The MiAGon Daily Show

Now that some states, like mine, have lifted the stay-at-home orders, I wanted to share how I have managed these orders from day one. And what my family and I intend to do as a result of what we have experienced during the past 2 months. Plus, how do we help others see the reality around us? I share that with you as well. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagon/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagon/support

As the COVID-19 'Scamdemic' continues, it is time to re-think what we stand for and who we are. I got news of businesses I used to frequent, shutting down left and right. Yet, the big box retailers never missed a beat and are still open. I have switched into full boycott mode and decided it is time to bring back our economy by doing what is right. Shop at local independent stores. Support the local economy... anything that puts money back in the local community. Support these people, and yourself.  I have decided to not only boycott the big businesses, but also boycott people and the establishment that supports them, like celebrities, musicians, sports figures... anyone and anything that goes against my fundamental beliefs and rights as a human. It is time to stop this nonsense and move on with our lives. This COVID-19 is shrouded in a hoax to keep us in fear for agendas beyond our beliefs. Look at what has happened in Wall Street 2 months before COVID-19 was even a thing... billions of dollars were funneled to Wall Street for a bail-out. And they want more. Something simply does not add up, folks.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagon/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagon/support

If there is one very obvious thing about technology, it would be tehat there is simply too much of it. Let me be clear. I love technology. I have been a part of it since I was 14 years old back in 1980 and my dad got me my very first computer. Since then, I was hooked. And I worked in and around technology ever since. I still do today. But it is evident that technology has taken a strange turn against us in the past decade alone. It is getting progressively worse. So what can we do about it? Simple. Time to shed off some of that tech that does not serve us well. I have been doing this since last year, and life has been much more relaxed than that of my friends, relatives and colleagues. I am less stressed and spend more time "living". Technology no longer controls me. I control it. And I will share a bit about what I have done with you. And then go more in-depth in future podcast episodes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagon/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagon/support

Let's talk about the MiAGon Daily Show Reboot. After the initial MiAGon Podcast Show launch a few years ago and 24 episodes, a long-term hiatus and what I called an unsatisfactory reboot of 3 episodes, I thought it was time to give the entire show a full reboot. I talk about what I plan to do and why.  I also start off with the world's most popular topic today: COVID-19. I share what I feel about it, what I encountered in mainstream and alternative media, and put the perspectives together to form a new narrative on what is really going on. No spoiler alerts, here... just my opinion and analysis from factual data we have today. Welcome back! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagon/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagon/support

Technology is all around us. And it has served us well. Or so we think. While I enjoy technology like most people do, I do see the problems associated with its abuse by global corporations who no longer value our privacy or rights. I have been a big proponent of tech but in recent years, I have started to phase it out in areas of my life where it serves no purpose.  I slowly began to do away with excess technology usage in June of 2019. And continue to do so. By getting rid of AI and smart home devices such as the Echo and Google Home, I have been able to live much more comfortably with alternatives. From X10 remote devices at home that perform the same functions as smart devices, without the dependency of the internet, to open sourced solutions in tablets, PCs and even phones.  The last move was doing away with smart phones and reverting to flip phones that offer EXACTLY what I need. There is nothing so urgent it cannot wait for me to get home and look up on my computer. I live more relaxed as I disconnect from the crazy rat race that gives us nothing but stress as we constantly compete with the world for status. This is not what humanity is all about. And technology is making these things worst. I share what I did and offer some alternative solutions to help you de-tech, too! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

