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Where have I been?

May 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Boy, that is a big question.

As you might have noticed, there hasn’t been a lot of update here on TroyRutter.com lately.  In fact, after attending BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas last October, my blogging and podcasting have slowed to a crawl.

The reason is simple:

I lost my way.

After so many years of trying to find a voice, of blogging daily or trying to – eventually it came to be too much. I found that I was putting out a lot of noise, and people were consuming it, but it really didn’t “mean” anything.  I was creating content for others, but getting very little in return – both in terms of comments on the blog, calls to the podcast, and adsense clicks.

Blogging is cyclic for me. On one hand, I would really love to be blogging for real dollars.  Not just for the money, but for the freedom it gives.  Freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want.  I dread the 9-5. (which is more like 8-6.)  Hate it.  My ideal job would be as an information publisher blogging, writing articles, writing more books, podcasting, creating videos – being an active part of the community I live in.

Instead, I drive to work 45 minutes or so each way and put in my time.

The last few months have been trying, and honestly the motivation for blogging – just to be blogging – hasn’t been there.  If you’ve followed my posts at all over the years you know I don’t give in to the crap some people throw up (literally) onto the web.  The web and social media isn’t all positive thinking and talk about Crushing It or creating Tribes. (Sorry Gary and Seth)

The part I missed out on is the supportive part. I have tried so hard since 1995 to make a name for myself and achieve some sort of financial well-being for being a leader in “the space”, and nothing has come of it.  I was starting to think maybe I was now too old, that I missed out on the good 401K, health benefits, and “coolness” of a company I want to be part of. I have a very small (but very loyal) support system, and I hope to be able to grow that.

So, I’m starting to come out of my “funk” and I hope to be blogging about my journey more than I have been.  I’m also taking the weight loss thing very seriously now, and hope to have results I can post.  I so want to be the guy others say “wow, look at how much weight he’s lost” instead of “ew… look at all the weight he’s gained.”

After several years of doing things for other people, it’s time to be just a little bit selfish and do something for me.  I hope you will stay with me for the ride.

Filed Under: Blog

Please and Thank You

December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Thank You

Last year it snowed in Iowa.  A lot.

I remember the first few times part of my sidewalk was already cleared.  The next time I was out shoveling and the neighbor across the street was using a snowblower to clear his sidewalk.  Deep in concentration, I continued shoveling.  The next time it snowed,  my sidewalk wasn’t cleared.  As I finished shoveling, he was finishing his driveway.  I went over and said hi, asked him about his snowblower, and asked if he had previously cleared the sidewalk for me.  After he said yes, I thanked him and said how much it really helped, especially since I have a corner lot.  As I went back to my house, I thanked him again.

After that, the one sidewalk was always cleared.

A simple thank you works wonders.

So my list of “social media” thank-you’s follows.  Not trying to “name drop” – but giving my sincere thanks for those who have really made a difference in my blogging, podcasting, etc. trials. In no particular order:

  • Adam Curry – podcaster and entrepreneur extraordinaire.  First played my promo for Rutter’s Ramblings, then started the Troy Needs an Ipod Contest, and later became a great online friend.
  • CC Chapman – met through Adam Curry, later became a good online friend and met at Podcamp Boston 2 and Blogworld. Worlds nicest guy.
  • Chris Brogan – Knew the name when we had lunch at Podcamp Boston 2, but not much else about him. Later he sent out a few retweets for my site here.  Someone I always go to for inspiration. And heck of a nice person.
  • Joel Comm – A mentor, friend and inspiration.  What more can I say?
  • Crew at Central Iowa Bloggers – you guys rock.  Always a source of inspiration and learning
  • Bitmethod (Daniel, Neal and Igor specifically) – setting a high bar for doing the awesome
  • Chris Pirillo – fellow Iowan, full-time video streamer… and good friend.
  • Jim Kukral – First started talking about 2 years ago, now working on rebuilding one of his websites into a great resource for bloggers (see below)

And to everybody else Ive met at tweetups, barcamps, #cib, or just a cup of coffee someplace.  You all make a difference, I’m grateful for having such creative people as friends and colleagues.

Please

I have started rebuilding a blogging tips web site called “Ask The Blogger” – please take a look, subscribe, comment, interact, whatever.  I would love to build on the conversations I have at #CIB and develop it as a place for blogging tips and tricks.  There are a lot of websites out there offering the same thing – but this one is the place I finally feel “home” – and I’m inviting you in.

Have a wonderful holiday and great 2011!

