RevZilla Indy Biz Trip Recap with the RevZillans

This whole "starting a business" is now almost 2 and a half years old and I have to admit it's becoming a lot of fun.

Check out this video from last week's trip to Indianapolis for the big industry show.

TeamZilla was out in fullforce. In the industry they're calling us the "RevZillans" now.

Anthony

I hate being such a fan boy... but... Tony Hawk made my week.

Via twitter, Tony Hawk is all over the map and remains a notable personality who does a great job of engaging with their fan base.

At 29, I am still an engaged fan.

I have always had a soft spot for skating and when I was a kid Tony Hawk was my favorite skater. Actually he's still my favorite skater now. My biz partners give me enough grief on a regular basis about my fandom and I still get the occasional barb about "even though you built a halfpipe in the RevZilla warehouse - Tony Hawk is still not coming to skate with you. ever." It's comical and I always take it in stride. I think I knew the stakes going into it when I turned 29 and decided to take up a reasonably sized footprint in prime dotcom warehouse real-estate for a miniramp. I had not skated since I was 16.

Well for some time I have seen the Tony Hawk Foundation (tonyhawkfoundation.org) raise money, with Tony as it's obvious pitchman, for skateparks in different communities both in the US and internationally. Well a while back he called for a donation and I decided to chip in $25 bucks. I think it builds 1 square foot of concrete "obstacle" at the park to be built. The bonus prize for my generosity? An Autographed picture sent my way with whatever I wanted on it, mailed directly to me.

I wanted it made out to "Rad Anthony", and I was obliged with a full color 8x10.

I spent most of my life not being rad. As I head toward 30 I am changing all that. I now have a daily reminder on my bulletin board to be rad from another rad dude. Thanks, Tony!

And oh yeah, and if you ever want to donate to a good cause to "help the kids" - THF fits the bill.

-Rad Anthony

(for the record my wife and biz partners think this is ridiculous, but I don't care. )

Excerpts from RevZilla Negotiations are Always Amusing

I just posted a note to our RevZilla customer base explaining the lengths that we go to offer them the best experience. I think it's funny. Maybe you will too.

I hope everyone sees the humor.

Read High Noon in West Texas on the RevZilla.com Blog

2009 New Years Resolutions Recap - Revisited by Line Item

This writeup has been sitting in my draft folder since mid-December. I was about to write another post tonight and when I did I found this gem, which I barely remember writing.

This would be my list of 2009 resolutions and then a commentary on how they went down last year - in their full unapologetic glory.

1. Have 1 phone that lasts the full year without getting destroyed or thrown.
- Didn't Make it. Not even close. 3 iPhones this year. Loss.

2. Care more about parking tickets. ie try to avoid getting them.
- Got new house with 2 spots in Old City and RevZilla's new DC has Parking. I Cut PPA donations from thousands to probably a couple hundred bucks for the year. Winner. Win.

3. Be more detail / roi oriented in the office.
- Always have room to improve, but am happy with gain. Push.

4. Make it to 2010 without losing a fight with another credit card terminal.
- I actually think I pulled this off. No stitches or bloody clothes in 2009. Win.

5. Be more patient with everyone.
- Meh. Push.

6. Get a piece of my once strong tolerance back.
- Parenting got more manageable. Tara and I bounced back a bit socially. I can hang again. Win.

7. Build a halfpipe in my warehouse and ride it.
- Shockingly I pulled this off. I can do 7 tricks. Win.

8. Strive to continue to grow RevZilla smartly and organically
- blew the doors off it during a frickin recession no less. Such a win.

9. Be more humble
- I was the same humble. Push.

10. Start buying and wearing funny t-shirts again.
- Not taking off my glasses, LMAO, Santa is Coming - Busted Tees. Win

11. Start my own lifestyle clothing brand.
- Gracefully abandoned it for more profitable ventures. Focus is a virtue. Loss.

