Daphne explains how fast-paced video games affect the brain. She delivers surprising news about how video games, even action-packed shooter games, can help us learn, focus and, fascinatingly, multitask.

Even in her own life, she credits video games as the primary influence in her becoming the avid reader that she is today. She explains, "I doubt that I'd have ever become such an avid reader without this influence, and I most certainly credit this change in my interests in leading me to be more intelligent and successful today than I would have been otherwise."

We both agree that some video gaming can be detrimental - citing the 80 hour a week basement-dwelling MMO addicts (you know a loser kid like this), however, some video gaming in moderation (even up to 20-25 hours a week and ), given it's not interfering with the more important things, is healthy.

I accompanied the 4-H youth leaders who presented their plan to increase youth's desire to study STEM subjects to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

Their solution: Provide youth with fun, hands-on STEM activities and help them gain confidence in themselves so that they believe they can pursue and master these areas of science. They all agreed that the best way to promote this would be through social media. They highlighted the FIRST and the Maker movement. 

One of the policy analysts asked the youth 3 questions:

1. How many of you do STEM? All hands raised.
   
2. How many of you are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat? All hands raised.
3. How many of you share your STEM experiences on these social networks? 2% raised their hands.
   

After the meeting, I sat down with the youth to debrief on what they had learned from their experience (this is what we do in 4-H; Do, Reflect, Apply). I asked them, "Why don't you share your experiences on social media?"

Their responses were interesting, one youth remarked, "Nobody cares, what I say won't make a difference." I replied, "But you just told the White House OSTP that the best way to market STEM education was through social media?" I followed up with, "Haven't you ever been influenced by content you've seen on Facebook?"

After this reflective conversation, I shared the story of one of my 4-H youth leaders in Washington County, Utah who made a difference promoting our 4-H Robotics program. He did amazing work, but the story would have gone nowhere unless I made a video and tweeted the heck out of it. I asked the youth leaders, "What can I do to help you realize that you actually can make a difference?"

The response I got was fascinating. Another youth said, "You just did. We know what we need to do, but it's hard. It's easier to just ignore the leader inside telling me to step outside my comfort zone and do something challenging." That's when they understood something that could be summed up in one of my favorite quotes:

           Fear is an indicator of what you need to do next. - Seth Godin

This content provided me with an important lesson to teach these 4-H youth leaders before they give the presentations (about their ideas) to the federal government. Here's what I told them:

Ideas on their own are just a multiplier, they're worth NOTHING without execution.

I then added the most important part of making a conference effective:

Go home and DO SOMETHING! TRY! MAKE a DIFFERENCE! Otherwise all this time and effort was a waste.

Then I read this quote from Gary's post:
Put in the work. Execute, and then you've got a shot. Your ideas are cute and all, but without execution, most of you will fail. 

Thanks for the content and perspective Gary! (@garyvee) You inspired a very effective debriefing session with passionate youth leaders on the cusp of making a huge difference in their communities, nation, and world.

I recently finished up an interview for a faculty position with the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Interviewing for faculty positions at universities is very different than an interview with a small business or Fortune 500. I think it's because people tend to stay in their jobs a while and a tenure track faculty position is rather secure -  they really want to be sure about you before they put a ring on the relationship. It's a very arduous process (rapid-fire interviews, meals, presentations, more interviews, and meetings), not to mention exhausting (but don't let that show). With USU it was four hours. I was in Nebraska for 2 full days.

I'm an Eagle Scout so I don't believe you can ever be too prepared. I found these interview questions from this blog post by Seth Godin and this Inc.com article by Jeff Haden. I prepared by reviewing them over and over. If you find that the questions you're being asked aren't these, then steer the interview in the direction you're prepared for (remember, they are all there to hear what you have to say). Trust me, if you can provide some awesome responses to these questions, coupled with serious enthusiasm, then you're going to nail it.

And to all you admin/HR folks in charge of hiring key decision makers...take note.

Without further adieu:

The 19 Most Useful Interview Questions

1. How long are you willing to keep pushing on a good project until you give up?
2. How hard is it to get you to change your mind when you're wrong?
3. How much do you learn from failing?
4. How long does it take you to learn something new?
5. How hard is it for you to let someone else take the lead?
6. How much do you care?
7. If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you in this role, what did we achieve together?
8. When have you been most satisfied in your life?
9. If you got hired, loved everything about this job, and are paid the salary you asked for, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?
10. Who is your role model, and why?
11. What things do you not like to do?
12. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career.
13. Tell me how...
14. What's your superpower, or what's your spirit animal?
15. Why have you had x amount of jobs in y years?
16. We're constantly making things better, faster, smarter or less expensive. We leverage technology or improve processes. In other words, we strive to do more--with less. Tell me about a recent project or problem that you made better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.
17. So, (insert name), what's your story?
18. What questions do you have for me?
19. Tell us about a time when things didn't go the way you wanted-- like a promotion you wanted and didn't get, or a project that didn't turn out how you had hoped.

I've come to learn that fear is an indicator of what you need to do next and failure just means your learning. Successful people fail often and learn more from failure than anyone else.

"People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it." - Simon Sinek

What is your WHY? This is the thesis of your FARM STORY. Be funny, showcase your family, personality, humor, and character. Tell your audience WHY you choose agriculture...because it's not for the money. 

Build relationships BEFORE you start SELLING.

What you do is incredibly UNIQUE, profoundly RESPECTED, but MISUNDERSTOOD.

When you can express WHY you do what you do, people will want to buy your products. They want to buy something with a story attached, someone they have a relationship with. What do you believe in?

Everything has changed. Google search is based on our social graphs. You must start connecting with potential customers who share your values, your WHY.

We are in the dawn of 1-on-1 marketing. You already do this, you're good at it. So start doing it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Small town rules are back and word of mouth is where it's at.

We are in a culture shift. Push marketing is dead. You can't be a quarterback anymore. This is the first time ever where Pull marketing is the right strategy. This is your opportunity to start engaging and sharing your FARM STORY.

Here's what you need to do:

• Create a website with a blog: You can do this for free or really cheap through Wordpress and Weebly.
  
• Get active on Twitter: Use #Hashtags, short URLs, pictures, Twitter.com/search, and find followers and topics that interest you. Start making connections
  
• Link your Twitter & Facebook to Instagram
  
• Start using Pinterest! Pin pictures of your farm, livestock, crops, and chores
  
• Get professional on LinkedIn. Connect with customers and vendors. Keep it professional.
  
• Create a YouTube channel: Make short videos 1 minute or less of the normal stuff you do everyday and explain WHY you do it! 
  

Social media is not a platform, that's what your blog is for. Social media are just tools to drive traffic to your blog/website. Everything you share, tweet, and pin needs to link back to your website.

"We must create new agricultural products that provide a renewed opportunity for the next generation of American farmers." - Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture

Think up an idea for Kickstarter. Make a video and don't stop until you get funded. Start small, build it up and get big. Be funny. Here's are some funding ideas: 

• Agritainment 
  
• Ag education 
  
• Ag technology 
  
• Farm camp
  
• Trapping 
  
• Shooting 
  
• Tracking 
  
• Guiding
  
• Outdoor cooking
  
• Share your expertise

Remember what you know and do is UNIQUE. Your skills are marketable and people will pay to learn what you know.

Videography skills can be easily acquired! Make it easy on yourself. 

• Get iMovie on iPad for $4.99, 
  
• iMovie on a MacBook is Free. MacBooks start at $800
  
• Flipcams start at $30
  
• You can do it all on an iPhone too
  

Look into FoodHub, it's like the Facebook for Farmers!

Here's the Prezi I will be using to present. Enjoy!