Small Hands, Big Ideas

Small Hands, Big Ideas Has Moved!

2009-04-28T09:10:00.003-06:00

I will be redirecting soon, but thought I would say it here: I've MOVED, to WordPress that is.

I've been meaning to take the leap for a while now and I have finally done it. You can find the new Small Hands, Big Ideas at: http://smallhandsbigideas.com. To subscribe you can use this feed address: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/smallhandsbigideas

Please scoot on over that way, because I won't be here anymore. Thanks Blogger, it's been fun and exciting starting out this blog here but I'm movin' on up.

Yours Truly,
Grace

New Blog: Small Hands, Big Ideas

A Comparison: Men VS. Women's Online Behavior

2009-04-27T09:00:00.003-06:00

In high school I did a science fair project in conjunction with a Brain Research Institute evaluating risk-taking behavior in adolescents, while focusing on the prefrontal cortex development in the brain comparing men and women. I'm far from a science geek, but data and research like this really astounds me (hey, I even got 5th in the State of Iowa) and I think it pertains to everyday life.

What I found and learned in high school, has helped me with relationships (personal, friendships, professional) and I'm still intrigued because men and women are so different. I know, I'm stating the obvious but did you ever wonder why? Since I spend a lot of my time online, I started to find interesting studies about the significant difference in online behavior of men versus women.

Photo Credit: Come Date Blog

Pew Internet Study shows the that men are "the hunters," where their status comes from how well they are able to accomplish tasks and go online, get what they're looking for, and get out. Women are "the nurturers and gatherers," they employ social networks for information, make comparison to find the best option and maintain these connections. This can be tracked back to prehistoric age with hunter-gatherers and really can connect to any activity in life.

Compared with women, online men are more likely to use the Internet to:
-Check the Weather
-Get News
-Check for sports information
-Get Political information
-Get financial information
-Do a job-related search
-Download software
-Listen to music

Compared with men, online women are more like to use the internet to:
-Send and receive email
-Get maps and directions
-Look for health and medical information
-Use websites to get support for health or personal problems
-Get religious information

More women than men send and receive email and they use it in a "richer and more engaging way." Women write to friends and family, but there is a commonality between men and women that we both appreciate email for its "efficiencies and convenience."

I find the comparison between what men and women interesting in this specific example: After 9/11 men visited more websites to tell them about things that were happening while more women said the internet helped them find people they needed to reach. There's a distinct difference between the actions of their online behavior with a curiosity versus a need to connect.

This is an interesting concept that we choose different websites, we react differently and treat the online space differently. However, at the end of the study the researchers cite, "our data show that men and women are more similar than different in their online lives, starting with their common appreciate of the internet's strongest suit: efficiency." The second strength that men and women value is the internet as a "gateway to limitless vaults of information." Of course, there is room for generality here and there are the exceptions. I believe the information is interesting but it's nice to find a common ground even amongst our inherent differences. What do you think?

Male or Female: Do you agree with these statistics? How do you think you're sharing or contributing to the online behavioral generalities?

Humility

2009-04-25T10:00:00.002-06:00

"I can’t even articulate how powerful and attractive I find humility…especially in the shared presence of talent, strength and intellect. Any fool can brag and bluster – afraid that if they don’t highlight their own value, no one will notice. But it takes such unrelenting bravery, such confidence and peace to choose to be humble and understated instead."

{via been thinking}

I couldn't agree more. I am deeply moved by humility and think it is a subtle characteristic and tool for success. I'm more apt to look up to and respect a powerful individual, who knows their worth versus someone who brags and talks about themselves (no matter how successful they really are).

What do you think? Is humility as attractive to you as it is to me?

Friday Linky Love

2009-04-24T09:00:00.004-06:00

I love paying attention to everyone's digital and real-life contribution via the Web for Earth Day and beyond. Specifically, these were some of the best tips and commentary I found for your green dose.

Photo Credit: BoingBoing

1. Ma Vie en Vert: Making Your Beauty Regime Earth-Friendly in Four Easy Steps
2. Advertising Age: Green-Marketing Revolution Defies Economic Downturn
3. Green Living Ideas: "Good" Ideas For Earth Day
4. The Happiness Zone: Earth Day if my Birthday
5. Twilight Earth: Earth Day-Celebration, Gimmick, or Eco Guilt Forgiveness Day?
6. The Good Human: Greenwash of the Week: Earth Day & Coca-Cola
7. Seventh Generation Blog: Celebrating Earth Day by (Re)Generating Some Great Ideas
8. The Huffington Post: The Politics of Earth Day
9. Daily Kos: Happy Earth Day, National Parks
10. Boing Boing: Happy Earth Day

What Inspires You? Guest Post XII: Erica Prather

2009-04-23T09:00:00.009-06:00

I admire Erica's strength which became immediately evident as she jumped into the Lijit office with vigor in January and is still going strong. I get to see her pretty face across from me each day! With her writing background, I knew Erica would be a great addition as the 12th in What Inspires You, especially as she is just getting into the blogging scene.

Erica Prather
Bio: A 23 year old Kansas native, Erica originally hails from Wichita, but has made homes in Lawrence, KS, New York City, and now Boulder. With a penchant for traveling and living a semi-nomadic lifestyle, Erica decide to move to Boulder in September of 2008, in search of a place (or at least state) to finally plant some roots. Armed with an English degree, stage time in plenty of ballets over the years (performing in over 50 Nutcrackers!) and a dry sense of humor, Erica enjoys the ‘Colorado Lifestyle.'

Erica at the Ellis Island Wall of Honor, pointing to her ancestors' names from Croatia

Blog: There's No Place Like Home Twitter: @ericaprather

There are so many things that inspire me; including the people that have guest posted before me on this blog. I’d have to resound all of their notions that inspiration can be found everywhere; but my strongest source of inspiration comes from strength. It’s not always easy to be strong, but strength is one of those mysterious things that somehow replenishes itself thousand-fold without you ever really knowing it.

Of course there is physical strength, and I admire that very much. But the kind of strength I am talking about is not physical.

I’ve always known my entire life that the best things in life don’t come wrapped in packages or with price tags. Strength is one of those things. I come from a family of very strong individuals, and it has been stressed to me from the time I was born that being strong isn’t just a ‘good quality’ – it’s a necessity. The strength to face your fears. The strength to tell someone how you feel. The strength to be a true, honest friend. The strength to carry yourself with integrity and do the right thing, always. The strength to push yourself into doing something that might make you a little bit uncomfortable. I truly believe that all of the qualities in a person I most admire – sincerity, curiosity, independence, emotional intelligence, humility, self-awareness and self-confidence – to name a few, come from a place of strength.

My mother always says “You come from peasant stock – your ancestors were strong farmers and worked outdoors. So are you.” I admire the strength of individuals I do not know – people such as Lance Armstrong that refuse to succumb to an illness and play the victim, and literally strongly cross the finish line. But of course I admire people in my own life that have made a difference (big or small) by merely being strong.

Both of my parents emit this strength in everything they do – the way they love each other and their children, their commitment to their careers and their community, and the way they are each very much their own person. My father especially overcame a less than ideal childhood to not only pay for his own college education (and be the first in his family to go to college at that), but also to start his own architectural firm and raise a family. But he couldn’t have done it without the strength of my mother, who sacrificed quite a bit by always having the steady job when times are tough in the architecture industry.

I admire the strength of my Croatian ancestors who left the former Yugoslav to seek a better life in America. I admire the strength of my friends who have lost jobs. I admire the strength people have in their beliefs. I admire the strength people carry as they battle a long illness; the list goes on.

Sometimes strength has a negative connotation – you can be bullheaded or stubborn. As my mother says “Your biggest virtue is oftentimes your biggest vice.”

But being strong doesn’t necessarily always have to equate to that. Strength is something that you have inside that nobody can take or buy from you; yet you can let others borrow your strength when they need it most. People and communities give each other strength when others feel they have nothing left. And you always have more strength than you realize. The strength to get out of bed when you don’t really feel like it. The strength to move to a place where you hardly know anyone. The strength to go about things alone. The strength to mend a broken heart after somebody has busted it into a billion pieces. The strength to carry on after a tragic loss. The strength to admit you were wrong or made a mistake and say you are sorry. The strength to cry and be vulnerable and open. We can all be strong for each other, be aware of when someone else needs our strength.

To me, strength and hope are in the same family, and we can always use more of that. Find whatever gives you strength or empowers you – family, friends, the activities that you love to do, and dedicate time to those things every day. I can tell you right now that whoever you are, you won’t find strength in money, power, or activities that generally involve instant gratification.

Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda says, “Strength is Happiness. Strength is itself victory. In weakness and cowardice there is no happiness. When you wage a struggle, you might win or you might lose. But regardless of the short-term outcome, the very fact of your continuing to struggle is proof of your victory as a human being.”

Video Interview with Jun Loayza of Viralogy-Awesome Revolution

2009-04-22T13:13:00.004-06:00

It's true, I do have small hands and (huge) ideas! If you're interested in hearing me, really my voice, no more writing here, check out the conversation and interview with Jun Loayza of Viralogy- Awesome Revolution.

I talk about the big risk and leap I took in moving West to Boulder, how I got my job at Lijit and find out what really drives me, my passions and the secret career I've always wanted.

