Monthly Archives: June 2012

A Veteran’s Perspective on Obamacare and The Supreme Court Ruling

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The United States is the greatest country on earth. As a 17 year old I volunteered to risk my life to defend it and the principles on which it was founded. Since then I have had too many friends who gave their life to uphold that commitment. Even more were injured and they still deal with the repercussions today.

This level of sacrifice puts things in perspective. Each veteran I served with felt they were “defending freedom.” This freedom means that the citizens of the United States don’t live in fear. They have the freedom to choose how to live their lives. If they want to have 5 children, they can. This isn’t China. If someone wants to practice a certain religion, they can. No one will stone them for not following a national religion.

All of this has come under jeopardy. Months ago President Barack Obama helped pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The same day, 26 states sued the federal government over the ACA (also known as Obamacare). Is that a joke? I wish. More than 50% of the states

The Supreme Court of The United States of America

A portrait of the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States of America

didn’t agree with it. Unheard of! Many felt that the individual mandate was unconstitutional because it violated personal freedoms. Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling on the case. In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare. Chief Justice John Roberts, a historically conservative-leaning justice, voted with the liberal justices to make the difference.

It is noteworthy that President Obama was very clear from the beginning that the Affordable Care Act was not a tax. I don’t know if this was for political reasons or not. It doesn’t matter. The Supreme Court stated that the law was upheld because they viewed it as a tax (as opposed to viewing it as a regulation on commerce) which therefore gave Congress the power to enforce it. This legal jockeying is absurd. I’m not a lawyer so maybe I’m just naive and dumb. Doubt it though.

For a moment, I want you to forget party lines. I don’t care if you’re a Republican, Democrat, Independent or Alien. Frankly I don’t care if you have never paid attention to politics in your life. THIS IS A BIG FUCKING DEAL. For the first time in my life I’m scared of what is possible in America. I’m scared that we’ve lost the first piece of our freedom. When this has happened historically, the rest of the societies freedom usually crumbled soon after.

Today I don’t write as a Republican or Democrat. I write as a protector of freedom. The same thing I swore to protect at age 17. I can’t truly be free if it is mandated that I buy something. I understand controlling or prohibiting me from doing certain things for reasons like safety, etc. A mandate to do something is completely different. If the government can mandate me to buy insurance, what can’t they mandate me to do? What if they mandated me to have kids? What about if they mandated that I need a job and can’t retire? This is some scary shit.

The sad part is that there are many people that President Obama has tried to help with Obamacare. I think these people need help too. They should have access to care. Instead of mandating it for everyone, we can merely provide access to those in need. Nobody says that sick people should be abandoned. I do think however, that there are better options to help without encroaching on the inherent freedom that this country was founded on. We can’t forget that the pilgrims came to America to escape mandates and other forms of government oppression. I don’t think we’re at that point yet but the door is certainly open.

I rarely become passionate about what happens in Washington. Today I can’t stop thinking of each young man I know that sacrificed so much in order to protect our freedom. If we lose that freedom than they died in vain. That is not an option. I will be paying close attention to how the next 6 months play out and who is elected President in November. While everyone must choose their candidate individually, I ask that each of you becomes educated on the issues so that you can make a sound decision according to your thoughts, values and morals. Is that too much to ask?

What is your reaction of the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare? Do you see other areas where our freedoms are being encroached? If you completely disagree with me, why? Help me understand more of this issue by leaving a comment below or tweeting me @APompliano!

Google Just Gave Apple The Middle Finger

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I’m a die hard Apple fan. I would pay any amount of money to take a walk and talk with Steve Jobs. Every product they make amazes me. The product simplicity and ease of use is unparalleled. I even buy into Apple’s marketing and culture. When they talk about the crazy ones, I think who is crazier then me? I hate Android. Actually, I think that it absolutely sucks. I’d take Apple over Google all day, every day, and twice on Sunday!

The only issue I have with Apple was just magnified by Google yesterday. And by that I mean, Google just told Apple “Were coming assholes!” in a big way. Apple products come with a label that says ”Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China.” Twist it however you want, Apple doesn’t make their products in America. Cheaper or not, it really speaks to the values of a company when they don’t use domestic production.

Well Google either read my mind or they think I’m a genius because they’re going to be manufacturing in the good ‘ole USA. (Neither option likely). Yesterday at the I/O conference, Google announced that Nexus Q is being made domestically. This is a huge step in the right direction. One of the largest companies in the world is going to make a technology device (wireless home media player) at home. Even an Apple fan like me was grinning obnoxiously when I heard the news.

