I’m not concerned though. My career is finding a [...]]]>

Crossing the line - a year of races begins again!

It is now officially Spring. They same time flies when you are having fun and gets faster as you get older. Do some people become unhappy as they age in an effort to slow down time? Because the exponential effect of having fun and getting old simultaneously is mind-blowing!

I’m not concerned though. My career is finding a wonderful balance as I grow a new company, maintain clients I enjoy working with and continue to just experience life.

After 15 months running I really do feel I am runner and the semi regular Bikram hot yoga have been an almost religious experience with regards to meditation and clearing my mind.

I completed the Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K but was not pleased with the time (29.56) or the heat (80+) of the day that caused a bad time. I had really hopped to improve that day over last year and am striving to get to 28 minutes. I’m preparing for Miles for Moffitt in May at USF and hope with a cool 8 a.m. start I can reach my goal.

Combine the above with my move to downtown and my gym time as gone to zero (another result of becoming a runner). I’m working to change that soon by just forcing myself back into the gym. The goal is simple, two days a week for 40 minutes each day, arms and upper body only – do more after the basics become a habit again.

Anyway, just a quick update, no revolutionary suggestion for the future journalism or transit tonight. I just hope I can motivate some of my friends that are on the fence about getting some physical routine going. It’s a challenge. Start small make it easy and add as you go.

An Open Letter to the Poynter Institute and Tampa Bay Times

Since taking a handful of journalism and media classes in college, I have had a respect for, and interest in journalism and the art of reporting the news. The in-depth written story that a journalist delivers is [...]]]> An Innovative Opportunity for Journalism

An Open Letter to the Poynter Institute and Tampa Bay Times

Quote by journalist Walter Lippmann

Since taking a handful of journalism and media classes in college, I have had a respect for, and interest in journalism and the art of reporting the news. The in-depth written story that a journalist delivers is unique in value to the protection of our rights as a free people.

I have blogged mostly critical reviews of the newspaper industry with the exception of my excitement at The Tampa Bay Times re-branding and, in my opinion, winning the newspaper war of west central Florida.

My writings in 2009 were focused on what the industry was doing wrong by not being more strategic in embracing technology. My grounds for the examples I laid out were rooted in comments by Eric Schmidt, then CEO of Google to the Newspaper Association of America that commended the industry for jumping online quickly but critiqued that there had been no second act.

During the open question portion of the event, Tampa Bay Times editor and CEO Paul Tash asked questions that were mostly focused on intellectual property rights. Schmidt optimistically answered that the solution would be found with technology and by asking what users want.

Journalism Today

Two weeks ago, I visited The Poynter Institute and Tech Data with Leadership Tampa Bay for panel discussions on media and technology. The discussions that related to journalism and the news industry were no more positive than they were in 2009 and with good reason. The industry continues to focus on what users are doing wrong and intellectual property rights; with the best option being explored is to copy the iTunes model and selling individual stories.

There is a fundamental difference between music and journalism that makes the same model unworkable for most news.

Music is an art that is appreciated differently by everyone. The new model allows any musician to promote and sell their music, and it allows users to sample more artists and only buy the albums they really enjoy. They make suggestions to friends because they want to see the music affect others the way it affects them.

The news industry is correct at stressing the value of journalism and the importance of keeping its standards high. However, the industry is overlooking a fact stated by journalist Walter Lippmann that I read on a wall while at Poynter.

“A free press is not only a right, and not only a privilege, but an organic necessity in a great society.”

The Internet has finally made a free press truly organic. Today, the media industry is responsible for the protection of journalism and I believe offers the brightest future for that protection. However, unless technology is embraced fully, the industry will eventually default on that responsibility.

The Future

Tampa Bay is uniquely positioned to nurture the development of whatever new model carries journalism forward.

The Tampa Bay Times, owned by The Poynter Institute, was able to take a long term view of the newspaper war, allowing them to be slow and methodic when considering how to grow readership and overtake their competitor.

The Times now faces an even greater challenge – furthering Poynter’s mission to teach and inspire journalists carried forward from Nelson Poynter’s belief in the value of independent journalism in the public interest.

The Tampa Bay Times and Poynter, being able to take a long term view of delivering quality journalism, are in a unique position to truly innovate by inviting Google directly to the table.

In the 2009 letter, How Google Can Help Newspapers, Eric Schmidt states, “…I believe it also requires a change of tone in the debate, a recognition that we all have to work together to fulfill the promise of journalism in the digital age.”

Poynter’s long-term vision combined with Google’s cash and technology resources would allow The Tampa Bay Times to develop a business model that would be sustainable and replicable in other markets by news organizations that are profit focused and unable to take large financial risks.