I think Viralogy's Awesome Revolution mission and series of Awesome Bloggers is fantastic. Jun gives a voice to bloggers and their community, because the human touch goes so far. Check them out on Twitter and their website, here.

Happy Birthday Earth (and Mom)

2009-04-22T10:00:00.007-06:00

I'm happy to say that Earth Day is also my beautiful mother's birthday and my good friend, Erica so big celebration to be had for these wonderful women (yes, you too Mother Earth)!

I'm all about greening up our Earth, sustainability, eating organic (I was raised that way) and being environmentally friendly. However, I kind of feel the same way about Earth Day as I do about Valentine's Day. Why do you need one day to help the Earth? Why do you need one day expressively say you love someone? It should be habitual and part of your regular life, practice. Just a thought. Do you feel the same way?

Either way, part of my contribution (amongst many others) today, for April 22nd was in buying my mother an Odor Free Compost Caddy. We always compost at our house, but we use a bucket which isn't too appealing and yes, can smell a bit odd after the disposed food is there too long. This green bucket is only $20.50, can hold up to 2.5 gallons and is easy to transport out to the garden or wherever you compost.
For other blogs contributing useful, green content on Earth Day try: Ma Vie en Vert, The Good Human, Twilight Earth, Forced Green and Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

What other green gift ideas for the Earth (or someone you love) do you have up your sleeve?

What Inspires You? Guest Post XI: Matt Cheuvront

2009-04-20T09:00:00.006-06:00

I only met Matt (online of course) last month, but he is a force to be reckoned with. I think his blog features really meaningful questions, thoughts and initiatives. We've been exchanging guests posts and sharing a lot of ideas which has made me realize he is just one of those people you want to talk with more. I'm happy to be featuring Matt as the 11th in this riveting, What Inspires You series.

Bio: Matt Cheuvront is a 23 year old jack-of-all-trades. His blog, Life Without Pants, is a reflection of his attitude on life: Free, thoughtful, and uninhibited. By day, Matt is an account manager at an Ad agency in Nashville, TN, buying and selling billboards, working for the weekend. But away from the nine-to-five, his passion is writing, learning, growing, and maybe watching some football, playing Xbox, and having a few beers. To dive deeper into the rabbit hole, visit Matt's blog, Life Without Pants.

Blog: Life Without Pants Twitter: @MattChevy

Inspiration: n. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea, that is inspired. Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.

I get home at the end of a long work day, remove my slacks (life without pants, right?), sit down, and ponder this question. "What inspires me"? Nothing comes to mind, not because there isn't anything that inspires me, but because it's such a general and epic question. Where does one draw their inspiration from? How do we come up with innovative and exciting ways of thinking? What drives us? Motivates us? Stimulates us? I look around for the answer, and then...I'm inspired. My inspiration, after all is said and done, starts with me - I inspire myself. Before you label me as conceited and arrogant, hear me out.

Do you ever think about how amazing the human mind really is? Do you ever just take a step back and think about how people come up with ideas? I challenge myself, and challenge all of you to take a look at yourself - think about what you've done in your life, how far you've come, how much you've accomplished. Odds are, you've done a lot more than you give yourself credit for. We inherently sell ourselves short. It's just something we do as human beings. We love to give credit to others when they inspire us, enlighten us, or change us for the better - but for some reason, we neglect to give ourselves the credit we deserve.

If you really stop and think about it, we, ourselves, are our greatest source of inspiration.

I am reminded of one of my favorite movies, American Beauty (which if you haven't seen it I strongly recommend - it will change your perspective on a lot of things). The story tells the tale of Lester Burnham, a husband in a loveless marriage, a father of a daughter who hates him, a man with nothing to live for - going through the motions without ever asking 'why'? But finally, something clicks, he realizes that in order to make his life worth living, he has to LIVE. He says, "It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself." - think about that for a second. The ability to surprise yourself, the concept of exceeding your own expectations; it’s a pretty incredible thing.

That's what inspires me - striving to do more, to be more, to inspire, educate, enlighten, and entertain others. Of course, my inspiration comes from everywhere - teachers, coworkers, friends, family, peers, fellow bloggers and writers - we're all inspired by what's around us, but sometimes we forget how much we can inspire ourselves. Divinity comes from within, and the path to enlightenment is an inward journey. Strive to be better than you think you can be. You'll end up not only inspiring yourself; you'll inspire everyone around you.

A Featured Favorite: Illustrator, Hannah Stouffer

2009-04-18T09:00:00.002-06:00

Los Angeles based artist, Hannah Stouffer depicts incredible imagery through her illustrations, with colors that burst. Recently, Sour Harvest interviewed Stouffer and described her work as an "infatuation for icons and images that reflect and categorize historical eras, genres and subcultures, her work is an opulent, elegant and beautifully intricate mixture of illustration and design."

In one of the last questions of the interview they asked, "If people walk away with one thing gained/learned from one of your shows, what would you hope that would be?" and she said: "The greatest human conflict is dealing with contrast." Beautiful. I was moved by her images, and I hope you will be too.

The heart of darkness exists within the light. Black Dawn, Dawn After Dawn Tepid Neon, Frozen Clarity. This contrast, and the ever present existence of the two is constant. Macabre Elegance. Darkness Falls Forever... Since The Beginning.

For more of Stouffer's work visit her website: http://www.hannahstouffer.com/

Friday Linky Love

2009-04-17T09:45:00.002-06:00

As finals and graduation time is approaching, I want to focus on more career related links that I hope can be a resource and helpful, even if you're not about to graduate. Here's what I like, from this week.

1. L.A. Times-Business: Student Consultants Teach Firms How to Get to the Next Level
2. Life After College: Motivated By Achievement: A Blessing and a Curse
3. Smile Like You Mean It: There's Nothing Zen About Balance
4. Telegraph: Goldman Sachs Hires Law Firm to Shut Blogger's Site
5. SmartBlog on Social Media: Is Your Social Media Presence Really Yours?
6. Newsweek: If Jobs Are Cut, Why Aren't Paychecks, Too?
7. Nashville Business Journal: Ford Gives $20 K to Metro Career Academics
8. CNN-Travel: Pushy Bloggers to Travel Industry: Be Nice
9. Modite: Will Gen Y Ruin Local Community?
10. JS Online: Liberty-Loving Gen-Yers Will Reshape Politics

Photo Credit: La Presna

What Inspires You? Guest Post X: Jacqueline Malan

2009-04-16T09:00:00.014-06:00

Not only is Jacq one of my closest friends in Boulder, but she is also my co-worker so I get 50+ hours with this fine lady. Although I make fun of her as she continually asks me how to embed a YouTube video to her blog, I think you will find that her intelligence and depth is way beyond her 25-years of age. I'm happy to be featuring her as the 10th in What Inspires You?

Jacqueline Malan
Bio: Jacqueline Nicole Malan works for a Boulder based start-up called Lijit Networks in the heart of downtown. Fairly new to the new tech and social media, she previously worked in the non-profit sector of Washington, DC where she worked with agencies such as the National Endowment for Democracy and the United Food and Workers Coalition.

Blog: A Cowgirl's West Twitter: @JMalan

Lots of things inspire me, from simple beauties produced by mother earth to the tragedies of war and violence. What they do is inspire me to take action, to speak up for what I believe in, provide me the choice to remain silent, to believe in a greater good, to nurture, to feel compassion, and to love. But above all, I seek inspiration through my mother. Now, I know you're thinking its cliche but, my mother is an unbelievable pillar of strength and independence. She is a lioness and we (my sister and I) are her cubs.

My mother Nancy Hubsmith Rozance, born on a hot summer day in July came into this world with enthusiasm and determination. An aspiring thespian to date, it is no wonder why complete strangers are drawn to her. Her loving character and eagerness to know more about those around her is what makes her so unique. Often taking on more than she can handle, she dedicates her time and money to causes she feels passionate about(for example, when she remarried my now father Jack, they asked for guests to make donations to a local charity they support instead of having a gift registry). However, this is all just surface level. To really understand why my mother inspires me I have to give you a glimpse into our lives.

Growing up in Connecticut, we weren't your typical New England family. Most families came from a household of four or more. My parents were divorced when I was young, and my father failed to remain in our lives. My biological father has since passed, and when asked recently if it made me sad (since I had never gotten the chance to know him) straight faced I responded simply, "no." You see my mom, my sister, and I have become a three legged stool bound together through an ever enduring love. With the absence of my father's presence, I did miss certain things but, in the end it made for an unbelievably strong relationship between us musketeers, something I would never trade to this day.

Family as Inspiration: Jacqueline with her Mom, Sister and Dad

My mom was a single woman who held two MBA's, an extremely competitive fireball in a predominately male industry. She worked hard but, did not forget how to nurture. As a child, I remember although she traveled almost weekly she never once missed the things that mattered most at that age. She still found time to read us stories before bed, help us with our science fair projects, drive us to every practice and watch every game, and bake cupcakes to bring into school for our birthday's. And growing up, we had more than most families with two parents.

This is what inspires me...her love. Her unwavering determination to give me and my sister the best that life has to offer. Never saying no and giving up, never complaining and always carrying her head held high, not worrying about what others think, and bringing her best qualities to life. Having the strength to raise two teenage girls by herself without any help or anyone to turn to ask for advice. This amazes me, this inspires and this makes me want to grab life with both hands knowing that anything is possible.

