How Do You Say “Good Morning”?
One of the most important things you can do in social media is to say, “Good morning.”
Image: Mahesh Khanna, Creative Commons
It’s amazing who will respond, and what they’ll respond with.
Chuck Hester, for example, puts out a daily CHUCKle. Like this one from a few days ago:
Heh heh.
Today I saw Mike Schaffer saying, “Good morning, good morning to you,” which immediately reminded me of the song from “Singing in the Rain” (one of my all-time favorites).
Sorry about the closed captioning; it was the only embeddable version of the song I could find on YouTube. On the flip side, you’ll be able to sing along.
So I asked my tweeps which “good morning” songs they like the best, and got a range of answers. Here are just a few:
First, what a great way to expand my play list.
But more importantly, I find it a refreshing way to start my morning; by connecting with people I may not actually have met, but who are an important part of my extended circle online. And I get to know them just a little bit more by a simple interchange, after which we all go off to start our days (or, in some cases, nights).
These are people
Whom I might actually (I hope!) run into IRL one day… like I did Mary Barber.
Who might become business partners or clients … like Shashi Bellamkonda.
Who might become – and this one’s my favorite – good friends … like Mary, Shashi, Jill Foster and so many others.
And all of that from a simple “good morning” on Twitter.
So – how do you say “good morning”?
Filed under Networking, Social Media, Twitter | Tags: good morning, jill foster, mary barber, shashi bellamkonda, singing in the rain, Twitter | Comments (6)
Manifesting the Sabbath
Those of you to whom I talk on Twitter, Facebook, email, etc., know that I’ve been keeping crazy hours lately. There’s just a lot going on and sometimes I need to catch up on work (that isn’t affected by when I do it) after hours.
The things I could tell you about the “6 week body” and isn’t Kevin Trudeau tired of being on TV only at 2 a.m.?
Not my preferred mode of work, believe me – I enjoy sleeping far too much, plus I think it’s an extremely bad practice to get into, especially in terms of setting others’ expectations of you.
Crisis communication may demand it, but if you’re in crisis mode every day… well, something needs to change.
At any rate
I was working on my deck yesterday (one of the perks of being my own boss), trying to move my Hopkins course along (my second year of teaching there! w00t!). During one of my self-imposed breaks, I found out that today is apparently the “national day of unplugging” from the Get Rich Slowly blog (love it, you should read it, because who doesn’t want to?), thanks to something called the “Sabbath Manifesto.”
Here’s what GRS says:
Yesterday on Twitter (ironic I know), I stumbled upon the Sabbath Manifesto. From the website, the Sabbath Manifesto is “a creative project designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world.” Perfect!
The Sabbath Manifesto encourages people to set aside one day a week to take a timeout from life. On this one day, you’re urged to:
- Avoid technology.
- Connect with loved ones.
- Nurture your health.
- Get outside. (Image: Michele Molinari, Creative Commons)
- Avoid commerce.
- Light candles.
- Drink wine.
- Eat bread.
- Find silence.
- Give back.
The Sabbath Manifest is co-ordinating a National Day of Unplugging. From sundown on March 19th to sundown on March 20th, we’re being called to turn off and unplug our gadgets to whatever degree we feel comfortable. This has the potential to benefit our selves, our relationships, our environment — and our pocketbooks.
Check out this video too.
Sometimes things just fall into place.
The day before yesterday, Sean Williams (whom I’m looking forward to meeting for the first time at IABC/Cleveland next week, are you coming? At least to the #shonalitweetup happy hour?) and I were bitching talking about being time management, etc., the way consultants do.
Yesterday my eyes felt like sandpaper, thanks to consecutive nights of 3-5 hours’ sleep.
Then I come across this post, as well as my friend (and client) Shashi Bellamkonda’s musings on whether the wi-fi on Amtrak’s Acela Express is going to be a good thing or bad thing (and let me tell you, when I used to do the weekly run up and down from NYC at my last job, the “quiet car” was a godsend).
So that’s it. I’m unplugging today (and you’re reading this post because I scheduled it, ha) barring any paperwork I have to take care of thanks to some really unethical person intercepting, stealing AND CASHING a client payment.
Other than that – no Tweeting, no Facebooking, no nothing. There might be wine, though I don’t know about the bread. Definitely candles.
There shall be space. And peace. And on Sunday, hopefully I will be refreshed enough to plow through another round of deadlines, and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
You should do the same.
Happy unplugging!
Filed under Business, Personal | Tags: #shonalitweetup, get rich slowly, iabc/cleveland, sabbath manifesto, sean williams, shashi bellamkonda, unplugging | Comments (3)Getting on Board with Women Grow Business
Thanks to my (wonderful) friends, this particular cat got out of the bag before I could untie the strings, so I’m going to make this short and sweet (though I’ve been dying to tell you for a while): I’m really excited to be taking over the reins at Women Grow Business, an amazing community hosted by Network Solutions to help women do exactly that: grow their business.
With content from leading women entrepreneurs on a variety of subjects, Women Grow Business has really made a name for itself in an extremely short span of time, thanks to a great many people, but particularly, I think, because of Shashi Bellamkonda and Jill Foster; it’s the latter whose able hands I’ll be taking over WGB from.
