An Incidental Interview #33 – Pat Phelan and Sheryl Breuker
Pat Phelan , the king of disruption in telephony, was my guest today. He is the president and founder of Cubic Telecom. Pat’s company has developed many different things among them MAXroam, a sim card that now through partnership can be branded for any company using their own logo. MAXroam allows affordable rates for roaming when visiting a myriad of countries.
As part of this Incidental Interview I got an exclusive piece of information. Pat’s company, Cubic Telecom is partnering with ShoZu to provide freedom from worry when you’re abroad with regard to sending pictures over the air. A really great partnership! WTG Pat and ShoZu!
I met Pat at VON.x. I have grown to truly respect his great desire to champion the underdog and go out on a limb to provide a service that has been incredibly useful to so many people.
Read all about Pat here.
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An Incidental Interview #32 – Ronald Gruia and Sheryl Breuker
What can I say about Ronald Gruia? One of the smartest men I have ever had an opportunity to talk to. Almost intimidating because of his brain, though he is quite humble. Ronald is the Principal Analyst for Emerging Telecom at Frost & Sullivan.
Ronald and I talked about many things, not the least of which is Nortel’s latest difficulties. Will they bounce back in some new iteration or die a miserable death? And what is LTE? 4G versus 3G. Listen and you will hear some amazing thoughts by a man who is one of the brightest analysts in the industry.
Ronald Gruia’s Bio:
Ronald Gruia is the Principal Analyst for Emerging Telecom at Frost & Sullivan. His main focus areas include NGN migration strategies, IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystems), 4G (LTE, WiMAX), FMC, VoIP, Next-Gen Carrier Messaging Platforms, IPTV, Triple Play Services, IP Centrex, Enterprise Communications Systems and Unified Communications, among others. He has authored several reports and has also played a key role in strategic consulting projects in these areas.
The rest of his story is here.
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An Incidental Interview #30 – Steven Weathers and Sheryl Breuker
Steven Weathers is a multi-media dynamo, American in China TV Star, an Official Foreign Expert, and an amazingly bright man with a background and education in marketing. Steven lives in Shanghai, China, but hails from South Carolina. A man with a 5 year plan, who wouldn’t share it, Steven can and will introduce you to a wealth of knowledge about a country that is frequently difficult to really understand unless you know someone there.
Steven Weathers bio:
Steven Weathers (???) is the founder for American English Circle and producer and host of Foreigner Perspective. He is also the television host of International Channel Shanghai’s (ICS) City Finder: Special Edition.
Originally from the United States, Steven Weathers is an official Foreign Expert living and working in Shanghai, China. He studied English Literature at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and in 1995, he received his Masters degree in English Language and Literature from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. After graduation, Weathers worked in London doing marketing projects with the BBC, Penguin Books, and KPMG before returning to his home state of South Carolina.
Read more here here.
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An Incidental Interview # 29 – Dameon Welch-Abernathy and Sheryl Breuker
Today Dameon Welch-Abernathy, aka PhoneBoy joined me to talk about his recent transition from Nokia to Check Point. Dameon has done some work for Check Point though he is quick to point out he never actually worked for them.
Dameon is a security guy, but he’s so much more. An affable man I never tire of talking with, Dameon brings a wealth of knowledge as well as fresh ideas to every conversation.
In this Incidental Interview while the intent was to talk a bit more about his new role with Check Point, we digressed to the early days of the web, and how could a security person not discuss, at some point, the king of security, Steve Gibson.
I believe your glimpse into the personal side of PhoneBoy will be unique and thoughtful. Dameon is a great friend of mine and well worth paying attention to.
An Incidental Interview # 28 – Jeanette Fisher and Sheryl Breuker
Today it was my pleasure to have as a guest one of the most amazing women in the twitter world. Jeanette Fisher reaches more people with her tweets than most people could hope for. No, she’s not famous in the same way as Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore who also have large followings, but she does create buzz, probably because she is such a successful author who has written tons of books and knows exactly what to do to market them and herself.
Jeanette is a fascinating woman who has thrived in spite of a rather difficult couple of years. She lost her daughter in 2005 and the following year her husband died leaving her a widow after a 30+ year relationship. That could have been a blow too hard for many people to overcome, but not Jeanette. She pulled herself together and started making her way on her own.
Joy To The Home is Jeanette’s place to start finding your own path to living harmoniously with your surroundings. For a more in depth view of Jeanette check our her Bamboo Women blog as well. This is where you get to know more about Jeanette and see what makes her tick.
Part 2 of An Incidental Interview #26 – Ken Camp and Sheryl Breuker
This is part 2. Ken and I ran a bit long in our conversation, not that any of you should be surprised by this. You might expect that as we live together and talk all the time we would run out of things to discuss or conversation to have. We don’t.
I hope you’ll enjoy the last part of a very long discussion. Thanks also for your patience with the glitches from part 1.
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An Incidental Interview #26 – Ken Camp and Sheryl Breuker
Finally I got Ken back in the hot seat. Ken talks to me about his evolution in the industry. Where he started and where he is today.
After the work history we do digress to topics more current like social media and a few other detours. Still, I’d say if you ever wondered about Ken and how to read his resume with it’s glossing over the many roles he’s performed, this may just be a way to get to know a bit more about how deep the waters really run. I’m partial to the part where he talks about his history at Hill Associates. The passion is tangible.
I believe you will understand why I call Ken one of the smartest people I know when you listen to him talk in this candid Incidental Interview.
NOTE: This is a two-part podcast. This post includes part one. Part two will be posted soon.
An Incidental Interview #25 – Lewis Evans and Sheryl Breuker
The man
Lewis Evans, one of the most talented people I know, is a truly skilled artist but that’s not all. In his life of work and careers, Lewis has gone from engineering to graphic design at the BBC.
Inventions
Lewis has several inventions under his belt. Recently, he invented and commercialized a new way to trade currencies. LEFT Brain Trading uses a combination of powerful mindset techniques developed by his wife, Olga Sheean and a revolutionary method of setting up trading charts that is based on ancient knowledge and the Fibonacci ratios. He co-authored a book on the subject and achieved worldwide recognition and sales within the first year through web-based marketing, seminars and courses.
The United Nations and HIV/AIDS
Lewis also worked for the International Labour Organization (part of the United Nations) in Geneva, as a communications specialist for ILO/AIDS, the part of the ILO that deals with HIV/AIDS in the world of work.
The art and artist
Lewis has traveled all over the world showing his art in a variety of venues, which he is quick to point out is most enjoyable in a private setting. Lewis appears to believe the best way to have the full experience of a single artists work is to not be distracted by a variety of other artists work. I don’t know if I agree with him, but I’m no artist. I simply admire his work and find it amazing how a such a gifted person can achieve what seems so effortless for Lewis.
Lewis is a very smart man with a lot of insight into our world. I think we’ve only tapped the surface.
I hope you’ll enjoy this long conversation. The file has been split into 2 parts for easier listening.
Part 1 -
Part 2 -
An Incidental Interview # 24 – Shashi Bellamkonda and Sheryl Breuker
Today on an Incidental Interview, Shashi Bellamkonda joined me for a fascinating and fun discussion on social media, what a Social Media Evangelist is and also the appropriateness, or not of discussing breakfast in our twitter stream.
Shashi, aka The Swami, is the Social Media Evangelist for Network Solutions, a company that has positioned itself to help small business find solutions for basic web needs.
How Shashi became a Social Media Swami
Everytime I give out cards , I raise eyebrows, For speaking opportunities the organizers call me back just to confirm that I am not playing a prank on them with my title Social Media Swami of Network Solutions.
The story is that I moved from Product Management to setup this listening post in the Social Media for Network Solutions. Now there is no precedence and I pondered on what the title would be.
So the first step we took was to ask our employees , now we didn’t do it in a official email all employees way but started spreading the word through friends and “microwaving lunch” conversations.
Shashi can be found on twitter @shashib. An interesting man with a solid sense of social media, Shashi is a great connection to have. Come listen to Shashi talk about what he calls boomerang marketing.
An Incidental Interview #23 – Jackie Danicki and Sheryl Breuker
I put out feelers for strong women who are shaking things up in the technology world. I found Jackie Danicki.
Jackie is a fascinating woman with a colorful history for such a young age. She’s also gained a reputation for being a hard ball hitter as a marketing director for a young favorite company of mine, qik.
At 31 Jackie is definitely a force to be reckoned with and a really good representative of women in technology.
Jackie’s Bio:
Jackie is currently the Director of Marketing for Qik, the world’s leading mobile to web video service. Responsible for marketing and community development in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific, she came to Qik first as a fan of the product and is thrilled to be working with one of the best teams in the mobile web.
Jackie founded the non-profit Engagement Alliance in 2006, through which she consulted companies on their marketing, customer service, internal and external communications. Her clients in the US and Europe have ranged from large multi-national corporations to home-grown SMEs, in areas as diverse as pharmaceuticals, FMCG, publishing, entertainment, advertising, digital media, non-profits and think-tanks.
An Incidental Interview #22 – Narada Michael Walden and Sheryl Breuker
Today I was truly honored to have a conversation with someone I deeply admire. Narada Michael Walden, a true musical genius, has worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Mariah Carey and so many others.
Narada, lends a great deal of his time and talent to causes ranging from the cancer society to rain forest preservation. On May 25th the Narada Michael Walden foundation is hosting a benefit concert, Let The Sunshine In, at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, for Christopher Rodriguez, who at age 10 was disabled by a stray bullet during his piano lesson in Oakland.
During this conversation I was reminded how much I appreciate people like Narada who see a need and do all they can to help out. Narada has done this time and again, never losing sight of the important things in life. For him, music is all. For a child, a person to be needlessly injured, especially doing something Narada places such value in, well, that’s when he steps up and asks the question, “What can we do?”
Let The Sunshine In is what Narada is doing to help. Here’s where to sign up and get tickets.
Marin County-based Narada Michael Walden, drummer (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jeff Beck, Weather Report), songwriter, producer, performer, three-time Grammy award winner, and Emmy winner has produced countless number-one hits with legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. He is credited with launching the careers of Houston and Mariah Carey, and the list of his collaborators reads like a Who’s Who of popular music – Sting, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Ray Charles, Al Jareau, Diana Ross, Steve Winwood, Clarence Clemons, Gladys Knight and Barbara Streisand. He also produced soundtracks for popular films including: The Bodyguard, James Bond: License to Kill, and 9½ Weeks
Technorati Tags: Narada Michael Walden, Incidental Interviews, Sheryl Breuker, Let The Sunshine In, Christopher Rodriguez
An Incidental Interview #21 – Jeff Power and Sheryl Breuker
Meet Jeff Power from the Global Hope Network International. Jeff is the Mobilization Director for the US and has a vision that he shares eloquently.
When you listen to Jeff, as I did, you quickly learn that his story, while typical in some ways, has really taken him on a path to something I would only describe as amazing.
Jeff is quick, bright, funny, appealing and every bit a man in search of the tools he needs to help people in a very big way. Jeff isn’t a corporate entity and he doesn’t feel stuffy. He’s a regular guy with vision and a passion that’s infectious. You simply can’t come away from him and not feel you have the ability to do something.
We’ll be writing more about this in the weeks to come. We believe this to be one of the most powerful examples of the value in social media.
Mobilization, USA, Jeff and his team mobilize people and resources from the United States that serve, support and accelerate the world-wide projects of Global Hope Network International. He comes to GHNI having spent his adult life working in the communities and college campuses of Virginia, Ohio, North Dakota, Illinois and Colorado.
Jeff is passionate about serving the world’s poorest, and feels GHNI gives him some great, tangible ways to do that and to involve others like him who also truly care.
Jeff’s been married to Mary for 25 years. They’re crazy about their four kids, and they love the new adventure they’re on with Global Hope Network International and its growing connection of world-wide volunteers.
Technorati Tags: Jeff Power, Global Hope Network International, GHNI, Sheryl Breuker, Humanitarian aid, Incidental Interview, interview, podcast
An Incidental Interview #20 – Rick Calvert and Sheryl Breuker
Today it was my pleasure to host Rick Calvert, CEO of Blog World and New Media Expo. I called Rick using Skype while he was attending another trade show. We had quite a conversation and I learned a lot about what it takes to create a successful tradeshow, but more importantly I learned just how passionate Rick is about blogging and why Blog World and New Media Expo began.
The 2009 BlogWorld & New Media Expo will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, beginning with the exclusive “Social Media Business Summit” conference on October 15th and continuing with the BlogWorld & New Media Expo and Conference October 16th-17th. This is first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media including: Blogging, Podcasting, Social Media, Oline Video, Music, TV, Radio, Gaming, Entertainment and Communities.
Technorati Tags: Rick Calvert, Blog World &New Media Expo, Sheryl Breuker, podcast, Incidental Interviews, interview
An Incidental Interview #19 – David Siteman Garland and Sheryl Breuker
In this Incidental Interview I had a chat with David Siteman Garland. David is CEO of The Rise To The Top, which encompasses the hit new media show, The Rise To The Top, on ABC30 St. Louis, as well as Rise at Night and Rise Underground.
David is a fascinating man who has created a company and found his niche without a background in the media industry. He started with a passion and absolutely has made it work. I can only give you my opinion after quite a lengthy interview as well as other encounters, but David is the real deal. If you’re a young entrepreneur, or even a not so young entrepreneur, David is someone you should be paying attention to.
Something else to note, you can view David’s show on Sunday mornings on ABC30 or on his website, at 11am CDT immediately following George Stephanopoulos and Tues. and Thurs. nights at 1am immediately following Jimmy Kimmel. The Rise To The Top has also been picked up for the fall on Yahoo’s new Connected TV.
These are truly exciting times we live in where you don’t have to know exactly how to do something. More important than knowing how to do something is knowing who to turn to for advice. Our network is what ultimately matters. David Garland is a real example of that.
Technorati Tags: David Siteman Garland, podcast, Incidental Interviews, The Rise To The Top, Sheryl Breuker, entrepreneur, The Gabby Geek
Scott Wharton, Vidtel CEO joins Ken Camp for a Casual Conversation
This morning I had the opportunity to spend some time chatting with Scott Wharton, CEO at Vidtel. Sheryl and I met Scott at an industry dinner in San Francisco a few months ago, and he extended the opportunity to test Vidtel’s new video phone service to us. We’ve been using it for a while now, and I’ll write more about that in a separate post. Suffice it to say, we’re huge fans.
Scott’s passion, enthusiasm and commitment to the vision at Vidtel is infectious. He brings a solid background to video telephony from his deep experience in communications.
If you’re looking for a video solution for someone who isn’t comfortable with PC-based telephony or video, take a look at Vidtel.
Technorati Tags: Vidtel, Scott Wharton, video, Ken Camp, interview, podcast