is there any way you can listen to a podcast and cruise the ICI website at the same time? Often I am tempted to hit a link while listening and then I am thrown off the podcast. Frustrating.
I hate it when PRO members are frustrated, I can help…
When you are on a web page (what you are reading right now) and click on a link, one of three options can happen:
The link replaces the page in the existing Window (that's when you lose the Podcast)
The link opens a new Window (which hides the original Window and keeps the Podcast playing)
The link opens a new Tab in the existing window (keeps the Podcast playing and the new page opens as a Tab in the existing Window) Looks like this:
I feel tabs are the best choice
So, what decides what happens?
The setting of the Link can decide (Open in this Window? or Open in a new Window?) This is set by whomever built the web page.
The settings in your Internet Browser can decide (The links at the top of this article take you to the Help pages for each browser)
Or, you can decide 🙂
The power of the “Right Click” – it puts YOU in charge!
Whenever you want to click a link, and retain the page you are currently viewing – Right Click the link and you will see your choice of options. Note: Might be slightly different depending on what version of Windows you are running. MAC users see something similar.
Right Clicking Gives You The Power!
Did this make sense to you? Let me know if you need more.
* The other option would of course be to listen in iTunes.
Schwinn Cycling Master Trainer Denise Druce presents our latest class profile; Lead The Pack!
About Denise:
Denise Druce is widely considered one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the state of Utah. She is the producer in a series of 28 home workout DVDs, she teaches and trains athletes at the University of Utah, and is a Master Instructor for 24 Hour Fitness. Denise was featured as a trainer in SELF magazine, inspiring over 500,000 women to participate in the SELF Fitness Challenge. She and her husband, Michael live in Salt Lake City with their three boys.
Sally Edwards and Gene Nacey are teaming up for a very special Heart Zones Training Seminar, Workshop, and Qualification September 26th and 27th. This training will be held at Gene's Global Ride Indoor Cycle Studio in Lower Burrell, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Sally Edwards, MA, MBA is one of America ‘s leading experts in business, exercise science, and lifestyle living. She created the Heart Zones Training proprietary and branded training system. She is the National Spokeswoman for the Trek Women's Triathlon Series. Sally has completed over 130 all-women's triathlons during the past 20 years volunteering to finish most as the “final finisher” so that no other woman has to finish last.
Sally is a best-selling author with more than 20 books and 500 articles on health and fitness including the popular book Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook and The Complete Book of Triathlons. This professional triathlete is a 16-time Ironman finisher, a member of the Triathlon Hall of Fame, and past winner of the ultra-marathon, the hundred mile Western States Endurance Run.
Have you ever had someone say something so revolutionary, that it smacks you hard in the face and knocks you completely off balance?
It happened to me today and I'm still reeling with the potential of this exciting new method of creating great class playlists. Let me explain…
While preparing to record our latest Audio Class PROfile, Instructor Dennis Mellon introduced me to the fascinating concept of Harmonic Mixing, which is used by the top DJs to build a magical playlist.
This isn't mixing songs by BPM with MixMeister, but rather by combining tracks in the same or a complimentary musical key.
The net effect I'm discovering, is a flow/transition between songs that just sounds right. You may not be able to identify why exactly, it just works. If you're a bit tone-deaf like me, it may explain why some of your playlists don't elicit the same positive response, as say your wife's 🙁
This has been a continuous source of frustration for me; Amy, Chris Hawthorne and a bunch of other Instructors I follow on Spotify all have very good ears for music. And yet the playlists I create (using their songs) never sound as good as the original playlist I swipe them from.
Harmonic Mixing is an advanced technique used by top DJs all over the world. By mixing tracks that are in the same or related keys, harmonic mixing enables long blends and mash-ups. The goal is to eliminate key clashes.
The Basics
Harmonic mixing consists of two elements: knowing the key of every song that you play and knowing which keys are compatible.
To get started, find the keys of your songs. You can detect keys with a piano, a good ear, and a background in music theory. To save time, you can use professional DJ software such as Mixed In Key. Mixed In Key scans your MP3 and WAV files, and shows you the key of every song.
The First Mix
To help DJs learn harmonic mixing, Mark Davis created the Camelot wheel, a visual representation of which keys are compatible with each other:
Help for all of us Tone-Deaf Instructors!
The Professional DJ Approach
Many professional DJs move around the Camelot wheel with every mix.
To select a compatible song, choose a keycode within one “hour” of your current keycode. If you are in 8A, you can play 7A, 8A or 9A next. If you are in 12A, you can play 11A, 12A or 1A. This mix will be smooth every time.
You can also mix between inner and outer wheels if you stay in the same “hour.” For example, try mixing from 8A to 8B, and notice the change in melody as you go from Minor to Major.
Harmonic mixing is a simple technique, but it opens up a world of creativity. You will play creative DJ sets and discover interesting song combinations. It's easy to get started with any music genre.
This Camelot wheel is brilliant – just like there are color wheels to help people like me select complimentary paint colors for say the house and trim, the Camelot wheel shows you which musical keys work together and which will clash.
