Sarah enjoying her 10th birthday at Pops

Lately I’m noticing a major trend in helping people.  I’m kind of addicted. This set of stories is almost in order, but the shorter story that happens later, I’m putting in the front.

While at dinner at the 140Conf Smalltown, I got to talk to Sheila Scarborough, who was telling me about how on her drive to Kansas, she stopped by Pops Soda Shop in Oklahoma.  This place has over 500 flavors of Soda from all over the world!

This of course fascinated me, so I decided I would go on my way to Austin.  I went and it was pretty cool (and that will be another blog post- I took video and photos). In this blog post I’m not writing about the soda.  I’m writing about Sarah. Read the rest of this entry »

I was asked to speak at Jeff Pulver’s 140conf again.  This one was the first of his Smalltown series, helping people in small towns leverage the real-time web

I enjoy public speaking, and I like Jeff and what he’s doing, so I agreed, and then had to figure out what to present on.  I titled it Putting your small town on the map while having some fun”  -  the absolute best part was after the event when dozens of people from various small towns thanked me for helping them.  They said it inspired them, it gave them solid ideas, it was fun, it was really helpful.

That’s who I wrote this for, so… that meant a lot.  Anyways- enjoy the presentation, and leave a comment with your thoughts… I’d love to know what you thought of it. If you like it, share it.

I drove into Hutchinson, KS to attend the 140Conf Smalltown event. On my drive down, they said I should present, so I said I’d come up with something.

It turns out that I’d be here Halloween weekend, so I was wondering what we’d do for Halloween. Thankfully, Jeff Pulver does things with style- he arranged to have a private costume party at the local salt mines! We were hanging out 650 feet beneath the ground.

I wondered what I’d wear… so I put it out there on Twitter and Facebook. I got many obvious suggestions: “Couch” “Photographer” “Wizard of Oz character”. None of them moved my soul, until Read the rest of this entry »

Alissa and Lexi

Greetings from Gladstone, MO.

How did I get here?  Well, I drove of course… but, why am I here?  ’cause Alissa invited me.  So, who is Alissa, and why am I telling you to keep on blogging?  Read on, and find out (I also had a run in with Mark Twain, and had the luckiest car breakdown ever)!

I had just driven from La Jolla to Vegas to Detroit, and had met incredible people, and heard incredible stories at the 140Conf Detroit, and was about to head towards Hutchinson, Kansas to attend the 140conf Smalltown. I had too many opportunities, and wasn’t sure which way to head.  Should I head to Hutch?  Should I swing by Nashville and shoot (pics) some country stars?  I posted on Facebook / Twitter my thoughts, and got a contact form e-mail:

“I don’t have a chic cottage on the lake but I have an open guest room, with a bed, if you are in need. I started following you/r story when my good friend and former room mate, Holly, mentioned meeting you awhile ago. My house is just outside of Kansas City in Gladstone, MO if you are needing a place to pass through on your way to Hutch. Not promising breakfast in bed… but there is a room and wifi and offstreet parking Safe travels!!”

In early 2009, I met Holly, whom later became one of my couches, and even went on adventure with me in Oregon! It was thanks to Holly that I discovered most of the springs, waterfalls, and parks that Austin has.  She probably also makes the best margaritas in Austin, and as far as I am concerned, better BBQ than Kansas City.  How can I say that? Because I’ve finally eaten BBQ in Kansas City.

Alissa had heard of me through Holly, and for 1.5 years has been reading my blog, but not saying anything… until I was sort of in need.   Read the rest of this entry »

In 2007 I met Skizzy when I couchsurfed with him, instead of staying in Alabama where there was a tornado.  We adventured all over the place, from road trips, to crazy skydiving events.  We’ve been through a lot. When he started dating Alyx, I thought from the start she was brilliant.  She was (is) pretty, hardworking, polite… clearly has had good parenting.