The Debate: Location VS. Career?

2009-04-14T09:00:00.007-06:00

When looking for a college, I was very much focused on specifics: a major in public relations and marketing, a smaller college in the North East (I'm from Iowa, so this was a distance leap), strong study-abroad program, rooted in education and then, where it was located. I visited many fantastic school's and programs that I got into around the country, but either the college town was in the middle of nowhere or the campus was the entire town. I couldn't see myself being able to enjoy or thrive. Flash forward four years of college living in Burlington, Vermont one of the healthiest and most progressive cities in the country at Champlain College a nationally recognized small but powerful college, known for it's upside-down curriculum and offering real-life experience. I know, I couldn't have made a better choice.

As my college tenure was ending and I was filled with hope and aspiration (plus 5 internships under my belt) I began to think, should I take the traditional path of many classmates, head to Boston or New York City where there are a plethora of jobs in my industry but still close enough for comfort? I said No. I'm not satisfied with safe. I want to walk to the edge. So the wheels began to turn. I researched, networked and used a little intuition (I'm an ENFP, I gotta). I landed on Boulder. This was a good 6 months before I was set to graduate, but I knew it was going to be Boulder.

Flash forward today, here I am living in the smartest town in America, "the perennial town" for its 300+ days of sunshine, the Silicon Flatirons with fresh, innovative startups and a community that cares. These reasons and more are why I've found my niche in Boulder. I find myself smiling looking up at the Flatiron mountains as soon as I walk out my door in the morning, or when I'm snowboarding the majestic Rockies, or working at a fantastic startup with intelligent, forward-thinking people, or when I attend a New Tech Meetup and meet another incredible entrepreneur driven to move to Boulder and incubate their idea. I know I also made the right decision and I surmounted all the challenges that stood in my way.

Boulder, in all her glory. Photo Credit: Colorado.edu

Career-wise, I moved to Boulder first as the location knowing that the career would soon follow. This was in August of 2008 and I know even in this short time, things have changed, I see and hear this everyday. However, the power of place has been discussed in terms of your identity and career, especially for Generation Y. Some might have said my decision was idealistic and that it was easier to interview locally or head back to your hometown to start your first job, but I knew I wouldn't be satisfied. I believe that choosing a location that inspires you would be conducive to my career creativity and growth. I don't think it's naive. I understand the constraints and wasn't looking for my dream job, I was willing to work to make it work. I also had a list of contacts and companies I had been in touch with, so I wasn't jumping in blind. I wanted to live in Boulder and I accepted the challenge upon moving here (without a job) but I knew my capabilities and for me, it worked.

It may not be for everyone but really, how much can your job define your happiness if you're in a dreary location that doesn't support you and who you are? When you're in a location that is robust with intelligence, education and experience the people become analogous to the qualities of the place you live in.

Would you move first for the location, if you knew the job opportunities existed? How important is where you live, versus the career you want to pursue?

What Inspires You? Guest Post IX: Aaron Steinberg

2009-04-13T09:00:00.009-06:00

Aaron and I go way back, he may have even been my first boyfriend (gasp) and we were born just 12 hours apart. Nonetheless, as a 20-something living and working in NYC, I'm happy to be featuring Aaron as the ninth in this What Inspires You series because he writes his own blog (you will find out about its compelling content soon) and is probably one of the funniest people I know-I've got a lot of love for this man. Warning: Don't say I didn't warn you ;)

Aaron Steinberg
Bio: This biography is going to be a bit different. I’m not going bore you with the inconsequential details of my life, or at least not right now. My “real name” is Aaron, but when in my writing life I go by Cole, much like Mark Althavan Andrews is better known for his pop alias, Sisqo. I have mixed my love of writing with my love of talking about and thinking about all things sexually and romantically related, and thrown it together in a blog with my counterpart Simon. And, I am still working on short stories and a few half written novels in my spare time.

Blog: Simon and Cole

The basis for all of my inspiration is my experience. For me, and I find this to be true for many people I know, life and its corresponding emotion is a fairly severe sine wave—a roller coaster shape, for those of you that hate math. And, I get inspired by the good and the bad, the highs and the lows.

Within times that I consider positive, there is inspiration all around. Usually something triggers a happy time, whether it be a new relationship, a new story, a new language, or a new place. In the down times, I find inspiration in the why and the how. I start to consider how I got there, and how others get to the same place. I try to figure out ways to get back to me, to pull myself back into good. In the end, all of these thoughts, algorithms, and processes need to go somewhere, and when it comes to me the inspiration usually ends up on a page. My inspiration is a catalyst for my passion…writing.

My passions are generally intense, but temporary. Meaning, basically I have come across few activities, or hobbies, that have excited me for any long stretch of time. Desire, for me, is much more fleeting than it is for most people. I will watch a show like Law and Order: SVU and immediately want to become a sex-crime detective, or watch the Big Lebowski and want to be a fraudulent millionaire.

The one thing that has held my attention, minus a small teenage hiatus, is writing. I love to write. Within writing I have two passions: 1) writing fiction stories (short stories and novels), and 2) philosophical diatribes, usually pertaining to something sexually based or relationship oriented.

See, for many people, me included, a fair amount of the ups and downs of life are connected to relationships, and I’ve always been fascinated with why someone does this to them, and why she responded that way, and what the best way to present that is. Writing has a purpose for me, and that is to council (or in my fiction, to make a point within the story telling). My entire life, people have asked me for advice, specifically about relationships. I was always that friend that everyone went to if they wanted to bitch about their boyfriend not listening to them, or their girlfriend being too flirtatious with other guys. I’m just that guy. I always have been.

A few months ago, my friend Simon and I came up with a plan. We wanted to use our inspiration to be proactive and fight against settling into a bland post-college existence. This new year was about letting go of fear. We started a blog: simonandcole.com for us to share ideas, and some stories—most of all, to promote honesty, which we feel is the most underused tool for good relationships, and overall-positive life experience (think about it…are you really honest with many people? Like seriously honest? It’s so much easier to play games and go along with a group than to stand out and be weird). The blog is still in the works, but I have high hopes.

Being able to put my thoughts down on paper inspires me. Telling a story inspires me. I would love the opportunity to spend my life having sex, and then answering people’s questions about relationships and sex, and answer them honestly. To have ladies write to me asking what the hell this guy is actually thinking, and explain it, that would inspire me. If I could spend everyday helping to council people in relationships (while writing the occasional novel of course), I would be pretty fucking fulfilled…and inspired.

A Featured Favorite: Blitzen Trapper

2009-04-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

I love music. I also love creatively directed videos. Stumbled across Blitzen Trapper: Furr and it made me smile. {Via Black*Eiffel}

Friday Linky Love

2009-04-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

Eclectic links for Friday April, 10th. I hope you enjoy your weekend, I have visitors and snowboarding on the agenda (yes, that's Breckenridge below, yes I love Colorado).

1. Justice For All: Forget All the Rules, and Write What You Love
2. Elaine Young: A Champlain Professor: Champlain For Reel: Crowdsourcing At Champlain College
3. ChangeOrder: Short URLs, Say Hello to Marketing
4. PSFK: Visually Mapping Web Trends
5. NY Times Frugal Traveler: Three Cushions, a Million Guests (in reference to Couchsurfing.com)
6. The Urban Muse-Open Thread: What's Your Ideal Workspace?
7. Startup Whisperer: Can You Explain Your Product To Your Parents?
8. Before I Die I Want To (what do you want to do? And what are you waiting for?!)
9. Shatterboxx/Jamie Varon: Why I Followed My Passion and Why You Should, Too
10. Real Geeks Ride: You just need to check their cause out and if they're stopping through your city, maybe you can host them or support their ride. Everyone digs a geek on a bicycle, right?

Photo Credit: Luke Wisley

Are You Anti Voice Mail?

2009-04-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

When I call my good friend, Jacqueline and she doesn't pick up, I definitely opt out of leaving her a voice mail. I know it gets lost in the 5 others she hasn't checked from last week on her Blackberry. However, I know that if I send a quick text, DM on Twitter or Facebook message that I will get a quick reply. Sound familiar?

The New York Times recently wrote a piece, "You've Got Voice Mail, But Do You Care?" which reiterated this common theme that we live in an age of instant gratification. It's a burden to hit the playback button or (gasp) have to dial into your password and wait for the her drone-like voice, prompting you to the next step.
The article showed research that people take longer to reply to voice messages than other types of communication. "Data from uReach Technologies, which operates the voice messaging systems of Verizon Wireless and other cellphone carriers, shows that over 30 percent of voice messages linger unheard for three days or longer and that more than 20 percent of people with messages in their mailboxes “rarely even dial in” to check them, said Saul Einbinder, senior vice president for marketing and business development for uReach, in an e-mail message."

On the flip side, research showed that "91 percent of people under 30 respond to text messages within an hour, and they are four times more likely to respond to texts than to voice messages within minutes, according to a 2008 study for Sprint conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation." I'm not surprised.

Is it Generation Y that is driving the voice mail away? My mom always says, "Did you get my voice mail?" I say, "No, but I saw you called." Oops, sorry Ma.

