Sean M Everett http://seanmeverett.posterous.com Entrepreneur & Precisionist posterous.com Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:26:00 -0700 As Bad As You Want To Breathe http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/as-bad-as-you-want-to-breathe http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/as-bad-as-you-want-to-breathe

 

You don't want it as much as you want to party

You don't want it as much as you want to be cool

You don't want it as much as you want to sleep

Somedays, you're going to have to stay up 3 days in a row

You've got to forget to eat.

 

I want it so fucking bad

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Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:10:00 -0700 iOS Interface Design http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/ios-interface-design http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/ios-interface-design

Evolyteios
iOS Interface Strategic Direction & Design

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Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:08:00 -0700 Circa The Great Depression http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/circa-the-great-depression http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/circa-the-great-depression

 I miss you grandpa, thanks for teaching me the value of saving and investing for the long term.

Ripgrandpa
Circagreatdepression
http://seanmeverett.com

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Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:41:00 -0700 You're Welcome Mr. Cheney http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/youre-welcome-mr-cheney http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/youre-welcome-mr-cheney

Yourewelcomemrcheney
http://seanmeverett.com

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Mon, 18 Jul 2011 06:00:00 -0700 Why I Posted A Half-Naked Picture of Myself With My Company's Logo On It On Facebook & Twitter http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/why-i-posted-a-half-naked-picture-of-myself-o http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/why-i-posted-a-half-naked-picture-of-myself-o

Results

If you're reading this, then it's very likely that I reached your attention (maybe twice now :), potentially created a visceral emotional reaction, and maybe even offended you.  But at what cost, did it communicate the right message, and how many people still didn't care or even noticed that it happened?  I mean, the picture was only up for 24 hours, from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon.

 

Noise

Did you know that in 1950 people were bombarded by approximatley 500 ads per day, but today that number's skyrocketed to over 5,000?  How in the hell do you or your company plan to stand out in a sea of noise so loud, it drowns out everything but iPads, Google +, reality TV and US Weekly?

You can't.  Unless you spend millions of dollars in advertising or build the next iPhone.  Or, you do something shocking.

 

Billboards In Times Square

Imagine if this picture was on a billboard in Times Square in New York City.  Would you notice it?  Would you wonder what Evolyte does?  Would you go through the tremendous effort of pulling out your phone and Googling it? 

Hilfiger

In the mid 80s when Tommy Hilfiger wanted to launch his brand, he needed great ads to get him there. He turned to George Lois, who had just previously created spectacular ads for MTV, including the shocking "I Want My MTV" grassroots campaign that played for one day and made the networks pick up the fledging channel. Lois created the ad you see above.  He was also the advertising mastermind behind Jiffy Lube, ESPN, Esquire, Reebok, etc.  Basically the biggest brands that are still in existence today was solely because of this man's ads. If you do nothing else, click through to his website and read everything in his portfolio 20 times.

This ad, plus another one which instead of the “fill-in-the-blanks” had pictures were horrific. They instigated. Lois created ads like these because if Tommy wanted to raise his profile with less aggressive ads, he would need millions of dollars. These ads ran it home, quickly. Lois loved making things that first horrified you and then you saw that they were above the noise. Tommy said that because these ads represented Tommy as a great in fashion, he forced himself to work harder to make sure he lived up to the title that his ads said he had.

The success happened right away. It created the billion dollar company that exists today.

I heard George say something in an interview that stuck with me:  "Don't study losing, unless you want to lose.  If you want to win, study winners".  Did you know Tommy Hilfiger was absolutely embarrassed by the cockiness expressed in these ads, but also got him on the tonight show and on the lips of the fashion elite in New York City overnight.  I think we can all agree that the brand is now internationally known, and is even making a comeback.

 

So What Was The Result?

Let's look at a couple quotes I received from people bold enough to even make a comment:

Do you know how many people texted me saying, "What the hell is Sean thinking posting that?".  Do you really want to be known as being cocky?

Wow you are such a fucking hyprocite Sean. I refuse to be around arrogant people who are highly insecure.

Yep, I basically destroyed a few personal relationships to make a point about my company, Evolyte, and create marketing messages.  If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I'm willing to jeapordize my personal reputation in order to FINALLY get you to recognize something I've been saying for years:

  • Marketing Tip of the Day:  create double takes
  • Marketing Tip of the Day:  shock and awe
  • Marketing Tip of the Day:  create visceral emotional reactions

So yes, my friends and loved ones think I'm arrogant, cocky, and hypocritical (because I hate people that post MySpace-esque profile pics of them in sexual pictures).  But did it send a message about Evolyte and my own intensity?  Do you think that if I tell you I can do a thing, that I can actually do THAT specific thing, and do it better than a competitor?

