From the desk (and BlackBerry) of Keith Parnell

Let’s talk coffee.
Let’s talk business.
Let’s talk family.
Let’s talk social media.

** NEW LOCATION THIS WEEK **

Come out to Panera Bread on Constitution Drive in Pembroke/Town Center, Virginia Beach, VA on Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM and have coffee with Keith Parnell, CEO of JASE Group Marketing & Advertising, CLO of NeedLocalHelp.com, and Co-Principal of New Media Conventions.

The new JASE t-shirts have arrived (photos: http://keithparnell.com/index.php/2009/12/12/3581/) so we will be giving away two of them through a business card drawing.

Bring your laptops and smartphones. Tweeting and blogging is encouraged while we are there. The Twitter hashtag is #cwtc.

No agenda. No sales. Just sharing.

Talk social media.
Talk new media.
Talk about your business.
Talk about how to grow your business.

Let’s live social media!

Join the video series online at http://www.CoffeeWithTheCEO.com

Please register at http://coffeewiththeceo.eventbrite.com

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On Twitter? Follow me at @parnellk63.

Listening to Good Morning Heartache by Tony Bennett.

One thing my passing years have convinced me of, is that I don’t want to hear someone’s slanted opinions. I just want facts. And I want a team in Norfolk, in Richmond, and in Washington that will look out for my family’s and my small businesses’ best interests.

Is that too much to ask?

Side note: I would pay to see a political news show (on Sunday morn) that’s not political. Is that even possible? Can we get an unbiased news team?

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Our softball team is off to play in the National Championship Tournament this weekend.

I’ll be out of the office for a few days having fun, relaxing and enjoying my buddies. I’ll miss the girls of course but it’ll be a good time.

Say a prayer for us that everyone stays healthy.

I hope you guys have fun and relax this Labor Day weekend! Stay safe!

Matthew 6:9-13

After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Nicole, Sydni and I took a (very hot) walk yesterday afternoon around our neighborhood on the Lafayetter River. While out I snapped a few photos with the BlackBerry 8900 of our beautiful Colonial Place (Norfolk). Enjoy. We certainly do each time we walk our community.

Nicole and I cannot begin to express the sincere thanks for the thoughts, sentiments and prayers we have received from our social media family over the past week. Your thoughts and comments have been almost overwhelming during this tough time of loss for our family.

To our blog, JASEzone, Twitter, FriendFeed and Facebook families: We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your friendship and prayers.

May God bless you all for your dear friendship.

Proverbs 24:3-4

It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong.

It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and beautiful treasures.

My favorite cup of coffee is on Sunday morning. Unfortunately my favorite chillin’ morning only happens when we don’t make it to church. Today is one of those days.

The family is relaxed and resting. The puppies are napping. And for some reason the coffee tastes better.

I hope you enjoy your day. Make the best of it with your loved ones.

From Ad Age (print magazine):

“There is a whole other side of Mardi Gras that non-New Orleansians have never seen. It is very family-oriented and looks more like the world’s largest tailgate party.”

“I wanted to see if I could reduce my followers’ negative brand linkage (Mardi Gras = crazy and flashing) and/or increase their positive brand linkage (family and tailgating).”

My question to you is, have you seen or heard of this? What family experience do you have with Mardi Gras?

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Once a problem is properly defined, it is usually 90% solved.
- Jerry Parnell (March 13, 1941 - April 7, 1999)

This is the brilliance of the man I was blessed with being my Father. Ten years ago today he left us to prepare heaven for our arrival. We miss him. We love him. But we’ll see him again and it’ll be time to celebrate.

This weekend I did zero blogging. Zero. Wait, I did do a bit of twittering although most of it was from the BlackBerry.

We had three 75+ degree days here in Hampton Roads and we spent most of our time outdoors. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Here a few of the tweets I sent across the airways. Hope you have a great week.

parnellk63: Reading Ad Age while hanging out. Brought up a thought: do you know your competition? Do you know what makes them strong?

Sunday, March 08, 2009, 1:25:55 PM

parnellk63: My gosh, what a beautiful day. God is good!

Saturday, March 07, 2009, 7:06:28 PM

parnellk63: Our bike & skateboard ride around the neighborhood today. - Photo: http://bkite.com/05hsL

Saturday, March 07, 2009, 6:03:35 PM

parnellk63: @TraciKnoppe - Wonderful. Checking on things, getting ready to head out on a beautiful 73 degree day. And you?

Saturday, March 07, 2009, 12:49:49 PM

parnellk63: @TraciKnoppe @amcmoore @gadgets4geeks @3dizzle @janiebehr @daddyclaxton @KimDeanArt @wizzlewolf @smball804 @SharonALavy - Good morning!

Saturday, March 07, 2009, 12:43:35 PM

Psalms 1:1-6

Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do. They love the Lord’s teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night. They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don’t die. Everything they do will succeed.

But the wicked people are not like that. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. So the wicked will not escape God’s punishment. Sinners will not worship with God’s people. This is because the Lord takes care of his people, but the wicked will be destroyed.

Those of you that are regular readers of my blog have probably noticed that I usually put up scriptures from the Holy Bible a couple of times every week. Our family has a tradition that each of us is responsible for a day of the week to share thoughts and scripture with each other through email. So I also share them with you. 

I challenge you to do the same with your family. Teach your children to use God’s word as research. It works, believe me, no matter how young they are.

I know most of you may have off a few days next week for the Christmas holiday and tomorrow may be your last day at work. So I wanted to send you a sincere, joyful holiday wish before you skate out to be with your family.

During today’s trying economic times it is often tough to be the rock for your family and children and to hold your faith in God unwavering. But he will guide us through these tough days. I pray for all of us to be successful and have the opportunities to achieve our goals in 2009.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family from the Parnells.

We have a big weekend on tap starting this afternoon. Nicole’s work holiday party, then a good friend’s birthday dinner at Catch 31 at the oceanfront in Virginia Beach.

Saturday morning (9:00 AM, ugh) is Jennifer’s graduation ceremony from Old Dominion University at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Did I mention she got engaged this week?! Saturday evening is our (extended) family celebration for her educational accomplishments.

With Sunday comes morning church services at Tabernacle Church of Norfolk, lunch at Mom’s in Newport News and cheesecake (Nicole’s favorite!) for Nicole’s birthday with the family. Sunday evening we are attending a Christmas choral presentation at Mom’s church, Menchville Baptist.

I think by that time we’ll be beat. But looking through these plans makes me think how lucky I am. I have a loving family and cherished friends and I have Jesus in my life. I am truly blessed to be who I am. God is good!