This shift away from voice mail probably is a generational divide, in which younger people are substituting text for talk, while my grandparents and parents leave long, lengthy voice mails. Yet, I gotta stick up for the voice mail. I still think they're important and as impatient as I can be, as much as I'm a texting fan, there are those times when it's nice to hear someone's voice or they need to tell you something specific or even just say hello.

So, I wonder, are voice mails going to become obsolete? Do voice mails take a back burner to other immediate forms of communication in your life?

Photo Credit: Post Gazette, Anita Dufalla

What Inspires You? Guest Post VIII: Rebecca Thorman

2009-04-08T09:00:00.005-06:00

I'm pretty sure the Internet Digital Goddesses reached down to Rebecca and myself to connect us because through e-mails, tweets, helping each other with our respective start-up company's and blogging exchanges, we realized that we have more than being ENFP's in common. I also greatly respect Rebecca as both her blog's are poignant and she walks to the edge in life. Great number eight Rebecca, in my What Inspires You Series:

Rebecca Thorman
Bio: Rebecca Thorman works at the start-up company Alice.com in marketing and sells toilet paper. On her blog modite.com/blog, she gives career and life advice for the next generation of workers.

Blogs: Modite/Career and Life Advice & Modite/Character Twitter:@Modite

I attached a photo I took of my books. I don't have bookshelves... yet. Books have always and will continue to be my inspiration. And I will never get a Kindle.

Remember

2009-04-07T15:26:00.003-06:00

Words to live by. I had to share.

Four Rules originally uploaded by Roland {thank you swissmiss}

Interview with Allison Berman of Pro Mujer-Microfinance for Women

2009-04-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

One of my best friends, Allison Berman, lives in New York City as a 20-something Finance Analyst and works at the Spanish Non-Profit, Pro Mujer ("for women"). I am intrigued by micro-finance and even wrote a post earlier about Meaningful Holiday Gift Ideas which included Pro Mujer's services. Then the inspiration wheel began to spin and I inquired further, encouaring Ali to let me interview her to share here. She obliged and below is the interview:

Ali in Greece, just part of her many travels and life abroad

G: What is Pro Mujer and what sort of services do you provide?
A: Pro Mujer is an international micro finance (banking and/or financial services targeted to low-and-moderate income businesses or households, including the provision of credit) womens development organization whose mission is to provide Latin America’s poorest women with the means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through microfinance, business training, and healthcare support.

Pro Mujer provides an integrated package of financial and personal development services that women require to build and improve their small businesses. Over the last 18 years, Pro Mujer’s microfinance institutions (in Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Argentina) have disbursed $582 million in small loans — ranging from $50 to $1,500 with an average loan balance of $268. Pro Mujer serves 222,000 clients (borrowers and savers); and more than 1.1 children and extended family members.

Along with the financial services, a key part of the Pro Mujer model is health services. Since the survival of a clients business and ability to succeed is intimately tied to her physical and mental health, Pro Mujer uses the repayment meetings to raise women’s awareness of the importance of taking good of themselves through primary health care and regular screenings to detect disease early. Though the model differs from country to country, based on client needs and the existing health infrastructure, the goal is the same- to help women maintain their own health and the health of their children and families through primary health care and regular exams that detect disease early.

G: That's incredible! So specifically, what do you do at Pro Mujer?
A: I work with the finance team at Pro Mujer, as a Finance Analyst. I take care of the day to day accounting, help with the management of our small $2.5 million dollar loan fund, pay the bills, maintain our account receivable/payable with our country programs, and other administrative financial work.

G: In terms of services, I noticed that Pro Mujer offers financial services AND empowerment training? Can you explain this?
A: While most microfinance institutions focus only on financial services, Pro Mujer uses a holistic approach, making sure that clients are better prepared physically, emotionally and economically to improve their lives and that of their children. Pro Mujer teaches women about domestic violence, women’s rights, communication skills, using workshops and group discussions to raise their awareness about leadership, gender issues, and self-esteem. It also links clients with other organizations for counseling, legal assistance, and education and vocational training programs.

G: With the economy like it is what have you had to do to not lose donations and investors?
A: This is difficult to say. It currently is unclear how the economic crisis will affect our funding, as we have yet to finish the 1st quarter, which is always slower in general. It is important to stress to donors and investors that Pro Mujer has a vision looking forward and is still anticipating growth in the coming year. Although we are being affected by our current economic situation, in the countries where Pro Mujer works, almost half of all families live on less than $2 a day. When you put that into perspective of our lives, whatever you can do to help a good cause is always important.

G: What about micro finance and loans for women inspires you?
A: It is inspiring to see how motivated our clients are. Although I have yet to go visit the operations (hopefully soon!), I hear endless stories and have met a few clients in person. What inspires me everyday is how believing in someone can lead to success. Our historical loan repayment rate in 18 years is 99%. The women want to succeed and create a better life for the family; they just needed access to credit.

Angela Narváez is pottery maker and a client with Pro Mujer Nicaragua. Angela’s first loan was $80. Today, almost nine years later, her loan is $670. Angela uses her loans to buy clay, pieces of wood, paint and cement and to travel to larger markets where she can get a better price for her pieces. “I used to sell the clay tortilla dishes and clay cows for $2 a piece, but now I sell them for between $4 and $8. Pro Mujer taught me how to market our products, make new designs, paint better and diversify our products” says Angela. Angela said her family has also benefited from Pro Mujer. Her daughters attend school, everyone is eating better, and they bought furniture and appliances that have raised their quality of life. “My family encourages me to stay with Pro Mujer. They know what a huge difference it has made in our lives,” said Angela. These stories are what inspire me about the work that Pro Mujer does.

G: How can we do our part by giving back?
A: You can visit our website to learn more about Pro Mujer and read some inspiring stories about how our organization has helped the very poor rise out of poverty. Please visit www.promujer.org/donatenow to help poor women in Latin America to start their own business and obtain healthcare for themselves and their families.

I've Got Soul, But I'm Not a Soldier

2009-04-05T10:34:00.002-06:00

Nike, Courage

March Photo-A-Day Project

2009-04-04T09:00:00.002-06:00

As I have previously referenced, I embarked on a project to take a photo-a-day in March (my birthday month) and just finished it. You can see the full set in my sidebar with the Flickr badge or go directly to the set through my Flickr page.

Through support from friends and family (thanks everyone!) I think I'm going to keep going but before I do, I want to post a few of my favorites then also share what I learned, maybe you might even try something similar.

I Learned:
-Bringing your camera everywhere with you can be a bit daunting (and heavy in my bag or purse) but I caught so many beautiful people and images because I had it with me.
-It's not hard to take a photo-a-day. Granted, I only did it for a month but I never missed a day.
-Your vision of the world opens up, because you're looking through your eyes and a lens. When I had my camera on me, inspiration would hit and I was so happy I could capture it.
-It's different. Try breaking up your routine while also giving yourself something habitual. At the end of each day I felt good that I had gotten a photo in, that I was able to capture something unique and then knew that sharing it was half the fun. I suggest and encourage you try it. You never know what you might see.
-Time flies. Cliche, but true. I can now look back over this month and see where I've been and what I did. It's a beautiful timepiece and I now have it forever.

Favorite Shots:

March 9th, downtown Boulder sunset

March 13th, my birthday hike with best friends that surprised me from home 12 hours away

March 21st, a word I always find an affinity with. The morning light had hit this brown bag perfectly from my window. See, never know what you may find or see...

March 30th, music always will be an important part of my life as is Taylor, my friend visiting with her backpack and mandolin (cross country)

Friday Linky Love

2009-04-03T09:00:00.005-06:00

It has been a long week for me, amidst April Fool's day (I did no pranks, lame, did you?) However, reading these articles encouraged me and also interested me. I hope they do the same for you.
1. Young Successful Entrepreneur: Startup Tips: Losers Focus on Traffic
2. dtrndr (Yea, that's right. The entire blog is rad)
3. Modite: Stop Writing About Social Media To Be a Successful Blogger
4. Conversations Matter: The Rise of the Customer Service Rep
5. Geeks Are Sexy: Six of the Best April Fool's Tech Jokes
6. She Takes On the World: Spring Cleaning Your Finances
7. Ad Age: Samsung Sheep Sit In Top Spot on Viral Chart-What People Watched the week of March 23, 2009 (click through to the videos, they're epic)
8. Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates: Do Success and Happiness Go Hand In Hand?
9. Hongkiat: 70 Outstanding Out of Bounds Photos
10. The Writer's Coin: Is There No Sympathy Left In the World?

Photo Credit: atomicjeep

What Inspires You? Guest Post VII: Nisha Chittal

2009-04-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Nisha enthusiastically reached out to my via Twitter about her interest in this series and I am equally as excited about having her here on my blog. Her writing style is sharp and well-versed as she is an associate editor at CitizenJanePolitics, writes her own blog, interns at ReadWriteWeb and is still in college! So here comes Nisha, full of inspirational force, lucky number seven:

Nisha Chittal
Bio: I live, most of the time, in Champaign, IL. I am graduating from the University of Illinois in May 2009 with a BA in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies. On my blog, Politicoholic, I write about the things I'm passionate about: politics (duh), current events, social issues, technology and gov 2.0 issues, and sometimes just about my crazy life.