Because of their efforts in building a vibrant, thriving community, WGB has received so many accolades, it’s a little mind-boggling: one of Forbes’ 20 best marketing and social media blogs by women, to name just one, not to mention Jill herself being listed by Forbes as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter (and whatever your opinion about Twitter lists, you have to admit that’s a pretty cool one to be on).
Fyi, Shonali Burke Consulting still lives
Quick aside: in case you were wondering whether I’m giving up my consulting business – no, I’m not. Shonali Burke Consulting is alive and kicking and open for business. Hey, that’s what Women Grow Business is all about, right?
Back to WGB
So, anyway. I’m pinching myself because I can’t quite believe I get to do this – but I need your help.
Women Grow Business will not remain, or grow from, the amazing community/community blog it already is if women entrepreneurs and business owners don’t join in.
So please, visit me over at WGB, send me ideas for guest posts, let me know how you’d like to be involved. Follow us on Twitter and stay tuned for more developments online as well as offline, that we’d love you to be a part of.
Thank you for the incredible warmth and happiness you’ve shown to me today, and I’m looking forward to growing this wonderful community with you!
Scones, Sparkle and Sharing at DC’s First Social Media Breakfast
I attended my first Social Media Club (DC) event yesterday – a “social media breakfast,” which was founded by Bryan Person (read more here) – and the inaugural event of its kind in DC.
Wow – what a great time. First of all, it was sold out (well, it was free, but if you wanted to share in the extremely tasty, hot breakfast, you had to shell out $10, which I think is a deal). Teaism‘s cup was running over, if you’ll pardon the expression, of social media maniacs. And we’re a hungry bunch, in more ways than one, so we were eager listeners when Andi Narvaez, who was running the show, kicked things off.
Speakers Geoff Livingston, Shashi Bellamkonda and Alex Howard were fabulous, as was the organization by Andi and her cohort, Rachel Rule. I had a terrific time being a “head of table,” along with Mike Schaffer – and we were even at the same table, which was great. Among others, I got to meet James Walker, Lorna Webster (all the way from Fredericksburg, Va.), Ashley Settle and catch up with Kim Oser (we were all at the same table).
Though I’d meant to post this much earlier, in a way I’m glad I didn’t get a chance to do so, because I’ve found some terrific recaps of the event, such as in Shashi’s Examiner column and Alex Priest’s excellent writeup.
As you’ll read, the speakers all agreed on mobile being a top trend (and you can see how this is a theme in Geoff’s recent post over at Mashable on the Haitian earthquake implications for non-profit organizations).
Shashi made an excellent point (out of many) about integrating social media into your websites (“people aren’t going to come to your site to talk about your product/brand”), and Alex ripped through so many trends (including geo-location, niche networks, privacy – or the lack thereof – and real time) in his Prezi presentation, I felt like a benevolent hurricane had blown through the room. Fortunately, he’s allowed us to embed his excellent presentation, so have a look (tip, watch it in fullscreen mode, it’s much more fun).
Our table had an amazingly free-flowing discussion once the speakers wrapped; we covered everything from how businesses are using Foursquare, to governance of the Internet, to the successful integration of different applications. In fact, they pretty much had to throw us out (ask Mike, I’m not kidding). It was a great way to start a day (and week).
By the way, I’ve seen a few disappointed tweets from folks who didn’t know it was happening. Folks, if you subscribe to SMC-DC’s blog, and/or follow their tweets (#smcdc), and/or join their LinkedIn group, you’ll know when the next one is, won’t you?
The Real A-ha Moment
For me, the real “a-ha” moment was the engagement that we all shared, and the clear enjoyment we had in meeting each other, particularly when so many of us only knew each other from Twitter.
So in my opinion, while social media and online networking clearly has new and exciting heights to scale, I think we’re also going to see a resurgence of offline interaction in the days, months and years to come. Because all the trends the speakers spoke about had one thing in common, no matter how cool they were – they enable us to make better connections with each other.
The online world making us more human? Who’da thunk it.
If you were at #smbdc, what did you think? Did your table have other conversations you’d care to share? Do tell!
Image (cc) courtesy Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami, Network Solutions
Filed under Events, Social Media | Tags: #smbdc, #smcdc, alex howard, alex priest, andi narvaez, ashley settle, bryan person, geoff livingston, james walker, kim oser, lorna webster, mashable, mike schaffer, mobile, prezi, rachel rule, shashi bellamkonda, social media examiner, teaism, trends | Comments (10)Of Sugar And Spice And Everything Nice
It’s my birthday, and I’m taking the day off, but I needed to say this to you, so here goes:
Remember the nursery rhyme? “Of sugar and spice, and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of.” Little boys seemed to get the shaft on that one (I mean, who wants to be made of snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails?).
That popped into my head this morning as I was looking at the incredible kindness and warmth flowing towards me today, my 40th birthday. Actually, the flow started a few days ago, when people started donating to my birthday fundraiser for Kids with Cameras via Facebook’s Causes application.
