Presentations Have the Power to Change Lives

Last week I attended a B2B marketing conference in Boston hosted by MarketingProfs. The event was fabulous and very thought provoking! The speakers were incredible. Nancy Duarte, one of the keynote speakers, she spoke on the how to present powerful and persuasive presentations. Nancy's voice was calm but extremely engaging. Her presentation left everyone wanting more. Watch the video below to get a feel of what I experienced. Tweets were flying right and left giving her high marks and sharing mini highlights of her session. You can check out all of the Tweets for Nancy's keynote speech by performing a search in Twitter on #mpb2b @nancyduarte. Wow, who wouldn't want these type of comments during and after a presentation?

|View Video|

After her presentation, most of us in the audience began to ponder how we could improve and apply what we had learned to our own presentations. She released a book last fall which complemented her presentation. Check out her book and reviews on Amazon. Of course, I had to purchase her new book, Resonate, and get a signed copy.

Resonate by Nancy Duarte: Click here to purchase the book!

Here are my five top takeaways from Nancy's presentation:

• Remind your audience how things are now
• Enlighten your audience how things can be
• Tell your audience stories
• Make your audience laugh
• Show your audience the new bliss
  

Nancy's book explains step-by-step how to develop these type of memorable presentations. The book is also chock-full of beautiful illustrations. Creating powerful and engaging presentations is great skill set to add to your designer's toolkit.

Save Passwords with LastPass

Recently I discussed how to setup and use Xmarks, in this article I'll discuss how LastPass can save all of your secure data, passwords and even fill out forms for you. It seems the more you're on the internet the more passwords you end up creating. Keeping up with passwords can be a daunting task.

You can sign up for a free account or their premium account which gives you access to a few more features. Premium accounts can sync bookmarks with their phone. The Premium account bundle with LastPass & Xmarks is $20 per year. I think it is worth every penny. Browse their website and watch the videos below and I think you'll be convinced LastPass is the perfect solution for your password dilemma.

Lastpass Features:

• One Master Password |View Video|
  
• One Click Login
• Synchronize Across Multiple Browsers
• Automatic Form Filling |View Video|
  
• Secure Your Data
• Store Secure Notes |View Video|
  

Click Here to Download LastPass

Things I love about LastPass:

• Form Filling: You'll want to create at least two form fill profiles, one for personal and one for business. When I want to purchase an item for my business from the internet I select my business profile and LastPass fills out the entire form including my business credit card information if applicable. When LastPass detects a fillable form a pop-up appears asking if you would like to auto-fill the form. Great time saver!
• Secure Notes: I really love this feature. You can add multiple types of secure notes i.e. Credit Cards, Bank Accounts, Email Accounts, etc. (see screenshot below) Very easy to look up any secure information from your phone.
• Access from your Phone: Access your secure information from your phone when you subscribe to the premium version. NOTE: You always enter the main password to access LastPass on your phone.

(LastPass Secure Note ~ Types)

iPad case with keyboard

Recently, I was in Boston at a MarketingProfs event B2B Forum. There were lots of amazing tech savvy business owners there. During the sessions many were tweeting highlights of the sessions via their laptop or iPad. I found one person using the Kenningston iPad case with a keyboard. Wow, I loved it. It is so compact and easy to use if you want to take notes. And you can't beat an iPad for a lightweight note taking device. I have a thin cover for my iPad which I use most of the time. I would use this case with the keyboard when I am going to a seminar, convention or any meeting I will be taking notes. Very handy.

Create Design Projects Faster with Xmarks

In my recent iPad posts I've mentioned Xmarks and promised to elaborate on exactly what Xmarks can do for your company. Xmarks is a synchronization tool that allows you to sync bookmarks across all of your browsers and devices. This is one of my most favorite time saving tools I use in my business. I can logon to any of my devices and be able to access the same exact bookmarks. When Owen, my son, showed me Xmarks several years ago I downloaded it immediately and went right to work getting my Firefox browser organized. I guarantee you'll love it.

You can sign up for a free account or their premium account which gives you access to a few more features. Premium accounts can sync bookmarks with their phone. The Premium account bundle with Last Pass (a secure online password keeper) is $20 per year. I think it is worth every penny. (Last Pass will be explained in a future article.)


Why install Xmarks?

• Have you ever forgotten a vendor's web address?
• Have you spend too much time looking through your never ending list of bookmarked websites?
• Would you like to have your favorite and frequently visited websites one click away?
• Would you like to have all of your favorite bookmark icons instantly setup when you purchase a new computer? Who doesn't want that!
  
• It's easier to recognize an icon (picture) instead of reading text. Website name is displayed when you mouse over an icon.

What type of websites should you save?

