31 December 2010

EPNW: Podcasting – The Indispensible Tool for Building Relationships

NOTE: I am offering an on-line 1 hour webinar for that goes into detail on how to use podcasting to find a job or grow your business. The first 10 people to register will be able to get a 33% discount. Just type in the word "earlybird" for the discount code. Just click here to register: http://bit.ly/podcastintro

Learn how to use podcasting to build relationships to grow your career or business. This is the perfect tool to open doors to the people, and businesses, you want to know. It is all about having conversations with the people you want to know and building friendships. Having an audience of listeners is almost beside the point.

You can find more details on how to use podcasting for business and careers here: http://bit.ly/gttkny



You can check out my own podcast shows to get an idea of how I use this tool for both growing my career and finding business.

Entrepreneurs Northwest
Tales from the job search trenches
Practical Software
Linked:Seattle Radio

I even have a show on economics which is strictly as a hobby.

The Optimistic Bear

I am eager to make a presentation of the value of podcasting for networking to any group that might be interested. I can speak in person to groups in the greater Puget Sound area and can give webinars to groups further afield. Just e-mail podcasting@surkan.com if you would like to inquire about having me speak.

29 December 2010

Patrick Killelea guest appearances on Bear Radio

Check into this page for the definitive list of all the Bear Radio shows in which Patrick Killelea has been a guest. This directory is updated to contain the link to every new Bear Radio show that Patrick participates in.

February 2, 2011

Why health care reform is driving up your medical bills

In this episode Patrick Killelea explains how the US health care reform legislation actually provides incentive for insurance providers to charge even more. Restrictions on the amount of profit that can be made make it attractive to pay more for care and treatment to ensure a higher over-all bill. This might explain why Blue Shield has increased Patrick’s insurance premiums by 73% this year alone. It’s things like this that drive a guy to the streets in protest, which is exactly what Patrick did this week.

December 28, 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Bearish predictions for 2011

In this episode Patrick Killelea joins us to do some crystal ball gazing for 2011. Tune in to hear predictions for rising interest rates, a declining Euro, and crashing stock prices in Asia and America. Patrick predicts that affluent areas will see significant price erosion for 2011 and that the National Association of Realtors will declare that it is a great time to buy. The Optimistic Bear posits that America is embarking on a lengthy odyssey with deflation, much the same as Japan has experienced, and that 2011 will be one of the down years taking asset prices to new lows. Europe will experience a bail-out too far, where the political will to arrange yet a bail-out for another distressed state falters.

December 12, 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Posh neighborhoods beware – the housing bust is heading your way

In this episode housing blogger Patrick Killelea explains why real-estate prices still have a long ways to fall in the tonier communities. Prices fell faster in poor areas where people live paycheque to paycheque. The more well heeled home-owner has assets to burn through, and it takes them longer to get desperate enough to take losses. Patrick also talks about how the primary problem is the masses of bad debt, out of relation to incomes, which still hasn’t been written down throughout the economy. In Patrick’s view, the cozy relationships between banks and government have made the financial crisis what it is. The only thing government efforts to subsidize housing (or anything else, like education) accomplish is to drive up prices.

This Week on Bear radio: Bearish predictions for 2011

In this episode Patrick Killelea joins us to do some crystal ball gazing for 2011. Tune in to hear predictions for rising interest rates, a declining Euro, and crashing stock prices in Asia and America. Patrick predicts that affluent areas will see significant price erosion for 2011 and that the National Association of Realtors will declare that it is a great time to buy. The Optimistic Bear posits that America is embarking on a lengthy odyssey with deflation, much the same as Japan has experienced, and that 2011 will be one of the down years taking asset prices to new lows. Europe will experience a bail-out too far, where the political will to arrange yet a bail-out for another distressed state falters.

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Optimistic Bear

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

You can check out Patrick’s economic news site here (as well as his great forums for discussing real-estate and the economy):
http://patrick.net

If you are interested in deflation, check out the Deflation Study Group on LinkedIn (open to all LinkedIn members):
http://linkd.in/deflationsg

You can also listen to my in-depth Deflation 101 podcast.
http://bit.ly/deflation101

This show is sponsored by:



24 December 2010

EPNW: Successful sales start with product development

In this episode Matt Heinz explains that successful sales start during product development. No amount of salesmanship can make up for a product that doesn’t meet customer or market needs. It’s all about understanding your customer. Even the marketing strategies should take the target customer market into account. Social media won’t help much if you are selling to fortune 500 companies but could be highly effective dealing with teenagers.

You can find out more of Matt’s marketing ideas at:
http://heinzmarketing.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Check out the complete podcast directory of discussions with entrepreneurs. If you would like to be a guest on Entrepreneurs Northwest, to talk about your business venture, contact Michael Surkan.

22 December 2010

Today on Bear Radio: Bear markets are bad for liberty

In this episode Alan Hall explains how factionalism and authoritarianism always increase during the negative move of bear markets. As people become more fearful they look to leaders who will protect them and gladly accept greater limits to their freedoms. Alan’s in-depth socionomics study on authoritarianism shows a revealing correlation between bear markets and authoritarian tendencies. It turns out that fear itself is something to be very afraid of.

