Rob Gorrie wakes up at 4 a.m. and responds to e-mails on his BlackBerry. He's "hooked on it," he says. He uses it to tweet on Twitter, to post Facebook updates, to blog. He's the chief executive officer of the advertising outfit Adcentricity.
It's no surprise some CEOs stay attached to the device all day long. David Fisher, the CEO of the online brokerage OptionsXpress, keeps his BlackBerry Curve with him every moment -- except, per his wife's orders, when he's in the bedroom. He's on maybe his 10th BlackBerry. He got his first one in 1997, when it looked like a giant pager with a scroll wheel.
Fisher says the ability to constantly check his e-mail is almost always a stress reducer, not increaser. He very often can do something faster with his BlackBerry than with a phone call to his assistant, he says, especially using Google Maps and Opera Mini -- the Blackberry-optimized Web browser. The BlackBerry doesn't overshadow his assistant, though, he adds. It just makes her more efficient.
He uses e-mail filters and out-of-office settings -- which can be set to respond only to certain e-mails -- to automatically prioritize. And he tries to get in a good two hours a day when he doesn't respond to it at all. "A lot of people get stressed that their in-box is filling when they're disconnected," he says. "My BlackBerry helps me keep my in-box clean regardless."
Jay Herratti is the CEO of Citysearch, the online lifestyle guide. He's been a BlackBerry user since 2002 and says he's a complete addict. He tried weaning himself by acquiring an iPhone, but he got so frustrated with its non-keyboard that he went right back to his BlackBerry.
When Herratti's life partner, a TV producer, considered getting a BlackBerry, Herratti warned him that the device would change his life, for better or worse. He would lose precious, fleeting moments of peace. "Those little breaks are over," Herratti says.
For instance, on long flights Herratti used to strike up a conversation just when the plane landed with whomever he sat next to. He didn't want to chat sooner in case the person was boring and weird and wouldn't stop talking. Now that he has his BlackBerry, that brief exchange is gone. When the plane lands, the BlackBerry goes on and the e-mail gets checked.
What recommendations does Herratti have? "Of course, I downloaded the Citysearch app, but I also got Qik, since I'm getting into multimedia," he says. Qik lets him shoot video with the camera on his BlackBerry and share it with friends online. That makes video blogging a snap.
Herratti says new BlackBerry users should get Google Maps and Opera Mini right away. "Non-mobile sites work better on Opera," he says. "I find the BlackBerry browser to be better for Google searches and mobile sites like Weather Channel Mobile and American Airlines Mobile, though."
Mark Lieberman, the CEO of TRA, a media and marketing research company, notices what he calls the yawn effect. When one person checks his smart phone, everyone else around does too, as if by reflex. You may want to be careful about looking at your BlackBerry in a crowd.
Herratti and Fisher both suggest getting away from the device for at least a little time each day. Maybe that will be when you catch up on the messages on the cellphone in your other pocket.