The door of opportunity has been flung open in the technology sector. Consumers will care about this. The brands that realize it will survive and the ones that ignore it will die. It’s about damn time corporations start showing some values and morals. If Google can Google-Money-Sergey-Brinposition themselves as “The American technology company” than Apple is in big trouble. Great products will bring you success but pissed off Americans will annihilate you before dinner time. Is Apple willing to risk it?

I doubt it. Combine this news with the trouble out of China about Apple’s factories and the working conditions. Not a good look. I predict Apple will move a majority of manufacturing to the US within the next 18-24 months. This is great news for the millions of workers who are unemployed across America. Remember this day as a milestone in the digital revolution and God Bless the USA!

Do you make purchasing decisions based on whether products are American or not? Why? Tweet your answers to @APompliano!

Gary Vaynerchuk And How To Get $30K Cash Under Your Bed

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Gary Vaynerchuk is one of a kind. This video shows you why. From a poor immigrant to $60 million a year in sales, he has been through it all. Forget all the cursing and the parading around stage. Really listen to what he has to say. Let it sit for awhile. The man has figured out the power of passion.

Stop the madness. Do what you love. Do it passionately. It won’t seem like work and I bet you will be pretty damn good at it. What are you waiting for? You only get 84,000 seconds to breathe today. Use them to do something amazing!

What have you always dreamed of doing but haven’t had the chance to yet? What is holding you back? Tweet at me @APompliano or leave your comments below!

Tim Ferriss and The 4-Hour Work Week

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I went on a reading binge this weekend. Over 500 pages in less than 48 hours. Partly because it helps to clear my mind but mostly because I couldn’t put down “The 4 Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich” by Tim Ferriss. The book made me challenge some long-held assumptions and opened my mind to a completely different perspective – Lifestyle Design.

Tim is a successful entrepreneur and now spends time speaking or mentoring startups around Silicon Valley. He reached the New York Times Best Seller List by introducing unique ideas for lifestyle design. As a data driven entrepreneur he naturally includes evidence and metrics to back up his claims. I found the data aspect to set this book apart from others I have read.

While many ideas, thoughts and stories are shared throughout, here are the two main points that you should know:

-D. E. A. L. – This acronym stands for Definition, Elimination, Automation, and Liberation. Definition is figuring out what you want in life, what it actually will take to get there, and removing any fear involved to execute the plan. Elimination (my favorite part) is about true time management through effectiveness rather than efficiency (check out Pareto Principle, email batching and Parkinson’s Law). Automation is simply freeing yourself from daily tasks by outsourcing or automating so you can enjoy life. Finally, liberation is having true freedom by following the previous steps and not being tied to a specific geographic location or job.

- Total Monthly Income (TMI) – Ferriss suggests breaking down income and expenses into monthly needs (or even daily) as a way to truly understand them. Instead of worrying about annual income, figure out what you want to do in life and the monthly cost of that lifestyle. Story after story proves how much cheaper lavish lifestyles are than what you would expect. Instead of working your entire life to gain enough money to retire, figure out what the ideal lifestyle will cost, and once you surpass that monthly income level…..Begin living that life! This prevents you from being 65 and unable to enjoy all of the amazing experiences you dreamt about while you were working for the man.

The book is great and I’m a huge fan of Ferriss. If you ever have time, do a search for him on YouTube and you will be entertained for hours watching his keynote speeches. It’s hard to find people that have removed themselves from the daily rat race mentality. It’s even harder to find someone who is able to share the difference in writing. Pick up the book, check out Tim’s blog and start enjoying life like you never thought was possible!

Holy S%!#, My Mom Might Think I’m Successful Now!

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The last nine months of my life have been a whirl-wind. I took a lot of risks and attempted to do things that people told me were impossible. Most people even said I was dumb or crazy. I had a vision for what I wanted to do though. A vision for who I am as a person. I can proudly say that it has all come to fruition.

Less than a year ago The Community Corkboard was founded. I was blessed to co-found the business alongside three of my friends from high school. We created an online platform The Community Corkboardthat allowed local businesses to advertise to their community while also supporting local schools. Just four young kids with no experience. Little did we know, that would be an advantage. Since inception, The Community Corkboard was able to partner with over 20 public school districts and private schools. We acquired hundreds of customers in this short period of time. Not bad for a bunch of amateurs.

All the excitement has come to an end. Last week I finalized a deal to successfully exit The Community Corkboard!! The terms are covered under a non-disclosure agreement but all those long hours finally seemed worth it. Skipping the social scene or the constant feeling of being overwhelmed suddenly doesn’t matter. The company will continue to grow and work with schools. It’s in great hands and I feel confident that many more schools will be able to utilize the platform during these hard financial times. (If you’re interested in signing up, go here)

I still feel strongly about the mission that we set out on. Education is a very important aspect of our society and everyone should pitch in to help. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. This is important to me so I have accepted an offer to hold an advisory role with The Community Corkboard moving forward. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to stay involved!

