Imagine gearing up with excitement to spend an hour with the amazing, Guy Kawasaki.
Now imagine spending an hour with Guy Kawasaki while he shared how one of the world's greatest technology influencers...influenced him.
That was my yesterday evening.
Remembering Steve Jobs With Guy Kawasaki
Social media enthusiasts scattered across the globe sat ready to hop in to the always high-energy social media education sessions by Social Media Examiner. Guy Kawasaki, our Keynote presenter, to speak on, "How To Use Facebook [Pages] To Enchant Your Customers And Prospects."
As we shuffled into the online conference room, it was the usual buzz of introductions and greetings. But quickly, tweets fluttered of Apple's announcement that Steve Jobs had passed away. Just ten minutes before. The conference took on a drastically different tone!
Facilitator, Mike Stelzner, informed us that Guy would be honoring his commitment to us. Stellar Guy! To paraphrase his own words - It felt more appropriate to feature Steve Jobs' contributions to our world than talk about Facebook marketing. Absolutely!
How fortunate to be one of the special few that had the opportunity to listen to Guy share his meaningful memories of his time working with Steve Jobs at such a raw and sensitive moment!
Usually the summit sessions have me tweeting my fingers off. But for a considerable time... I...just....listened.
Here are the tweets I did exchange.
Ironic, it was a social media success session, and we were talking about an "anti-social" company, eh?
#fbss11 Keynote Takeaways
Four things stood out to me:
1) "It's much easier to enchant people with great stuff than with crap."
Or, it's hard to spin crap into greatness.
Guy affirmed these words by explaining that it's not about painting lipstick on a pig, it's about putting out awesome stuff!
2) "Real artists ship."
They quit perfecting and get their stuff out to the marketplace. So - "Ship, then test."
3) Optimal industry sector & social media niches
Guy Kawasaki recommends the following:
- Twitter = Restaurants (retail)
- Google+ = Photographers & Consultants
- Facebook = Schools (and others that need community)
4) "If you are likeable, trustworthy, and you have a good product, social media can amplify what you do well."
Eloquent way to highlight the three pillars of Enchantment!
I'm thrilled to be able to offer you an opportunity to listen to the one-hour conference session with Guy:
Guy Kawasaki on the Death of Steve Jobs from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.
Amazing - Guy was getting calls from everywhere, and we were able to share that time!
A sad occasion. I was led to think about my present challenges, and how I might overcome. I was led to ask myself...
What Would Steve Jobs Do?
A bit of hard reality:
I live in an area where there is a good amount of folks painting lipstick on pigs, trying to create a standard for spinning crap into greatness. This is against everything I stand for, and it has been quite the uphill river swim trying to stay true to my ideals while managing a path of co-existence.
Unintentionally, I had become so focused on working on perfecting the details, that I forgot about one very important thing. SHIP. If you have some really groovy stuff, but it's not meeting the marketplace, what good is that?
Steve Jobs would have changed course.
So, enough.
There is profound motivation to reformulate and ship. And no ifs, ands, or kissing pigs on the way there.
I also have a book review I promised to publish for the Facebook Success Summit 2011 facilitator - A commitment I will indeed fulfill. :)
Relevant Quotes
"I have looked myself in the mirror every morning and asked myself, 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." ~Steve Jobs
"Apple was a great place to work, because we were going to change freakin' history!" ~Guy Kawasaki
How had Steve Jobs influenced your life or work career?
Do you have a special memory or quote you would like to share?
Please tell me in the box below...
25 Replies
-
Guy is just a great role model. Very inspirational internet celebrity. It took him 25 years to reach success.
-
Alex, I agree – Guy is a great guy! 🙂 His sessions are always info-packed and his real approach appeals to many. It was a special opportunity to hear his words that evening. Thank you for your comment, ~Keri
-
-
Pingback: Life is a Song of Growth!
-
Good day, Keri! This was an awesome post! It’s such an amazing thing to have one man impact so many. That alone speaks volumes about the awesome work that Steve Jobs has done throughout his life. He inspires me on so many levels. Mostly, he inspires me to never give up on a dream that I really believe in. Thank you for sharing your conversation with Guy. This is actually the first time I’d heard of him, but I’m glad that you introduced this phenomenal guy to me. Have an amazing week ahead! 🙂
-
@DeeoneH:disqus , It is always energizing to hear from Guy! And, Steve Jobs was an inspiration to us all. We can all learn from these examples — Never give up!! It is my pleasure to share. Also stop by Social Media Examiner and thank them (Mike), as they shared with the group, which enabled me to share with you. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts. Hope you’re having an amazing week, yourself! ~Keri
-
-
Great post, Keri. I was honored to spend time with Guy in the past with my former company and he is truly magic. Thanks so much for the takeaways.
