What's in your mailbox?

If you are on a smartphone, hold phone sideways (landscape mode)

 

The first 'MTP' company that I ever launched was MaritimeTechnologyPartners.com 

I was selling telecom and technology since 1983, starting with NYNEX and 'Car Phones'. Remember when you had to INSTALL a phone into the car - no such thing as portable phones. I was selling BlackBerry phones and service, and Satellite Phone Service to the NYC Maritime niche market. 

DID YOU KNOW that NYC became 'what it became' because it was a natural deep water port? It was from the 'Maritime' roots that New York became the financial center of the world. And then, 'Maritime Towns' were where the people lived. Name a major population center in the USA: it is near the water. Boston. Baltimore. Miami. LA. Chicago. The Great Lakes count. You can carry this logic out around the world, not just North America. London. Hong Kong. Maritime = Money. 

Anyway... because I was selling communications and technology to the Maritime Industry, it also allowed me to attend boat shows, and - to meet folks that own and purchase yachts. 

I will probably never own a Yacht. Most people, will never own a yacht. But those people who do own yachts are the people that own many things. Most of the folks that own yachts founded companies like Microsoft or Facebook or Amazon or SpaceX. But they are all still... people. 

And yet, there are thousands of people that own yachts. It's a big industry. And these people (even the very rich) do business with people. Even billionaires and the very rich do business with people that they like, and people that they trust. 

Here is the cool thing that I learned from this Maritime journey. Really rich people, pay people to do things for them. To buy things for them. They don't 'shop' for things, most of the time. They have staff. Their staff has staff. They rarely buy things themselves. Their time is too valuable to be doing things that can be outsourced or can be delegated to others. But there are a few things where billionaires do get involved. There are a few things where they are still very 'hands on' in the sales process. Their yachts. 

One of my best friends from my 'Maritime Days talks directly to Billionaires all the time. Here is a 'blurb' from his current LinkedIn profile:

As the Group Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President of XXX's Superyacht Division, I lead a global team across multiple prestigious brands, delivering unmatched service and results to an elite clientele. With over a decade of C-level leadership, I specialize in customer acquisition, strategic marketing, operational excellence, mergers and acquisitions, and financial oversight. My passion lies in crafting innovative, customer-first strategies that consistently drive substantial revenue growth in the luxury lifestyle industry.

Having implemented transformative growth strategies that have resulted in exponential gains over nearly two decades, I have a proven track record in elevating brands to new heights. One of my most significant achievements includes structuring the sale of the world’s largest publicly traded recreational boat and yacht retailer, where I represented the selling side as an owner. Since then, I have spearheaded multiple strategic acquisitions contributing to its expansive global footprint.

I am driven by a deep commitment to delivering unparalleled value to our brands, clients, and the luxury industry, continually pushing boundaries to redefine success.

Now it is 2024, and I am back to servicing the Maritime Industry for high-speed global Internet and communications. As a Master Agent for companies like AireSpring (now with Starlink.com and Viasat.com) we are delivering global communications to everywhere from anywhere.  

And also in 2024, my youngest son is deep in the 'Insurance Game' with a focus and concentration on high-wealth clients. Billionaires will not buy their necessary Insurance themselves - they have CFOs and such for that. Ah, but the VITOs (Very Important Top Officers) who work for and report to the Billionaires will take the call - if their boss passes on the information. Ah yes, it's not what you know but who you know - and how well you know them. Everyone has 'a guy or a gal' that they will share with their inner circle. 

I have been in Sales and Marketing all my life - even when selling electronics from my dorm room at PURDUE. I know the value of getting to the decision maker. I learned early on in my business career that "he who controls the checkbook controls the company." 

Personally, I will probably never become a billionaire. But I can live my life in a way, and run my companies in a way that the world is rooting for me. I wonder if my son will see today's blog....

Hey RobertCapone.us ...look... INSURANCE!

Now THAT is Incredible!