I’m thrilled to report that thanks to your generosity my goal of raising $800 was long surpassed and, as of this writing, we’re up to $966 that will go a long way in changing the lives of marginalized kids around the world. If you’d like to keep donating, though, don’t stop! Or do consider helping by “joining” the cause, spreading the word, etc. – you know the deal.
I may be beginning my own new decade today, but I’d like to think I’ve still got some sugar and spice left in me. And a large part of that is because of the people around me and I get to know each day. Social media, in particular, has opened up my world in a way I could have never conceived. So has IABC and the wonderful people I keep meeting through professional events.
And when those professional connections grow into relationships, boy, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot. At last night’s IABC/Washington chapter meeting, for example, as I got up to make the announcements (because I’m chapter president and all), the entire room sang happy birthday to me.
WOW.
(By the way, my friend Shashi Bellamkonda took the photograph of me with Jakub Konysz, our chapter’s co-VP, Professional Development, who told me, quite sincerely, that I “look great for 40.” How cute was that?)
I am very lucky to have all of you as my sugar and spice. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I hope, in some small way, I am – or can be – that for you too.
And now – here’s to the Fab Forties. Bring ‘em on, I’m ready to rumble!
Photo: courtesy (cc) Shashi Bellamkonda www.shashi.name Social Media Swami Network Solutions
Filed under Personal | Tags: birthday, facebook, iabc, iabc washington, jakub konysz, kids with cameras, relationships, shashi bellamkonda, Social Media | Comments (5)Year Two, Here We Come
As I mentioned yesterday, this blog turned a year old on January 10. Another milestone for me in a year of milestones (another one’s coming up on January 15, in case you missed my post from yesterday).
It’s been quite a ride, which is why I decided to use this wonderful photograph from West Zest’s Flickrstream (CC-licensed, of course) as a visual accompaniment to this post.
Because I felt quite childlike when I started my journey through the blogosphere; wonder that you cared what I thought, glee when it made you chuckle, and overwhelmed when you showed you cared, like when you helped find Darby a home.
I plan to share some of my lessons learned in this first year of blogging in a follow-up post, but this particular one is meant to thank a few people who really helped me out, started me off and kept me going. This is not an “Oscar” list by any stretch of the imagination; I’ve received so much support from around the world it would be impossible for me not to leave someone off a larger “thank you” list – so please know I really, really appreciate all of you.
In particular, though, I need to thank:
Kami Huyse, who gave me my first guest post slot even before I started this blog. She took a chance on me and, as a result, put me on the path to Wax UnLyrical.
Robin Lane, who patiently sat through countless IMs about “what the heck do I call it?” I wanted it to have a really great name, and she told me to go with my gut.
Lisa Hoffmann, who gave freely of her advice and encouragement. She’s one of the nicest, most welcoming people it’s been my good fortune to meet.
Joe Perez, who has taught, and continues to teach, me so much. Joe helps me out with all sorts of blog-related stuff, from SEO, to plugins, to Idon’tknowwhatchacallemsbuttheyrock, at all hours of the day and night. Joe, some day when I’m rich, I’ll buy you an island.
Jeff Crites, who connected me to Joe. Jeff – you probably don’t even remember, but it was an IM on Facebook that set this whole thing off. So really, this whole thing is your fault.
Shashi Bellamkonda, who shares his love of technology and tools freely, and who has given me countless tips on how and where to start making this blog more visible.
If you’ve visited, commented, shared my posts, tweeted or retweeted them out, subscribed (gasp!), you’ve kept me going. And that has led to some wonderful connections, professional opportunities and even a legitimate advertising inquiry (just one, just yesterday, but it’s a start, right?). Someone pinch me.
Thank you all. Year Two and beyond – here we come!
Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall
With IABC/Washington’s first chapter meeting of 2010 coming up next week, I thought it would be interesting to see what our moderator, Daria Steigman, had to say of the communication changes over the past decade (h/t Geoff Livingston for giving me the idea from the final BlogPotomac). That’s what our meeting’s focusing on, or “looking back, looking ahead,” as its title goes.
I know Daria will have a lot more to say come next Thursday, but in the meantime, here’s a peek into her grey matter to get you thinking. And I hope we’ll see you next week – it’s not often that Shashi Bellamkonda (Network Solutions), Torod Neptune (Waggener Edstrom), John Taylor (Sprint Nextel) and Paul Sherman (Tech Wire Publications) gather under the same roof. Early bird registration ends Jan. 12, so hurry, hurry, hurry!
What, in your opinion, is the most dramatic change we’ve seen in the communication landscape since 2001?
I tend to think that Web 1.0 and the democratization of access to information changed the landscape in the 1990s. That said, the arrival of Web 2.0, and the ability for everyone (or anyone) to be a content creator, publisher, and sharer of information transformed the communications landscape in the first decade of the 21st century. If you think about some of the key developments and the tools we take for granted, they weren’t around when the century started. If you did a timeline of some of the key platforms, you have 2003 (WordPress, MySpace, LinkedIn); 2004 (FaceBook, Flickr), 2005 (YouTube), 2006 (Twitter).
How has this impacted you as a communications practitioner?
