Esther: Welcome to The BusinessMakers Overtime Show, heard here and online at theBusinessMakers.com. We are your hosts, Esther Steinfeld -

Katie: And Katie Laird.

Esther: - bringing you a slice of the business world.

Katie: That's right. Today's show is bouncing in all directions this week with a great Chapter 3 where Esther, John and I record a podcast discussion about podcasting, huh? A little, you know (Laughter) little echo chamber? Yeah, I don't know. After recently being on a great panel with the Houston Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, we wanna share some of what we were discussing on the panel on Podcasting 101 Basics just for you if you've considered doing this for your business; if you're just interested in some of the things we think about; we wanna throw it out there in Chapter 3.

Esther: That's right. Then in Chapter 2, Katie is going to talk to Amit Gupta, he's the founder of the popular Photojojo photography project site. You're gonna learn how a conversation about crafting with photos led to a newsletter, online store and book that is changing the world of amateur photographers.

Katie: But first, we kick off this party with our Business Week in Review - some groovy links that we love and a top secret awesome fun time word game that Esther wouldn't share with me.

Esther: That's right.

Katie: Such a mysterious woman.

Esther: Hee hee.

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: Well, we do this feature called Business Jargon and I like to throw out a word and see if they can figure out what it is. You'll see.

Katie: Awesome.

Esther: So what's going on? Something crazy is happening lately with - in Great Britain. Tell us what's happening.

Katie: Every time I think of this story, I have the words to that song, "I'm Fergie Ferg let me love you long time." Which has nothing to do with Fergie. (Laughter)

Esther: That was the funniest thing I've ever heard. I hope you keep that for years to come.

Katie: So it's not that Fergie but it's Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. I wish I had a title like that -

Esther: I know.

Katie: - the Duchess of York has found herself caught up in a financial scandal. So apparently, just because you are royalty or former royalty -

Esther: Were royalty.

Katie: I guess you kinda still are if you have the title. Anyway.

Esther: Yeah.

Katie: Doesn't mean that you have completely, hugely deep pockets. So Sarah Ferguson has definitely been very vocal about how she's strapped for cash and in fact, we found a really interesting article on a Houston-based site called culturemap.com that actually goes through a lot of the interesting sponsorships that she's done. You know, the event promotions -

Esther: Weight Watchers, right?

Katie: - the emceeing, the Weight Watchers. She also, like, shills for Neiman Marcus perfume. This woman just is very, very creative with different china and all these things that she attaches her brand to. But apparently that was not enough, even though she gets $21,000.00 a year in her divorce settlement and I believe her husband also pays for a completely amazing house for her and her kiddos to live in - she was recently caught by an undercover reporter from News of the World, which is a British tabloid, who was posed as a business man trying to get access to her ex-husband, the Duke of York, who definitely has a major hand in international trade and business in the U.K. Now, this reporter that was posing to be this business man actually contacted Sarah Ferguson, the duchess saying that, you know, they wanted to get in touch with the duke, could she help them. And then once they actually met, on tape, so this is a recorded conversation - Sarah Ferguson really is not shy at all in asking for a bribe, asking for money to connect the reporter and her ex husband. So she wanted $40,000.00 in cash, up front, with a promise of over $717,000.00 after the meeting takes place.

Esther: Wow.

Katie: That is a significant amount of cash.

Esther: Ballsy.

Katie: Really, really ballsy and unfortunately for her, it was not some, you know, behind closed doors meeting with a business man, it was a reporter. This has been exposed. She is completely, completely devastated but what's really funny is she's apparently not that devastated because, like, two days after this event happened, she's showing up at different premieres and she's emceeing events and kinda laughing it off. So it's very sad and really interesting to watch from, you know, my little voyeuristic perch in Houston, Texas (Laughter) to see -

Esther: Right.

Katie: - how the, you know, the mighty have fallen, right? You know, that's a little dramatic but (Laughter)-

Esther: That's right. And she's going on Oprah to talk about it.

Katie: She's going on Oprah to talk about it.

