Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
Things I Love: My New Merrells and My Friend Kurt
I hope nobody reads this entry or watches the videos. So there I was, bouncing around Facebook as I’m apt to do, and my sister gets to talking about needing a new pair of running shoes like people sometimes talk about on Facebook. I’m sure I commented something witty under her post when, all of a sudden, my friend Kurt says, “if only you knew someone who worked for Merrell and could get you shoes at cost.”
I knew Kurt was awesome in many ways, but wasn’t aware of his awesomeness in regards to foot apparel. So I comment back, “well, if you could get me a pair of their barefoot running shoes, I’d scream like a teenage girl.” And with that …a deal was made. 10 days later, well …the videos should speak for themselves.
THANK …YOU …KURT!
p.s. My wife thinks this should be a Merrell promotion or ad campaign called something like, “give someone some shoes” and all that person would have to do is scream and show how excited they are. Anyone working for a shoe company who wants me to head up that effort and make it all viral, and social, and stuff …I’m in.
Again …THANK …YOU …KURT! And if you’re wondering, they’re the Merrell Road Glove J38395 …the Merrell barefoot running shoe, and they’re glorious!
The Shoes Arrive
The Shoes Make Me Celebrate
Things I’m Doing: 44 Days of Ties (Day 1)
I’m about to commit to something greater than anything I’ve ever done. Actually, it’s not that great, but you might be entertained. I’m “bringing stuffy back.” Yes …the return of the tie. In 2012 …nobody except lawyers and TV anchors seem to be wearing ties anymore. There was a time when everyone wore ties …always. And if you dared show up to work (at least my work) without a tie, oh… the looks you’d get.
Now I’ve got 44 ties hanging in my closet collecting dust and I feel sorry for those ties. My wife picked many of them and really worked hard to coordinate ties and shirts. Some date back to when my Mom was alive and she really loved buying me shirts and ties. Some are skinny. Some are cheap. Some are, um, 15 years old.
Today, I’m sporting a modified version of the new pattern-shirt-solid-color-tie trend. It’s definitely a pattern-shirt, and nearly a solid-color tie. I figured I could get away with it because if you glance quick or walk by me in the hall, it just looks like a dark green tie. The shirt really isn’t meant to be worn with a tie …but screw it. See, the collar doesn’t have any collar stays, and it’s not a button-down, so it sorta does this crazy flying wing thing.
The tie is a Versa (no, you haven’t heard of it) and it’s a very, very cheap tie. Shirt is from Macy’s. They were not bought together but pair up as part of one of those happy accidents where a tie goes with some shirts you never expected it to. The shirt it came with was light green and I got rid of that shirt two years ago when I lost weight and started to look silly in 16 inch neck shirts.
I know what you’re saying …holy crap, Don will blog about anything. How obnoxious. But I bet you can’t wait until tomorrow. Here’s a teaser …jeans, white shirt, tie …I call it the “80s Stand-Up Comic” look. See you then.
Things I Think: Maybe I’ll Do Something Different Every Day?
Sometimes I think my rambling blog needs at least a little organization, so I was thinking of naming the days …like “Social Media Sunday” and “Motivational Mondays”. That way you can check into my blog when you know I’m hitting on a topic you like. “Me, Me, Me Mondays?” That has a ring.
Try some of these on for size…
“Selfish Sundays”
“Me, Me, Me Mondays”
“Talk About Don Tuesdays”
“Writing Wednesdays”
“Thinking Thursdays”
“Family Fridays”
“Silly Saturdays”
See where I’m going? Like, this past weekend my 9 1/2 year-old swam in her first swim finals and she amazes me, even though at times she frustrates me. She’s combative so while she’s arguing every point and constantly acting like she’s failing and can’t find the strength to do anything or succeed, she actually never really talks herself out of anything. In fact, it’s quite the opposite …to hear her talk, she’s not good at anything, doesn’t really love what she’s doing, and she’s so impatient and hyper, there’s no way she could be achieving great things. But, behind that outward persona, she never misses a dance class, a soccer practice or game, rarely misses school, never skips her homework, and this summer, she was in the pool every day working and swimming. Her two events all season were backstroke and freestyle. Backstroke …eh. I mean, she did improve, but it was more exciting to watch her swim freestyle.
