If you read any magazines like Marie Claire, Shape, or Men’s Health and Fitness, you have seen the little notes about what food has been proven to reduce heart disease, increase metabolism, or make you happier. Have you ever wondered what would happen, what your diet would look like if someone followed all of that advice? Would they be perfect, have no cancer, heart disease, or be obese? Nope. Because everyone responds differently to things. Our body chemistry is not the same even though we are all human.

In that same respect, you can read articles all day (and I wholeheartedly recommend it), but in the end there is no magic road map. There are best practices, and ideas to try all the time. But that magic combination belongs to you alone. Will you find it someday? Maybe, but it will change. That is the magic of this business and every business. The goal line is moving all the time. The point is to keep running the race and have fun while you are doing it.

Make mistakes. Try something new. Don’t be afraid to fail. If you ever stop learning … or feel as you have stopped learning, it’s either time for something new or you are dead. Always strive to find that new finish line and have fun on the path of life and success. It’s your path, embrace it.

There is No Map for Success is a post from: Kate Morris

He did order them, and in fact got me one too. (He mentioned where he got them here.) And here is the evidence. Needless to say, there will be much fun with this stamp when doing thesis research.

FAIL Stamp is a post from: Kate Morris

As we argued about the fairness of the perception, none of us debated the fact that it is a reality. Hell, if I could have gotten my MBA from Texas conceivably, I would have. But there were three things holding me back, cost being the major one. It costs upward of $90k to get a Texas MBA. It’ll cost me total maybe $15k including books to get an MBA from Texas State. Major difference there, and I have had minuscule corporate assistance.

But the argument that we are getting less of an education is completely relative. As I have explained before, I am getting an MBA because it is a goal of mine. I believe it will assist me in my personal goals, but does not make me a better marketer than someone else without an MBA or even a Bachelor’s degree. I know scores of highly intelligent people that graduated from the school of life. These people teach me things everyday, they school me even, and have never stepped in the classroom of a major institution.

So when it comes to a formal education and its value in the business world I compare it to driving a car. My analogy goes like this: Take two drivers. One in a Audi R8 (see below for other really hot cars) and the other in a Mustang Coupe (yeah … I love Mustangs, quiet), $114,000 and $21,000 respectively. Major different in price and performance of the core product. We all know that by just the product standards, the Audi could take the Mustang any day.

Any sports car driver will tell you though, it’s not the car that makes the difference, it’s the driver and what they do with what they have. Any good auto fanatic with the right experience, product knowledge and patience can turn any base model car into a demon. It’s the passion and dedication of the driver that determines how it will perform on the track and on the road.

It’s the same with an education. It’s not about the base education, it’s about the person and what they do with what they have been given. Most of the people I have ever worked for and respect are those that did their own thing. Getting an MBA or any degree for that matter does not entitle you to more money or respect. Use what you do and learn, no matter where that is, to make a difference and earn the life and respect you are looking for.

P.S. Other suggested cars to use as an example from my friends on Twitter. Thanks guys!!

• Bugatti Veyron
• Nissan GT-R
• Lamborghini Reventon
• Lamborghini Diablo
• Porsche Carrera GT
• Saleen S7
• Aston Martin V12 Vantage
• Ford GT
• 1968 L88 Convertible Corvette

Value of Education is a post from: Kate Morris

In one of my courses this semester, the class got to talking about product reviews and one said something that knocked me to the ground (figuratively). He said that he trusted the long, well documented reviews more than the less formal, shorter reviews. Makes sense in that it has more information and well thought out, but we all know that people do not have attention spans on the Internet. That comment was followed with the opposite point by another gentleman. It spurred my attention and I started to research what had been developed.

There has not been any research specifically on the length of a review and its impact on purchases that I can find currently. There are going to be other variables that I will need to consider like the cost of the product and the emotion related to the review (positive/negative) but this is the start of it. I will spend my summer doing research and (hopefully) making contacts with people who can provide data on reviews and purchases online (*cough*Amazon*cough*).

<plea>If you know anyone, and can make the connection, I will buy you a drink at the next conference, or find someway to make sure you understand how much I appreciate your help. </plea>

So what comments do you have about my topic? Ideas, thoughts, things you want me to research specifically? I want this to be helpful to the community as a whole not just complete my degree. So any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Impact of the Length of Reviews on Online Purchases is a post from: Kate Morris

For me, it’s worth it to incur possible penalties (there are no tests on those days) for what I will gain from attending the conferences. But today I got to thinking why I am even penalized for missing class. I get public school (Grade K-12), other people are paying for you to be there.

At the collegiate level, I really don’t get it, I’m paying (or for some people, someone else is) for the professor to be there and teach me. If I want to miss class, there should be no penalty other than the knowledge missed in class discussion.

If you have assignments due and can turn them in early, I see no reason why you should be penalized. Late or make-up issues I understand, but even then as professionals we have other committments. Sick children, corporate disasters, etc. Don’t give me this crap about preparing me for the real world. Guess what? We live in it! Work does stop for a sick child, work gets made up for a missed day. Get over it!

For example, for SMX East I will be coming back that night and if allowed, using technology I could have joined in class discussion. But the university is not set up for something like that. Where did I get that hairbrained idea? University of Phoenix commericals. Yeah, that idea that has taken the world by storm?

All of a sudden you can learn the same things, get the same work done on your schedule, and interact with other students using technology. This all of a sudden is looking like a better idea for the real professional today pursuing a higher degree. I get why they are the largest growing university in the United States. They are listening to what people need and providing a solution that works with the times.

Universities, get with it. If you can’t keep up, what is happening to the newpaper industry might just be headed for you next. Tell your professors to get consulting jobs on the side to keep up with the industry so that we are not schooling them. Open courses up online and get rid of the stupid requirement, the penality of a docked grade for missing class (for any reason whatsoever other than religious holidays).

Required Attendance @ Graduate Level is a post from: Kate Morris

The Adolescence of SEO

Next up, someone on twitter asked me to keep everyone up to date on my schooling and it’s progress. So I will attempt to be better about updating everyone on what I’m learning and how it applies to SEM. I just got done with a class called “Organizational Behavior” which explored everything from personality types, to teams, to Maslow. Speaking of Maslow, Dana Larson just wrote a post on Maslow and applying the Hierarchy of Needs to Social Marketing. Pretty good. It’s not the theory organizational behaviorists use much anymore but the parallels she draws are awesome.

I did get an A in that class after some hard work, lots of studying (much to Todd Friesen‘s annoyance), and a few times praying. I’m a third the way done (4/12) and holding onto my 4.0. So far so good.

School and Adolesence is a post from: Kate Morris