Blog: Politicoholic Twitter: @nishachittal

As someone who thoroughly enjoys writing, I love words. I love playing around with words and I believe that the right words at the right time can make a huge impact. I actually enjoy copyediting (I know, weird. But somehow I end up editing friends' papers all the time and kind of love it). So naturally it fits that when I sat down to think of what inspires me, the first thing I thought of was not necessarily a person or an object, but a quote -- a series of words strung together.

It's one that really speaks to me, and is probably my all-time favorite quote. It describes, using the perfect words, exactly how I want to live my life - if it weren't so long I'd call it my motto. But it's not short enough for that since it's three paragraphs long. Three perfect paragraphs though! I love it so much I blew it up, printed it out, and tacked it up on my bedroom wall so I can see it everyday or whenever I need motivation. Reading this quote reminds me of the things I aspire to do and the people I aspire to be like. When I'm freaking out about little things, it's a good reminder of the big picture in life and the larger things I'm striving towards.

I spent my high school years in a boring suburb feeling like I was so restricted. And I was -- I made safe decisions and did safe things. But as anyone who reads my blog knows, I have a strong dislike for anything "safe" or "stable." I like risk. I like doing things that other people consider crazy, and things that most people would not normally do. Some of these decisions have been considered crazy, but I have an enormous amount of blind faith that no matter what crazy decision I make (like moving to Cambodia), everything will work out the way it's supposed to in the end.

Anyways, here's the quote, straight off of my bedroom wall:

A Featured Favorite: TheDieline

2009-04-01T09:00:00.007-06:00

{I realized I feature a lot of things that I stumble across on the web that I think, can't go unnoticed and I want to share. Maybe not as much as Caitlin on Smile Like You Mean It (love her blog, you should check it daily) but enough that I thought whenever I do, it will be under "A Featured Favorite." With that being said, here's the first}

I love branding, designing and packaging. I enjoy checking out branding redesigns and using my eye to decipher what works and doesn't (in my mind). For this reason, that is why I totally dig TheDieline: The World's #1 Package Design Website.
My favorite sections are: Before & After's, Brand Spotlight's, and Creative Dieline.

Check out these Creative Design's they've featured. Then for your branding goodness head to TheDieline or follow them on Twitter (@thedieline) for design updates.

Laughing Out Loud, Does the Body Good

2009-03-31T10:00:00.004-06:00

I'm a big fan of laughter. In fact, I tell people that it's a hobby of mine. I've got big dimples and if you know me at all, you would probably say my laughter precedes me. It's just an innate part of my personality and what I enjoy in life. Nonetheless, I've got the science to prove it!

BoingBoing just posted the "Science of the Laughing Cure," which came from this month's Scientific American Mind article, "How Humor Makes you Friendlier, Sexier." I concur. "Laughter relaxes us and improves our mood, and hearing jokes may ease anxiety."

Norman Cousins, the journalist, author and editor of Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient found there was no pain reliever better than clips of the Marx Brothers. For years, Cousins suffered from inflammatory arthritis, and he swore that 10 minutes of laughing at the hilarious team bought him two hours of pain-free sleep. "Amusement’s ability to counteract physical agony is well documented, and as Cousins’s experience suggests, humor’s analgesic effect lasts after the smile has faded."

Cousins' work as an adjunct professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, let him investigate the effects of emotions on biological states and health.

From his investigation and work they found: "The community of patients inspired by such miracle treatments believes not only that humor is psychologically beneficial but that it actually cures disease. In reality, only a smattering of scientific evidence exists to support the latter idea—but laughter and humor do seem to have significant effects on the psyche, even influencing our perception of pain. What is more, psychological well-being has an impact on overall wellness, including our risk of disease."

So take that. Lighten your load and remember a good laugh with friends is more than fun, it's beneficial to your psyche and can significantly improve your overall well-being.

Kat, Jenica (my closest girlfriend's from college) and myself laughing ourselves silly. It does the body good.

What Inspires You? Guest Post VI: Samantha Karol

2009-03-30T09:00:00.010-06:00

Sam and I "met" online through a combination of our blogs, BrazenCareerist and Twitter--all reasons why I love this project and our generation. Check out Sam's spin on this sixth series of What Inspires You? Then stay tuned, the two of us have another project up our sleeves...

Samantha Karol
Bio: Samantha is a 20-something Marketing Assistant at online ad network, CPX Interactive. She loves writing, watching football, ice cream, and social networking. To learn more about her, check out this post on her blog.

Blog: Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates Twitter: @sameve

Inspiration can be found in many places, but for me, it’s not about what inspires me, but who inspires me. Certain kinds of people inspire me, those who embody particular values, ideals, or characteristics. I often find that those who inspire me are those I admire and aspire to be like, and it’s no coincidence that those words all share the same root.

Over the past few months, we’ve been hearing a lot about greedy CEOs who refuse to give up their million dollar bonuses, even as their companies struggle. I am proud to work for a company that is led by people who are the exact opposite. They are generous and giving, instead of greedy, and they follow the mantra that “with power comes responsibility.” Their selfless philanthropic efforts, like donating the money to build a community center in Ecuador, inspire me to be a better person.

I am also inspired by those who are not afraid to stand up for something they believe in, make their voice heard, stand up to authority, and work for change. Those who sacrifice for others, put themselves in harm’s way to protect someone else or to keep their country safe are an inspiration. People like the brave German citizens during WWII who said, this is not right, and risked their lives in an effort to save the lives of others. And, I am inspired by people who overcome hardship, look fear in the face and vow not to be afraid, who confront illness with perseverance and fight, and refuse to give up. My loved ones, who are no longer with me, inspire me to make the most of every day, and live my life to the fullest.

The dictionary definitions of inspiration often refer to the influence of a divine, supernatural, or holy force. There are certainly some aspects of religion that may serve as inspiration, but I believe that where we find inspiration has a lot to do with who we are, our passions and goals, and what matters to us. An artist might find inspiration in a beautiful sunset, an athlete in the record setters of the past, a chef in a new taste discovered in foreign cuisine. However, it's important to remember that simple things can inspire others too: a kind word, a selfless act, or a generous gift. You might be an inspiration to someone and not even know it. No pressure.

Friday Linky Love

2009-03-27T09:00:00.004-06:00

This week doesn't have a theme, but each article piqued an interest of mine. I like to think there's a little bit of everything for everyone here. Happy Friday and this photo is to invoke the feeling of Spring, even though Boulder got 15"+ inches of snow yesterday!

1. New York Times, N.Y./Region: A Bookstore Closes in Chappaqua, and a Town is Poorer for It
2. Life Without Pants: The Dividing Line: Personal Blogging vs. Personal Branding
3. PR Squared-Show Your Quirk
4. Travellious-Origin
5. New York Times-The Moment: Venice Architecture Biennale
6. Logic + Emotion: How To Be More Human
7. Search Views: Social Media: Twitter Tests Search Ads
8. Wall Street Journal: The Facebook Generation Vs. the Fortune 500
9. nielsen wire: Twitter's Tweet Smell of Success
10.The San Francisco Chronicle: Cisco Acquires maker of Flip Video camcorders (A very close friend of mine, works with Pure Digital [makers of Flip Video] so I'm particularly proud and excited about this start-up making it big time!)

Photo Credit: J. Rosario

What Inspires You? Guest Post V: Adam Fullerton

2009-03-26T09:00:00.006-06:00

For some reason Adam and I didn't meet until the very end of college and it still baffles us since we immediately clicked. His humor, honesty and zest for life are both endearing and addictive qualities that make everyone who is around him, immediately liken to him. All reasons, I'm happy to be featuring Adam as the fifth in my What Inspires You series.

Adam Ross Fullerton
Bio: Education-Life, everyone I have ever talked to, anything I have ever done, anything I ever heard (once I learned how to listen), and I hung out in classrooms at Champlain College until one day they gave me a very expensive piece of paper. Current Project- Campaign Analyst at a video analytics company. Accomplishments- Making people smile, Eagle Scout, I love my job.
Blog: AdamFullerton Twitter: @fullyadam

The Might of a Muse

I used to be bummed out by the fact I never found something I thought I was exceptionally good at. Until one day when I realized I am a renaissance man who is really good at a lot of things which, in my opinion, makes me much better off. I am the luckiest man in the world because I can sing, dance, write music, laugh, cry, fix, break, climb, run, swim, sail, build a house, build a fire, build a following, think, talk, yell and whisper. I can work in subtlety, work in silence, and work in the rain. I can work outside, inside and even upside down.

Inspiration:

I am inspired by those who I consider better than me. Without the higher standard set I will always feel comfortable resting on my laurels. I don’t seek inspiration, I let it come to me when it hits, it crashes on me like a ton of bricks. I am inspired by a beautiful photograph in a friend's apartment. I am inspired by a train conductor helping an elderly woman carry her suitcase up a flight of stairs. I am inspired by other people's opinions, ideas and cultures. I am inspired by people who don't say something unless its 100% meaningful. I am inspired by smart people with smart ideas who decided to do something and just did it, because if no one ever went completely out of their way to carry out a crazy idea than the human race would have died off a long time ago. I am inspired by the idea that if I was born a hundred years ago I would have been working in a railroad car shoveling coal instead of just riding one into Boston everyday.