Alyx found an embarassing old VHS tape of Scott dancing, and asked me to convert it to digital. I said that I would, and that I would post it when it was least expected. A year later, I gave Skizzy the VHS back. He said “Couldn’t convert it, eh?” I replied “It’s difficult to find a VHS player, let alone one that converts to digital.” – but I never said that I didn’t get it converted. Almost a year after returning the tape, here’s the video, posted online, after it’s been long forgotten:

If we’re not careful, all our analog memories shall fade.  It’s fairly simple to get your VHS tapes, 8mm films, slides, and photos converted to digital, so that you can humiliate yourself and your friends and family… er… so you can share and relive those precious memories.

Why not go find your own faded memories, and put them online, tagging all the participants  You’ll brighten not only their day, but also all that they are socially connected with.

More importantly though, always keep your word.  This was one of the more difficult things  I’ve had to do– to have this video, and actually wait until it was forgotten about.  But, damn, I feel GREAT posting this.  Many people got a smile today.  Check out some of these comments!  Leave your comment below, and make sure to like / share this.

Amazing people telling amazing stories.  I highl recommend you watch.  Please share this!  That’s how real change is made – spread ideas!

The World's Largest Truck Stop

I just drove from Las Vegas (Sunday 1pm PST) to Detroit, Michigan (8pm EST Tuesday). It’s about 2110 miles.  I want to tell you how crazy Blog World was in Vegas.  I’ll try to do a short version, though being short-winded is not my strength.

Vegas: Fun! Tons of friends from all over the world.  Met new ones.  I love memorable meetings- When I met Deb, it was at a club, and Kate said “Give her a foot massage” “Ok” – so.. I’m on the floor at this club, this woman is writhing in pleasure, and that’s when we made introductions.  We’re great friends now.  I even danced!  A lot!  Like, pick the girl up, swing her around, Salsa, Cha-Cha, swing, hip-hop… who knew?!  I wasn’t even drunk.  Good mood can make a huge difference.

Read the rest of this entry »

I announced these from the road via twitter & facebook, as both winners are on both… but, just to make it official:

1st Place is Isabella Jones (@Fitbet) – She will receive 4 hours of my services / consulting.
2nd Place is Andy Dolph  (@acdolph) – He will receive one hour of my services / consulting.

I may also be going to surf Andy’s couch in New Hampshire in order to photograph what sounds like an amazing performance by Chinese performers.  During the contest, he filled out the CrashMyCouch Form and informed me about the event.  It screws up my schedule, but sounds amazing… so… I am leaning towards a yes.

1. The best way to keep track of where I’m at is through Twitter (http://Twitter.com/CouchsurfingOri)
2. I just remembered there’s the 140Conf event on Tuesday, so I will be speeding up to get there sooner.
3. Traveling is a real time thing, and adjusts to circumstance, so… I may end up in different cities (like Denver tonight)
4. Follow the hashtag #140Conf Roadtrip to keep track of all this.
5. Follow @lttlewys – she will be helping me manage this stuff, since SOMETIMES it’s not safe to tweet and drive!

I am embarking on a roadtrip to serve a social good.

As I’ve grown older, making a difference has become more and more important.

How did this start?

Recently I spoke at the 140Conf, a conference held by Jeff Pulver (CoFounder of Vonage.com, and the guy who is responsible for VOIP (Voice Over IP — Internet-based telephone calls) being free, rather than billed per-call by the phone industries).

I met Jeff prior to the event for coffee and a chat. He was (is) an incredible person. He has a good sense of humor, and helps many people.

His passion for what he does, as well as his intelligence are both quite apparent. I decided I wanted to get involved in spreading the word about the uses of social media for other reasons than just marketing or being social. Jeff recently started his 140Conf Small Town as well, to spread the knowledge of what industries and individuals in those towns can do with these real-time technologies.

Basically, it’s how to leverage social media for social good. That’s a cause I can believe in! I’m not the only one, the mayor of Detroit is opening up the event!

