Have a moment?  I’m doing a brave thing (so I’ve been told).  Learn how I reconnected with an old friend, Stephen who is sending updates on Twitter of his service in Haiti.

How the Haiti Earthquake Became Real to Me

MarketingProfessor.com will donate $1 for every comment
of encouragement left on that post (his tweets are right on the page) through Friday 1/22 at 5pm.

Thanks to the many who have already commented.

Not sure where this will lead, but please leave your comments on the blog .

Below is a video that talks more about it, if you cannot see it at Haiti Fundraiser Video.

-Travis

Some of you reading this have sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandson’s, granddaughters, cousins, and friends who are currently on a tour of duty, that we might have the privilege to celebrate in safety.

It is in this humbling reality, all I can do is whisper a humble ‘thanks’.

This weekend is 4th of July weekend (Independence Day) here in the USA, and it is certainly a time for cookouts, and family gathering. The real reason that we are getting together is for the thousands who have gone before us, giving their lives so that we wouldn’t have to. All culminating in a single event where the USA declared it’s independence.

The 4th of July is about connecting. Connecting with loved ones still present, and honoring those not.

We may connect differently than they did in previous generations…but we are still connecting. The Internet has expanded that capability, in fact, you and I are connecting right now as you read this post.

While in DC a couple months ago, we were all struck with the enormity of this declaration. It was one of the first sights we saw while there (National Archives).

There are my two boys, and a photo of the actual document (taken with permission, of course…no flash).

In all they learned (me and mom too) about the history of our country, (we are a homeschooling family) and the people who were involved in its establishment prior to going to DC, there was a connection when we saw the actual documents. And it is an experience we will remember for some time.

In business we use various tools to increase our ability to connect with those we serve. The ACT! Database Software can help with that connection. If used properly, you can have a central location for information pertaining to a given contact, market segment, or company.

Swiftpage email has taken that to another level with their Email integration with ACT!. Now, as a featured vendor at www.ACTasap.net, they are even offering a deal for customers who purchase the ACT! Database Software giving away their service for 90 days (and I think they aren’t even asking for a credit card).

If you are already running the latest version of ACT!, or even a previous version, and not using their service, you might want to give Swiftpage Email a look.

I wish you a great weekend, and a great time of connecting with family and friends. If you are in the US, enjoy your Independence Day weekend, I intend to. Be safe.

Feel free to connect here, by submitting your comments below. -Travis

Technorati Tags: act database software, email marketing, email service provider, July, swiftpage

2007 was my first full year back in the state of Ohio (BTW, we love it here!).  I grew up here and pretty much knew what to expect.  At least, until I heard from my CPA. Ehem…

Turns out, as a result of a record breaking 2007, I owe the state of Ohio *bigtime* (Federal wasn’t so bad, go figure…).  I sat down with this unexpected tax bill, knowing I had to come up with a plan…

So, I’m working on putting the final touches on my *Tax Day 2008 Special*.

If you have been putting off upgrading to ACT! 2008, well this is a deal you’ll want to check out.  I can’t share all the details (because I’m still finalizing them), but it is similar to a package I put together a while back which sold out in 13 minutes…

I’m going to include a special bonus package for anyone purchasing ACT! 2008 on my site.  BUT don’t buy it today!  This special will start tomorrow, and available to any who purchase only within a 24 hour period.  I will post a video update tomorrow with all the details.

What about you, have you ever received an unexpected tax bill…this year, or ever?  Feel free to share your experience below.

Regards,
Travis

Technorati Tags: upgrading, video

I just returned from a tip to New York City…first visit since September 11, 2001. Traveling on business, it seemed appropriate to visit the World Trade Center site. Curious as to what others thought, I sent a quick message to my subscribers, and was overwhelmed with the response. Several having lost loved ones that day, or had stories to tell. Some discouraged me to go to the site, most did not, and some gave recommendations of where to go, what to look for, etc.

I made it a priority to visit the site, but was caught by surprise. Here are some thoughts (and photos) I captured in my recorder:

“After a long walk I finally am approaching the fence covered in green netting, dust flies through the air as the wind whips through the construction site. I can hear myself breathing, and I realized my heart was racing. Why is my heart racing? Afterall, I had a good idea what I would see, a hole in the ground…right? Then I realized that many there had the same feeling, a sense of fear and reverence, as we all looked into the hole where two massive buildings once stood. With a single historical event, nearly 3000 people were lost. Normally giggly school girls aged 13-15 were silenced as they gazed on the site, and at photographic memoirs cataloging the events of that fateful day. It was as if people were expecting something to happen… This was MUCH more than a hole in the ground.

Then it hit me.

Identity. I was identifying with the lowest common denominator of humankind. All of us are susceptible to the grasps of death. It is no respecter of persons, income, or social status. It comes to most as an uninvited, yet expected permanent guest. It was also a global identity in shared sorrow as many gathered around the television for hours…hours as if in a trance of disbelief even though the networks aired the brutal events in what seemed to be a numbing loop on the screen. With hope, a hope that some might be saved.”

I spoke to many New Yorkers who live just a few blocks away, and they say they cannot bare the thought, and have no plans to go down there. Others remember the towers as faithful friends reflecting the sun as they took the train to work in the morning, forever gone, and forever missed…not the building so much, as what they represented.

I could go on about that 2 hour visit around the site, there are no words to properly describe what I felt as I looked at the photos and the faces of those gazing upon them, so I will end this post. Before I do, let me encourage you, if you have the opportunity to visit the site, please do. And if you have visited the site, feel free to comment below…what were your impressions.

Technorati Tags: Business