 

My wife found this 'The INCREDIBLES' placemat at a garage sale, and now it's mine. 

Released in October 2004 this lauded Pixar animated film, married superheroes Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are forced to assume mundane lives as Bob and Helen Parr after all super-powered activities have been banned by the government. While Mr. Incredible loves his wife and kids, he longs to return to a life of adventure, and he gets a chance when summoned to an island to battle an out-of-control robot. Soon, Mr. Incredible is in trouble, and it's up to his family to save him.

I love the history of Pixar, and how in 1986 Steve Jobs acquired the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, Ltd. and renamed it Pixar Animation Studios. He remained CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1% until its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company on May 5, 2006.

Steve Jobs helped to revolutionize Animated Movies. Pixar computer-generated animation kicked off a renaissance in animated films — including blockbusters Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Wall-E. After Steve Jobs left Apple in 1985, he bought Pixar from George Lucas Oct 6, 2011.

Pixar has produced 28 feature films, which were all released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through the Walt Disney Pictures banner, with its first being Toy Story (which was also the first CGI-animated feature ever theatrically released) on November 22, 1995, and its latest being Inside Out 2 on June 14, 2024. “Inside Out 2” surpassed “Incredibles 2” to become Pixar's highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office, not adjusted for inflation, and the fourth highest-grossing animated film of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

OK, pivot!

For the first time, there are more people paying tuition for an online education than a traditional campus education. For the first time, more students (including High School students) are taking college classes from anywhere in the world. Kids (can I call them kids?) are going to graduate from an accredited college and/or university located in North America - and they will never step foot in North America. 

Pixar originated at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT.edu) in the 1970s, where a team of computer scientists developed the Pixar Image Computer. Pixar has been a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios since 2006. 

And.... NYDLA.org was 'born' at NYIT.edu (just like Pixar). 

Stan Silverman has been a key figure in the evolution of instructional technology throughout New York state, and an advisor to numerous technology projects across the nation. He is the director of Technology Based Learning Systems (TBLS). This research and development program has been a leading site for testing new educational technology products in their state of the art instruction and video conferencing facilities. He is also a Founding Senior Fellow in the Office of Online and Continuing Education.

TBLS has been a leader in Instructional Technology for K–12 schools for over 25 years. It has worked with the New York State Teacher Centers to create the Online Academy and with Nassau BOCES on a Virtual Learning Space grant to create self-paced and facilitated courses. New York Tech has also hosted the longest running K–12 educational network in the country.

If there was no Steve Jobs, there would be no Pixar. If there was no Stan Silverman of NYIT.edu there would be no NYDLA.org ( and now NADLA.org SADLA.org AsiaDLA.org AfricaDLA.org EuropeDLA.org). 

So as it turns out NYIT.edu gave birth to Pixar and to The Distance Learning Association. 

I met Stan Silverman on NYIT campus, right after 9/11. At the time I owned MyTeachingPartners.com as we sold the technology that 'makes distance learning work'. The Statue of Liberty was closed due to the terrorist attacks - and they wanted to do 'virtual class trips' for the kids via videoconferencing. And to win the bid for videoconferencing for National Parks Service - you had to 'pass muster' with Stan. I remember like it was yesterday, driving out to NYIT.edu Long Island Campus to meet Stan 'IRL'. To explain what we did, how we did it, why we were the right company for the job. It was Stan that backed me, and MTP. And from MTP, the NYDLA.org was born and the rest, as they say, is history. 

If there was no Steve Jobs, there would be no Pixar. At least not the way we know it today. 

If there was no Stan Silverman, there would be no 'DLA'. At least not the way we know it today. 

And so I reflect on this Sunday Morning on 9/22/2024 - if there was no NYIT.edu there would be no Pixar, and no DLA.  And THAT is what I find to be...

Incredible. 

