Grant's "Web of Influence"

Today, I'd like to spend a little bit of time talking about my "web of influence," which is a fancy, somewhat-scientific term that means, "people and things that influence me" and "people and things that I influence."  Simple, right?

Obviously for me, a huge motivator in my web of influence is my family.  My wife and daughter motivate me to be my best every day.  As well, my close friends are big motivators -- people who I can count upon to always tell me the truth, and love me for who I am.

That is NOT what I'm talking about today, though.  EVERYBODY has family.  (Except Batman.)  EVERYBODY has friends.  (Except Batman, and Jim Rome.)

Today I want to talk about the people and things that influence me that aren't people and things with whom I can directly interact.


CELEBRITIES

I'm not the kind of guy that bases a lot of his self-worth on what famous people are doing... but I'd be lying if I said that I don't pay attention, because I do.  I love to watch shows like "Cribs" or "Lifestyles" that show celebrity homes, celebrity closets, celebrity style choices.  To me, it's vicarious -- basically, it gives me a chance to see "how the other half lives" without all the pesky "having to be rich and famous to know" angle.

MAGAZINES & CATALOGS

 As a man -- and, specifically, a married man -- it's not really in my nature to seek out "style" magazines like InStyle or Us Weekly.  That's not to say, however, that I don't seek out ways to remain in style with my wardrobe and home furnishings.  Most of my influence comes from magazines, specifically magazines like Maxim, Stuff, Esquire and Wired.  (Wired a little less so than the others, but mostly because I don't want to be decked out in nerd attire 24/7.)

Stuff is a great magazine, because it not only gives me recommendations on clothing, gadgets and home furnishings.

 Catalogs give me some similar outlets, since they allow me to see what is new and hot, and decide based upon the retailers whose offerings most fit my own personal sense of style.

Generally, I prefer retailers like Crate & Barrel, though I'm also not opposed to buying some decorations and furnishings at stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl's, IKEA, or other similar retailers.  Catalogs from these kinds of shops can help me determine future purchases, as they sometimes showcase items of which I was not previously aware.  This is, and continues to be, one of the key differentiators of these types of stores over internet retailers like Amazon or Overstock.


HOME IMPROVEMENT TELEVISION

 A guilty pleasure of mine, as well as my wife.  We enjoy watching television programs like House Hunters, Flip This House, Extreme Home Makeover, and Trading Spaces.  Beyond seeing what other people have done with their own homes, it can give us a lot of great ideas for useful things to do with difficult spaces in our OWN house.  Watching these programs inspired us to upgrade our bathroom counters and faucets recently.



Admittedly, we cannot always accomplish exactly what the shows set out to do -- we, after all, do NOT have an unlimited budget / camera crew / production studio -- but in a lot of cases, these kinds of shows can help influence us as we attempt to keep our home fresh, clean, and modernized.



And, finally, we come to...


THE INTERNET

It's easy for a lot of people to discredit the internet as a "time-waster" or "distraction," but the fact is my wife and I very, very rarely buy something these days without checking the internet to ensure the item we want:

• Has received good reviews
• Is being offered at the best price
• Is the best quality based upon the price we are paying
• Has been thoroughly tested
• Offers a good warranty / shipping / etc.

The internet has irrevocably changed the way we shop -- in most ways, for the better.  If we are buying a new vehicle, we are able to check the manufacturer's website for information.  We are able to look into local dealers.  On sites like Facebook and Twitter, we can consult with friends and family.  We can look into safety ratings, and get consumer reviews.  We can get pre-owned figures from Kelly Blue Book, and information on specific cars from Carfax.

I will say it again.  The internet has irrevocably changed the way we shop.


Here are some sites we visit regularly:

Amazon has been an invaluable resource for us for many years now.  Not only does it provide us with what is usually the best pricing, it also collects user reviews -- which gives us a good idea if the item we were interested in purchasing is really worth buying, or if it will have some design flaws that mean we should look elsewhere.  The site is the most useful for home furnishings and appliances, NOT for furniture, which is not generally their wheelhouse.

Crate & Barrel's website gives a lot of good information on retail offerings that fit our sense of style, so for larger home furnishings, we will frequently give them a look as well.  If we find something that fits our sensibilities, we will then go to our local retailer to see the items up close.  The web page, however, saves us a trip to the local mall, and allows us to spend less time in a store walking around.

Lots of folks seem to dismiss Facebook as a simple time-waster where no real good comparison shopping can take place, but I've found the opposite.  I value the opinions of my friends and family, and if they have bought something recently or had good luck with a product that I had not previously considered, their opinions on the matter can be extremely influential.  A perfect example happened recently with our purchase of a new digital camera.  We ended up buying a brand we had not previously considered, based upon the initial fact-finding we did on Facebook.  A family friend recommended one we had not yet seen, and upon seeing it in a store, decided to pick it up.  This kind of "instant recommendation" would not have been possible just a few short years ago, and we are very happy with our purchase.

We also get a lot of good design influences from some of the home-improvement store websites, like Lowes.com and HomeDepot.com.  These sites not only give you pictures of cabinets and faucets, but they can also give you ideas on home design and style.  In the case of our recent bathroom upgrades, we spent quite a lot of time on Lowes.com checking out some of the different design ideas.

Google has its Google Image Search feature, which allows you to search for pictures by a search string the same way you would a web page. When we are looking for some unique ideas, but we don't know quite what we want, sometimes we'll pull in everything to see what everyone is up to across multiple sites.  Here is an example of a Google Image Search string for Bathroom Design Ideas.


Lastly, it may seem strange... but we have found a lot of good design ideas on YouTube, simply by typing in a search related to the home improvement or style choice we want to make, and seeing what people have put out there.  YouTube has a staggering 60 HOURS OF VIDEO uploaded to its servers EVERY MINUTE of EVERY DAY.  This means that no matter what kinds of style choice is your choice, YouTube probably has something to help you along.



That's not to say I'm simply influenced by the internet as a blind consumer -- I'd like to think I do my share of influencing among family and friends as well.  Among my group, I'm something of the technical expert, so in terms of home furnishings related to things like wireless networking, home audio, televisions, cameras, and gadgets, I get my share of questions as well.  Primarily these come from face-to-face conversations, but I have gotten some of those via Facebook and Twitter as well.  I'm not so sure I'd consider myself an "influencer," though.  I happen to be an educated consumer in a few choice categories, and I'm more than happy to offer up that expertise if asked.  (Usually in return for THEIR expertise in areas where I'm not quite as savvy!)

In any case, hopefully this gives you a semi-accurate snapshot as to how my brain works in relation to home style and furnishings.  I will be back a little later, with a look at designing my home and how my personal style influences my home style.




In closing, here is a picture of an Alpaca that looks like Samuel L. Jackson.