Merry Christmas Eve! Tonight my family will go to the candlelight service at the church I grew up in. It’s the only church that has ever felt like home to me. I’m not exactly sure how my parents started going there, but I’ll guess that it had something to do with the fact that it was about 150 yards from our house. Finding a great place of worship isn’t always so easy. I church-hopped in college, and never really found one that felt right for me. FaithStreet might have helped. Whether you’re looking for a local Christmas Eve service or a place to worship for the rest of your life, the New York, NY based company can help you find the right faith community. The founders asked, “Why is it so hard to find a church?” And instead of admitting defeat, they decided to do something about it.
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Lately when I talk to new parents, I like to compare what they’re going through to what I’m going through with my puppy. I know that it’s a completely ridiculous comparison, but I enjoy the fact that it makes them a bit uncomfortable. We all know that parenting is one of life’s biggest yet most rewarding challenges. Today’s parents are lucky that there are all kinds of resources to help them do a better job (that’s true for puppy owners too!). One is CafeMom, a New York, NY based digital media company for moms that reaches more than 20 million users every month. Their properties include CafeMom.com, MamásLatinas.com, TheStir.com, and TheProwl.com. The goal is to bring “moms together by hosting hundreds of communities that reflect moms’ personalities, passions and needs.”
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When it comes to search engines, rankings are based on a wide variety of factors. Having content relevant to the query is probably the most important thing, but right after that comes links. Sites and pages with more incoming links (especially from sites and pages that have lots of incoming links) tend to rank better. Wikipedia gets a ton of links from all over the web, and as a result their pages rank well in almost every search result for which they have relevant content. They don’t even have to worry about getting links to rank well, they just do. But lots of smaller sites struggle to reach a wider audience through search engines because acquiring links can be really hard–especially in certain niches. TextLinkBrokers is a Mesa, AZ based company that services the “needs of professional SEM agencies and individuals looking for high quality link development.” In other words, they help site owners get more links.
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I cook a lot, but with Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, it’s time to make sure my skills are as sharp as my knives (doesn’t that sound like a promo for some silly cooking show?). Most of my culinary skills are semi-self-taught. Television, cookbooks, and lots of dinners out have exposed me to all kinds of new concepts, but the Internet is where I go to get the definitive answer on how to cook what I want to cook. Often all it takes is a Google search to find what I’m looking for, but sometimes I want to get new ideas. My go to is Serious Eats, but today I found a new site with a similar approach. The company is called Food52, and it’s a New York, NY based online community that brings “cooks together from all over to exchange recipes and ideas and to support each other in the kitchen.” (Side note: Food52 and Serious Eats are celebrating the the one-in-70,000-ish-years holiday of Thanksgivukkah with a cook off.) In their first few years they’ve been able to reach millions of people and get them talking about food, which is no small feat.
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At this point you’ve spent a lot of your life in a classroom. Do you think you’d be better off if you spent more or less? I lean towards saying less, but only if I would have put that time to good use. I tend to think that a lot of today’s kids are overworked when it comes to school, but that’s probably because I went to a very competitive private school. There’s a lot of research that shows that more time in school leads to better outcomes, and The National Center on Time & Learning is a Boston, MA non-profit that “is dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement and enable a well-rounded education.” Even though it pains me to say it, The National Center on Time & Learning probably has it right.
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InvestmentNews is our sponsor this week, and they would like to tell you about their NextGen Virtual Career Fair on November 8th. It’s an awesome opportunity for students and interns to network and find finance jobs on the spot.
I haven’t seen snow yet, but I did experience some sort of frozen precipitation while I was in Michigan over the weekend. It’s hard enough to accept that summer is over and that the shorts need to be put away, but it’s really difficult to come to terms with the fact that winter is coming (especially when you live in Chicago). It’s even worse because almost everything that I love to do is better with good weather (fishing, playing beach volleyball, grilling, walking the dog). Yet for some people it’s almost the opposite. These are the type of people who buy gear from Black Diamond Equipment, a Salt Lake City, UT based company that is “all about climbing and skiing.” In fact, Black Diamond Equipment makes it possible for people to enjoy weather that might otherwise keep you stuck indoors with a bad case of the shack nasties.
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It sounds stupid to say, but it feels like science is making a resurgence in popularity. It’s hard not to notice when your friends keep liking Facebook posts from “I [expletive] love science.” Science always has been and always will be exceptionally important to the human race, but its popularity seems to vary quite a bit over time. The Society for Science & the Public is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education.” They realize that science isn’t just for scientists and that keeping the average person engaged with the study of science can have big payoffs.