COVID-19 is probably one of the most impactful pandemics our current generation has experienced. But is the hype real? Is it really as bad as it is made to appear? A little digging through sources, employing main-stream media news, reveals that the math, and the science, behind it simply does not add up. Professionals in the field of medicine are coming out with information that contradicts what the general public knows about this pandemic. And people are slowly realizing there is more to this than just a novel coronavirus.  On this episode, I share some startling news about the numbers as well as information we need to consider the next time someone starts to publish numbers and details about the spread of the virus. You will be surprised at just how easy it is to see through the vale of lies by simply looking at numbers and listening to the professionals on the battlegrounds: the hospitals and medical establishments.  Stop listening to credentialed and non-practicing shills who are giving you false information about this pandemic. You must fact-check things yourself. Stop getting spoon-fed by the main-stream media who is simply looking for ratings through perpetual fear mongering. It is time to wake up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

The MiAGon Podcast Show has been rebooted with an entirely new format. From the original format of a couple of lengthy episodes per week, to more daily content about up to the minute topics. The past few months have been challenging world-wide and the current "lock-down" situation has allowed me time to take a closer look at what I am doing with my life. From the long hiatus the show took after just 24 episodes, I wanted to revive it. This is the reason why I never shut it down despite the lack of new content. I want to bring a whole new perspective of life to the rest of you. I hope you enjoy the new format.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 We live in a fascinating world. In fascinating times. We have just about anything we want at our disposal. And, yet, often go about things the wrong way.    Today I wanted to talk about personal transformation. But the kind that makes us want to reach our fullest potential. That shift we make from doing something we love to do as a hobby and turn it into a business. Many folks are undergoing these transformations daily and creating amazing things with their skills and talents. And at the same time, many do not make that jump because they do not feel they have what it takes.  Most often, the ones that hold back tend to be the ones who want to plan everything down to the most minute details, or believe that they cannot compete with seasoned competitors. Or worst, have a need for the "right tools" to make it professionally. Well, I am about to let you in on one simple fact. The brush does not make the artist.  I have lived by this belief most of my life and the very first time I proved this was back in the mid 90's when I fell in love with video production. I had a basic entry level camcorder and loved to video tape just about everything. I shot weddings, events, parties, and anything you can video tape at the time. I did it because I enjoyed it. And the results were always pretty damn great. I always received compliments from everyone, even strangers. So I know that I was not being told this just to feel great about the work I did.  In a short time I started playing around with editing the videos a bit by adding background music and some crude effects. Before long I wanted to do this professionally, but on a part-time basis. But I kept hesitating because I felt  I did not have the right equipment. But I loved it so much I still wanted to take it to the next level.  Digital video editing was not something consumers were able to easily afford. Most of that was still for professionals at very high prices. But there were a handful of more simple solutions out there.  Within a year's time, I was able to obtain a better VHS camera, an audio and video 2 channel mixer, a tape deck for background music, microphone, and 3 mid-range VCRs. These were nice Mitsubishi VCRs with 4 video heads and 2 audio heads. I used 2 VCRs for playback and one to record the mixed scenes. Lots of hard work, but well worth it because I truly loved the art of it all.  I decided to advertise my services to folks with limited budgets, thinking I might be able to get me a nice niche market. Professionals at that time were charging lots of money and I felt I could not compete with them. After all, they had broadcast quality video cameras and equipment that rivaled mine. In fact, the cost of one camera from my competitors costed more than all my equipment put together.  Then I realized something interesting from some of my competitors. Despite their reputation, which I believed was mostly from the equipment, and the countless productions they filmed and edited, I noticed massive mistakes in their filming. From horrible compositions and angles, to lighting issues and even filming the other cameras by mistake. I saw all this in their demo videos. And the first thing that came to mind was, "what the heck is going on here?" I realized that all the best equipment in the world meant nothing if you do not know how to use it.  This motivated me tremendously. I decided to fine tune my post production skills, as my filming was already better than the pros. I had great compositions, paid attention to lighting, avoided shooting other video cameras, etc. But my post production needed work. I was able to notice the quality difference because of my equipment. But I was on a tight budget. After all, it was a side gig for me... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 Have you been able to spot the contradictions in our society? You know the one, where corporate America leads you down two distinctive opposite tracks simultaneously? And the signals are so mixed that the average person cannot make the distinction because of other distractions along the way.   