Did you know that the second most competitive business model on the internet, outside of Groupon, is web design?  Have you ever seen another web design company post a picture like that?  We also make iPhone apps and web apps.  Do you know the #1 most asked question on the forum where all the developers of these apps hang out (i.e., Hacker News) is?  "How do I launch or market my new website, business, iPhone app, etc?"  It's always a marketing question.  Doing the same ole shit is going to get you just that:  shit.

The consumer market is the most crowded, competitive, intense industry in the business world.  There are billions of websites and companies.  And you know what?

There will only be about 10 people who actually read this post, and there are probably only another 20 that actually ever saw this picture.  There's so much noise out there, even this didn't break through it.  There's not enough fuel behind it and it's not broad enough.  If people are too lazy to even click links in email, why would they click a link in one of your tweets out of billions?

 

What Does Noise Feel Like?

NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE 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That's about what 1,000 ads per day looks like.  Now multiply that times 5 and see if you can find Evolyte in there just by briefly glancing in this direction.  Now imagine that's a bunch of radio, TV, billboard, tweets, emails, texts, and Facebook status updates, but none of them are exactly the same and organized like the above.

Mission (NOT) accomplished.  We have two iPhone apps launching in a few weeks. Do you think I'll get your attention then?  Doubtful.

Of course, nobody said shit about the profile pictures I used before and after this one because, well, it's just more of the same old noise:

Seanlikeaboss

Hi_mom

 

Think Different, Braveheart

If Apple taught us to Think Differently, then Braveheart taught us that sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself for what you love and believe in.  What happened to being bold, making some noise, and bucking the establishment?  What happened to standing out from the crowd in a unique way?

So I'll make you a promise:  I'm not going to stop taking calculated risks just because they're potentially dangerous.

I spent a few weeks thinking about whether I should post this picture, going back and forth, then after deciding, another few hours actually editing the image in Photoshop and adding the copy (which sucks by the way, and definitely needs some work).

But, if you don't live 10% outside your or your company's comfort zone, how can you expect to make an impact on this world, in your industry, or even in your company?

Evolyte is a professional services company with clients ranging from some of the most recognized brands in the world to small startups that haven't even launched yet.  But, we don't talk about who we work with or post our portfolio online (check out the Evolyte Blog if you want to read why).  That said, how are we supposed to communicate what we do and how we do it in a way that grabs your attention when we have no physical, tangible product?  We don't have an iPod that we can throw an album cover on and say "We've got the Beatles: iPod".

So, we've got to be as creative in concept and messaging for ourselves as we do with our clients.  Some, or maybe many, of you will not agree.  Only time will tell...

Shock & Motherf^cking Awe, Like Kenny Effing Powers

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Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:08:00 -0700 A Reminder: Never Forget To Be A Kid http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/a-reminder-never-forget-to-be-a-kid http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/a-reminder-never-forget-to-be-a-kid

I didn't want to forget, so I put it on my iPhone :)

Class Clown

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Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:03:00 -0700 Persols To See The Bridge From Brooklyn http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/persols-to-see-the-bridge-from-brooklyn http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/persols-to-see-the-bridge-from-brooklyn

New eyeglasses to represent a new evolyte.