• All fabric vendors
• All paint vendors
• All furniture vendors
• All accessory vendors
  
• All hardware vendors
• All social media websites
• All business vendors i.e. Comcast, At&T, Verizon, State Government
  
• All miscellaneous websites i.e. Shutterfly, YouTube
  
• All personal websites i.e. Church, Directv, weather, sports
  

Ready to get started?

1. First, visit Xmarks.com and register for an account. You can sign up for the free account or they offer a premium account. I signed up for the premium account since I use Last Pass as my secure online password keeper. TIP: As you signup for the account, don't check any of the browser/search help boxes. They can slow down your internet browsing.
   
2. Next, install the Xmarks add-on for each of your browsers. Once Xmarks is installed on your browser, sign into your Xmarks account.
3. Make sure to enable the Bookmark Toolbar in Firefox; right click next to a tab and place a checkmark next to Bookmarks Toolbar. (see dia. 1) In IE you want to place a checkmark next to the Favorites Bar. I recommend unchecking all other toolbars except for Navigation in Firefox and Menu Bar in IE.
4. Right click on the toolbar to delete all default Bookmarks that Firefox or IE installed. Make sure you have a totally clean toolbar before you begin to add your favorite bookmarks.The Bookmark Toolbar is located right under your main Navigation Toolbar or Menu Bar. (Tip: In Internet Explorer these toolbars are called Menu Bar and Favorites Bar.)
   
5. Let the fun begin! Visit EVERY website you use on a regular basis and drag the icon to the Bookmark Toolbar. That's right, just grab the icon and drag it down to the Toolbar.(TIP This icon is located next to place where you enter a website) (see dia. 2)
6. Right click on every icon that has an image > click Properties > delete Name > (DO NOT delete the location) > click Save. The text take up valuable space on the Toolbar.
7. In Firefox, you can group all similar types of websites together on your Toolbar. Right click beside each desired grouping and select New Separator. You can easily move icons by dragging them to another location on the Toolbar.
8. Create separate profiles one for work, another for home and a mini profile for your phone. (I created two profiles, one for work/home and a mini profile for my phone.) Profiles can be renamed. IMPORTANT: First, create a home/work toolbar with all favorites and then you can uncheck the unnecessary bookmarks for the mini phone profile. NOTE: Phone sync is a premium feature. Profiles can be managed on the Xmarks website.
9. I found a great video on YouTube EXCEPT he does enable the Bookmark Toolbar. He demonstrates the old fashion way of keeping bookmarks. What's the matter with him? Dia. 1 & dia. 2 illustrates an example of the Bookmark Toolbar. The toolbar is the secret to less clicking.
   

dia. 1 (Firefox - uncheck all unnecessary toolbars; I also uncheck Tabs on Top)

dia. 2 (Firefox browser screenshot of Bookmark Toolbar)

dia. 2a (Firefox browser additional screenshot of Bookmark Toolbar)

I have found that Xmarks works well in both Firefox and IE. Firefox crams the icons a little closer together, so Firefox still wins out as my default browser. However, the Safari toolbar does not display the icon images. Therefore, on my Mac computer I do not use Safari.

17 Personal Apps for the iPad

Last week, I gave you a list of the my top 13 business apps I use on my iPad. This week I'll share my top 17 personal apps. I have hyperlinked each app to the iTunes App Store. Make sure you keep all of your apps up-to-date. It's amazing how many enhancements the developers add at no cost. If you can't find an app, wait a month or two and search again. New iPad apps are developed and launched everyday. Why use an app instead of visiting a website? iPad apps are specifically designed and formatted to fit the screen size of the iPad and the features and functions are tappable. Is that a word? It is now!

Special Note: There are several apps that are not native iPads apps. The iPad version may still be in development. However, you can still use an app designed for the iPhone by simply clicking on the x2 button in the bottom right corner to enlarge the screen when you open the app. Using the x2 button can make the text appear blurry. :(

My favorite personal apps:

1. Holy Bible (Free) This app is truly amazing. I use it all the time. You can read scriptures in multiple versions, make notes or bookmark specific text and even perform a search. This app is available for multiple devices. You have the ability to download and store multiple versions on your iPad which eliminates the need for an internet connection.
2. Allrecipes Pro ($4.99) They have a free version, however, it doesn't sync with the desktop version. You pay a yearly membership fee for enhanced membership. This is one of my favorite sites/apps. I use my iPad to prepare my favorite recipes. No more cookbooks. I enter all my favorite recipes in my account. My chef name is MinutesMatter. Who knew?
3. My FitnessPal (Free) This app is native to the iPhone, but of course it works just as well on the iPad. This app makes you aware of the food that you eat and tracks your physical activity. 20,411 people have given this app a 5 star rating!
4. Weber's On the Grill ($4.99) Love to grill? You'll love this app and it is beautifully illustrated.
5. Yelp Hear what the locals are saying about businesses near you.
6. Trip Advisor (Free) Love this one. . . looking for something to eat, place to stay or something to do? You can either enter a location or use your current location to locate just about anything. They even have forums for almost anywhere you are planning to go.
7. aSleep HD (.99 cents) If you like use a sound machine when you sleep this is a must have app when you travel.
8. DIRECTV (Free) Whether you subscribe to DIRECTV, Dish or Comcast be sure to add their app to your collection. You can quickly set up a recording (if you have subscribe to that service) check out what is going to be playing on your favorite channels. Searching via the iPad app is much faster than viewing the guide on your television.
   
