Nov 25 2009

The Untold Story of @HardlyNormal

Written by Jacob Nahin

Note: Recently, I met up with @HardlyNormal, aka Mark Horvath, founder of Invisiblepeople.tv, a man for whom I have developed a deep level of respect. Mark doesn’t just talk, he acts. When people hurt, he helps. When children starve, he feeds, he clothes. Now, Mark would be the first to tell you that this mission is not about him, but I felt that revealing his rough past under a bright light through a profile-piece would be the best way to, as Mark would say, open blind eyes to the epidemic of homelessness.

Thank you to Mark Horvath for his time, meeting me at the Hollywood and Highlands Center. Also, many thanks to Ann-Marie Welsh (@padschicago), William Marc Salsberry, and Pastor Matthew Barnett (@matthewbarnett) for lending their voices to this piece. May they be heard by all who read it.

For publications interested in running this article, please Contact Me. All photos were taken by Wm. Marc Salsberry.

With that, here is…

“The Untold Story of @HardlyNormal”

He stands on the matte black stage of the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif., surrounded by fans and followers seated in padded, red seats, a guest and lauded speaker. It’s Oct. 27.  The event: a Twitter conference called 140 Characters, is casual in nature and stands in sharp contrast to the Academy Awards. Dressed in blue jeans and a cream-colored collared shirt with black pin-stripes, this 6-foot, gray-haired, green-eyed man loaded with charisma stands straight and seems well-fitted to the building where celebrities like Jack Nicolson and Will Smith pass out gold-plated statues each year.

But this theater, next to famous landmarks like Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” is not that unfamiliar to the man on the stage. More than 14 years ago, Mark Horvath called the loud, dirty street of Hollywood Boulevard home.

Continue reading

Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Internet Television, Journalism, New Media, News, Social Media, Technology

Jun 26 2009

Why Your Small Business Needs Social Media

Written by Jacob Nahin

Everyone from kids to adults in use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. We’re talking millions and millions of eyeballs.
They access it from home, from work, and from their cell-phones. The best part: many big-name competitors still don’t have a social media strategy, giving you, the small business owner, the opportunity to game some of that cash.
If you advertise your social media page in your store or restaurant, you provide an easy way to sync your product offerings with a customer’s mind. You, the small business owner also opens the door to special, random (read: viral) promotions. For example, you could have special sale days that are advertised via social media. It might look something like this: “Free Kids-size Ice Cream Cone for the next three hours to anyone who mentions this tweet at the checkout counter.”
At first, this sounds like a loss until you realize that your followers will do your advertising for you. Proof: Checkout the Squarespace ad campaign. offer a good deal and people can’t wait to tell their friends about it. They will say in their Facebook status/Tweet, “At SmallBusinessX. Come hang out and get a free cone! Just mention their status/tweet!”
Those who see the social media buzz will come down, try your cone, and probably order a sandwich (or whatever you offer) in the process. They will tell their friends/parents/dog/cat about how awesome your restaurant is on their Facebook page and in real life. Then their friends will come try your food, and so on and so on.
Anyhow, see the potential here. You, spend a minimal amount of cash (your cost of the ice cream cone+labor) to bring in a substantial amount of new business. The changing deals ensure that people will follow you via social media just in case a special deal.
Finally, by using social media as a way of advertising, you, the small business owner, plays on two psychological mindsets: 1) They will feel like there is a  PRESENT/CURRENT sale (as opposed to a static, paper coupon) that could end at any time. 2) People will feel special by following and communicating with the small business, thus building brand loyalty. Each customer will feel like they have a personal connection with you and the restaurant.

Everyone from kids to adults use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. We’re talking millions and millions of eyeballs, many of which walk by your business everyday.

They access their social media from home, from work, and from their cell-phones. The best part: many big-name competitors still don’t have a social media strategy, giving you, the small business owner, the opportunity to capture some of that cash while pleasing your customers.

Continue reading

Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in New Media, Social Media