One of the BIGGEST questions I get from people I meet, clients, and anyone I talk to about social media is:

“Well, what does social media do for ME? What is the return on my investment? (or ROI?)“

I’m SURE that if you are involved in social media at all, that is probably a common question for you, too. Especially from social media “skeptics” – or people who think this whole social media thing is just a “fad.”

Now, some of you have probably already seen this video… but if you haven’t, you should. (Link included in case you can’t see the video). And if you meet a skeptic who wants to know their ROI immediately, share this video with them, too. Of course it’s flashy and makes everything really pretty, but it definitely points out specifically a lot of the great things that social media is doing for businesses and for people.

What do YOU think of Socialnomics? Do you think their points are valid or do you think it’s all just a bunch of BS? I want to hear your thoughts.

Word.

Today, I simply want to pose a debate. There has been some major discussion in social networking platforms about the use (or non-use) of social media and it’s effect on the law, jobs, benefits, etc. There are two major recent cases that I want to use as fodder for this debate – and I really want to hear your opinions and get some good discussion going!

HEADLINE: “Canadian woman loses benefits over Facebook photos.”

STORY: Basically, this woman was on long-term sick leave for diagnosed manic depression and was receiving benefits for her disorder. Manulife, her insurance company, saw pictures on her on a recent trip to the beach, at a birthday party, and on a night out with friends where she was smiling and looked “happy.” Her insurance agent used these photos as evidence that she was no longer depressed and the woman’s health benefits were immediately dropped.

DEBATE: There are a couple issues here and I have posed the following questions:

1. It was reported that the woman’s photos were set to “private” on her Facebook page. With that being said, SHOULD these photos be allowed to be used as evidence if they were not intended for public viewing? Or is ALL content posted on a social networking site no longer “private”?
2. Even if the photos were public, just because someone looks “happy,” does that mean they are healthy? Or should further investigation been taken?

HEADLINE: “Police arrest man for NOT using Twitter.”

STORY: 13-year-old singing sensation Justin Bieber was set to visit fans and sign autographs at Roosevelt Mall in New York last week. Well, Bieber stayed away from the mall because the crowd inside the mall had become too unruly. Bieber had tweeted for everyone to go home and that someone from his camp had already been arrested. Mall security was cracking DOWN! The police had asked James Roppo, an executive of Bieber’s label to send out a message via Twitter to get fans to leave and go home. Well, Roppo is not on Twitter – thus it was determined that he was “obstructing justice” and was arrested for not complying with police demands.

DEBATE:

1. Is the use of Social Media tools a viable source for “crowd control?” Do you think ONE Twitter message from a label exec would have controlled hundreds of screaming teenagers? BTW: Bieber did send out a message himself. Should that have been enough?
2. Were the police doing the right thing by canceling the event?
3. Should the police have been more understanding about the man NOT using Twitter and should they have offered another solution?
4. Is Social Media a viable resource/non-resource to warrant someone’s arrest? Remember the case of the woman who was arrested for POKING someone on Facebook?

OVERARCHING QUESTION(S):

• Are these social media outlets/tools/resources/whathaveyou being taken too seriously?
• Should legislation be passed to regulate them?
• Should it be up to the networks themselves?
• Who OWNS these things and who has a right to the evidence they provide?

“They” say that once that information is out there it is no longer ours to keep. However, what about the printed word before social media? Newspapers, magazines, books, diaries, leaflets? Did we or do we no longer own that information either? Is it that once something is written down, it is out there to be used against us?

Why can’t people just be positive?!

What do you think? I really want to hear your thoughts on this… because you rock. Yeah, you. Reading this right now. You. You rock.

Word.

photo credit: stephanie bond law.

I. Was. Tired.

Well, I’m not training for a full marathon, but yes, I AM training for a half-marathon. And I AM building a business.

I give you this disclaimer: I am neither an expert in building a business nor am I an expert in running or training for a marathon… but I can speak from my personal experiences.