So, she’s been working and working. Her first meet she swam her 50 meter freestyle in 1:04. In the next few meets she burst into the :59-second range, jumped down to the :58-second range, and back up. So before Saturday’s “B Finals”, as they’re called, and coming off four days of flu/fever, we implored her to eat right the night before, go to bed early like coach said, and then wake up and eat right all day. We told her to remember what coach said about a “good start” and technique, and not breathing down the home stretch.
What I’m saying is …my daughter inspires me. She inspires me because she’s honest to a fault, kind (including 80% of the time to her siblings), and she works hard even though there are tears and arguments all along the way. But she never stops.
So, here, is why I’m so proud of her and why she inspires me …her final swim of the 2012 season …:57-seconds. That’s my girl in the swim lane closest to the camera. And I’m sorry …I don’t know why I shot it in portrait mode. Oh, and I don’t know who that crazy lady screaming my daughter’s name was, but let’s just say, when my daughter made the turn at 28-seconds, the crazy screaming lady and I both knew she could turn in her best time of the year and give herself a nice reward for all her hard work.
We’ll call today “Triumphant Tuesdays”. I like that.
Things I Love: Helping People
Today I’ll have two meetings and three conversations regarding blogging, writing, and social media. I’m certainly not an expert and haven’t turned my blog into a household name, nor have I written a best seller based on the massive loyal following I’ve acquired through years of writing about American Idol and The Bachelor over at spunkybean.com. But I really like doing it and I learn a little bit more every day.
I’ve learned enough, I guess, that other people who don’t blog or Tweet or engage in conversations on Facebook wonder, hey, how does all this work?
My latest pet project will be for my friend Nick, a quadriplegic who’s been in a wheel-chair since he was 20 as a result of a gymnastics accident. Thing is, his drive and his refusal to let his chair limit him sometimes makes me forget he’s in a wheelchair. If that sounds harsh, it’s not meant to …it’s inspiring …trust me. Travel? He does it. Skydive? He does it. Scuba dive? That, too. In fact, he’s had more worldwide adventures in his 23 years paralyzed than many people have in a lifetime. In a word …he’s living!
So now he’s launching a blog to chronicle his past adventures and start planning new ones. His site is Off the Accessible Path (it’s a play on words around the phrase “off the beaten path”). I love it. In fact, in speaking with him last night, as he was explaining he doesn’t really want to make any money off the site, just wants to inspire others in wheelchairs, show that anything can be done if you put your mind to it, and hopefully help others plan big adventures, I was inspired. Not to skydive (I’m a chicken), but to keep pursuing my dreams and helping others achieve there’s.
Thanks, Nick. Thanks for reaching out to me and flattering me with an opportunity to be a part of something I think can be really great.
Things I Love: Holy cow! Voice to text really works!!!
So I wanted to see if I could really write a blog entry using iPhone voice to text technology. This entry is composed completely via my voice and not typing a single thing on a keyboard.
Pretty much, I’m living in the future and anyone still using a keyboard to type is living in the past.
However, it’s not as easy to talk versus write for a writer. There’s something completely organizational about typing and putting things down on paper or on text format versus speaking.
But I’ll learn.
That’s all I’ve got for now. If you are a writer and have an iPhone or I assume an iPad 2 or 3 has the same technology, try it. I never realized what that little microphone symbol was on the iPhone keyboard right down near the spacebar. On occasion I’ve bumped it with my thumb and didn’t know what it was prompting me to do.
Now I know.
Have a great weekend.
Oh, and here’s a picture of the final present of I Love Don Week, which was an all you can eat crab leg pig-out session with my dad on our birthday. Thanks, Dad!
Things I Love: I Love Don Week (Epilogue)
Congratulations to everyone who made “I Love Don Week 2012” the best “I Love Don Week” of all time. There’s so many people to thank, I don’t know where to begin. And, because this blog is about me, thanking other people would take the focus off of me and I’m not sure that’s the best idea for this blog.
