Dave Caolo

Ten great DIY laptop stands.

This is the first in a series of posts that I will use to describe the things I love, the people I admire and the ideals I try to achieve. When I consider all of the things that touch my life, I realize how little of it matters in any significant way. Running errands, paying the water bill, scheduling an oil change — necessary, sure, but really … who cares?

What matters is my relationships with human beings — sharing ideas and communicating with others in a meaningful way. The best thing I can do with my talents and gifts is help my neighbor reach his or her greatest heights. That’s The Good Stuff.

My initial Good Stuff posts will describe the people I admire. Some you will know, some you won’t. Some are on the web and some aren’t. Today’s post is about David Seah.

In 2006, I was overwhelmed. At home, I had a two-year-old and a newborn. I was working 60 hours a week. I rarely saw my wife and, when we were together, we spent our time doting over the kids and trying to keep up with the laundry, the messes and the bills. I was so preoccupied with the present, that the future suffered. I forgot to complete critical tasks (like mailing a pile of bills without stamps. Oops.), misplaced things, etc. I needed help.

Fortunately, I came across David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I inhaled that book and my life is better for it. Even today, I cling to its methods religiously.

A year into GTD (as the cool kids call it), I began scanning the web for others’ opinions and implementations. That’s when I found David Seah’s Printable CEO series of posts and products. If you’re unfamiliar, David created a series of forms to help himself focus on his professional goals:

“The Printable CEO™ (PCEO) was born from a desire to focus my time more productively. For me, that means things that make my freelance practice sustainable and fun. The Printable CEO name comes from the idea that a good CEO should focus primarily on those things that move the company forward; since I can’t afford to hire my own CEO, being able to print one out seemed like the next best thing! ”

Instead of keeping his work to himself, David shared his work with the world. His Emergent Task Planner was the first form I downloaded and used. I liked it right away. It’s beautiful to look at (if you think this type of thing is beautiful … I do) and easy to use. You look at it and just know how to use it. I grabbed other PCEO forms and put them in my reference drawer.

After subscribing to his blog, I discovered that David gets it. He gets The Good Stuff as I understand it. Consider this post from 2006:

“When you help others, you also help yourself (when you truly mean it, that is). Don’t forget to follow-through…no one likes a whiffer. Not only will you get to help someone, but you’ll also get to understand that person a little better. And remember: the karmic boomerang never misses in the long run…People who enjoy sharing knowledge and experience are precisely the people I want to work with. It’s also a good way to mutually evaluate the possibility for future collaboration.”

I’ve said that “business networking” in the 80′s sense is a selfish, sterile process that benefits no one. When you thrust your business card at anyone in a suit, you’re asking for something. You’re saying, “I want some of what you’ve got. Please give it to me.”

Instead, I focus on community building. When you meet people and connect with them on a meaningful way, you’re offering something. “Here’s me. I offer you my friendship, my talent and my ambition.” That’s powerful, and similar to something David said in a recent post, Friendship-Focused Marketing, Take 1:

“When I hand out a business card, I am handing out an invitation to friendship. My website needs to speak to those qualities right away, and provide the mechanisms by which friendship can be nourished. Secondarily, I want my website to make it easier for my friends to introduce me to their friends. “Oh, you’ve got to meet my friend Dave! Here’s his websites, check it out and I think you’ll see why we should all hang out.” And maybe, just maybe, we’ll build something awesome together.”

He’s also set up a wiki on his site. My favorite part is the Lab Notes, which he uses to share thoughts and information on all sorts of things, from Tarot Cards to laptop camera bags; creating a hybrid CD ROM to great places to eat. I collect information like this, too, but I never thought to share it. Of course, David did (by the way, David, I’m totally going to steal that idea!).

I don’t know David personally, but I feel like I’ve come to know him through his writing. To me, he exemplifies goals I want to acheive

• To be an active citizen of the world
• To share what I can eagerly
• To foster communication between like-minded people

Thanks, David! I look forward to your future contributions to life on earth.

I don’t usually go for mashups that fiddle with my beloved Van Halen, but this unholy union of DLR’s vocal track from Runnin’ With the Devil and Beck’s Where It’s At has won my rare approval. Grab it now.

[Via Tim Merrill]

Another example of why I admire the guys at 37signals so much is posts like this

“Are we making something useful or are we just making something? It’s easy to confuse enthusiasm with usefulness. Sometimes it’s fine to play a bit and build something that’s cool, but it’s worth asking yourself if it’s useful too. Cool wears off, useful never does.” (Emphasis mine).

Read the rest.

Trent invites fans to create visuals to accompany the tracks to the instrumental album Ghosts. Awesome.

This time from Dubassy. If you’re looking for great iPhone/iPod touch wallpaper, Poolga is definitely the site to watch.

Attention geeky girls on Cape Cod, Ma. My friends at Genevate will put on the 1st Geek Girl Camp at The Heritage House in Hyannis. It’s going to be a great event, featuring six hands-on workshops by female tech professionals on Cape Cod

• June Bertucci will teach session 1: How do I manage my computer? This session is about understanding computer basics, and managing day-to-day things like email, files and photo galleries – Windows or Mac.
• Paula Hersey of Penguin Digital Design will teach session 2: How to create and maintain your first website. This session will explain how to get started, as well as the tools needed to create and maintain your very first website.
• Julie Brooks will teach session 3: How to get local recognition online: Combining traditional media and the internet for success. This session is all about using the fabulous local options to advertise, market or get some press on your business, non-profit, blog or event.
• Janel Kesten will teach session 4: How to use Photoshop for Fun and Business. This entry-level session is about using Photoshop for small projects like greeting cards, simple photo editing and more.
• Beth Dunn will teach session 5: Blog, or Not to Blog … What is a Blog and Should I have one? Blogs aren’t just for teenagers anymore. The emergence of blogs in business, non-profits and consumer relations is huge. This session explains the basic information you’ll need to determine if you should be blogging.
• Leslie Fishlock will teach session 6: Exploring the Buzzwords Online; Social Networking, Web 2.0, and the FaceBook/LinkedIN/Twitter/Flickr Phenomenon. This session will explain the purpose and best practices of these online services.

There’s something for all levels of users, newbies to pros; home users to business owners. Appetizers, a cash bar and great schwag bag will be available for everyone.

Register here and we’ll see you on Thursday, April 17 at 5:00 PM.

Yes, yes, yes. I want every person with eyes to read this article at Put Things Off. I love the premise, the arguments and the execution.

I’ve said it before – there’s nothing more powerful and useful than a piece of paper and a pen (and that’s from the biggest gadget geek you’ll ever meet). Kudos to Nick for writing such a great article.

Creative Nest is a non-profit which supports emerging artists for one year. They call it “…residency without leaving behind the environment that inspires you.” Pretty cool.

[Via Splorp]

The Field Notes Brand website has re-launched with a lots of new goodness. I’m deeply in love with the notebooks (working my way through my second 3-pack now).