You can read Alan’s study on authoritarianism here:
http://www.socionomics.net/PDF/Authoritarianism-Free-Update.pdf

You can find out more about socionomics at http://www.socionomics.net.

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Remember to tune into the Optimistic Bear weekly financial round-up every Tuesday at 9:00pm, Pacific Time. You can also listen to previous shows.

This Week on Bear radio: Posh neighborhoods beware – the housing bust is heading your way

In this episode housing blogger Patrick Killelea explains why real-estate prices still have a long ways to fall in the tonier communities. Prices fell faster in poor areas where people live paycheque to paycheque. The more well heeled home-owner has assets to burn through, and it takes them longer to get desperate enough to take losses. Patrick also talks about how the primary problem is the masses of bad debt, out of relation to incomes, which still hasn’t been written down throughout the economy. In Patrick’s view, the cozy relationships between banks and government have made the financial crisis what it is. The only thing government efforts to subsidize housing (or anything else, like education) accomplish is to drive up prices.

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Optimistic Bear

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

You can check out Patrick’s economic news site here (as well as his great forums for discussing real-estate and the economy):
http://patrick.net

If you are interested in deflation, check out the Deflation Study Group on LinkedIn (open to all LinkedIn members):
http://linkd.in/deflationsg

You can also listen to my in-depth Deflation 101 podcast.
http://bit.ly/deflation101

This show is sponsored by:



20 December 2010

Job Search Tales: Take control of your job search - pay for placement

In this episode Scott Avidon talks about how his efforts to offer a commission for a successful job referral has resulted in an abundance of interviews and job offers. Ironically, most people who contact Scott with job opportunities don’t want to be compensated, but the very act of offering a commission has gotten Scott a lot of welcome attention, even leading to an interview on CNN. Scott has a great background in creative product development and marketing but it wasn’t getting him very far in his job search until he began his unorthodox job search approach. Scott talks about how the competitive job market has made it critical for candidates be creative to stand out from the crowd.

You can check out Scott’s web site and CNN interview here:
http://scottavidon.com/
Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Please contact Michael if you are interested in being a guest on "Tales from the job search trenches" podcasts. Michael would like to discuss your job search strategy, and brainstorm ways to improve it with you.

17 December 2010

Outsourcing Success By Pretending You Aren’t.

In this Practical Software show, SEP group member Mike Murphy, Leadership Coach and Project Management Mentor, talks about what it took to get the off-shore outsourcing projects he’s managed to work smoothly. Mike explains that the key to off-shore success is to not treat it as if it is outsourcing. Make the off-shore group a part of your team. Get to know them. Involve them in decisions and communicate with them as regularly and freely as you would with people in your own company. The same things that lead to successful engineering projects by internal teams are the same things that work with outsourced teams. The big mistake is to think there is a difference.

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Software

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

15 December 2010

This Week on Bear radio: Deflation – You aint seen nothin yet!

In this episode special guest Jim Mosquera explains how the financial crisis has barely even begun and that massive deflation lies ahead. By explaining how money and credit work Jim outlines what caused the financial crisis and why policy makers are powerless to prevent even greater collapses in asset values. When looking for a bottom in stocks start thinking about returning to 1982.

You can check out Jim’s book on the financial crisis and how to survive it here:
http://www.EscapingOz.com

If you would like to learn more about deflation, listen to the in-depth Deflation 101 podcast.
http://bit.ly/deflation101

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Optimistic Bear

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

10 December 2010

SEP Radio: Don't let your children grow up to be developers

This is tongue in cheek, but I think the question about what careers we would recommend our children go into is a valid one. In this episode we discuss whether software engineering still a career we would suggest young people take on? Sometimes I wonder if the sheer excitement, and adventure, of programming is a thing of the past.

You can find more information about our show guests here:
Ken Lassesen - http://lassesen.com/
Stephen F. Heffner - http://pennington.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Software

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

09 December 2010

Introducing the LinkedIn Deflation Study Group

I just created the Deflation Study Group on LinkedIn. You are welcome to join, and pass the information along. This is an open group free to anyone who wishes to join. This is a place to discuss all things related to deflation. What is it? What causes it? Is it very likely? What are the best strategies to cope, or even profit, with it?

http://linkd.in/deflationsg

By the way, I notice that there are only TWO groups that even come up on LinkedIn when you search for “deflation” but dozens of groups appear when you search for “inflation”. It would seem that few people see deflation as a real possibility.

If you are looking for more information on the subject you can check out my in-depth Deflation 101 presentation.

NOTE: Remember to tune into the Optimistic Bear weekly financial round-up every Tuesday at 9:00pm, Pacific Time. You can also listen to previous shows

08 December 2010

This Week on Bear radio: The bubble in student loans

In this episode we talk about how government subsidies have created a bubble in education that is eerily similar to what happened with housing. Prices are rising and unscrupulous lenders are pushing government backed loans for dubious educations. We also ask whether the financial statements of CitiGroup can be trusted.

This show is sponsored by:

Charlesfund

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Optimistic Bear

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest

04 December 2010

EPNW: Are your employees living up to their potential?

In this episode Bobby Bakshi explains that unless your employees are fully engaged, and inspired, by the mission of your company that they will only be living up to a fraction of their real potential. It's the mark of a true business leader that they can find ways to have each team member play to their unique strengths, and strive to achieve excellence. Luckily, these management skills can be learned and there are lots of new tools that make it easier than ever to uncover the hidden talents of your staff.

You can check out Bobby's ideas for building inspired work teams here:
http://resonantinsights.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Check out the complete podcast directory of discussions with entrepreneurs. If you would like to be a guest on Entrepreneurs Northwest, to talk about your business venture, contact Michael Surkan.

03 December 2010

Job Search Tales: Know thyself and the job will follow

In this episode Teresa Dahl explains how finding a good job requires a good dose of self discovery and positive attitude. If you aren't confident in yourself, or what you want, why should an employer feel good about having you on the team? Focussing on the companies, roles, and managers, that fit you well may limit the over-all options but actually increase your chances of landing a job by allowing you to put in the quality effort of networking and research needed to land a job. It even pays to be honest, telling employers what you really believe your strengths and weaknesses are. No one trusts a person who says they are perfect.

You can find out more of Teresa's ideas about careers here:
http://dahlassociates.com/
Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Please contact Michael if you are interested in being a guest on "Tales from the job search trenches" podcasts. Michael would like to discuss your job search strategy, and brainstorm ways to improve it with you.

02 December 2010

Job Search Tales: A resume is only the beginning

In this episode Kelly Harrington explains that although a resume is a necessary component in a job search, it is not sufficient to open doors or land jobs. Resumes just don’t work as well as they used to. Increased competition from mass unemployment and automated resume processing tools at employers often result in resumes just going into a black hole. Yes, build a good resume, but don’t spend a lot of time obsessing about it (even professionals disagree on the best styles), and DO NOT rely on it to get interviews.

You can check out Kelly’s ideas about job searches and building careers at:
http://careermaxgroup.com/

You can find information about creating great resumes here:
http://theresumethatgetsresults.com/

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download


NOTE: Please contact Michael if you are interested in being a guest on "Tales from the job search trenches" podcasts. Michael would like to discuss your job search strategy, and brainstorm ways to improve it with you.

EPNW: Pressing the flesh in Seattle: There is no substitute for face-to-face networking to

In this episode Ralf Wiebeck shares his insights on how networking events (like the ones he organizes) can be the key to finding leads and growing businesses. Don’t spread yourself too thin… It is better to keep going to the same networking events month after month, establishing firm relationships, than to keep going to new meetups every week. It’s not the size of your rolodex that counts, but the quality of the relationships you have with the people you know.
In this episode

You can find out, and sign-up for, the business networking events Ralf (and his wife Amy) host every week in Seattle here:
http://www.meetup.com/Casual-Business-Professionals/


Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Check out the complete podcast directory of discussions with entrepreneurs. If you would like to be a guest on Entrepreneurs Northwest, to talk about your business venture, contact Michael Surkan.

EPNW: Social media - It's Where the Market Is

In this episode Neal Schaffer explains that marketing through social media may take a lot of effort, but that every business MUST take advantage of it. Social media is where customers are spending an increasing amount of their time, and no company can ignore that. Even better, social media provides opportunities for business intelligence and lead development that never existed before. For an example, Neal shares tips on how LinkedIn can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool when properly utilized. Not all social media venues will work well for all companies, but a good marketing strategy, tailored to your business needs, will pay off handsomely.

You can check out more of Neal's social media marketing advice at:
http://windmillnetworking.com/


Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

NOTE: Check out the complete podcast directory of discussions with entrepreneurs. If you would like to be a guest on Entrepreneurs Northwest, to talk about your business venture, contact Michael Surkan.

01 December 2010

This Week on Bear radio: The message from Ireland is clear – debt write-downs must be avoid

The Irish bailout by European nations and the IMF is following the same pattern we’ve seen throughout the entire financial crisis. In this episode we discuss the fact that whether it is consumer mortgages or sovereign debt issues, the response has been the same over the last few years – do anything and everything to avoid making lenders take a loss. Banks will lower monthly mortgage payments for struggling borrowers for a year but actually tack the difference with what is actually owed to increase the over-all loan balance. Governments will bail-out corporations so that bond-holders don’t have to suffer the indignity of a loss. Who cares if the borrowers will re-default later down the road, just so long as no one has to recognize the loss in the here and now.

This show is sponsored by:
Charlesfund

Download the sound(right click and save as link) : Download

You can find all the Optimistic Bear shows here: Optimistic Bear

You can find all the Entrepreneurs Northwest shows here: Entrepreneurs Northwest