You can listen to Dennis explain how he uses Harmonic Mixing to create playlists that his classes really enjoy and how it could be the answer (dare I say; The Holy Grail) that many of us have been searching for?
Subscribe to the podcast here and then join ICI/PRO so you don't miss hearing Dennis Mellon's Harmonically Mixed playlist when we publish it tomorrow.
If you are interested in improving your class numbers or making your studio more profitable, I feel Chef Ramsay could help a lot… let me explain.
On the remote chance you have never seen his TV show (he must have over a dozen to date) Chef Gordon Ramsay is a very successful and very foul mouthed Celebrity Chef who makes his on-screen living criticizing other Cooks, Chefs and Restaurant owners. He's also very successful restaurant owner in real life. I'm certain that the producers of any show he appears need to hire an extra hand, who's sole job is to hit the “Bleep” button until their index finger is bloodied and bruised.
And yet his shows are very popular and have been for years. I have to say I find Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (either the BBC or US versions) very entertaining once you understand his objective for each episode of the show; saving a troubled or near bankrupted restaurant from failure through brutal honesty. NOTE: The BBC versions are a little lot more foul than those produce for the US markets. Language Warning on the video below
Each episode of Nightmares follows the similar ebb and flow of most any dramatic TV show or movie for that matter:
Intro: Chef Ramsay is called in save some floundering restaurant and his first action is to sit and be served as a normal customer. Inevitably he finds his meal un-editable which sets the stage for…
Initial Confrontation: Ramasy confronts the Owner, the Chef, wait staff and anyone else he can find over the poor quality of the food + (take your pick) the service, decor, prices, etc… His next step is…
Observation: “Let's see this F*&#&^% place in action” has Ramsey observing the operation of the kitchen and dining room service to get an understanding of where the problems lie. This tends to be one of my favorite parts of the show, especially when he finds rotting food in some dark, walk in freezer.
Candid summation of the problem: Like many reality shows, Ramsey appears outside the restaurant and speaks directly to the camera, offering what is clearly visible to all of us watching… “The place is all F$%#@& up” delivered with a very sullen expression and a less than an optimistic appraisal of his chances for turning the business around.
After watching a half dozen or so shows, it's obvious that the problems the restaurant is experiencing fall into one these general catagories:
Owner/Chef Un-Professional Arrogance – “I serve my customers what I want to serve them.”
Owner denial – “problem? I don't have any problems…” as he or she stands in an empty dining room at half past 12:00.
Lack of business / managerial experience – being a good Chef doesn't make you a good business person.
Not truly understanding and then delivering what customers want – typically based on what can only be described as willful ignorance
Proposed Solution: Here Ramsey lays out his proposed solution. It maybe a new menu or cooking method that he feels will address the problems that he sees. In most episodes everyone seems to agree, which sets up the…
Second Confrontation: Whether by design, or simply human nature, someone refuses to go along with the suggested changes. This is by far my favorite part, but it typically includes a lot of Bleeping. Here Ramsay gets to the real reason for most, if not all, of the what's causing the trouble in this business. Time and time again, what Ramsey has to shout, swear and yell his way past is the defensiveness of the person who needs to give up the excuses, swallow their pride and accept responsibility for the current state of the restaurant.
Acceptance of the Solution: After Ramsey has successfully broken down the walls of; arrogance, insecurity, stubbornness, etc… that are ruining the business, everyone is finally on-board with his new changes.
With the new menu and other changes in place, Ramsey stages an event to “Re-Brand” the restaurant to the community. This is crucial to a profitable future, as the success of any local business is word of mouth! There's a very good reason no one is eating there and bold action is needed to inform past customers that there have been substantial changes. “Please try us again!”
Rebirth of optimism: It worked! The atmosphere in the restaurant is buoyed by a now full dining room of happy customers and a till full of money. Better days are ahead as Ramsey makes one final statement to the camera before walking off to save another restaurant.
Happy (sometimes) Ending: Much like a recovering alcoholic who's fallen off the wagon, the strong personality of an entrepreneur is difficult to change and then maintain, without slipping back into old habits. This sets up a whole other series of shows where Ramsey returns to steer the business back on course yet again.
It took me a while to understand why I (and obviously quite a few others) like Chef Ramsay. Despite his foul mouth, abrasive personality and endless arrogance he demonstrates a refreshing belief in the capability of the people he's trying to help. Every expletive laced criticism, accusation or heated confrontation he delivers is based on his honest belief that the recipient can do better.
By now, I'm guessing that you have figured out where I see a potential similarly between a struggling restaurant on Kitchen Nightmares and a class or studio with consistently low attendance. Winter is coming for many of us and your chance to Re-Brand your class if necessary is right now! If you are frequently looking out over a room with empty cycles, can I suggest that you watch a few episodes? Chef Ramsay doesn't just show up by accident, someone sent out a request for his help. Pay attention to the disconnect between the reality of the situation and the early behavior of the business owner. And then decide if any of this could apply to your situation.
I'm going to follow this up with a few ideas on how you could find your own version of a “Chef Ramsay” next week.
Question from a PRO member:
Schwinn Cycling Master Trainer Denise Druce presents our latest class profile; Lead The Pack!