I’ve used social media to connect with people, to connect other people with the people that have exponentially increased their business, with people that can solve their problems, to raise funds for a poodle that needed a $2,500 operation, and much more… the speakers at the 140 Conf have even bigger stories than mine.

So what’s this trip?

I am driving from Las Vegas to Detroit, then down to Kansas.  I will be using Social Media (Facebook / Twitter / 4Square / etc) to announce my locations, and I will have Tweetups (get togethers at certain destinations, generally announced on Twitter).  I am looking to spread usage of social media as a tool for social change, and business growth, while meeting characters. As I find characters, I will be filming their stories.  I am also, as always, looking to connect with great individuals along my route.

If you caravan with me, you get in for free!

That’s right, Jeff Pulver agreed that anyone going with me to the Detroit 140Conf or the Kansas 140conf gets in for free.  Tickets are generally $140, which is a bargain to see the panels and speakers that Jeff has lined up. I’ve never had a Caravan, and that would be rad!

What’s my Route?

I leave Las Vegas on Sunday morning, with pit stops in

Richfield, UT
Grand Junction, CO (Stop for the night here)
Brighton, CO
Grand Island, NE (stop for the nite)
Cedar Rapids, IA
Chicago IL
Then of course Detroit, MI.

Tell Me Your Story!

I, like Jeff Pulver, am looking for characters.  If you have a great story, are a character, and/or are using the internet to affect social good, then I want to know you!  I want to meet you on my journey, and film your story.

Want to be a Couch?

I am also looking for people to Couchsurf with along the way.  If you want me to stay with you, fill out the form at Crash My Couch.

Know Characters?

I’m looking for characters, so if you got them, let me know!  Use the contact form on my site, and let me know who they are …. especially if they are on my route.

Want to go to the 140Conf for free?

Just caravan with me!  Contact me (on Twitter would be great:  I’m at http://twitter.com/couchsurfingori), and let me know!  We can drive together!

Where to have a tweetup?

If you know any places in those cities that would make for good tweetup spots, or own them and want the promotion, then let me know, and I’ll make sure we do it there.

Spread the Word-

Since I need to get the word out about my trip, get people interested in the tweetups (and decide where to have them), and of course to spread the word about the 140conf, I need to bring attention to this post.  So, please post this on Facebook, Twitter, Social Bookmarking sites, StumbleUpon it, e-mail it to your friends, e-mail it to your enemies, forward it to reporters, forward it to bloggers…. just get the word out!

Thanks, and I’ll see you on the road!

Ok, I am packing up right now to go to Vegas for Blogworld.  I have no couch lined up because I want to see what happens when I have a contest, to bribe people to get the word out.

It’s a 4 hour drive, and I’m looking to find places to stay until Sunday morning.  Do you think I’ll have a place to stay for tonight by the time I get to Vegas? We’ll find out!

People are always inviting me to stay at their places, all over the world… sometimes they Skype, sometimes email, sometimes IM, sometimes Twitter, sometimes Facebook, sometimes Myspapce.  Sometimes they just tell me when they meet me.  So, I’ve created Crash My Couch(though that’s not the contest page) – a site where people can fill in the form, tell me a little bit about themselves, and now I’ll have a database of where people are, and what they’re about.  This way as I travel, I can contact you when I get to your neck of the woods.

So, to put that site to the test, and to get the word out quickly that I am looking for cool people to stay with during Blog World (I’m not going to the expo, just the parties), I am bribing you with 4 hours of my consulting time.  Check out my services page, to see all the massively valuable things I can do for you.  You may even recognize some of the people I’ve done things for already.

At Blog World I’ll probably be working on my laptop during the days, and going to parties in the afternoons and nights to meet some of the cool people that i have chatted with on Twitter and Facebook to take our connection a step further.  Everyone I stay with will get a few headshots by me (check the photography link at the top).