-
@twitter-121085582:disqus , Isn’t Guy amazing!? So glad you had an opportunity to sit in for a session with him too! You are quite welcome… ~Keri
-
-
@618fb71a7d8f712bb6ee2ff9282e4251:disqus , Thank you for taking a moment to read, and for listening in on the session. Glad to have been a part of your remembering. Appreciate your comment, and knowing you, ~Keri
-
Hello Keri ~ When an historic shaker and mover leaves this earth, we begin to take a closer look at the life and legacy of an individual. We will learn much more about the lasting gifts to humanity that Steve Jobs created and left for us to people around the world. His innovations, approach to life, society and technology will be documented, recorded and studied. I appreciate the fact that you used social networking to share the moments after the announcement of his passing from Guy’s speech and tribute. I hope many people will reap some good news from this sad event. Blessings, Debby
-
@DebbyBruck:disqus , I appreciate your thoughts. You are right – Time will tell just how much Steve Jobs influenced our world. It was quite special to hear Guy talk about Steve, and I will remember that always. Mike Stelzner was generous to make the recording available, and it was a treasure to share! How wonderful of you to look at the bright side — That every cloud has a silver lining. I too hope that others will benefit from sharing the message. Thank you, Debby, for stopping by and commenting! ~Keri
-
-
As an artist and an undercover ” geek ” ( well, not now I guess ), Mr. Jobs has played an instrumental role in my pursuit of accomplishing my dreams. His entire life is one of over-all triumph. One that I aspire to. A friend had shared with me yesterday the speech he gave at Standford and what I found remarkable was that the contents sounded so relevant; almost as if he’d just delivered the speech that same afternoon of his passing. It all just seems so surreal. I mean, who’d have thought that my eyes would be filled with tears upon hearing the news of his passing and that I’d be setting at my computer strickened with the same emotions that flooded through me on the day that I’d learned of the passing of Tupac Shakur. Indeed, if it weren’t for Mr. Jobs….I probably wouldn’t have my job as an independent artist. Steve Jobs will forever live on in our hearts and minds.
-
@google-5bb8bfd4883ce959f468b0dc40b738bd:disqus , Thank you for reading, and for sharing your thoughts. I’ve had conversations with several people – from all walks of life – and each had something different, yet fond, to say. I’ve heard some use the words, “Walt Disney of our generation.” That seems fitting. ~Keri
-
-
Hi Keri, thanks for the fantastic summary and for providing the link to Guy’s keynote talk at the Summit. I guess I just thought Steve Jobs would keep living, keep inspiring his employees, and keep amazing us all with revolutions in design and technology. Props to Guy for having the presence of mind to speak at all – and he gave us the gift of a first-hand account of what it was like to have Steve as a boss, mentor and friend. Thanks again for summarizing this all for us – really appreciate it. Best, Suzanne
-
@suzanne_doughty:disqus , Thank you for stopping by – Great to see your smile! It was a heck of an experience, wasn’t it? Guy is amazing for many reasons…I suspect it was probably good for him to talk with us before approaching all of his phone calls. Surely Steve Jobs shared his visions with those that needed to know them. While we will miss his direct involvement, it seems logical that we will continue to be influenced by him for a long time to come! ~Keri
-
-
What a great article Keri, and how amazing of Mike Stelzner to modify the conference agenda and share the video with everyone. Mike is one man I truly admire. Steve jobs touched my heart with his Stanford speech, because he articulated the philosophies I have always tried to follow in my life. It was great to hear that it is OK to follow your heart and intuition, and be who you want to be regardless of what everyone says. I listen to his speech and I enjoy the validation. His speech must be heard by all young people trying to chart a path for their future. I will make sure my childrean watch it.
-
@snouraini:disqus Thank you for taking a moment to read, and share your thoughts. I too admire Mike, and I also admire Guy for keeping his session with us. The Stanford Speech is one all young people should hear, and you have a good idea to have your children watch it. My daughter graduates in June – what a perfect opportunity! Steve Jobs was an inspiration, and I’m glad his ideals and technologies brought us together! ~Keri
-
-
Keri, more than anything else, I am amazed how many people, most who never personally knew Steve, are affected by his passing. This morning I chatted with my 6th and 7th graders on the way to school about Steve’s life. They said ‘Why is this such a big deal? The story of Michael Jackon’s death, or Osama Bin Laden’s was bigger, wasn’t it?’ That is an interesting analyzes and I think they weren’t necessarily wrong, it’s just different. The announcement of Steve’s passing spread like nothing I’ve witnessed before. Not when the announcements came about Osama or Michael did I see such an outpouring of support and stories. Steve has touched so many of us and we all feel the loss of this great man, in our own way. The kids were impressed when I told them this was a sad day in history. It will be in the ‘books’, or, more likely, on the on-line dictionary. I appreciate you sharing your view and the insight you gained by listening to Guy, very much! Fondly, Dorien.
-
@e871fa4b21051a710396d9cd1d9f6bfb:disqus , You have touched on something important. My daughter really isn’t affected, but she’s an older teenager, and a bit ego-centric at present. Your kids seem more influenced by parental messages. Steve Jobs was part of what formed our lives. So were Osama & Michael, but in an “entertainment” kinda way. Our daily consumption was not based upon what they provided. Steve Jobs formed the way modern technology is evolving. Especially as of late. My pleasure to share. Thank you for sharing your kids’ views too! 🙂 ~Keri
-
-
I watched his Stanford commencement address on CNN this morning and it was so beautiful! I couldn’t agree more that you have to follow your own dream and no one else’s dream and that you have to be passionate about what you do–i.e. you have to do what you love and love what you do!
-
@sandra305:disqus , I too watched the Stanford address this morning. Excellent words you gave above. Sometimes we all need a little reminder. 🙂 Thank you for sharing, ~Keri
-
-
Hi Keri, Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University inspired me to go into the career I am now. After seeing it, I become more passionate than ever to help people not only learn their gifts and talents but how to actually use them to run a business. I’ll be forever grateful for that nugget of wisdom.Sherrie
-
@twitter-14570912:disqus , How interesting – Thank you for sharing about yourself, and about your passions! I’ve seen some of your work, and you are good at what you do. How wonderful that Steve Jobs inspired you. With much respect, ~Keri
-
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
By Alex Fatcow on