This week I saw a great video with pop and hip-hop super producer Timbaland and his office on wheels so to say. This thing is pretty extravagant. Way beyond anything that many of us reading this little blog post would ever dream up (or would like to pump money into). But nonetheless, the guy is making top 10 Billboard singles on a bus.

Check out the video below:

So my question to you guys is that if Timbo can be doing this, why can't you do what you need to do from where you need to? Surely we don't need Pro Tools or huge mixing boards and synthesizers. All we need is a laptop, some web apps and maybe some old fashioned pen and paper?

But here's the problem I think many of us get caught up with - the tools. Adapting the tools to work with our companies, our clients and the environments that are "supposed" to work together. I can tell you that if 2 weeks after the iPad came out you would have Rana Sobhany making sweet mixes and rocking crowds with "2 iPads and a microphone" then you can surely figure it out.

I am going a little over the top here. It surely has to be more complicated. I was reading over the data from the new Workshifting white paper and its really flooring the positive change that a few days at home will have on our entire economic framework. Billions of dollars saved. More productivity. Less reliance on price-gauged natural resources. It's nuts right?

It's a total no-brainer? Then why are more companies not jumping through hoops to make the change? I don't really have that answer, but I do know that change is hard. Like driving the lane towards Dwight Howard hard (Go Magic!).

My generation (the young bucks with big mouths) may be more open to this environment. We are writing books that chronicle these ideas and principles and educating people on how it has positively affected their business. We are creating networks with thousands of influential players that all want to talk about work.

Are people listening?

My hope is that one day we'll all dance with these ideas like we do on Friday nights to one of Timbaland's bass heavy singles. Till that day, we'll keep leading by example and workshifting our butts off, while they sit in their cubes, water cooler chatting and roaming from meeting to meeting.

That's a song I'll listen to all day long. Cheers.

I sat down with the President of Citrix Online, Brett Caine.  It was fun to sit informally and chat about collaboration, culture, the need for simplicity and much more.  He even fields a few questions from the Twitterverse about tools he can't live without and his favorite Workshifting location.



What makes this interview interesting is that it is completely unscripted and unrehearsed.  I whipped out my Flip camera and we just rolled with it.  A company's willingness to do this speaks volumes about their commitment to transparency and to their community.  I'm a trust agent in my organization so I have credible chops which allows me access.

Being a trust agent or trusted advisor is how you gain access to thought leaders. The lesson is that your social credibility and that of your company is at the fingertips of anyone with a keyboard and a browser.  Be mindful of your reputation and the digital crumbs you leave behind.  Don't feel intimidated to ask the thought leaders for their opinions.  If you're kind and thoughtful in your approach, you'll not only be heard, but you'll be invited back.

What do you think?

Sitting on the train, riding in a plane, laying in bed, sipping a coffee. Wherever you are. Whatever you are doing. You need to have a way to record your moments of inspiration.  


What do you use to jot down your ideas? 

SXSW was a great place to network, learn and do business.  I was not sure how much work I would be able to get done and was a bit skeptical about the wifi at the Austin Convention Center, but was pleasantly surprised.  There were outlets everywhere provided by Chevy, plenty of tables and chairs and reliable wifi.  





What are your thoughts? How did you workshift at sxsw? 

Today we have a guest post from Brent LaSala who is Citrix Online workshifter.

Recently I had the privilege of workshifting with Eric Bensley, a good friend and co-worker at Citrix Online.   As a permanent workshifter based in San Francisco, this was a rare opportunity to assess the dynamics of working from home with a teammate.  Needless to say, there were a few lessons learned.
 
Eric arrived at my apartment Monday morning around 10:30am, just as my alarm was going off... Only kidding, David (my boss), it was more like 7:30am.  We cooked a delicious egg scramble because we're a couple of well-rounded, domesticated gentlemen that function best with high blood sugar levels.  It's not relevant to my post, but let's face it, cooking your own meals is a major workshifting perk that keeps extra change in the piggybank and adipose tissue off your finely sculpted abdomen.
 
The day started out great.  We were energized, excited for the work day, and before long were bouncing (brilliant?) ideas off one another while pounding coffees.  By about lunchtime we noticed a few 'home-dwelling' behaviors/sounds not ideally suited for a prosperous work environment.  A knowing glance of discomfort, coupled with some form of verbal outcry was typically enough to relay a message of disapproval.  Video production is a small hobby of mine, so by about the 4 o'clock hour we were inspired to make the following tutorial on workshifting etiquette, only 'slightly' exaggerated.  Hope you enjoy!

