The Storage Speak Blog was launched more than a year ago, in February 2006. It's a little amazing to me that it has flourished and I've managed to find relatively consistent blog fodder over time. A blog is a big commitment. Unlike a journal that politely collects dust and haunts only your own conscience when neglected, a blog is in your face. When it slides, the whole world is aware of it (at least, that portion of the word that gives a huey).

A true testament to the success of Storage Speak is the very exciting addition of our very own blog sponsor! USstoragesearch.com, a wonderfully progressive firm that specializes in online marketing for the self-storage industry, will be the sponsor and occasional host of this space for the month of June, and we are very pleased to have the company on board. 

Beyond the blog, USstoragesearch.com has partnered with Inside Self-Storage to provide a complimentary series of educational webinars, the first of which will take place next Wednesday, June 6th. The focus of the series is the power of online marketing and the generation of online leads, both essential components of self-storage operation in this competitive marketplace. If you're interested in the upcoming event, "Online Marketing Myths Exposed and How to Capitalize on the Internet," you can find more information at www.insideselfstorage.com/usstoragesearch. You can register there too.

I want to extend a special "thank you" to Megan Eckert, executive vice president of USstoragesearch.com, for her forward thinking and fresh vision. Together, we've learned a lot about the possibilities of the webinar offeringthe functionality of the software and richness of the features with which we can entertain and educate our audience. For example, during next week's event, we'll be using a cool polling feature that allows attendees to submit feedback in real time.

On a completely separate and more personal note, I'm excited because tickets go on sale tomorrow for the "Family Values Tour" stop in Phoenix. This concert is being headlined by one of my new favorite artists, Evanescence, and my husband's all-time favorite, Korn. It should be a head-banging good time, and I look forward to it! And I just love that tongue-in-cheek tour title. In a family like this, I bet all the children wear onesies like these: