Top iPad App for Business: Sign My Pad (FREE Download Contest) #SignMyPad

The popularity of iPad apps in the app store in iTunes is increasing, there are 50,000 apps now available in iTunes in eight months.

So for Christmas I thought it would be cool to share my favorite iPad App. I am partnering with Autriv to give-a-way free downloads of my favorite iPad app Sign My Pad. The contest rules are listed below.

Contest Rules

Post a Tweet on 12/21-12/22, 2010 on how you would use Sign My Pad and include hashtag: #SignMyPad. Be as creative so that your tweet can stand out.

Five winners will be selected from the tweets that are posted. Each winners will receive a code to download one copy of the Sign My Pad app free of charge.

What is Sign My Pad

Sign my Pad is an iPad PDF signature app that allows you to download PDF files modify them with: text, a radio button or checkbox, the date and your signature. This app allows you to save time in scanning, faxing, and gives you the ability to sign important documents on the go.

This iPad App is Idea for

The iPad continues to evolve as a business tool especially with the release of IOS 4.2 software, the ability to multi-task, set-up folders and air print are great business features.

This app is idea for any business person that needs to sign documents and remain mobile. Utilizing this app allows you to close deals on the go and sign time sensitive documents.

Who Could Use this App?

• Entrepreneurs
• Consultants
• Real Estate Agents
• Insurance Agents
• Independent Contractors
• Business Owners
• Lawyers
• Tax Accounts

Be creative in your tweets and let us know how you are using Sign My Pad.

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Are you Living Life in Default Mode?

Are you living life in Default mode?

Wikipedia defines Default: “Default Values are generally intended to make a device (or control) usable “out of the box”. A common setting, or at least a usable setting, is typically assigned.”

The more time I spend in the branding space helping people and businesses transform themselves, the more I see default settings controlling the operating systems of people and businesses. Living life by Default versus design is the path of least resistance as well as least reward.

Why should someone hire you? Why should someone buy your product? Why should someone listen to you? Why should someone read your blog? Why do you matter? Do you matter? Does your work create conversation? Are you living an undervalued life?

I thought the concept of living in Default would be an interesting topic as 2010 is coming to an end and 2011 is quickly approaching.

Remember, “Success is a journey and a planned activity.” Without goals we are living life by Default. For many people 2010 was a year of change and as technology, the economy, and the world changes you can’t depend on ‘What Was’ to be ‘What Is.’

It is time to establish your goals for 2011 personally and professionally.

Food for Thought: There is a difference between ‘Out of the Box’ and ‘Thinking Outside the Box’.

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Is LinkedIn Holding Back Your Job Search?

LinkedIn wasn’t designed to do anything but help you advance your career and share your personal brand with current and future network contacts. In fact, I can personally testify to the power of LinkedIn in a career search, for it was LinkedIn that enabled me to make the connection that led to my current role.

Therefore, I don’t believe that LinkedIn itself could ever be guilty of holding back your job search. However, what I do believe is that you may not be leveraging LinkedIn and its many features effectively in your search efforts to find and secure your next opportunity.

Here are 15 ways you can use LinkedIn to accelerate your career search:

1. Complete your profile 100%. LinkedIn provides you a step-by-step guide to complete your profile. Not only does completing your profile 100% make you look more professional, but it also, helps optimize your placement in LinkedIn’s People Search results.

Here’s what you need to have a 100% complete profile:

  • Your Current Position
  • Two Past Positions
  • Education
  • Profile Summary
  • Profile Photo
  • Your Specialties/Skills
  • 3 Recommendations

2. Add a professional photo. Don’t forget to add a face to your name and to the brand you are creating on your LinkedIn profile. This helps build a stronger and more personal connection between you and your profile viewers. Also ensure that your profile picture is professional so to maximize your first impression.

3. Proofread your profile for grammar, punctuation and capitalization. Make sure to review your entire profile a number of times to avoid missing any grammatical errors. Ask someone you know to review your profile for an outside perspective and for an extra pair of eyes to catch possible mistakes or opportunities for improvement.