So, sign up!  It’s easy!  Seriously… uber easy, go to the BWE 10 contest page for full instructions.

By the way, the drawing will be held electronically (by this incredible contest program I’m testing, not by me) on Sunday morning!

[contest_fb_comments contest_slug="bwe10" width="520" numposts="25"]

I am going to mingle in Vegas, and I intentionally haven’t gotten a couch yet!  Check this out:

My buddy Scott Stratten (@unmarketing) is having some parties at Blog World to celebrate his new book.  Since the author’s photo is one that I took, and Read the rest of this entry »

Social Hub Network

So, I’m sitting here on the beach, where I’m couch surfing, and having a conversation with Jason, who is a neuroscientist (obsessed), and had actually reached out to me…. how he found me?  *shrug*  Actually, just asked him– he says his friend hosted couchsurfers, so he told him about that, and then he wanted to start his own blog, then found a blog about couchsurfing…. which caught his attention ’cause he had thought about couchsurfing, and that happened to be my blog.  Then he read my stuff, and I sounded like a cool person, and he saw I was near by, so he contacted me.  Actually, he thought also that I could teach him how to blog, so when contacting me he said I could crash his place on the beach, if I set him up with a blog.  Cool… just learned that while typing (real time blogging, sweet!).  Ok… back to what I was thinking…. Read the rest of this entry »

A photo I shot/made of Jeff Pulver

I just spoke at the 140Conf – here’s my presentation (with lots of pics), followed by how I got there, and an insane amount of serendipity that follows:

In the presentation I mention how Brandie connected me with Jeff Pulver.  Here is what she wrote!   Read the rest of this entry »

One of my friends/couches works for History Channel, and they are casting for a show called “Off The Grid” – This could be your chance to be on TV and show off your skills.  It’s History Channel, so it won’t be a cheesy reality show, it’ll be the real deal!  They are looking for the following:

NEW HISTORY CHANNEL SHOW IS LOOKING FOR PROS TO TRACK DOWN CONTESTANTS IN MAJOR CITIES!!!!

* Do you have training to locate people in urban areas? Are you Ex-Military?  Active military? Law Enforcement?

* Could you find someone hiding in a major city?

* Do you use technology to track people down?

* Have you ever used someone’s cell phone GPS to find that person’s location?

* ARE YOU: An Investigator? A Tracker? A Hacker? Bounty Hunter? Navy SEAL? Special Ops? FBI? Security Analyst? Surveillance Expert?

If so, we want to hear from you!

The producers of NBC’s “The Wanted” and History Channel invite you to apply for the opportunity to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience on a brand new action packed reality show that challenges people to stay hidden and avoid being caught by staying…

“OFF THE GRID”

APPLY NOW: e-mail a photo, phone # and a brief description of why you think that you would be great for the show to actioncasting@rocketmail.com or call 310-417-1549 ASAP!!!!!

CASTING DEADLINE OCTOBER 15TH !!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just in Sacramento, and drove past a car that had a license plate DR DNO. Doctor Dino, get it? Right next to it was ELPRMO. These are some of the mildest vanity plates that I’ve seen around. There’s some cocky ones… generally displayed on cars that cost more than many peoples’ annual incomes. TSTRSA1 or TOO FST.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I drove past the Doctor and the First. I laughed because I remembered buying my 1st car… a sports car. My 1998 Camaro with T-Tops. She was slick, sexy, and FAST. Clearly such a divine vehicle, driven by a guy that can bench press over 300 pounds is worthy of a vanity plate…. And I had just the 6 letters in mind! Read the rest of this entry »

There is no witticism or bad pun here, this is just an update on where things are going, some life lessons (that can be practical for everyone), a new toy I got, and that sort of thing. So read on, pass it on, and I hope it adds value to your life. Oh yeah, stay till the end, ’cause there’s a funny story about some federal agents patting me and my friend down for drugs! Read the rest of this entry »

So I’m Skype chatting with a friend, and she says “A minor detail”-  My response, completely made up on the spot:

Remember kids, facts tell, stories sell.

