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From Tacos to Plants Overnight

March 1, 2017 - Randy

Honestly, I never thought I’d be writing a post like this. I actually debated even writing this at all. It’s taken me at least 10 hours to get all of my thoughts down and edit it.

I’ve heard of other people doing this, and I just knew it wasn’t for me. I always told myself I could probably do it, just to prove a point. I just figured I would never stick with it long term.

But for whatever reason, something just clicked, and I decided to give it a try. So what am I even talking about? Well, just over 7 weeks ago, I decided to give up all meat and dairy products.

Wait what?!?!

I know, trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. But it was way easier than I thought it would be. Here’s my 4,000 word journey…

So earlier this year, January 10th to be exact (I’m on day 50 right now), it was a typical day just like any other for me. Later that night, I stumbled across a documentary on Netflix called Food Choices. I’ve watched a ton of documentaries, and a lot of them based around food. So I hit play and let it run on one of my computer monitors while I worked on the other.

A few minutes in, I wasn’t getting any work done, I was glued to the movie. It was so intriguing. I had so many questions. By the end of it, I was like, “Wow.”

The film basically was saying how terrible meat and dairy are for you, and that humans were meant to be vegan. I started researching articles online and watching other videos on YouTube. I was actually considering this approach.

After considering all things, I woke up the next day and decided to go for it. I’ve tried various “diets” or “lifestyle changes” before, so this was just another experiment for me.

I never thought that almost 2 months later I’d be writing an article stating that I’m still doing it and that I have no desire to go back to my old ways (eating like 99% of the American population).

Some people ask me if I’m a hardcore vegan now. I guess the short answer is yes. I typically describe myself as plant-based, which is vegan, but the term vegan means so much more, and I don’t know if I’m fully ready to adopt that title.

I mean, I have a leather belt on. I just drove to Houston, Texas (meat country) for an event from Ohio. That was a 17 hour drive, and I sat on leather seats the whole time. Animals died for these things.

So I’m not necessarily hardcore when it comes to all things in the vegan community, and I’ve realized that a lot of people are doing it for various reasons. I’m primarily doing it for the personal health aspect, but the more I do it, the more aware I am of the animal side of things.

I’m essentially vegan, and I usually just say yes during small-talk with strangers, as I know these kind of conversations can get long and drawn out if I try to explain everything. Haha

Oh ya, I didn’t go to medical school.

And this is probably a good time to state the obvious: I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I build websites, sell tshirts, record myself talking to myself for my podcast, and read books in my car in grocery store parking lots. I’m not formally-educated to give you health advice, so take everything I say as my personal opinion.

I’d say ask your doctor before trying anything “drastic” like this, but I assume a lot of doctors would say not to do this. I would also assume that’s because most have zero education in nutrition and they maintain their lavish lifestyles by prescribing crazy medications and potentially dangerous surgeries.

I don’t know how the quote went that I’ve heard several times, but it goes something like: There’s no money in healthy or dead people, but there’s a ton of money in treating symptoms of sick people.

It’s still good to trust these doctors, for the most part. And some people might want to get blood work and other testing done, so they know where they stand before they start a new lifestyle change. That way you can really see your progress months or years later after adopting these changes.

That is, if you want to. I’m not forcing anyone to do what I do. I think this is the correct path for all humans, but I’m sure there are exceptions for pre-existing conditions, allergies, etc. There’s never a 100% one size fits all, but I think this is what the majority should be doing.

With that being said, take all of the information here and elsewhere and make the best decision for yourself. Ok, now it’s time for some popular questions and comments that I’ve already received a lot…

But what about tacos bro?!?!

Well, I will eat tortillas (always corn or whole grain over flour), and you can throw anything on a tortilla and call it a taco. But no, I’m skipping all of the chicken, steak, carnitas, al pastor, chorizo, and skipping the cheese.

Cheese is a funny thing. I thought for sure that would have been the hardest thing for me to give up. But it was just as simple as the meat, despite the fact that I’m pretty sure they add cocaine to cheese to make you addicted to it.

So what the hell do you eat?

I’m sure you’re reading this and think I’ve just been eating heads of lettuce every day. Nope, far from the truth.

Not long after I watched the Food Choices documentary, I read a book called The Starch Solution. It’s funny because for the past 2-3 years, I was all about the NSNG mindset (basically Paleo), and eating carbs with no meat or dairy is like the exact opposite.

