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I’ll be the first to admit I never liked soccer as a sport. Played it for a few years as a kid, but it’s just not for me. But with the World Cup ongoing, I was pressed on Twitter by @CitizenDino to a tweet I made about my disgust with the sport.

The only association I think of when it comes to soccer is Nike. Whether it’s soccer balls, kleets, shins, jerseys etc. Nike is one of the most reprehensible companies on the planet in my opinion. Nike has a long track record of sweatshops, poor quality standards and treating their workers unfairly. The university system to which I’m an alumnus just dumped Nike over labor concerns. I was happy see this happen! I shouldn’t need to get into these cases, they are fairly well known.

So why make the comment I did? Well that’s quite simple. Nike and a former U.S. women’s soccer player have used the sport to further sales. The Nike “swoosh” on every piece of the USA is not enough, we must now see it on players sports bras when the player was aware every camera in the stadium was on her. Of course it was denied by the player and Nike.  After this famous photo that appeared in Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and others the sales of Nike sport’s bras skyrocketed by over a half-million units.

Let me clearly define the connection. A member of our national soccer team who had a contract with Nike who then exposed her Nike bra which spurred huge sales for the company. How many slave laborers needed to work overtime to make these after this media stunt? That’s being dramatic. However, I can’t support a sport with an enormously close connection to a company like Nike, especially when their contracted athletes pull goofy stunts (yanking their shirts off) to spur sales and work-load in third-world countries.

Can you remember the day when the news cycle was daily? Those days are long gone. Communications and PR specialists can no longer sleep well at night hoping to get up early and beat the news cycle for the day. Job duties for professionals working in communications should declare it’s a 24-hour round-the-clock career.

The buzz around brands does not stop at 5 p.m., so neither should you. Teenagers actually increase in engagement and communications in the evening hours once they are out of school. Professionals working for companies that target teenagers should work 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. as opposed to first shift. How can someone looking to engage teenagers truly claim being effectiveness when their target demographic is in school during their shift?

Changes in how we communicate has pushed the news cycle so fast that it literally trends by the minute or by the hour. It makes the communications profession a tough one to live in. It’s not something you can simply punch-out of at 5 p.m.– It’s a 24-hour a day rolling ball of communication. Professionals like myself should be prepared for this as we enter the industry.

I was sitting on a plane to Detroit a couple weeks ago and picked up the United Airlines magazine known as Hemispheres. In the tech section they had an article about Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo!.  Knowing the story behind her appointment at Yahoo! I knew it would be an interesting read for the short flight to Detroit.  I was more and more intrigued as I read, and then finally the other shoe dropped. Bartz grew up on a small dairy farm in Alma, Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I was completely surprised. First it was Marissa Mayer, and now Carol Bartz. Am I in the twilight zone?

Growing up in the small city of Wausau, Wisconsin (hometown to Marissa Mayer of Google) I don’t think of Wisconsin as a hot bed for tech geeks, let alone CEOs of major technology companies. I envision humanoids from the likes of California, New York, and perhaps Massachusetts.  Wisconsin is far from a tech haven; our painfully slow EDGE networks would be a great showcase of that.  Any day I can get above 80 kbps on AT&T’s EDGE network is a great day for me.

This leaves some hope for me. I’ve wondered if I will be able to break into the tech sector coming from a small Wisconsin town. If Bartz and Mayer can do it, why can’t I?

I haven’t posted in quite some time and I apologize to my faithful readers.  I’ve been crazy busy with school and work.  I’m in my senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and it’s a pretty busy year.  Preparing to apply for graduate school, preparing my resume and cover letters for jobs, and hammering out school work in addition to working 30+ hours per week.

I will be attending a conference in Detroit, MI this week about using new technology in civic engagement.  The purpose of this 3-year nationwide research effort is how can we use  new technologies to create engaged citizens. I really look forward to this event.  It runs November 4th-5th at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in Downtown Detroit.

Keep up with me during this busy year on my Twitter. (@socialmatt)  I’ll try and get some blogs up when I can!

A recent Cinchcast really got me thinking about why the Internet is great.  Imagine the days before Facebook, before the 14.4kbps modem, heck before the consumer Internet existed.  There were no cell phones, Zuckerberg wasn’t even a thought yet and many phones still had rotary dials. 

Can you imagine running a home business with no access to a cell phone?  You can’t leave the house because you don’t want customers hearing your cheesy answering machine message.  You want to be there and responsive.  That person was stuck at home all day!  Now, you carry your phone around all day and be “in the office” when you’re out buying groceries at Whole Foods.  I can sit on an airplane toilet and tweet and get hoards of people replying on whatever was on my mind at 30,000 feet.  That is pure insanity.  The amount we’re connected as a society using new technologies like cell phones, laptops and services like Twitter and text messaging is mind boggling. 

These kind of technologies have really provided lots of freedom and democracy to small business owners and the average Joe alike.  Many bloggers talk about how tech overload can cause us to sit indoors and tweeting, facebooking etc.  An almost counter-productive effect.  I would disagree.  There has to be balance to anything in life.  I love that I carry my network in my pocket and can access them instantly with text, audio or even video.  Don’t you?

I love these times…

I recently gave a presentation to some UW-Stout administrators about new technologies they might consider leveraging.  One of these technologies was QR codes.  QR codes are nothing more than peculiar looking bar-codes.  QR codes are popular in Japan and China.  These codes are slowly spreading into Europe, and now just taking off in the United States. 

These little codes contain all kinds of information.  The user decides what the code will do once scanned.  Maybe it’s a text message, perhaps a URL or a photo pops up.  Want to try it?  Scan this code below which will take you to my resume.

