Seattle singer-songwriter Tae Phoenix walks the audience through how she takes a song from inspiration to finished product.

Tae Phoenix is a singer-songwriter living and playing in Seattle, WA. You can find out where she’s playing live and listen to her music at www.taephoenix.com

What exactly *is* introversion? It’s commonly misunderstood as shyness or a misanthropic desire to be left alone. Many extroverts mistakenly assume that introverts hate them. And that’s simply not true (well, most of the time). And many introverts think that there’s something wrong with themselves, something broken that they can’t seem to fix. And that’s not true, either.

We can do better. In this talk from Ignite Seattle 19, Jonathon Colman dishes on what introversion is, what it isn’t, and specific tactics to hack ourselves and our interactions with others in order to survive in our extroverted world.

Jonathon Colman is a content strategist, SEO & Internet marketer, speaker, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer living (and drinking coffee) in Seattle, Washington. For over 15 years he’s helped people and organizations build, find, and use the best stuff on the Web.

You can reach him at www.jonathoncolman.org.

Are you a geek? An Introvert? Afraid of the crowds? Not sure what they will make of you? But you still want to connect with people? Then you want to play: NETWORKING, The Role Playing Game.

On your very first dungeon/networking event you can go out and:

If you apply all the skills you honed with years of playing: D&D, GammaWorld, Top Secret, etc., you will find that networking is just another great RPG except the characters are really well developed and the GameMaster is not so scary. Let’s go out and play!

Adam Philipp (@MyPatents) is tech-savvy patent attorney and the founder of ÆON Law (), a high tech IP law firm in Seattle. Adam has a penchant for connecting with the tech community and does not hide his love of meeting smart people. He can usually be picked out at events as the lawyer with the glowing name badge.

We’re excited to announce the lineup for Ignite Seattle 20 on May 16th. Join us at Town Hall, talks start promptly at 8pm. Get your tickets here.

Madeline Puckette – 7 Things You Never Knew About the Most Expensive Wines of the World
Wine is no longer just a drink, it has become a commodity like stock. Learn seven of the more interesting facts about the most expensive wines in the world and what ties them together. Never drink wine the same again.

Diana Vergis Vinh – My Life of Poo
Learning kale recipes that don’t make my family gag, thinking my goat was pregnant when she was just plain fat and being surrounded by endless piles of poo – who knew that backyard urban farming could be so darned engaging? Hear from a long time urban farmer the ups and the downs of this manic pursuit.

Jeffrey Hicks – Welcome to the Psych Ward
This is a talk about what it actually feels like to lose your mind. It is an insiders look into madness and recovery.

Nathan Kaiser – From Bits to Booze and Not Quite Back Again
What I learned going from bits to booze and what I hope to bring back with me.

Nicole Steinbok – Everyday Pitches
Learn how to get people to like and trust you, give you time, do boring shit, reply to an email, provide great feedback, buy into plans, hire you and much more!

Sally James – Small words
Why keeping it short, even using shorter words, may help people understand you.

Theresa Harris – I want to teach your child to fail
Kids become less creative as they grow and Theresa Harris, founder of Thrive Art School, says this is due to how they experience failure. She’s on a mission to teach kids to fail enthusiastically.

Dave Zucker – Sir Mix-a-Bot, the Robot Bartender
In October of 2002, I picked up a surplus PUMA robot arm from a local university. I was sad to discover it didn’t work, and have spent the past 10 years bringing it back to life and transforming it into a robot bartender, dubbed Sir Mix-a-Bot.

Whitney Mongé – Busking in Pike Place Market
My talk will be about the basic know how’s of street performing in Pike Place Market. It will also be a short but detailed outline of how to be successful at busking virtually anywhere.

Jack Bennetto – The Moral Clarity of Killing Ivy
In a world of ambiguity and complexity, we can find moral clarity in killing English ivy and other invasive plants. Jack Bennetto outlines his journey as an anti-invasivist and explains how you can achieve peace and happiness through wanton destruction leading to restoration and rebirth.

