Skating With Bernie!

Last week everywhere in Denver was an ice rink. With temperatures below zero every evening and morning it was treacherous to get out of bed let alone walk down the street! No one was thinking of outside events or activities. However, the cold weather snapped (finally!) on Friday and the weekend was relatively warm. Saturday morning was perfect for the remote we had scheduled at Southlands Shopping Center!

The Colorado Avalanche revealed their new mascot this year, Bernie, the St. Bernard. He was so much fun to have out with the kids on the ice. He skated, greeted, hugged and hung out with the kids, families and DJ’s from 95.7 The Party, our partner for the event. The Southlands ice rink is located right in the middle of the shopping center, right in front of the movie theatre. The rental skates looked really nice and I must say more comfortable looking than the old figure skates we learned it!
Bailey

National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month, and I am participating in NanoWrimo – which is contest of sorts. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. And if 50,000 words sounds like a lot, that’s because it is.

And it’s daunting! It’s difficult! We are 3 weeks into this madcap adventure and I’ve been out of things to say since last week. I’m at just under 18,000 words which means I am behind the 8 ball. However, I have never written 18,000 words in a row before. Even if I don’t make it to 50,000 I have done something I never thought I would ever actually do.

Sure, I’ve dreamed about writing a novel – but the sheer magnitude of it always frightened me. I’m primarily a poet and a short story writer. I know now why I keep to those forms – novels are hard work!

This is an incredibly intense experience but I am so proud of myself for sticking with it. I have learned a lot about myself and my writing in the process. Even if I don’t reach that finish line, I’ve reached a very important personal goal: told a story on paper.

-Victoria Lindsay 11/19/09

The New Kids On The Block

Inline Media is very excited to introduce the New Kids on The Block. First, our very happy Mom, Jennifer McCraw, brought in her new baby son Austin Thomas McCraw aka “ATM”. He is the cutest honorary member at Inline Media so far. He brings great experience in eating, sleeping and you know what! We are sad to say that Jennifer has decided to go independent so she can spend more time with her son. She will not be returning to InLine Media and we will surely miss her and all the hard work she brought to our team.

Our second new kid is Victoria Lindsay who packed up all she could fit in her Volkswagen and moved to Denver. She brought with her from Wisconsin experience in outdoor media buying and her great smile that greets us each morning. Victoria has a big task of assisting all of us here at InLine and making sure our office runs smoothly. She is a great addition to our family.

Having such great luck with the name Jennifer, we welcome Jennifer Sanchez to our team. Jennifer has great expertise in online Political media buying. She’s excited to be here (she did grow up in Kansas after all!) We are very lucky to have her and we are excited that she is now a member of our team.

Chris Ex Ouellet - Nov. 18, 2009

'Keeping It Fresh"

“Keeping it Fresh”
Part of everyday’s experiences here at InLine is to keep things fresh, whether it is a new idea, or just thinking beyond what is the norm.

We have fresh new offices thanks to Bailey and Robbie who coordinated our move. Yes, we can still smell the fresh paint and our phones and computers are even working.

Our Website is currently being updated with new information and fun facts. We held a “Best Questions Contest” where each person would submit three top questions. The votes came in and we are very proud of our winner Robbie Folena. He now has a Snuggie to wear at the CU game.

Chris Ex Ouellet - 10/15

Big Week!

It’s a big week here at InLine! We aren’t just planning for Holiday, 4th Quarter, and 2010 media. The 10 of us are packing up our desks and moving! We aren’t moving far, a mere two floors to number 7. We began construction on Suite 700 about 2 months ago. We removed walls, built work stations, created a new conference room and gave the suite new floors, carpet and a pretty bold paint job! Robbie & I snuck up there this morning and the final carpets were being laid in. Friday, Grabels will arrive and take our (hopefully cleaned out and reduced) belongs up to their new homes. Please note that Friday, the InLine offices will be closed with very minimal access to our emails as servers need to be moved and relocated as well. Additionally, our phones will be down most of the day as well. InLine will be back up and running Monday morning, we promise! Nancy returns from a week of vacation on Tuesday and we have promised her a new, organized and fully functional office upon her return! She should be right at home as InLine opened its doors in Suite 700! Back to where it all began! Scott’s packing as I type this as he’s out of here tomorrow for his Wedding! Congratulations to he and Adrienne! Oh and Chris Ex married Wally after 9 years of dating and became Chris Ouellet last week! Told you it was a big week around here!

Flash Mob!

Seemingly spontaneous aerobics astounded lunch-goers across the state yesterday when flash mobs broke out at 12:10 p.m. on the streets of Denver, Greeley and Grand Junction. More than 100 flash mobbers exercised their enthusiasm for healthy eating and active living in each city when they suddenly disrobed to display retro, 1980s-inspired workout gear and performed a coordinated aerobics routine. Several of us participated in the Denver mob; try and spot us!

Back to School

Pencils sharpened. Books purchased. Lunches packed. Sound familiar? These are the telltale signs of “Back to School.” Unfortunately, every parent’s favorite time of year has now become my averse reality.

Currently I am attending the University of Colorado Denver in route toward a MBA. Working full time and going to school at night will not be easy, but I am excited for the challenge. To many the idea of going back to school has less appeal than having a glass of milk, pool-side. But for me it is an opportunity of a lifetime. Not only will I delve more deeply in the business academic arena, but I will be able to interact with employers and employees from a varying array of backgrounds.

A highlight that I am anticipating is that CU has acquired a new business school building that will most likely open in the fall of 2010. Not only will the new facility provide more resources for its students, but it will be the focal point for business in the downtown area. And of course, new facilities usually bring about media attention. Who doesn’t like that?!