4. Feature your personal brand or statement in your profile. First of all, in your profile subtitle, don’t miss the opportunity to attract more profile viewers and impress potential employers and career stakeholders by listing yourself as “Finance Professional,” “College Student” or anything else generic or boring. Use this area to share your brand and unique and differentiating value with your network and future target audience. Also, don’t forget about your summary section where you can feature your personal brand and supporting pitch and really hook viewers to read the rest of your profile.

5. Customize your own LinkedIn profile URL. Many professionals forget or neglect to personalize their LinkedIn profile URL with their name and leave the default letters and numbers in place. This looks less professional, but also prevents you from using this in your networking efforts to link your contacts back to your profile.

6. Share links to your websites or other networks. Cross-promote your activities online by adding links from your LinkedIn profile to your website, a blog, your Twitter profile, your VisualCV, or any other site you want to share with your network.

7. Get recommended. LinkedIn allows you to collect short, yet informative recommendations from anyone in your network. This is a great feature that helps you come across as a credible, top professional and/or job candidate.

8. Make your profile public. While your privacy is definitely important, establishing an online presence is essential to being found by others and to advancing your career. Make sure not to make your profile private, or you may miss out on opportunities to be searched and found by potential career stakeholders.

9. Round out your profile. There are a number of ways you can enhance your profile and let your personality and brand shine a little brighter in your LinkedIn Profile. Most importantly, don’t forget to add your interests, hobbies or passions in the Interests area as an additional way to connect with new contacts.

10. Get some apps! Check out the various applications available that can do everything from stream in your tweets and feed in your blog posts to share your past presentations and your recommended reading lists.

11. Join LinkedIn Groups. There are thousands of networking groups on LinkedIn for you to join, whether they be for your college, graduate school, current or past employers, industries, associations, functions, you name it. Join any groups that you think will help you in your career networking and start getting active. Participate in discussions and start your own. Post links to articles and resources that will be helpful to the other members and always look for ways to add value.

12. Conduct informational interviews: Most job seekers forget the power of informational interviews. As you build your network and join new groups on LinkedIn, reach out to these contacts and request a few minutes to discuss their careers, their companies and any career advice they might offer to help you in your own. Many times, these conversations can lead to opportunities not posted on job boards.

13. Use the LinkedIn Jobs section. Don’t forget that LinkedIn has its own job board of both aggregated and exclusive job postings. The great thing about applying through LinkedIn is that 1) many times you can see who posted the job (which can help for follow-up purposes), 2) your profile is only a click away for the reviewers which can help link them to your brand and all of your activities and 3) you can click through to the company and see professionals in your network also employed by the company.

14. Find and follow target companies. LinkedIn’s Companies tab offers a very comprehensive directory of company listings by industry, size, geography and more. Use it to identify contacts at specific companies with whom you can conduct those informational interviews, see if they have job postings and even follow their activity to keep track of any future activity you might be able to leverage to your advantage.

15. Become an Expert on LinkedIn Answers. LinkedIn Answers not only allows you to ask questions to which all of LinkedIn’s members can provide responses, but also allows you to answer others’ questions and get rated as an expert for the information and insight that you share. This is featured on your profile as well showing off your expertise and value to profile viewers.

Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing “generator,” a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.

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Brand Insights: Personal & Corporate Branding Workshop w/ @hajjflemings + @appliedstory 01/20/10

Brand Insights was birthed out my desire to provide more personalized attention to entrepreneurs, business leaders, and business owners about branding. One of the big questions I get is that people love Brand Camp but want a one-on-one experience so creating Brand Insights is a way to create that small group environment.

I also wanted to do a project in Detroit and I couldn’t think of a better place than in Detroit Eastern Market FD Lofts.

Learn in-depth insights on how to brand yourself and your business in an energetic 8-hour day. The workshop will be led by two branding and marketing minds (Hajj E. Flemings and Matthew Kruchko) in a unique hands on facilitated environment.

