Been a busy week and right into the weekend with lots of little things to do.

Wanted to point to some new content that has come out across multiple channels.

• Cast of Dads 7 – We Were All Morons  (listen) (subscribe)
• Emily Explains It – On the Jet Adventure (subscribe)
• Managing the Gray 91 – Amazing Things Will Happen (listen) (subscribe)

I also began teaching my University of San Francisco class this week. I haven’t talked much about that, but last fall I became an Adjunct Professor there in their marketing department and I’m one of the professors teaching their Advance Social Media Marketing course. It was a lot of fun and certainly a blast to have a classroom full of inspired students from around the country.

I just popped a dish of Soggy Saturday Wings into the oven and there is a crock pot of pulled pork slowly cooking away as well in the kitchen.

We are recording another episode of Cast of Dads in a few minutes and then this afternoon I’m speaking to a Babson College marketing class. All this before the Super Bowl takes over the living room and I head into the blackness known as post football depression. *grin*

Plus, during all this I’ve been noodling around trying to think up some new client ideas. Easy enough to come up with simple ones, but hard to come up with kick ass ones. As usual my brain is always thinking about something and with the great clients we work with at Campfire there is never a shortage of things to think about.

Like I said. Things are busy. But, it keeps life moving. That is a good thing.

Last night the C.C. Chapman All Access iPhone application went live. It pulls together most of the content I produce on the web including my photos, tweets and multiple podcasts. I wanted this so that it would be easy to find and consume my latest creations from a single location.

But, honestly I was also thinking big picture and way beyond this.

While I didn’t know that the Apple iPad was exactly what was coming, we all knew that some form of larger iPhone like tablet would be coming. This is why I hired a developer to make me an application. When that device came out I wanted to make sure that I had an easy one click way for anyone to get at all my content.

I think the iPad is going to usher in a whole new wave of people consuming online content. Let’s face it. While you and I understand RSS readers and their power, most people still surf the web by going through their bookmarks and surfing from one site to another.

Devices like the iPad and applications on it are the next generation of this. Instead of going through bookmarks you are going to be clicking through applications and I wanted to make sure my content was there as well. I believe there is going to be a rush of people wanting to be there and while you should make sure your web content is optimized for that sort of browsing, I wanted to go a step further and make it even easier.

The Olympics are right around the corner and while I’m not sure if anyone has done any studies on this, I have a feeling that as people sit on their couches watching Shaun White and others do amazing things in the snow, they wonder if they too could do those amazing things. I wonder how many go out on the slopes or in their backyards just assuming that since it looks so easy, they should be able to do it too and dive right in and end up doing more harm then good.

Now, I’m sure you laughed a little at the absurdity of that, but I’m watching it happen every day in the business world.

The power and ease of use that the Internet gives anyone to begin using it is tempting. Spend a few hours signing up for a few accounts and suddenly you are the next movie mogul or Pulitzer Prize winning author. Guess what though? It takes a lot more then just that to become either one of these. It takes a lot more for your business to use these tools to be a success.

Back to the Olympics for a moment. We’ll watch four people jump into a sled and rocket down the bobsled track. Do you honestly believe that if you and three of your friends jumped into a sled without practice, skills and training that you’d actually make it down the hill in one piece? But, yet every day companies are assuming that social media and online communities are just waiting for them to show up and that they can achieve success immediately out of the gate.

Today’s world of marketing, sales and customer services online are not that easy. Sure, it looks easy from the outside when it is being done right, but as someone who has worked with the smallest of start-ups to the largest brands in the world, I can tell you that this is anything but easy work.

Being successful involves detailed planning, solid strategic thinking, a long term vision and a bit of luck. That ice is slippery out there and you never know when a slip is coming and you have to be ready for it. Plus, things move faster then you have ever seen them move before and you need to be sure that you are working with people who can move at that speed as well.

I want everyone to get in the sled and feel the rush of wind in their hair. But, I want everyone to do it smart and with as few casualties as possible.