Persol_eyeglasses
Bridge_from_brooklyn
iPhone Photography

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Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:54:00 -0700 10 Things I Learned In 10 Years In Professional Services http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/10-things-i-learned-in-10-years-in-profession http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/10-things-i-learned-in-10-years-in-profession
  1. Soft Language -- Never use hard words like:  always, very, never, extremely, or recommend. When necessary, it may potentially be beneficial to use words like:  suggest, perhaps, potentially, sometimes, often and may.
  2. We, Not I -- We are a team, and so anything we say in written or oral form must express that. The only time "I" is appropriate is when apologizing, because it was I who made the mistake, not the team.
  3. Paradox of Pay & Value -- The minute you leave consulting for corporate, the value of your advice is cut in half but your pay will double.
  4. You're The Expert -- Clients will look to you for advice and save emails that you send for years, going back to them when they forget.
  5. Clients Come First -- They come before you, your family, and your sleep. They come before any internal projects.  When in doubt, just make clients happy.
  6. Beauracracy -- Unless you're at a boutique firm with less than 30 employees, there will always be beauracracy, layers of management, and inefficient administrative issues to content with regardless of what side of the relationship you live on.
  7. Internalized Expertise -- Try writing down the process of tying your shoe and giving it to a child who doesn't yet know how.  You've internalized tying that shoe and it's much easier for you to just do it than explain the thought process and algorithm for doing so.  Experts in professional services are analagous. Just give them the keys and let them drive, don't make them explain how they drive, it's an inefficient use of time and money.
  8. Storytelling -- It's a scientific fact that adults learn best through analogies, examples and storytelling.  How much easier was it understanding point #7 above with the examples?  Still think it's just a fad?  You need look no further than Homer's Odyssey or Iliad.
  9. People Run Businesses -- The classic thinking is that because it's a business and corporate, everyone must be buttoned up and serious all the time.  Even in Board rooms of the largest companies on the planet, there is still friendly banter and relationships being established.  People work for and with people, not faceless companies.
  10. Change is Hard -- Regardless of the number of times you've experienced this fact and even internalized it, change will always be difficult for everyone (and yes, I'm using hard language).  Whether it's a merger of equals or simply going with a new paper supplier, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

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Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:34:00 -0700 The Meaning of Life, As Told By A Homeless Singer http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/the-meaning-of-life-as-told-by-a-homeless-sin http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/the-meaning-of-life-as-told-by-a-homeless-sin

Screen_shot_2011-06-15_at_10
After witnessing one of the closest people in my life pass from cancer, a few childhood friends losing their parents to cancer, and seeing the home where I was born and raised ravished by floods, I'm thinking and soul searching more than ever.

What is the meaning of life?

We've all asked that question. I don't have the answer, but I do know that making yourself and others joyful is about as close as I'm ever going to be to understanding it. 

I've chosen a career in technology because it's a creative canvas that allows other people to interact with it.  Have computers, cell phones and Facebook made your life more joyful?  Maybe not in small doses, but I'd argue that taken in total it's allowed you to connect with friends and family more often and in a more meaningful way.

I think that's my life's work, to make your life not just marginally better, but more joyful as well.

Standing on the El platform last night on the way to a Cubs game I was fortunate enough to be invited to, I was surrounded by people of varying religions, cultures, races, and sex.  But the happiest person in the entire place was a homeless man in his late 40s singing acapella with his eyes closed.

Sadly, no one noticed him, but we started singing with him. 

He then began to sing the classic Wizard of Oz song by Judy Garland, "Over The Rainbow", and I felt a sense of contentment wash over me.  I gave him all the money I had in my wallet, save for the $20 bill I needed to take a cab home.  I told him to "keep doing what you're doing" because his attitude affected me positively and I'm sure it affected others as well.

So I ask you:  are you one of the people I witnessed Monday evening that jumped out of work the minute the clock ticked past 5pm and rushed away as fast as you could? 

You only get one life, and you should be proud and happy of every part of it, including your career (you spend the bulk of your life either in school or at work).

If I can help you take the thing you dread and turn it into something you love, maybe that would give my life meaning.  Let me know how I can help.

 

Contact Me

 

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Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:32:00 -0700 My Journey to Founding @Evolyte http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/why-i-founded-evolyte http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/why-i-founded-evolyte

I'm sure there are very few of you who will care about the journey that led me to found evolyte, but I wanted to get it out on the internet so my son and my daughter could someday read this, and remind them that believing in themselves and following their dreams are the most important things.

I grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, which is about to get flooded as we speak, but that's a story for a different time.  I loved playing baseball from the first whiffle ball I hit off a tee at two years old.  I played for almost two decades until I got to college and decided to focus on academics.

This is a crucial piece of the story, because it was always my dream to play professional baseball, 3rd base, the hot corner.  I mean, realistically, I probably wasn't good enough to make the majors, but you never know, I do have a pretty rediculous work ethic (thanks Kevin and Sally!).  The point being, I never tried out for the Iowa baseball team, so there will always be a hint of wonder and regret for not at least trying out.

Cut to four years later, and I had passed a handful of some of the most rediculously difficult professional examinations on the planet (actuarial science exams, and yes, there are eight in total!), had two internships with PricewaterhouseCoopers, and graduated without a job.  Thanks economy.

That led to what I like to call my blue period, where I worked at Cost Plus World Market for $9.50 an hour after graduating with a double major in Mathematics and Actuarial Science, and minors in Business and Statistics, 2 internships in downtown Chicago, running multiple student organizations, and basically never having fun.

