Griffin Granberg. Serial Entrepreneur.

I know most people hate these "hello I'm going to be back blogging now" posts, but it is the truth.  I have been on an interesting journey of my life for the past 5 or so months.  My world was completely turned upside down from where I thought I was going and I plan on letting you have a glimpse of how I am coping with it and/or enjoying it. :) 

As you may or may not know I have had some relatively good success with my businesses over the years.  Not only that but I've built myself into everything I've ever wanted to be in whatever industry I picked (radio, business, web development, online marketing, etc)  I have made thousands and thousands of dollars and charged hundreds of dollars per hour consulting.  I have made my clients millions.  I have traveled to Jamaica (negril), Europe (all over) and the U.S. (all over) several times and enjoyed the luxuries of working for myself over the years.

But with time, comes change.

And the changes recently are many. I started making better decisions to provide a solider foundation for myself in building for the future.  I took a great executive position for a company in Scottsdale, AZ (moving away from the home of which I truly loved in Colorado) - which has turned out to be truly amazing change of pace.  I have lost what I once thought I could not live without (that being my now ex-girlfriend).  I have been enjoying (and not sometimes) finding out what and who I really am - since for years I made decisions only to satisfy my relationship and put myself on the backburner.  I have changed my body image quite a bit as well which has been one of the most positive changes I've made in sometime (more updates about that in the future).

With all that being said, I am no great writer, but the knowledge I can impart onto you perhaps may help you with your own life and/or business so I appreciate the time you spend with me and let's grow together - this could be fun, no? :)  //g

I was fortunate enough in this economy to get to attend WebmasterWorld’s Pubcon South (Austin, TX) and here are the 5 main reasons I really enjoyed the conference.

1. It was small.  Yes they may have had 350+ registered people but the venue was small and intimate.  I got to discuss A LOT of super-interesting stuff with a lot of great people.  In some of the bigger SEO events you don’t get to really have that one-on-one face time with attendants and especially speakers.
   
   1. I have to interject something here, the cost to go was not astronomical – it was very reasonable which I’m sure the small venue helped in accomplishing.
2. It was in Austin, TX.  If you don’t know Austin is the weird/cool place in Texas.  The live music scene is amazing and the town (downtown) really has a ton going on.  Granted the conference was far from downtown so you weren’t right in the action – I still was able to go and really enjoy the nightlift and even have the best gas station food I’ve ever eaten (Rudy’s BBQ)
3. I got to meet awesome people.  I don’t like to list names – mostly because I’m not fantastic are remembering them all – but I got to finally meet Kenny Hyder (PositionTech), Rhea Drysdale (Outspoken Media), Lisa Barone (Outspoken Media), Dan Zarrella (HubSpot), Mark Jackson (VIZION Interactive), Ted Ulle (The MEWS Group), Adam Jewell (NetPlus Marketing), Seth Wilde (uShip).  I also had the pleasure to chat with brand new to the SEO world attendants like Michael Pearson (OrgSync) and Dan Caradonna.  So many truly awesome people – feel very honored to have conversed with all of them. 
4. I got to “get my head back in the game.”  I spent the last year really releasing my own stuff under Mountastic Ventures and consulting some great companies, but I felt a semi-disconnect from the SEO field as I was mostly maintaining current rankings/conversions/etc.  I don’t think going to Pubcon was really a teeth-sharpening experience but it did get me back into a hyper-focused mode for the current task at hand
5. Pubcon boosted my morale for the online marketing industry as a whole.  I have really felt bored with how things in the industry were really going – no huge big things going on other than Skittles front page and twitter’s emergence as another level for people to expand their existing persona/brand/etc.  It’s not that going to Pubcon was like BANG! HERE’S A BUNCH OF EXCITING STUFF but rather making me realize things are maturing and that can be exciting too – especially if you’ve already been in the industry for a while (which I would consider myself).  So instead of being crazy bored with online marketing, I feel really excited to be going into probably the most challenging project of my career.

All and all, it was a pretty good experience, one of my mentors once told me that going to a conference once or twice (or more) a year really helps keep you energetic, positive and focused and I would have to say, he was right.

You may not know, but after I graduated from High School in Lennox, SD (oh ya baby) - I picked the polar opposite of South Dakota to move to - that being Phoenix, AZ.  I actually ended up living in an efficiency in Tempe, AZ.  For the next year I kicked around the idea of what I was going to do with my life.

Looking back on it, I was completely fearless - I was ready to do anything and everything and nothing was going to stop me.  I was going to be a millionaire by 21 (missed) and I was going to do some cool web stuff (partially accomplished).  

For the next few weeks while I get setup down here and really get cooking on one of the biggest projects of my life, I am going to go back and tell you a story of how I got started and became who I am today: a serial entrepreneur that specializes in business strategy and online marketing.  For now though?  I have a kitchen to setup and some relaxing to do (last 2 weeks were brutal).

I'll catch ya soon.  //g

If you have ever wondered where to go out and eat in Fort Collins, CO you have to check out the Fort Collins Restaurants at Colorado Food Guide.  It's simply one of the best websites out there for restaurants in Fort Collins.  We have accumulated over 100 restaurants including photos and virtual tours for most of them.  It's definitely worth your time to check out.