They (I have no idea who “they” are) say that the first two years of starting a business are the hardest. I’ve heard some people say one year, some even say three years. And of course, there are the anomalies who build their business successfully in less than a year. Sometimes less than six months – I am jealous of those people.

I have been a freelance writer and consultant for over 3 years, and I have tried to turn my freelance work into a full-time business for a year. It’s hard. Really hard.

Seemingly-Unrelated-But-I-Have-A-Point: I am training for my first half-marathon. I don’t like to run and in fact, I’m a horrible runner. In high school I played golf, in part so I would never have to run suicides. But running is something that I have always wanted to be good at.

One of my goals for 2010 is to run and complete a half-marathon. That’s 13.1 miles. At first I told myself I would just run and complete a 10K (6.2 miles). But I knew that wasn’t good enough for me. I need to buck up and do it. So I, in 2010, WILL run and complete a half-marathon.

I have been doing short distance runs for a while, but I officially started my training a week ago. Yesterday, I ran the longest I have ever run in my entire life, 3.38 miles in 49:24 minutes. (It was a run/walk tempo run – that’s why it took that long). I pushed through when I didn’t want to and I did it. Now, I only have 17 more weeks of training and about 10 more miles to run.

Back to the topic at hand. Why would I compare building my business to that of training for a marathon? Here’s my rationale.

Building a business is hard work. Training for a marathon is hard work.

No one wakes up one morning and has a successful business that runs itself and makes them the big bucks. No one wakes up one morning and says, “You know, I think I’ll run 13.1 or 26.2 miles today.” People who run a successful business and people who run a successful marathon work hard to achieve those things. Neither of these things come easy.

When I’m working to build my business I work long hours or I work when I really don’t want to. I’ll work when I’m sick, I’ll work when I’d rather be spending the night out with my friends. But I am working to eventually make my business rock.

I hate running. And I hate the cold. Well, it’s almost winter, and I’m going to have to get used to running in the cold. I am sticking to my schedule and running even if I don’t want to. Why? Because nothing is going to get in the way of me achieving my goals.

Both of these things take resources. As I build my business I decide what’s an important resource and what isn’t. I knew I wanted to re-do my blog, and I knew that would cost me money. But I did it because it was important.

BIG UPS and huge thanks to Greg Lee and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, I have a gym membership now. I have set myself up with a mobile training program and I am using their facilities to help me along the way. It’s all about using the resources and just asking when something is needed.

The key here is, whether you’re building a business or you’re training for a marathon, you have a process and the key is to stick to that process. Whether you have to blog every day, run every day, go to networking events twice a week, spend money on an important resource – whatever. Find a schedule, find a pattern, and COMMIT.

All of these things take hard work and dedication, but above all, COMMITMENT. If you don’t commit to your goal, you’ll never achieve it. Nothing is going to just “happen” for you.

What do YOU think? Do you have a different analogy you want to throw at me?

Word.

There are a couple people that deserve a big shout-out this week – so I thought this would be a great public platform to shout them out on… shout on them… shout out them… out shout them. You know what I mean.

photo courtesy of Sweeden Rock.

Community Leaders

• @CHCYMCA – The Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA is doing everything right. I can’t say enough good things about their organization. They give back so much to the community with the Strong Kids Campaign and are getting kids involved the right way. I am also really excited because I am training for my FIRST half-marathon and the folks at the YMCA have been awesome and are helping to give me some great resources to help with my training. (I am a horrible runner, so this is exciting for me. I need all the help I can get!)
• @CarolinaChamber – Full Disclosure: I am doing freelance social media consulting for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. Being new to the Triangle, it is hard to feel comfortable getting connected in the community when you don’t know very many people. I got involved with the Chamber about two months ago and since then we have forged a great working partnership. I do not work for the Chamber, but I am working with them on their social media strategy. I attended my Chamber New Member orientation tonight and my first Business After Hours at the Carolina Inn. Wow, that place is amazing! I have to say that the Chamber is really working to support local business, social entrepreneurship, and the local economy.

