We all know health care is ridiculously expensive. For small businesses and entrepreneurs it can be a nightmare. The potential runaway costs can be preventative to someone making the jump and starting their own business, which is not what we need right now in this country. We need more people starting new stuff, not less.

I was so excited when I stumbled across the above video of Mike Draper (owner of SMASH, no relation to Don Draper) testifying about the need for health care reform in front of the House Ways and Means Committee. Yes, that’s Des Moines’ own mikeD in … gasp! … a suit! SMASH is an apparel and screenprinting store in the East Village with 12 employees, just across the courtyard from our little office.

Mike candidly, eloquently and humorously makes the case for reform in this video, and totally throws down for Des Moines. Over the past couple of years, Mike has become a cultural force within our city (whether he knows it or not) and it’s fantastic to see him get this opportunity. I really respect Mike, his achievements, and what he’s been able to build. If you’ve never been to Des Moines, be sure to stop in at SMASH and buy a t-shirt from the gang there. Enjoy.

The Des Moines Register reported yesterday that billionaire “Red” McCombs recently invested a significant amount money into SmartyPig.com, the social savings network founded here in Des Moines. (People in the Midwest may remember Red from his days as owner of the Minnesota Vikings.)

Three things:

1.) This is awesome for Des Moines and Iowa. The future of Des Moines’ tech and innovation community gets a huge rocket boost with news like this — SmartyPig proves that you can have a good idea here, find the talent and resources to build it here, and be successful on a global scale.

2.) Personally, I love this line from the Register article:

(SmartyPig’s) growth has come with very little paid advertising… SmartyPig has used social networking sites, including Twitter, Facebook and others, to encourage its customers to connect … and spread the word about its unique savings accounts.

Building off my comments about the social media time investment, the SmartyPig team spent two years connecting with customers in digital mediums and busting their asses with online PR, not lazily paying overpriced ad firms to design wasteful billboards and print ads that nobody would notice.

3.) Back in February, Marc Andreessen appeared on Charlie Rose and noted the need for creating new banks instead of bailing out old, broken ones. SmartyPig is absolutely the kind of thing Marc was asking for. I’ve posted the video below.

Big congratulations to the entire SmartyPig team! Onward and upward!

Disclosure: We weren’t asked or paid by SmartyPig to write this post. We have done project work for them in the past but this article comes 100% from our excitement for them and the Des Moines tech community.

Yesterday we visited Cedar Falls for the second leg of our Summer 2009 Road Trip social media seminar series. The room was packed and, as usual, the crowd had lots of great questions. One of those questions (and one we get often) was: “How much time should I spend on my company’s social media initiatives?” People want to hear percentages of time broken out over hours/days, but the simple answer is: A lot.

Good, effective social media initiatives are hard work. They take time. Lots of effort. Lots of responsiveness. Lots of follow-up. Marketers and business communicators simply can’t afford to be lazy anymore. Below are some video highlights from the road trip, the “speed-dating” networking activity before the seminar, and some final thoughts on the time question.

We are having a blast on our summer tour and really appreciate everyone who has attended so far. Next Thursday we’ll be in Council Bluffs — hope to see you there!

Yesterday we kicked off our Summer 2009 Road Trip with a social media seminar up in Ames and we snagged some video highlights of the “speed-dating” networking activity before the event. Thanks so much to everyone who attended. Next up is Cedar Falls on Thursday, June 25th!

Lava Row interns Erin and Kim hit the streets of Des Moines this week and asked people how they felt about one of the top trends of 2009: Your mom joining Facebook! (Cue the dramatic music.)

This is great timing, because my mother actually just joined today. She has five friends already!

Yes, believe it or not, the Baby Boomers have arrived on social networks. Women over 55 represent the fastest-growing demographic on Facebook.

Has your mom friend-requested you yet? As social networks become more mainstream, how do you handle your personal “collision of worlds?”

Pack the projector! We’re excited to announce the Lava Row Summer 2009 Road Trip, where we’ll be taking our social media educational seminars to various cities across the great State of Iowa. During these sessions we’ll explore the social media landscape, define how it applies to your business with real-world case studies, and explain what might be coming around the corner.

Before each seminar, attendees will have the chance to foster new connections during a “speed-dating” style networking event. Not only do we want you to walk away with actionable information about how to expand your digital footprint using social media, we also want you to grow your personal network and make new business connections. Tickets are $30 for professionals and $10 for students and yes, lunch will be provided!

Starting in June, we’ll be visiting Ames and Cedar Falls, with stops planned for Council Bluffs, Sioux City and Iowa City during the rest of the summer months. The full schedule is outlined below, although please note that we are still finalizing venues and dates and we’ll be updating this post as we go.

Huge thanks go out to the Iowa Department of Economic Development for their help in supporting these events! Visit their website at IowaLifeChanging.com.

Summer 2009 Road Trip schedule:

Thursday, June 18th – Ames
11:30am – 1:00pm
Iowa State Memorial Union
Room: MU Gallery

Click here to RSVP and purchase tickets on EventBrite.

Thursday, June 25th – Cedar Falls
11:30am – 1:00pm
Cedar Falls Holiday Inn

Click here to RSVP and purchase tickets on EventBrite.

Thursday, July 2nd – Council Bluffs
11:30am – 1:00pm
Holiday Inn & Suites Ameristar

Click here to RSVP and purchase tickets on EventBrite.

Wednesday, July 8th – Sioux City
11:30am – 1:00pm
Clarion Hotel and Conference Center

Click here to RSVP and purchase tickets on EventBrite.

Friday, July 10th – Iowa City
11:30am – 1:00pm
University Athletic Club

Click here to RSVP and purchase tickets on EventBrite.

Last night we unleashed Kim (one of the Lava Row summer interns) with a FlipCam on the Des Moines Tweetup crowd at el Bait Shop. She asked everyone what their personal Twitter “A-Ha” moment was.

There were over 100 RSVPs to last night’s tweetup! We aren’t sure what the final number of attendees was, but the crowd was huge, the weather was beautiful, the beer was tasty, and every day I’m continually impressed by Des Moines’ community of innovators, entrepreneurs and unique minds.

What was your personal Twitter “A-Ha” moment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. See you at the next tweetup!