Awesomesauce.  Talk about a kick in the....you get the picture.

So there I am, at 1am in the morning, no money in my bank account, living in BFE up north in Chicago, throwing away garbage at Cost Plus and I freakin lost it.  I was tearing apart cardboard boxes, throwing stuff, and at my lowest point, even cussed out God.

I called up my parents, my dad flew up, we rented a Lincoln Navigator (they were dope in the early 2000s, right?), packed up what I could, and drove the 14-hour trip from Chicago to Dallas to live with my parents all over again. 

Now that's big pimpin.  What's happenin' ladies?  No?  Okay...

Skip forward 3 years and I'm working for a management consulting firm sitting in Fortune 500 Board rooms advising the leaders of the free world how to incentive people to perform better and in a way that's aligned with the corporate and financial strategy of the firm.  Some of my work was put in front of the head of the largest company in the world.  You better believe you double check your work.

In 2007, I started BlueStone Investments because every Mathematician saw the movie Pi and thinks he can beat the market.  +43%.  Check.

So what to do from there?  Get engaged and go back to business school, duh.  So we packed the Uhaul up and moved back to Chicago in 2008 for like the billionth time, and started at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  While I'm there, it received a $100 million grant and renamed the school after Mr. Booth himself.

Cut to 2009 and while BlueStone was winding down, we started Evolyte, a group of childhood friends. There is literally nothing better than that. If you can work with your friends every day, you're already rich. The backstory of my interest in Evolyte, however, I've so far neglected to tell you, but let's just say I've been hacking the 1s and 0s since the days of MS DOS.  I got my first computer, a 386 Gateway 2000 PC at age 13, and never looked back.  It's sort of funny, I never had any formal education in software development or visual design, but couldn't get enough of it.  I've always been ravenous for digital knowledge and so picked it up strictly by osmosis and a love for the game (pun intended).

So I suppose my mathematical training comes in handy.  It's all about a universal language of simplification.  Great design is all about telling a story through visual minimalism.  Same stuff there.

So with my MBA graduation approaching, a hot internet market, and the goal of finally living my dream sitting right in front of me, I quit my job in 2010 to focus on Evolyte full-time.

The act of quitting your job that allowed you to live a carefree life isn't simply a binary decision.  You don't just flip a switch.  It's gut-wrenching, it's self-doubt, and it's also the:  how-the-heck-am-I-going-to-pay-for-food-when-the-money-runs-out-before-the-income-comes-in (damn, do you know how long it took to add in all those dashes?  I mean, seriously.)?  If you don't have these thoughts, well you're just not human, or you're mental.  For the latter, Evolyte's offices are next door to an anger clinic, so you may want to go ahead and check that out.

Everything is circular, right?  Remember how I've had that one regret in the back of my mind about not trying out for the college baseball team?  "Self", I said to myself. "Self, you're not going to make the same mistake twice and be walking around with two regrets, so get out there and hustle like Rick Ross."  So I took a spoonful of my own medicine, grabbed my Mary Poppins bag full of ever-growing Apple tech, and hit it hard.

Flip to today.  Good things.  Lots of good things.  From crazy dangerous, awesome angles. Awesome like Kevin Bacon's dance moves in Footloose (you're welcome).

So what's the moral?

As a friend, who's writing a novel the likes of which would confuse the movie Momento, said at dinner last night,

"Find a way to get paid to be you."

Now that's elegant simplicity.  You shouldn't change who you are for a romantic partner, so why would you do it for your career, which these days, lasts 10x as long?

Find what you love to do, and don't stop doing it.  The money's simply not worth it to hate your life every Sunday night.

http://seanmeverett.com

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Wed, 25 May 2011 17:07:58 -0700 Infinity http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/infinity-0 http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/infinity-0

P1129

http://seanmeverett.com

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Sat, 21 May 2011 10:34:12 -0700 Take My Comedy Seriously, This Diploma Says So http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/take-my-comedy-seriously-this-diploma-says-so http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/take-my-comedy-seriously-this-diploma-says-so

P1118

I couldn't have made the many YouTube videos without it. Figured it was time to frame this bad boy, been a few months since graduation.

http://seanmeverett.com

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Wed, 11 May 2011 21:08:56 -0700 Liberty Shines Bright http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/liberty-shines-bright http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/liberty-shines-bright

P1113

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Wed, 11 May 2011 10:42:19 -0700 iPads in Airports & Clothing Stores http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/ipads-in-airports-clothing-stores http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/ipads-in-airports-clothing-stores

When's the last time you saw an Android device available for public use?