Inspirational Tweeters

• @Garyvee – Maybe if you’ve been living under a rock you haven’t heard of Gary Vaynerchuk. I aspire to be as inspiring as Gary. His book CRUSH IT! got my thoughts going and my ideas rolling. He is a rockstar community engager – and he totes responded to my tweet on Twitter. I got excited. PERSONAL GOAL: meet, eat dinner with, and interview Gary Vaynerchuk in 2010. I am going to make this happen.
• @LisaSullivan – This girl is a rockstar. I am really in awe of how hard she works and how much she is hustling to make things happen. Even after being laid off earlier in the year, she has maintained such a positive attitude and has never given up her sense of gusto. She is always so enthusiastic and incredibly insightful. What a lady!
• @joshhanagarne – Man, if this guy doesn’t make you grateful, I don’t know who will. Josh writes a blog called the World’s Strongest Librarian. I read an article by him earlier this month, and since then I have been following his blog. He is a librarian living with a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome and he uses writing as a method of therapy. His writing is fresh, funny, witty, inspiring, insightful, and awesome.

These people are incredible and I recommend them uninhibitedly. They truly exemplify what it means to be valuable.

Tell me, who do YOU think is totally a rockstar right now? Who, in your opinion, is providing awesome content and needs to be shouted outed? You know what I mean.

Word.

Considering this video has over 7.5 million views on YouTube, most of you have probably already seen it. However, I wanted to share it anyway because I think it’s incredible. It is really humbling to think how small we are in the scheme of things. It puts things in perspective.

DISCLAIMER: AND it was researched and remixed by a good friend of mine and hilarious improviser, Jeff Brenman of Apollo Ideas.

What do YOU think?

Word.

My Poken in a park.

I am really excited to be reviewing the POKEN. I got my Pokens last week (thanks @pokengirl!) and since then I set them up (yay!) and I’ve been carrying them around with me telling people about them. So, my job here in this post is, basically, POKEN 101 and to let you know what I think about it.

WHAT is a POKEN?

• A poken is, in its essence, a digital business card. The poken is a small USB device that stores all of your social information – name, email, website, phone, address, AND social networks. When someone ELSE has a poken, you HIGH-4 them and the poken transfers all information – it’s a no mess, organized way to store contact information.

The Set-Up

• The poken is incredibly easy to set-up. Once you get your poken, you simply plug the USB end into your computer, and it prompts you to do the rest.
• Fill out all of your information and you’re ready to poken!

Poken to Poken

• The poken has a really cool attachment on it that allows you to easily carry it around.
• When you meet someone else with a poken, simply hold the pokens together (give them a HIGH-4!) and the information/data is transferred.
• There is an indicator light that lets you know if it worked (green is good!)

Storing Information

• Once you have other’s information, plug the poken back into your computer and all of the information is organized and stored.
• How awesome it that?

Why do I think the Poken is worthwhile? My reasons are THREE-FOLD:

1. No mess, no hassle organization of all of your contact’s information. I go to networking events ALL the time, and exchanging business cards can be overwhelming when you have collected a gazillion cards. I tend to lose them, or they get out of order, or I forget to put them in my database. My poken alleviates this problem!
2. I love being tech-savvy. If you’re like me and love fun, new gadgets… then you’ll love it. All your friends will be like, “Whoaaaa what’s that? I want one. COOOOOOL.” Okay, they probably won’t be like that. But you get my point.
3. They are real fancy. I won’t say they’re cute, because a man invented them and men use them all the time. But dudes, my poken is cute. I’m all about aesthetics… and this thing is sweet. (Love the technical language?)

Challenges

• When I first tried to set-up the poken, I couldn’t figure out how to set up the social networks. After a few more clicks, I was able to customize my sites. It was just unclear, but definitely not a problem.
• Not very many people poken… yet. The initial challenge when a new device comes out is that it takes a while to catch on. It is DEFINITELY catching on in the social media aficionado/geek/nerd/armadillo community, but it is still very new to the general public. A little patience and word of mouth will fix that.

Here is a video review of the poken which includes a REALLY sweet POKEN montage about 3/4 of the way through. I was pretty pumped about it.