It’s clearly had an impact on how we do our jobs, but it has had less impact for me on how I approach it. Perhaps because I came out of the public affairs arena, I’ve always thought about audiences in buckets. By this I mean that no organization has One Audience—but instead multiple stakeholders. And while you need message consistency across your audiences, you need different language and different approaches to reach different people.
While I’ve always thought of this as “duh,” I’ve been surprised in recent years that so much of the social media conversation has been around this very topic.
From a day-to-day perspective, the biggest changes may be the speed of information and the volume of business intelligence that we need to track. It’s also the enormity of the task.
It’s not like blog posts and videos are replacing old-school marketing, because not everyone’s using social tools or using them the same way. So our jobs are just getting bigger.
At the same time, I’ve been really pleased to see the conversation move away from siloed work stations (i.e., public affairs, public relations, media relations, marketing, customer service, and so forth) to how these must be integrated for an organization to be successful.
As a business owner, I have to add one more transformative element: the democratization of access to people. These same tools that allow us to share our stories also enable us to identify and engage with people across the globe.
Is there anything you miss about “the old days”?
Not really, because I think that this shift to a more level playing field vis-à-vis access and information is a social good. And while some rail that we’re all spending our time online, I actually believe that this technology is making us less isolated.
Our communities may no longer be bounded by geography, but they’re just as strong.
What’s next?
Data, data, data. Data-driven research has always been critical, but we’re just starting to harness the enormous amount of information that is all around us. Two other big trends are mobile (of course) and real time. Real time is going to be increasingly important, both in the data context and also for reputation management.
Daria Steigman, founder of Steigman Communications, has been helping companies and other organizations tell their story for over 20 years. She’s also the author of a bimonthly column and a blog that both focus on the business of running a business, entrepreneurship, communications, social media, strategic thinking, and Independent Thinking.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead: IABC/Washington’s January Chapter Meeting
I know it must seem like IABC/Washington‘s the only thing on my mind at present – I assure you it’s not. But I did want to let you know about what I think will be a terrific event as we usher in 2010. And given how crazy the holidays get, I wanted to get the word out earlier rather than later.
Our first chapter meeting next year will bring together some of the smartest people in the DC metro area to look at the changes (often dramatic) that our business has seen since the turn of the century (and you know I’m not just talking Twitter) and tell us what they think lies in store for us. Nobody has a crystal ball, but I’m pretty sure we’ll get some interesting insights from these folk.
To loosely quote from our invitation: “… what will 2010 bring? Can we expect any changes for communication professionals in the National Capital area.. what are the communication trends we’re likely to see … and how can we learn to harness technology to work even better for our organizations and clients?”
Here’s who you’ll meet and get to hear from:
Shashi Bellamkonda, director of social media and “social media swami” for Network Solutions; Torod Neptune, senior vice president/Global Public Affairs practice leader and GM of Waggener Edstrom‘s DC office; John Taylor, senior manager of public affairs at Sprint Nextel; and Paul Sherman, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Tech Wire Publications.
I know – we don’t have a single woman on the panel, which is terrible – though we did try and we’ll have to do better next time! But we were able to convince Daria Steigman, founder of Steigman Communications and a former chapter president to moderate, so ladies – Daria will represent.
Save the date (or register now): January 14, 2010, 5:30 – 8:30 pm, and we’ll be meeting at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza in downtown DC.
I anticipate great people, great networking and killer learning… and hope to see you there!
Filed under Communication, Events, Networking, Social Media | Tags: communications, daria steigman, iabc washington, john taylor, paul sherman, Public Relations, shashi bellamkonda, Social Media, torod neptune | Comment (0)Carry On Kofta
I “borrowed” the title for this recipe post from Shashi Bellamkonda‘s Carry On Curry, because I knew he wouldn’t mind (you don’t, right, Shashi?). If you haven’t read CoC, you should check it out, it’s great fun and extremely valuable for foodies in the DC metro area.
Koftas are basically the Indian version of meatballs. Just like the feringhis, we rarely eat them without some kind of gravy (or curry, which means many more things to us than a spice or herb). But we’ll often pair them with a vegetable, dal and rice and/or rotis (tortillas are an ok substitute) to make a really hearty meal.
Here’s my recipe for kofta curry, a classic Indian comfort food.
Ingredients
Koftas: 1 lb. ground lean turkey (or meat of your choice); ½ cup chopped cilantro; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; ¼ tsp salt; pinch chilli pepper; ½ tsp ginger paste; ½ tsp coriander powder. Enough oil to deep fry the koftas.
Curry (gravy): 1 tbsp cooking oil; 2 red onions, chopped; 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt, beaten with a spoon until it’s smooth; ½ tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 can plain diced tomatoes (or 1-2 fresh tomatoes, diced);¼ tsp chilli powder; ½ tsp salt (or to taste).
Recipe
Mix all the ingredients for the koftas well and make them into fairly small balls. Heat enough oil to fry them in a large pan. When oil is smoking, drop them in and fry them until well-cooked (this will happen fairly quickly if you use turkey or chicken). Set aside, using paper towels to drain excess oil.
In a pan (or you can use the same one, just clean it up) heat cooking oil. Add chopped onions and brown over medium-high heat, stirring often (otherwise they’ll burn). Once onions are browned, add powdered spices and stir for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add yogurt, mixing until well blended. Finally, add tomatoes and cover, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are cooked and you have a nice thick gravy.