I've now seen iPads used in retail and travel settings, both in New York City. I'm sure you can extrapolate where the trend is heading next.

My only other question is, why haven't you bought Apple stock yet?

http://seanmeverett.com

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Sat, 07 May 2011 21:04:42 -0700 Second Place Dreams http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/second-place-dreams http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/second-place-dreams Looking back on my life on my 30th birthday, I didn't mean to write rap lyrics but they just sort of poured out. Pretty honest stuff in here. Here's to another 30 years...

SECOND PLACE DREAMS

VERSE
Growing up, felt like second place at everything,
Kindergarten, sports, and my pro baseball dream
My twenties felt like an emotional boxing ring
Landed in the hospital, but still hangin on by a string

It's hard starting something from nothing
Abandoning friends and family for selfish things
Surrounded by books and internet, mental traveling
And the only thing to show for it,
Lost love and stress, now ain't that something?

And the worst part is you need to stay positive and on your shit,
But people call you lame, selfish, and ego-centric
Which nearly shreds your last bit of confidence
Until you put the blinders on and remember those childish hints
About the love of the game and bubble gum, pop a fun mint

CHORUS
And then things change, second place dreams,
Change that steam to C.R.E.A.M.,
Cuz Cash Rules Everything Around Me
But the only thing that means anything is family.

VERSE
Just found out my grandma's contemplating suicide
Made it through the great depression and even when my grandpa died
But like your spirit, your hip broke again, time's never on your side,
And it keeps feeling like God's full of lies
Only you can fight nature's current and float through another tide
Believe in yourself, cuz I've always felt God's on the inside

I had to fight for my achievements, I never had a last name,
An Iowa work ethic and my parent's 40th anniversary game
The last four years have been a whirlwind, focused on business tools
A consulting job, two Startups, and a top 5 business school

But now I'm trying to change my selfish ways,
And impact people's lives for years, not just days
So I make you grab your dreams
Use that internal rumbling
To achieve things, not just buy things
And instead, become human beings
Because it's people's happiness,
Not things, that's life's true meaning.

CHORUS
And then things change, second place dreams,
Change that steam to C.R.E.A.M.,
Cuz Cash Rules Everything Around Me
But the only thing that means anything is family.

VERSE
I've never gotten respect or recognition from anyone
And that's the way it will be until the end
Let go of my ego, not a big, but a small head
And my family, you were there next to my hospital bed
My friends texted, the rest of you could give a fuck if I'm dead
You find out who loves you, four people, that's who, the rest of you, more like "Who cares if I ever met you?"

But here's the best part,
I'll always be there for you
And lend a thoughtful hand
A strong shoulder, and even my time, man
And to my family and my best friends, I got you when my ship lands
Cuz we grew up together, and that shit's forever, man

Man, it feels like I'm alone sometimes,
Like no one understands my entire life
Except for Dimmy, that woman's my wife,
Put up with my stupid antics, all the childish strife
But you've always been there,
Your faint touch and the wind through your hair
And no matter what, I'll always love you, I still care
So I'm doing my best to repair this disrepair.

CHORUS
And then things change, second place dreams,
Change that steam to C.R.E.A.M.,
Cuz Cash Rules Everything Around Me
But the only thing that means anything is family.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Sat, 07 May 2011 19:24:58 -0700 Mecca http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/mecca http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/mecca

P1088

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Sat, 07 May 2011 18:36:29 -0700 Beautiful http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/beautiful http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/beautiful

P1083

http://seanmeverett.com

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Tue, 03 May 2011 09:59:40 -0700 Hmm Wonder What This Could Be For ;) http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/hmm-wonder-what-this-could-be-for http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/hmm-wonder-what-this-could-be-for

P1071

http://seanmeverett.com

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Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:24:00 -0700 Want A Quick & Dirty Primer on Investing? Here's An Email I Just Wrote http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/want-a-quick-dirty-primer-on-investing-heres http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/want-a-quick-dirty-primer-on-investing-heres

An unedited email I just sent a friend regarding his trust and whether his trustee should invest in Apple or not.  You can't see the email exchange, but you may be able to decipher it:

 

Hey man, a few comments as it relates to portfolio theory, my own experience running an equity-based investment shop, and my personal retirement investments:

1.  As you know, I'm long apple and it represents a significant portion of my long-term retirement portfolio, actually $30K worth.  I also own about 20 mutual funds a few bonds, Goldman Sachs, an energy company (EGY), and the DJIA tracking stock (DIA). 