While I actually loved eating steak, shrimp, chicken, pork, sausage, fish, eggs, and all of that, I’m glad that I’m “allowed” to eat rice and pasta and potatoes and bread and other grains, without feeling like I’m eating cheat meals.

But I’m glad I started with the NSNG (no sugars no grains) route first. It made me really aware of all the shit they throw into processed foods at the grocery, and I became a nutritional fact guru.

So now, I’m already used to reading food labels that it’s not something I mind. I actually like doing it, except for when I roll my eyes when I see almost every item at the store has a meat or dairy product in it, for no fucking reason.

Oreos are vegan, right?

Yes, most Oreos are technically ok for me to eat, but it’s processed garbage and I try to stay away from all the junk foods. Not to mention they clearly write “produced with genetic engineering” right on the package, which I try to always steer away from that GMO nonsense.

And when I said rice and pasta and bread above, I mean brown rice, rice pasta, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, etc. The healthier options, not the overly processed/refined carbs and white flour items that are at all the fast food places.

Sure, I try a bunch of new vegan things at the store, but just because I’m curious. I don’t want to always be eating a frozen dairy-free veggie pizza, or a frozen tofu breakfast burrito, or any of the other products like that.

It’s cool during my transition phase, but they are not needed, at least not for me. Some people have the hardest time giving up meat and cheese, so they have to eat all the fake meat and fake cheese products. I just don’t have the desire to be stuck on those foods.

You must be rich to afford veganism.

It’s probably cheaper actually. Of course you could go broke buying all the processed foods from Whole Foods every day, but I don’t do that.

My morning usually consists of oatmeal and fresh fruit. My lunch (or dinner) is mostly the meal preps that I make, which is brown rice, black beans, sweet potatoes, veggies, and spices, and maybe some hot sauce. I also make a smoothie for another meal, which is veggies and frozen berries and a few extra things I toss in my Vitamix. Sometimes I have a salad, but it’s not a 24/7 like some people would think.

And then I make pastas (my favorite) for lunch or dinner sometimes. And I snack a lot throughout the day on things like Larabars, handful of nuts sometimes, crackers, fruit, bean chips, applesauce, etc. Again, not rocket science here.

But do you actually feel better?

I really do feel better. I feel lighter (which I always thought was a weird way to describe how you feel). I have more energy and stamina. I can lift more weights at the gym. I don’t feel like I need naps all the time. I just feel better all around.

I’ve probably lost a few pounds, but I’m already a small human, and weight loss isn’t my goal. I just wanted to improve my health, even if it isn’t really noticeable to others. And I wanted to make these changes now before I’m 60 or 70 (or sooner) and a doctor tells me I have to do something like this, or be put on tons of meds, which is way more common.

And the more I get into it, I guess I’m naturally helping the animals and the environment. I know I totally sound like a crazy hippie, but I’m not. Unfortunately my long beard isn’t helping my case. Haha

Great, now you’re gonna judge me.

No way. I don’t try to force this on anyone, ever. Everyone can make their own choices for their own reasons. Hell, I ate “normal” for the first 34 years of my life, so I have no room to talk. I don’t expect anyone else to change how they eat and I’m totally fine with that.

Now if someone wants my opinion, I will gladly give it to them, but I’m not gonna be some over the top religious fanatic that is preaching to people about some Kool-Aid that I want them to drink.

Even though I think everyone should adopt some form of this, or go hardcore and give up meat and dairy cold turkey like I did, I realize it’s not for everyone. Most people will never want to attempt this, and even more would never want to stick it out for the long haul.

I have no idea how long I’m going to do this, I’m not a psychic. But I have no reason to go back at this point, so I will continue doing this for as long as I can, as long as I’m healthy and feel great.

How often do you have cheat meals?

A lot of people stick to a strict diet and then they usually have one day each week where they eat whatever the hell they want. While I understand the idea of moderation, that doesn’t work for me.

Everything I’m consuming is vegan. If I eat out, I make the best decisions I can with all the information I have. I’m sure once or twice I have accidentally ate something that had dairy in it, but I didn’t know. If I know about it, I’m not eating it. If they sneak it in, it’s impossible for me to know. That’s why I prefer to eat at home and cook my own food. But that’s not always practical when traveling.

