2014 Update

CYMERA_20131026_153051So I have been really out of it for a while. Life has been busy to say the least. If you want to know more PM me.

My experiments with blogging have been pretty successful, I think. Blogs serve as a networking enhancer. Writing without a supporting community is hard to get going. But writing about a community that already exists is a great way to both support that community and find leads. It is the intersection of social good and profitability.

I could use the records from hits on this website combined with my post history and the events I attended last year to draft an evidence-based, ironclad argument for why the above statement is correct. But I have seen the results first hand, and I trust my intuition.

Here is the plan going forward. I believe it is one I can sustain for the long haul.

Events: At most, I want to attend 2 events per week and write about one or both of them. Every quarter, I would like to volunteer to help at 1 event, such as Startup Weekend.

Writing: In addition to writing one or two articles per week about local events, I will also write about legal topics. The goal is one article per week with a goal of enabling people to do their own startup legal work. I would like to help make the legal profession more accessible and affordable. A complete legal blog is a good first step.

Teaching: At least once per month, I would like to teach a class on law or business. These could be either directed at lawyers who are starting their own firms or to others who are starting their own businesses. I like teaching. I am good at it. I should do more of it.

So where will all these blogs be written and classes be taught?

Law451.com: My catch-all blog for the crazy things I want to write that do not fit in below. Space, Ideas, Tech, Ponderings and musings and so on. Thoughts on life and death and family. Creative Writing. Etc…

StartupHouston.comBlogs about Houston’s tech-startup scene. Meetups, Companies, other Organizations. Profiles of thought leaders.

Houston.Startupweekend.org/blog: Blogs about Startup Weekend. The organizers, past companies and participants, mentors, sponsors, ideas, tips and tricks, general news, judges. The same ideas as on StartupHouston.com, but only ones relating to Houston Startup Weekend.

LawHeroes.comThe real legal blog. Legal advice on every branch of law written by local lawyers. Blogs about local events those lawyers find interesting. The common denominator is the blogs are all things the lawyers care deeply about. For me it is startups. For others, maybe running or church or music or painting. And finally, a monthly write-up about a lawyer who is doing good work in her community.

TX/RX: A great place to teach classes and take classes. It is rapidly becoming my favorite hangout spot in Houston.

Bauer Microfinance InitiativeThe Initiative takes people who want to start businesses, puts them through a 12 week course on business skills, and then helps them find initial funding for their business. I currently teach a class on law there about twice per year.

SCORE/SBDCThey offer cheap/free classes and mentoring for entrepreneurs. They are an awesome resource. At their classes, you can learn about websites, LLCs, contracts, accounting, taxes, social media and more. I am not sure how to get started with them, but I cannot wait to find out.

Youtube Channel: I think it would be cool to redo all my talks on a Youtube channel so people can get the advice even if they cannot attend the class. More than likely, I will put it under the LawHeroes moniker.

This is the plan for the year. Wish me luck.