I met Jason Alba through blogging–we have yet to meet in person, but have stayed in light touch for over a year. He is the founder of jibberjobber.com, a tool for managing personal contacts in a career management context. So for example, I’m graduating next April and using jibberjobber as a way to keep track of the companies where I apply and the people within the companies who I interact with. The more involved I get in this job search, the more I’m glad I have Jason as a resource (imagine all the other relationships I could build if I were consistent in my blogging).

Jason’s book, I’m On LinkedIn–Now What??, is a quick easy read that packs some great ideas for an experienced LinkedIn user. Its greater value, however, would be for someone new to LinkedIn or someone who has tried Linkedin but didn’t see the value of it.

For me, the most valuable part of Alba’s book is the chapter on how to use LinkedIn as a tool for personal branding. I haven’t been consistent in my blogging, and need some other ways to build my personal brand on the internet.

The book is overpriced for a 100 page paperback ($19.95, but S&H brought it close to $26). I felt like I should be getting a nice hardbound book at that price. Once you get past buying a paperback book at a hardbound price, however, it’s easy to see that the content of I’m On LinkedIn–Now What?? has a value far greater than $26.

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Keith Ferrazzi is a super networker who has the ability to keep in touch with thousands of people. Even when he was young, and before he made a name for himself, Keith had a knack for meeting and befriending individuals who most people would consider “untouchable.”

In the book Never Eat Alone, Keith shares many of the principles and tactics he uses to make and keep these contacts. One I really liked, is inviting people to your home for a dinner party. My wife and I frequently invite other couples over for dinner, and it has proved to be great way to build friendships. Keith helped me realize, however, that we should be inviting a more diverse group to our home (most of the couples we have over are students just like us).

Although I enjoyed Never Eat Alone and I gained a handful of insights, the overall principle that I took from the book is exactly what I got from Love is the Killer App: Relationships are based on giving. Except with Love is the Killer App, I gained some other principles to supplement that relationship building. So if you are pressed for time and have to choose between the two, go with Love is the Killer App (It’s a bit shorter too).

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I’m currently reading Good to Great by Jim Collins. I found out about it through a recommendation from Neal Harmon. It is one of his favorites.

Collins and his team do an empirical study of a group of companies that made the transition from average to exceptional. They compare data from other companies in the same time periods and markets. They look for and report on the factors that appear to have made the difference.

I’m half way through the book, so I will wait until I’m finished to review it. But I will say, however, that Collins’s empirical approach is very refreshing. The book isn’t filled with theories and philosophies–only interpretation of data. The numbers tell the story.

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We had a FamilyLearn team meeting today. Neal wants us all to understand the history of printing so the second half of our meeting was at the Crandall Historical Printing Museum in Provo. They claim to have the world’s only functioning, moveable-type Gutenberg press. They actually printed two pages from The Bible to show us how it works.

I learned at a young age that Gutenberg’s press is one of the most, if not the most, important invention of all times. I was surprised to learn though, that the press itself was not that innovative. It closely resembled olive presses of the day.

The significant invention was actually his hand type caster. It was a small, bland looking device, but it changed history. At the time, the Chinese had already successfully made type out of wood and ceramic, but they hadn’t figured out how to mass produce it. Nor had they discovered how to make each piece the exact same height so that every piece would make an even impression on the paper.

Gutenberg’s hand type caster solved both problems:

• Pieces of identical type could be mass produced (2-3 pieces per minute or 2000 per day). It took around 70,000 pieces to make Gutenberg-s Bible.
• Each piece was cast to an identical height.

Even though the hand type caster was the most significant invention Gutenberg made, it was only one of a whole list of inventions necessary to make the whole process work. Here are some other problems he had to overcome:

• He had to formulate the proper blend of metals for type casting. He needed something that wouldn’t contract when it cooled, but was hard enough to withstand use.
• He had to formulate ink that was sticky enough to stay on the thin ridges of type.
• He had to moisten the paper so it would be soft enough to work in the press (paper in those days was smooth and hard).
• He built a case to organize the different pieces of type. Capital letters went in the upper case and miniscules went in the lower. That’s were the names uppercase and lowercase came from.

Within 50 years from the time that Gutenberg succeeded, 20 million books and been printed in Europe. The world was thirsting for light and knowledge. I doubt Gutenberg realized the significance of his work; I’m sure he was inspired by God in order to have the persistence and drive necessary to do what he did. It took over 20 years, huge amounts of money, and multiple trials by the Catholic Church.

Will any of today’s inventions impact the world in the same way as Gutenberg’s press? Let me know what you think.

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My Grandma Crane lost her mother when she was six-years old. Her mother hadn’t written anything down about her relationship with her daughter. Grandma grew up wishing for some memories of her mother, but unfortunately they just weren’t there.

When Grandma started her own family, she was determined to keep a good record for her children. She kept a detailed baby memory book for each of her seven sons. She noted their milestones: first smile, first tooth, first steps, etc. She recorded their first sayings. My dad claims his first words were swearwords, but I’m sure his baby book would attest otherwise. Grandma kept a copy of the boys’ birth certificates as well as a foot and hand print. She even wrote down father’s blessings and little letters from mother for each of the boys. Grandma felt closer to her babies as she compiled these books, but she never imagined the long term effect they would one day have.