So now that my pencils are sharpened, books purchased and absolutely no time for lunch, it’s time to focus and get to work. It’s certainly a time in my life where my social scene may deteriorate, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end. For now my emotions are high, my expectations are sincere, and my goals are in place. Stay tuned to see where my feelings are at once I complete my first exam! YIKES!
Rob S.

Fall Premiers Have Started!!

Ann has done a great job preparing for us all for Fall 09 TV. Well, last night one of my guiltiest pleasures started, Biggest Loser. Two of my best girlfriends from college come over every Tuesday to watch. We make dinner and open a bottle of wine and enjoy. We all have our favorites and typically get pretty competitive. Last night sadly they were both out of town so I wasn’t able to get their favorites. But I’ve got mine. This season is all about second chances so; in fact one of mine has been set since last season.

Last season the largest contestant in Biggest Loser history, Daniel, entered the competition at 457 pounds. His partner was not as dedicated as he was and sadly young Daniel and his partner were sent home early in the competition. However, at home Daniel continued to drop pounds and by the finale he was down to 312 pounds. Last night he brought tears to my eyes with his inspiring first place finish in the first competition of running/walking a mile! Players were allowed to pick their teammates and because of his first place finish he received the first pick and took the new “Largest contestant ever,” Shay. I’m nervous about his selection with her giving up last night but, Daniel is pretty motivational so I’m hoping he can pull her through. More importantly I’m hoping they don’t get into a team elimination situation and Daniel falls victim again to being only as strong as your weakest link.

My second favorite of the night was Abby. Without question it was the story behind her journey that captured everyone’s heart. I know everyone at InLine was in tears. This poor woman lost her entire family in a car accident. Her daughter was 5 and a half and he son a mere 2 and a half weeks old. I was on Abby’s team before but she captured me when she said “I’m different than anyone else here, I don’t have a reason to live, it would be easier for me to die. But I get up and take that step everyday and make the choice to live.” WOAH! But, Abby is so positive she continued to go on saying that “There has to be a reason she wasn’t in that car, there has to be something she is meant to do.” While I might not being a great job of describing it, her positivity is contagious!

Daniel lost 12 pounds putting him into the 200’s for the first time in quite some time! Abby lost 15 Pounds! Both great numbers for week one. Let’s hope they don’t fall victim to typical Week 2 hardships!
Bailey

Live+Same Day Data Becomes Industry Standard

In an effort to give their clients, local cable, agencies, advertisers, sales execs and researchers, what they want, Nielsen is proposing to make Live+Same Day the primary ratings data stream in Local People Meter (LPM) and Set Meter Markets. Following a June 2009 meeting, Nielsen clients, almost unanimously, have indicated that they want Nielsen to offer the Live+Same Day data stream and will use it to negotiate local TV time both from the buying and selling sides of the desk. Diary measurement in diary markets will also use the Live+Same Day standard to ensure consistency between methodologies.

Originally it looked like Live+3 would be the new industry standard, but according to Nielsen, it was not what the industry wanted and just never took off. As it turns out, Live+Same Day includes 63% of all the time-shifted viewing that will occur for that day.

It's estimated that the data stream modifications will become effective December 2009. Live+3 and Live+7 Data will still be available.

TGIF! continued...

Time again for some more of my thoughts on the Fall TV schedule. This entry will look at Wednesday & Thursday nights...

* again, my caveats: schedule as published today! all times listed as central/mountain- these are my thoughts only and should not be used against me ;-) Station reps, if you are reading this, I am sorry if I offend your network's show(s)!

WEDNESDAY
7p- This night is STACKED with new shows in all 3 hours, with 7p being no exception. ABC debuts 2 new sitcoms (Hank & The Middle) and NBC debuts an ER/Grey's Anatomy-style medical drama focusing on nurses called Mercy. FOX has SYTYCD results and CBS has 2 sub-par returning sitcoms in New Adventures of Old Christine (which actually is a decent show, just has never lived up to its expectations!) and Gary Unmarried. I think Mercy should win this hour, especially for those people missing ER and used to seeing that type of show on NBC.
8p- This hour brings 2 shows that I am particularly looking forward to- ABC's Modern Family and Cougartown. If you haven't heard about these sitcoms, you are probably living under a rock as ABC seems to have thrown most of their fall marketing budget behind them. Modern Family stars Ed O'Neill of Married with Children fame, and Cougartown features Courtney Cox Arquette, of (as if you didn't know) Friends fame. Competing with ABC's new programs is FOX's new show, Glee, about a high school glee club. Early previews of this show in May & over the summer actually did really well; I would expect this show could surprise some in how well it does. The remaining 2 shows are in the crime-solving drama genre; CBS airs Criminal Minds, and NBC has moved Law & Order: SVU to this hour. I think the Law & Order franchise has started to lose its staying power, and I don't expect this show to do as well as in years past. Look for FOX to take young demos with Glee, and CBS to win the older demos with Criminal Minds.
9p- CBS's best CSI franchise (CSI: New York) airs against Jay Leno and a new ABC show called Eastwick, a fantasy show about 3 witches. It looks and sounds a little too much like Charmed for my tastes, even though I adore Lindsey Price, one of the stars. CBS will dominate this hour. And it won't be close.