“Incredibles 3” is in development at Pixar Animation Studios, with writer-director Brad Bird — who helmed 2004's “The Incredibles” and 2018's “Incredibles 2” — returning for the threequel. Pixar chief Pete Docter made the announcement on Friday during Disney's epic presentation of its upcoming projects at the D23 Expo. Aug 9, 2024

It's all about the date, eh?

 

It's all about the date, eh?

We first met our friends at Domo at the US OPEN back in 2015. I remember it like it was yesterday, me yelling upstairs to my son: "Hey Tommy, do you want to go to the US OPEN on Thursday?" Being a MIS/IT major at the time, Tommy was jazzed to meet the folks from Domo.com

I also remember going to Yankee Stadium with Domo.com - again back in 2015. Once again it was "Hey Tommy, do you want to go to a Yankee game with me with the folks from Domo.com?" I'm pretty sure this time he yelled back from upstairs with not a simple yes but with a HELL YES. So now thinking about it, the Yankee Game with Domo was first (May 2015) and then the US OPEN (September, 2015). 

Gotta get 'the data of the dates' right. Right? 

And now this past week, members of the NYDLA.org attended a Domo Lunch 'n Learn in NYC at Rockefeller Center. By my best count, there was way more than a hundred DLA members LIVE in the room. The presentations were excellent from the leadership of Domo, as well as from many Domo customers who detailed their success stories. 

One thing that was cool was I was able to also attend a mandatory online training with NYDLA.org vendor/sponsor AireSpring. I was able to use one of the 'break-out rooms' setting up camp with my multi-screen laptop. So, attending the event LIVE LIVE with Domo and then LIVE (virtually) with AireSpring - on the same day - made me smile. I was on the AireSpring training on my phone - in the elevator - then on my laptop - seamless transition. I was so proud of myself- remote work - expert level. Ah, but I digress....

I knew back in 2015 that all things Domo would be an amazing fit for the NYDLA.org community. The 'big data' movement was just taking off. The buzz about AI and our global business (and entertainment) future run by 'data' was just starting to take hold. I watched the BAIT major at RUTGERS (Business Analytics & Information Technology) go from zero students, to becoming one of the most popular majors in the university. This theme has held true for schools across the country. 

Tommy could not attend last week's event at Rockefeller Center. It was not lost on me, that our country's first BILLIONAIRE made his money on OIL. And how it's been said that "Data is the New Oil." And how we were attending the Domo Lunch 'n Learn from the 27th floor of Rockefeller Plaza, a cathedral of business that was built from 'big oil' money and how now in 2024 we are talking about big DATA. And, how without data there would (could be) no AI. 

”In God we trust. All others must bring data.” 

This quote, made by W. Edwards Deming, refers mainly to the importance of data measurement and analysis when doing business. While on the phone with Tommy this week, telling him all about the Domo event I gave him one of my personal witty quotes: "Reports are only important if read by the King." In other words, the data is only important if you are going to DO SOMETHING with the data. 

So, let's land the plane, shall we?

It's all about the date, eh? Did you catch the pun? 2015 > 2024 and now we shall be offering all things Domo to the (now global) membership of the NYDLA.org  And, many of the 174K+ (K-20) schools of the DLA community are teaching 'data' and 'AI' via online classes. 

Data related majors are the most popular areas of study in the 2024 (online) school year. Our NYDLA.org schools can add Domo to Business Intelligence and Analytics courses and empower students with next-generation data skills. The NYDLA Domo for Higher Education program enables teaching Domo technologies to BI and Analytics students — at no cost to instructors or educational institutions. And it prepares students for a job market that demands data literacy and skills.

Ok, so now you are all up to date, eh? 

NYDLA & Domo at Yankee Stadium - 2015

GetAireSpring.com - 2024

Where did you go to Collage?

If you are on a smartphone, hold phone sideways (landscape mode) 

A Collage is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. Not to be confused with college - an institution where students study after they have left secondary school.  And of course never to be confused with a university - a higher education institution that offers a variety of academic programs and degrees, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. 