I believe that right now Poynter and the Tampa Bay Times can seize an opportunity to truly change the tone of the debate by working with Google to bring journalism into the digital age.

I did not set out this year to run 200 miles. My initial goal was to a run a 5K which I did with the Gasparilla [...]]]>

5.25 Mile Run touching all parts that surround Tampa's Urban Center.

I am proud to say that I have completed my goal of running 200 miles in 2012. I ran 6.26 miles today bringing my total to 201.26 miles run outdoors.

I did not set out this year to run 200 miles. My initial goal was to a run a 5K which I did with the Gasparilla Distant Classic after completing the Couch to 5K running program.

After the first 5K I decided that one per quarter would suffice as a good goal. My other three timed 5K runs were Miles for Moffitt on the USF campus, Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Downtown St. Petersburg and Richard’s Run for Life in Ybor City. Each run was awesome and unique with it’s own feel.

When I realized in June that I had crossed the 100 mile mark I set the goal to reach 200, since I had the equal amount of time left in the year. The summer months slowed me down and move that quarter’s race to October. However the heat pushed me to try swimming which I will focus on the entire 3rd quarter of 2012.

The path I took today was also exciting. With my recent move to downtown Tampa I have been exploring it and the surrounding neighborhoods. This path really allows you to see every area around the urban core and will only get more interesting. When complete, the ENCORE project between Tampa’s Downtown and Ybor City will create dramatic change. It will also be good to see a master plan come together for the city.

I discovered a TEDx presentation by Simon Sinek on How Great Leaders Inspire Action. Sinek is an optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. He is the author of the book, Start With Why which is now on my reading list.

Weekly Run Progress

The video was extremely inspiring and of immense value to me; discovered at the perfect time. I believe that my running this year is what helped it click for me on a personal level.

I did not start out deciding what to do. I started running because I believed that it would make me feel better. The details of how and what came next unfolded naturally.

The chart of my weekly progress shows me the running was only consistent in the fact that I kept running.

As we approach 2012 I believe like Simon in a “bright future and our ability to build it together”. I agree with Eric Schmidt when in 2009 he paraphrased Tocqueville’s America from 1831:

“America will do well because of its sunny optimism, abundance of land and absence of a king.”

I believe that Steve Jobs thoughts on perseverance for businesses is applicable to our personal growth and lives as well.

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

I believe more people will find an optimistic view of the future and I look forward to an amazing new year.

Happy New Year!

The change [...]]]>

The soon to be appropriately named Tampa Bay Times Forum will greet RNC and all other out of town visitors next year.

It’s not often we get to say simply, “I was right” but this morning I woke to some exciting news in an email blasted letter from Times Chairman and CEO Paul Tash. As I predicted in September here, the St Petersburg Times will in fact become the Tampa Bay Times.

The change was announced on the first day they are legally allowed to say it publicly and according to their webpage on the change they will complete the re-brand by January 1, 2012.

The change will be very obvious to the local community. However out-of-town visitors and new residents will find it hard to believe it was ever any other way.

Q. What about the St. Pete Times Forum?

A. The name of the St. Pete Times Forum also will change to reflect the new name.

Along with the Forum and the Times building on Ashley Drive it would be expected by most visitors that there is only one major newspaper serving Tampa Bay.

When will the Tampa Tribune figure that out?

Here’s the next part of story and in zeitgeist fashion pits Media General (MEG), a publicly traded Wall Street company verses an independently owned local business in one of the few instances were the Wall Street company will “lose” in a visible way to the Tampa Bay community.

I use lose in quotes because shareholders will be fine even if the employees and our market lose a newspaper.

Here is a lesson about Wall Street.

While it will be painful to many Tribune employees; our friends and neighbors who will certainly lose jobs; there is unfortunately no other choice that Media General can make.

• The Tribune in its current form (i.e. a newspaper) must cease to operate.
• By law the board of directors of Media General must act in the best interest of their shareholders.

Any board member of Media General understands that they will not rebuild a profitable newspaper in Tampa Bay.

So what happens next?

The most likely profitable and simple decision to the share holders of Media General will be to cease production of the actual printed daily newspaper to cut expenses. They can then roll whatever staff remains into WFLA thereby  giving a WFLA a significant boost in journalism coverage and possibly other investments to grow revenues.

We lose a newspaper – shareholders will see a profit.

Save the Names

There are already Facebook pages dedicated to saving the name of the St. Petersburg Times. The Times only folly in this announcement is not knowing how to address the future use of the St. Petersburg Times name.

Q. What happens to the “St. Petersburg Times” name?

A. It will remain in use. We are exploring a number of possibilities, including using the name as part of our local news report.