If you have any questions about the poken let me know. I am excited to meet other people who poken so we, too, can HIGH-4!

Question: Do YOU poken?

Word.

You’re probably asking: “Molly, what does that mean? “Rick Rolling Yourself?”" I’m sure some of you over the age of 22 remember Rick Astley. Anyway. This is a rick roll:

Why am I Rick Rolling myself? Because I’m never going to give up on myself. I’m never going to let myself down.

Today I go in for training at my seasonal part-time retail job at Anthropologie (I’m going to try to not drool on every piece of clothing in there…). So, I will be at Anthro for training from 9AM-1PM. But, in fact, I have to leave training early to go to my other part time job at the most awesome Wootini Gallery. I’ll be there from 12PM-5PM. And then I will go to DSI Witness News rehearsal an hour late. I’ll be there until 6PM. Then I’ll eat food? Then I will have Improv SLAM rehearsal from 7PM-9PM. Then after Improv SLAM I will go home and I will probably stay up until at least 2AM or 3AM doing work for my business. The work will entail writing/responding to a gazillion emails, doing updates, generating content, etcetera, etcetera. And it’s a Sunday. Sunday is supposed to be a day of REST.

I didn’t mean to regurgitate my schedule to you, but I did so in order to make a point. I am now working two part-time jobs in addition to still trying to run and build my own awesome rockstar comedy social media empire business. Why am I doing this? Because I’ve now been on the “real job” hunt for six months – not that Anthropologie and Wootini aren’t real jobs. They totally are. You know what I mean though. The whole process has not only been difficult, but also somewhat disheartening.

Searching for job after job and never getting a bite or never getting a call can be a real downer. But you see, this is all part of the process. I have to Trust the Process. T the P. So therefore I am staying totally positive. I know I’m awesome.

After reading CRUSH IT, by Gary Vaynerchuk, I know that no matter what, if I’m passionate about doing what I want to do, then it will happen. I know that this, too, shall pass. Patience, in this case, is not the only virtue. Passion is a virtue. Passion is my virtue.

I’m not giving up. I’m never going to give up. And THAT’S why I’m Rick Rolling myself.

If you could Rick Roll yourself on something? What would you never give up on?

Word.

It’s no mystery that as a former English teacher I love to read. But honestly, I would prefer to read Dan Brown novels or Laurie Notaro’s hilarious memoirs – mindless reading is relaxing to me. I’m not usually a fan of “educational” books or books that try to “teach me” something. It’s not that I’m shallow or don’t want to read them, they just usually make my brain work too hard and then I get sleepy. My brain works hard all day long and when I want to kick back, relax, and read, I want to get lost in a fun story – not coerce my brain into new ideas.

Regardless, I know that often times these “business,” “thought-provoking,” or “educational” books really are worthwhile. And so I’ll pick one up and I will surprise even myself with how much I like it. So, here are my (right now) TOP 5 “thought-provoking,” “business,” and/or “educational” reads. (Some of these might stay on this TOP 5 list for a long time).

5. Get Clients Now by C.J. Hayden
I had hit a rut in my business and this book was given to me by a one Zach Ward (@zachward). Zach is the owner, director, and executive produce of the DSI Comedy Theater where I perform. He is savvy, an amazing comedian, but more importantly, the smartest business person I know. He said to me, “Read this book. You’ll thank me for it.”

I was hesitant at first. Really? Get Clients now? Seems so trivial, cliche, and like I’m about to buy myself into a ponzi scheme of some sort. I was very wrong.

No matter who you are, what you do, or what your career goals are, this book really teaches you the basics of how to start, enhance, or grow a business. Even if you aren’t a business owner or self-employed, all of us as individuals are a personal brand and personal business that we need to market. Believe it or not, you are marketing yourself every day.

Get Clients Now really helped to focus my efforts in growing my business and my personal brand. I love goal setting and I love organizational vision creation – and this book really breaks it down. It’s a SUPER easy read and it’s a really common-sense approach to a difficult topic for many.