Our society is literally made up of contradictions and each player in the game have their own agenda. Somehow they manage to bring it all together and despite all odds, they make it work. So what exactly am I talking about? Let's take 3 corporations, for example, and I will show you how they have their own agenda but manage to collaborate an illusion that most of America falls victim to. Let's take an educational institute, a prestigious company and a mega retailer for this example. The educational institute will sell you the dream of higher pay when you get the right education. But what is the right education? By who's standards? Who creates such trends? Well, actually, there are 2 players in this game: the educational institute and bankers, the one who will give you a loan that ties you down for a very long time.  In fact, you will notice that the banker is always behind every concept society tries to sell you:  Get an education... get a student loan. Live the American Dream and buy a house... get a mortgage loan. Show off your success with a luxury car... get a car loan. Enjoy the world, buy an RV... get an RV loan. Travel the world, get a time share... get a loan for that, too. Live in luxury, not enough liquidity in your assets?  get a credit card or personal loan. Want more? get an equity line of credit on your home's equity. The opportunities to make you spend are phenomenal.  So back to the educational institute. They sell you the idea of obtaining a degree to make more money. So you get a loan, go to school, get a degree, and then hope, that it pays off. It is a gamble. I have known people with degrees that do not match what they do in real life simply because the illusion that was sold to them was quite different. But for some, it works quite well. Those who made that concept work may land a great job at a prestigious company... the one everyone wishes they can work for. So they land a great position with great pay. But they still have a student loan to pay off.  What do most people do? Create more debt. They want to show their success by buying a house and furnishing it. Getting a nice car. And enjoying life. But the pay is not enough to take care of all that and pay off the student loan. Where does the third corporation come in? That is the mega retailer who will spend enormous amounts of money in advertising and marketing to make you spend yours.  And there you have it... the contradiction of our society. Let me share something without even mentioning the company's name. There is a large mega retailer that claims to make your life better by saving you money. The concept is that you get more for your money so you can live better than you are living today. Already figured it out?   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 How do we gain focus in a world that seems so chaotic. Let's talk about our ability, or may the inability, to focus. And let's talk about distractions. And, can we use one to create the other?  Distractions are annoying. They make us lose focus.  Ever tried to focus through distraction? Not really a play on words, but the actual act of intentionally distracting yourself in order to focus. Sounds pretty strange. But it is actually easier than you think.   I learned to drive in the streets of Miami. If you have ever been there, you know how crazy it can be. There are two aspects to my early driving years: fortunate, because my father and older brother have amazing driving skills. My older brother, in particular, was into racing, so I learned a great deal from him. My father, who still drives at age 89, but slowly avoiding it because of night vision issues, was amazing at defensive driving. He has never been in an at-fault accident. The minor fender benders he has been in are by other drivers. Which I cannot see how since he drives a full-size SUV you can see coming a mile away. The unfortunate part? They are both impatient and fast drivers with mad skills. I spent enough time with them to become a very aggressive driver myself. Despite all that crazy driving of mine I have always been extremely respectful of other drivers: I do not cut them off or do anything that may potentially cause an accident by inexperienced drivers. But this level of consideration with aggressive driving is not a good mix. When others with aggressive driving skills do stupid things in front of me, it unleashes a monster. I get really aggravated and that speed demon emerges. I would definitely say there is an ego about me and driving. It seems that my ego lives in my car.  I would try to spend an entire day driving 'normally', if there is ever such a thing. You know, taking it easy, driving within speed limits and obeying all traffic laws. But I could not make it past 2 miles without someone doing something very stupid in front of me.   I found that the best way to focus was to distract myself. You see, when I get in the car I have one thought in mind... to get to my destination. There is nothing else to keep me focused, so it is easy to get carried away by other drivers and their antics.  I found that by listening to podcasts and audiobooks, it grabs my attention and allows me to dismiss anything else. It puts my focus on what I am listening by distracting my attention from the exterior. Music does not have the same effect. I realized that we often shut out music because we hear the same songs all the time.   Other effects of music listening, as I have noticed, is that we tend to associate an event, action, or emotion to songs over time, which can impact us while we drive. POdcasts and audiobooks, on the other hand, have new content so we tend to focus a little more on that. It is no different than having a conversation... and often safer, as you do not have to respond to someone.  But be cautious. Humans cannot multi-task, regardless of what you have been told. Sure there are the rare cases where someone wit special skills can do two things at once... but that is a rarity. So if having conversations in a car distracts you, you may want to avoid podcasts and audiobooks as well. But the distraction trick to allow me to focus keeps me cool and relaxed during my commutes. Keeps me and everyone around me safe.     --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 know how important review and opinion articles tend to be for most. People do often rely on reviews from other users to make purchasing decisions. I know I sometimes do. But I treat reviews and opinion differently than most. I use the information to essentially engage in my own research to determine how viable a product is and whether it fits my needs. But a growing number of people tend to take reviews and opinions at face value. They do not have time, or simply do not care, to research. So they make decisions based on potentially biased reviews and opinions.  I wanted to start an opinion series where I respond to articles I read where the message is extremely biased. I try to level the playing field by providing an unbiased response to the article and bring more of a neutral view of the issue to light. There are many amazing products out there I often find people trashing when they have never even used it simply because a friend had a bad experience. We cannot force people to change their perceptions... their reality. But I think it is unfair to force such on the masses just because someone with a bad experience needs to justify their belief. So, welcome to my first in the opinion series broadcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 Consumers today have more options to buy a product or service than ever before. But having too many options often causes more problems than it solves. When there is saturation, selling a product or service must take a different approach. Everyone sells something. A product or a service. We do it all the time and not even realize it. When you go to a job interview, you are selling yourself... your skills. Even when you are playing the role of a consumer and are buying something, like a car, you are selling something to the actual seller to negotiate a better price. All and all, you are always selling something. Sometimes, you are selling the product to yourself. This applies when you are trying to justify the purchase of a high priced ticket item. Justification is really the key to selling. It is that last example I used, When you are trying to convince yourself there is a need. Professionals use this all the time when selling. This is why some are more successful than others. While some try to sell a product or service, others sell you solutions. What this product or service has to offer. The best example I can use is within my field of website design. There are countless website designers and developers out there. Bargains can be had. And you can save even more when you outsource the work overseas. Individuals are now even able to build their own website with some do it yourself website hosting companies. So selling a website is not as easy as it once was. It is no longer based on who can offer you the best price. The attention is slowly shifting to who can offer the better service. And price is sometimes not even the determining factor. Case in point? Sites like Weebly and Wix offer do it yourself solutions at amazing deals. But notice they are actually selling a solution. They are selling new businesses and small companies with limited budgets a solution to having a website presence for pennies on the dollar. And yet, there are still countless agencies offering websites at premium prices. Why? because those offer a different kind of solution. I have always felt that educating the customer is also part of providing a solution. Many times they are not exactly sure what a website really is. Today I still educate my clients. Which is why I still manage clients I acquired back in 2003. When you can retain a client for 15 years, it says a lot about you. Selling solutions instead of a service or even a product is a very good approach because it offers more value. While there are still clients who tend to look at services or goods based on cost alone, many are recognizing that value is more important.  The way they approach value is by seeing significant return on their investments, even if it means spending more. This is why you can get websites ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, despite the fact that they are very much identical in features. The key is how you market the site.  So when you want a leg up on the competition, focus on selling solutions instead of services or goods. Find out what the client's pain points are and sell them a solution to that pain point. You will be surprised at how effective this concept truly is. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 The origins of MiAGon was created out of necessity. When the Internet started to boom, and I do not mean AOL, Prodigy or CompuServ, but more like, true Internet Service providers like Earthlink and Mindspring back in the day, the race to grab your identity online began. This is why today it is so difficult to get a name or domain with standard words and we must get creative. The options are not really there, unless you are willing to pay a premium. When I tried to establish a common username across multiple services and set my identity back then, I soon realized what having a common name was all about. You see, my name is as common as the English version of John Smith. Miguel Gonzalez is an extremely common hispanic name. And I could not make any variation of it work.  I also could not find words I liked to setup my identity. So I reverted with acronyms. This was a quick solution for me. Grabbed parts of my first, middle and last name to make up MiAGon. And that is how it was born. I first used this identity when I started building websites back in 1997. So it has been in used for over 2 decades now. It is like a brand, actually. Another thing I found small businesses struggling with was the development of a logo. I decided to employ my services as a logo designer and offer that as well along with my website design services. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