UW-Stout University Recreation has decided to begin using QR Codes on their marketing materials on-campus.  This will allow students and visitors to scan their codes and get access to hours, schedules and other relevant information on their mobile phone.  I’m so pumped about URec attaching digital content to their reality-based materials.  This is how technology is transforming how we access information.  I’m glad they believe like I do that this could be huge in the future. Yes Urec!  Yes!!!!

It’s getting to be that time of the year again.  Many students will be arriving on-campus sporting a new cell phone to keep in touch with their parents back home.  Most of these phones will be smart-phones with the ability to download applications.  There are some great apps that are a must for any college scholar to keep in his repertoire.  Here are my picks I feel are “must downloads”

RateMyProfessor (Free)

RateMyProfessoris a must have for any college student.  I use this site to schedule my classes every single semester.  RateMyProfessor allows students to rate their professors in multiple categories, just as the name implies.  Students rate professors for helpfulness, clarity and easiness.  These ratings are averaged for an overall score on a 5-point scale.  Students can also indciate the professor is “hot” and provides some eye-candy to get you through lecture. 

Some reports on professors may be biased and just simply not true, more of a personal attack from some bad apples.  However, with a sizeable sample of reviews the numbers should give a good indication on the quality of a professor. 

Download it, and live by it!  You’ll thank yourself later.

iStudiez Pro ($2.99)

iStudiez might be the best $2.99 you ever spend in college.  Well maybe not considering those late night $2.50 slices from Jeff’s Pizza or Teddy’s Tubesteaks. iStudiez turns your smart-phone into a mega organizer built specifically for students like you and I.  iStudiez keeps track of your class schedule, homework assignments, test dates and dates with that hot new guy or cute girl in your class.  It also allows you to keep track of your grades so you know where you stand at all times.  This app is a must because any veteran college student will tell you, the key to success is keeping organized. Your life is a tornado and you have a million things going on: homework, classes, social time, video games sessions, working two jobs.  You need this app!  Learn to use it and make it habit and you’re home free!

If iStudiez is a bit too much to spend, which I urge you it’s not, there are other options.  If you want to experiment with a free option check out MyHomework.  It’s free and does almost the same things as iStudiez, however it’s not as good.

iFlipr Flashcards ($4.99)

 iFlipr makes studying for that next exam so much easier!  Create your own custom flashcards or even download card packs for iFlipr’s huge online repository.  This allows you to study from anywhere, anytime.!  No Internet access is needed to flip through your flashcards. 

Don’t fret over the $4.99 price tag.  Go buy two packs of flashcards from Wal-Mart and I guarantee you spend just as much.  Buy this and have it for four years.  It will actually save you money over your college career and your cards will be with you 24/7. 

Other Sites You MUST Check Out!

Here are a few websites you need to check out if your enrolling in college this fall.  They can be a huge help! (These are NOT apps)

DesignYourDorm – http://www.designyourdorm.com

iTunes U – http://www.itunesu.com

How to survive your freshmen year – http://www.campusgrotto.com/how-to-survive-your-freshman-year.html

Have fun, these are the best years of your life!  But not too much!

Recently my hometown newspaper ran a short story about how Wausau, Wisconsin can attract and retain young professionals.  Wausau is a nice city in central Wisconsin of about 80,000 residents living in the immediate metro area.  It’s home to numerous biking/walking trails, one of the states most scenic state parks and a world-class whitewater kayak course.  These are just some of the attributes, but is that enough to attract young & talented job seekers?

White-Collar Industry

I think bringing in high-tech industry is the biggest factor in attracting young talent to any city.  The job sectors have to be cutting edge and white collar.  The industrial sector is slowly grinding to a halt in this country. I am not against heavy industry; the fact is that society is switching from a manufacturing-based economy to a information-based economy.  Information is what will drive our economy into the future.

Wausau is a city heavily built around manufacturing.  It was a natural heavy-industry hub ever since the days of its inception with the Wisconsin River that runs through town providing an ideal logging route.

Eau Claire, which is located 85 miles west of Wausau, is adding jobs in the IT field.  They will add over 200 jobs by attracting a New York based company by the name of Genesis10.  That’s just one firm they have lured in with more to surely follow suit.  Eau Claire is a popular place for young professionals and it really isn’t that far off in culture and feel from Wausau.

Bottom line?  Add well paying high-tech jobs.

After Hours Recreation

Young professionals are very active.  They are either newly married or on the prowl for a partner.  They like to get out and explore what their new city has to offer.  They would be looking for up-scale wine/cocktail bars, clubs, coffee shops, gyms, cultural events and live music.  There should be an adequate selection of these kinds activities.  Having these events in a “downtown district” is even more attractive to young professionals as it provides a “closeness” to their community of peers.

Getting “Networked”

Young professionals want to feel connected to their community and their fellow peers as I hinted above.  They like networking with others their age to find opportunities they feel could allow them to advance their career.  This links back to having recreational areas like bars and nightlife downtown.  Having events sponsored by businesses and/or the city will fuel networking.  Have tweet-ups and wine tastings, conferences and seminars focused around the new tech jobs in your area.  Young professionals want to advance their professional lives in addition to their personal lives.

In The End

I’m in this very situation myself.  I graduate in less than 12 months from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a very strong resume and super-relevant experience.  From launching social media platforms on-campus, being appointed to numerous committees to shape the future of the university, and being featured in books about digital crisis communications and social media. I feel I can compete in large markets like New York City, Austin and San Francisco. However, I don’t mind my hometown one bit.  My family is here, and some of my longest friends.  The real question is; does Wausau have the desire and position to lure a talented “hometown kid” to stay put?  I just don’t know yet.

You can learn more about my young professional background, including my resume, here.