Jonathan Haag

A few photographs from Commencement 2012 at Grace College in...

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:18:00 -0400

Speech

Speech

Diploma in hand

Monica and I

Josh and I

Tyler, Matt, Keith, and I

Aaron and I

Cerulean is incredible

Monica and I at Cerulean

A few photographs from Commencement 2012 at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to...

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:09:42 -0400

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” - Robert F. Kennedy

“But if there was one thing that President Kennedy stood for that touched the most profound feeling of young people around the world, it was the belief that idealism, high aspirations, and deep convictions are not incompatible with the most practical and efficient of programs — that there is no basic inconsistency between ideals and realistic possibilities, no separation between the deepest desires of heart and of mind and the rational application of human effort to human problems.” - Robert F. Kennedy

“Of course to adhere to standards, to idealism, to vision in the face of immediate dangers takes great courage and takes self-confidence. But we also know that only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly.” - Robert F. Kennedy

“Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world — which yields most painfully to change.” - Robert F. Kennedy

“Now, you notice that there is not the slightest doubt in...

Sun, 13 May 2012 23:56:00 -0400

“Now, you notice that there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that this is going to work if you look at my face, right? It’s one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he’s leading to realize whatever he’s dreaming.” - Benjamin Zander

“I realized my job was to awaken possibility in other people.” - Benjamin Zander

“So now, I have one last thought, which is that it really makes a difference what we say — the words that come out of our mouth. I learned this from a woman who survived Auschwitz, one of the rare survivors. She went to Auschwitz when she was 15 years old, and her brother was eight, and the parents were lost. And she told me this, she said, “We were in the train going to Auschwitz, and I looked down and saw my brother’s shoes were missing. And I said, ‘Why are you so stupid, can’t you keep your things together for goodness’ sake?’ ” The way an elder sister might speak to a younger brother. Unfortunately, it was the last thing she ever said to him, because she never saw him again. He did not survive. And so when she came out of Auschwitz, she made a vow. She told me this. She said, “I walked out of Auschwitz into lifeand I made a vow. And the vow was, I will never say anything that couldn’t stand as the last thing I ever say.” Now, can we do that? No. And we’ll make ourselves wrong and others wrong. But it is a possibility to live into.” - Benjamin Zander

“Books are smart and brilliant and wise. Love what you do...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:02:35 -0400

“Books are smart and brilliant and wise. Love what you do and do what you love. Don’t listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.” - Ray Bradbury

Innovating a song

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:03:54 -0400

Innovation - Make changes in something established, esp. by introducing new methods, ideas, or products (New Oxford American Dictionary)

Original (Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know)

Cover (Walk off the Earth - Somebody That I Used To Know)

The future of Indiana is yours to shape. Its story is yours to...

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:37:00 -0500

The future of Indiana is yours to shape. Its story is yours to tell. (Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana)

Some shots of Monica and I’s potential wedding venue (The...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:24:00 -0500

Some shots of Monica and I’s potential wedding venue (The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana)

She is one of my good friends.

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:45:10 -0500

She is one of my good friends.

Timelapsed: Indianapolis Super Bowl

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:39:36 -0500

Timelapsed: Indianapolis Super Bowl

Consistent Commitment Cultivates Relationships

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:10:40 -0500

Matt Litzinger - Networking

Commitment means different things to different people, but the key to using it as a networking tool is consistency. I had a friend as a child that was all about training for little league. He was so focused on becoming the best he could be – so much so that it encompassed everything he did. He even wore whatever mismatched team apparel he could to school just to feel like a dedicated athlete. However, as with most things, the hype fizzles out. If your friend was anything like mine, he soon found something else that he became just as passionate about and abandoned his dreams of being a life long All Star.

Two things stick out to me as I look at our generations shift from networking through phone calls and business socials to Twitter and LinkedIn.

First, most of us are pathetic at staying connected with a business contact if it doesn’t yield immediate results. We see the potential value in a person through the lens of what they could do for us, but like the kid in little league, we lose interest as that potential drifts further from reality or when we find another connection with better potential results. We are hesitant to commit long hours into a relationship that only boasts potential success. It has become much simpler to hide behind our screens and adopt the “let-them-come-to-me” philosophy.

Secondly, and most importantly, we are missing the great opportunity which is within reach. With the ever-expanding platform of social networking, we have more and more opportunities to not only connect with other like-minded business professionals, but put them a click away from resources such as our resume, portfolio, or blog. These connections become strengthened through our ability to showcase the work of others and interact with their success.

Simply put – We have immense tools that we have only just begun to see the value in and our cultural crutch of instant gratification has blinded us from these opportunities for too long.

Jonathan Haag - Social Media

Society as a whole is shifting how it communicates. Many individuals are choosing to exchange thoughts and information on a variety of online social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Email).

Many have painted this shift in a negative light.

I see it as an incredible opportunity.

In order to use social media effectively, both personally and for an organization, you have to understand that it’s all about relationships.

Strong relationships are built upon commitment and consistency.

As a social media practitioner you have to commit to utilizing social media in nearly the same manner in which you normally communicate.

No, I’m not talking about updating everyone about everything you do. I’m talking about interacting with people on social media like they were standing right in front of you.

Those last few statements should open social media up for you, because it allows you to be yourself and being yourself is the one thing we can all do consistently.

Treat social media with the commitment and consistency you use in everyday communication and I guarantee people will be drawn and engaged to you and your organization.

The Sagamore Institute - Innovative Ideas. Real Results.

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:48:00 -0500

I have the honor and privilege of interning at the Sagamore Institute in Indianapolis this summer. I’m absolutely ecstatic about the opportunity to learn and create at such an incredible institution. For those not familiar with the Sagamore Institute I’ve shared two short videos below that explain who they are and what they do.

Integration with ChaCha makes Iris Remarkable

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:56:05 -0500

Carmel based ChaCha recently teamed up with Android application developer Dexetra to provide the power behind their popular voice powered question and answer application called Iris. The Iris application is in direct competition to Apple’s Siri.

ChaCha’s vast database of questions and answers provides a critical component to the mobile personal assistant competition. Iris’s utilization of ChaCha provides real answers provided by real people compared to Siri’s programmed language and parameters.

This is an absolute game changer in the mobile personal assistant market.

Personally I think that this is only the beginning of how this technology can be utilized. We’ll have to wait and see what ChaCha comes up with in the future!

Until then, take a look at Iris with ChaCha in action.

XLVI Indy Music Project

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:48:11 -0500

The Super Bowl Host Committee has accomplished many incredible projects leading up to the big game. The XLVI Indy Music Project caught my eye. The project is a compilation of 46 songs created by Indianapolis artists ranging in date from 1950 to today. They made the songs available to stream or download for free. Much respect goes to the committee for highlighting the incredible talent that resides here in Indy.

“The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” - Walt...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:15:10 -0500

“The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” - Walt Disney

The Center for the Performing Arts and Carmel City Center in...

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:15:00 -0500

The Center for the Performing Arts and Carmel City Center in Carmel, Indiana during a snowfall.

Photographs: Jonathan Haag
Editing Software: Instagram
Date: December 27, 2012

Language - Stephen Fry

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:05:05 -0500

Language - Stephen Fry

An effective organization (of any type) is one that seeks to empower, not control.

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:36:09 -0500

An effective organization (of any type) is one that seeks to empower, not control.

It’s all a matter of putting ideas on paper into something...

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:31:53 -0500

It’s all a matter of putting ideas on paper into something tangible.

When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:47:00 -0500

When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money.

That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.

Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.

My fiancée and I. I love her.

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:19:40 -0500

My fiancée and I. I love her.