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Nearly every tv show that we watch is sponsored by a number of companies, yet we never would think to thank the sponsors. The same can be said for websites. It’s pretty rude of us, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we be more grateful for all of the things that we get in exchange for a little bit of attention? Maybe we should, but we’re not going to be. The one exception is events. When a corporate sponsor puts on an event, I feel that I owe them something. That’s probably why Mirrorball believes that “if you want to move the needle, then first, you need to move your consumer.” Mirrorball is a New York, NY based consumer engagement agency “that connects brands and people through a fusion of social media and live experience.” Experiences are engaging, and if you can create them win the right way, you can reach people with messages that they might ignore in other settings.
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If you use Facebook, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ve seen a friend post a story from Upworthy. The company’s goal is to get their content to go viral, and they’re really good at it. The difference between them and companies like CollegeHumor and Spartz Media is that Upworthy tries to focus on stuff that is both awesome and meaningful. Let’s be honest; most viral content is silly and mindless. Viewing it often makes you feel stupider (especially when you consider the way it’s displayed with ads and slideshows engineered to pillage every bit of attention they can get from you). Upworthy (which isn’t really based in any single location) calls itself “a mission-driven media company.” The goal is “to encourage that debate by curating great pieces of content that represent different sides.”
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When social media started picking up steam as an essential business tool, it was mostly tech brands that were investing in it. They the huge national brands started tweeting, Facebooking, and Instagramming. Now it’s time for the local brands to jump on the bandwagon. Social Media Beast is a Chicago, IL based agency that is helping some of Chicago’s most notable brands do social right. Much of the cost in hiring a full-time social media person are centered around training and managing the individual. Why would a small business waste resources doing that when they can just hire an agency like Social Media Beast?
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A couple months ago I was raving to you about our web host WP Engine. While I’m still generally happy with them, they had a pretty big screw up a couple weeks ago. I worked with their support team, and we were able to find a resolution (though it took much longer than I would have hoped). All of the communications ran through Zendesk, which is “beautifully simple customer service software.” It’s basically a platform for managing all of the back and forth that is typically a part of delivering good customer service. Zendesk is based in San Francisco, CA, though they were originally founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2007 (they made the move in 2009).
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In my tenth grade English class I had to recite a poem from memory. I was assigned “Out, Out–” by Robert Frost. It’s just about the perfect poem for a teenage boy to appreciate, even if it is a bit morbid. When I Googled the poem this morning, the first result was from the Poetry Foundation, which is a Chicago, IL based “independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture.” They are the publisher of Poetry magazine, and in 2011 the non-profit opened a building that “houses a public garden, a 30,000-volume library, an exhibition gallery, the Poetry Foundation’s programming offices—including the offices of Poetry magazine—and provides new space for the Foundation’s extensive roster of public programs and events.” It’s just around the corner from where I used to live, and it’s an impressive and interesting structure.
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While people say that technology is making us dumber, I’m convinced that the Internet is pushing us to focus on our writing again. There’s no doubt that our generation communicates through the written word more than our parents’ generation did, but we need to understand that text speak often isn’t the answer (tho it can b… sometimes). The reality is that most young people are natural storytellers, they just need a little help directing their creativity. The Telling Room is a Portland, ME based non-profit that helps them do that. The organization’s goal is “to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide real audiences for [its] students.” They work with young people from the ages of 6 to 18 with a belief “that the power of creative expression can change our communities and prepare our youth for future success.”
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I try to avoid going to the doctor at all costs. While I’m not one of those people who constantly self-diagnoses via WebMD, I do try to use the Internet to inform my decision on whether an office visit is necessary (it usually isn’t). Most younger people are like me, they turn to the web first when they have a health issue. Patient Conversation Media is a company that aims to be found when people make those initial searches. They are based in Austin, TX, and they publish “doctor-reviewed health-related content online for consumers” and use that influx of traffic to connect “patients to [their] network of physicians and other health care providers.” Patient Conversation Media came it at #22 on the Inc. 5000 with 8,782% three-year growth to $9.8 million in annual revenue.
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I may be a dog person (this is my puppy Garçon), but I love big cats. They are the ultimate land-based predators, which is why I hope to one day see a mountain lion in the wild (from the safety of a car though). The problem with big cats is that there is one predator higher up in the food chain: us. Whether it’s protecting livestock, killing them for their fur, or infringing on their habitat, humans have had a severely negative impact on populations of big cats across the world. It’s time to make up for an ugly past, and that’s why Panthera exists. They are a New York, NY based non-profit that “is the world’s leading conservation organization devoted exclusively to the protection of wild cats.” Panthera got its started in 2006, and since then has been working to protect 37 species of wild cats.