 What are my views about perception? How does perception tie into reality and how that differs from facts.  People often say "perception is reality". I hated the phrase. Was confused between perception, reality and facts. Scientific in nature and was all about the facts... generally accepted facts. Perception was like an opinion.  I soon realized how they played together: Reality is what our perceptions create; the reality is ours and may not be seen by others; we find it factual in our reality; but may not be necessarily a fact. In the end, there is really no such thing as right or wrong... to a certain degree.  Take a concert, for example. Place 10 friends in the best seats in the house. Ask them what they thought of the concert when it is over. You will get 10 very different opinions. Ask to rate them and chances are high that you will get different ratings. Why? It was the same concert!  Emotions, experiences, memories and a host of other factors influence our perception thus, creating our reality. The facts? It was a concert, they had the best seats, etc. All 10 friends created their own realities.  The key for me was not to judge. We do not have the full picture of the other person. Perceptions are in fact judgements, too. Besides emotions, experiences and memories, which alter how we perceive in a specific time, there are other factors.  Our upbringing, the environments we grew up in, all set the stage for how we perceive. If you are brought up in a household that has always struggled and always complained about it, you will perceive your surroundings with that fundamental perspective.  If you are brought up in a household that had the opposite views of things, your perceptions will be more positive. But materialism is not the key. Wealthy people can still have negative perceptions. And people with limited income can be very positive. I learned that value of life, and not money or material possessions was the key to real happiness.  Poor people become rich all the time. And that is because they realized that their environment does not define them. They define their reality. Be aware of your thoughts... entirely. Learn to identify when you are judging. Learn to let go of the ego that has kept you trapped where you are. Accept constructive criticism from others... it is the best free tool to improve ourselves. Improve yourself daily... even if it is just 1%... over time 1% increments add up and you will achieve all your goals. Practice gratitude.   This shifts the focus from what you want to what you have and appreciate. It gives your life value. Practice random acts of kindness. Stop thinking of lack.  Now, just go and do it! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