OVERALL: FOX & ABC are all over the board; NBC wins 7p, CBS wins 8p-10p
SHOW(S) TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Mercy, Modern Family, Glee

THURSDAY
7p- A lot of people are really looking forward to ABC's Flash Forward (taking the place of Ugly Betty, which got the unfortunate news it was moving to Friday nights- otherwise known as one step from the grave in TV speak). I am not one of them. FOX airs the increasingly popular Bones (but, like House, how long is this show going to last?), and CBS comes back with yet another season of Survivor. NBC doesn't have a chance to compete with SNL Weekend Update and Parks & Recreation (which I honestly was SHOCKED to see back on for another season) and will finish a distant fourth. I think ABC & CBS will fight neck and neck to win this hour.
8p- Probably the best hour of TV on the whole fall schedule; ABC airs Grey's Anatomy, CBS airs the original CSI, FOX airs Fringe, and NBC airs The Office followed by a new sitcom, Community, about a rag tag group of Community College students including the return of Chevy Chase. My guess is that Grey's will come out on top, but it won't necessarily dominate. Rating points in this hour will be split very evenly amongst the 4 networks.
9p- ABC's Private Practice has really been gaining ground since it moved to Thursday nights from its original Wednesday night slot. And CBS's The Mentalist was the #1 new show from last year. As in other nights, poor Jay Leno doesn't stand a chance and will finish a distant third. Just like in 7p, I think ABC & CBS will fight neck and neck again.

OVERALL: CBS/ABC tight race all night; NBC struggles 7p & 9p hours
SHOW(S) TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Flash Forward, Community

:-) AB

"The Canned Ham"

All year long I wait for my favorite time of year, Camping Season!
Nature always seems to amaze me with all the visitors we seem to attract in our campsites. To name a few, we have had of coarse Brokeback- mosquitoes, chippies, deer, elk, and even a black bear.

A couple of years ago we decided to start a project to improve our outdoor experience. It’s called the “Canned Ham”. A 1969 - 15 ft camping trailer which got its unusual name from its shape.

Last year we rebuilt the undercarriage and added a 5” lift to the suspension for clearance. Since then we have gutted the interior and replaced all the paneling / cabinets, as well as new wiring gas lines etc. to bring this antique into the new millennium safely. We still need to finish the bathroom and exterior of the trailer.

Some of my favorite features are the solar panels on the roof, the new refrigerator, queen size bed, and of course the flat screen TV / DVD. Even though we are not done with the restoration at this point, we have been camping with it all summer long. It sure feels like princess camping to me!

Well there is only a few more weeks left in this year’s season, so I better get back to my menu planning. What do you think goes better with Beer-Can Cornish Game Hens and Wild Rice, (white wine or a jug of Buffalo Gold beer from Rock Bottom Brewery)? Place your votes on the return comments.

Chris Ex - Aug. 31, 2009

Home

A week from today I will be traveling back across the country to visit “home”. Even though I have lived in Denver for 6 years I still refer to the house and town that I grew up in as “home” and my bed there as “my bed”. It’s not that I don’t love Denver; it’s just that I can’t bring myself to think that I no longer live in Kennebunk. The day I had to change my license and license plates was a tough one. It was so tough that my Maine license is expired sitting in the back of my wallet.
Trips home are always so relaxing, just being in a place that I know and love more than anywhere. However, at the same time there is a lot to fit into a short period of time. Next weekend is sure to be filled with hours on the boat, walks on the beach (one can be hopeful for a beach day but it is September in Maine!), Bennett’s subs, cocktails at the wharf, a round of golf, dinner at the yacht club, and BBQ’s with family and friends. I’m sure Saturday night we will find some time to sneak to Fed’s, the town bar, and catch up with everyone we grew up with.
One of the biggest highlights of going home is seeing my parents. Of the 72 hours I’ll be home for Jack and Mere will be with me for almost every waking moment. They even come to Fed’s and leave their marks on the dance floor! They make coming home as special as can be. The dinner table at home or at the yacht club will be perpetually interrupted with friends joining and as they pull up chairs my dad will be busy opening a beer for whoever the joiner is. Inevitably on Sunday while my parents drive me back to Boston to Logan Airport I will get teary eyed. When I hug them goodbye my mom will without a doubt remind me “Boops, next time you come back, it will be exactly the same.” While Mere is normally right, she’s been proven time and time again that this is one thing she’s never wrong about. That’s why Kennebunk is and always will be HOME.
Safe Travels to all over the long weekend!
Bailey

Another Late Night!

Monday night, we ventured off with our Colorado Springs Co-op to Coors Field. Well, yup another late night in the world of advertising! We witnessed Rockies history and one heck of a game. Ilene, Ann, Mike and I entertained our group and hung in there for 15 innings. After the 9th, the score was tied, and Ilene was out of beverages. Just another long day in AdLand, "Peanuts for all" is what she shared.
I was delighted & proud that the InLiners hung in for the home team. Mike, our "IT" Guy, made sure we all stayed put - after all, we had clients to tend to, AND had come for a game. It was well past 11PM, and we had our doubts...Mike let out a shout as "Spilly" got up to bat. The bases were loaded, a "Grand Slam" he ordered! Yes, that's what we got. I guess it pays to listen to your IT Pro! We left the stands at 11:45 - WOW.
In reflection, an outing intented just for fun, will be long remembered by everyone.
Ann Bremer added her color commentary, and I learned a lot.
Ilene Nathanson was our water (beer) girl, and boy can she schlep. Mike, the IT Guy, brought us good luck, and today is still talking of "ducks". At the end of the day, I'm glad to proclaim our team is a winner - inside and out. We hung in there together and would do it again.

The Next Chapter

I live in Arvada with my husband of four years. We have a condo in Skyline Estates that has a beautiful view of the front range. We were in the right place at the right time because the original buyers backed out of the purchase.