Motivation:

So what motivates me? As cheesy as it sounds I am in the constant chase of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I know what I want in life and I embrace change, this means that I am always striving to achieve the things that make me happy while knowing that happiness will constantly evolve. I am especially motivated by the idea that my great grandmother was born in the time of a horse drawn carriage and died after seeing a man land on the moon. Now I am the first Fullerton to graduate college and I am taking part in the evolution of the Internet. I firmly believe that if you find something you love doing and take advantage of it than striving for excellence happens naturally, no motivation required.

Don’t know what you love to do? The best way to figure this out is just to get out there. Take a job you think you would hate, face the public, only let money be a factor if it has to be, never take a job you won’t learn anything at, and when possible, do something you would have never thought of if you had a closed mind. Life experience is key because life is the only thing that will teach you what you truly enjoy and are good at, and that is the true measure of success.

What I do, that might work for you:

If you're anything like me you need to be reminded of things constantly. Hang up a massive picture of a place you always wanted to visit next to a door you walk through everyday. For anything in your life that reminds you of your past install at least five times that which reminds you of your future. This will make you thankful for what you have and remind of what you want.

I end with a quote that I heard from an old Spanish man on a video showcased on this very blog.

"I have lived for 102 years and... I promise the only thing you wont like about life is that it is too short. You're here to be happy."

Don't Get Yourself Fired Because of Twitter

2009-03-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

Ironically, a friend not on Twitter, but who makes fun of me because I am sent me this article from MSNBC, "Twitter Gets You Fired in 140 Characters or Less."
Although this story may not be breaking news, I still can't help but think about its relevancy. The article talks about a recent tweet by one would-be Cisco employee about his job offer. To illustrate, here’s the tweet the now Web-infamous "theconnor" shared with the world:

"Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

Although he only has 45 followers on Twitter, it doesn't mean a brand or company such as Cisco can't view the Tweet. Furthermore, nothing you put on the Internet is ever private. Duh.

I can sympathize, here (well only a little) but the bigger picture here, is that the Internet and tools such as Twitter and Facebook have revolutionized and changed our job market and hiring strategy. Buzz terms like 'personal branding' and to Google someone before they come in for an interview isn't uncommon. I've referenced before in a blog post to be aware of how you represent yourself online and also keep tabs on your online visibility. I believe in authenticity and think that you should be honest and open--so I stress here, be yourself, but I think that talking publicly about a job offer that you actually don't want (unless you really want to be fired) isn't a smart move.

Lesson learned here: The Internet can get you fired. Be careful about what you say and know that brands, companies and individuals can see and hear what you're talking about. Unless you're comfortable with it being public, I say, better left unsaid or offline.

What sort of online experiences have you found in your company or with an individual speaking out against something, that backfired?

Photo Credit: Duane Hoffmann / msnbc.com

What Inspires You? Guest Post IV: Jamie Varon

2009-03-23T09:07:00.002-06:00

The fourth in my "What Inspires You" series, I'm happy to be featuring Jamie Varon who tells it like it is. I appreciate her drive, honesty and fresh ideas such as her Twitter Should Hire Me Campaign. So without further ado...

Jamie Varon
Bio: Jamie Varon writes about the intersection of life, love, and work over at her blog, intersected (www.intersectedblog.com). She is bold, ambitious, honest, and wants to write about topics that people are afraid to discuss. Currently, she is working towards building a strong portfolio within the social media marketing industry.
Blog: intersected Twitter: @jamievaron

At different times of the day, inspiration will hit me. It could be a beautifully designed website or a blog post about something living honestly and courageously. Maybe, it's a copmliment someone gave me or a criticism I received. I find that inspiration comes in the most unsuspecting forms.

However, the one thing that always, 100% no doubt inspires me is when someone is living passionately and authentically. And, when they have the courage to be honest about it, flaws and all. That is my true inspiration.

Luis Filipe dos Santos-Ink Blot Illustration Artist

2009-03-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

Art and design inspire me (I'm on an inspirational kick) so whenever I stumble across an artist that blows me away, I get giddy, wide-eyed and then know I want to feature their work. Luis Filipe dos Santos, an artist based in Portugal is one of them. Luis creates illustrations by using ink-blots as the base for his works. Like Meteu Velasco that I featured last month, I also reached out to Filipe and his humbleness and gratitude was refreshing. With his permission, here are my favorite pieces from his see.saw Flickr set:

what do you see? 04
i saw this. 04

------

what do you see? 05

i saw this. 05

For more of Filipe, check out his blog, Corcoise, his Etsy page, Flickr stream and website.

Friday Linky Love

2009-03-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

Inspiration is on my mind so here are this week's links that are quirky, inspiring and beautiful to me. Happy Friday!
1. Web Urbanist- 10 Intense Public Guerrilla Marketing Posters
2. Modish- Eco Friendly Find: Fox and Clover
3. All Things Lovely- Artwork by Jillian Ditner
4. Zoomdoggle: Greasy Lisa
5. Live in Full Color: Color Inspiration: the Irish Flag
6. Simply Natural: Feeling Rusty
7. This is Glamorous: {seaside sophistication}
8. Living Locurto: Art Collage
9. F is for Favorite: Asuka Wallpaper
10. The Bright Side Project: The Bright Side Project II::Designer 19::Clare Stoker-Ring::Design by Stamp

Photo Credit: OakleyOriginals

What Inspires You? Number III: Guest Post by Caitlin McCabe

2009-03-19T09:00:00.004-06:00

Just like inspiration, these posts are coming in waves. Already on our third, I connected with Caitlin through Lijit but found out we have much in common and enjoy each other's blogs. I hope you enjoy Caitlin's inspiration: "The Underbelly."

Caitlin McCabe
Bio: I live and blog mostly in Madison Wisconsin about design, art, music, and lifestyle. Besides scouting new things for my blog, I love tomatoes with salt, taking photos, and the show Mad Men.

Blog: Smile Like You Mean It Twitter: @caitlinmc

Motivation and Inspiration: The Underbelly

I love to write about what inspires me. In fact, most of my blog is about the different things that I stumble across online that make me say "wow, what an amazing idea!" and there really are some cool things out there right now. However, I believe there's another side to motivation that's slightly less rosy but equally as effective.

I showed up to my first graduate level writing class at age 20 believing myself to be the next Dorothy Parker and prepared to prove this to my new class. Until I found out two of my classmates had book deals. I had no book deal. The feeling was a mix of jealousy and confusion about my accomplishments and left me running for my computer after class. In tears. Crying to my roommate that I was "never going back to that class again". Melodramatic, I know but this was one of my most memorable run-ins with motivation. I took off the next summer and slaved over writing a book (I neither published nor finished it) that began right that moment in that class.

When it comes right down to it movies and books and art are inspirational tools that change the way I think and influence my art, a list of the "Top 30 Most Successful People Under 30" motivates me to get up at 5AM instead of 6.

In my mind, motivation and competition are kissing cousins. Case in point, how many times have you looked at an extremely successful group of people and discovered they've all been friends for years? They push each other with some healthy competition to be better at what they do. While it's sometimes hard to swallow, I find myself working ten times harder right after I meet someone 5 years younger than me with a successful website, their own art gallery, or a series of gorgeous photos they just shot. Here's my suggestion to use competition as motivation.

Choose a nemesis. Don't go out there and make an enemy, just choose someone who's a little ahead of you in the game (has double your readership instead of millions of readers for example) and stay on top of their advances and successes. I happen to be friends with several of the people that I consider to be slight competition. In other words, don't get caught up in disliking people who are ahead of you, just use that energy to push yourself a little further. Athletes do this all the time.

Write a list. I know, I know, everyone says this but you should do it. Right now. Write down all of the things you want to do even if they are totally ridiculous. Put it on your refrigerator. Look at it every single day. Every person that comes over to my house now knows that I want to improve my credit score, save some more money, own a condo in Las Vegas, and write a book but looking at this every single day while I do nothing about it makes me feel lazy. Eventually, I started chipping away at some of them.

So while inspiration makes our work worth doing and is the source of so many of our brilliant ideas, without motivation they may never come to fruition. At least for me, the ones up at 5 and out there doing it are that motivation.

Live iPhone Musical Performance

2009-03-18T16:40:00.006-06:00

No, I don't have an iPhone (crackberry, baby). However, I do love MGMT and geeky, innovative ideas like this one where The Mentalists play Kids by MGMT on their iPhones and iPod Touches, using only apps downloaded from the Apple App Store. Apps included: Ocarina, Retro Synth, miniSynth, DigiDrummer Lite. Check it.

(Thanks, Boing Boing)

What Inspires You? Number II: Guest Post by Akhila Kolisetty

2009-03-17T09:00:00.002-06:00

Here is my second guest post in the What Inspires You? series. I'm proud to present my new found friend, Akhila Kolisett, an enthusiastic Generation Y blogger, passionate about law, political science and social change.

Akhila Kolisett
Bio: Akhila is a 19 year old (soon to be 20!) undergraduate student at Northwestern University. She’s majoring in political science and economics, and hopes to eventually go to law school. She’s currently studying abroad for the year at the London School of Economics and absolutely loves London. She loves poetry, writing, chocolate, social media, political science and law, deep discussions, and learning about the world.