My Uncle Bobby, the youngest of the seven boys, was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was just six-years old. His oldest brother Curtis became his best friend as he fought through the excruciating sickness and the associated treatments. Curtis comforted, loved, and protected Bobby in every way he could.

During a family outing to the carnival, Curtis and some of the other brothers took Bobby to the carnival funhouse where inside a padded room the boys would hang from “monkey bars” on the ceiling. They would have “king of the hill” style wars where the last boy still hanging from the bars was the winner. Curtis and the other brothers decided to make sure Bobby was victorious. They swung from bar to bar knocking the other boys down while telling Bobby he was winning.

Amidst their fun, a young man was able to slip past their defense and was headed straight for Bobby. Curtis saw it happening. “Don’t you dare knock him down!” he shouted. The young man continued toward Bobby. “If you knock him down, I’ll punch your lights out!” called Curtis.

With a swift kick, the young man knocked Bobby to the ground. I’m sure the youth was oblivious to what he had done; what a surprise it must have been to turn and face Curtis and five other ornery brothers.

Within the next year, Curtis was called over seas. Bobby passed away shortly after Curtis’ departure. His passing was difficult for the entire family, but particularly hard for Curtis who was far from home. Curtis and Bobby had become so close, and how Curtis wished he could see him again.

Forty years have passed since Bobby’s death. Last year Grandma handed Bobby’s baby memory book to Curtis. After reliving his memories with Bobby, and sharing them with his family, he decided that he had never before received such a meaningful gift. The faded memories of Bobby were revived as he read them with his family. The relationship between the two brothers, separated by death, still lives on.

To create your baby memory book, visit http://www.imemorybook.com

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I spent two years in Portugal where I took hundreds of photos and filled two handwritten journals. I’ve been wanting, for a long time, to put my photos and journals into a memory book from iMemoryBook.com. I’ve been procrastinating the task because uploading photos and images has always been such a slow and tedious process. You used to have to upload in small increments of five photos at a time.

Fortunately, however, iMemoryBook.com released the best photo uploader I have ever seen. It is 100% web based, which means you don’t have to download any software. You can select loads of photos at one time. The uploader then begins to transfer the images seamlessly from your computer to the internet. As each image loads, you will see a thumbnail size version of it. Next to each thumbnail, you have the option to enter a photo caption while the other photos are still loading! I love it!

Finally! This Christmas break I will turn my photos and memories into a beautiful memory book.

If you want to know more about the technical side of this uploader, it’s called SWFUpload. Read Duane’s blog post on it. He is an iMemoryBook programmer and as far as I can tell, a super-genius. You can also check out the deconcept blog.

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I sent out my first press release today. I really don’t know what I’m doing, so I tried to pattern my release after another very successful press release. Hotsoup.com put out a press release on Oct. 17 of this year. It caused a huge spike in traffic. Here is the Alexa chart that shows the spike.

Just like hotsoup, I loaded my title with high profile names. I tied in a current event, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes’ wedding, to draw extra traffic. I used BusinessWire to do the release. It cost nearly 800 dollars. I hope it will generate enough traffic and links to pay for itself.

Here it is:

Did Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes or Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner Make a Wedding Memory Book from iMemoryBook.com?

PROVO, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–About half of all marriages end in divorce. Couples who keep a wedding memory book might have a higher chance of succeeding. Did Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes or Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner make a wedding memory book? No, but they should have. Paul Allen–one of the original founders of MyFamily.com–in talking about the importance of a wedding memory book said, “These have the potential to lower the divorce rate! During hard times, couples will be able to go back and remember why they love each other.“ Could it help Tom & Katie last longer than Tom & Nicole? Could Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner survive longer than the Hollywood norm? Probably. Take for instance Derek and Wendy Thomas (Provo, UT) who are quickly approaching their first anniversary. Time is flying by, but the memories of their courtship and wedding are not. Early in their engagement, Derek and Wendy decided to make an iMemoryBook wedding memory book to record their story.

Derek wrote his perspective of how he and Wendy met and fell in love. The two were originally set up on a blind date. “I was excited,“ wrote Derek, “but I didn’t really want to show it yet.“ Eventually, he showed his excitement and affection for Wendy; their relationship progressed and developed.

Without reading what Derek had written, Wendy recorded the same story, but from her point of view: “I thought for most of that first evening, his name was Brian.“ Fortunately, she figured out his name and their relationship began.

After recording their own stories, the couple used iMemoryBook’s invitation system to invite their friends and families to contribute memories and advice. Over the course of their engagement, they watched as over 50 people from around the nation contributed to their wedding memory book. More than 100 pages of photos and memories were compiled in about 2 months. As a finishing touch, the couple added their engagement and wedding photos. Derek and Wendy‘s wedding memory book was completed shortly after their wedding.