In social media we understand and accept the principles of sharing, engaging and being open to serendipity. We benefit from engaging and sharing information with people online to form new friendships and working relationships. But how often do we ignore these same social media principles in "real life"? How many times do we sit in the coffee shop working all day with our headphones in trying not to make eye contact with the person sitting next to us?

I share my thoughts on sharing, engagement, and serendipity in a short video....


Your thoughts?

Photo Credit: Medmoiselle T

One of the most fundamental elements of planning any trip is where to stay.  At the moment, I am on a very long trip that, in the end, will span 3 continents and several countries.  Locating and booking affordable accommodations that provide what is important to me can become a pain sometimes.  For the past year, I have leveraged the collective wisdom of both Yelp and Foursquare to assist in these searches.  Below is a quick video post identifying the items I look for in accommodations while on workshifting trip.
 

What are the things you look for when searching for a place to stay?
 

Celebrity Chef and Activist Jamie Oliver gave a fascinating and disturbing presentation at TED on how food is literally killing us.  We are eating ourselves to death.  We live in the most abundant time in recent history.  In the developed world, we have living standards which were unheard of only a generation ago.  We also have access to the great equalizer, the Internet.  Despite all of this, 2/3 of Americans are overweight.


What really stuck with me is how casually this can happen and how it affects all of us.  This really got me thinking about the Workshifting diet.  If you frequently work out of a coffee shop, airport or any other remote location, have you ever stopped and considered what you're eating?

Well...I did.  On occasion, I workshift from Bulldog Cafe in Solvang, California.  I happily enjoyed a latte with a ham and cheese quiche for breakfast.  Throughout the day I was snacking on whatever was there, muffins, juice and more coffee.  I don't think my story is unique so I started poking around the internet for tips on a healthy travel diet.

Much of the advice appears to be consistent:

• Pack you own food
• Eat breakfast at home
• Avoid the drive-through
• Be mindful of what your order
  

Sounds logical...but hell, I don't do that.  Doing a quick search I didn't find any practical advice so I reached out to Celebrity Fitness Coach and Nutritionist Rich Guzman.  This is what he had to say:

Meals:  One third protein (eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, tofu) and two thirds vegetables (greens, squash, or other less starchy ones) if you're trying to remain healthy and lean.  

Timing:  Eating every three hours is advantageous to keep the body from burning muscle for energy.  If you have the tendency to feel bloated or have indigestion after most meals you may have food allergies to yeast, gluten, dairy, or sugar.  Sugar is the real enemy when trying to maintain or lose body fat.  It sneaks into our diets via fruit juices, alcohol, packaged or restaurant food, and in our energy drinks.  The body can only manage small amounts of sugar in the system and uses insulin to keep the body on an even keel.  The body reacts in a defensive mode when sugar is introduced in mass quantities by pumping out insulin and storing everything as fat (carbs, protein, and fats).  

On-the-go:  Starbucks has oatmeal and hard-boiled egg choices.  The dried fruit and nuts also works if you're training hard and need a snack. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf offers a yogurt parfait and a tuna sandwich.  My recommendation for a drink is Green Tea iced or hot, or a soy decaf sugar-free coffee drink (take all the fun out of it).  

If you have questions, you can reach Rich Guzman on Twitter @laroxdude.

The best outcome of this post would be awareness.  You are going to do some of the things Rich recommends and not others, but if you keep this top of mind and share information on lessons learned, we'll all be better off.

What are your tips for healthy eating on-the-go?

Photo Credit: sshb

I was asked recently by a good friend on mine what was in my bag.  It was part of a blog post she wrote, What's in Yo' Bag, and I have decided to respond in a video.  My bag consists of many things to keep me inspired, connected and able to be on the go.



What's in your workshifting gear bag?  Empty out your workshifiting bag, take a picture, upload it to Flickr, tag it "workshifting" and link it up in the comments below.  We'll gather all of the photos and blog posts together for a future post.

Connectedness is a tricky thing it can be both necessary and debilitating.  This week has been incredibly busy and  got me thinking about productivity.  When it come to 'getting things done' sometimes disconnecting takes precedence. 

If you can't view this video, you can find it over on my Vimeo channel.

Are there specific times during the day that you disconnect?