Once the gravy is at the consistency you like, add meatballs and stir for a few minutes. Voilà - you’ve just made kofta curry!
Notes: If you’re concerned about the amount of oil involved in deep-frying the meatballs, you could try brushing the meatballs lightly with oil and then baking at about 400° in the oven (but I haven’t tried this yet, so I can’t tell you how it would turn out). I like to serve this with aloo gobhi or something similar.
If you try this, do let me know how it turns out. Are there meatball dishes in other cuisines you’d like to share? I’d love to know.
Filed under Cooking, Recipe of the Week | Tags: Cooking, food, kofta curry, shashi bellamkonda | Comments (3)Why GrowSmartBiz Rocked
Though I was excited about attending the GrowSmartBiz conference yesterday (to which I was invited as “Media/Blogger,” which was very cool for me), I did feel a little grumpy about getting ready and heading out early. That’s what happens when you work from home. After reading about Mayra Ruiz’ trek from West Virginia, though, I’ve resolved to never complain about doing so again (well, I can try). I only had to drive about 10 minutes to a Metro station and endure a not-unpleasant trip on only one Metro line. Mayra, you’re dedicated!
I live-tweeted during the conference, so I’m not going to recap all of that here. But here’s why I think GrowSmartBiz rocked:
1. Great food. When you attend a lot of conferences, you know what a difference a hot breakfast can make. Eggs, breakfast potatoes… the works. And it was nice to be able to sit down and eat without trying to balance your plate, bags, etc., on your lap. I even got to meet the folks from Indique (can I get an Amen?) during breakfast. Sweet.
2. For the most part, the panels were engaging. You can read great recaps/POVs here and here, to name just a couple. I had to divide my time between the conference and the “Learning Center,” so I missed parts of some panels, but I had as much fun hanging out there with people like Raj and Rebecca Malik, Robin Ferrier and Mike Dougherty, to name just a few.
But just being able to hear from people like Chris Anderson was incredible. Steven Fisher’s presentation on business cards was hilarious and spot on at the same time (btw, Steve, if you decide to use my card as a “worst of…” example, just let me know ahead of time, will you?).
3. It was really about supporting small businesses and growing them smartly. How many times have you been to conferences and left, thinking, “That doesn’t really apply to me?” I’m not a business owner who needs financing, for example (at least right now), but if I do, or if I ever consider starting up a new business, I have a ton of resources to get started from people I trust. During the breaks, I saw several of the speakers engaging with attendees, no doubt giving them more advice and brainstorming. That kind of intellectual gift is invaluable.
4. Network Solutions didn’t sell till the cows came home. Sure, their branding was all over the place, but to be fair, it was their conference. As Jen Consalvo said, “the real story here is Network Solutions… they are a complete resource for small businesses – online and offline.” And it takes a big man (aka Roy Dunbar) to publicly acknowledge that, for many people, someone who’s not the CEO “IS Network Solutions.” (That would be Shashi Bellamkonda, in case you were wondering.)
5. Resources, resources, resources. Everyone who attended came home with a thumb drive loaded with speaker presentations (much expanded from the live event, I might add) and additional resources (like a free online marketing calendar… yes, from Network Solutions) to go through at their leisure. If you’ve ever lugged home a huge binder full of handouts after attending a conference, you know what a gift this is.
What would I liked to have seen done differently?
Truthfully – very little. The organizers (and I don’t know how much of that was Network Solutions and how much was CRT/tanaka, but whoever it was, you guys know how to put on a show) did a tremendous job. Having said that:
1. I’d have liked to have seen the speakers’ Twitter handles on their tent cards, or on the GSB site. Live-tweeting from such an event was not only expected, it was encouraged, and at times it was tough to keep track of what they were saying while simultaneously looking up their Twitter handles. Props to Priya Ramesh for responding almost immediately when I tweeted that out.
2. Sen. Mark Warner. He’s got great presence and clear curb appeal for a conference like this, but after the initial glow of being in his presence, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what the current health care drama has to do with small business resources, which was pretty much all he talked about. Even worse, he followed Chris Anderson, whose shoes were mighty big to fill. If there had been some practical takeaways, that would have been one thing. When I go to a conference like this, I’m not interested in hearing politics. Having said that, I doubt anyone, even Roy Dunbar, can keep a Senator “on message.” Still, that was a bit of a let down.
3. Earlier in this post, I said “for the most part, the panels were engaging.” Right after lunch, there was a detailed presentation on the findings of the Small Business Success Index. That was a little dry, though the findings themselves were interesting. Of course, it could very well be that it was just after lunch.
And the final panel that purported to discuss integrating traditional with social media pretty much focused on social media, though Jill Foster did a terrific job of moderating it. Now, it could also be that I (and several others who attended the conference) live work in that space. So maybe we were persnickety. Maybe. I also wasn’t thrilled to hear Joanna Pineda say “$2.5K is a lot of money for ‘PR.’” I don’t believe it is. Then again, that’s what I do. So take that with a fistful of salt.
All in all, GSB rocked. It brought home the point of connection. Heck, it was a point of connection. Isn’t that what business is about?