The quick and possibly furious backlash to the expected loss of the name by St. Petersburg residents will prompt the Times to address this quickly.

As suggest by me in September:

How will St Petersburg residents feel about the changes? The short answer is unaffected and proud.

The Times in St Petersburg will not change anything and the residents there will be happy to know that their home town paper won the battle. Yeah the Tampa Bay Times will be what is delivered to subscribers in North Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties but that won’t matter anymore.

The residents of St Petersburg will relish in the fact the paper they read will be the only daily remaining in Tampa Bay to be named for the actual city it is written for, published in and delivered to.

In the end, the St. Petersburg Times will not let the old name go out of use and for that matter Media General will keep the Tampa Tribune name in some kind of active use. It’s the lack of active use of the Tampa Times name by the Tampa Tribune that lead to this final battle in the first place.

The owners of both won’t let that happen again.

I want to thank my mother Donna, uncle Phil and [...]]]>

Vincent Tafuro after the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K in St Petersburg

Yesterday I completed the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K in downtown St Petersburg, my third of four planned competitive 5K’s for 2011. My final 2011 race will be Richard’s Run for Life on 11/4/2011 in Ybor City.

I want to thank my mother Donna, uncle Phil and friends Doreen Connolly and Maggie Osborn for their donations.

My official time for the race was 32:19 which was slower then the previous two races. I am hoping that cooler weather and steady training runs will improve my Ybor time and bring it below 30 minutes.

A secondary goal of reaching 200 running miles for the calendar year has now crept onto my radar and will require I run an average of 5 miles weekly for the next 13 weeks.

As a regular fan of their shows I am always entertained and have a great time.

The Guys is phenomenal theater; Paul and Roz Potenza were moving and perfect in [...]]]>

Jobsite Theater - The Guys

On Sunday I was able to catch the final showing of Jobsite Theater’s production of the The Guys and am glad I made it.

As a regular fan of their shows I am always entertained and have a great time.

The Guys is phenomenal theater; Paul and Roz Potenza were moving and perfect in their performance. Creative Loafing’s Mark Leib illustrates perfectly why the play is such a proper tribute to a terrible tragedy.

Of course, no play can sufficiently commemorate an event as tragic as 9/11. But maybe that’s The Guys’ secret: it’s small, unassuming, deliberately limited in scope. Aspiring to little, it doesn’t insult us with its ambitions. Like a carefully chosen kind word, it’s brief but soothing.

We all lost a lot on that day. But it’s the virtue of The Guys that it keeps its canvas small.

For me, the day itself and the period leading up to and after 9/11 is etched a with certain precision that is unlike any other part of my life.

Thank you to Anne Nelson for creating this elegant tribute and for director Shawn Paonessa and Jobsite’s decision to produce it.

I committed over five years to leadership of Ad 2 Tampa Bay and Ad 2 National culminating as National Chair in 2007-2008 with a voting seat [...]]]>

Leadership Tampa Bay website by Tafuro Communications.

Last night I attended the Kick Off reception for Leadership Tampa Bay’s 2011-2012 Class and have to say I am very excited to be a part of this program.

I committed over five years to leadership of Ad 2 Tampa Bay and Ad 2 National culminating as National Chair in 2007-2008 with a voting seat on the board of directors of the American Advertising Federation.

The personal, professional and leadership growth I experienced along with the friends I made will be with me forever and have prepared me for doing the same within my Tampa Bay community through Leadership Tampa Bay.

I am looking forward to putting the same dedication towards this new adventure and working with my classmates to make this the best year possible!

I can find nothing written and have only discussed this with a small number of people in the past five years it is time [...]]]> Last week’s unfortunate news about another round of pay cuts at the St Pete Times prompted me to revisit a story I have been watching unfold for five years.

I can find nothing written and have only discussed this with a small number of people in the past five years it is time to put the prediction out there.

I have written critical reviews of journalism in the past, however in this case I have been quietly waiting to see if my prediction for how Tampa Bay’s newspaper war would finally be won would come to true.

Five years ago it was possible and I feel very likely, however the current state of the economy and industry should make it certain.

If you are not familiar, the Tampa Tribune and St Petersburg Times have been in a constant battle for supremacy over the Tampa Bay region. We are one of the largest markets in the country with two significant and viable daily newspapers.

That may all change in just two months when a restriction placed on the Times usage of the name “Tampa Bay Times” during mediation with the Tampa Tribune in 2006 will be lifted.