This workshop is limited to 15 like-minded entrepreneurs, business leaders and business owners and will take place in the FD Lofts in the Detroit Eastern Market. The workshop is designed to provide personalized attention in developing and re-thinking your personal and business brands and how to integrate their missions seamlessly.

A large portion of the day will be dedicated to addressing specific personal and corporate branding challenges.
The afternoon will be spent in full consulting mode we will review brand problems or ideas in front of the group so everyone can connect and collaborate in the learning process.
The attendance has been limited to provide great opportunities for quality networking and building valuable relationships.

Schedule

Morning: 8:30am-12pm Personal & Corporate Branding Workshops

Lunch: 12pm-1pm Catered Lunch

Afternoon: 1pm-4:30pm Consulting on Brand Problems/Ideas

Cost: $150 per person

Brand Facilitators

Hajj Flemings – Managing Partner, Brand Camp University

Hajj Flemings: Web HeadshotHajj is the founder of Brand Camp University which runs one of the premier personal branding conference in the Midwest. He is also the author of “The Brand YU Life: Re-thinking Who You Are Through Personal Brand Management” which was selected as one of Fast Company Magazine 2008 Readers Choice Business Books of the year.

He has been featured on Fox 2 News, ESPN.com and BusinessWeek.com and travels nationally speaking as a brand strategist enabling personal and business brands to remain relevant. His clients include Walt Disney, Ford Motor Company, Skechers Footwear, U.S. Department of Defense (Telecom Division). He has spoken at Iowa State University, Davidson College, University of Michigan and numerous colleges and universities around the nation on personal branding, social media and career development.


Matthew Kruchko – Managing Director, AppliedStorytelling

M_Kruchko_updated_photoManaging Director with Applied Storytelling, a leading independent brand and name firm, with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Detroit.

With a deep brand development and marketing background, I help clients to make the most of the continually shifting terrain between customers, communications and channels. As Managing Director of Applied Storytelling, my responsibility is driving brand strategies that help
companies organize their thinking and simplify their communications. My experience in developing branding strategies and executions spans Fortune 500 brands as well as noteworthy consumer and B2B brands in many sectors, including biotech, consumer brands, education, energy, entertainment, financial services, industrials, insurance, non-profits, pharmaceuticals, technology and telecommunications.

Expectations

  • Each attendee will walk away with a brand brief that they have completed with the framework for their personal and corporate brands.
  • Learn best practices on using social media to build brand awareness and market you and your business.
  • Discussion (Q + A) and collaboration on brand challenges of attendees.

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Personal Branding Interview: Rita Benson LeBlanc: Owner - New Orleans Saints (@Official_Saints)


Rita Benson LeBlanc has been recognized as one of the 10-Most Powerful Women in Sports by Forbes. She is the Owner /EVP of the New Orleans Saints and is the granddaughter of Tom Benson the Principal Owner of the New Orleans Saints. I had the honor of interviewing Rita at the Beyond Sport Conference in Chicago, September 28-30, 2010.

Rita has a great story where she has actually earned her stripes and has been instrumental in growing the team’s accumulated annual revenue to $232 million. She began interning for the Saints and in various league offices while still in high school, and went to work for the Saints after college. In 2003 she took over management of the New Orleans VooDoo, the Arena Football League team also owned by Benson, and was named the indoor league’s top executive

Her story is very inspiring as she was worked her way to the top of the NFL (as a team owner) in a male dominated industry. The Saints have also been an inspiration to the nation, Louisiana, and the Gulf Region during Hurricane Katrina and Rita. The Saints have used their team resources, players and finances to help rebuild the community.

As a side note I would like to mention that Rita was very down to earth during the interview process. If she wasn’t credentialed and on the schedule to speak at the Beyond Sport Conference I would have though she was a regular attendee. I appreciate the fact that she wasn’t lost the common touch with all the success she is having with the New Orleans Saints.

To find out more about the New Orleans Saints website I have included the website address below:

Team Website: http://www.neworleanssaints.com/

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