Slacker Manager: Bren Evolves

Wow!  Bren sold Slacker Manager and is stepping away.  From the very first time that I read Bren's stuff in 2004, neon signs shouted, "He gets it!" 

Gets what David?

Gets life. 

Early on, I read Slacker Manager at least twice a week.  And then as more business sites began popping up I drifted to recently checking in every couple of months.  Without going back to Bren's site to help remind me, here is what left a lasting impression:

Slacker Manger - Bren created this persona to help develop himself and others as effective and efficient managers.

Surfer Dude - The lad likes to hit the Pacific Ocean.

Efficient Apps - Bren would talk about different software apps he would use. The ease in which Bren discussed this stuff would blow me away.  It was and is way over my head.

Networking - Bren had an uncanny sense to get involved with just the right online communities that ramped up exposure for Slacker Manager.

The Great Northwest - You could just feel this was the area in which he lived.

Family Dude - Beyond a shadow of a doubt, you knew what was really important to Bren.

Bren had written about management for three years and his interest to continue writing about it has faded.  I so get this.  Unlike Rosa or Lisa, Bren's livelihood is not directly tied into his site.  (No doubt though, Rosa and Lisa would be just as successful without their sites).  So a move away from Slacker Manager is a move towards a direction of personal growth, personal evolution.

Bren - best wishes to you and your family brother!  You have enriched the lives of our circle of friends.

Slacker Manager Sold

Comments

[Rosa Say]

Isn’t it amazing how connected we can get to people via the magic of the web Dave? Like you, I read Bren’s posting and my first ‘Oh no!’ reaction was near immediately replaced by feeling quite proud of him for making the choices that are about his ho‘ohana – his intentions with work he feels is more worthwhile and meaningful – work which will lift his spirit and keep it elevated as it should be. When you take the links he’s offered within his posting to Admissionary.com and Yamhill TV his ho‘ohana is so easy to see, and you just have to celebrate with him! So after those mere seconds of thought, I sent him a private email to congratulate him on his choices, for like you, I remember and feel I know Bren well from SM’s earlier days and recall so much of the journey.

Blogging (and forgive me, for I know you don’t care for the term) can turn into a hard master; after three years doing so my own thoughts about it have changed quite significantly. I still like to think of it as a writing platform, but the question is always, platform for what? In my own case, Talking Story started with me thinking it would be my business blog, but it became something else, and as you point out here, my online writing is largely an addition in my life that is quite irrelevant to my livelihood – at least in its present form. Even the perceived-to-be loftier goal of global community building with blogging can take you down some very unproductive rabbit trails, and the blog writer must always ask him or herself, now exactly who am I doing this for again? Why?

Management? Definitely my ho‘ohana still … when done with aloha :-)

[Bren]

Thanks, Dave. This is really cool. And Rosa, as usual, you "get" me. :-)

[Dwayne Melancon]

Spot on, Dave - I have had a similar experience with Bren (though I still read every week - but usually offline in Sharpreader, making me a poor commenter).

Bren doesn't rhyme with Zen for nothing ;^)

[dave]

Hey Dwayne thanks for stopping in! Bren - Zen. Very Zennish :-)