The Challenge is…

When creating a show the challenge is to somehow be able to quiet all the creative voices in your head and focus on just one thing for a while. Earlier today I read a post by Chris Brogan about Platform thinking in Personal Branding. He wrote:

“The first secret trick about personal branding is that first, you have to be known for something. One thing. First.”

When I started What’s it all about, I wanted it to be a show that anyone could watch “web 2.0 for your mom”. That was the original premise. To create a show that was so approachable that anyone could watch, understand, and hopefully learn something.

The problem with that concept is that “your mom” is not watching online video shows. I mean, my mom is, but that’s only because her daughter produces one.

When we re-launched the show we had to adapt the premise of the show. I wanted to assume a certain user lever of my viewers while still keeping the approach simple. The hard part was explaining the show to people.

I was talking to my mom yesterday about this. We were trying to decide what was the best way to describe what the show is about, in the simplest number of words.

My mom told even thought most people are online, they need to understand that the web isn’t just web pages anymore. There are online services, tools and communities that can add value to whatever it is you want to do online. I realized that is isn’t just my mom that doesn’t understand this world of  “web 2.0″ it’s also my friends. People my own age who always ask me “what’s twitter?”, “what’s a podcast?”, “should I start a blog?”

These are the questions of a generation who’s educational system has not prepared them for the changing world that they are about to enter into. Journalism students have never written a blog, communications students don’t know what twitter is. These technologies are invading your industry, so you should be ready for them. And when your boss asks you about “new media” you better have an answer.

My goal with this show is to bring those answers to you. Not just what it is, but how to use it better, faster and smarter. You might consider yourself a “social media guru”, you might still be in school, or you might be changing industries for the first time in 20 years. My goal is that this show would have would be able to help all of you accomplish what you want to online. I know that is a tall order, but I am going to try.

So here is the shortest explanation we could come up with for the show:

“What’s it all about is a show that will help you use the Internet better, faster and smarter. The show features online sites, services, tools and communities that you may be interested to learn about to make the time you spend online more efficient and more rewarding.”

So send in your questions and suggestions because I want to build a great show together, one thing at a time.