What did you like/love/feel apathetic/hate about GSB? I’d love to know.
Filed under Communication | Tags: crt/tanaka, grow smart business, growsmartbiz, indique, jill foster, joanna pineda, mayra ruiz, mike dougherty, priya ramesh, raj malik, rebecca malik, robin ferrier, roy dunbar, senator mark warner, shashi bellamkonda, steven fisher | Comments (8)DC, #GrowSmartBiz Is Here
Update: This is a recap of my live-tweeting from the GrowSmartBusiness conference held today in DC. I did try to give everyone a heads up that I would be doing this, but if you didn’t get that (because I know you have better things to do than hang on every word I say), I apologize in advance for clogging your Twitterstream.
As far as the conference goes: in one word – WOW, what a day. But more on that later. I used the Twitter LiveBlog plugin for WordPress to populate this blog, which essentially means that all my tweets (which were duly hashtagged with #growsmartbiz) during the conference automatically provided content for this post. Hattip to Neville Hobson, from whom I learned about this.
8:42:09 AM: Roy Dunbar (Network Solutions) is welcoming everyone at #growsmartbiz. He’s got a cool accent.
8:45:04 AM: Roy’s presenting very interesting findings from SBSI (Small Business Success Index) at #growsmartbiz, find ‘em at http://www.growsmartbusiness.com
8:47:53 AM: Financial mistakes small biz are making: cutting prices, valuable employees & hurting company morale #growsmartbiz
8:50:58 AM: Learning: “If you have to cut expenses, cut early, deep, get over it and move on.” #growsmartbiz
8:51:36 AM: 51% of highly competitive businesses are businesses with multiple owners. #growsmartbiz
8:52:54 AM: Roy’s giving props to chambers of commerce for the networking & relationships they facilitate #growsmartbiz
8:54:09 AM: “Goals should be carved in stone, and plans written in the sand.” #growsmartbiz. LOVE it!
8:55:01 AM: Highly competitive businesses differentiate themselves (from their peers) by mastering 6 or more Internet tools #growsmartbiz
8:58:26 AM: Tools like co. email, co. site, online adv. in industry directories => leads, productivity, customers & mgmt of customers #growsmartbiz.
8:59:20 AM: RT @shashib: #GrowSmartBiz Live cast by @livestreamCOM at http://livestream.com/networksolutions Pls RT
8:58:26 AM: Tools like co. email, co. site, online adv. in industry directories => leads, productivity, customers & mgmt of customers #growsmartbiz.
8:59:20 AM: RT @shashib: #GrowSmartBiz Live cast by @livestreamCOM at http://livestream.com/networksolutions Pls RT
9:00:52 AM: Almost 60% of Internet users make a purchase online as a result of a local business online search #growsmartbiz
9:03:00 AM: Common barriers to setting up a site: don’t know where to start, fear of cost & time, lack of technical knowledge #growsmartbiz
9:04:12 AM: One of the tools Reston Limo’s using successfully: wireless access in limos = employees are productive, so are customers #growsmartbiz
9:07:00 AM: I think Roy Dunbar could sell ice to an Eskimo. I’m sold. #growsmartbiz
9:10:46 AM: Love love LOVE that all the presentations are on the jump drives handed out w/badges at #growsmartbiz.
9:11:46 AM: And… Chris Anderson is up! #growsmartbiz
9:13:51 AM: “This is the golden age of small business,” says @chr1sa at #growsmartbiz.
9:18:38 AM: Most of our life, we live partly in the head and partly in the tail says @chr1sa. #growsmartbiz
9:20:31 AM: “The smallest sellers can have the most influence, because they can be most targeted & distinct” – @chr1sa at #growsmartbiz
9:23:24 AM: The Internet allows you to participate in a global dialog, find who’s just right for your business. #growsmartbiz
9:27:41 AM: Most companies don’t address the long tail. #growsmartbiz That’s the most interesting space.
9:42:09 AM: Not quite sure what’s going on with wi-fi at #growsmartbiz, I was kicked off.
9:47:48 AM: Chris has been talking about the “power of free.” #growsmartbiz
9:49:00 AM: “Freemium” allows you to sample the product, find its utility & understand the value proposition precisely. #growsmartbiz
9:49:52 AM: Customers whom “freemium” convert are more loyal; this is the alternative to traditional advertising. #growsmartbiz
9:59:48 AM: “Free” and “paid” work very well together, they don’t go head to head. Just requires smart thinking. #growsmartbiz
10:02:40 AM: Personal offerings are turning into software (e.g. Legal services, accounting). @chr1sa says next will be healthcare, LOL. #growsmartbiz
10:04:08 AM: Roy’s introducing Sen. Warner now. #growsmartbiz
10:07:50 AM: Love the way Sen. Warner says as a “new” senator, was “hired” last Nov. #growsmartbiz
10:18:56 AM: After much grappling with my laptop, I *think* I at least have TweetDeck access again. @rickdassler is very patient. #growsmartbiz
10:21:41 AM: Sen. Warner: Small businesses are the only people who pay retail. #growsmartbiz
10:28:54 AM: It “blows his mind” that IT has revolutionized almost every industry except healthcare, says Sen. Warner at #growsmartbiz
10:32:09 AM: RT @gwickes @DaniloB: Live feed of Mark Warner speaking at #GrowSmartBiz conference http://bit.ly/L75um #fb
10:37:33 AM: Disappointed in Sen. Warner’s address. Glad he commits to us as a “bipartisan radicalist,” but not much use for #growsmartbiz. 