9. PhonePower (Free) We use a VOIP for our personal phone service. One thing I love about VOIP phone service is that you can listen to your voicemails anytime and from any place. You can listen to your voicemails form your computer, iPhone or iPad. Complete incoming and outgoing call logs are available. Technology is amazing.
10. Cake Doodle (.99 cents) Sand Slides (Free Limited time) Talking Tom Cat 2 (Free Note: free version has a button to purchase items for the dog; don't fall for it) Great games for your children or grandchildren.
    
11. Redbox (Free) This app is native to the iPhone, but of course it works just as well on the iPad. Rent and reserve movies for only $1.
12. TWC Max (Free) Check out the weather conditions in any city.
13. WebMD (Free) Sick and no doctor in sight? Check out this app.
    
14. Merriam Webster Dictionary (Free) This is another must have app. Wow is all I can say about this app. I can't believe it is free. Touch the mic inside the app and speak any word you want to look up. The app will also recite the word for you so you can learn to pronounce it correctly. Love that!
    
15. FoxNews, CBSNews, ABCNews, NBCNews (Free) Get a quick snapshot of what's happening in the world today.
16. Wikipanion Plus ($4.99) or Wikipanion (Free) Want to know more about something? Wikipedia is the place to look.
17. Appstream (Free) Displays the hottest apps in the IOS universe. You can set a filter to only displays free apps and control the animation speed.

Inaugural Mocha Cafe

Gail Doby and Erin Weir of Design Success University, welcomes you to the first inaugural Mocha Cafe. Each week Gail and Erin will introduce the theme for the week along with the designer and resource spotlights, activities for the week, and one of their interesting and design stories.


CLICK THE KEYWORDS BELOW TO LEARN MORE:

interior design education, interior design university, business interior design

Workflow - Best Practices for Connexion

Anytime you can standardize or systematize any process or any micro-procs as a part of your day to day tasks, you're better for it. Your business benefits, you benefit and your bottom line benefits. So because of the importance of todays' Cafe', we want ensure those who couldn't attend receive the same easy-to-follow, easy "flow" information as those who did. Here's how our review of CONNEXIONs design & fabrication project work flow can work for you: There are so many more features and business tools found in CONNEXION that we could not cover today. But we felt it was so important to give you a top-level overview of how to process your design and fabrication projects. It's the very important first step to understanding just how much CONNEXION can do for you each and every day. We save you hours of management and data entry time, we organize your business and your custom design projects automatically, we take care of all the communication that takes place, we help you look professional and feel good about all you can accomplish ... We're CONNEXION and we mean business . . . your business!

NEW Update for Studio 3.0 is ready to install

We wanted our Studio users to be the first to know that we have released an important update for all Studio 3.0 users. EVERYONE will want to install this new update as soon as possible.

What's included in this update?

• Studio's search feature is much faster
• The Design Directory of Bedding module* over 1,000 images (haven't purchased this new module click here) Register for the free Beautiful Bedding webinar June 8th and receive a promo code for $35 off.
  
• Improved activation process

*If you have already purchased The Design Directory of Bedding module, your account is already activated for this module.

Important notice: Studio 2.0 users, we are retiring Studio 2.0 at the end of this year. After that date Studio 2.0 will no longer be available for download, nor will tech support be available. Click here to upgrade to Studio 3.0.

Didn't receive a notification that a Studio update was available? When you open Studio you should see a pop-up alerting you that there is an update available. If you didn't receive this notification, click on the link below to install the update.

http://www.minutesmatterstudio.com/files/mmstudio_setup.exe

Confirm that you have the new build date of 5/14/2011. To confirm build date > Open Studio > click on Options (upper right corner next to the ?) > click About MMStudio > (Build 5/14/2011) is displayed at the top. Any modules you have purchased will be displayed below the build date. For those of you that have already purchased, you will see your new module listed as JVTB1.

If for some reason your build date is NOT 5/14/2011, you will need to uninstall your current version of Studio and then click on the download link in this post (above) to install the new version. To uninstall Studio > click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > scroll down to locate Minutes Matter Studio > highlight and click Remove.