Daniel Johnson, Jr.

How I spent my summer vacation (Photo credit: Queen of the Universe)

You’d think I’d have fallen off the planet with the lack of updates over here. I hope to delve into this much more, but briefly, here’s what I’ve been up to the past few months.

Teaching seven classes at Antonelli College:

• Project Management
• Customer Service
• Freshman Experience
• Personal Development
• Interpersonal Communications
• Entrepreneurship and New Ventures

This term has really changed how I see what I do for my students. I’m all about connecting others and helping tell amazing stories. Every one of my students has inspired me with the story they each have to tell. I’ve been blessed to help them tell it. More on that sometime soon!

Cleaning an office:

In April I got a part-time job, cleaning an office north of Cincinnati, three nights per week. I enjoy it because I can be entrepreneurial as I do the work.  It’s physical work and has had me listening to more podcasts and audio content.

I’m actually getting through some books I’ve wanted to read for some time now. I’ve forsaken the Google Listen app for Stitcher Radio. I also use the Overdrive app to get eBooks and audiobooks from my local library.

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view from carew tower (Photo credit: whatnot)

The confluence of several events around me the past few days has reminded me of Bruce Springsteen’s song “My City of Ruins”. We’ve sung this at church a number of times. What has happened in the past few days has really brought it home.

• A student’s cousin was murdered.
• A church leader had a stroke and is in intensive care in the hospital.
• An 8th grade boy at a middle school shot and killed himself — adding to the number of students at that same school who died this past year.
• Another friend’s cousin has died.

In a year devoted to Simplify, Serve, and Create, I’m called even deeper to take the words of the song to heart:

My city’s in ruins
My city’s in ruins
Now with these hands
With these hands
I pray Lord
With these hands
I pray for the strength Lord
With these hands
I pray for the faith Lord
With these hands

Come on rise up!
Come on rise up!
Rise up

I shared with my students yesterday that every one of us has been given talents and gifts to offer the world. We must first find out what those are and then use them. If we do not overcome the forces that try to keep us from doing what we were put here to do, then we’re not just hurting ourselves — we’re hurting those around us who could benefit from what we have to offer.

My city’s in ruins. With these hands I pray for the strength, I pray for the faith, and I rise up to make it better.

My city of ruins – Bruce Springsteen

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Getting Things Done ! (Photo credit: Sunfox)

How’s that for a provocative title!

The truth is that life comes at you fast, and you find yourself looking around at what is ultimately most important in getting things done.

I’ve become comfortable over the past six years with this idea of having multiple careers, even at one time. It goes well with my personality and actually helps keep me sane. I need that variety.

For the past month and a half, I’ve had a grueling Thursday and Friday of working at multiple jobs. It’s been grueling because I haven’t been able to get as much sleep as I do on other days. It’s the way the time is structured, and I’m finding ways to manage it.

One way is to really focus on the core of what needs to be done. You see, I’ve been one to overthink many things, that life has to be structured in a particular way in order for things to be done well.

I’ve had to rethink my approach. What are the main objectives I need to accomplish: in class, on the job, in giving a presentation?

Just because I can show a PowerPoint does not mean I have to. It’s been so easy — too easy — to hide behind the slides.

Can you relate?

Last Saturday I’m to give a talk about blogging at a local networking group called b2bCinci. I know that among my approaches in this talk include creating different slides to illustrate my points. Yet I want this talk to be more of a group discussion, especially since I knew that nearly everyone in the group had not started to blog. I want to convince them to rethink why they are not blogging and inspire them to.

I choose just to use markers and the marker board, and as I ask questions, I write down responses. This more interactive feel meant more to me as a presenter, and I heard from at least one attendee that they have been motivated to start blogging as a result.

Presenting naked means you put yourself out in front or even among the audience, unencumbered by slides or a lectern.

Had I got enough sleep I might not have chosen such an approach or have had such an effect.

Have you experienced something similar to this?

For more on becoming a Naked Presenter, check out Garr Reynolds book of the same title (affiliate link): The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or Without Slides (Voices That Matter)

I also encourage you to watch this video from his talk at Duarte Design: http://vimeo.com/14493347

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I’m teaching a class on Interpersonal Communications this term at Antonelli College. It’s designed to reinforce and expand interpersonal communication as it relates to having a successful business in the world today. The context for the course encompasses psychological, relational, situational, environmental, and cultural communication. We’re learning how interactions and reactions have a direct connection in the professional setting.

The textbook, which we got from Cengage, called IPC.