Esther: To come clean.

Katie: I mean this, yeah, this is rather embarrassing. (Laughter)

Esther: It is. Something else - this is actually pretty tragic. We don't really know why it's happening and they don't know why it's happening but apparently, at Foxconn International in China, which is an Apple manufacturer, they manufacture iPods and iPhones and they're actually one of the largest manufacturers of these products -

Katie: Okay.

Esther: - in China. Several people there have already committed suicide. Like a lot, like nine.

Katie: Yeah, and this has been going on - I mean, it's been a number of months, now.

Esther: That's right.

Katie: This is - yeah, horrible news.

Esther: So, a 19-year-old worker jumped to his death from a building. This is, yes, the ninth person to commit suicide at the factory that makes iPods and iPhones. This is very sad. So what they're doing, the Foxconn Technology Group chairman has asked all of the workers to vow to not commit suicide; to take a pact of no suicide. And he is asking them if they're feeling sad or feeling whatever they're feeling to go get counseling that they'll provide it at the factory. It's very sad. They have no idea why people are doing this.

Katie: And this is an example of things that we've talked about previously in the show where, you know, looking at trying to move your business into, you know, other cultures, other countries, as Americans - and especially, I've never even been to China - it's so hard to know what kind of pressures and what sorts of, you know, sense of honor - if you didn't do a good job of something or you felt humiliated or berated by a boss, or like it's so tough to know.

Esther: Well, apparently one of the gentlemen, Sun Danyong, he was 25; he jumped to his death after being accused of stealing an iPhone.

Katie: Oh.

Esther: So - or he wasn't accused, he was just interrogated -

Katie: Oh, my gosh.

Esther: - over a missing iPhone.

Katie: And he was just so upset that he jumped. And compare that to, you know, the iPhone that got left in a bar in San Francisco. I mean like, this is not an American mindset. (Laughter)

Esther: No. This is very much about honor and it's sad. Hopefully, you know, we'll keep watching the story and make sure -

Katie: Yeah. Woo. Stay safe.

Esther: Well let's move on to something a little happier.

Katie: Yes, let's do that.

Esther: How about to our Links of the Week?

Katie: Yay! Let's talk about the Internet! (Laughter)

Esther: Yay! We always talk about the Internet. It's business related.

Katie: It is business related. So what you got this week, Esther?

Esther: So this week, I'm talking about cocodot.com. It's C-O-C-O-D-O-T.com. We have a lot of repetitive links. We have Photojojo, Cocodot -

Katie: I know it. (Laughter)

Esther: I'm confused, actually. Cocodot is -

Katie: It is a -

Esther: - a startup -

Katie: Okay.

Esther: - and what they do is online invitations. Now, I don't know about you, but I am over Evite.

Katie: I am totally over it.

Esther: I am totally over it. Nobody even opens Evites anymore.

Katie: Yeah.

Esther: They're kinda ugly. They're not pretty at all. I mean, you just - they're boring.

Katie: Yeah.

Esther: Nobody opens them anymore. They're really not useful at all for business, especially, you know, if you have an event that you're planning like, I know, I do PR so I need, you know, something that's presentable in a business situation -

Katie: Yeah.

Esther: - if I don't have time to put together -

Katie: Branded, professional, pretty.

Esther: - like, profe- right, something branded and professional. And that's what Cocodot does. It's not a free service but it's very, very affordable and actually I think the first few invitations are free.

Katie: Ah!

Esther: So, that's great. You can test it out, see if it works for you and I have a feeling that you try this tool out and you're going to have a lot more people opening it than they would your Evite.

Katie: Okay.

Esther: So.

Katie: Awesome. Cocodot. I like that. It makes me think about cupcakes, I don't know why.

Esther: And I think they actually just received more funding.

Katie: Okay.

Esther: Think they just did some, got some capital which is cool.

Katie: Very cool.

Esther: So we know they're here to stay for awhile.

Katie: Awesome.

Esther: Yeah.