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Who watched the season finale of Million Dollar Listing New York last night? I did. I love that show, even though it seems to be more about petty squabbling than actually selling real estate. My biggest takeaway from the show is that selling a property is all about generating interest and getting people in the door to see it. If a realtor can do that, they’ll sell properties. However, most agents can’t throw open bar parties with half dressed models to attract attention–that kind of marketing only makes sense with multi-million dollar properties and six figure commissions. The average realtor needs a more affordable, simpler way to market properties. That’s exactly what BoomTown offers. They’re a Charleston, SC based software company that “has generated millions of leads for real estate teams.” 4,329,036 leads to be exact. They do this by offering “a complete online system that leads more Internet home buyers to [an agent’s] virtual door, then gives real estate agents proven tools to turn clicks into closings.”
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I have a platonic man crush on Ramit Sethi. I’ve pretty much been stalking him since 2007 (when I started ODOJ) by subscribing to his blog, signing up for his e-mail list, reading his book, poring over his Delicious links, and buying one of his courses. We even met in person once. It was in the lobby of a trendy W hotel waiting for him, and when he walked up I played it cool by slamming my head into some stupid lamp that was hanging over the lounge chair that I was sitting on. Why am I so obsessed with some random Indian dude who is only a couple years older than me? Because he has built an amazing business that helps people achieve their career and financial dreams. I tend to gag at most of the advice that I hear from “career experts,” yet when I see something come from I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Ramit’s company–he used to have to reiterate that it’s not a scam because the name sounds so questionable), my eyes get all dreamy and I just start nodding in agreement. I occasionally even yell “YES!” at my computer.
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The last time that I picked up a hard copy newspaper was because I was in it. I consume almost all of my news online, and I don’t even have much loyalty to a particular source. I guess it’s people like me who have ruined the news business, but I’m not going to change. The news businesses that adapt and innovate are the ones that have the best shot of being around in a decade. Digital First Media might be one of them. They are a New York, NY based group of companies that has more than “800 multi-platform products” that reach “61 million Americans each month across 18 states.” They’re still all about the news, but they realize that an outlet can only continue to put out quality content when it is backed by a solid business.
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Being “domestic” isn’t something that a lot of young people aim for these days. The word often denotes a negative connotation, which is why you might find it odd that a career-minded woman who used to work at Google has made a made a name for herself by embracing domesticity. Brit Morin is often called “Silicon Valley’s Martha Stewart,” and she just raised more than $6 million live up to that comparison. Brit is the founder of Brit + Co., a San Francisco, CA based “online platform and e-commerce company that inspires and enables the digital generation to make.” Domestic skills are important, and Brit + Co. is bringing them back in style with the power of the web.
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Sales is all about relationships. Whether you’re trying to convince someone to make a one time purchase or enter a ten-year contract, you need to build a certain level of trust and empathy (the level is much higher in the latter case). Sometimes it only takes one conversation, but it often takes many more. A sales person has to be organized to ensure that his or her communications are continuously moving towards a sale. The tools for doing that used to be a rolodex and a notebook, but that has obviously changed. What hasn’t changed is the need for mobility in a customer relationship management system, and that’s exactly what Base CRM offers. They are a Chicago, IL based company that “is paving the way by building the next generation of CRM software.” They realized that most competing software is a burden (not a useful tool) for salespeople, so they decided to build something that people would actually want to use.
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Have you ever looked up a doctor online? When you type the name into Google, you’re often inundated with useless results (kind of like when you’re job searching). There are “reviews” that aren’t really reviews, and “information” pages that don’t offer any useful information. While most doctors prefer to focus on medicine over marketing, the truth is that a successful practice requires a continuous flow of new and returning patients. The Internet will continue to play a larger role in how people find doctors, and Treatspace wants to ensure that patients accurate, helpful information. That’s why the Pittsburgh, PA based company is focused on putting “facts online that connect providers, patients, and health professionals.”
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I’m getting married a week from today, which is why Amy and I went to three dance lessons last week. We’re not looking to do anything special. We’re just making a last ditch effort to be merely below average when 200+ people watch our first dance. The standards for dancing ability are a bit different for Youth America Grand Prix, which is a New York, NY based non-profit that runs “the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition.” Every year they put up more than $250,000 in scholarships so that some of the world’s most talented young dancers can get the training that they need to pursue a professional career. The competition was started in 1999 by two Bolshoi Ballet dancers, and has gained momentum ever since.
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I find marketing extremely interesting because the tactics change rapidly, while the basic principles never do. If I was hiring an agency, I’d want a team that brings together the old and the new, even though I often have a strong urge to go with whatever’s new. Adpearance is a Portland, OR based digital marketing agency that crafts “campaigns that launch from the solid foundations of traditional marketing, but with the added benefit of statistical analysis.” They’ve taken the best of both worlds and combined them into a complete offering that is focused on the most important thing: client ROI.