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Social Media

Social Media Chinchilla

December 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment




Even though we are in the zombie apocalypse, each and every day I see “something ninja.”  For instance:

  • The kitchen ninja
  • the blogging ninja
  • the marketing ninja
  • the adsense ninja
  • the wordpress ninja
  • etc.

Starting today I am starting a new breed of “expert” name… introducing…

The Chinchilla

  • Social Media Chinchilla
  • Twitter Chinchilla
  • The Galloping Chinchilla
  • The Blogging Chinchila
  • The adsense chinchilla

Who knows… maybe it will catch on.  But even if it doesn’t…

Enough with the ninja names already.  Please?

Filed Under: Blog, Featured

A New Blog With An Old Friend

December 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Members of #cib (Central Iowa Bloggers) saw I tweeted about a new opportunity that I was getting involved in.  I haven’t given many details, but I think I am at the point where I can let people know about my new project, and my excitement over it.

I attended BlogWorld Expo this year, and finally met one of my acquaintances, Jim Kukral.  Jim and I have been talking here and there over the past couple of years ever since I discovered his Online Video Toolkit instructional videos.  We also have a common friend in Joel Comm.

At BlogWorld, I first met up with Jim at a party in the Luxor suite on Wednesday, where I made a joke about a tuna appetizer being bacon (someone overheard and tried to correct me, and I just rolled my eyes – it was a JOKE!) and then we ran into each other over the course of the conference.  I went to the Wiley booth and bought a copy of his book, and saw that Steve Garfield (whom I met at Podcamp Boston 2) was also there, so I took the goofy picture of me, them and their books.


Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago.

Jim sent out a tweet about a web site he was interested in partnering with someone – or outright selling it.  And it hit me.  This is what I was looking for.

With this blog, and also with my podcast, I have a tendency to talk about the medium instead of the niche I am trying to talk about. For instance, on my blog I blog about blogging, and on my podcast I podcasted about podcasting.  This can turn off readers/listeners who found your content because of your main niche, and don’t really care how much you know about the technical side of creating the content they are looking for.

So – what better way than actually doing a blog about blogging?  I had always resisted because Darren Rowse is such a powerhouse in that arena.  But this site is different in that visitors actually ask targeted questions, and those are the main basis of the content.

We are still getting things revamped and re-organized, but the new site is:

http://www.asktheblogger.com

I hope you check it out.

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Social Media

Who Are You? (who who, who who…)

November 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I was talking to Andrew B Clark (the Brand Chef and new owner of Create Wow Media) at the monthly meeting of Central Iowa Bloggers on Friday about how I am almost the “Anti Social-Media Expert.”  We laughed about it and his response was simply “write a post about it!”  After my series of volatile social media posts the last couple of years, I think I will pass on anything controversial, but it did get me thinking.

I get frustrated by the success others have within their niches, but truth be told I don’t really HAVE a niche.  Not so much anyway.  Let’s face it, unless you are Wil Wheaton (hi, Wil!) having a “personal blog” is never going to reap the monetary or statistical rewards of one focused within a personal niche.  The entire category of “personal blogs” is not filled with many success stories.

I have struggled over the years to find my “niche.”  So much so I sat in a room with Joel Comm, Dan Nickerson and Joel Ownby in the offices of InfoMedia in Colorado asking them “am I just boring?”  Their response was swift and decisive: “You have a book.  You’ve sold over 2,000 copies.  Leverage that – there’s your niche!”  Yes, I could do that.  But I am so far removed from the niche living here in Iowa, that I don’t feel what I say would actually matter.

So I have struggled in finding that niche.  Maybe it is “filmmaking in Iowa” and I can blog about the state of the film’s film industry, etc. since the incentives dried up.  But there is already a blog on that. Besides that, there is really only one other niche I am willing to devote the amount of time to:

Making money on the Internet

And try to break into THAT. It is one of the “no no’s” of trying to start a blog.  Everybody tries to get into that and everybody fails. Besides, I don’t have a product, list or network built up that would support that.

Attending Blogworld was inspiring, but it still did not yield many ideas for my “perfect niche.”  I am still looking for that one “thing” that will hold my interest (and readers).  I admit I was very jaded about blogging a few months ago and was resigned to the fact that the only people making money on the internet were people selling products on making money on the internet.  While I know there is room for “real people” to be successful blogging… I still wonder at times whether I am “interesting” enough to do so.  It isn’t a lack of knowledge on the fundamentals – perhaps it is a lack of understanding and knowledge of MYSELF.

Definitely something worth investigating and cause for more introspection.

Dartboard photo by Loutsu

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,