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Ello? I Discuss the Fledgling New Social Media Platform on Fox 2 TV with Angela Hutti

Ello was all the rage a few weeks ago. Invites were like solid gold, which only spread the word further that there was a new social media kid on the block (ready to take on Facebook, of course). People were even auctioning off invites on eBay. Now we’re not hearing as much about it. A few hot weeks, and now the place makes Google Plus look like Times Square? (yes a stretch, but I was on a caffeine-fueled rage when I wrote this).

Such is the way when we’re searching for the next big thing, the next viral phenomenon, and frankly, that’s what Ello’s up against as they face off against Twitter and Facebook for mindshare and human time. (You can say these sites are not in competition, but humans have 24 hours per unit, so those hours are what a social media platform has to capture. Yes, they have to compete for our time).

Ello is a new social media platform, designed and built by a group of graphic designers, and they’re trying to do things a bit differently, including making a few, shall I say, bold promises. No ads (EVER), and they’ll never sell your personal data. They recently reorganized the company as a Public Benefit Corporation, which tells me they’re serious about keeping their word.

Learn more here.

Do they have a chance? Honestly, who cares? That’s not a negative sentiment. What I mean to say – why not give these guys a chance to do something differently. I think the pundits ask the monetization question in a sort of “gotcha” way. Must everything we do be monetized? Maybe the founders are trying to shift our thinking on privacy, on data collection, on human communication. Maybe they’re trying to change the world. Hell, I’d love to change the world, and would require no compensation in return should I succeed. Guys, maybe this isn’t about the money. Maybe it’s about doing something amazing.

Thanks Angela for having me on.

Good luck, Ello.

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What’s Going On With Rizzo Tees? An Update

I started Rizzo Tees back in 2007 with the entrepreneurial dream of growing it out of control. I wanted to build a big, strong, healthy business, and of course I wanted to leave my CPA/Accounting life behind. While Rizzo Tees remains small today, I was able to escape the accounting world over two years ago. I’ve mentioned this several times (here and here), but I can say it once more: you have no idea what this career change has truly meant to me.

What of Rizzo Tees now? I’ve had a few people tell me they’ve noticed a change in my content output over the last year. They say I’ve moved away from t-shirt promotion and more towards discussion of new media strategy. I believe they are right. I’d say my job at Falk Harrison has a great deal to do with that. Finally, a job that I can enjoy!

Rizzo Tees remains in business, tees are still in stock and people are still buying them (especially the bacon ones). But my interests have changed in important ways. Listen to the podcast below to hear more about the direction I’m headed.

Click here for the 5-minute podcast.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.