“Doing your best in this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” - Oprah Winfrey

Amp up your knowledge base about what you do or what you love to do.  I'm always looking for what's next in social media and branding online.  It's changing like a revolving door and it appears unable to slow down.  It's also what makes it incredibly exciting and interesting!


Whether it's finding out more about your industry/interests or simply reaching out to meet more people within it, commit to being the best you can be.  You'll find more luck flows your way.  


Luck: When preparation meets opportunity




Thanks Diva.Com for the Oprah quote reminder

You Should See My Hair Today!

Perk #63 of working from home:  Bad hair days are no big deal.  In fact, they are a great source of amusement.

Nothing a bandana can't fix.

PJ's and a Coat

This morning at 7:45AM, in my pajamas, I threw on my coat and took my children to school.

I just brought my kids home from school, and it hit me I have spent the entire in between time in my pajamas WITH my coat on, in my home office working. Online.  

The pull of what I do... social networking and social media...  AWK!  I love it!  Hypnotizing.

Is this a perk or con of working from home?  Perk.  Most employers wouldn't appreciate my wardrobe today.

My First Time...

I've been thinking about my "first time" lately.  I was only 13.  Here's how it went:
  
Teenagers today share one major similarity of when I was a teen... talking on the phone.  I was just telling my grade school aged children about how I used to be able to call (816) 444-1212 to hear the local time and temperature. (Thanks United MO Bank!)  

As much as I was a weather fanatic, (growing up in Kansas, you become one) the best part of that phone number was... it was a PARTY LINE!  You could hear the other callers talking and laughing and connecting with others. Sometimes it was really busy, like right after school and in the evening.  Despite the onslaught of chatter, you'd hear kids shouting out their telephone numbers in hopes someone hears them and calls them back directly!   You had to talk fast and cut right to the meat of your message (like Twitter) because sometimes time (space) was limited.   Other times, you could just hang out for hours chatting it up with now new and current friends. (like Facebook)


*gasp* What were our parents thinking letting us shout out our phone numbers to strangers!?   Ha!


Nonetheless, it was fun.  Really fun!  I remember being in 7th grade and yelling "My friends and I will be at the 2 o'clock session at Coachlight Skating today!  Be there!". 5 People heard my invitation and showed up that afternoon at Coachlight Skating Rink.  Strangers... but it didn't feel that way. We met up for many more afternoons over the next year and our circle of friends grew with us.   All 5 who heard that invitation on that day, I can contact today, for we became quick friends. 
KaPOW! That was officially my first meet up.  
It was also my first experience with successful social networking.  
I think even then, I realized the value of what was happening. 

 When did your FIRST social networking experience happen?

Sh*t Eatin' Grin

This is a follow-up to my last post Damn These Kids Are Lucky and the bulldog mural was almost complete. Now it is... and it's perfect.  Like a 4th grade boy with a sh*t eatin' grin on his face, full of confidence and laughter.

Thanks Jan, your Hallmark Card's co-worker, Susann, Marnie, Lori, Lindsay and our Principal Steve, for not waiting for red tape  to get approved to improve the entrance of the school.

PS:  If you're wondering what the difference is... this one has outlines throughout. Painting brick s*cks.

Damn These Kids are Lucky

Over the last two days I've witnessed this rock'n piece of artwork go up on a bland dusty 45 year old brick elementary school foyer wall.

A volunteer designed it. 

A volunteer painted it. 

A volunteer made the gazillion colorful flags on the ceiling. 

A few more volunteers taped off and painted the colorful side boxes and several more added eye candy in the large foyer.  

Now, I stand here... hands resting on my hips... shift my weight to one leg... slowly turn my head to the side... squint my eyes... take a deep breath... and I look at this painting and say "Damn these kids are lucky".

 

Thank you volunteers for being wired the way you are!

3 Guys Walk Into a Hot Tub...

I spent some time in Keystone, Colorado this last week.  One late afternoon, I'm soaking my sore shins, from skiing, in the outdoor hot tub at The Timbers.  3 Nice looking guys got in too.  They look about their mid 40's, well built, carrying cans of beer (and a few back ups) and are very chatty.  It's easy to start up a conversation in a hot tub, so we did.