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Some of you (though probably not most of you) should quit your internship search and start a business. It’s what I did, and I can’t imagine having done anything else. That’s why I’ve spent hundreds of hours talking with and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Yesterday I came across a Quora answer by Noah Kagan that I wish they had all read before I talked to them. It explains why most people who hold off on pursuing their dream of starting a business are doing so for the wrong reasons. There’s a movement called The Lean Startup that preaches a similar philosophy–starting a company doesn’t need to be expensive and you don’t even need a brilliant idea. Lean Startup Machine is a New York, NY based company that is spreading the philosophy not only to new entrepreneurs but also to people working in more corporate positions.
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In my day… Macs and PCs used completely different file formats. Writing a paper on my Mac (I was one of the few back then) and printing it on one of my school’s PCs was always a risky proposition. If I didn’t convert the file properly, I might end up with no homework and a really lame excuse for my teacher. We’re well past those days, yet many people still struggle with PDFs and other files. A simple request to sign a form and send it back can lead me down a half hour process of trying to find any way possible to avoid buying a new ink cartridge for my printer. Next time I’m going to try Nitro. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that builds “easy-to-use products that help people work smarter with digital documents.” Whether it’s for personal use or for a corporation with thousands of employees, Nitro offers a simple, affordable solution.
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One thing that surprises me about today’s crop of college graduates is that as a whole they seem far less willing to move for a job than one would expect (though this blog post says that’s changing). I think the biggest thing holding young people back is that you often have to move to a new city to even have a chance at landing a job there. That’s a big risk to take when you have no money. Things change as you gain more experience and become more valuable to employers. If you do really well, they’ll often try to convince you to move for them. Many will offer relocation bonuses, but only top executives typically get concierge-level relocation assistance. UrbanBound is trying to change that. They’re a Chicago, IL based company that offers “a web-based platform that helps companies offer a comprehensive transition system to their newly hired and transferring employees.” UrbanBound enables employees to plan their entire relocation in one place, and that’s a big deal when we’re talking about such a significant life change.
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One of my favorite tools for company research is CrunchBase. While it isn’t typically all that detailed, it’s a great way to get a quick overview of many privately held companies–especially startups. Just the information on investment rounds is insanely valuable to me, but it’s far more valuable to entrepreneurs seeking capital and venture investors. They need to know what’s going on in their industry, and CrunchBase doesn’t go deep enough. There’s a site called ChubbyBrain that tried to build a similar, but deeper database, but it doesn’t seem to have worked out. However, that team is now behind a company called CB Insights, which is based in New York, NY and “helps you track the world’s most promising private companies, their investors, their acquirers and the industries they compete in.”
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I went to a funeral for a friend’s relative yesterday. It was lovely service in memory of a long, full life; however, the only thing that identified the service as being in 2013 and not 1995 (or 1972 even) was that the minister did all of his readings from an iPad. There isn’t a lot of innovation in the funeral industry. I thought online obituaries and guest books were the state of art, but I learned today that Platinum Innovation Group is a Detroit, MI based company that is bringing new ideas to the industry. They’re also working in “the areas of telehealth, telemedicine, health and beauty, film industry, real estate, and genealogy.” They do this by operating “a diverse set of businesses that are powered by innovation and change.” I also found the company using the brand Hello Innovation, so I’m not sure what that’s about. Maybe they’re in the process of rebranding or something.
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Lately it seems like we’ve looking at companies with previously trendy business models. We did the subscription gift box (Glossybox), the flash sale site (Rue La La), and now we’re doing the daily e-mail (obviously my favorite model). What usually happens when a business model gets hot is that a ton of copycats come along and quickly oversaturate the market. Most of them eventually fail, and people see that as evidence that the original business model was unsustainable. It’s really just that most people who copy other business aren’t very good at running businesses. PureWow is a lot like DailyCandy or even Thrillist (they even have the same backers), but they’ve chosen a distinctly different market. The New York, NY based company realized that most women-focused online content was made for the under 30 crowd, so they decided to change that.
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I was way ahead on the flash sales and members only shopping thing. I did a writeup on Gilt Groupe almost five years ago just as the business model was catching on. While there isn’t nearly as much excitement about the space as there used to be, it’s still a great way to sell stuff (time constraints and sales both have amazing psychological effects on people). And that’s why I think it’s worth taking a look at Rue La La. They’re a Boston, MA and New York, NY based company that curates “Boutiques filled with the best of the best in women’s and men’s fashion, home, travel, kids, and more.” Each sale lasts 48 hours and is limited to members only (though becoming a member is about as easy as signing up).
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