The other day I ate at a taco place in Houston which I’ve had several times: Torchy’s Tacos. So good. I thought I was eating vegan. Later I realized the avocado on my tacos was fried and I think they used butter in that batter. Is it the end of the world? No. I’ll be ok. While it mildly pissed me off in the short term, I went back again the next night and got something totally different that was vegan, per their website FAQ page, which I should have looked at first.

I will still eat various things like cookies and ice cream and chips and processed crap like that from time to time, but they are all no meat/dairy options. Obviously this isn’t really healthy, but they are healthier options. I heard someone say this: there are no good or bad foods, there are better or worse foods. Makes sense. But I literally have zero desire to have a day where I go back to eating everything I used to. So weird to have this mindset, because I never thought this would be me.

Where do you get your protein and calcium?

The short answer, you don’t need a crazy amount of protein like everyone says you need. And you can get protein and calcium (as well as all your other vitamins and minerals) from plant-based foods. The only things you’ll need to get elsewhere are Vitamin D, which you get from the sun. And Vitamin B12, which you can get from a cheap supplement.

If you need more info, you can watch the documentary above (and several others), read the book above (and many others), and research everything on nutritionfacts.org.

There are thousands of places to find this info online, as well as thousands of sources with opposing viewpoints. I think the only thing everyone can 100% agree on is that we need clean oxygen to breathe. Besides that, there will always be two sides to every story and tons of groups in disagreement. The health world is the worst at this. You have to listen to both sides and make the correct decision for yourself.

So I guess I have to give up fast food now?

You already know fast food is bad for you, so I think you answered your own question. But that’s not to say I haven’t had a couple fast food meals over the past couple months, it’s just a lot harder to find vegan options.

Sure, you can eat a handful of items from Taco Bell, but use that as a last resort, not your go to meal. I had Skyline Chili once last month, and I ordered the black beans and rice with onions, hot sauce, and crackers. It tasted almost just like their chili.

Marion’s Pizza is one of my favorite pizza joints and I had it a couple weeks ago. I ordered a pizza with banana peppers, onion, green pepper, tomatoes, and no cheese. I called ahead to make sure the crust and pizza sauce were vegan. I felt awkward asking, as these items should be, but you’d be surprised.

But hey, this is my new life, the life I’m choosing. So I have to understand that this is going to be uncomfortable for a little while, and I’m going to be that annoying customer at restaurants probably forever. Just another reason to cook my own food and always be prepared.

And while I feel ok eating out occasionally, I don’t do this every day, or even every week or month. I try to make it a rare occasion, something you’ll easily remember. Funny example, I like remembering that the only time I’ve had black coffee was at McDonald’s in Nebraska with my friend Lesh back in August 2011. A ton of people think this fact is very bizarre for me.

Chipotle is my main exception. I’ve had it probably 10 times since I started all of this. Here’s what I get these days: bowl, brown rice, black beans, fajitas, no meat (but you can get the sofritas [tofu] if you want, it’s actually pretty good), tomatoes, corn, medium salsa, and guac. Sometimes lettuce, and sometimes I get a bag of chips with a side of their hot salsa. Always drinking water.

Pretty simple, and I love the taste every time. I could literally eat it every single day. And as weird as this sounds, the meat actually doesn’t look appetizing anymore when I see it there. And I get a little grossed out inside when I hear everyone else place their orders, but I’m not gonna judge them out loud. I’m not rude. Haha

There’s no way you can do this while traveling.

I was concerned about this since I love traveling and always want travel to be a big part of my life. Something that helped was not traveling anywhere for the first few weeks of doing this. I built the habit at home, then I was more prepared once I hit the road, or the sky.

I went to St. Louis to see Story of the Year, one of my favorite bands. I went by myself, which is also normal for me. It’s uncommon for people to travel with me. Mainly due to the fact that most people aren’t able to be flexible with their time. But I get it.

My car was stocked with all sorts of snacks and I brought one of my meal preps to eat on the way. It was only a 5 hour drive each way, and I came back the next day, so it wasn’t too much to deal with. And I found a taco shop in STL (Mission Taco, several locations there) that had tofu tacos. They were ok.

I ordered the chips/guac, and didn’t realize it had cheese crumbles on top. So I could have sent it back if I was more hardcore, but it was my fault, so I took a chip and scooped all the cheese off. And I ordered a side of black beans and a side of rice. Simple. And on the way home, I had Chipotle in Indianapolis. Again, simple.