Lead primarily by my wife, and my Dad, here’s the final tally.
o two meat thermometers for better grilling
o an outdoor utility cart/table/cutting board for grilling
o Poland’s Euro/World Cup futbol jersey
o date night at Treat Dreams (in Ferndale)
o USA Soccer warm-up jacket
o scratch n win lottery tickets, which netted $26
o sunglasses (purchased with the lottery ticket winnings)
o Adidas soccer sandals
o double burger-press
o Thai spices
As temps soared across the nation this past week and records were set, I think it’s safe to say the biggest story is the record setting “I Love Don Week” haul of gifts. Plus, I’ve never had so many birthday well-wishers and I think the decade I’ve spent talking about and promoting “I Love Don Week” and marketing my birthday and my brand speaks to the incredible amount of attention I got yesterday on the big day. I don’t have statistics from 10 or 20 years ago, but I’m confident my birthday wasn’t recognized by 300+ people as it was yesterday. It’s interesting because many people say social media is “silly” or “selfish” or “a plague on society” or “a complete waste of time” and “unnecessary” and “leading us to a society of egocentric behavior and narcissism” and …well, you get my point. But I argue the opposite. All joking aside, who doesn’t like a little birthday wish every now and then? Who doesn’t like a little recognition for a great accomplishment? And if you ask me, “who cares about what sandwich I had for lunch?” I’ll answer, “more people than you realize.”
I often hear, “social media …puh …if I want to talk to someone or keep in touch, I’ll call them.” Truth is …no you won’t. Nobody will. And nobody ever did. It’s OK. It’s impossible to keep up with everyone and everything, including birthdays, births, marriages, graduations, and deaths. Social media, and specifically Facebook, makes it possible. Yes, I want to know when an old friend has a baby …and so do alotta people. Yes, I want to see my friends new home and be happy for them. Yes, I want to know how my friend’s wife’s chemo treatments are going. Yes, I want to know when my nieces and nephews make the honor roll, win a championship, or “chill with their BFFs” and no, I don’t understand their inside jokes, youthful humor, or their music (ok, yes I do love their music), but it’s fun to see it all.
Facebook and social media makes it all possible.
I’m sad “I Love Don Week” only comes once a year, but I look forward to next year and setting new records.
Things I Don’t Do: I Don’t Have a Niche.
Sometimes I wonder why this blog doesn’t have 10,000 readers and why I’m not already a highly sought after writer, speaker, and humorist. It’s either (a) I rarely post entries, (b) most people don’t want to read about “Don Kowalewski” and his rambling thoughts, or (c) I’m actually dead but because Haley Joel Osment is still talking to me, I think I’m alive and blogging.
That was a Sixth Sense reference, by the way.
Maybe I should offer advice with every blog entry? Like, I’m writing this blog entry about a lack of measurable results and trying to be funny and then …bam …I switch to a “self help” post where I compare my blog-success with any “success”, be it fitness, dieting, or relationships. The analogy would be easy to create.
Maybe I should end each blog entry with a few questions …questions so good and so compelling even the casual reader will be compelled to answer or pose a question of their own. And I don’t mean I’ll ask “should Roe v. Wade be overturned” or “will Obama Care bankrupt our nation?” That would be pandering and appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Or maybe I should really figure out my “niche.” According to the AMAZING Rochelle Melander, who inspires me every week, my lack of readers could simply be because I’m rambling and unfocused.
Is this a blog about…
- Don?
- Parenting?
- Coffee?
- Writing?
- Being unfocused?
- Finding adventure?
I’m supposed to ask myself, “why am I an expert and worthy to write a blog on a specific topic?” Then I need to identify my reader, what they need, and be able to easily list 25 blog entry titles.
Gulp!
My success (or lack of success) in blogging is because I’m unfocused. My success (or lack of success) in my career is because I’m unfocused. My success (or lack of success) in writing is because I’m unfocused. My success (or lack of success) in fitness and diet is because I’m unfocused.
See what I did there? Blogging, like any craft, vocation, hobby, or effort, won’t be what you envision if you lack focus, dedication, discipline, and consistency. And a niche. For the same reason your blog hasn’t been featured on MSNBC, neither has your amazing body or your
This blog, for now, isn’t going to have a niche and as I tell people, it continues to be a blog for me, about me, written by me. If you happen to stop by and love reading it, well, you’re totally awesome. You must love hearing about my birthday wish-list and my lung conditions.