Change is good, they say.  I agree.  Toll ways are a bitch without it.  I still get perplexed when I see Parking Meters without credit card (or cell phone) usage. It is a good piece of bullshit to promise people when you’re running for office. But the change I’m talking about is initially hard, and these days my life is all about it.

You see, there’s a chapter in my book called “Ditching Heavy Baggage” — and it’s about how in order to keep living my passion (traveling, meeting new people, learning all I can, finding mentors, having a blast, taking great photos, having adventures, changing peoples’ lives) I had to get rid of people that were weighing me down (hence the baggage metaphor… get it?  I travel, and it’s extra weight).

I’ve heard – and then had proven through experience- that you are the sum average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Read the rest of this entry »

Snow Leopards at The Sacramento Zoo

This isn’t the story on why I was in Sacramento, and what happened there… that’s a fun story I’ll post later.  But, the Sacramento Zoo is helping the community, by offering discounts for people who bring school supplies.  This day, it was free if you bring school supplies.

Brandie (you’ll have to read the other post to see who this other person is), brought her son, and some school supplies, and invited me to join.  Many exhibits close at 3:30, and we got there at 4.  Here are the photos I shot at the zoo for your enjoyment.  I know I never post enough of my photography, but I love taking photos of exotic animals so much, and I know it shows… so…  I just had to make time to share these. Read the rest of this entry »

Sunsets are why I love driving so much!

I’m certain this won’t bring you the serotonin rush that I got from watching the sunset…. but… I truly had regrets about not pulling over and shooting the other day’s sunset.  So, as soon as I saw this one, I knew I had to shoot it.  This time, there was also not a massive onslaught of angry multiple ton trucks speeding past, so… I didn’t have to risk my life.  California is so beautiful!  I hope this adds a little beauty to your day.

If you like it, leave a comment.  If you want a desktop wallpaper, also let me know what your resolution is, and I’ll post it to that size.  Meanwhile, you can see more of my photos (some sunsets in there) at the Couch Surfing Ori Photography Page.

Keith Ferrazzi and his current Nanny

Keith has the most amazing home.  Since he travels so much, and hosts weekly dinner parties, he has to have help. Here’s a wonderful opportunity for anyone in or near LA that wants an amazing with an amazing person (which I honestly think Keith is)- Here is the job posting, followed by an interview I did with the current “nanny”.

Looking for a personal "nanny" (more than just an assistant) for a healthy, crazy busy, fun but very demanding adult 44 year old man.

Skills: Must be SUPER organized, NEVER drops a ball and always finds a way to GET IT (anything) DONE.

Style: Very candid, tough, NO DRAMA. Big nurturing heart, a true caretaker who loves children (none yet).  Trustworthy beyond belief!  Very socially engaging but knows boundaries with many guests and friends. Frugal and a great negotiator.

Special skill: A flair for elegance and throwing parties and dinners.  Able to cook some.

Fairly unpredictable schedule includes many evenings and weekends and some travel required for out of city events.

Please don't waste your time answering this add if even one of these criteria are in question at all.

I’ve met Julie (pictured to the left with Keith), and she is a super hero, capable of all the above listed items… so, I wanted to share what her experience has been for the last 6.5 years working with Keith. Read the rest of this entry »

Setting off alarms, dealing with cat piss, partying with celebs in the highest home in Los Angeles, mingling with some of the world’s top CIOs, and more….

I filmed “a day in the life” – I stayed at Keith’s home, went to his office, saw him lecture at the CIO100,  and rode with him to the airport.  Since that’s got a lot of video, I have to edit it- so I’ll post the whole story soon.

I think Keith is an amazing person, and one of the few who definitely walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

While I’m editing the whole story, here’s what Keith had to say: