I was with Shaq at his home the day he retired. It was innovative for him to become the media and announce via social media that he was retiring.

Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand.

Confidence and empowerment are cousins in my opinion. Empowerment comes from within and typically it's stemmed and fostered by self-assurance. To feel empowered is to feel free and that's when people do their best work. You can't fake confidence or empowerment.

Universities want to recruit the students that they believe will best represent the university while in school and beyond. Students with a robust social media presence and clearly defined personal brand stand to become only more influential.

Just as we teach our children how to ride a bike, we need to teach them how to navigate social media and make the right moves that will help them. The physical world is similar to the virtual world in many cases. It's about being aware. We can prevent many debacles if we're educated.

I was with Shaq at his home the day he retired. It was innovative for him to become the media and announce via social media that he was retiring.

Whether I'm on the road or at home, I get a great deal done on elliptical machines. I use my iPad to conquer my email inbox, listen to audio books, use my Voxer Walkie Talkie app, and read through documents.