When I was hungry in the airport in Montana a few weeks back, I found a place that had potatoes, black beans, rice, and hot sauce. I’m sure it wasn’t the best thing, but I did what I could with what I had to work with, and it tasted fine. And when I landed in DFW, I found a Mexican restaurant in that airport that had chips/guac, rice, and beans. I guess that’s my go to thing when I don’t know what else to eat. I’m sure there are plenty of places with salads that I could get, without dressing. But I usually just go for the quick meal approach, even though I end up sitting in a restaurant for hours on my phone or laptop or reading a book.

And when I’m road tripping, I usually bring snacks and eat at vegan restaurants (easy to find in huge cities), or stop at Chipotle (these are everywhere now), or stop at Whole Foods (bigger cities). If you are prepared, it’s easy. If you don’t prepare, you’ll end up stuck and hungry and left with no other options but garbage and meat/dairy products. Being prepared is the biggest thing for me. Saying it’s hard while traveling is just an excuse.

I guess you can’t be social or enjoy events.

I would compare this to drinking alcohol. Can you go to a bar or wedding reception or truck show or concert and not get drunk? Of course. But when everyone else is doing it, it just makes it a little harder.

This past weekend in Texas, everyone was drinking alcohol and eating everything they wanted. My willpower was pretty damn strong several times as I could have easily fell back into my old ways. Sure, I still drink alcohol sometimes. It’s been about once a month for the past several months. But I can still have fun with small quantities of it, or none at all.

Same with being vegan. Yes, it’s kind of dumb to be the only person doing it when you’re surrounded by tons of people who aren’t. But if you’re confident in yourself, and can take jokes (probably my strongest skill), and come prepared, and don’t try to jam your beliefs down everyone’s throats, you’ll have just as much fun, and most people who don’t know won’t even notice you’re being vegan.

I will say that I’m more aware how food/drink are the main focus of basically every social event. Every event is based around food: birthday parties, the Super Bowl, weddings, meetings, baby showers, celebrations at work, dating, graduation parties, conferences, I could go on all day.

Try removing food (and alcohol) from these scenarios and watch how people react. “There’s not gonna be an open bar at this wedding?” “You’re not catering your kid’s birthday party?” “So we are just supposed to come over and watch the football game and there won’t be snacks there?” I don’t expect this to ever change, but it’s way more obvious now. The same way you feel when you leave your phone at home and you go somewhere with a lot of people, and it’s more apparent that everyone is on their phone the whole time.

What are the benefits of doing this?

I feel better. I have more energy. I can lift more weights at the gym. I lost a little weight. I feel like I look better. I don’t need medications or a lot of supplements (which I never really needed, but probably would eventually if I continued eating like I used to). I get to try all sorts of new foods and it makes places I’ve already been more exciting. I’m not contributing to the killing of animals. I don’t feel like I wanna pass out right after eating a meal. I’m learning to cook more at home. I’m able to increase my knowledge about being plant-based, as well as help others that are curious and want to learn about it.

I really can’t think of any negatives with this path. I’m sure others could think of some, but I bet there’s a good rebuttal for each reason. It’s all positive to me, at least so far. I honestly see no point in eating animals or products created with anything that has came from an animal. It makes no sense anymore. There are tons of points out there, but I can’t think of a valid point to consuming meat or dairy in 2017 for a US citizen that has access to everything.

I still can’t believe I’m doing this.

Again, this doesn’t seem like something I would do. I might not fit the stereotype, but I’m not concerned about that. Many things I’ve done and still do come off as weird or unorthodox to a lot of people. Sometimes I like that. It sparks up conversations. It keeps me intrigued.

Maybe a year from now I’ll be writing a post called, “Yup, you were right, being vegan sucks.” Who knows. I think it’s ok to reinvent yourself often. Being adaptable is huge for me. When I find something that really makes sense to me, I become obsessed with it. I become a fanatic. But I’m not always set in my ways to the point where I can’t change or be flexible. I think that’s also important for health, business, and life.

So I should probably end this post soon or I’ll never hit the publish button. I’m happy this nutrition approach randomly showed up one day and hasn’t left yet. It was completely random. I was being lazy and couldn’t stop watching documentaries on Netflix one day. Luckily I started this one and couldn’t turn it off. It would be cool to look back on this 40 years from now and say, “That film literally changed my life.”

