Kickstarter works like this:

1. You have this sick idea for a business, a trip, a book or even a Popsicle stand! Either way, you have a project.
2. You realize you have no funds for this project. What do you do?
3. Head to Kickstarter.com
4. Start a profile about your idea and what you want to do. You can add text, pictures and even videos!
5. Set a goal. For example, I want to collect $5000 by November 1st so I can [insert your cool idea here]! (It’s a good idea to start a budget!)
6. Share and spread the link to your Kickstarter profile – Twitter, Facebook, email… however you can!

Kickstarter enables us all to do our #socialgood and support entrepreneurs of all kinds. Each week, I’ll feature a Kickstarter profile that I think rocks! Remember, the more people who share an idea – the quicker it could catch! The donations start at $1 so you don’t feel pressured to give any more than you can.

Plus when you back a Kickstarter fund, certain pledge amounts get you sweet insider perks. For example, if you pledge $10 to help me start my Popsicle stand, you’ll get a coupon for 10 free Popsicles. You’re doing your social good AND there’s a chance of swag! And, of course, at the end of the day… you’re helping someone go after their dreams. Pay it forward – you never know when you’ll get paid!

This week, it’d be great if you could help Kickstart a guy who does Halloween BIG TIME!

Peter's Haunted Train from 2007

Peter Montgomery takes Halloween very, very seriously. He’s been building life-size spooky scenes at his California home since 1995. What started with a few white sheets and pumpkins has evolved into heavy duty equipment and the use of Animatronics. Montgomery’s built a haunted pirate ship and steam train – complete with skeleton pirates and conductor! What’s next on his list? For Halloween 2010, Peter wants to take his Trick-or-Treaters on a Journey to the Center of the Earth – complete with a drilling machine protruding from his manicured front lawn.

Check out his website to see past years and a little taste of what he’s doing this year. Want to help but don’t have the cash? That’s fine but don’t forget you can still help by sharing his Kickstarter page!

Mark Zhurbin

Recently, Facebook let me link up with an old classmate of mine who I found was in pursuit of a music career. His stage name is j.0h The Programmer and below is his first single, “First Up“. Listen for a bit and tell me what you think…

To share the video copy this link http://bit.ly/bF5nyq

To learn more about j. 0h The Programmer click here

To check out more of j. 0h’s stuff you can follow him on Twitter – @j0hthePro

What have YOU learned on Facebook today?

Mark Zhurbin

You cannot put it past them even if they were 100% behind Net Neutrality or 5%. They will do what ever to keep the control they have and gain as much and as quickly as they possibly can. If they make one statement one day and another the next there is nothing holding them to the first statement. What was said in the past is exactly there – “in the past”. Look at how much power and data Google and Verizon have, they don’t care about the people even if they say they do a million times, they have their own selfish agendas.

What we need to do is stand up for it and NOT “join” them if it’s going south. They are providers but WE are the consumers, we run the show and we can’t forget that. They only make it seem like they run the show and it is like that when you FOLLOW them and give them the power to control something like the Internet. The Internet was not created as something to make profit of’ (even though I fully support e-commerce), it was made to make communications between each other quicker and easier. It’s not a consumer product, it’s a people’s tool. Don’t forget that!!!

I would love to hear your opinions on this and your stance on Net Neutrality. Viva la Free Web!

By Mark Zhurbin

So many awesome people got together to start the summer off right by… socializing, of course!

Many thanks to Natasha Huang (@nhmediaprgirl) of NHMediaSpot.com and Jon Valdez (@jonvaldez) of OrangeJuiceandBiscuits.com

L2R: @candidcomments, @jonvaldez, @brett, @notmarkz

@notmarkz & @candidcomments

By Mark Zhurbin

I have failed myself.  I have forgotten all about what I was so determined to do, which is provide useful and fun information for everyone and anyone to read, comment, share and interact with each other.  I love finding and trying new things and sharing them with others creates more conversations.  In our time right now (est. 26.6%) of the world population is on the internet, an increase of (est. 26.2%) since 1995 which was (est. 0.4%).  I am here to say that I am sorry to everyone whoever visited this site because I left the connected world.  Also I want to apologize to myself for loosing the door which I have created to outlet my thoughts through and have a world of my own.  I have returned and I will start posting new and interesting content and have everyone comment and discuss what ever they want.  I am not doing this for the fame or attention but merely for the interaction with others in general and individually.

I hope that the ones who have visited my site before will come back and bring their friends and families, and for the new people Welcome to THE FINDERZ!!!

By Mark Zhurbin

As Social Media Enthusiasts, The Finderz enjoys doing their “Social Good”. We find what’s interesting in the world and on the internet – which includes finding causes we want to support. After the tragedy in Haiti, we want to gather our resources & spread the word about helping out.

Since the Roger Smith Hotel is so socially connected, we’re honored to partner with them in our endeavor to collect unused or unwanted clothing for Haiti. We’ll be distributing donations to the Red Cross, Yele, and other charitable foundations.

Join us for a night of “social good” with a taste of the arts, drinks, & good company!

To go to event page click here

By Mark Zhurbin

Diet and exercise have two different meanings. If I were you, I wouldn’t ask which to do first; I would do both. A good exercise routine is nothing without a smart diet plan.

Know Your Weight Loss Goals

First, consider how much you weigh right now and how much you look forward to losing. Remember to be reasonable with your body and how much it can handle.

Overweight or Obese?

According to the Mercer University School of Medicine, the difference between being overweight and obese can be defined by measuring someone’s Body Mass Index (BMI). If your BMI is over 30, you’re considered to be obese; while a BMI of over 24 is known as being overweight. In my opinion, someone obese might want to join a weight loss program where they could find the advice and support needed to be successful.

