Exactly three years ago today, I returned from Florence, Italy where I had participated in a study abroad program through Kent State University.  As you can probably imagine, Italy is a little different than America in regards to the wiring in old buildings.

There were seven girls living in an apartment in the city, with a small refrigerator, a stove/oven, and a washer with no dryer. We constantly had issues with the electricity during our stay. For instance, if someone started the washer while the oven or stove was on – the electricity in our apartment would completely shut off.

Fortunately we all had laptops, so when our power shut off it caused negligible issues for us – except that we had to walk down three flights of abnormally large steps to flip the switch on the breaker. However, we didn’t have to restart our laptops and we didn’t lose any of our work (a common problem when computers shut down unexpectedly).

While building codes require upgraded wiring in most places in the U.S., power surges and sags are still a threat to computer systems. Often the issues we experience are so minor we barely register that they have occurred – like when the lights flicker or brighten. Unfortunately over time, these small interruptions can degrade electronic devices such as computers, servers and televisions and subsequently shorten the life of expensive equipment.

To get around this problem, we recommend using an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) device. A UPS not only protects against power surges and sags but also has built in battery backup. The devices are designed to allow users enough time to power down electronic equipment to protect delicate circuitry and minimize the risk of data corruption or system failure. Why worry about lightning, widespread power failures, or overloaded circuits such as I experienced in Italy? A UPS is inexpensive insurance for your hardware and data.

I lay in bed mindlessly flipping through channels on the “tube,” thinking of the upcoming final for which I had to study and everything I had to accomplish for work when the news hit: “Osama bin Laden…Dead.” I sat in anticipation, as most of my fellow Americans did, waiting for over an hour for the President to deliver his speech concerning this matter. It was relieving news that unfortunately kept me up until midnight.

I awoke the next morning, groggy from staying up so late, and headed back to work. On the radio, the topic of discussion was, “Osama bin Laden killed by American forces.” After opening my email at work, I noticed a message from a LinkedIn update email: “Osama bin Laden’s Compound Already Mapped on Google,” and “Bin Laden’s Death Spread like Wildfire on Twitter.”

It shocks me that Social Media has erupted on such a level. I started thinking about 10 years ago and where we stood with technology. On Sept. 11, that fateful day in which the twin towers came crumbling down, it took my school almost two hours to hear the news and spread it from classroom to classroom. Social media was a term no one had used or even heard of yet.

Fast forward to the first news of Osama bin Laden’s death, which was broadcast on Twitter, and his hideout had been added to Google Maps. So, are technology and Social Medial really important? Are you using Twitter to spread the news of your company? Is your organization able to be located on Google Maps?

I was a Venture Scout for several years, and a Girl Scout for 13 more. To say that the ideals and values of these organizations have been ingrained in my head is an understatement. I can’t tell you how many “try-it” badges I earned or how many boxes of thin mints I sold but I can tell you that I learned a lot.

"Be Prepared" always resonates with me… especially when I find I’m not.

Here’s a perfect example of being prepared in the scouting world. When going on a camping trip, miles away from civilization, it is crucial to have something called a “bear bag.” Its ultimate purpose is to protect food and basic necessities from bears, raccoons and other pests. Our version was a 5-gallon bucket filled with our food, toothpaste and bath soap, which we placed high in the trees. After it was hung, we’d give it a tug to make sure it wouldn’t fall into the paws of a bear.

Everyone brings their own bear bag, and the camp site is set up like a triangle. Bear bags scattered at one point, camp fire at another and the final point is all of the tents. That way if a bear comes along, there is distance and fire between you and it.

The idea is that even if an animal gets its paws on a low hanging bear bag and eats everything in it, there should be enough left in everyone else’s cache to cover the losses. It’s kind of a “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” ideology.

These same concepts can be applied to your Disaster Recovery (After all, wouldn’t all of your food being eaten by a bear feel like a disaster?).

1. Be prepared. On a camping trip – it means protecting the essentials. It’s the same with Disaster Recovery, only it also includes a plan to get back the infrastructure and data that’s lost as quickly as possible.
2. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. We recommend a local and offsite backup. In other words, scatter your bear bags – err – I mean data. That way if your physical location is damaged or destroyed, you can still get back the files critical to your business.
3. Test it out. When you hang a bear bag – you give it a quick tug to make sure it won’t fall down from the trees. It is also common practice to test the camping stove, etc. before you leave civilization. Do the same with your backup and your disaster recovery plan. Make sure they work and that you haven’t forgotten anything important to the survival of your business… before you need it.
4. Get advice from someone with experience. In scouts we didn’t just read a manual and head out on our own. We had someone with a lot of experience go with us to show us how to set up camp and remind us of the essentials. Disaster recovery is no different. Ask your IT services provider to help you develop and test your plan. They have the experience to help you avoid the pitfalls and costly mistakes.

… the 30 for the Future Award Celebration, of course! One of the reasons this gala stands out from most awards ceremonies is the music that is used throughout the evening.

Each of the 30 recipients selected five songs that make the story of their life. A snippet from one of those songs was played for each person as they were brought up on stage during the event. Steve Wonder’s song "That Girl" was selected from the songs chosen by Mexie Wilson. What does that have to do with Dan and Jay? Dan Colantone is the president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber which founded the award, and our own Jay Mellon was one of the recipients this year.

The Greater Akron Chamber 30 for the Future Awards presentation was held last Monday (Sept. 13) at the Akron Civic Theatre (photos, videos, full story). The award recognizes individuals, under the age of 40, who have proven to be inspirational and accomplished within the Greater Akron community.

The music individualizes each of the award presentations, giving the audience a glimpse of the personality of the recipient. However, the music also keeps the audience engaged and entertained. On a more personal note, it helped me expand the music library on my computer.

The following are some songs that really stood out to me, both for their lyrics and their relevance to the celebration:

Send Me on My Way, Rusted Root
Wild World, Cat Stevens
That Girl, Stevie Wonder
Blessed, Brett Dennan
Superman, Five for Fighting

Here are the remainder of the songs, their artists, and the person who chose them. Congratulations to all of the “younguns” who are contributing to the future of Akron.

Not included on the list above are the following: Marie Reichart, Kim Palmer, Julie Zhao, Mary Swann, Angie Wells, Matt Ellis, Keith Stahl, Chris Hallier, Don Padgett III and James McNutt.