examples of relevancy to ‘the good’. I found one scathing critique of Oprah and some mild disapproval of adulterous women, but no other examples of ‘the bad’. Perhaps a few more barbs would spice things up?

She engages in meaningful discussion with her readers who leave comments, going so far as to give her office number and asking one person to call.

I think Marilynn could benefit from sexing her blog up. Take a leaf out of fellow Edelman staffer and A-list blogger Steve Rubel or her boss Richard Edelman who both have much more customized, fully featured and attractive blogs. More functionality would be nice, such as adding RSS feeds.

Oh, and lose the spam comment to this post. I don’ t think the screed on Nano Superlattice Technology is that, ummm, relevant.

OK, I’ve decided to drop the predictable sequence for these blog reviews. Rather than proceeding down the Blogroll, I’ll choose candidates to review randomly and keep everyone guessing who I’ll choose next. Adding additional spice to the current review is the fact that I’m taking a look at one of the few anonymous blogs posted by a member of the National Speakers Association.

The Dating Goddess’s Adventures in Dating After 40

Blogging since: May 8, 2006
Posting Frequency: Daily
Post Length: 500 words average
Aesthetic Appeal: Clean, uncluttered WordPress template. Abbreviating posts adds to readability.
Graphics: None
Categories: Attitude, BBW dating, Dating after 40, Dating chemistry, Dating Internet, Dating online, Greeting your date, Meeting your date, Releasing your date, Senior dating.
Blogroll: 13 NSA friends, including mine – thanks DG!
Target Audience: Single women over 40.
Comments allowed: Yes
Trackbacks: Yes
Alexa.com traffic ranking: N/A
Sites that link to this blog: N/A
Yahoo Links: 127

Review:

This is a hugely successful blog! It’s doubly intriguing to review. First, the anonymous “Dating Goddess” bills herself as “a 51-year-old white, professional woman. My husband of nearly 20 years left me 3 years ago and I started dating 18 months ago.” She claims to have been on over 60 dates in that time (phew!). Second, she bills the blog as for women only. So (as a happily married 54-year-old male) I feel like I am eavesdropping at the door of the women’s room when reading the posts of the DG.

I am in fact privy to her actual identity, but honor-bound not to reveal it, except to confirm she’s a bona-fide NSA member in good standing, and hence qualifies for this review.

Despite not finding any stats on alexa.com her blog has been listed by WordPress.com as one of the fastest growing on the internet – moving to 37th position on their list.

The DG is able to keep up a furious level of activity (seven dates with six guys in five days) because she is very much a DG of the 21st Century: on-line internet enabled introductions are the wellspring of her love-life. She uses her blog as a water-cooler where the girls can share stories of their hunt for the elusive Mr. Right. The DG is unabashed:

My idea of dating has been like going to Baskin-Robbins. I had vanilla for 20 years (maybe it was Rocky Road at the end!). While I enjoyed vanilla, I want to try new flavors. I didn’t want to jump from vanilla and make a commitment to butter pecan without having at least had a little taste of pistachio, chocolate, mint chip, etc.

So I made the list of men I would like to try. I like smart men, so wanted to try a lawyer, doctor, CEO, and venture capitalist. I like larger men, so wanted to try an ex-pro football player and ex-pro basketball player. I love men with accents, so wanted to try some from other countries. You get the picture. I had dates with all of the above, and more.

Her readers are a vocal lot. She often gets 7-10 comments on a post.

She is aware of the risks of today’s single lifestyle:

So beware. The dating dance can be habit forming. Watch out if you find yourself constantly searching the dealers (online dating sites), and be careful of doing things you know are not in your best interest (dating a guy you know isn’t a good match) just to get your high.

She faces the hard facts of STD’s (Sexually transmitted diseases) as well as dealing with the lighter side of dating:

In terms of suggestions for how the DG could improve her blog I have none, absolutely zilch. Perhaps a few single women would care the leave comments below (I’ll be sure to pass them on the DG).

I do wonder what kind of Goddess she is? Venus on the half-shell? Isis, kneeling before the coffin? The thousand-eyed, thousand-armed bodhisattva Kwan Yin, consoling all beings, or the Mother Shakti, the primal energy of the universe, ready to chop your head off?

I also wonder what a blog written by a man who’d had sixty dates in a few months would read like? Less an honest appraisal of the pitfalls and advantages of internet dating and more a listing of the techniques to get laid found in The Game?

I wish the DG god speed and hope her blog has a short life-span. Hopefully, she finds Mr. Right and is able to move on to the Bride-to-Be blog, the Honeymooner’s blog and the Newlywed’s blog. Meanwhile , if you are a single woman looking for love in all the wrong places check out the Dating Goddess, she’ll set you on the right track.

Somewhat predictably, I’ve decided to move on to the second blog listed on my NSA Blogroll. Bill Conerly’s Businomics Blog

Blogging since: January, 2006
Posting Frequency: 2-3 times weekly
Post Length: 200-300 words average
Aesthetic Appeal: Standard template. Data graphs mix a variety of styles. Baby blue surround.
Graphics: Bar and Line graphs that supplement the text. Click for larger image.
Categories: Books, Business Strategy, Economic News, Investments, Public Policy
Blogroll: 14 economics blogs
Target Audience: Business strategists in large and medium sized companies
Comments allowed: Yes
Trackbacks: Yes
Alexa.com traffic ranking: N/A
Sites that link to this blog: N/A
Yahoo Links: 88

Review:

Dr. Bill Conerly is a heavyweight academic and highly qualified economic advisor. He’s new to blogging this year, and he’s off to a racing start.

He runs a consulting practice, helping business leaders make more profitable decisions through a better understanding of the economy. He’s co-author of Thinking Economics, a high school textbook in multimedia format used in 24 states. His new book, Businomics, will be published in 2007 by Adams Media. His articles are required reading in graduate courses at MIT and Wharton.

This is a blog that promises the reader Better Decisions Through A Better Understanding of the Economy. Read his posts for the skinny on topics such as consumer confidence, employment trends, interest rates, housing and producer pricing. These are meat and potatoes topics for all economists. What’s different are the ‘Business Strategy Implications’ that Bill often concludes each posting with. Example:

Housing supply chain should REALLY hunker down now. Sellers of interest sensitive big-ticket items (like car dealers) should BEGIN to hunker down. The rest of the business community should start thinking about contingency plans for a recession or economic slowdown.

Bill’s blog is also a good place to look for references to books, articles and studies in the area of economics.

On the technical front Bill has had some trouble with lost archives. He might want to use a redirect to mask his generic Typepad URL. He should also incorporate Technorati tags to increase his visibility to search engines.

Reading this blog reminds me of the quote attributed to Lyndon Johnson:

Did you ever think that making a speech on economics is a lot like pissing down your leg? It seems hot to you, but it never does to anyone else.

Bill is no Jim Cramer and I did not see any “Buy Gold!!!” or “Sell Wal-Mart!!!” recommendations, which is a good thing. At the same time, it would be nice to see a little more juice in his posts. Rather than adopting a textbook tone, Bill could lighten things up with insights on our quotidian experience from the perspective of an economist.

Example: In addition to the overall advice on the effect of a housing price drop (above) he could follow-up with comments on markets like the San Francisco Bay Area contrasted with the rural Dakotas – what strategic differences might affect those of us who live there? How do the strategic shifts affect the young, middle aged and older homeowner? How about the business strategy for Realtors or those who service them in these two areas? And if I have a variable interest rate and a daughter going to an Ivy League in the Fall is it time to move to a rental unit?

I’d also like to read about Bill’s experiences as an economist who is also a speaker – what reception do his audiences give him? What content and delivery techniques does he employ to keep their attention and disprove President Johnson’s claim?

This is a blog for those who don’t want to get their economic strategy from the Booyah Bullhorn on Mad Money. Check it out.

Here’s the very first of my planned series of blog reviews. I thought I’d start with the first blog on the Blogroll.

Bert Decker: Create Your Communications Experience

Blogging since: July 10, 2005
Posting Frequency: 4-6 times monthly
Post Length: Varies, 200 – 3,500 words
Aesthetic Appeal: Corporate consultant feel, hip picture of Bert looking tanned and healthy.
Graphics: Wide selection that really add to the blog. Thumbnail images of speakers. Other graphics.
Categories: Avoid PowerPoint Abuse, Be Creative, Books, Branding, Effective Presentation Skills, Insights in Behavior, Musings, Newsworthy, Powerful Content, Speakers
Blogroll: 12 speaking/communications blogs
Target Audience: Communications professionals and savvy executives
Comments allowed: Yes
Trackbacks: Yes
Alexa.com traffic ranking: 3,145,168
Sites that link to this blog: 46
Yahoo Links: 383

Review:

Bert is a player. He heads Decker Communications which offers executives programs on The Decker Method Communicate to Influence Program and one-on-one coaching for senior executives. He lunches with Guy Kawasaki. He’s a published author with a half-dozen books to his name. Titles such as Speaking With Bold Assurance and You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard. Bert is clearly an established leader in his field.

