Talking About Happy Employees

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My friend Kris created an amazing initiative called Choose People. She’s found a way to celebrate the secret sauce that makes great companies great: their employees.

Choose People certifies companies that go above and beyond for their employees, so that their customers can feel even better about purchase decisions.

She’s holding a contest – happy employees, business owners, and customers can win $500 by submitting a simple, one minute video. Check it out – it’s great practice for Ignite Fort Collins, which, by the way – is accepting spark submissions.

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Political Purviews

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During today’s moment of silence for the victims in Arizona, I’ll be thinking about what I witnessed during the Fort Collins Rally to Restore Sanity.

People of every political party, faith, age, and economic status were present – everyone having a good laugh, holding intelligent conversations, and leaving with a feeling of mutual respect and admiration.

Politics is a game played by people – sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but the important part to remember is that – it’s a game. Moreover, it’s a game played by people who do their best to play by the rules. People who think they’re doing what’s best.

No matter where you fall with your political party, how old you are, what religion you have, what race you are, or how much money you make, you can always appreciate and respect another person’s point of view – even if you disagree.

Violence should always be against the rules. Games that turn violent aren’t games anymore.

So, here’s what I propose: whenever a debate gets too heated, too intense: Shake their hand. Buy them coffee. Stay sane. At the very least, follow the words of Quark: “Every once in a while, Declare Peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.”

(Header photo: American Flags by thenoodleator)

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Global Ignite Week is Coming to Fort Collins

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It’s no secret: I love Ignite. I’ve been lucky enough to speak at Ignite Fort Collins, Ignite Boulder, Ignite Denver, Ignite Spatial NoCo and Ignite Cheyenne. I’ve even met Brady Forrest – one of the creators of Ignite.

5 minutes – 20 slides – 15 seconds per slide. A venue packed with people just waiting to hear your geekdom. I’ve seen some very impressive speakers in my life – but the people who rock the Ignite stage are beyond phenomenal. Global Ignite Week is coming February 7th to 11th – a lot of cities around the world are going to be hosting Ignite events.

My challenge to you: find one and pitch a topic. Something geeky. Something fun. Don’t hold back!

Here’s my second (and favorite) talk from Ignite Fort Collins:

(Header photo: Ignite Fort Collins by Yann R)

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