My job outside of my job for the last 10 years has been taking care of aging parents. My dad had a stroke in December 1998 and needed more care than my mom could give him. My sister and I worked part time for as long as we could so we could pitch in with care. Through the years I have become an expert on all elder are issues: medical, financial and residential. We even tried to show my mom how to operate a scooter around her apartment in January even though she had never driven a car. My mom lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on June 29 so both my parents are angels now. I was luck to have wonderful parents.

My other interests include writing contemporary fiction and wine tasting. My husband and I went to the California wine country last October and had a great time. We are "wine of the month" members at Balistreri winery here in Denver. They laugh at us because we show up right on the first of the month to get our wine. But we say, "Why wait?"

TGIF!

Thank Goodness it's FALL! Well, almost. I'm excited, at least, for September and the many great things the month brings. The return of college football , NFL football, the start of baseball playoffs, and most importantly- the return of great TV! No more are we subject to watching questionable reality shows like 'There Goes the Neighborhood', 'Wipeout', and 'The Great American Road Trip'. We finally get to see who survives between George and Izzy on Grey's Anatomy (OK, we know the outcome thanks to the much publicized departure of one of the cast members, but we get to see HOW it happens), and watch Ted FINALLY meet the kids' mother on How I Met Your Mother.

As a media professional (and a healthy consumer of the television medium), I would like to think I am certainly qualified enough to make some assumptions about ratings and how certain shows are going to perform. But if there is also anything I've learned in my 8 years planning and buying, it is that nothing is guaranteed or certain. Some shows I would have never thought would survive, have not only survived but thrived! And some shows I thought would do really well have been pulled after a year, or less! (I still miss you Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia).

So, without any more ado, here is the first installment of my critique/thoughts on the fall TV schedule (4 primary networks only). Starting with Monday & Tuesday...

* schedule as published today! all times listed as central/mountain- these are my thoughts only and should not be used against me ;-) Station reps, if you are reading this, I am sorry if I offend your network's show(s)!

MONDAY
7p- I think FOX will win this hour, although it will be close between House, Dancing with the Stars on ABC (they have a weak cast this fall in my opinion though), and Heroes on NBC. Keep an eye on How I Met Your Mother on CBS, though, from 7p-7:30p. The show has grown in ratings every year its been on, and is finally getting the credit it deserves for being a REALLY great sitcom with a great cast (see Emmy & Golden Globe nominations). It's my personal favorite show on TV right now so maybe I'm a little biased...
8p- CBS takes this hour fairly easily I think. DWTS second performance hour is on ABC, then Lie to Me on FOX (a good show that benefits from the House lead-in), and a new show on NBC- Trauma (think ER with less time spent in the emergency room and more time spent out at the accident scenes). But the strength of the two CBS sitcoms (2 1/2 Men & Big Bang Theory) are too much for the other shows.
9p- The first time I will mention Jay Leno. His primetime show is much-hyped (Monday-Friday from 9p-10p, so NBC basically eliminated 5 prime shows from last year), but we really don't know what to expect ratings-wise. I think Monday is actually one night he has a chance to perform quite well. It just will greatly depend on guests- a lot of viewing will probably be tune-in, tune-out (viewers will tune in for a short period of time to either sample the show and see how they like it, or to see one guest, one feature on the show, etc.) So, back to Mondays... Jay is only up against the weakest of the CSI franchises on CBS, and Castle on ABC. I was actually surprised to see this show on the fall schedule, as I thought for sure it would be canceled. I think CSI: Miami will win the hour and Castle/Jay Leno will be neck and neck to finish second.

OVERALL: CBS wins the night. NBC struggles.
SHOW(S) TO KEEP AN EYE ON: How I Met Your Mother, Trauma, Jay Leno

TUESDAY
7p- Expect a tight battle with NCIS (CBS) & The Biggest Loser (NBC). NCIS started somewhat slow, but has actually gained ratings and share each season and even spurred a spin-off this fall (see 8p Tuesday). ABC is airing Shark Tank (a weird combination of various reality shows featuring people trying to convince millionaires to invest in their inventions) and then V once Shark Tank ends. I am not very familiar with V (stands for 'The Visitors'), but I won't be tuning in as I'm not into sci-fi. A second 2-hour reality show, So You Think You Can Dance, is on Fox. SYTYCD is a strong summer show, but I think it won't perform nearly as well in the fall.
8p- Second hours of Biggest Loser and So You Think You Can Dance. ABC airs the Dancing with the Stars results and has a good chance to win this hour! CBS, though, launches NCIS: LA, a spin-off of the popular NCIS, and I expect this show to do as well, or better.
9p- All 3 shows are new! (Remember FOX airs local news this hour). Starting with CBS, The Good Wife really intrigues me. It doesn't match at all with the previous 2 hours of programming, but I think its stars are going to appeal to NCIS viewers and after watching the pilot, I would say the plot (think fallen from grace politician's wife has to go back to work as a lawyer, something she hasn't done in 15+ years) is actually quite strong. The Forgotten on ABC looks REALLY confusing- another sci-fi show that I won't be tuning in to. Finally, Jay again on NBC.

OVERALL: CBS/NBC tight race 7p-9p (CBS wins 9p easily); ABC stuggles 7p & 9p hours
SHOW(S) TO KEEP AN EYE ON: NCIS: LA, The Good Wife

:-) AB

First Day of School

This week, I took my “baby” to her first day of high school and could not help but reminisce about the Nathanson Family First Day of School ritual.

First, we enjoy a special homemade First Day of School breakfast. We all do our chores: make beds, straighten up and organize what we can for dinner. The children grab their brand new backpacks, filled with sharpened pencils, brand-new folders and binders. You can just see in their faces, the excitement that they will get to share their most favorite aspects of their summer reading assignments.

Adorned in their most favorite brand new outfits and haircuts, they stand three in a row, smile and click --- we have our memory.

Well … WAKE-UP! Wouldn’t that be a really boring memory!

So, here comes reality … First of all, “nowadays” the First Day of School is still summer in my book … at least that’s what I call mid-August. Its hot, the buildings are not air-conditioned and who takes anything seriously before Labor Day. The kids are still on summer hours, so we pry them out of bed, dust them off, throw them a stale Power Bar, run around looking for the tattered backpack that has last year’s crumpled, moldy (not going to lie) supplies and head out the door nagging about how they actually should try their summer reading instead of cramming on the Spark notes last night. We all run out, leaving the house in its usual shambles.

We beg and bribe the kids to be serious for the First Day of School photo, “stop sticking out your tongue”, “don’t hit your sister”, “come on, BE serious”. And yes, finally … they stand three in a row, smile and click --- we have our memory.

Ilene

Downhill from here?

I've been having a pretty good year. Being the superstitious type, it scares me to even type that, but it's true. In May I celebrated my one year anniversary here at Inline. On July 3rd my fiance of 18 months and I purchased our first house.This past weekend, I was back in Michigan for my bachelor party. It was one of the most memorable days of my life. In October I'll have another unforgettable day when we say our I do's. I have much to be thankful for.

To be clear, I'm doing my absolute best to enjoy the ride. But every once in a while I hear from that little voice. You know, the one that you hear from time to time that reminds you of Newton's laws of physics? Yeah, that one. Occasionally he likes to do his best Jack Nicholson and ask "what if this is as good as it gets?" He's also been known to put together PowerPoint presentations with graphs and charts illustrating the ups and downs of life. There are even photos of roller-coasters to jazz it up and make it fun. I'd like to tell that little voice not to quit his day job, but then I realize that reminding me of these things is his day job, and well, it all goes downhill from here.

Wedding Bells in Grand Lake

Only a few weeks ago, I became the "mother of the groom" for the very first time. Our daughter, the oldest of our three children, was married three years ago and that was hard enough - a strange mixture of happiness and tears, excitement for a newly-launched family and a bit of melancholy for the child that was now all grown up! As parents, our job is to work ourselves out of a job - taking a completely dependent infant and turning them loose on society some 18 years later as, hopefully, independent, moral, loving, productive members of society.

A son's a son till he takes a wife, but a daughter's a daughter for the rest of her life! I'm sure you've heard this before and it's true. My son, Stephen and his sweetheart met each other for the first time in 5th grade. They started dating as juniors in high school and the romance endured 4 years at CU Boulder. Finally, this summer, they officially became husband and wife in Grand Lake, Colorado with Mt. Baldy and the Rocky Mountain National Park in the background. For the record, my new daughter-in-law is easy to love and has been part of our family for years before their wedding on June 26th. Still, it was a little hard releasing my little boy to another woman, I must say. For years, I was the only woman in his life. Whether I was wearing a cocktail dress or an old bathrobe, hair color or jewels, he always told me I was "beautiful" and that one day he would marry me. Aah - unconditional love. My adorable new daughter-in-law is a wonderful cook, sweet as the day is long, funny, intelligent and, not surprisingly, beautiful! As it should be, she is the new woman in my little boy's life. After multiple viewings of "Mother of the Bride" (conditioning myself so as not to cry) I behaved myself and did not dissolve into a puddle of water. Those precious memories are mine to keep, but my little boy, now a Man - is all grown up and he's going to make my dear Tahnee a wonderful husband and father.

Sturgis, SD

Sturgis, SD
Annually, I ride to Sturgis the first week of August for one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world. It is always an incredible experience traveling by motorcycle and seeing old friends. I ride a 1999 Harley Davidson Softail (Night Train).

This year was the first year I didn’t catch any rain for the 426 mile trip. I meet up with people just like you and I, like John and Deb from MN who are farmers and Larrs who is a gravedigger (yep!) a real live gravedigger.

Sturgis, South Dakota is an amazing place for a small town of 50,000 in the Black Hills to host over 500,000 bikers in one week. There are several places of business that only open for one week during the rally. To name a few of my favorites: (and the name really says it all)

The Road Kill Café: This is a place you just have to stop by. The food is usually cold and is served on paper plates along with plastic silverware, but the name brings me back every time.

The Full Throttle Saloon: is one of the largest biker bars in the world where they let you ride your motorcycle inside the bar. This bar offers several live bands, naked bull riding and the best full on burnout competitions inside where I have watched people burn the back tires right off their bikes.

The Dungeon: is an underground bar where the patrons have /will remove their underwear right in front of you and hang it from the ceiling. There are also other things that occur down there, but I am trying to keep this clean.

Last, is the Broken Spoke: A really interesting biker bar as it has antique motorcycles throughout the bar, some dating back to the early 1900. I always like to stop by here to see the map they set up for everyone that visits from around the world. They encourage you to place a stickpin from where you have traveled. People come from all around the world (ie. Europe, Australia, Russia, China, etc.) Of course Colorado is the largest supporter of the Rally. So, the next time you are driving down the road and see a bike give them a little room, it could be me.

