Digital Hitchhiker

I’m a big fan of stickers, I love getting stickers from businesses and brands. They are low cost and easy to get printed. That’s why one of the first things I did when I started LooseKeys and got going with the HopCast was to make stickers. Some of the stickers are just the logos but the ones that people really love are the illustrated characters. They are a lot more fun then just a simple logo sticker and often instead of giving out business cards, I hand out the illustrated stickers of myself to people.

What’s great about stickers is where they end up. I’m really not out there putting them up anywhere since most of the time you don’t want to get busted for vandalizing property or public spaces. Still somehow they end up all the over the place. Sometimes they are in fun places that a ton of people will see like the bathroom at Pizza Port in San Diego or just a fun location like 15 stories up on the outside of a building.

Typically they end up on street signs or more then likely in the trash. For every 50 I give out, one or two end up someplace pretty neat. What this really has become for me is a low cost form of advertising. Stickers attract attention when someone sees them. So much attention that when someone see’s one, they snap a picture and send it to me on Twitter. How cool is that. Not only have 100’s of people seen this sticker on the street but now everyone that follows this person on twitter now knows that sticker is me. It’s an extremely cost-effective way to create a lasting impression.

Next time you see a sticker of me somewhere, grab a picture and send me a tweet, I love seeing where they end up.

Thank you to everyone who made it out for the second Bike The Breweries. Ken and I had a great group of people yesterday. A big thank you to Finch’s Beer Company, Half Acre Beer Company, Metropolitan Brewing, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Goose Island Wrigleyville and Pipeworks Brewing Company for going above and beyond for our group of riders. At the peak, we had about 45 bikers and we finished the ride with around 15. Hope everyone had a blast, we’re looking forward to next year!

Help the Hop Cast get nominated in this years Podcast Awards! It only takes a few seconds.

Head over to http://www.podcastawards.com/ & nominate the Hop Cast in the Food & Drink category. Since you only get to submit one entry form be sure to vote for your other favorite podcasts as well.

Thank you for the support!

There are some days where you sit down in front of your computer with a fresh cup of coffee or tea and just stare blankly at the screen, there is too much to get done and really no way you can physically and mentally do it. You need to take this as a sign that you need a break and you’re on the verge or burning yourself out.

I’ve been working a full time job as well as doing freelance work on the side for the last three years. Why? Well, mostly because I love what I do. I enjoy learning from each project and meeting new folks. When I look back over the past year, in addition to my full time job; I’ve done graphics for five music videos, been working on three different blogs, have a weekly craft beer podcast, done a handful or explainer videos for different startups and helped to create the Chicago Motion Artists Users Group. No matter how much I enjoy what I do I’m always worried about burning myself out. And with a heavy workload, demanding clients and no free time, it is easy to become overwhelmed and completely burnt out. The problem with me is I’m a workaholic and have an inability to stop at times, which has worked both to my advantage and disadvantage. I know many other freelancers and entrepreneurs who are hustling just as much and are dealing with the same thing. Still pushing yourself isn’t a bad thing but it could come with a price. How do you avoid the burnout with the constant go, go, go? Everyone you ask has their own tips, but it really just comes down to taking a break from the computer; if it’s for five minutes, two hours, or a week. It doesn’t have to be a safari trek across Africa either. It’s all about finding what works for you. I love checking out new restaurants to eat at, so having lunch with a friend, or dinner with my lovely fiancé works wonders. Or I’ll find myself just hanging out with friends, chatting over a fine craft beer. Sure it may not be anything exciting but it’s enough of a break to take my mind off work in order to refocus. When your body and mind starts to suffer then the effects can be seen on your work. Making time for yourself not only can improve your general health but it may even help you to get through that creative block you’ve been having and spark a great idea.