12. Practice what I preach 100% of the time
- So tough. Had my moments of hypocrisy. Loss.

13. Play more guitar and start learning piano
- Absolutely picked the guitar back up, now doing it with my daughter. I sing and play she sings (jibberish) and dances. No piano though. Half Win.

14. Surround myself with more people who I aspire to be like
- Met some great new friends in 2009 and grew stronger friendships with solid current acquaintances. Win.

15. Go from journeyman to ninja of Analytics, SEO and SEM
- Not there yet. Loss.

16. Hang out with Tommy Lee, Axl Rose and Mr. T & See a good concert.
- Hung out with none of them, but talked to Charles Barkley (fav athlete of all time) twice. Also saw Motley and Def Leppard from the 5th row. I'm taking a win on this.

17. Retire the Trash Truck.
- Still have the trash truck. Wife drives it. Sucks. Loss.

18. Blog more about biz.
- I twittered more about biz. Doesn't count. Loss.

19. Start shooting skeet / trap again with my Dad.
- Nope. Bummer. Maybe in 2010. Loss.

20. Read a great book a month if not more often.
- Nope. Didn't have the frequency. Loss.

21. Learn 3 more staple dishes that don't involve a grill or beef.
- Yep. Asparagus, Baked Chicken, Fajitas and Fish. Win.

22. Snowboard with my wife at least once.
-Damn. Maybe in the next 60 days. Loss.

22. Reduce my red meat intake.
- Nope. Delicious murder all year long and was on a lamb kick earlier in Q1 of 09. Loss (secret win).

24. Spend more time with Family.
- Getting better at compartmentalizing. Win.

25. Stop and relax more often.
- Kinda Sorta, but not really. Loss.

26. Be less competitive outside of the office.
- Ugh. Just give me the fail whale. I still want to conquer it all. Ambitious to a fault. Loss.

27. A/B test when available rather than making a gut decision.
- More A/B testing than not. Its a good thing and we stepped it up. Win.

28. Meet more east coast tech rockstar vc's who shall remain nameless for the time being. Its a short list.
- I met them all. Mission accomplished. One of my favorite things about this year is that I forged some great new relationships with some really interesting smart and accomplished folks. Honored they would share their time with me. Big Win.

29. Become a better listener.
- Incrementally beter. If I was a 5 now I'm a 6. Push.

30. Take more pictures.
- Pictures, Video, Streaming Media etc. This was the year I became super-media focused storage is free or cheap. Why not record it all? Win.

31. Go on more fun "dates" with my wife.
-Mos def. Win.

32. Wear more gold chains and velour track suits around South Philly. (submitted by jody ferry)
- Even though I could, better judgement still got the best of me. Loss.

15Wins - 13 Losses - 4Push

I batted .535 this year. Not bad, but there is always room for better. I still need to make my 2010 list.

We will have to see how it goes.

Parents Guide: 8 Tips For Getting the Most Out of the "Mall Santa"

We Took Isa to see the Mall Santa. Hilarity ensued. Enjoy. I love when my wife lets me make guest videos for her Mommy Blog. See the Full Post on BabyMommablog.com

Anthony

Article in KeystoneEdge.com on RevZilla.com

Got some other electronic "ink" this week from KeystoneEdge.com about RevZilla.com.



"Bucci proudly calls RevZilla's small and talented team the company's biggest marketing expense and encourages the under-30 crew play hard as well with pinball machines and a skateboarding halfpipe at its 18,000 square foot warehouse in Philadelphia, where it features a high-end showroom that regularly attracts visitors from more than two hours away. "

Finally a journalist tech-savvy enough to actually understand what we do! I was beginning to get jaded.

Check out the full article here: Three friends rev up the motorcycle market with eCommerce horsepower

Anthony

Interviewed for Starter Stories

I was interviewed last Friday for the Starter Stories video series. It was a fun experience looking back - and looking forward.

You can see the rest of the Starter Stories Video Series here.

Anthony