Why do you read this blog? What topics would you like me to delve into further? If I had legions of loyal readers, I’d have a million comments.
I guess the best I can hope for, for now, is that some of my readers are like me and they have a career, and a hobby, and kids, and commitments, and a marriage, and outside interests, and this blog will feel like the voice inside their heads and it will be something light and fun to read while we all navigate our complicated world.
Here’s another song I’ll be adding to my running playlist. Welcome back, DMX.
Things I Love: I Love Don Week, Day 5
We’re in the home stretch of “I Love Don Week”, that week leading up to my birthday on July 11th. It’s been amazing so far, but there’s always room for improvement. And don’t think this week is all about me …I’ve given you a gift as well. Yesterday I started running, again. 3 miles yesterday and 3 miles today. How is this a gift to you, you ask? Well, I’m working to give you a better version of Don and also extending the number of years the world will be able to enjoy Don’s existence. See? And you thought “I Love Don Week” was the ultimate exercise in self- adulation and arrogance. Just imagine the joy you’ll know when next you see me and I’ve lowered my body weight, my resting heart rate, and start sleeping 7-hours each night …it’ll be like looking at a work of art.
Critics of current parenting often point to the fact parents are constantly rewarding their kids for minor accomplishments or things that aren’t accomplishments at all. They say we give kids a sense of entitlement and importance they don’t deserve and haven’t earned. And I agree …this sense of entitlement and importance should be created on their own. Nobody gave me this current air of superiority …it took years of dedication to selfishness, disillusionment, and self-aggrandizement. I hope my kids look at me and this “I Love Don Week” and they grow up to be just like me. I’m not about to give them their own week …this was my idea. They can invent their own week.
Speaking of running …though today I feel like I was in a car accident, I can tell already, after only 2 days and 6 total miles, that my body is thanking me. This will be my 39th birthday and I’ll be marching swiftly towards 40 and a mid-life crisis, so at least I’d like to turn 40 living a life I control. I’m sure, a year from now, I’m going to have all sorts of regrets and be depressed as I face the reality of aging and mortality, but if I can be healthy …well, it will be one less thing for me to fret about.
Here’s the updated list. It’s still pretty much all my wife …so get on it. Start “loving” Don.
o Adidas or New Balance minimalist running shoes
o a burger press for my grill
o grill accessories (I got two meat thermometers)
o a Weezer vintage graphic tee
o the soccer ball from the Euro cup 2012
o $20 iTunes card
o iPad 3
o quality nose-hair trimmers (a sure sign I’m getting old)
o the men’s line from Arbonne (I’m almost out of everything)
o Fifth of Canadian Club
o 1 lb of Chazzano coffee
o a French Press (hey, I’ve never had one, and I’m a coffee snob, so …I should have one)
o Poland’s Euro/World Cup futbol jersey
o lottery tickets
o America’s World Cup 2014 jersey
o a Mac book
Oh, and here’s the beauty (and depression) that comes with running on a Sunday morning. Fire up an Alternative Rock station on a Sunday morning (on iHeartRadio, for example) and most will be playing “classic alternative”. It’s great to relive some old memories when They Might Be Giants, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Psychedelic Furs, and Depeche Mode come one …but it’s also one more reminder that, hey, dude, you listened to these songs 20 years ago. Haha, you’re old. Nice 10-minute mile, buddy.
That’s how my ego talks to me.
Anyway, this classic Depeche Mode song is, in my mind, their best song ever and turns out has a great tempo for running. And after the video, the recent commencement address by David McCullough that raised quite a stir when he told Wellesley grads, “you are NOT special.”
Things I Love: Don (I Love Don Week 2012)
Of all the blogs I’ve ever hosted and written, this is one of them. It’s also the least cared for and cultivated, which is a shame, because if I ever want to become an Internet sensation, I’m going to have to do much better than 23 posts in a year.
Luckily, there’s one amazing week every year that gets the blog jump-started, and it’s “I Love Don Week” which is, for the newcomers, the week leading up to my birthday. I’m a little late in getting started in 2012 because I went on vacation, but it doesn’t mean “I Love Don Week” doesn’t still happen even though I’m not blogging about it.