The current restrictions require the St Pete Times to…

…publish “tbt” in type seven times larger than “Tampa Bay Times.” In addition, it must increase the size of the words “published by the St. Petersburg Times” or “published by the St. Pete Times” as part of the nameplate. The name “Tampa Bay Times” must be used with the name “tbt” in all advertising.

Times Office on Ashley Drive (Google Street View)

St Pete Times Re-Brand?

The Time’s office on Ashley Drive and the St Pete Times forum often criticized for confusing people by being located in the wrong city are my most public indicators; my secondary indicator the name of the actually paper distributed in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Re-branding is a huge and expensive decision for an organization, however in the case of the Times I am not predicting that.

The St Petersburg Times over the past 11 years has perfectly nurtured multiple brands in a slow and calculating yet not overly obvious manner.

Visit www.stpetetimes.com and you land at www.tampabay.com. Once the restriction ends why would they not begin using www.tampabaytimes.com?

The Tribune also agreed to transfer to the Times three Internet domain names containing “tampabaytimes” and the Times agreed not to link them to any Times Publishing site for five years.

Changing signage on their Ashley Drive property would be an inexpensive and strong statement considering the drive by traffic and keep in line with the paper’s previous decision to leave the words “St Pete” off of the current sign.

Sports Arenas are a Buyer’s Market

Tampa Bay Times Forum? (Google Street View)

Signage at the St Pete Times Forum already screams tampabay.com and tbt* louder than the actual name.

If you’ve not been following sports arena naming rights deals in Tampa Bay, you know that the market is definitely a buyer’s market. Last year Ford gave way to the I’m not even going to type it here Amphitheater estimated at $375k yearly and USF backed off a subpar brand’s estimated offer of $598k yearly in 2007 – well before the recession.

Compared those recent deals to the estimated $3 million annually Raymond James paid and the estimated range of $700k to $2 million yearly that the St Pete Times contracted for and you can see that arena naming rights have certainly gone down.

In 2014 the 12 year deal between the Forum and the St Pete Times comes to end and you can bet the Times organization will be in the driver’s seat regarding its option to renew as the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

What about St Petersburg and their beloved St Petersburg Times?

How will St Petersburg residents feel about the changes? The short answer is unaffected and proud.

The Times in St Petersburg will not change anything and the residents there will be happy to know that their home town paper won the battle. Yeah the Tampa Bay Times will be what is delivered to subscribers in North Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties but that won’t matter anymore.

The residents of St Petersburg will relish in the fact the paper they read will be the only daily remaining in Tampa Bay to be named for the actual city it is written for, published in and delivered to.

Check Mate!

With all the above stated I don’t see how pushing the Tampa Bay Times as a brand will not be a top priority for the St Pete Times later this year.

Wait… that’s what I do… [...]]]>

A Different View (Courtesy of Ev and Jo Leave Trax)

As an entrepreneur and small business owner I often find myself in conflict feeling comfortable with large corporations. I remember looking into a Sam’s Club membership about five years ago and walking out of the store when they offered, as part of their ”Small Business Membership” to provide me a free website package.

Wait… that’s what I do… and Sam’s Club is offering this?

Now of course the quality and product support is completely different from what I offer and I quite frankly don’t take on clients that would even consider a Sam’s Club website.

However it is the large corporate concept that every company must do everything for everyone in order to grow that makes me uncomfortable.

Corporations – Were Born That Way

Anyone that has had an issue with corporate irresponsibility (actual or alleged) has often asked why don’t they just make better deciusions regarding the environment or at least the consumer?

Recently I have learned that they are just born that way. About six months ago I came to the realization that it is corporate law itself that forces a company to place the benefit to the shareholder above all others – even the actual consumer.

An article published last week describes how a New California Law Will Boost Social Entrepreneurship and may begin to change the current model.

“The modern corporation was ‘Born to be bad,’” Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard wrote in a letter to Governor Brown. “Benefit Corporations are ‘born to be good’ because their corporate purpose must include the pursuit of a material positive impact on society, not just shareholders.”

Corporations are chartered by states, and a historic body of law makes clear that all company directors and executives owe their shareholders is profits, profits and more profits; their fiduciary duty is their only duty.

If you do expect company’s officers to take into account other goals—like environmental sustainability, the well-being of their workers, or general public benefit—conflicts with the profit motive can expose even well-meaning executives to legal difficulties.

CouchSurfing.org, a community I am recent member of just announced a move to become a B Corp and I have been reading more on the subject lately. While this may not be a final solution I think it is a definite step in the right direction.

Business owners have always intended to and are entitled to profit. Most business owners never plan to place profits above the consumer they serve or the environment they live in. It is the loss of control required to grow and go public that shifts a company’s priorities to the benefit of shareholders unnaturally over those of consumer the company actually serves.