Whether that happens or not, I’m gonna continue to ride this out for as long as I can. I’ve stuck it out for almost 2 months and it’s been way easier than I ever imagined. If I felt sick or tired or depressed or hungry or like I was compromising too much, I’d definitely reconsider it. But I don’t. I feel better than ever.

So I’ll just keep on truckin and I’ll post updates here occasionally. I’m sure I’ll build a plant-based website/blog soon (once I decide on a name I love) and document everything there. Of course I’ll always be transparent with everything on my social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat). And if you have any questions or comments, reach me there or send me an email. Time to go eat something vegan…

Category: Random Tags: food, nutrition, plant-based, vegan

Everyone Hates Instagram

December 19, 2012 - Randy

Have you heard of Backspaces yet? It’s an app similar to Instagram. I’m not sure when it launched but I can guarantee they are seeing a massive amount of new users because of the whole Instagram privacy policy updates yesterday. And if you weren’t aware of the Instagram news yesterday, people were all pissed off because they said they might sell your photos to businesses or whatever.

So you take a shitty pic of your dumb friend standing in line at Best Buy on Black Friday, you upload it on Instagram (a free app to share with millions), add a badass filter, type up the funniest caption ever, think of 30 random hashtags, then hit the Done button. Then Best Buy wants to buy that image to use in their marketing. Instagram sells it to them. You find out and instantly want to murder someone because you are the “photographer” and deserve to get rich off of your creativity or whatever.

Are you a photographer?

If you were a photographer, you’d be a photographer. But I’m sure you’re just another cubicle rat trying to get rich quick by doing the least amount of work. What if I told you Joe Blow down the street seen one of your pics, looked at his bare wall, printed out your pic, and hung it on his wall? Would you want to sue him? Probably.

Here’s a quick tip, why don’t you just make your account private? Oh, I already know that answer. You need an insane amount of attention. You need to post a photo of yourself every day so people can tell you how hot you are, or how cool your life is, or whatever strokes your ego. You need everyone in the world to see you. This app gives people a 24/7 behind the scenes look into your life. This is like your reality show, and you love the spotlight. Seriously, stop being so full of yourself.

I think people should be more focused on doing epic shit. Plain and simple.

Free time? What’s that?

Could you imagine how crazy people would get if Instagram just went away one day unexpectedly? People wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. They would lose it! Facebook would still be there, but then they’d be depressed they couldn’t easily add filters to their photographic masterpieces.

See what I mean? Instagram has always been free, but people take it for granted. They could have easily charged $20, $9.99, or even $1 for membership, but they kept it free. They even made it ad-free. Why? Because these people love what they do and they know they are adding value to people’s lives. I’m sure they knew back in the day that it might really catch on and there would be a way to monetize it. But they weren’t trying to get rich quick or take the lazy route.

Most people are average.

The average American wakes up early, goes to a horrible job, is depressed all day about said job, is out of control excited when 5:00 hits, races home to sit on the couch, then proceeds to eat a ton of bad food while watching 8 hours of pointless sitcoms. They will repeat this for the next four days, then they find ways to spend more than they make the other two days of the week. All while checking Instagram every 15 minutes. But if Instagram was gone, you’d find another meaningless app to fill that void.

Could you imagine all the cool shit people would be doing if they took the hour (I rounded this way down) they spend everyday on Instagram and put that towards something they love? Hell, even 20 minutes a day. I’m not opposed to Instagram at all, but when I’m not on it, I’m busting my ass doing what I love. I just think the world would be a happier place if they weren’t spending all their time doing things they hate or finding ways to escape all their problems. Fix your problems, do what you love, be happy.

Be appreciative.

At the end of the day, no matter how much you hate their terms and conditions or privacy policy, they are still providing you with a free service that allows you to express yourself, share photos with loved ones, or keep up with distant friends. They built this app on their dime for you. Why can’t people appreciate anything?

Category: Random Tags: app, backspaces, instagram, iphone, photography

eBay is Smart, People are Dumb

December 18, 2012 - Randy

No matter how the economy is doing, I’m certain that huge ecommerce sites like Amazon and eBay will always be around, and still be killing it.

People just can’t pass up a “good deal” or a “24 hour shopping event”, or “69% off sale” or “coupon codes” or whatever. But what I’ll never get, is the way the average eBay user approaches auction-style listings.

The Listing

So for example, someone is tired of their old digital camera and they are ready to upgrade. They list it on eBay and they don’t really care what they get out of it. On a side note, this is the best way to go about listing stuff for sale online.