Universities are typically larger than colleges and have a broader curriculum. They often include a college of liberal arts and sciences, as well as graduate and professional schools.

For the first time ever, more students (from around the world) are paying tuition to attend a college or university FROM HOME, rather than from a traditional campus. And for the first time, more High School students are taking college level courses - from home - online. In fact, the quality of education online is now testing higher than for students who live on a college campus. 

Quality of Life | Quality of Education | Expert Level.

COVID and the pandemic changed our world forever. The lock-downs and the fact that if it was not for Zoom there would be no school at all - happened. We have been talking about 'Telemedicine' since the 1964 World Fair in New York. COVID made Telemedicine 'happen' and now there is no going back. So many things happened to our world since I went to collage. Ah, I mean COLLEGE. 

I made the trip to PURDUE from BOONTON USA when I was 17 years old, in my Chevy Nova. It was not a new car, so it was best to not go back and forth the 739 miles. So I would fly home most of the time, leaving my car on campus. After freshman year, my Dad bought me a Firebird Trans Am (new) and I would ALWAYS DRIVE from there. Yeah, I was spoiled. Moving on....

Going to college meant just that: you GO. As in, load up the car, move into the dorm room, and live on campus. Meal plans at the dorm. Some kids were commuters, living (and eating) at home. When I went to RUTGERS School of Business (New Brunswick) it was 40 miles from BOONTON USA. So that was an easy commute - in my 1979 Firebird Trans Am. I had an AMAZING car stereo. Moving on...

1978: where did you GO to college?

2024: where did you ATTEND college? 

Ah so. Thanks to the amazing technology of the day, you can ATTEND college or university today, from anywhere in the world. You do not need to physically live on a college or university campus. And, you can take courses from multiple different colleges and universities, from anywhere in the world. You do not need to leave your home country (and move to North America) for a quality education. 

And so, now in 2024 there is a new normal. There are 174K+ (K-20) schools in the North American Distance Learning Association (NADLA.org) portfolio. Many name brands schools, all 8 Ivy League Schools, and many (many) smaller schools that you probably never heard of - and yet they are AMAZING. But now via the power of global high-speed Internet, anyone from anywhere can attend college or university from anywhere. 

And, we now have (wait for it...) a collage of colleges. You are not limited to the syllabus of any one school. You are not limited to the subject matter expertise of any one teacher or professor. Of course you are more than welcome to pay tuition and pay for a dorm room and live on a college or university campus, like I did. Ah, until I did not (commuting to RUTGERS, every day). 

A COLLAGE of COLLEGES. I like the sound of that. You. From your home. From ANYWHERE in the world. You can teach, train, coach, mentor, live, learn, work, play in the (now GLOBAL) cloud economy. You don't have to pick any 'one' school - you can attend......

All of them. 

And you can do it all from home. And home is where the WiFi is.... thanks to AireSpring GLOBAL and Starlink.com that can now be anywhere.... 

Hey - you DID JoinNYDLA.org right? 

Hire 'em right, train 'em right, treat 'em right

What does it mean if someone is intrepid?

Extremely brave. Showing no fear of dangerous situations. Courageous. Audacious, brave, dauntless, fearless.

Intrepid is a very easy word when it comes to its meaning: without any fear. Intrepid is a tricky word, when it comes to usage. It can be used both in a positive context as well as a negative one. And, we have trepidation, a feeling of fear that causes you to hesitate because you think something bad or unpleasant is going to happen. 

Like getting stranded on the moon. I'll come back to this. 

For the first time, more students have signed up to attend college online (remote) than via a traditional college campus. And 2024 has set a record for High School Students taking college level classes, online. Kids, going to their local High School, taking college courses - from home. 

Today's Sunday Blog is a mishmash of thoughts that have a common link: The Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum in New York City. 

Recently I attended Apollo: When We Went to the Moon on the Intrepid in NYC.  'When We Went to the Moon' provides historical context to the colossal innovations of the Apollo program and NASA’s subsequent projects, shedding light on space exploration and its profound technological and cultural impacts. 

