After a class that I taught at TriplePlay this December, a student camp up to me and said these words "All this tech stuff is easy for you, how can I figure out what works for me?

I started in on some suggestions . . .  then I stopped.

It has not been easy for me. I am baby boomer who worked on a computer the size of a high school gymnasium when I was in college in the 70s. I remember where I was during Woodstock. You get the picture.

How did I figure all this stuff out? In the late 1980s I ran the marketing division for my real estate firm and we bought our first computers in 1986. I had graphic designers, a staff of 5 who needed direction from me. We did all the marketing for a five office company and we had twleve subdivisions going on at the same time. (those were the days.)

It was my job to figure it all out. So I bought a spiral notebook. I hired a consultant. I paid this guy $45 an hour and I spend thousands of dollars of my own money to learn how to use those computers. I wrote it all down in my notebooks. What was frustrating was that every time I sat down at my computer I had to open the notebooks and follow my written instructions, word for word.

Six months later, one night  after working with real estate clients I sat down at my computer and started working. I realized that I didn't have a notebook open! What a great feeling.

I paid the price . . . will you?

(BTW if you are anywhere near Atlantic City in December, you should attend TriplePlay. National speakers, great trade show and a guaranteed REBarCamp in 2010!)