I found dipping into this blog very rewarding. It’s firmly focused in his area of expertise. He writes thoughtfully about everything from the use of humor in speeches to non-verbal communication and current affairs. Bert wears his expertise lightly and we benefit tremendously from his insights. He’ll cover American Idol in one post and Handel’s “Messiahâ€? in the next.

I found one of his most valuable posts (I forwarded it to everyone in the Communications Department of the Fortune 500 company I work for) is his insightful listing of The Five Biggest Mistakes CEO’s Make in Speaking. This offers up not just a list of problems but also a series of innovative solutions:

Let your hands work for you. In personally coaching tens of thousands, I’ve seen maybe one out of 500 who over use their hands and gestures. The problem is we all tend to have a nervous gesture that we are comfortable with, like the fig leaf, but shows our nervousness. Don’t let your comfort be your guide, help the audience be comfortable with you be showing confidence and certainty in your gestures.

I was fascinated to read his various comments on President Bush. He’s both praised and criticised the commander in chief. He avoided the usual cheapshots about the “dumb Texan” and malapropisms made by the President. Instead we are given gimlet-eyed assessments like:

In tonight’s speech he looked like an actor on a stage. The problem is, he’s not a very good actor. And even if he was, that’s not a very good approach to leadership.

My technical wish list for this blog is a Search function so I could quickly mine more of this content.

As a final note I’d love it if Bert shared more personal stories of everyday life as an executive coach. His clients are the top CEO’s in the land. Without breaching confidentiality, it would be great to hear real-life stories from his travels in the C-Suite. Something along the lines of “I was coaching a top executive in the North-East last week when I who told me his biggest fear is…”. A good story makes for an engaging blog post.

We could all learn from Bert.

I’ve recently created a listing of all the blogs I can find created by members of the National Speakers Association on my second Blogroll (see right hand column, scroll down if necessary).

I thought it might liven things up with my NSA colleagues by offering my unsolicited, opinionated reviews of their blogs.

I obviously won’t be able to read each and every post on an active blog. But I promise to look at each post from the current month as well as at least a good dozen from the archives.

I plan to offer both a factual inventory (posting frequency; length of posts; number of images and links used; popularity) as well as a totally subjective report on what I liked about the blog. Hopefully, other professional speakers will find these brief summaries amusing, even instructive. Heck, they might even find a reason to click through and read the source blog then let me know via Comments if they agree or disagree with my assessment.

After careful thought, I’ve hit on a standardized rating scheme (OK, OK, I stole it from the San Francisco Chronicle movie reviews):

Ratings Key:
Excellent	Good	Adequate	Poor	Don’t Bother

I’ll quantify each blog on a number of criteria:

Blogging since: Date of the first post in the archives.
Posting Frequency: how often do they show up?
Post Length: Average word count.
Aesthetic Appeal: Does the visual design of the blog establish its purpose and intent?
Graphics: Description of any pix, charts or other graphics displayed.
Categories: As listed on the blog.
Blogroll: A count of those listed on the blog.
Target Audience: Who is the blogger talking to?
Comments allowed: Are they interested in a conversation?
Trackbacks: Are they interested in a sophisticated conversation?
Alexa.com traffic ranking: One measure of popularity or activity around this blog.
Sites that link to this blog: A second measure, as shown on Alexa.
Yahoo Links: A third measure – as shown by a yahoo search on ‘link:blog url’.

While running these reviews might not necessarily be the best way to ‘Win Friends and Influence People’ I won’t censor any comments the blog owner cares to leave in reply. I’m very aware that blogs work best as two-way conversation.

My aim isn’t to throw brickbats at other bloggers in the National Speakers Association, there are precious few to begin with. Rather, I hope that these summaries simply tell more people about the NSA blogs that are out there. It might also stimulate debate about what makes a blog and blogging interesting and valuable for speakers, audience members and readers in general.

If you are a National Speakers Association member with a blog and I’ve not listed you in my Blogroll please send me the URL and I’ll be sure to include it.