Blog: Justice For All Twitter: @freestallion

I started writing poetry at the age of 12 or so, after reading the autobiography of Bengali poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, given to me by my grandfather. My grandfather is incredibly intelligent. He has never left India, yet he has immense knowledge about the entire world. At a young age, I spent hours listening to his fascinating stories about history, science, religion, art, poetry, writing, and visionary leaders. My grandfather was my earliest inspiration. His guidance led me to discover writing and poetry. Since then, I’ve been in love with words. I love the power I have when I’m weaving words into poetry, when I see my haphazard thoughts come together cohesively to form something tangible, beautiful. I love the strength, emotional intensity, and symbolic depth that poems can convey.

To me, poetry is the ultimate expression of oneself. It allows one to put down on paper the abstract aches and longings buried inside – that simply can’t be conveyed through prose. I’ve been writing poetry ever since, and have even been published in a couple of literary magazines.

Since then, my love for writing has led me to be a reporter for The Daily Northwestern, my university’s newspaper. I loved journalism, but after a while it felt so cold and objective to me. I couldn’t inject my personality, my opinions, or my passions into my articles. And so I stopped after a year, realizing I could never commit to journalism. I’ve also always had blogs, but until a few months ago, they were mostly private and served as online diaries. For the first time, I recently began writing about issues I am passionate about – like human rights – on my public blog, Justice for All. I find blogging more fulfilling than journalism. It allows me to write about topics I care about engagingly and passionately. And at the same time, it’s allowed me to jump headfirst into social media, meeting like minded people and learning so much more about important issues.

Still, I feel like writing doesn’t allow me to make enough of a difference. Rather than simply informing people about the challenges we face, I want to do more. I want to actively do something to change our world. I am inspired by leaders, activists, and organizations that are passionate, talented, and truly innovative. I admire Muhammad Yunus for turning traditional finance on its head and creating a world movement for microfinance, allowing poor people access to loans for the first time. I admire Karen Tse, a lawyer who has started a nonprofit called International Bridges to Justice, which works to end torture in the developing world by training public defenders. I admire NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristof for bringing to our attention the things that we have to care about: war, famine, genocide, poverty. I’m inspired by organizations like the ACLU, Human Rights First, Equality Now, and Legal Aid who work tirelessly to protect human rights and civil liberties. I believe strongly that law is an effective tool for social change, because it can really empower people. And I want to be a part of this. It is a way to combine my love for writing – since law involves so much writing – with my desire to better the world. And so, I will continue to be inspired by writers but also human rights activists. Someday, I hope to pursue both passions together – and I hope my inspirations will help me forge my path ahead.

Photo Credit(s): moleskinart and With Love & Such

Featured on Online College Degree Blog: 100 Best Blogs for Young Entrepreneurs

2009-03-13T13:00:00.000-06:00

I'm happy to be featured on Online College Degree's recently released, "100 Best Blogs for Young Entrepreneurs," as I was featured in the category, "Young Women in Business." Not only is the list extremely resourceful but it's categorized and organized well. I'm featured amongst some friends and also people I look up to and have been following for some time. Check out the list for some new blogs to follow and great content.

Friday Linky Love

2009-03-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

It's my birthday today! Yes, I realize it's Friday the 13th but I have now dubbed today a lucky day. So the links I've provided today are all positive. Yes, that's me down there on my birthday last year holding the beautiful cake my friends made me. Enjoy and have a beautiful day.
1. Positive News: Muhammad Yunus Calls for Change
2. Boston Herald: Putnam CEO Puts Positive Spin In Economy
3. Boulder.me: What Does Boulder Mean to You? (A project myself and friends have participated in by blogging on what Boulder means to them--great posts)
4. Time: Five Reasons For Economic Optimism
5. I Care by Ruby Ku: Helping Through Lending
6. Good Magazine: Carpooling Quietly Booms in San Francisco
7. The Happy Herald: Robin Williams, Expect the Unexpected
8. Happy News: Food Caravan Stops In Hard-Hit Indiana County
9. 12for12K: 12for12K Teams Up With Pledge to End Hunger
10. Mother Earth News: Inspiring Handmade Homes

The First: What Inspires You? - Guest Post by Ruby Ku

2009-03-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned this past weekend, I have committed to two exciting projects one of them being the What Inspires You? series that focuses on Generation Y, guest bloggers sharing what inspires them and makes them want to wake up in the morning. This project is dear to my heart so I'm excited to present the first in this series from a new friend and inquisitive blogger who cares, Ruby Ku.

Bio: I'm just another 20-something Gen Y who cares, blogs, travels and loves meeting people.

Blog: http://rubyku.com

Twitter: @rubyku

I have always cared and wanted to make a difference. I also wanted more people to care because we need a lot of people working together towards making the world a better place to live. I just wasn't exactly sure how to go about doing it.

Recently I came across a story in the book Me to We written by Craig and Marc Kielburger. The story goes like this: "During the closing ceremonies of an international conference, the auditorium was plunged into darkness, and one young person stood in the center holding a lit candle. Quietly at first she called out the one question that was on everyone's mind: "I am only one person. What difference can I make?" She then turned to the four people closest to her and lit the candles they held. Those four then walked out to the corners of the auditorium, repeated the question, and each lit the candles of four people they met there. This same question echoed from person to person, from group to group, and on each occasion the flame was passed along. In this way, the light spread, until every candle was lit, and the vast room was aglow in a sea of light."

As human beings, we need to feel that we belong. Industrialization has encouraged individualism, followed by consumerism. People lost sense of who they were, and therefore turned themselves to products that have been marketed to them as the cure of emptiness and loneliness. People long for the desire to find their own identities and their places in the world. Last week I was at the screening of the documentary "Us Now ", a film project about the power of mass collaboration, government, and the internet. Following the screening, Christopher Wuff from Community Social Planning Council of Toronto said on the stage, "Web 2.0 is a return home, return to community, where we see ourselves in relation to the others and how we can help each other."

“If you're not lighting any candles, don't complain about the dark”

I truly believe we are the generation that have the ability to end poverty, to save the environment, and redefine the way our society works. A lot of my own inspirations have come from reading other people's blogs and learning about what they have done. I received the light from someone else and now I need to do my part. My blog is my candle, spreading the light, one at a time.

Photocredit: kwai7a

Coca-Cola: Encounter

2009-03-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

I couldn't help but post this commercial from Coca-Cola: Encounter. I may have even shed a tear, they're truly a brand that seeks to invoke movement and inspiration.

Client: Coca-Cola
Agency: McCann Erickson, Madrid
Creative Director: Leandro Raposo
Creative: Raquel Martinez,
Monica Moro
Agency Producer: Luis Felipe Moreno
Production Company: Landia
Director: Andy Fogwill
Executive Producer: Ivo van Vollenhoven
Producer: Assaf Eldar
Director of Photography: Misca Lluch
Post Production: Molinare
Editor: Jose Serra

Interviewed by Steal This Job Blog

2009-03-10T15:00:00.000-06:00

Recently I was approached by Caroline Dobuzinski from Steal This Job Blog, that features career news, tips and profiles of people doing interesting jobs. She appreciated my "positivity about the job possibilities for young people," so she asked to interview me and of course I obliged. I've re-posted it below, but it can also be found on her fantastic blog here.

"Smart, savvy start-up business developer"

Name: Grace Boyle
Age: 22 (turning 23 on Friday, March 13 - Happy Birthday, Grace!)
Occupation: Business Development
Place of Residence: Boulder, Colorado
Employer: Lijit Networks, Inc. (http://www.lijit.com/)
Interests: snowboarding, travel, cooking, laughing, blogging, technology, progressive mindsets, art, live music, my Italian family, a good challenge, authenticity, the outdoors, road trips
Favourite Quote: “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” -Hunter S. Thompson

What training was useful in getting your job?

Going above and beyond the requirements led to Boyle’s success in the online business world. Her public relations degree at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont required the completion of at least one professional internship. Boyle completed a total five, giving her invaluable skills. “Not only did I challenge myself, but I gained mentors in my field, was promoted to employment from two of the internships throughout college, and had a resume filled with relevant experience by the time I graduated,” said Boyle. “I learned to be assertive, how to network, meet the 'right' people and leverage my experience to employers.”

Boyle also gained perspective on the field by travelling abroad, studying for a year in Florence, Italy. "I stepped outside my comfort zone and learned to adapt in another culture other than my own,” she said.

How did you get your job?
Whatever you want to call it—be it a familiar expression, truism, cliché—being in the right place at the right time is so often the way to a career. But luck and happenstance aren’t the only factors to success.

Boyle moved to Boulder, Colorado without a job because she was passionate about living there. She started networking, asking her contacts if they knew anyone in the city and building a list of names. This eventually led to an informal meeting with Micah Baldwin, Lijit’s VP of Business Development. The meeting came about after Boyle mentioned to a contact that she had added the Lijit search engine on her blog.

In an unexpected twist, the meeting quickly turned into a job interview. “Micah began to perk up as I talked about Lijit and how I loved their service so he said, ‘Well, we're actually hiring,’” says Boyle.

The rest of the story is pretty simple, says Boyle: “Walter the COO walks by and Micah goes, ‘Walter, Grace is interested in the Biz Dev position. Can you interview her real quick?’ Just like that, I bounce into an interview with Walter the head of the company (I laugh now, because Walter travels a lot and the fact that he had time and was in the office is serendipitous).”