Don’t be the idiot that makes the headlines. You’ve got too much riding on it.

When I sat down last night to watch the final Tonight Show (I had taped it since I was away when it aired), I certainly never expected it to effect me in the way it did.

Watch this video. Talk about a classy exit. And what he said. It is important. VERY important.

Who needs a lightbulb to go off in your head when instead it is a nuclear

I have a feeling that I’m going to be writing up this trip from multiple angles. I know that I’ll review it on Digital Dads more formally and I’ve already been asked to write it up for at least one travel publication so we shall see how many ways I can slice and dice four days in the Bahamas at The Atlantis Resort.

I’ve never been a beach person. I love hanging out at the ocean and feeling the sand between my toes, but hanging out poolside for any amount of time has never been that appealing. I guess that is why when it comes time to think about vacations I never think about the tropics, cruises or anything like that. I like to be active on vacation and do lots of different things. But, I’ve got to say that I was surprised by how much fun I had on this trip.

As I’ve already disclosed in a previous post, this trip was a press junket sponsored by JetBlue, Atlantis and Lego to showcase their new Atlantis Kids Adventure (AKA) addition to the resort. A variety of travel writers, parenting bloggers and other press were on hand for this weekend of fun.

I of course took a ton of photos and after the first day my 50D never left the room because I was so happy with how well my S90 did at taking photos. I’m officially in love with that little guy. Since I knew I was going to be writing up this trip in several different styles, you can see I took a variety of photos.

The whole family had a blast. I had always thought of Atlantis as an adult only resort and maybe that is the way it use to be, but it certainly isn’t any more. The variety of pools, water slides, restaurants and things to do makes it so that every member of the family can have a good time.

The new AKA addition is a kid’s dream. With different areas dedicated to computers, video games, cooking, dress up and all around play there is something for everyone. Even the bathrooms are unique (and yes I did go in the girls room after a mom insisted I go in and see it). I had a chance to talk to the designer of it all and she stressed how she really wanted a place where a kid could completely unwind and have a great time. She succeeded!

With such a great place for the kids to spend time away from parents, I was disappointed that we didn’t get a chance to leave them there and have a bit of parent only time at one of the restaurants that is not a buffet at the resort. The Mesa Grill was calling to me, but there was no chance to try it out.

Emily & Dylan both loved it there and didn’t want to leave. Everyone agreed that their favorite part was getting to swim with the Dolphins. I did it a couple of years ago at Discovery Cove and this was just as good.

Since the kids are both part fish, they loved all the different pools, river rapids and slides that they went on multiple times. I liked that they had these in every size so that kids of all sizes (and levels of bravery) could enjoy. I personally liked the tube ride through the shark tank the best just for the shear awesomeness of slowly going through a clear tube with sharks an other fish inches away from you.

We had a chance to try food from all three hotels, took part in a culinary adventure where we built underwater sculptures out of chocolate and even got to build and race our own race cars. So many activities were crammed in our four days that almost was a blur. Maybe that is why I took so many photos so that I can remember it all.

It was great to meet so many new people from a variety of publications and I can’t wait till our paths cross again. This was a very needed and appreciated vacation for the entire family and any time we can spend together away from the world and enjoying each other’s company is time well spent!

Well I’ve got to say that I wasn’t ready to enjoy the Bahamas so much. I’m not much of a beach guy and while I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times when thinking about vacations, the tropics are not my first choice. But, after a couple of days here at Atlantis as part of the Jet Adventure I’ve got to say that I’m really liking it.

I’m having a horrible time trying to upload photos so those will have to wait. But, as I sit here listening to the crashing ocean waves through my open balcony it calms me to the point where I just wanted to share some thoughts before heading down to grab breakfast and some very needed coffee.