Chris Ex, Aug. 2009

I live in the Lodo area of Denver in a one-bedroom apartment by myself. However, most nights I’m anything but alone. Two of my closest college friends, Jimi and Cheese, (Craig’s name has been pretty much formally changed thanks to a few years in a fraternity) live below me one floor and 6 doors to the right. Upon moving into my new apartment I knew I should give a spare key to someone in case of lock out, emergency etc... Well, there were two likely candidates. Ever since that moment our other friends haven’t let any of us live down our Seinfeld living situation.
In Seinfeld, Jerry’s apartment and refrigerator have revolving doors. Jimi & Cheese have been grocery shopping a total two times since I moved in upstairs. Some days, I will come home thinking about a cold beer in the fridge only to be greeted by a beerless fridge and a text from Cheese “had a tough day, grabbed the beer”.
When I told them I was going to blog about us it was unanimous that Jimi is without a doubt our Kramar.(Hes on the left in the picture) Jimi has gone through a lot in the past year but his sense of humor and out look on life have kept all of us entertained. He is one of the most astute people I know from 9-5 (although he’ll tell you he works 7am-7pm) then all of a sudden work is over. “Jim” is put away and “Jimi” comes to life. He tells us though that “Jim” is always around cause you never know when you’re going to have “talk shop.”
Our Seinfeld story is coming to a close because, I am moving out next month to an apartment closer to downtown and only 5 blocks from the InLine offices. Although I would never tell them, I am going to miss their constant company, laughter and family feeling they’ve given me. Moving merely 3 blocks away I know not much will change. I have little doubt there won’t still those nightly 6pm phone calls “Hey Bails, what’s up, what’s for dinner?”

Off to start the weekend with a cold beer, hope there is one in there!

Kick Ball

I consider myself lucky because unlike Robbie, I don't have to wait once a year to enjoy my favorite activity. I spend every Wednesday night with a great group of friends, cold beers, feisty banter, and a big rubber ball.
This summer I have joined WAKA, the premier (and only) World Adult Kickball Association. This is my team’s first year playing kickball together. We are all seasoned athletes, who developed our skills in a long and arduous training process called “Elementary School”. However, it seems the 20-30 years since that training have left us a little rusty. Despite our full roster of 25 aggressive players, team “So is Your Face”
has yet to win a game, but we are all learning key tips for next year. For example: if you fill the outfield with girls- you cannot later be surprised when we all throw "like girls".

Now, don’t let our record fool you. We are serious competitors. Let me take you back to a time and place not too long ago (specifically two weeks ago at the City of Cuernavaca Park. It was raining and it was raining hard. Team "So is Your Face" refuses to forfeit. Clothed in our battle armor of sweatbands and random warm clothing from everyone’s trunks we take the field, beers in hand. Teammates are slipping, falling, and struggling to overcome the mud. After an epic battle, the last inning is upon us, score 1-0, we are up to kick and down by one. The first two balls are caught in the air. High fives are passed around the field. This is crunch time, we send in our big kickers...we load the bases.... this is it, everything is set, perfect for a big win. Our best kicker is up. The first ball goes out of bounds. The next ball bounces across the plate, the ref calls a strike. The pitcher is getting cocky; you can tell the next one will be a strike. Our best kicker kicks the final ball, it’s going, going...but is it gone? There is a scramble in the outfield by the other team. “RUN!” is all you hear from the sidelines. The person on 3rd runs for home, everything seems like it is going in slow motion. Team “So is Your Face” is perched on their first possible tie, or even victory, and the runner from 3rd… slips in the mud, is tagged out, and the game is over.


Yet another loss for “So is your Face”. Luckily we get to play again, next week.

That Time of Year...

My story consists of a tradition. A tradition that many people might consider laughable or pathetic, is an annual ritual that I crave. Magazines hit shelves in mid July as my emotions begin to tingle with excitement. Once August 1st passes, the countdown begins as if there were going to be a lunar eclipse in the near future. However, this is something different. Something magical. Yes, that's right, it's the world of Fantasy Football.

Every year my close college buddies from all over the country travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan for our annual fantasy football draft (5 years in the making). With notebooks, magazines, and excel spreadsheets in hand, we select what seems to be the "greatest fantasy football team" ever assembled. Hours and hours pass by as if you never want the draft to end. As some hold their heads high, others crumble into their magazines with disappointment.

As sad as this may sound on paper, this event is held with the highest regard by my friends and me. It's a time where laughs are contagious and where men can be boys. But more importantly, it's an excuse to get together once a year to remember the great times we spent in college. So for all of those fantasy football fans out there: have fun, laugh a ton, and choose your team wisely!

Using Print effectively for the Pizza Biz

Email and digital marketing are certainly valuable tools and much in the news these days, but I recently read an article on some pizza operators who are using print and direct mail very effectively.

According to the 2009 Pizza Industry Survey, 72% of pizza operators ranked direct mail coupons, box toppers and door hangers as important to very important in their marketing efforts.

One operator shared the success they had using a local, very local - 1.5 to 2 mile radius around each of their stores - strategy of distributing door hangers. Drivers delivering pizza take the oppportunity to door hang homes or apartments on either side of the address delivered to. Coded for each driver, they receive an incentive if their coupons are returned!

What's the value of a new customer? Another pizza purveyor mailed out 1,000 direct mail cards to a demographically targeted list all within a 3-mile radius of their stores. The offer was a good one - one free pizza. The marketing effort, including the cost of the mailing and the free product they provide amounts to approximately $1,000. They consistently see a return of 13 to 18% which means between 130 and 180 people visiting their stores to redeem their coupon. With this return rate, this marketing effort pays for itself every time, but what's the future benefit?

According to this pizza entrepreneur, if they retain just 45 of those folks as regular customers and they come in just one time per month, it would result in a $10,000 sales gain. Pretty good ROI.

Happy 50th Ilene!