Nancy White – S#*!, is it time to think about a legacy?
What happens when you wake up and realize you are a certain age,a grandparent, your husband is retiring and people start calling you an “elder” in your field? When you can’t even DESCRIBE your field? Come peer with me over this deliciously scary edge of considering my future. Regardless of our ages, is it time to think about our legacies?

Joe Ludwig – The second coming of Virtual Reality
Back in the early nineties everybody thought that virtual reality would be the next big thing. Now, twenty years later, that might actually be true.

Frank Rogan – How Are You Not Dead?
Everyone has a superpower, and apparently mine is “not getting killed.” I’ve escaped embarrassing death and painful dismemberment several times. It all makes for a great story, and it’s your stories that make you human.

Randy Stewart – How to Pitch Ignite Seattle
After reading and voting on hundreds of Ignite proposals, I can tell you about the ins and outs of what will get you considered before anyone else. I reveal the inner most workings of the secret machinations of the Ignite selection committee.

Carmen Hudson – I Stalk Strangers Online
Software engineers and other highly sought-after talent: you can run, but you can’t hide. Employers will go to great lengths to find in-demand talent; that’s where I come in. Armed with a few search engine commands, tenacity and a telephone, I can find anyone. People like me — known as “sourcers” — use the internet to find contact information, hobbies and interests, and other personal data in order to silver tongue our way into the lives of top talent. I’ll show you how we do it.

Gina Phillips – The Ultimate Mistake
Gina has competed at the highest levels of ultimate frisbee, including US Nationals 7 times. In a talk that has turned into a very different talk than the one she set out to give, she shares a look at identity, shame, and self-worth.

Here is the final lineup for tonight’s event at Town Hall. Speakers start at 8pm and we will be live streaming the event. If you’re tweeting, please use the hashtag #IS19, you can also watch that tag and our Twitter feed for live tweeting throughout the event.

1. Tae Phoenix - How to Write a Song
2. Jonathon - Colman Surviving as an Introvert in an Extroverted World
3. Wendy Hinman - We’re Gonna Die!
4. Lindsay Sharma -What do Swaziland, Papua New Guinea and the United States have in common?
5. Sara Kiesler - How to Give Up Cheese
6. Bruce Ryan - Nothing is Impossible
7. Adam Philipp - NETWORKING, the RPG

Intermission

1. Jessika Satori - So you want to make an indie movie!
2. Forest Gibson - How to make a viral video (and why it’s not easy)
3. Kate Bergstrom - Online Dating Tips I Have Learned After Meeting Over 100 Men
4. Andrew Dumont - Projects: From Idea to Launch and Beyond
5. Sara McNally - How the downturn made me a small business owner (and why it was a good idea)
6. Hillel Cooperman - How I got seriously hurt at summer camp, and ended up meeting Donnie and Marie instead.
7. James Davenport - Mapping the United States of Starbucks
8. Geraldine DeRuiter - Sharing Personal News Online

In what became the very first standing Ignite Seattle talk, office fitness expert Larry Swanson gives a great introduction to the health benefits of standing desks and presents a number of inventive DIY standing desk designs. Be sure to stand up before you hit play.

It’s easy to hold onto anger and resentment for a lifetime. But why? Especially when forgiveness feels so damned good. Seattle’s Matthew Lawrence shares his story of getting unstuck through forgiveness in this great talk from Ignite Seattle 18.

Our parents and friends get older all the time, and sooner or later we’re going to have to help them deal with serious medical issues. Amy Harris, an expert on Dementia, has some advice for all of us.

Collin Henry sees important parallels between his work leading a team of engineers for SimplyMeasured and what he learned about Petty Officers in the Navy from their famous BlueJacket Manual.

Toddlers run and run and run like crazy. Adults, not so much.

Josh Maher explains why we grown-ups should give running – particularly barefoot running – another go.

Was he wearing those wacky toe shoes while giving his talk? Heck yeah he was.

Many good people write bad bios for themselves. We want you to sound as awesome as you are so please take our advice. These five simple rules make writing bios take less time, less effort and make everyone happy to learn something about you.

1. The more impressive you are, the shorter your bio can be.

For example, compare this:

Bob Smith won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, twice. He’s currently the head of Amazingness at Wonderment University.

With this:

Bob Smith spent 2001-2004 developing yard waste in Atlantic City, NJ. Then the better part of the 90′s working on psoriasis in Libya. For kicks, he studied in 2002-2008 licensing regulations for circus clowns in West Palm Beach, FL. Garnered a second place industry award while merchandising mouse yogurt in Las Vegas, NV. Had some great experience consulting about near-UFO experiences among visitors to  Ocean City, NJ. Spent two years licensing cannibalism for farmers, and recycling Pez dispensers.

Everyone wants your bio to be shorter. The shorter it is, the more people who will read it. No one is impressed by a long series of unimpressive things. If you have a great one sentence bio, people will be curious enough to find out more. On the other hand, if you have a bad and long bio they are certain never to want to learn anything about you.

2. Write for the real audience

If you are asked for a bio because you are speaking somewhere, perhaps Ignite Seattle, shape your bio to best fit what you are speaking about. Your bio will be read by people at that event to help them understand what you’ll be talking about.

For example, if you are speaking on fly fishing, don’t do this:

Sally Shmeckes is a software developer and designer who has written code in every language known to mankind.  She works mostly as a hired gun for startups in trouble, who need a superhero to help turn trainwreck projects around. She studied 3-D Film Theory and Anti-Nuclear Architecture at the University of Ridiculousness, and has 3 children if you count her husband.

Do something like this instead:

Sally Schemkes is a veteran software developer and designer. Her Dad taught her to fly fish before she could walk and she has fished every day since he died. She’s on twitter at @sallyschemkes56.

3. Invert your pyramid

Put the important facts first. The fancy term for this is the Inverted Pyramid. Assume with each word in your bio that fewer and fewer people will keep reading.

This is good:

Bono is the lead singer for the rock band U2. He is an advocate for many important political and social causes. His real name is Paul Hewson. He owns many interesting pairs of glasses.

Not this:

Bono likes the color red, especially on Tuesdays. He loves to drink whiskey (on all days). He learned to drink whisky from his childhood friend Zippo, when they went to school together at Mount Temple Comprehensive School. His real name is Paul Hewson, He is best known as the lead singer for the band U2.

4. Be clever only if you’re certain it’s actually clever

From the Department of Made up Facts:

• Percent of people who think they are clever: 64%
• Percept of people who are actually clever: 6%

If you think you are clever, and write what you think is a clever bio, get feedback on it from someone you know who is actually clever. If they approve, you have our blessing. One good joke in a bio is more than enough.

5. Watch the slashes Jack

A sad trend born of Twitter are bios where people self describe themselves by a dozen different traits. This makes you look like someone who sucks at everything. It’s fine to be a Jack of All Trades, but to insist on telling everyone you’re a Jack of All trades mostly makes you Jack of Many Annoyances. Our species has small brains: we need you to tell us the one or two of your trades that will be most relevant to us, or to what you will be talking about.

Instead of:

Nina Nana is a designer/juggler/smuggler/hellraiser/accountant/anti-ninja/metallurgist/snake charmer

Since this is a bio and not metadata listing for SEO purposes, have some courageous clarity:

Nina Nana is a designer who has mastered juggling, smuggling and many glorious pursuits of diverse ingenuity.

That’s all. Happy bio writing!

[Note: The second example from #1 is a revised creation of the auto bio generator.]

It’s a big country that’s getting bigger – socially, politically and commercially. But how well do you know your China?

In this talk, Lois Wang shares her theories about this culture on the other side of the world, and how to use some principles of consumer psychology to – and I quote – “sell them anything.”

Being deaf, it turns out, helps you see things others don’t.

Alex Alviar was born deaf and has lived much of his life with a cochlear implant. In this talk, he shares how he engages the world, how the world reacts, and the unexpected things his senses have shown him.

“It’s like having a secret superpower that no one’s really aware of and that I can’t fully control, sometimes for the worse but usually for the better.”

Prepare to never see deafness the same way again …

For every Seattle Ignite we get dozens of submissions. Some fall right on the line between being an interesting talk and being a sales pitch. Sales pitches have their place, but Seattle Ignite isn’t it.

