Why you should buy Six Pixels of Separation - the book

Some of the best things in life are free – some things you buy are even better.

Yesterday I returned from our family vacation aka Spodek Road Trip 2009 where we drove through to the U.S. Midwest and spent five glorious days in Chicago. The drive seemed incredibly quick. Why? I took my friend Mitch along. Well, actually I took a complimentary galley copy of his new book Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone, along for the ride. I was engaged the whole time and the drive flew by.

Several years ago, when I started reading blogs and listening to podcasts on a regular basis, I started reading Mitch Joel’s blog and listening to his podcast. I learned a lot from him for free. To this day, he continues sharing his wisdom and those of other digital marketing thought leaders for free. You can also read his regular column bi-montly in both the Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun.

And why should you bother?
Well, through his personal experience building his own personal online brand and Twist Image, his successful digital marketing business he shares the secrets of his success. He also shares real-life stories of other successful businesses and entrepreneurs who used the power of social media to get ahead. (I admit it, I’m somewhat biased because Mitch is Canadian. He refers to Canadian examples plus he talks about events I’ve attended like geek dinners and podcamps. Update: I was thrilled when I saw he included Kate Trgovac’s wonderful Squidoo lenses too.)

Like many other fans, I wondered what else I could learn from the book that I couldn’t get for free. I learned a lot and that I’d want my own copy even if I had to buy it and here’s a little secret – it’s even better than what Mitch gives away for free.

If you have a business big or small and your looking for ways to “Burn the Ships” or stand out in the crowd, Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone provides a wonderful overview with great tactical advice to help you navigate your journey in easily digestible chapters. Best thing is, Mitch explains how you can connect yourself and/or your business to everyone – your customers and potential customers – without having to understand technology or be a geek.

If by chance you’re interested in purchasing multiple copies, Chris Brogan has a special offer. Trust me and trust a Trust Agent, if you’re an entrepreneur with a blog or about to launch one, here’s another great way buying Six Pixels of Separation will help you gain exposure.



Did you read any good books this summer? How will they help connect you or your business better?

Tip of the Week - Podcasts for your listening pleasure

Wondering why I’ve been so quiet lately? I’ve been busy working on PodCamp Toronto. It took place last weekend.

There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not podcasting is dead. Far from it. To prove my point, I’m going to share three podcasts with you:

Mannequin: The fashion podcast from FGI Toronto
Hosted by Graeme Spicer
I met Graeme at PodCamp Halifax last month. He’s got an impressive background and is no stranger to retail or fashion.

Six Pixels of Separation
Hosted by Mitch Joel
In episode 144, Mitch interviews Bob Young, CEO of Lulu.com where they discuss Lulu’s success as an online book publisher.

Community Divas
Hosted by Eden Spodek and Connie Crosby
Okay, so it’s a shameless plug but only because I interviewed the every so lovely Ali de Bold from ChickAdvisor.com in episode 11 and wanted to share it with you.

Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which are your favourites? Any particular episodes you’d like to share.

Weekly Wish – Flipping out over Flip Video

Yes, I’m getting pretty excited about the Flip Video camera. It’s a compact digital video recorder that fits in the palm of your hand. Just plug it into your computer – there’s a built-in USB arm – download the video and upload it to your favorite video sharing site or send it to friends and family. Check out the specs.

So, what’s the big deal? Yes, I already have a digicam and it shoots video. Yes, that’s true but it doesn’t shoot 30- 60 minutes at a time. The Flip does. You can even connect it to your TV! Now that’s sweet and starting at $120, it’s a pretty good deal.

I don’t know about you but this is my new must-have accessory. So this week, you guessed it, I’m wishing for a Flip Video from the Ultra Series. The basic model doesn’t come in pink. ;)

Mitch Joel and David Usher used the Flip Video camera to produce this awesome Apple Macbook Air Sony Vaio Parody on YouTube. Watch it and let me know what you think:

Weekly Wish - MacBook Air

This week I’m doing something a little different. I’m giving a member of the community a chance to share his wish. Mario Parisé blogs at Happy Pixels, publishes Second Slice and is currently conducting a job search experiment.

For as long as Mitch Joel’s been bragging about his tiny long-lasting Vaio, I’ve been wondering when Apple would come out with something similar (but with OS X, not Windows, of course). Well now Apple has come out with MacBook Air and my dream is close to coming true. Check out these mouth-watering specs:

At its thickest, Air is only 0.76 inches thick.
• 80GB hard drive
• 2GB RAM
• 1.6 GHz Intel Core Duo processor
• Up to 5 hours battery life
• Plus the usual iCam, back-lit keyboard, 13.3" display

Many people have criticized that it doesn’t have its own CD/DVD drive. You need to either:
(a) buy an external one; or
(b) wirelessly connect to the drive of another computer.
This to me is a feature. I love the idea of carrying only what I need, and the truth is I rarely use discs. Beyond installing basic software (a one-time thing), I don’t carry CDs around with me as I work. Heck, most of my files are stored online.

In short, as the name suggests, the MacBook Air takes full-advantage of wireless technology. It’s built with people like me in mind: those whose primary concern is with getting rid of the extras. And yet it does this without sacrificing speed, memory, or battery life. It’s brilliant.

On top of how cool the Air is, my wonderful 2 1/2 year old daughter spilled a whole glass of cranberry juice on what was once my laptop. Which means I have more than a simple desire. I have a need.

So my first (perhaps not the last? Eden?) Weekly Wish here at Bargainista is for a new MacBook Air. Because this is a HUGE wish, I’m completely willing to reciprocate somehow to anyone who grants if for me. For example, I’m not averse to trading ads at Happy Pixels and/or in Second Slice (hey, I publish it for free), sponsored guest posts, product reviews (honest and transparent), consulting, or whatever else might appeal to your tastes.

Any takers?

Big Box Boxing Day Sale Bungle

Does this message look familiar to you?


Traditionally, Boxing Day is the biggest shopping day in Canada. It’s comparable to the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S.

As I was reading the paper before work yesterday morning, I couldn’t help noticing the big sale flyers from sibling big box electronic stores announcing they were jumping the gun and starting their Boxing Day sales online at 8 p.m. that night.

I expected their websites would be busy and perhaps a bit slow. I also expected them to be prepared for heavy traffic since they put so much effort into promoting their online early-bird sale. I was wrong. When I logged on, I got the message above instead. I couldn’t even access either website until after 11 p.m. I had better luck getting what I wanted shopping in person last year.

I woke up this morning, logged on to Twitter and learned I wasn’t the only one annoyed last night. Mitch Joel sums it up beautifully in How The e-commerce Grinch Store Christmas - A Holiday Season Marketing Disaster.

I imagine the company in question will think twice about jumping the gun next Boxing Day unless they’ve ensured their websites are adequately equipped to deal with customer demand.

I hope other stores take note too, including the one that sent me an e-mail today announcing their online Boxing Day sale had begun. The tag line in their title bar states they are Canada’s #1 brand. Let’s hope they stay true to their word.