In honor of Ilene's (impending) 50th birthday on Friday, I asked the InLine crew to help me come up with 50 reasons that Ilene is fabulous and what makes her a STAR! Not only does this list give our readers' insight to Ilene's personality, but probably also what a day in the life of a member of the ILM crew entails. Hope you enjoy!

1) She is the best office mom!
2) Ilene has been a true inspiration and mentor- she is how we all aspire to be with clients, co-workers, and everyone in her life!
3) Ilene is InLine’s very own ‘Queen’, reigns with a quiet brilliance.
4) No matter how busy she is, she always makes time to listen.
5) She says it like it is.
6) You always know where you stand with her.
7) She stays calm in a crisis.
8) She always figures out a way to make a bad situation better!
9) She helps out around the office in any way that she can.
10) She successfully juggles career and family.
11) She travels well- even calls in from the shower!
12) Ilene always makes you feel like you are the most important person she’s talked to all day!
13) She is humble and has a great sense of humor about herself!
14) I love the jokes and pranks she plays on all of us.
15) No matter how bad her day is going, she always finds something to laugh at, or make a joke about.
16) Her laughter can be heard from California Street!
17) I love her smile and her good mornings to everyone.
18) Ilene’s smile often lights up the room, in both Spanish & English.
19) She is fair in business and tries to see things from both sides of the desk.
20) She has three teenagers and all are still alive!
21) She has the sweet spirit of encouragement!
22) Because of how clean her car is.
23) Her frustrations with riding public transportation! (Ask her about her run-in with the RTD person checking passes on the light rail!)
24) She always has pretzels at her desk.
25) Her diet coke addiction.
26) Her hair after a stressful day.
27) How she ALWAYS loses her glasses (sometimes on top of her head!)
28) How she thinks it’s totally acceptable for her youngest daughter to spend afternoons alone at Starbucks.
29) She’s the only person who drives to work and manages to lose her keys between parking and the office.
30) How her desk is normally about as organized as a child’s finger painting.
31) She refers to her parents as Judy & Harvey, even to her children.
32) I love how she treats us all like family.
33) I love how Ilene talks to each client- She sounds like she is talking to her best friend and makes them feel like they are the only client!
34) I love her intercom system… she talks to Ann & Scott in the back offices like they are sitting next to her.
35) She prefers to holler down the hallway rather than use her intercom.
36) She is old enough to remember some cheesy TV commercials: ‘Love that Bobcat’ for instance for the Mercury Cougar.
37) The way she interjects Yiddish terms into every form of conversation!
38) She has saved the day more times than Nancy cares to admit!
39) She willingly shared an office with Steve Sander and outlasted him.
40) Nancy will forever be grateful that she went from InLine’s first Go To Freelancer to Lieutenant General and often takes on 5-Star General!
41) Her college stories and how they sound more like dreams than actual events.
42) Her candy jar that is always full!
43) Her obvious love for firemen and young men at Sports Column.
44) The misspelled flier for the firemen auction on her office door.
45) The fact that she puts up with us teasing about her being a cougar! (Her kids would probably be SO embarrassed if they knew.)
46) She is a very accommodating hotel room roommate and a great travel companion.
47) Her rule that she is only allowed to drive and NEVER allowed to provide directions/navigation.
48) How silly she gets after ONE gin and tonic!
49) Her undying love for her dog, Jake (she always says he’s the only one who listens to her!)
50) Last but certainly not least, she honestly makes 50 look like the new 40!

Inbound Marketing University

Next week Scott and I are participating in IMU (Inbound Marketing University)- we are hoping to learn even more about online marketing and advertising options. From June 15-19, we attend two hour long webinars a day, followed by a certification exam on June 22nd. Classes include:
* How to Blog Effectively for Business
* Social Media & Building Community
* Successful Business Uses for Facebook & LinkedIn
* Advanced SEO Tactics: Beyond Keyword Research

Hopefully we will be learning tons upon what we already know! Can't wait!
- AB

The NBA Playoffs

As an advocate fan of professional sports, the NBA has come full circle in 2009 not only for myself, but seemingly for everyone around me. With stars like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant leading the pack, people from coast to coast are curious on what the buzz is all about. Not only am I glued to my television screen every night, but my girlfriend, my parents, and even aunts and uncles are emailing me about the special entertainment the NBA is displaying.

With all of this said, I ventured into how these special times for the NBA are affecting markets throughout the country. From national sports radio to local television networks, it seems that the NBA playoffs have been clogging up the marketplace. Did you know that the NHL championship will be decided in the next couple of weeks? (yawn) Exactly.

The USA TODAY reports that “Sunday's Game 3 (Cleveland vs. Orlando) drew an overnight rating that was up 65% from a San Antonio-Lakers playoff game in the time slot last year” Furthermore, “ESPN, after the first two Denver-Lakers games became ESPN's most-watched basketball games ever, [and] had overall NBA playoff ratings running 3% ahead of last year.”

Most watched basketball games ever?

TNT reported that “Game 7 of the epic first round battle between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls…was watched by 6.9 million total viewers on TNT. That audience total makes it the most-watched round one game in cable television history.”

In cable television history?

Shocked? Surprised? Stunned? I am not. The NBA has all the players in place and all of the advertising it needs to fuel the league for many years into the future. Looking back on it now, I should have known that when my girlfriend wanted to tune in every week that the NBA was headed in the right direction.

GO NUGGETS!

-RF

David vs. Goliath

In a move that could be ground-breaking for the TV measurement industry, WSVN (Fox affiliate in Miami) has filed a lawsuit against Nielsen, claiming that Nielsen is a monopoly and that they publish incorrect data.

