Facing Our Fears
So, today’s Halloween.
You’re probably trying to figure out what you costume you’ll wear to a party tonight, and, by the way, have you stocked up on candy?
(I’ve been joking that instead of candy, this year I’ll be giving out toothbrushes. Hey, I’m all about what’s good for kids, even though I don’t have any.)
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about the spirit of fun that Halloween injects into our daily lives. I hadn’t actually experienced this festival until I moved to the US; we have so many festivals in India, replete with gods and demons (which my family enthusiastically participated in despite being a fervently Christian one), that Halloween – at least, at the time – was given short shrift.
Having now lived in the US for more than a decade, I still see that spirit of fun whenever Halloween comes around. Heaven knows we have more than our share of worries to deal with every other day of the year; why not be a kid for a day and throw caution to the winds?
More than that, though, I’ve come to see that, with all its ghouls and ghoulies, beasts and besties, Halloween gives us a chance to face our fears.
Filed under Personal, Shonali Burke | Tags: face our fears, halloween, samhain | Comments (29)The Klout Drama Kontinues
I cannot believe how much drama there is around Klout’s most recent changes.
I mean, come on, people, it’s only a number.
How many times do any of us have to say that?!
Let me tell you a little story.
Last week, I clicked through to an email Klout sent me telling me I had new notifications (yes, now I’ve realized that they’re doing that every day, and I’m not going to fall for it any more; suffice it to say I wasn’t having a particularly smart day) on my profile.
Filed under Shonali Burke, Social Media | Tags: influence, klout, social proof, traackr | Comments (70)How to Fail in Business Without Really Trying
This is a real email I received a couple of days ago:
Hi Shonali,
I came across your company Shonali Burke Consulting and wanted to connect with you with regards to how you handle your issue/topic tracking in the media. Recently, I have worked with organizations who have needed help during issues or major events in their history to promote and protect their brand.
<REDACTED> has worked with similar large organizations such as Disney and Burger King to support their efforts to effectively manage their brand. I would like to set up a 15 minute phone call with you to demonstrate how <REDACTED> helps with:
Please let me know when would be a convenient time to set up this call. If you are unable to connect; however, feel there is another individual who would be more appropriate to connect with please let me know and I will connect with them appropriately. Thank you in advance.
Additionally, I will be sending out periodic communications regarding this topic – please feel free to unsubscribe at anytime.
Filed under Business, Marketing, Public Relations, Shonali Burke, Writing | Tags: bad pitching, building relationships, business development | Comments (53)