I recommend it to ANYONE who is starting a business, runs a business, or is looking to grow an already established business. It really goes back to basics and reminds us of the small details we can sometimes forget.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT FOR ME: The super-detailed ACTION Worksheet. I love to organize things and write them down in front of me. I’m very visual, so the simple breakdown of ACTIONABLE tasks was really helpful to me.

4. Social Media is a Cocktail Party by Jim Tobin
I was turned on to this book by local social media man, writer/blogger, and comedian, Jeremy Griffin who works for Ignite Social Media. Ignite Social Media is a rockstar marketing agency located RIGHT HERE in the Triangle region of North Carolina.

Social Media is a Cocktail Party: Why you already know the rules of social media marketing takes a really relatable and fun approach to social media marketing. We all know and love cocktail parties – and we all know and understand the rules of cocktail parties: don’t show up uninvited, don’t be “that girl/guy,” don’t talk too much and never let anyone get a word in edgewise, dress appropriately, and so on and so forth.

Tobin does a great job of taking these basic cocktail party rules and relating them to the sometimes scary, sometimes unfamiliar, and sometimes crazy realm of social media. Learn the etiquette, how to engage and interact in the social media community, and know how to be the life of the party (not the death of the party).

I highly recommend this book to ANYONE interested in social media, marketing, or general public communication.

Also, the cover of the book has olives on it. I love olives.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT FOR ME: “Participate, don’t try to control,” - “The party goes on with or without you.”

3. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Honestly, I don’t remember when I first heard about this book. But it kinda-sorta changed my life. Here’s a quote that will better explain this book than I ever could:

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.

Not to depress you, but I honestly think I cried within the first 20 minutes of reading. It was sad, yes, but I also teared up becauseDr. Pausch was simply so inspiring. As I read his story, listened to the reactions from his family, and went with him through the process of giving his last lecture, I became very reflective and started to think, “What would I say if I were to give a “Last Lecture?“”

The book is incredibly moving, motivating, and wonderful. I recommend it to anyone. Anyone.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT FOR ME: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” -Randy Pausch

2. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
I just finished this book and it was awesome. I’ve been a big fan of Gary Vaynerchuk’s for a long time and when I found out he was writing a book, I was way pumped.

Crush It is all about learning how to cash in on your passion. Gary has become the face of the wine world through his online blog Wine Library TV, his crazy outgoing personality, and his rockstar social media skills.

In this book, Gary takes even the simplest of ideas, and shows you how use can use the internet and social media marketing to “cash in” by doing what you LOVE to do. As I read, I got more and more inspired to try different things with business and my clients. I felt like every sentence I had another “A HA!” moment. It really helped to expand my way of thinking when it comes to my passions, my vision, goals, social media, and business development.

I recommend it to ANYONE who simply wants to spend their life doing what they love.

PERSONAL Goal: to meet and interview Gary Vaynerchuk in 2010.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT FOR ME: Chapter seven – keep it real, very real – “authenticity.” I’ve talked about this a lot and I know that my personality is my strength. I refuse to change that for anyone. I love who I am and in the end, you’re going to love me for it.

1. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The best book I think I’ve ever read. I read this book when I was in college after attending the LeaderShape Institute in Allerton, Illinois (aka: middle o’ nowhere). It’s a book about change. It’s a book about making a difference. It’s a book about how the smallest things can have the biggest impact. I don’t want to give too much away about it because you need to read it.

It really is about how the smallest idea or inclination can spark a wildfire of change and events. It shifted my thinking on the impact that we all have on this world and the lives of others.

Gladwell himself classifies the book as “an intellectual adventure story.” And that’s exactly what it is.

I recommend this book to ANYONE who wants to make a difference, wants to make an impact, or even more simply loves a great story and the affect it can have on you.

BOOK HIGHLIGHT FOR ME: In Chapter Six, he talks about the “cool” factor of Airwalks. I wore Airwalks. And they were way cool.

___________

There you have it. My TOP 5 READS (right now). You don’t have to completely take my word for it, but I think I have a pretty good taste in reading.

