Tag Archives: IZEA Insider

Photo-A-Day

Ted Murphy Turns 33

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Ted Murphy Turns 33
Photo-A-Day #1580

Ted Murphy, CEO of IZEA turned 33 today He asked that people give him photos of themselves with their tongues out. I was only happy too oblige.

Ted takes a lot of crap, apparently from his dog too. But today is the guy’s birthday and people not only came out to celebrate his birthday but to fire barbs at him with regards to his latest venture, Sponsored Tweets. However, today there was a very good article, written in a balanced manner too, by FastCompany. It was titled “IZEA Calls for Transparency, but Can Twitter Remain Pure?“. What I don’t understand is that there are all these programs out there to increase your twitter followers as quickly as possible, companies that pay people to tweet and disclose nothing and yet IZEA catches crap. IZEA is out there publicly telling people that they are paying people to tweet. Publicly disclosing each tweet and manually accepting each advertiser.

I’ve done sponsored tweets through SocialSpark as well as with Sponsored Tweets and before Sponsored Tweets was announced there weren’t that many people causing such a huge uproar about it. Sponsored Tweets have been happening for a while now and only IZEA is the only one disclosing. So why is IZEA the whipping boy? Why aren’t people screaming from the rafters that if any of their followers use another service that they will unfollow them? Why IZEA. Why the haters? Why tear down and be destructive? I can’t figure it out.

Ted, you’ve got to be part duck for all the stuff that you’ve got to let roll off your back. Have a happy birthday man!

Disclosure – I am an IZEA Insider. I’ve been working with them since 2006. Ted Murphy and I have hung out before. I believe in his message and his sincerity.

Photo-A-Day

Do you Use To Do Lists?

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Do you Use To Do Lists?
Photo-A-Day #1575

I had myself an EBOOST yesterday and got very productive. I created a ton of to do lists before and during the demos that I was watching. As an idea hit me I wrote it down. My ideas are generally swirling all over the place and taking a moment to focus and get them out allows me to continue on and pay attention to the things I should be paying attention to, like sleep.

The to do lists really came in handy today while I was looking for something that I needed to do. I simply consulted the list and “bang” knocked off something simple but something that had been hanging over my head. I still have a ton of stuff to do to prepare for next weekend. I still haven’t gotten new business cards. I don’t know how that slipped away from me but it did. Then I’ve got to find the swag that I’m going to give to people at IZEAFest and I’m looking for BenSpark.com related stuff. I can’t decide what to get though.

Next weekend I’m attending Affiliate Summit East. I was lucky enough to obtain a Platinum Pass from Missy Ward and my IZEA Insider Stipend will help pay for my hotel (I’m paying the $249 rate didn’t know about the $199 rate till too late, ugh (I say ugh because I could have done more if I got the lower rate, the hotel stay is chowing down on my stipend.) I’m still deciding how to get down to the show. I could drive my own car down and pay $48 a day plus tip to park in at the hotel, tip because it is most likely valet. That and you have to tip everyone, it seems, in the city. Or I could take the train down from Providence to Penn Station. That round trip ticket is $117.00. The nice thing about that is I could work and tweet and do other things as I rode down to New York and back again. But, once there I’d have to get a cab (I hate cabs) or take the subway over to the hotel. So between the parking at the train station for 3 days, train ticket, cab rides and tips (can’t forget those) It’ll probably cost me about the same. However, on the train I do have time to work and that is worth a lot. So I’m going to research the train option some more and figure out about that.

Tonight at midnight the Cloth Couture Cloth Diaper giveaway ends. I’m pretty happy with the turnout of people who have entered the contest. We’ll see who wins tomorrow.

Also don’t forget that I’m throwing the Ultimate IZEAFest Prize Pack Contest. Also sponsor for some of the great prizes for that contest, Market Leverage, is doing their own contest for Affiliate Summit. They are picking three lucky people to join me on a yacht. Well, not just me but many A-Listers from Affiliate Summit. I still haven’t gotten clothes for the trip, maybe tomorrow.