Having the whole family here is what makes this special. We’ve been having a great time together. The Atlantis Kid Adventures (which is what they flew us here to check out) is pretty damn impressive. Gamer rooms, a studio and stage, a room of iMacs, custom designed bathrooms and a kitchen that even I’m jealous of. I got a chance to talk to the designer of it all yesterday and she really went above and beyond to make sure that every inch of it is something that a kid will love and will be inspired to be creative from.

A full review will be coming on Digital Dads when I get home complete with lots of pictures, but I had a few minutes now while the kids were getting dressed and wanted to let everyone know at home that we are all doing well and having a blast.

Yesterday was spent mainly in the water and today we are starting off with beach Olympics. Meeting a ton of great travel writers, moms and dads as well. I’m very fortunate to have been asked to come down here and even more fortunate to share all the memories with my family. I don’t think the smile on Emily’s face after playing with a dolphin is ever going to leave my memory.

Disclosure: http://cmp.ly/3

This post will go live while I’m on a flight from New York to the Bahamas on a #jetadventure.

I’m writing this to disclose that for the next four days I’m going to be on an adventure that is being sponsored by JetBlue, Lego and Atlantis to celebrate the launch of their new Lego Fantasy Camp this summer. I’m not fully sure what is in store for me and the family, but just before the holidays when I got a note asking if I’d be interesting in going on the trip how I could say no?

I plan to be tweeting, taking photos and producing other pieces of content while there. They have asked for nothing in return for this trip, but I still wanted to make sure to get the proper disclosures out of the way since they are paying for our expenses and I’m assuming this is a press junket / blogger weekend even if they haven’t called it that.

What I’m most excited about is the kids do not know what is going on. We told them earlier this week that we were headed on a “Chapman Adventure” but we did not tell them anything about where we were going or what we were going to do. Dylan is going to lose his mind when he finds out about the Lego connection.

So, I’m off to play on the beach for a few days. If you are trying to reach me, good luck. I’m not going to be checking e-mail or voice mail until I get back.

Stay safe and have fun. If your curious Flickr and Facebook would probably be the easiest way to see what I’m up to.

Disclosure: http://cmp.ly/3

Let me be very blunt here.

Just because I follow you on Twitter or we are connected on any other social network, does not mean that we are buddies, friends or instantly connected by the mystical powers of the Internet.

What it does mean is that we’ve begun a relationship and if I’ve hit accept in some form then it means that I’d love to get to know you better. By speaking to thousands around the world via my podcasts, public speaking and other avenues I connect with a lot of people. I’m very open on accepting connection requests on most services.

Lately though I’ve been getting a lot of direct messages (Twitter’s way of sending a message to a single individual) from people I don’t really know asking me to do something. Retweet this. Blog about that. Share with your community.

I know that there is always going to be a certain level of that with the level of exposure I can give to something. But, whenever one of those comes in my first instinct is to unfollow that person rather than checking out what they are trying to get me interested.

Just because you have a megaphone, you don’t go walking into a cocktail party and start shouting out what you do and who you want to meet do you? Same thing online. Take the extra couple of minutes and drop me an e-mail to say hello and tell me about whatever it is that you want me to talk about. If you are really that passionate about it then I don’t know how you can fit that passion into only 140 characters.

I’m the type of guy that loves to highlight good things being done by great people. Anyone that follows me on Twitter will see that I share a lot of links to a variety of topics. I will always do that, but your link will not be one of them if the first thing I’ve ever heard from you is the ask.

Take the time to at least say hello to people online before you start pitching them and asking them for favors. It is the only way you or your company is going to be successful in this crazy world of the Internet.

Am I wrong?

I love having so many friends now with books hitting store shelves and every time it makes me smile. Today, my buddy Steve Garfield’s book Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business is out and if you have ever thought of making videos to share online this is a book to check out.

I’ve known Steve for a while and whenever I get stuck on anything video he is only an email or phone call away. Because of who he is, I know that it isn’t just for friends that he is this way. Steve will help anyone who gets stuck and asks for help.