They decide to do a no-reserve, auction-style listing. This is where people place bids and the highest bidder at the end is the winner. They start the bidding at $0.01 to get a lot of attention. Then they figure out the shipping, and decide on $10. Fair amount. And then they list it for a week. All pretty standard.

I Hate People

The part that makes me slam my head against a metal-spiked wall is when I see people bidding on these items with days left in the auction. Why!?!?!? What is this doing for you? How is this helping you? All you’re doing is mindlessly raising the price. Yes, this is great for the seller and for eBay, but I’m writing this to express my anger towards the buyers.

My eBay mindset is quite simple: when I need to make a purchase, I first check eBay, I watch an item if it’s what I need and at a cheap or fair price, and I expect to bid with a few minutes left if the price is still fair.

However, you’ve always got these idiots that bid right after its listed, or bid every night before they go to bed, or get in a bidding war (pissing contest) with someone, or whatever. It’s pointless and makes no sense.

Why Would Someone Do This?

There are really only two possible reasons for why someone would behave this way. One is fair, one is just plain stupid.

  1. This is the only time you’ll be around a computer before the auction ends, and you don’t want to miss out on this item/deal.
  2. You have to prove to someone that you’re a winner, boast about how you won, share with everyone how much money you have to spend, or to simply show off how massive your ego is (resulting in a douchebag image).

I know scenario one happens, probably quite often. Although I don’t really get it because it’s almost 2013 and everyone has a few devices that can access the Internet 24/7. But maybe you’re broke, have no computer, no friends, there’s no library nearby, you live in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, and you just have to buy these new diet pills, and your friend Bob is in town with his amazing cell phone that gets signal everywhere. So you place your bid on his phone with the last $20 to your name, hoping to win. Ya, seems like a legit scenario.

The second one, you suck. You are an idiot. You are one of many who made me just curse to myself because of your kindergarten IQ. Why the hell are you bidding so early!?!? Be smart and wait til the end. Maybe the price will end near the same amount, but at least you don’t look like a tool.

Used = Vintage = More Expensive = Dumb

I’ve been watching a few used monopods for the past week or so and they always sell for so much and I don’t know why. I guess the good thing about these morons is they bid so high so early that it keeps me from wasting my time watching it. But then I just get frustrated since nothing is a good deal anymore. It defeats the purpose of this site. I might as well just pay full price and get a new one from a reputable seller.

And don’t even get me started on people that pay more for used things on eBay when they could have bought it new for less. You are the reason two-thirds of the population is obese. I don’t know how or why, but you are.

Dave is a Loser

Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather buy new on some things and buy from specific stores/companies. But if it’s something that will serve me just fine being new or used, I’m gonna check eBay first. I just don’t expect to pay the same amount from unreliable-Dave with low feedback who sits in his mom’s basement all day in rural Idaho as I would from the camera store down the street. Dave may never send me my item, or it might take weeks to get, or he may never respond to my questions, etc. Sometimes, paying full price at an actual store is the best way to go.

But next time you’re on eBay, and you find something you’ve just gotta have, be smart and wait til there’s a few minutes left to bid. That is all. Thanks for listening.

Category: Random Tags: eBay, ecommerce, idiots, websites

Randy Johnson. Still Not the Baseball Player.

November 30, 2012 - Randy

I’ve been in this world for over 30 years, and people still relate me to the baseball player Randy Johnson.

“Wait, that’s your real name?!?!?”
“Yes.”
“So, I bet your arm is sore from pitching all those years.”
“Ya, I’m actually not the baseball player.”

It’s not a big deal, just annoying when I’m in a conversation with a hardcore sports fanatic. It’s usually an ice-breaker.

“What’s your name, even though I’m bad with names?”
“Well, are you a sports fan?”
“YES! I love baseball and football.”
“Remember Randy Johnson?”
“The pitcher? Hell ya I do! The Big Unit!”
“Well, that’s my name too.”
“NO WAY!!!”

A Few Short, Kind of Funny, Stories

1. Baseball Cards. Most of my friends know that I don’t care much about sports. But most of them don’t know that I used to be crazy about sports. I used to be a big sports card collector, saving up money just so I could ride my bike to the local card shop and buy a new pack of cards. You know, hoping I’d open up a pack in front of the store owner and see the rarest card ever made. In fact, to this day, I bet I have one of the largest Randy Johnson baseball card collections around. I literally have thousands of his cards, many are in hard-plastic cases and graded, and some are autographed. I really have no use for them and they just sit in a box, so I’ll probably wait a couple more years when he gets in the hall of fame and then try and sell them. Should sell for a decent price then.