2.  Equities get a bad rap due to the glorification of day trading during the dot com boom and their comparative "riskiness" as they relate to mutual funds or fixed income.  The fact is, however, that literally ALL of my portfolio returns over the last 6 years have come from 4 things:  AAPL, GS, EGY, DIA -- the four equity-related stocks.  The bonds and mutual funds have been a wash.  It's true that they're less risky as it relates to the "world" of equity investing, but it puts a damper on both the downside AND the upside. 

3.  The key to all of this is something called the Sharpe Ratio, which is just fancy finance speak for "risk-adjusted return".  In layman terms, it's a measure of how big a return you can expect per unit of riskiness.  I've chosen the gold standard Apple and Goldman Sachs because they're literally not going anywhere.  Apple has a cash runway until 2018, that's nuts!  Warren Buffet invested in Goldman (yes, he got preferred, but it's still a sign of trust).

4.  As it relates to Dividends, there is always confusion about this.  Most people think that stocks that pay dividends are actually paying you, but in fact the dividend yield is already baked into the fair market value of the stock price.  Thus, you're actually worse off due to the time value of money because you're not receiving the full value of the stock in the present time (present value of discounted cash flows, in this case, dividends).  You have to wait for each future value dividend payment in perpetuity (i.e., forever) in order to get the full value of the stock.

5.  Thus, never buy stocks for the dividend, instead take the buffet approach.  Understand everything there is to know about the industry, the company, their competitors, their customers, supply chain, and add into it anything that you don't think is baked into the stock price (in Apple's case, nobody baked the iPad into the stock price 2 years ago, but the current stock price does.  That's where fundamental and technical analysis of any stock breaks down).

6.  In Apple's case, I know absolutely everything (public) there is to know about the governing dynamics affecting this stock, including things that I don't think have been baked into the stock, such as the billion dollar data center in North Carolina they've been building for years that nobody knows what it's for (the rumor is streaming/cloud itunes and music, but I'm guessing it's going to go much deeper than that).

7.  In summary, I'm actually still investing in Apple and have yet to sell a share of stock.  My return is pretty significant over the past few years (you only need to look at a stock price chart on Google finance to see that).  My only regret was listening to a naysayer when it was at $80/share instead of trusting my gut.  Because of that, I missed out on an $80/share gain.

8.  My price target for apple, barring Steve Jobs untimely death and Jony Ivy leaving for the UK is $500/share within the next year.  Last quarter their revenue AND profit doubled.  Let me repeat that.  It FUCKING DOUBLED!  Do you know the degree of difficulty for pulling something like that off even for small companies?  Now take a huge, global company like apple and try to do that.  It's unprecedented and people still can't get their hands on an iPad 2 because supply is still constrained.  What's going to happen when the iPhone 5 comes out.  I'll tell you what.  Pan-de-freaking-monium.

9.  I'll leave you with one final thought.  Name one other brand (company, musician, person, anything) that people are willing to stand in line for a week for.  Other than Michael Jackson (RIP), I can't name one.

 

Investing

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett
Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:50:35 -0700 Customer Service http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/customer-service http://seanmeverett.posterous.com/customer-service

It's like a battery. You really don't care about it until it stops working.

Rules:

  1. Branding -- Seemingly every company, large or small, tries to position themselves on "great customer service". So you're saying you want your company's brand to be a commodity?
  2. Heart -- If it doesn't come from the heart, why even start? If you're doing it for another piece of flair, you've failed.
  3. Unexpected -- If I've experienced it before, it's just not as impactful.
  4. Empathy -- A mile in your shoes for me and a mile in mine for you. A little compassion can go a long way in this world. Have you ever asked the customer service rep you're about to yell at how his or her day is going? The result might surprise you.

 

As part of this Body by Evolyte initiative, we go to the gym around 3 days a week at about 5pm and get smoothies from Jamba Juice afterwards.  Yesterday, upon seeing us walk in the door, two employees who we don't see that often went to the back of the store and returned with our pre-made, refridgerated smoothies they had waiting for us. 

The owner wasn't around and the boss certainly wasn't around. They didn't get excited when we tipped them with a $20.  They did it to make us smile. And it worked.

That's excellence any way you slice it. I challenge you to do better.

There's a man I know who's continually WOWed me with great customer service. Check him out on Twitter:  Joel David Barnes.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1256432/SeanEverettHeadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5AqkvZJSTe8N Sean Everett Sean Sean Everett