It’s Saturday and officially it’s Day 3 of “I Love Don Week”. So far, so good. Last night my lovely wife boughte $10 worth of scratch-n-wins and I won. Solid. Today, she’s taking the driving duties on our three hour car ride home from vacation so I can, ahem, “write”, and that’s what I’m doing. She thinks I’m writing for my clients. Don’t tell her. Oh, and on Thursday she surprised me by starting our vacation by revealing she brought Shuler’s Bar Cheese on our vacation. Usually she doesn’t buy it for me because I’ll eat the whole thing in one sitting and make myself sick to my stomach. But during “I Love Don Week”, an upset stomach is allowed because of my unopposed gluttony.
One thing troubling me, however, is that my wife is doing the bulk of the heavy lifting, and that’s probably my fault. Usually this blog has a wish-list and others can play along. So without further ado, here’s the “I Love Don Week” wish-list.
o Adidas or New Balance minimalist running shoes
o a burger press for my grill
o grill accessories
o a Weezer vintage graphic tee
o the soccer ball from the Euro cup 2012
o $20 iTunes card
o iPad 3
o quality nose-hair trimmers (a sure sign I’m getting old)
o the men’s line from Arbonne (I’m almost out of everything)
o Fifth of Canadian Club
o 1 lb of Chazzano coffee
o a French Press (hey, I’ve never had one, and I’m a coffee snob, so …I should have one)
That’s all I can think of right now, and I should really get to writing for my writing clients and not waste these 2 1/2 hours of travel time alone with my keyboard.
Happy “I Love Don Week!”
Things I Do: Write about The Bachelorette (and more)
I write about American Idol. I write about The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor Pad. I write about new home construction (as a ghost-writer) and making money in luxury real estate (also as a ghost-writer). All this writing and ready-made topics, and at times I still struggle to find motivation.
This summer I’m leaning heavily on the Write Now Coach, Rochelle, to keep me motivated. Today she blogged a tip about managing your social media reputation. In a nutshell, she recommends the following…
- Search for ‘Brand You’
- Set up Google Alerts
- Correct Mistakes
- Create Your Own Content
- Repeat!
For more in-depth analysis, check out the full blog entry.
I tell my writing clients I need only 1/2-hour per day to give them blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts full of engaging content and interesting things. But the truth is, I need more than that. I need about a half-hour to get warmed up. Then a few minutes to get energized and get the creative juices flowing. Here’s how I get amped up to write.
- Buy a coffee at a coffee shop.
- Log-on to their Wifi.
- Post a FB status message. Send a Tweet.
- Quick read the very last thing I wrote.
- Lament the fact my best writing is behind me.
- Remember the first rule of comedy writing – your work doesn’t suck.
- Check Twitter and hope for an article about writing to distract me or motivate me.
- Sip coffee.
- Check Facebook.
- See if anyone IM’d me.
- Answer emails not about writing.
- Quick write three ideas.
- Pick out some music to stream while writing.
- Eaves drop on any conversation I can hear in the coffee shop.
- Check the clock and see how much time I’ve wasted.
- Panic a little.
- Refer back to my three ideas.
- Quick make tomorrow’s “to do list”.
- Sip coffee.
- Change music selection.
- Once panic has reached capacity, the panic that comes with realizing you’ve wasted nearly 45-minutes doing and writing nothing, turn that panic energy into writing and launch into writing based on my three ideas.
Panic is what, eventually and finally, motivates me. Any ideas how to fix that? How can you create the sense of panic and the level of creation that comes from panic without actually panicking?
Yup …that’s my writing tip. I’m no Rochelle. But she is, and she’s better than a bout of panic, any day.
Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander is an author,
a certified professional coach, and a popular speaker. Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book
in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It) is the 10th book authored by Melander, who
teaches professionals how to write fast, get published, establish credibility, and
navigate the new world of social media. Get your free subscription to her Write Now!
Tips Ezine at http://www.writenowcoach.com and sign up to be a member of her Write
Now! Mastermind class for professionals at http://www.writenowmastermind.com
Don Kowalewski 