2. Internet Marketing. One of my skills/services is search engine optimization (SEO). Basically, that fancy terminology means I help my clients rank higher in Google. It’s definitely a time-consuming process. It’s not as easy as flipping a switch and you’re sitting at the top of the first page. It’s a constant effort. Anyways, the more unique your keyword is, the easier it is to rank higher since there is less competition. Take my roommate for example. I setup a site for him and we used his FirstNameLastName.com for the domain name. He has a very unique last name, so it almost doesn’t matter what his first name is, but it’s also not as common. So within a week, he was already ranking number one in Google with pretty much no additional work. So with my name, I’m going to have a tougher time for a couple reasons. One, my last name is very common, and my first name is sort of common. But the biggest reason is, there is a famous person that shares my name. So it’s going to take a ton of work to overcome all of the content on the internet about him. But that’s my goal with this site!

3. Photography. I was doing some research not too long ago regarding the keyword “Randy Johnson” and seeing what sites were showing up after doing a simple search. One stood out for some reason: RJ51Photos.com. I browsed the site for a bit and checked out the Twitter account associated with it. It wasn’t too long after that, I realized after he retired from baseball, he has been focused on photography. Kind of funny since I do some photo and video work. Checking out his about page, I seen he was always into photography and now he had more time for it. I followed him on Twitter and sent him a quick tweet. The next day, I had a new follower… and it was him. I was kind of shocked because he has a ton of followers but only follows like 20-30 people, and I was one of them. Ultimately, he didn’t respond to either of my tweets and eventually unfollowed me, but either way, it was like my 15 minutes of fame. Haha.

Category: Random Tags: baseball cards, photography, randy johnson, sports, twitter

Stop Following EVERYONE

September 5, 2012 - Randy

I’m not gonna lie, I used to be the guy who had hundreds and hundreds of Facebook friends. I used to think that actually meant something.

Right now I have 116 friends on there. These are strong connections. People I’ve actually met, people I’ve known for years, people I’ve done crazy things with, or people that I’ve talked to about doing work for.

One thing I hate is letting people I don’t know, know every single detail about my life. I don’t want to be “friends” with 100 strangers who live near me and then post how I’m gonna be out of town for a week. That’s like a free invite to come break into my house because they know it’s empty. And they can probably figure out where I live from my previous posts and photos.

But the main reason I hate having so many online friends is because it’s way too time consuming to keep up with all of them! Sure, I can hide people on Facebook, and I do that to almost everyone, but you can’t do that on the other social networks.

On my main Twitter account, I only follow 26 people. And 4 of those are my other accounts. On my personal Instagram account, I only follow 102 people, and 3 of those are my other accounts.

What I’m getting at is, the more people you follow, the more time you have to spend keeping up with all of them. If I don’t look at my Twitter account for a few days, that’s ok. It’s only going to take 5-10 minutes to go through everything I missed. Same with Facebook. Instagram takes a bit longer. If I miss one full day, it’s gonna take 20-30 minutes to look at everything I missed.

Now with that said, I’m bad at going a long time without looking at these apps. I’m always interested in what badass people are doing out in the world. What I should really be doing instead is being one of those badass people.

Can you imagine how much time some people waste though? Like a person who has 500-1000+ Facebook friends (and doesn’t hide any of them), follows 200-500+ celebrities on Twitter, who follows 500-1000+ people on Instagram, and has several other social networks. And what if they are religious about checking all of those accounts and not missing a single update? That’s a full-time job. For real! They will just coast through life, working a shitty job where they can be on their phone or a computer all day for personal use, ignoring people all day, not really enjoying vacations, never building their own business, never becoming a badass. Just watching and following other people doing what they could.

And just an FYI, my other Twitter and Instagram accounts have tons of people that I follow. I do not even look at those updates unless I’m tagged in someone’s post. I just follow all those people in hopes that they will follow back to gain a ton of awareness about my site or brand.

So the next time you say, “There is never enough time to get everything done!”, take a look at where you are spending your time. I’m sure a lot of it is spent on mindless activities like social networks. Don’t even get me started on cable tv.

Category: Random Tags: facebook, instagram, social, twitter

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