Turns out, they all 3 have been serving several years in Afghanistan as engineers, either with the military or as a contractor. Funny thing was, they didn't know the other was there until they found each other on FACEBOOK  These 3 guys grew up within a few blocks of each other and hadn't seen the others since the summer after high school graduation.

They asked the military for some time off, went back to Alabama, met up with their families and took them all skiing.  They were clearly happy to be together and their conversations were filled with loud laughter (the kind you throw your head back and slap your knee about)  and big smiles.  My kind of guys.

I thanked them for their service and then they wormed their way further into my heart with the following toast:  "We love Facebook!"

Cheers to that!

This Changes Everything!

My children go to an ESL (English as a Second Language) elementary school with 500+ students and 14% of them are ESL students. We currently have 11 different countries represented within the children in that program.  Due to lack of dollars, our district unfortunately does not provide foreign language into the daily curriculum for the English only speaking kids to learn to communicate with the other children.  Yeah... a bit wonky, isn't it?


Granted, when you see the children, all out on recess, playing with each other and having fun, there's no translation needed.  Nor when you see them all sitting together at lunch laughing with each other.  Some really good things just don't need words.  


When they do...   I WANT THIS!

Can you say BRILLIANT?

Can you see this being used to increase world relief efforts so we can all understand each other and communicate better from the start?  I see this aiding Doctors Without Borders and the military and foreign exchange programs.  How do you see this being used?  Punch some holes in it... tell me why you don't think this is a good thing?


The world is getting smaller and more intimate every day and it makes me fall out of my chair with joy!

Found Your Voice Yet?

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Alan Weinkrantz as he and Jeff Pulver were touring the nation on their 140 Character Conference, and they came back through Kansas City. We had an intimate little group from the Social Media Club of Kansas City meet up at the 810 Zone in Harrah's Casino, for some drinks a few laughs.  The beautiful part was... getting some one on one time with these amazing social media guys.


Alan said he'd heard I do social networking for some mid to large size businesses in Kansas City and was intrigued.  Then asked me a question that has resonated with me ever since.  Seriously... I think about it often and have since asked my clients the same question.


"What is your voice?"


Did that mean "what is the personality, the persona, the feeling we leave people with after each tweet or posts or blog?"   Well, yeah.  I think it does.  


Shortly after that meeting, I met up with social savvy sales guy Ken Miner, of Spiral 16.  We talked about how companies spend crazy amounts of money and time on training their employees to correctly translate the company's culture. Whether you communicate with them via phone or in person.  Is it a friendly company in person? When you walk through their doors, are you greeted with a warm smile and do they look you in the eye and welcome you in?  Do they ask how you are?  Do they really seem to want to help you?  Are they genuine?  How's their tone and inflection on the phone?   Are they trained to make you feel good before, during and after you communicate with them? 

How many of them have an accurate portrayal of their culture through Facebook, Twitter, community chat rooms, blogs, etc... ?


A great example of a company culture being portrayed from start to finish was, Longbranch Saloon, on the Plaza in Kansas City, MO.  It was the first snarky and sarcarstic sports bar restaurant I had ever been to, (1980's thru the 90's) that announced it from the moment you walked in the door. "Home of the meanest waitresses in Kansas City".  The atmosphere was fun and you got great food and good service, mixed in with comments like "You don't need one more French fry" "Stop talking so I can concentrate and write your order down" to "Now, get the hell out of here" after you've paid.  That was the reputation they wanted and you knew what you were getting in to the minute you arrived. You also left feeling slightly insulted and laughing hard about it.  I can't help but think the fun they could be having on Twitter... where snark is a value.


So now, I'm thinking about every connection my client's make online and about how you feel when you speak with them... and beyond.  Is it the right voice?  Have we found our voice yet?


What is your voice for your client or better yet, your own personal brand?  Think about it.

Confession Time: I'm in the Witness Protection Program

Well, at least it feels like I am.  

Since my fabulous 1996 Jeep Cherokee was stolen 2 weeks ago... no one knows me.  I am driving my husband's Maxima and sometimes "Big Blue", a huge Ford pick up, and as I see my neighbors and families of my children's school, I wave.  They just look at the car like "who the hell is that"?   

It's me!  These are people who would all but flag me down as they saw me arrive in my old Jeep.   Damn.  It's like identity theft. I had my identity stolen when my 14 year old Jeep was stolen.

Time to work on re-branding myself... on wheels.  

Side note:  I joined a gym too.