What I love about Steve is that he can take the most complex of video ideas and boil them down to the most simple of executions. He films nearly everything in his life and does it both for personal pleasure and is hired to produce corporate videos.

I know he has worked really hard on writing this book and making it readable by everyone. What I mean by that is somehow he has balanced it so if you are a complete newbie or someone who has been shooting videos for years you’ll get some information and value out of the book. It also contains a variety of interviews with people who have been successful making online videos so you get to hear advice from a variety of individuals.

Steve is one of the original good guys and I’m excited for more people to read Get Seen because I hope it raises people awareness of Steve and how he can help them. Plus, maybe it’ll help some people start making better videos. I know I’ve taken away a couple of tips from it to improve Emily Explains It so it has already proved more valuable to me then what I paid for it.

Buy a copy today wherever books are sold.

Last night I had an amazing night with Friends. Names you would know and people you’ve heard of were there, but it was night not for sharing, tweeting or pictures. It was about laughs, friendship and support. It was the best time I’ve had in a long time and it reminded me yet again how lucky I am to be surrounded by good hearted people that care about each other.

I came home filled with renewed focus and energy. While my eyes could barely stay opened I wanted to be sure to take it all in before falling asleep. A few more moments of quiet reflection is exactly what I needed before I fell asleep.

While the house was silent except for the noises of the night I took it all in. I savored it. I loved it. It made me smile.

I’m watching to many people around me not enjoying their lives. Sure, they think they are because they are going to conferences, writing blog posts or lunchboxing friends on the social tool du jour. But, are they really getting everything out of life that they can?

Look at this kid. This is Dylan yesterday afternoon. Know where I took the picture? In the doctor’s office after seeing a nurse and waiting for the doctor to come in and check him out. I say this because look at how happy and goofy he still is. He is enjoying life and as most kids will show you, they don’t need technology and shiny toys to have a good time. They still know how to use their imaginations, play in the yard and make the most out of what they have.

It is Sunday morning and just like every week I get to start it off with a cup of coffee and the Sunday papers. Until 10:30 when CBS Sunday Morning ends, I don’t move much from the couch except to refill my cup. I get so much happiness out of these quiet mornings surrounded by my family. The tradition of it all grounds me in the familiar vibe of my life. I love that.

The speed of our lives is not slowing down. The fire hose of information will continue to increase. It is up to each of us to find the important things in life and then enjoy them to the fullest. Cherish the quiet moments and not be scared of them.

Little conversations and moments of escape constantly remind me of this. I hope by sharing it helps you as well.

Are you enjoying life to the fullest?

Today is trash day in my neighborhood. It got me thinking about how most of us have some sort of routine where we throw out the trash on a regular basis. Some of us have curb side pick up like I do and others have to take it to the dump. But, yet most of us let other forms of trash pile up in our lives without a second thought. Why?

We all do it. We have e-mails in our inbox, posts in our readers, podcasts on the iPod and magazines on our desks all waiting for our attention. We tell ourselves that we will get to them at some point and that throwing them away is bad, but we rarely ever actually get to them.

What other mental trash are we keeping that we can get rid of? Some of it will be doubts in ourselves, feedback we might have gotten from others or failed projects that are hanging around our neck.

The trick is that you need to take a hard look at what you are holding on to and throw away every you don’t really need. Sometimes it takes a major shift or move to do this, but there is no reason you can’t do it today.

Throw it out and move on. You might miss it a little at first and worry that you shouldn’t have, but in the long run it will be well worth it.

Just after the new year I bought myself a Canon PowerShot S90IS to be my bring every where camera. I had been thinking about getting a Leica D-Lux 4, but after a quick ask on Twitter everyone was pointing me to the S90.

I have to say that I am loving this camera so far. The powerful options in such a little body is exactly what I wanted. Having the ability to shoot with the same settings I do with my big DSLR, including RAW formatted images, makes it exactly what I wanted. I was pissed yesterday to find out that Aperture does not support it yet though so I’m also beta testing a copy of Lightroom right now since they are on top of things.