Question? What are YOUR TOP 5 READS (right now)? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Word.

Look! It's a POKEN!

Hooray! My awesome-nerdy-tech-savvy day has finally arrived. I have a Poken! (Actually, I got two, but I’m going to give the other Poken to a deserving individual). I learned about Pokens for the first time a few months ago, but didn’t get one. Then I attended the Social Media Business Forum and they were giving Pokens away. I saw them in person for the first time and realized how AWESOME they are. I was really hoping I would win one that day, but alas, I didn’t.

I was sad.

Subsequently (I love that word), I started chatting with @pokengirl on Twitter and mentioned how much I wanted one. I was asked to review the Poken and make a video about it, I obliged, and alas, I got my Pokens! HOORAY! Seriously, this just made my day. (It’s the little things when you’re a tech-nerd).

Oh, and for those of you that are saying to yourself, “What in the *bleep* is a Poken?” Basically it’s a digital business card that you can carry around with you that stores all of your social contact information – you can pass information along and store other’s information. Don’t fret… I’m going to blog about it soon.

So, expect a review and video in the next week. I’m excited to set up and play with my new Poken. …that sounded awkward, but it was not intended to sound awkward – get your mind out of the gutter!

Let me ask you: Do YOU Poken?

Word.

Although this is a local-topic post, the message is relevant no matter what city you live in.

For the past two and a half months, I have been spending my early Wednesday mornings attending the Chapel Hill Leads Group. Three months ago, I didn’t even know what a Leads group was, let alone did I know about one to attend. Well, as I was cold calling businesses trying to network, I met a man by the name of Jamey Tippens, a local home inspector. As I spoke to him about being new to the area, networking, and the like, he told me about the Chapel Hill Leads Group and suggested that I come check it out.

So I did.

For those of you that don’t know, a Leads group is a meeting/forum for individuals and/or businesses to meet, network, and talk about their business and goals. In just two months, I have met some incredible people at the Leads group, so I’m very grateful to Jamey for encouraging me to check it out.

I even had the privilege of volunteering for a few hours at the annual Chapel Hill Leads Group Food Drive to benefit the Food Bank of North Carolina. We collected over $1,400 and enough food for 10,001 meals. That’s right… 10,001 meals. How awesome is that?

*Quick plug: for those of you in and around the Triangle, NC area, you should definitely come check out the Chapel Hill Leads Group. They meet EVERY Wednesday morning at Extraordinary Ventures in Chapel Hill. It’s FREE your first time, and only $5 a week after that (which helps to support the facility and pays for delicious goodies). It really is a GREAT way to meet new people, make friends, network, and learn about amazing new opportunities in business and career development. The group is really welcoming, fun, light-hearted, and well connected. They are really there to help you out.

If you don’t live in Chapel Hill, know that there are Leads groups that meet all over. I’m sure Google can help you find one in your area.

I also wanted to take a moment to plug the CHAPEL HILL LEADS GROUP BUSINESS AND CONSUMER EXPO.

When: Tuesday, November 10th

Time: 5PM – 9PM

Where: Extraordinary Ventures

Who: Anyone and everyone!

The BUSINESS AND CONSUMER EXPO presented by the Chapel Hill Leads Group will feature businesses from all around the surrounding Triangle and Triad communities.

Why not start your holiday shopping Early? Get gifts, food, clothing, and even services all in ONE location. Do a little networking! Bring business cards and make great new connections! Free admission and free catered dinner for ALL attendees!  Bring a friend. Network. Support local businesses. I’ll be there! Come see me!

Check out the event on FACEBOOK. Check out the event on EVENTBRITE.

Okay, back to my original point. Why is this relevant? In an economy such as this, many small and local businesses are struggling, yet small and local businesses put money back into the community. A community thrives through the strong support of small and local businesses.

Movements like the 3/50 project or LocalMotive are great for supporting the local economy. Check out movements in your area. Tell me: how are You helping to support your local economy?

Just food for thought.

Shop local. Buy local! See you at the Leads Expo!

All for now.