Katie: Okay, my link of the week is definitely not as exciting as cool invitations but it's actually going into a little bit of a different direction; not completely business inspired but something that hopefully you're really keeping in mind whenever you're planning for the future of your business, of your career, of your family - and that is a personal mission statement. So chances are your business, as a company, already has a mission and vision statement but do you have one as a human being, as a person that things happen to, that's leading an interesting life that's headed somewhere? And one of my favorite ways to not only create but also to update my mission statement, which you need to, depending on what's happening, is on the Franklin Covey website. So it's franklincovey.com/msb as in mission statement builder and it is the hands down, easiest and quickest down and dirty way to pump out a mission statement that is surprisingly ready to go right out of the box. It's free. You get to build it just by following a series of questions that they give you plenty of space to answer. You can share it with people. You can even get it printed on an inspirational poster, which is interesting. I keep envisioning those eagle posters soaring over your -

Esther: Right.

Katie: - (Laughter) your desk. And not only can you do one for yourself, but they also encourage you to do one for your family. So they have a separate family mission statement builder -

Esther: Cool.

Katie: - for your team at the office and then also you wanna be -

Esther: And your team at home.

Katie: -and your team at home. And also to kind of, you know, define your values and help you know exactly where you're headed. So -

Esther: Neat.

Katie: - it's a free tool - quick and easy and just something really good to, you know, revisit now and again.

Esther: I like it.

Katie: So yay.

Esther: Good one.

Katie: Good stuff.

Esther: Now Business Jargon -

Katie: Oh gosh. I'm nervous.

Esther: - are you nervous, John?

Katie: I know what to do. What, what, what's - let's just up the ante, here. Like what happens if I get it right; of John gets it right; if we both don't get it?

Esther: Am I supposed to give you hints?

Katie: I don't know.

Esther: I'm gonna tell you the word and then I don't know - I mean I guess I might have to 'cause you might not figure it out.

Katie: Hmm.

Esther: It's hard.

Katie: Okay, okay. Let's just -

Esther: What if it's not? What if it's really easy?

Katie: - let's just - let's play it by ear.

Esther: All right.

Katie: What if John just knows it?

Esther: Here we go.

Katie: And you're not allowed to Google it, John.

Esther: Drum roll, please. [makes drum roll sound] Just kidding. Okay. The Business Jargon word is dog fooding.

Katie: I think I know it.

John: I don't know it.

Esther: No!

Katie: Okay, lemme think. I th- I feel like I read this somewhere recently. Did you see this in an article?

Esther: Uh uh.

John: Making gourmet food for dogs?

Katie: I feel like -

Esther: Wah wah.

John: Wrong!

Katie: Isn't it? Isn't it?

Esther: It has to be business related.

Katie: Isn't it something like, like a company, like eating their own dog food? Like you know, you need to put yourself in the place of -

Esther: You're clo- yeah. It's -

Katie: - of your customer and, you know, see how it is working with your products, with your services, just as they would. So -

Esther: You got it. You got it. That's what it is. I mean it's -

Katie: You owe me gummy bears, John. I just made up the prize.

Esther: It's a - dog fooding is a verb tense. The practice of forcing developers to use their own products or eat their own dog food -

Katie: Ah!

Esther: To understand what the customer is subjected to. One step further than product testing, this is often a good cure for engineering arrogance.

Katie: Ah! Okay. Okay. Dog fooding. Put that in your entrepreneurial lexicon and smoke it.

Esther: Nice work.

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: All right. That's it for Chapter 1. We're moving on to Chapter 2, what do you say?

Katie: I feel so accomplished in this chapter.

Esther: I know, you did such a good job.

Katie: I'm ready. Thank you.

Esther: So proud of you. Coming up, we have a wonderful interview with Amit Gupta. He is the CEO of Photojojo and Katie's got him on the line so we'll talk to him. You're listening to The BusinessMakers Overtime Show, heard here and online at theBusinessMakers.com. I'm Esther Steinfeld -

Katie: And I'm Katie Laird.

Esther: - we'll be back in Chapter 2.