After World War II, an intense rivalry formed between the United States and the Soviet Union igniting the Space Race. Both countries had one prime objective: to put the first humans on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, the United States won the race. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon. This achievement transformed humanity’s understanding of our world and our potential to reach beyond its boundaries. If there was no space race, we might not have cell phones, or laptops, or the internet. Maybe one day we would get them - but not with this speed and adoption. If there was no Space Race, there would be no Amazon, no Netflix, no Apple, no Uber. The Space Race changed history for all of us.  

I remember watching the movie "The Right Stuff" and also the movie "First Man" which of course are the Hollywood versions of history. But I also remember being on PURDUE campus and learning about intrepid alumni Amelia Mary Earhart, American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. Amelia held many early aviation records, including first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Oh man, think about all of the training. The massive amount of knowledge transfer during a time without the Internet. Slide Rules, yes. Laptops, no. And no Google, and certainly no 'AI'. All the intelligence was very real indeed, nothing artificial. 

If I drive, PURDUE is 739.2 miles away. Figure 10 hours, 49 minutes, give or take. I cannot remember the number of times I made that trip. And, I also flew home to New Jersey a few times. I always thought it was cool that PURDUE had its own airport right on campus. 

For the last hundred years or so, if you lived outside of the USA, you would contemplate sending your child to North America for their education. It was common for people to make not only the financial sacrifice, but the emotional sacrifice of sending teenage children away from home, to another country. I think that the level of trepidation to make this decision must be intense. Because quality of life is (and always has been) connected to quality of education. And, there was only one way to get a quality education: on a campus. 

At age 17, in 1947, Neil Armstrong began studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana; he was the second person in his family to attend college. Armstrong was also accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but he resolved to go to Purdue after watching a football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Ohio Stadium in 1945 in which quarterback Bob DeMoss led the Boilermakers to a sound victory over the highly regarded Buckeyes. An uncle who attended MIT had also advised him that he could receive a good education without going all the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts. "No need to travel so far away from home, Neil." Ironic, eh? 

Training. Education. Engineering. Research. Experimental Aircraft. All of this was done during a time in history without the Internet, without laptops, without computers. Without YouTube, without Audible.com and certainly without Zoom. 

Because I run the (now global) Distance Learning Association, I often reflect back on how distance learning became DIGITAL learning and now, today in 2024, it's really just DIGITAL LIVING. Zoom just announced that they can host 1M+ (that's one million) people on a webinar. My mind went to this: would it not be cool to have let's say 900+ people LIVE on the INTREPID, 900K+ LIVE via Zoom Webinar, and 9M+ watching the archives via YouTube or Workvivo. Pushing the boundaries of distance learning. Let's do it! 

I think back and reminisce about how I would drive the 739.2 miles from home to PURDUE when I was a teenager. And how my two sons would drive the 162 miles back and forth to UCONN and a few round-trips to Quinnipiac University (110 miles). RUTGERS is 40.7 miles from my home in BOONTON USA. I can only imagine how many times I made that round-trip to the RUTGERS School of BUSINESS. Hundreds of times, easy. Heck, I still do! { but now, for hosting Zoom events FROM campus...} 

Round trips from my New Jersey home to PURDUE took some planning. Trips home from UCONN or RUTGERS or Quinnipiac, not so much. Heck, that can be a day trip. Certainly nothing like the 238,900 miles from the earth to the moon. 

Aviation changed the world. And the Space Race changed the world - especially the world of EDUCATION. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research changed the world - no matter where you live, and no matter what country you were born. 

Viasat and Starlink now provide reliable high-speed internet to 102 countries. Both aspire to provide global mobile broadband. So, soon, you will be able to get a college or university degree from PURDUE UNIVERSITY (or from ANY college or university) from anywhere in the world. 

And one day.... from the moon. And beyond. 

Thanks Amelia, thanks Neil.