10:59:13 AM: I’m headed to the #growsmartbiz learning center now. Laptop, stay on table.
11:52:54 AM: Sneaked back into the #growsmartbiz room for a bit. Marissa Levin’s talking about the importance of face-to-face connection.
12:06:00 PM: RT @rickdassler: John Arnold says #growsmartbiz communication needs to be 80% educational value and 20% promotional.
12:08:16 PM: Pick up the phone & call 2 customers/clients a week JUST to check in, says @londonink. Don’t sell anything. #growsmartbiz
12:09:30 PM: “Leveraging customer relationships” is calling, says @londonink. #growsmartbiz
12:16:30 PM: Q: is it ok to put together an email list of people you meet at a conference like #growsmartbiz using something like Constant Contact?
12:17:37 PM: Both John Arnold & @londonink are basically saying it’s ok to begin with but to get permission…. did I get that right? #growsmartbiz
12:19:13 PM: I personally would hate to be added to a “formal” list by someone I meet for the 1st time at a conference. Get to know me 1st. #growsmartbiz
12:23:26 PM: Randy Windsor from Network Solutions up now, on SEO. #growsmartbiz
12:24:09 PM: RT @JayFleischman @cc_chapman @gloriabell ABE: Always be eavesdropping. Make yourself a student of what is going on around you #growsmartbiz
12:24:41 PM: Top 10 SEO tips. #10: use keywords in your internal page URLs if possible. #growsmartbiz
12:25:39 PM: #9: Use a descriptive domain name. #growsmartbiz
12:26:22 PM: #8: use a logical & simple navigation structure. #growsmartbiz
12:27:54 PM: #7: Create theme-based pages. #growsmartbiz
12:28:11 PM: #6: use tags & meta tags properly. #growsmartbiz
12:29:56 PM: #5: Use keyword rich anchor text for all links. #growsmartbiz
12:30:51 PM: #4: Target effective keywords; understand how your potential customers search & what words they use. #growsmartbiz
12:31:06 PM: #3: Create good original content, don’t copy. #growsmartbiz
12:32:37 PM: #2: Linking, linking, linking! 7 / 10 factors impacting natural search rankings have to do with links. #growsmartbiz
12:33:37 PM: #1: Know what you’re up against. Don’t think about beating the engines, beat your competitors. Use competitive analysis. #growsmartbiz
12:35:07 PM: Randy Windsor was very good. Kept it sweet and short. Nice job. #growsmartbiz
12:44:44 PM: Jeremy Brown of Rapid Advance says a bank loan is your best option, so if you can get that, go for it. #growsmartbiz
12:47:25 PM: Edward Tuvin (Capital Bank): have a clean application (don’t use 1 bank’s form with another) including a business plan. #growsmartbiz
12:47:50 PM: Tuvin says his pet peeve is that people don’t know what they’re asking for. You have to understand the talk of the lender. #growsmartbiz
12:50:13 PM: Good question from @restonlimo: Does every business need a business plan? Tuvin says no, but it’s a good exercise to do. #growsmartbiz
12:55:08 PM: Denise O’Berry says to do a cash flow budget where you’re looking ahead 6 – 12 months. Also, have a cash target every month. #growsmartbiz
12:55:48 PM: “Do a cash flow budget and actively participate in it.” #growsmartbiz (I like that).
12:57:23 PM: You are not a bank, and you need to do whatever you can so that you collect your receivables in a shorter timeframe. #growsmartbiz
12:57:47 PM: I love that. “You are not a bank.” Nice one, Denise O’Berry! #growsmartbiz
1:07:31 PM: RT @LDpodcast: Small business development counselors; womens business centers- all great small business resources #growsmartbiz
1:08:51 PM: Y’know, the thumb drive itself will be worth the price of admission at #growsmartbiz.
1:36:48 PM: Getting to know @CoachLynneB over lunch at #growsmartbiz.
2:16:19 PM: Great catching up with @debbieweil @geoffliving @angellino @digitalsista @dariasteigman at #growsmartbiz!
2:19:12 PM: After lunch, Rieva Lesonsky is up. Says most entrepreneurs are really uncomfortable with that term. #growsmartbiz
2:23:39 PM: Brands aren’t that important any more to consumers, they’re looking for value. #growsmartbiz Look at what other people are doing, add value.
2:28:32 PM: RT @LDpodcast: Do an ROI on potential clients, make sure you’re taking on work wisely, be willing to say no. Reiva Lesonsky #growsmartbiz
2:33:05 PM: Next up: Branding 101 by Anthony Pappas. #growsmartbiz
2:36:28 PM: Branding 101: Not about logo. About making an impression (emotional connection creates value). #growsmartbiz
2:39:54 PM: Make sure you understand what makes you different, says @anthonypappas #growsmartbiz.