We know our audiences don’t like it. They don’t want to merely be sold something.

Instead the heart of any Ignite talk should be one of the following:

• Inspiration
• Education
• Entertainment
• Great Storytelling

If along the way or at the end you mention the URL for your website, or your twitter handle, that’s great! We very much want people to learn more about you, or your project, when your talk is over. But don’t confuse your 5 minutes of fame with a free 5 minute advertisement. If you go too far we’ll have a hard time inviting you back.

If you want to talk about a book or blog:

• Pick stories, facts and lessons and talk about those (one chapter or post is enough)
• Think of the talk as the movie version of your book, not the trailer for the movie
• Deliver substance, not teasers

If your talk is about an organization or company:

• Focus on a personal story: such as who founded it, how and why
• Focus on a meaningful result: the story of one person, family, place or thing that was helped (or not)

If your talk is about a cause or campaign:

• If it’s a non-profit there is more room for pitching – we’re a community and like to help community builders
• You should still focus on telling a great story though

If you’re not sure if you’re going to far, we’re happy to help guide you. If you really just want to market to our audience, consider being a sponsor.

Dawn Hemminger‘s story began with a great idea to create a beautiful, safe and sustainable green space in her East Ballard neighborhood. This idea is no different than any one you may have that could enrich your life and the lives of those in your community. This talk proposes that the difference between just having an idea and turning it into reality depends on your success in following 6 key steps:

1. Share your idea
2. Host events
3. Team up
4. Embrace change
5. Be tenacious
6. Celebrate

Dawn’s community has grown the 14th Ave NW Park from a scribble on a napkin to a $2.9 Million funded reality with plans to break ground this year. If her experience can help you avoid any pitfalls or speed your progress, then this talk will have done its job.

Lee LeFever, creator of CommonCraft, is on a mission. He wants to help everyone become more effective explainers.

In this Ignite talk, Lee discusses — well, explains actually — the basics of explanation and how to take a complex idea and explain it with context, connections and stories leaving viewers with ideas for how they can be better explainers.

About Steven

Steven Stone is the Founder and Head Distiller at Sound Spirits, Seattle’s first craft distillery since Prohibition. Steven moved to Seattle in 1997 to work in engineering for Boeing (he still has his day job there). Plans for the distillery started taking shape in 2007 and Sound Spirits finally opened it doors to the public on September 17, 2010.

You’ve procreated and now your spawn has entered the education system. How can you help support your kid reach their superhero potential without being the overbearing helicopter parent that teachers talk about in the staff room?

Elementary Gifted/Talented teacher Shannon Houghton will detail the top three actions you can take to help navigate the world of parent-educator relations. You’ll be ready to strap on your jetpack in no time.

About Shannon

Shannon Houghton
Shannon Houghton is an energetic and intense elementary school teacher in the Federal Way School District. A metro Detroit native and public school graduate, Shannon believes all students have the right to a rigorous and relevant education that will prepare them to do what they love for the rest of their lives.

You can find Shannon on Twitter @MsHoughton.

UPDATE: The Ignite Seattle Challenge mentioned in Shannon’s Ignite talk was fully funded in two weeks. Thank you everyone who contributed.

Climbing one of the seven summits takes more brains than brawn.

Find out how this self-proclaimed Keyboard Athlete, non-camper, and non-hiker put her research and Energy Bank manipulation skills to work to out-think Kilimanjaro and make it to the summit with energy to spare.

About Jen

Jen Waak is a wellness coach in Seattle, WA and author of Keyboard Athletes Guide to Pain Relief and Prevention. A recovering management consultant herself, Jen loves teaching entrepreneurs and other crazy-busy professionals how to have more energy, relieve common aches and pains, alleviate computer eyes, and genuinely feel AWESOME.

You can find Jen on Twitter @jenwaak.

“I expose the secret world of parenting that nobody ever tells you about.”

About Hillel

Hillel Cooperman is co-founder of Jackson Fish Market, a user experience consultancy, and software startup in Seattle, WA. You can find him on Twitter (@hillel).