I never thought the situation that has transpired over the last few weeks would ever happen. I’m happy that it did and feel very fortunate. I couldn’t have done it alone and I want to thank everyone who helped me along the way. First my co-founders and friends Brent Nolan, John Charlesworth and Jim Zidar who put up with my wild ideas and demanding nature. Next my family, especially my parents, who continuously dealt with the uncertainty of whether I was doing the right thing and stood by me during the tough times. Thank you to the many friends who offered encouragement and suggestions while listening to me obsess over TCC for months.

Most importantly I want to thank every single person who told me it wasn’t possible. There were plenty of you. The ones that told me I didn’t know what I was doing. You don’t know it but you fueled my fire every day. I couldn’t have done it without you. When times got tough I would think that I couldn’t let you get the satisfaction of knowing I had failed. Failure was never an option.

So what’s next? I have taken a few days off to really let the situation sink in. I know I will be back at it again but haven’t decided how yet. I made a lot of mistakes in building The Community Corkboard. I’m excited to start from scratch again and begin the chase for success once more with these lessons learned. This time I plan to take a new approach to the work/life balance. I can’t wait.

Thank you again to everyone who helped me along the way. Your support was not unnoticed. You can check out TCC on Facebook or Twitter. Help them continue the mission! As for me, I will provide an update once I know what is next. Until then I’m going to sit back and relax. Enjoy the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. It will be gone before we know it….

Kids In NY Appear To Be Running The Asylum

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If you hear the word “Greece” in the news these days, most people think of the financial issues in Europe. That changed earlier this week. A 10 minute video went viral that showed middle school students from Greece, NY verbally abusing a bus monitor. Three things immediately came to mind.

- These kids obviously have no respect for adults. I was never the “perfect” child but I had the ideas of “yes ma’am”, “please” and “thank you” instilled in me since birth. I don’t even want to think about what my parents would have done to me if I was on video participating in this stuff.

-Technology is everywhere. I doubt the person holding the phone thought their video would get hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube. They probably didn’t even think it would leave their circle of friends. Think before you do or say something because someone is always watching. It is very hard to get writings, photos or videos back once they are out in public.

- This is one of the strongest women I have ever seen. Her ability to sit quietly and ignore these immature children is remarkable. Sitting in tears on a bus while being ridiculed by 12 year olds – not what you imagine when you go to work. I hope this woman can leverage her experience to write a book and begin speaking to others about “turning the other cheek.” She has a great gift and many people can benefit from learning it.

What do you think should happen to these kids? Interested in helping out the bus monitor? You can make donations to help her go on a much-deserved vacation!

How Bad Do You Want It?

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Everyone dreams of success. The people who realize those dreams are willing to outwork everyone else. Not only do they outwork everyone, they have the persistence to overcome obstacles. Giavanni Ruffin and Eric Thomas were able to create a beautiful visualization of this mindset. Enjoy!

ExitEvent Is Punching Durham In The Mouth

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Rarely do I leave an event wishing that it wouldn’t end. Usually I spend time checking my watch to see if it’s appropriate to sneak out without being rude yet. Last night proved that it doesn’t have to be that way. I wish I could say that I was at some super-secret event but I wasn’t….

ExitEvent is blowing up. There’s no other way to explain it. Don’t know what it is? Imagine ExitEventthrowing a bunch of bat-shit crazy entrepreneurs into a room, sprinkle in some savy investors and provide free beer. If there was a formula for magic than this would be it. I’m a huge fan of sharing ideas and getting like-minded people together but this is beyond that.

The Neu Concepts space is beautiful and Mystery Brewing beer keeps everyone happy but those aren’t the driving forces. I keep going back because of the culture. It’s rare to create an environment where people are encouraged to dream larger. Joe Procopio has done it though. Everyone who attended is smart and successful. The ideas circulating the place are endless but the secret sauce really lies in the lessons learned.

ExitEvent has a great mix of veterans and newbies who mingle together seamlessly. It really has become a who’s who of the Triangle startup scene. This isn’t your grandma’s networking event. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should. If you still don’t show up after reading this than I will question your intelligence……seriously though!

The Best $20 I’ve Ever Spent

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This past week I traveled with my immediate family, celebrated my birthday and got to see some older relatives. A lot happened and the trip was an amazing experience. It definitely fit my “no apologies, no regrets” mantra.