Not everyone is a great writer, but with blogs everyone feels they have to be.  I am sick of reading people's blogs were they are just trying to preach to you.  I get it, you are smart - you have knowledge - you are great - you need to "teach" me something - bestow your marvelous knowledge.

Just because someone is relatively successful or even amazingly successful doesn't mean what they write is worth reading.  So I ask, is this blog culture really worth it?  Just be yourself you don't have to spill a bunch of nonsensical drivel onto a blog to make yourself better.  Don't be an act.  Be yourself.  There is a big enough audience online that someone is bound to like you for you.

This country was built on voting and blah blah blah you know why you should vote and if you don't know why you should vote or you don't plan on voting you could possibly be a douchebag!

I'm voting and then traveling for the rest of the week.  Maybe I'll hit up the blog a bit while I'm gone.  We'll just have to see. :)

Oh ya, After you vote check out this crazy totaled Tesla Roadster!

So last night I was testing USTREAM.TV out to see how the live streaming was working and decided to do a VERY impromptu show called "Griffin After Hours" where I just talk about something that has been on my mind for a while.  Definitely worth the 6 minutes of your time.  :) Check it out below!

If you ever wondered what I am like in real life you need to see today's "The Daily Geek" from SweetGeekTV! 

Feel free to check out our profile on YouTube and Subscribe!  You can also leave a comment on our website or youtube.  Hope you enjoy! 

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

For the last several months I have been working TOO MUCH!  That's right it is possible for even a workaholic to work TOO MUCH.  Don't get me wrong I still have been doing what I feel is important like spend time with the girlfriend, dogs, etc.  BUT, I have been neglecting myself - thus throwing myself a little off-balance.

I am one of those people that can not eat anything I want or eat how much I think I want - I'm just not blessed that way and you know what?  That's what I've been doing for the past few months.  So while I was writing my Plan of Attack for the rest of October and then November - I decided it was time for me to really get back into working out.

Truth be told, I enjoy working out and the feeling/energy it gives me afterwards.  For some people it's torture for them or it's a pain in the ass, but this is all IN YOUR MIND.  If you wanted to truly work out and do better for yourself you wouldn't whine and complain excessively.  Anyway, so what am I doing where?

Well, <1mile away from my home is a SnapFitness, which is one of those small gyms that are in strip malls that are open 24/7.  There is really no excuse for not working out when the gym is open literally ALL THE TIME.  So I picked up a membership for my girlfriend and myself.  Just like working on my business when I work myself out - I go crazy.  I do cardio every single day (this includes weekends peeps :)  and I rotate my weight lifting every other day.  I do not have a personal trainer but instead I do my full workout on my own which helps me reset myself everyday - especially if I'm stressed.  On cardio+weight lifting days it takes me around 1.5-2hrs and on cardio only days only ~1hr. 

I believe in trying to be as balanced as possible with your life. 

• You can't work all the time
• You can't play all the time
• You can't relax all the time
• and You can't be super-successful without having some balance in your life

One thing you can do is love to improve yourself both personally and professionally then doing things that are considered chores/pain in the asses/working out/etc can actually be fun and enjoyable.  :)

Disclaimer:This is about a local conference they are still trying to do in my home town of Sioux Falls, SD.

A few years ago I was living in downtown Omaha, NE and busting my ass on my company and heard about the South Dakota Techknowlogy Summit which was to be this big attempt to bring a technology convention/conference to my hometown of Sioux Falls, SD. I remember going to one when I was in –believe it or not – eighth grade called E-Tech which quickly disappeared and this was the first time I heard of another attempt at a technology conference ANYWAY. What happened when I attended that year?

I attended a few sessions that interested me and I documented them on ClearVision Media’s website which I think – to this day – was a fair assessment. In fact, I think it was rather kind to believe the organizers were actually looking to make the best event they could. Unfortunately the following year (last year) I find out their true intentions.

I contacted Kara Flanagan from New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of South Dakota whose job was to basically plan the sessions and speakers. She said she interested in having me speak but also pitched me on booth as well. I told her I would consider rocking a booth but that I really had nothing to promote as my web development company was always overbooked and I (at that time) did not have SweetGeekTV or other web properties to really promote there. MOVING ON, What’s the point?

We talked several more times with Kara telling me they would love to have me speak but also always pushing the booth even though I have said on multiple accounts that I had no real use for a booth – so I finally told her I was going to pass on the booth that year (last year) and would seriously consider doing it the next year (this year). That same conversation she told me that there was no room for me to speak then because they were only allowing companies with booths and sponsorships to speak.

I know everyone wants to make money but I’d like to think that making the best-coolest-conference where people want to go not just to miss work but to make it where they REALLY want to go because it’s awesome would turn out to be far more rewarding (in everyway including monetarily).

It really bummed me out that Kara (or the organizers) would just put sponsor spokespeople on the panels and not really try to make the conference the best it could really be, but I guess that was the reason why just a year earlier I just felt like I was being given sales pitches and promotional plugs. I talked to one of the top marketing minds in my home town and he said he wasn’t surprised and things like that happen all the time. I was just sad it had to happen to what I thought could be a real kick ass conference.

So this year now that my company has several things that I’d love to promote more in my home state – I am sitting here writing about how I think the South Dakota Techknowlogy Summit is plainly a waste of time – and it’s killing me to say it. I’ll leave you with one last thought: how can a conference be huge and awesome when all it is is a bunch of sales people rapping to you?