Who Am I Really

I am 38 years old today. I am a child of two parents who were brilliant and creative, and who believe deeply in who I am. I’m the grandson of a candy salesman / bodybuilder / artist / comedian and a nurturer / cook / giggler. I have a brother who is far smarter than I will ever be, and far more interesting than I will ever be, too. I’m husband to a creative, passionate, empathic wife. I’m father to a sparkly-hearted, brilliant daughter and a happy son.

Definitions

I’m mostly defined by my passions, and my passions are quite often YOU, so I’m a person who’s given a lot of his time, thought, and consideration to studying how you do what you do, and to giving you ideas how to reach others for your particular needs and interests. If this sounds wishy washy or hippie, it means you’re an evolution behind, or on another path, and both are okay. I’m not here to explain it to the other “you,” the ones who get me.

Job

I have a job that challenges me to deliver the evolution of how people meet face to face, and to deliver an improved value for all involved. It’s complicated, because the part of my job where I falter always lies in the details, and yet, my role is currently defined by details instead of the part I’m passionate about: the “experience” that people will feel. This make it fun for my employers, who are clever people with a great track record, and a passion for seeing this evolution turn successful.

Everything else I’m doing relates to future trends in these technologies we call social media and how businesses and engaged individuals can make something out of them.

My Friends Matter

I have friends who matter a great deal to me. Most of these are in other states, other countries, and other points in their lives. Each of them do something different in my life, excite some part of my being, and give me hope that the future will continue to be comprised of friends like you. When I talk with you, when I email you, when I send you 140 characters or less, it revitalizes a connection in me that rarely fades the way you might occasionally worry that it does. It’s always there.

Strengths and Weaknesses

My strengths lie in understanding complex technological systems and being able to communicate them in human terms to business people and individuals. I’m also strong at communicating, at speaking, and at building relationships.

My weaknesses lie in execution of detail, in repetitive tasks, in thinking that I’ve handed something off in such a way that others are running with it to completion. I’m a bit fleeting in what I find fascinating, which is a strength, but a weakness if you’re the something that I find fascinating.

What I Do

In any given day, I do several things. I blog at different times than most (usually either late at night before bed or early in the morning before I get my kids to school. I usually have 3-5 posts ready to go, and I schedule some of them to run mid-day, in case my day’s lead story doesn’t do so well.

I blog because it’s a way to parse all the information I absorb, and a way to share it with you. It’s a way to give you my insights and ideas, and then let you comment and add your voice. It’s a lot better to me than writing standalone papers, though I do that, too. The reason? Because sometimes people want to give someone else something a little more substantial than a URL, and you can print or mail the file around easier than printing a particular blog post. (Then again, don’t forget the Eco Safe widget in the right sidebar at [chrisbrogan.com]).

I’m working on a book. Can’t remember how much detail I’ve given, but suffice to say that I’m at the proposal stage, trying to capture the meat of what we’ve already done (there’s a collaborator, and I’m not sure if he’s authorized me to decloak). Following this book, I have ideas for two more that are in similar stages. Remember, I write WAY more than what I put up on the blog, when I have time to do so.

Ultimately, I’m working in lots of directions towards three major projects over the 2008-2009. I’m excited by what I’m doing with my job right now, by what I see coming next, and by the potential that a few books in the space might offer.

Coming Up Next

Over this next year, I will outgrow a lot of things. And I will focus on fewer things, to do them well. I will develop some new thoughts that I hope will prove interesting enough to keep me fired up, and I will share as much as humanly possible, with the hope that YOU prove out what I believe to be true.

Today is my real birthday. I LOVE my birthday. Not for presents, but instead, for presence. So, make yourself known. Tell me something about you, something about me, something. Take a moment and say more than “Happy Birthday, Chris!” Share something the way I’ve shared with you.

And thank you for another year.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Thesis Theme for WordPress

Thesis is the search engine optimized WordPress theme of choice for serious online publishers. If you’re a blogger who doesn’t understand a lot of PHP, Thesis will give a ton of functionality without having to alter any code. For the advanced, Thesis has incredible customization possibilities via Thesis hooks.

With so many design options, you can use the template over and over and never have it look like the same site. The theme is robust and flexible enough not only to accommodate a site like ChrisBrogan.com, but also to enable the site to run far more efficiently than it ever has before.

• Go on a guided video tour of Thesis and see the amazing things you can do with this theme! Seriously, you’ll love it.
• Check out the Thesis demo site
• See more Thesis-based sites in the gallery showcase