The best experience wasn’t hours long though nor did it consist of sitting on white-sand beaches. It wasn’t even my birthday celebration or the hilarious jokes that a family of 5 boys naturally produces. The best one took 15 minutes and reminded me of my core beliefs.

On Friday night (my birthday) we drove from Myrtle Beach, SC to Destin, FL. We stopped for gas near Jacksonville. As I walked inside, a car with the hood raised honked from an unlit corner of the parking lot. I turned but didn’t see anyone so I continued inside. When I came back out I saw my father walking towards the car. Naturally I followed to check it out.

I’m glad I did. The car had overheated and wouldn’t start. The man driving was disabled. He was a double amputee (both legs) and was missing 2 fingers on each hand. He used a light switch as the ignition along with other modifications. He obviously needed help.

After 10 minutes of filling the car with water we were able to cool it down and get it started. The man was thrilled! Next came the question that everyone dreads: “Excuse me sir, do you have any money that you can spare?” Normally this is a no brainer. I walk away with all my money muttering that the person doesn’t need any more drugs or alcohol…..not this time.

I felt for this guy. He wasn’t looking for a handout. He wasn’t begging on the street corner. He needed a little help. You can’t pretend to be an amputee. The look in his eye told me to help him. After giving him $20, that look turned to one of pure exhilaration and gratitude. He kept thanking me and my dad in between toothless smiles.

Afterwards I reflected on the experience. I have no idea if the man was homeless. I don’t know what the money will be used for. Honestly, I could’ve been completely tricked by some complex scam. I really don’t care though.

I’m not sharing this story to brag or seek compliments. In the grand scheme of things, $20 is nothing. What I learned is priceless though. My hope is to share the lesson with as many people as possible.

I’m very fortunate. I’m not rich but I’m also not homeless or poor. If there’s a chance that I was able to help this man than it was worth it. When we have the opportunity, we should do everything we can to help others. Act like we would want if we were the one in need.

Help Others

No act of kindness is too small. Show appreciation for any blessing you have by passing some along to others. I will never forget those 15 minutes. Next time I hear that dreaded question, I expect my answer will be different. Time will tell.

If we take this to heart and help others when we can, the possibilities are scary. Do you have the courage to act selflessly? Prove it.

Facebook Will Die At The Hands Of Twitter….I’m Not Kidding

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Facebook is the largest social network ever created. CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s mission has been to “connect the world.” He just led the company he started at age 19 to a $100 billion IPO. This was possible because the average user spends over 20 minutes per visit on the site. How can a gigantic company like this fail? Twitter. That’s right, Twitter will be play the role of David to Facebook’s Goliath.

Dying Facebook

This downfall is 50% Facebook’s fault and 50% Twitter. Facebook is following in AOL’s step (or missteps depending on how you look at it). They are trying to BE THE INTERNET. Serving as a platform for internet users is a viable option but Facebook can’t over-extend themselves. Zuck and crew have been successful to date by perfecting a small set of features. Success is jeopardized each time a feature is added. At one point AOL’s Instant Messaging service seemed to be downloaded on every computer. Now the service is basically extinct because AOL diverted attention to additional technology. Facebook should learn a lesson from history.

While Facebook is opening an opportunity, Twitter is positioning itself to capitalize. Facebook’s platform attempts to force content creators to upload unique work directly to the site. Twitter is taking a different approach. They recently announced “expanded tweets” which allow individuals to share content from OTHER sites on the internet (Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud, DailyMotion, etc) without having to leave the Twitter platform. Genius. Creating a true discovery service will prevail over an inclusive network that controls content.

Facebook hasn’t lost the battle yet. It will happen over time if they don’t start to make changes now. Twitter will continue to grow and definitely wouldn’t mind stepping into the leader position. So how does Facebook prevent this?

Facebook can do two things. The first is to purchase Twitter. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” By acquiring the service, Zuckerberg would be able to offer the discovery features that will be essential to surviving the rest of this century. If he can’t, he may be eaten alive.

The second option is to develop a similar feature. This is probably more likely. Facebook Open Graph API is a step in the right direction. They must continue to develop similar offerings to help the 900 million users discovery unique content throughout the internet. Think Stumbleupon type features on the greatest social network ever created. It has potential but we need to see the execution.

Pay attention over the next 5 – 7 years. Facebook and Twitter are on a collision course. Someone will prevail with their arm raised….Champion of Social Media! My money is on Twitter but I am excited to see the battle. What do you think a world without Facebook looks like? Do you favor Twitter or Facebook? Share your thoughts below!