While I haven’t had much time to take pictures, here are a few that I’ve taken.

I’m really looking forward to using this more and getting to know it. As with any camera, the more time you spend using it the better the pictures will be so I’m trying to bring this with me at all times. We shall see. Of course if you want to see more of my photography there is a constant stream of new ones on my Flickr page.

I over analyze things sometimes (always). It isn’t like I’m looking for a deeper meaning or trying to talk myself out of something, but I just like to look at things from all sides. Plus, I have a hard time shutting down my brain so I love giving it stuff to chew on. A friend recently used the phrase “building up the brain muscles” and I think that fits in this case.

I saw a meme floating around about the three words people had chosen for 2010. I didn’t want to pick three and that is not the purpose of this post. But, as I began writing this I did keep thinking that over the last couple of weeks I have been doing three things over and over again. Guess what? It happens to be three words: Simplify, Focus and Attack.

As I travel more, I’ve grown to appreciate simplifying the amount of gear I take with me. I’ll admit that I’ve got a total bag fetish as I am constantly searching for the perfect travel bag and I have yet to find it.

Most of you know I go everywhere with a camera. That isn’t going to change, but there are also times when I’m not in the mood to be lugging around my 50D. Yes, my iPhone helps because I love taking pictures with that, but I wanted something else in between the two.

I found it in the Canon S90 which I bought just before the end of the year and it is a powerful little camera. Anyone who enjoys being able to manually control things would love this camera and I’m certainly in love with it. Especially since it’ll fit in a pants pocket without any problems.

I’ve also grown fond of bringing a Field Notes notebook with me wherever I go now (thanks again Julien, Jane & Clarence for the addiction). This allows me to write down things that come to mind and focuses me to think about projects I’m working on. I looked back through a full one and it was fun to see the mix of Campfire client work, with random rambles, sketches and show notes. Maybe that isn’t being overly focused, but in my world it is. Write things down. You’d be amazed how much it helps you.

The final part is the one that I find the easiest and that is going out and doing what needs to get done. Attacking the problems. Making the clients happy. Achieving the goals you’ve set for the year. I was talking with a friend recently and we were pondering if the reason we were both “doers” is because of our blue collar upbringing. It is a valid theory, but it amazes me how many people prefer to just talk about things rather than actually attacking them and getting them done.

To boil it all down for you and for me, my year is mostly about Focus. That is the one word that I’m keeping on top of everything else. But, because I am who I am I need the others as well to help. Between Google Wave, my whiteboard, Basecamp and a few other places I’m keeping life in line and on track. And to anyone or anything standing in my way? Yeah, that isn’t a good idea. Attacking can involve big sticks and I’m not afraid to swing them!

Get out there and get what you need to get done. The days of talking about it all are over. Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Need help? Let me know. I’ll be over here kicking ass.

Facebook makes it easy to “like” something. Twitter makes it simple to “retweet” something.

I’m not sure what motivates everyone to do these things, but I do it with content that in some way touches me. Might be a really informative piece of writing or a video that I want others to see. In some cases it is something that just makes me laugh or that I want other people to be aware of.

But, when you say you are “proud” of what someone created that is a whole level of power and emotion.

In the past 48 hours I’ve had several people tell me that they were proud of something I’ve done. It touched me because it came from relatives and friends alike. The simple phrase of being proud of someone is a deeper level of commitment then simply clicking on a virtual thumbs up.

Have you told someone you are proud of them lately? Maybe you haven’t felt that way, but when you do be sure to say it directly to the person. That simple pat on the back could be just the encouragement they needed to push forward and keep doing what they were doing.

Life is fun in that it seems to deliver these messages whenever I need them most. Chance? Fate? Random roll of the dice in the heavens? Who knows, but thank you all for the constant support and moments when I make you proud.

Personally, this morning I’m pretty damn proud of Managing the Gray #90. It isn’t that often that a podcast will really make me smile, but this one did.