Each week I assign for homework a journal entry about something we cover in class. I don’t require that they share it publicly since that may mean they choose not to be as vulnerable as they could be.

I also mentioned that I’m doing the homework along with my students, but I’m doing it here on this blog. As always, you’re welcome to join in the discussion.

Openness to other cultures and worldviews

In class this week, we talked about how culture and worldview affects us in our interpersonal communication.

How can you be more open to other cultures and world views?

Neighborhoods in the Greater Cincinnati area are organized so that residents don’t really need to leave in order to shop for basic necessities like groceries. This is especially true if you’re limited in transportation. Aside from work you probably don’t have even to leave your neighborhood.

The culture on the West side of Cincinnati is different from that on the East side. In 1990 after the Berlin Wall fell in Germany, Cincinnati Enquirer politicial cartoonist Jim Borgman did a about an “East-West Wall” that exists in Cincinnati. It’s among his personal favorites, and you can see the first in the series among the Borgman’s favorites page.

This isolationist perspective also extends to my country as a whole. Like it or not, many Americans like me grow up at some level thinking that the world revolves around the United States of America.

So when I think about how to expand my culture and worldview, I recognize that I need to get out of my neighborhood more often. Get over to the other side of town and see what’s going on over there. Get downtown more often. Get across the river into Northern Kentucky.

Moreover, it’s become more important for me to read and watch news from outside Cincinnati, Ohio and outside of the United States. One of the local PBS stations shows world news, and I’ve found myself lately following it. Hearing reporters talk about the United States as an outsider helps me appreciate that perspective more.

Finally, I’m thankful to be a part of one of the most culturally diverse churches in the Greater Cincinnati area. Spending time in this congregation makes it easy for me to see White, Black, Hispanic, African, Russian, Arabic, and other cultures together.

Interpersonal Communications Series

• Week 1 – Communication apprehension
• Week 2 – Misconceptions of others
• Week 3- Openness to other cultures and worldviews

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I received an email from LinkedIn this morning. They’ve suggested I join these groups, since some of my connections have also joined them. The reasons why I won’t are intrinsic to the group names.

I find it interesting that they know so much about my social graph on LinkedIn to be able to suggest groups in the first place, and I like that they’re looking for ways for me to get more out of their website.

Here’s what the email says: (more…)

This week I’ve spent some time letting you in on a secret about why I say good morning online the way I’ve done for over 2-3 years. Just to recap, the first thing I tend to post onto Twitter, Facebook, and now, Google Plus, is “Good morning from beautiful Cincinnati!” followed by something to get me going for the day.

Last time I talked about optimism. Optimism isn’t only seeing life through rose-colored glasses. Optimism is, when faced with a set of circumstances, choosing to see that the best possible outcome is still possible.

There’s still more to this story, however. (more…)

Image by Mundoo via Flickr

Yesterday I mentioned that there’s a reason why I say good morning online each day the way that I do. Today I’ll elaborate just a bit further.

The primary ingredient for progress is optimism. That unwavering belief that something can be better drives the human race forward. – Simon Sinek, via Notes To Inspire newsletter

What keeps me up?   (more…)

Image by Sean MacEntee via Flickr

I’m gonna let you in on a secret.

Each morning for as long as I can remember, the first thing I’ve posted onto Twitter, Facebook, and now, Google Plus, is “Good morning from beautiful Cincinnati!” followed by something to get me going for the day.

Maybe you’ve never noticed that. Maybe you have. I archive my Twitter updates to this blog each week, and I’ve often been able to mark time in them by when I say “Good morning.”

There’s a reason why I do this.

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(via The Christian Left's Facebook page - submitted by Larry Fox)

This question came up at the September 2011 New Media Cincinnati Second Saturday event, “Questions From A Hat,” in which attendees wrote questions down and put them in a hat to be selected by the moderator later on.  I was in Columbus that day helping run audio/video for another event, but Vickie Sceiferssent me the audio, and I got a sneak preview of it, which will go up soon as a New Media Cincinnati Podcast episode.

Back to the question… (more…)

Image via Wikipedia

Whether it’s a meetup, happy hour, conference, PodCamp, or something else, it costs you to attend. First, it costs you time. You could be spending the time doing something else that could earn money. That’s the opportunity cost.  Secondly, unless you live immediately where the event happens, you require transportation to get there. Gas money, wear and tear on your vehicle, cab fare, etc. And parking fees.  Additionally, unless stated otherwise, you may have to buy your own food and drink.

So there’s a cost to consider when choosing to attend an event.  How can you decide if it’s worth it to you? (more…)