On this episode I talk about what it means to start a business and what we should truly focus on. There are many reasons and desires people have when they want to start a business and sometimes we overlok some of the obvious ones. Some folks desire to start a business focused primarily on money, when this alone is not the answer and can always lead to disappointments. Sometimes there are perceptions about starting a business like the belief that being your own boss makes it easier or that there is much more control. The truth is that most of the time, starting a business is much more work than the average 9 to 5. Starting a business should be based primarily on a desire to do something one really loves and enjoys. There should be a pure desire behind that decision to start a business. Then there is planning: lots of planning. Many businesses fail because of a lack of planning. There is also the lack of having goals, objectives and visions. These are common with large organizations and many people think that small businesses do not necessarily need to have these in place. But when goals, objectives and visions for a business are established early on, it provides direction and guidance to success. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

Ever had a day, or maybe a week, when joy has been sucked right out of your life? A time when you simply do not feel the world around you? We find moments like these every now and then and al we wish to do is untangle the complexities we have created in our lives to regain happiness. All you have to do is reach deep within yourself and finding the child within. As a kid I always enjoyed helping others. I still do. In fact, it was through this desire to always help that I learned many skills. I inherently knew that if I was going to perform a task or help someone, that I needed to learn and be good at it. So I watched my grandfather, a master carpenter, work in his shop. I learned and I helped when I could. I watched my father, who was a man of all trades, do things around the house... from basic carpentry and masonry work, to electrical and plumbing. I learned those skills and used them to help others. When my father and older brother worked on their cars, I was there. Always curious and learning. Then sharing what I knew with others. My podcast is a means of talking to the masses and what I do here is driven by the child within. I enjoy anything artistic, so I design and develop websites for clients. I even combined both the desire to help with my artistic side by catering to s specific niche market. I work primarily with organizations with limited budgets. I help small businesses establish an online presence at affordable rates. It makes me happy. It makes others happy. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

When it comes to business, how do you feel about competition? What about the idea of befriending your rivals? Is there light at the end of the tunnel when businesses compete for the same clients? Competition often carries a negative connotation. Businesses feel that competition can be damaging. The truth depends on a number of factors: -Is your business doing well? -When businesses are struggling to stay afloat, the last thing they want to worry about is competition. In a world where the stresses of just getting by are a day-to-day occurrence one does not need any additional problems... like competition. But what if your business is doing well? Some businesses fear losing existing customers to their competitors. Perception, unfortunately, is the strong driving force behind how people feel about competition. The most common belief comes from a sense of lack. When I talk to businesses who have a fear of competition, the number of topic that comes up is always about losing customers. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

Who I am and why I decided to start a podcast show. What 51 years of being alive brings to the table. My experiences, successes and challenges. Why I started a podcast show? It was time to stop procrastinating. Got the push I needed from my wife and made a commitment. What I have to offer? Years of experience in various industries and job positions: Fast Food and Grocery store @ age 16; Office admin work in jewelry; Customer Service in banking; New and used Car Sales, twice; Banking... first as accountant, senior accountant, supervisor and then project management; Technical support in software... various industries (custom bank teller platform software, paging software, mini storage management software, clipart software); Technical Support Manager; Quality Assurance; Project Coordinator; Scrum Master; Project Manager; Consultant... self-employed; Dozens of side-jobs... writing, training, website design and development. Challenges in life... too many to count. But helpful. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

When things go wrong, the first thing most people chase down is where to put the blame. This is a distraction, a redirection of energy that will really solve absolutely nothing. Every minute spent looking for something or someone to blame is a minute taken away from finding a solution. When things go wrong I also like to think of it as the discovery of a way not to find the solution I seek. I do not see it as a mistake. Instead, I see it as a lesson that serves me in my next attempt at that same task. It is OK to want to find out where a mistake or problem occurred. It is part of the learning process. But when I see this activity take place in most corporate environments, it is often with the intent to place the blame and not really move forth. Eventually you have to move forward and precious time is spent with a useless exercise. How would you handle such a scenario? Simple. When a problem arises they become self evident. Immediately identify the issue and its impact. Then get to w --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support

Call it what you want: stuff, clutter, mess, excess, etc. Clutter is clutter, no matter how you slice it. Whether the area is neat and clean or not, clutter is an external manifestation of your inner being. The problem with clutter is that subconsciously it is a distraction. It is a sign that there is no discipline or pattern to keep things organized. It often mirrors our own thoughts: a messy or cluttered desk or room is a sign of a cluttered mind. I find that people with clutter around them have more difficulty focusing on certain tasks because they are often distracted by the clutter around them. Clean up the mess, externally, and you clean up your concentration, internally. By spending just a few extras seconds, really, seconds, to clean up after ourselves by organizing things behind us, we can literally save dozens of minutes, if not hours everyday in having to come back and clean up later. Develop habits and patterns that help you stay organized. Clear up your external clutter, a --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/miagonllc/support