2:42:05 PM: A customer needs to identify with the brand. A brand needs to identify with an audience (@anthonypappas) #growsmartbiz
2:45:55 PM: One of the main goals of a brand should be to influence “the decision” (@anthonypappas) #growsmartbiz.
2:47:11 PM: LOL! RT @chrisabraham: Can I hear a “shameless plug” from Anthony Pappas 
@AnthonyPappas @PappasGroup #growsmartbiz
2:48:30 PM: Tangible v. intangible: you want your brand to be more valuable than the sum of its parts (@anthonypappas). #growsmartbiz
2:49:57 PM: With @rajmalikdc & @newpr a short while ago. Food at #growsmartbiz is GREAT. http://tr.im/A86J
2:50:45 PM: RT @debbieweil: @growsmartbiz blog write-up of @chr1sa’s keynote for #growsmartbiz conference in DC today http://bit.ly/280V4P
2:53:37 PM: Measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, says @anthonypappas, see how you’re doing & constantly change. #growsmartbiz
2:55:38 PM: I have to run back to the #growsmartbiz learning center for a bit. Gotta make sure I catch @alexorfinger’s presentation.
3:42:45 PM: Back at the #growsmartbiz conference room. They’re going through findings from the SBSI, I think, is that right?
3:43:24 PM: Key strengths of small businesses; customer service, compliance (w/laws & regulations, etc.). #growsmartbiz
3:48:51 PM: Now: effective use of the Washington Business Journal from @alexorfinger. #growsmartbiz
3:50:52 PM: “Always Be Eavesdropping” for us, says @AlexOrfinger.
3:51:50 PM: Go to WBJ’s site: find out information on competitors, go on client visits w/information, says @alexorfinger. WBJ has most local biz info.
3:52:16 PM: Go to WBJ’s site: find out information on competitors, go on client visits w/information. WBJ has most local biz info. #growsmartbiz
3:53:04 PM: 5-5-5 process: Try to find 5 leads in each section of the WBJ #growsmartbiz.
3:55:02 PM: Just to clarify, news, people moves & lists are the sections @alexorfinger’s talking about re: 5-5-5. #growsmartbiz
4:11:54 PM: Steve Fisher’s 10 Rules for Killer Business Cards. #growsmartbiz #1: Tell me what you do. Quickly.
4:13:41 PM: Rule #2: Include the ways you want to be contacted. #3: Don’t use your personal email address. #growsmartbiz
4:14:56 PM: #4: You can be cool, but be relevant to your audience. #growsmartbiz Loving the post-divorce counselor card example, LOL.
4:16:02 PM: #5: Biz cards make great promos, BUT promos don’t make great biz cards. #growsmartbiz
4:19:50 PM: #6: Make your business cards scannable. #growsmartbiz. #7: have an area on which you can write a note.
4:20:16 PM: OK, #growsmartbiz attendees, how mnay of you are surreptitiously examining your business cards RIGHT NOW? 
4:21:13 PM: #9: Use a professional printer. Your laserjet does NOT count. LOL! #growsmartbiz
4:22:24 PM: Rule #10: Give out 2 cards (they might be able to pass one along, but tell ‘em why so that they don’t think you’re a loony). #growsmartbiz
4:23:24 PM: #11 (bonus rule): Don’t include your cell #. If you write it on from time to time, it’s a way of personalizing it. #growsmartbiz
4:24:05 PM: RT @bjw72: Streaming live – The #GrowSmartBiz conference by Network Solutions. http://www.livestream.com/networksolutions
4:25:32 PM: Last panel getting ready to take its place at #growsmartbiz. Yea @jillfoster!
4:30:04 PM: According to @jillfoster, social media is “content published online by technology with the intent to provide value.” #growsmartbiz
4:40:12 PM: Great job organizing #growsmartbiz; would have helped to have speakers’ Twitter handles on tentcards/conf site so that they were handy.
4:50:36 PM: Uh, with all due respect, @jmpineda, $2.5K is not a lot to pay for “PR.” Ask anyone seasoned pro who’s been around agencies. #growsmartbiz
4:55:18 PM: Btw, folks on the last panel at #growsmartbiz: @jmpineda @brentleary @creativeblogs @danilob, moderator @jillfoster.
4:57:51 PM: Tips for newbies on Twitter (per audience qn) from @DaniloB: If you don’t know something, just ask. Don’t let it turn you off. #growsmartbiz
5:11:57 PM: We’re being bad in the bloggers corner at #growsmartbiz. Tellin’ ya, you want to be a fly on the wall near us.
5:13:40 PM: Last panel at #growsmartbiz did SM101 well. Not sure it addressed integrating traditional w/SM. @jillfoster’s a terrific moderator, tho’.
5:15:07 PM: Roy Dunbar’s wrapping up here at #growsmartbiz. It’s been a long day but a really great one. @shashib @geoffliving please pass kudos to all.
If you followed my tweets, were they interesting or irritating? Is this blog post helpful or not? Whatever your reaction, do let me know by leaving a comment below.
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| Tags: Career, grow smart business, live blog, network solutions, neville hobson, shashi bellamkonda, Twitter |
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