Almost one year later, their wedding memory book still lies on the coffee table in their living room. Guests and visitors pore over the photos and memories of the proud couple while Derek and Wendy relive their story, falling in love all over again.

iMemoryBook version 2.0 was just released to the public on November 15. Neal Harmon, iMemoryBook’s founder, commented on its release: “With the Christmas and wedding season approaching fast, now is a great time to make a wedding memory book. As of November 15, starting your iMemoryBook doesn’t cost a cent. When your story is complete, you can use iMemoryBook’s press and bindery to print your professional wedding memory book.“

Note: Anniversary, funeral, personal history, and baby iMemoryBooks are also available.

(a) Paul Allen no longer works with MyFamily.com.

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American Promotions Inc. is a Utah based business that provides imprinted apparel, promotional items, and logoed gifts. They have been in business since 1996 and have many reputable clients including Tahitian Noni and Omniture.

Over the past year American Promotions has dedicated a large portion of their resources to develop an industry leading website. It has over 4600 products and produces a consistent flow of internet orders. With this foundation laid, American Promotions is now looking to hire an internet marketer on a results-based compensation plan. Responsibilities will include, SEO, PPC management, article & press release distribution, and email marketing. Experience is preferred but not necessary.

As a new hire, you will be given a paid membership to Provo Labs Internet Marketing Academy where you will learn the latest principles and techniques of Internet marketing.

Interested applicants should contact LaRae: larae “at” ameripromo.com (I didn’t write @ to avoid spammers).

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I presented today to Team iMemoryBook on why we should each keep a blog. I narrowed it down to 3 reasons:

1. To Learn:
We are all learning valuable lessons every single day. We learn from personal experiences; from successes as well as failures. We learn from those we work with. We learn from what we read and what we hear.

Blogging is an opportunity to record these lessons. In writing them down; we recognize, analyze, evaluate, and internalize these lessons. Through this simple act of writing, we elevate our understanding and level of expertise to a whole new level. Many bloggers have even reached the point of being considered “The Authority” in their perspective field. All of us can become experts in what we do, and blogs are a great tool to get us there.

2. To Network:
In blogging, we acknowledge the source of our lessons learned by linking out. We link to other blogs and websites in order to show their contribution to our learning. As we link out, the owners of the other blogs and websites take notice. Others begin to read our blogs. Online conversations develop that, over time, become relationships and networks. Many experienced bloggers consider their blog to be their most valuable asset–in terms of networking–that exists.

3. To Generate Business:
Meaningful blogging results in links–lots of links. Links result in high search engine rankings. High rankings result in lots of free internet traffic. This traffic, if leveraged correctly, results in business. A well established and well known blogger can drive unimaginable amounts of traffic. For example, when the book Call to Action was released, Seth Godin (one of the most powerful bloggers) wrote a short blog post about the book. Within hours, the book was sold out and back orders were being placed by the thousands. Before long, the book was a New York Time’s best seller.

Our individual blogs might never have the power of Seth’s, but what leverage they do have will be extremely valuable.

Tell me why you blog. Do my 3 reasons cover it?

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I love Mexican food. It’s cheap, fast, relatively healthy, and it tastes amazing. I love the salads offered by places like Cafe Rio, Bajio, and Durango’s Grill. I recently moved in to an apartment near Costa Vida in Provo. One of my friends had told me that Costa Vida is similar to Cafe Rio. I was excited to have it so close to home.

I walked with some friends over to the restaurant. Other than sharing a building with a bowling alley, it seemed like a really nice place (well kept and nicely decorated). I ordered a mango chicken salad. I watched in approval as the man behind the counter hurriedly built my salad until he passed by the tomatoes without putting any on my salad. I quickly stopped him, “Can I have some tomatoes please?”

He responded, “Sure, but they cost an extra 95 cents.”

“Why?” I inquired.

“The mango chicken salad,” he explained, “doesn’t come with tomatoes. They are an extra.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. All the fast-food places put tomatoes on their 4 dollar salads and I was buying a 7 dollar salad that didn’t come with tomatoes! I replied in disgust, “Fine, but load them on heavy.”

“I can’t,” he replied. “It’s 95 cents for every scoop.” The scoop wasn’t much larger than a soup spoon!

I was ready to turn and walk out of the restaurant, but my friends had already ordered and I didn’t want to make a scene. “Forget it,” I said. “I guess I’ll have it without tomatoes.”

As I ate my tomatoless salad, I looked around the restaurant. I noticed all the thought, time, and money that had been invested into making me–the customer–have a wonderful experience. Everything from the lighting, the decorations, and the big-screen TV were there to make my experience positive; but the only thing that mattered was that I didn’t get what I wanted because of someone’s stupid tomato policy.

I recently read How to Become a Marketing Superstar by Jeff Fox. It’s a quick enjoyable read for anyone involved in marketing. I don’t remember his exact way of putting it, but he teaches of the damage done by stupid policies. It will be extremely important for us at FamilyLearn Inc. to only have one policy: create a wonderful experience for our customers.