Carl Sgro Can Build Your Business

The technology boom of the late 20th century might be dead and gone, but don't tell that to Carl Sgro. With a keen business sense and an in-depth understanding of the technology industry landscape, he has helped serve as the much-needed shot in the arm to many companies.

Carl Sgro has 25 years of professional experience with much of his recent experience rooted in the Internet and search engine marketing. He has used his thought-leadership skills in these areas to help grow businesses, such as Name Engine, Inc., into highly desirable entities. In fact, Name Engine, a small start up, was acquired by VeriSign, Inc., a public company, in only a matter of months after launch.

Besides being an adept businessman, Carl Sgro enjoys his recreational time, especially if that time is spent on the lake. In fact, he is a tournament-level bass fisherman and has fished many of the major lakes from Maine to Florida. He also takes time to teach his passion to children in his community, founding the "Take a Kid Fishing" program.

Theme Song

I just wrote a theme song to a project I'm working on. Listen:

Beavers!

My friend Emily is making a short film out in San Francisco. I can't quite explain what it is about as I'm probably under some sort of non-disclosure agreement. But I was commissioned to write a song for it. The stipulations were it had to be sung by a beaver and be about having a large tail.

Here it is (I recorded this through my Mac mic, so the sound quality is a little blah):

Resolutions

I made a New Year's resolution. Okay...actually I made 3.

I know what you're saying. New Year's resolutions are silly. Everyone makes them, and nobody keeps them. Well I'm keeping mine because they are all things I'd probably do anyway. Here they are:

1. Return to stand-up comedy: I did stand-up for a brief time in 2007. I loved the form, but it stressed me out. I just didnt' feel ready. Now with another year of comedy under my belt, and dozens more performances, I think I'm ready to tackle the stage again. I've already been working on a new set. My goal is to do an open mic by the end of January.

2. Learn piano: I taught myself how to play piano while in college. I'm much better than your average beginner in many respects, but I'm technically not very good. My left hand can only play very simple music independently of my right. Also, my fingers tend to cramp up because I hold them wrong over the piano. I'm wanting to involve my musical abilities more in my comedy, so I think learning piano would be really beneficial. If anyone knows a good private lesson teacher, let me know.

3. Take a dance class: Ever since the video for Single Ladies aired, I have been obsessed. I don't know what it is. I'm not a Beyonce kind of gay typically. But this song combined with the amazing Bob Fosse-esque choreography just brings something completely primoridal out of me. I'm actually upset that I can't dance along to the video.

Hello New Year

2008 sure was a crazy year for me. As the holidays wind down, and I have some time to blog again, I reflect on this year and all the changes that occurred. This will surely go down as one of the most significant years of my life. Here are some highlights:

1. I created my own freelance business.

2. I broke up with my boyfriend of 4.5 years.

3. I moved into my own apartment for the first time.

4. I was cast in my first show.

5. My sketch group had their first performance.

6. I learned how to create and edit videos.

Who knows what 2009 will bring. But I'm excited to find out.

Christmas Time is Here

It's been a while since my last post. I've been very busy preparing for the holiday season by trying to get as much of my work done as possible. I'm still going to have to do some writing while I'm in Dallas next week, but I've gotten a good head start on most of my work.

Although the holidays will be a welcome break from work, I can't help but to dread the new year. The economy is still tanking, reports of layoffs abound and I know many companies that are going under or filing for bankruptcy.

But it is these times that test the grit of a freelancer. If you can survive this, you can survive anything. It just takes an added push and effort. Which is why I am planning on launching a large marketing campaign for myself (as mentioned previously). I've been working on a prospective client list, generic proposal letters and sales sheets. I've got my Web site up: www.keithecker.com. So check it out.

If anyone has any advice they'd like to share about finding work during these tough times, then please post a comment.

Have a happy holiday everyone. Hopefully I'll get to post at least once more before the new year.

Oh, and here's my most recent video, which premiered at an Equality Illinois benefit show:

Surfing the Webs

I've been working on a my Web site as a component of my marketing push. You can check it out here: www.keithecker.com. Feel free to give me feedback. It's still a work in progress, so not all the links are up and running yet.

While creating my site, a dilemma arose. I want to link to the various presences I have on the Internet, from this blog to my YouTube videos to work I've done professionally. The only thing is the kind of writing I do for work is corporate. I wasn't sure how well my comedic personality would be accepted by my current and potential clients. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these two worlds will have to mesh eventually. I mean, do a Google search of me, and you'll find many articles regarding points of law that I've written as well as me wearing a fake mustache and singing about Vietnam. In fact, you should watch that video because I just posted it. It was an entry into the Second City Training Center's Film Festival.



So although my business site isn't littered with my comedic work, it makes mention of it, and links to examples. Besides, you never know if one of my legal clients might occasionally want someone to write something that injects a little humor into the typically dry area of law.