Shawn Smith’s web ninja life

Hey buddies and friends. Finally wrapped up a couple projects, including a big website launch for Optimal Webworks.

This week, Ed and Tom visited to watch the Pistons lose the 76ers in forgettable fashion. What a debacle that was. Ed and Tom joined Kyle, Amanda, Sam Jones, Nikki and me at Buffalo Wild Wings for my first wings experience in the better half of a decade.

Spent Saturday planning Optimal Webworks’ trip to Japan using mind meister - a really great mindmapping (brainstorming) tool that allows you to collaborate with others online.

We’re feeling a little overwhelmed trying to figure out what exactly we want to do in Japan. We’ll be visiting from July 3 through July 19. I plan to request interviews from several media companies and online news sites to talk about online and social media, but other than that, it’s an open trip!

If you don’t hear from me much it’s because I’m:

• Trying to catch up on MLive.com initiatives
• Trying to keep up with NewMediaBytes - my online journalism blog
• Keeping my garden happy - all plants doing OK so far!
• MindMapping my Japan trip - suggestions needed!
• MindMapping several eBooks on web marketing, online media and blogging
• Compiling Foundational content for the new Optimal Webworks blog
• Researching whether I want to spend $1K on a Canon or Nikon SLR
• Getting an upgrade on my broken Canon Elph
• Capturing my video for my Thailand trip for my new online Travel show
• Kicking Big Food little kitchen into a higher gear
• Trying to spend more time with my girlfriend and brother
• Checking out the Kentucky Derby
• Seeing Ryan “The Wolf” Baum-a-long-a-ding-dang in San Francisco
• Trying to take a breather

There you have it, maybe I won’t be able to slow things down so much actually. But expect to see me on Twitter a little less this week while I actually try to accomplish all these things.

If anyone has suggestions on any of these items, please let me know. Hope you are well!