For those slightly or moderately overweight, I advise controlling portion size. Don’t eat the big plate of food that you are used to! If you’re not sure of the portion size you should be eating then try going to a dietitian. Just remember the less you eat the less calories you put into your body. You’re the only one who is able to control what goes into your body.

Exercising is another strong point of a diet plan. If you feel that stress, boredom, or television are making you eat a lot then maybe you should join a gym. Not ready to pay for the gym? You can try walking, jogging, bike riding, jumping jacks, or just do calisthenics. Try to do different exercises everyday to “confuse” the muscles. By doing one workout continuously your muscle starts getting used to the same routine over and over again. It eventually reaches a point where the muscle stops expanding. By doing different exercises, you can work every muscle in the body. With doing these exercises you could manage to lose calories and body fat. Plus, they can be done for free.

To be successful, it helps to understand why you want to lose weight. So before you begin a weight loss plan, ask yourself:

1. Am I giving myself realistic weight loss goals?
2. Am I motivated?
3. Am I ready to track my progress?
4. Am I ready to focus both mentally and physically on my weight loss plan?
5. Am I really willing to eat healthier?

If you’re in the middle of a job change, family problems, or any other distractions, it might be better to resolve those issues and then focus on weight loss efforts.

Finally, be sure you’re committed to losing weight for yourself, not because someone else is pressuring you to do so. It will never happen if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. You have to be mentally ready.

Keep these tips in mind and you should be on the road to weight loss in no time!

If you are the one running the household, managing the work load, and keeping up with the life load; then I’m hoping that this can help you out.  Every day there is something new to help us “stay connected” with the rest of the world – a new Twitter feature, a new Facebook app or a new social network popping out of the wood work.

Here I have compiled 5 ways to connect the virtual reality with reality and stay on top of everything one step at a time.  All of these features, apps and networks are great but you may find yourself losing track of time while you are submerged in these tech-connections.  There might be forgotten duties with deadlines like picking up the dry cleaning, going to your local grocery store, being on time for an event or an appointment, or even cleaning the house before the family comes over to visit.  Thankfully, there’s mobile versions of these great picks!

1.  Vitalist – Getting Things Done list organization and management application.

2.  Chi.mp – An online life management application.

3.  iProcrastinate Mobile for iPhone – A free homework and task management application.

4.  Blackberry phones – With all the features and reminders to keep you organized

5.  Blue Smiley – Organizes bookmarks, reminder, notes, to-do lists, calendars and much more.

By Mark Zhurbin

With a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for money, Ben was fascinated with how a business ran from a very early age.  While most kids were too busy with toys and games, Ben was the 4 year old helping his older brother with their first lemonade stand.  Fast-forward to 15 years later and he’s been featured on Entrepreneur.com and has been interviewed by countless TV stations.

Check Ben out at BenTheCEO.com

Ben isn’t what most would consider an ordinary teenager.  If anything, we’d like to call him extraordinary.  We got a chance to talk to the young CEO and we’d love nothing more than to share the genius with our readers…

When did you first realize you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I was really young – about 4 years old.  My brother and I had our own lemonade stand and got our picture in the Houston Chronicle.  I started my own business at 14 – Grand Slam Garage Sales.

What’s a day like for Ben the CEO?  Do you see your friends as much as you’d like to?
Actually, I see my friends a lot but I’m always working.  If we’re hanging out at my house, everyone’s playing video games and I’ll be on the computer or on my Blackberry.  Thankfully, my friends totally understand and are completely supportive.

Is there time for a girl in the life of Ben the CEO?
No, not at the moment since I’m more focused on the businesses.  Girls will come later.  My baseball coach always used to say that you lose a lot of money chasing women but you can never lose women chasing money.

In the beginning, what were the biggest adversities you faced?
Honestly?  Not knowing what I was doing.  All I knew was that I wanted to be a professional.  To help myself look the part, I remember buying Walmart polo shirts.  I was 14 and had no credibility, building that and gaining respect was our problem.  Not to mention, we were broke!

I just kept a positive outlook when problems came up.  I realized that the solution may not come right away if we kept working; we’d figure it out.

Who were your biggest supporters in the beginning?
My mother, my family, and my friends.

Are you still in school? Do you feel that college is important at this stage in your life?
Yes, I’m a sophomore at the University of Arizona.  College is something that I’ve gone back and forth with.  I feel that it isn’t a necessity because I’m learning more through my business life but it does make me more credible.  Besides, it never hurts to learn more.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully, Grand Slam Garage sale will be a franchise and The Entitled Group will be a major entertainment firm.  Also I’d really want a large charitable foundation to be thriving and I’d still want to be helping companies through Bold Entrepreneur.  Reality TV wouldn’t be too bad either!

Who are your biggest entrepreneurial role models?
Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, Donald Trump, and Matt Boswell of Pet Butler

What advice do you want to share with your peers?
Go for it and dream big!  Anything’s possible.  Looking back on what I’ve done, I realize it’s only a little of what I want to accomplish.  It may be cheesy and cliché but it’s real – don’t give up and stay persistent.

What do you hope for this generation?
Of course, I hope the economy improves and that more people start taking risks.  I want to see more entrepreneurs!

Where do you draw inspiration?
My mother.  She’s a teacher and taught me to see big horizons and made me want to change the world.

Thanks for the interview Ben – it was awesome to sit down and pick your brain!

For more on Ben, check out BenTheCEO.com and follow him on Twitter!