For those of you unfamiliar, Nielsen uses 3 different methodologies to first measure TV viewership and then to provide agencies, stations, and any other interested party with ratings:
- Diary Only which asks viewers to write down what they watched;
- Household Meter/Demo Diary Combo which is a mix of meters attached to the TV measuring viewership on a household level, combined with demographic information from the diaries; and
- People Meters which is the same as the household meter, but requires all viewers to enter their demographics as well, so the household viewing is measured along with individual demographic viewing.

Ideally, the methodolgies shouldn't report vastly different ratings. In WSVN's case, though, when they shifted from diaries to people meters in October 2008 (the same month the Denver TV market also switched!), the station lost almost 50% of their young adult audience (they point to American Idol's ratings in their market as an example and proof). This of course lowers the value of the station and reduces ad revenue dramatically. (Imagine you were paying $1,000 for a spot in A.I. before... why would I want to continue to pay the same rate, if Nielsen is telling me I'm only getting half the viewers in my A 18-49 demographic I thought I was!? I would want that same spot for $500 or LESS!).

Nielsen is unbelievable protective of their methodology and ratings rationale and this lawsuit could force them into a VERY uncomfortable situation. Which measurement is correct? Or are they both wrong? Hopefully this lawsuit will help us learn. Stay tuned!!

Here is the article from the station's website describing the suit in more detail (yes, it may be a bit biased, but still provides some good information!):
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI119585/

Interested in Twitter?

So we know social media is all the rage lately. Even though Twitter seems to be a passing fad (according to an article I read about 'Twitter Quitters'- the site only has a 40% retention rate, MUCH lower than most other social networking sites), I came across this article which I found to be very insightful about creating a Twitter profile for anyone who is interested. The highlights and my personal progress...

1) Use your real name (and don't underscore!). NOTE: I've already messed this up (oopsie!), as I used Brems10 (yes, this is a shameless plug to follow me on twitter!). Hopefully, though, this isn't so bad as this is my personal email address and many people who know me know I go by this all the time.

2) Use a real picture. DONE!

3) Treat your bio like SEO copy. Somewhat done. After reading a 'perfect' bio copy, I'm motivated to change mine up a bit. Keep in mind, though, like everything in the Twitter world you're limited to a certain number of characters (160 in this case)!

4) Include a URL. DONE! (My profile links to this site- I know, I know. I'm so clever!)

5) Consider a custom background. I do have a cute background that is offered by Twitter, but again, I may be motivated enough by this article to make it a little more personalized.

6) Don't Protect Your Updates. I have found this to be very true, because it really helps people find you and follow you- if your updates are protected, only your followers are going to see them and it's going to be hard for people to find you!

7) Take it Slow. This basically means to try and keep your following-to-follower ratio as close to 1:1 as possible. I'm trying, but I'm honestly loving this Twitter thing and can't wait to learn more! Enjoy!

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-marketing/7-ingredients-in-the-perfect-twitter-profile/

- Ann

One of our Proud Leaders

All I can say is.... wow. The InLine crew is known to pull some pranks on each other. Payback's a you-know-what!

WOW!!! LOVE IT!!!

What is your favorite Papa Murphy's pizza?

Click on the video above to see what kind of pizza Robbie likes!

And here's Scott's thoughts.

College Friday!

Today is College Friday, an initiative by College in Colorado to raise awareness about the importance of higher education for Colorado's youth. Coinciding with the statewide ACT exam, the idea is that by wearing our favorite college logo apparel, we help draw attention to the importance of education beyond high school. This was our second year participating! We became involved thanks to Bridget Redfern, a former assistant at InLine, who is now the Assistant to Marketing and Partnerships with College in Colorado.

Back Row (from L to R): Robbie (CU), Bailey (DU), Chris (UCLA), Ann (Wisconsin), Jennifer (DU), Joan (CU), & Scott (Michigan State)

Front Row (from L to R): Julie (DU) & Kristin (CU)

Day 1 Is In the Books...

After a great day of basketball, we have one man standing alone in first place- Dennis only missed one game, and surprisingly it was his upset pick of Akron over Gonzaga that caused him to only have 15. In second place, we have 3 brackets with 14 of 16 right (Scott, Ann, & Julie who did lose a Sweet 16 team). In regards to the Hall of Shame, we have 4 brackets with only 11, which really shouldn't be considered so bad since that's what President Obama is sitting at after Day 1!

Today is a big day, with lots of upsets possible (and upsets picked, specifically NDSU over Kansas and Wisconsin over Florida State). We'll see what happens!

Round 1 Update #1

So, after the first 3 games are over, we have 4 perfect brackets that are 3 for 3... Congrats to Julie, Dennis, Robbie, and Scott who are all on the 'Hall of Fame'. That Memphis- Cal St. Northridge was a little too close for comfort, especially for the 3 brackets who had Memphis winning it all! But the Tigers prevailed in the end... onto the next 4 games!

- #5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa
- #1 North Carolina vs. #16 Radford
- #10 Maryland vs. #7 California
- #1 Connecticut vs. #16 Chattanooga

March Madness

It's that time of year again! March Madness has arrived, and everyone at InLine has gone 'all in' for a tournament pool... We have 17 brackets entered, and 5 different championship teams as follows:

DUKE- 4 picks
MEMPHIS- 3 picks
PITTSBURGH- 5 picks
NORTH CAROLINA- 1 pick
LOUISVILLE- 4 picks

Throughout the tournament we will provide the current 'Hall of Fame' brackets (i.e. top 3) and the 'Hall of Shame' brackets (i.e. bottom 3). Good luck to everyone and may your bracket not BUST this first weekend!