Boyle left the office at noon after her impromptu interview. By 4 p.m. that afternoon, she was offered the job in business development with Lijit and was in the office by Monday. The COO said that it Boyle’s enthusiasm, experience, drive and grasp of the company’s work had landed her on the job. “He said it was the quickest hiring decision he had ever made,” says Boyle.

Describe your typical workday.
“In a start-up you always experience something new and life happens fast around you,” says Boyle. The workday usually starts for Boyle by staying on top of the online buzz about Lijit. She also checks the site’s stats to see how many people have signed up for the search engine service. “I like to keep tabs on our users and our brand,” says Boyle. While Boyle is not meeting face-to-face with her clients, developing relationships and having excellent people skills is essential.

Internally, Boyle meets with the business development and marketing team. She is involved with the technical end in helping to customize the search for larger sites. “This allows my inner geek to shine!” says Boyle.

Today’s online business environment also requires excellent attention to customer service which is what Boyle aims to provide. “I strive to be personal and ‘available’ for our bloggers so at any given time I have about 70 conversations going on with current or potential Lijit users.” Boyle describes her position as “a mix of customer support, marketing, and direct conversations regarding Lijit.”

What are your regular responsibilities and duties?
“I forge new relationships with online publishers and bloggers, manage existing relationships, and help to contribute to Lijit's growth and reach with more bloggers using Lijit's search service,” said Boyle. Boyle also promotes, or “evangelizes” in start-up speak, Lijit’s services through vehicles such as Twitter and her own blog.

By taking on an expanded workload, Boyle also created an identity for herself at the company: “I have also become a trusted voice for Lijit,” she says. “On my own, I help arrange online pieces about Lijit with my new users as well as set up press interviews with influential marketers and bloggers, with our CEO, Todd. This wasn't part of my job description, but with my background in public relations and wanting to go beyond the call of duty.”

She tries to stay one step ahead of her boss, anticipating his next move and completing tasks ahead of time (probably also a good strategy for foosball).

Who tells you what to do? Are there opportunities to exercise some creative freedom in your line of work?
The culture at Lijit is one of sharing ideas and encouraging open conversation, learning, teamwork, innovation and cooperation housed in a lively, lime green office. “Each of us at Lijit respects the other and there isn't a hierarchy,” says Boyle. “I can walk into our COO's office, Walter ask him a direct question or take a break by playing on our foosball table.”

What is the best part of your job?
Through her work, Boyle gets to follow the many threads of conversation happening online. “Whether it's a gourmet cake blogger, an expat in Italy or a blogger who writes about crafts gone wrong around the world, I still maintain a connection with each of [the bloggers using Lijit],” says Boyle.

Through her work, Boyle recently connected with her Italian heritage through a blog called Bleeding Espresso. The writer, Michelle Cabrio is living in Calabria, Italy where Boyle’s family is from. “Not only did I help to customize her Lijit search and she wrote a blog post about Lijit and me, but we've become friends,” says Boyle. “I am very passionate about Italy and I've been able to connect with someone living and breathing a little piece of my dream.”

What or who inspired you to get into this line of work?
There were many people in her academic and professional life who inspired Boyle to pursue a career in business. Gregor Barnum, Boyle’s boss for an internship with Seventh Generation has an offbeat and intriguing job title of his own: Director of Corporate Consciousness. He got Boyle blogging for the company’s website. “I learned html, edited the blog, and worked directly with their blogging team.” At school, a professor of Internet marketing, Elaine Young taught Boyle to understand online tools for businesses.

Is there something that makes you stand out in your position?
Boyle lets her passion for her job show through her had work, perseverance and positive attitude. “Everyday, I think, what can I do differently? I ask questions and stay hungry. I never turn down a challenge,” says Boyle.

Knowing that it would be a good contribution to Lijit, she recently went beyond the call of duty by creating an orientation package for a new hire. “Sometimes it's the little things you do to fill the gaps that go a long way,” says Boyle.

“To be good at my job you have to be personal, motivated, creative, highly organized, adept at negotiating and maintaining relationships, Internet savvy, a bit geeky, and a multi-tasking extrordinare,” says Boyle.

Where would you like to go from here?
“I really got into blogging when I began at Lijit, so I want to continue that personally, but would love to work for another start-up, specifically in technology and social media. I'm very happy at Lijit, so I'm not looking too far ahead but I broadly see myself running online marketing and social media for a company in the future.”

What advice would you give someone who is trying to break into a career like yours?
“Walk the talk,” says Boyle. “I came into Lijit with a blog, Twitter account and my Lijit search set up. I was the target audience and did my research because I knew what Lijit did. I have an innate passion for connecting and building relationships and any business development professional needs those qualities to succeed.”

A little realistic self-assessment can also go a long way in creating a clear sense of career purpose and drive. “I also think it's very important to know your strengths and weaknesses,” says Boyle. “A lot of people say that, but by knowing them you understand how to work and can articulate to the company how you will personally make them better.”

Any links that you recommend?

Chris Brogan: Social Media Business Strategy and more
Modite: Career and Life Advice
Brazen Careerist: This site, run by the founder of three start-ups, has articles and tips, and includes a profile of Boyle herself.
Lijit's Company Blog: "What we do, who we are and company culture," says Boyle.
Conversation Agent: Connecting Ideas and People

Dear Boulder

2009-03-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

My friends at Boulder.me are putting together a collective list from local Boulder bloggers on "What Does Boulder Mean To You? Of course I wanted to participate, because the very premise of this community project is part of why I love Boulder.

Dear Boulder,

You enticed me so much, I packed up my car (job-less and apartment-less), drove across the country and decided to call you my home this past August 2008. Here I am, March 2009 with a job I love, nestled in the start-up, tech community living in a house looking out at the Flatirons, just moments from hiking trails.

For this and many more reasons, I want to thank you for:

Your Community: It's eclectic by being mixed with locals and transplants who want a life with more balance and harmony. There's a surge of power here. People ask how you're doing and care to hear the answer. Upon moving here alone, I didn't feel alone because I found many groups and organizations focused on niche interests from Boulder Outdoor Group to New Tech Meetup.

Your Weather and Geographical Location: Nice spot to land. You're nestled so nicely against the Flatiron mountains and the Rockies are just at your back. I can snowboard each weekend on some of the country's best resorts within a few hours or hike moments from my front door. With 300+ days of sunshine and summers that are not humid (coming from New England this is amazing), it's a deal breaker in itself.

Technology, Wit and Smarts Oh My!: As I work for Lijit Networks, Inc., I'm thick in the midst of the start-up and technology scene. There's a lot of intelligence and creativity weaving through Boulder. The pulse is beating. There's something in the air and it's not just based around technology. It's no wonder The American calls Boulder the, "Start-Up Town."

Delicious Morsels: Mmm, from The Black Cat to Mountain Sun the culinary range makes a foodie like myself happy, rivaling other city's cuisine selection, per Boulder's capita.

Thank you again Boulder and all that you have given and supported me. Your fresh air, beauty and intelligent people keep me going each day.

Yours truly,

Grace

Current Projects

2009-03-08T16:43:00.000-06:00

I'm busy and involved, but have always been like that and thrive off the power I generate. This is why taking on two blog/online projects on top of my full-time job, working with Ladies Who Launch, helping my mother market her women's retreat to Italy, meetups and everything else that happens in life, isn't daunting (yet).

These projects came organically and spontaneously, plus they're dear to my heart. The first one, I've already announced: A Photo a Day in March and today marks week one complete. I will say it's exciting what you begin to see when you're looking through the lens of your camera daily. You can see these photos in my Flickr stream here.

The second project came to me organically, but often when ideas come to me like this they're the most creative and uninhibited. I'm starting a series on my blog with Generation Y powerhouses sharing and guest blogging here on: What Inspires You?

I began to think about all the amazing Generation Y babies I've been meeting and our exchanges have always been poignant. I thought, "Wow, we interact so differently than our parents do, and the things that make us tick and wake up in the morning are inherently different than that of other generations." Then light bulb. I want to bring those answers all together here, through a sharing series of guest-blog posts. I've left the creation up to them, about 300-500 words describing in any way, What Inspires You? I've reached out directly to a group of Generation Y friends and bloggers worldwide and the responses have been very positive. The first batch are being written as I type, however, I want to open the floor and invitation. If you are interested in the project or know someone who would be, then please e-mail me: gracekboyle at gmail dot com I would love to connect and share our inspirational ideals as a community and powerful generation.

Stay tuned, spread the word and of course, your feedback and thoughts are always welcome!

Friday Linky Love

2009-03-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love lists--making and reading them. This week ironically, I started finding some great top 10 lists that are current so I thought I would keep this week into the theme. So enjoy and happy Friday!
1. Elephant Journal-10 Great Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes
2. Entrepreneur-Top 10 Reasons to Start Up in the Recession
3. Courant- Top 10 Ways 2009 Is Better Than 1999
4. Ad Age- Top 10 Media and Marketing Books of All Time
5. TheLadders-Top 10 Criteria That Make or Break A Resume
6. Cats Who Code- Top 10 Thesis Theme Customizations
7. Traveling the Green Way- Top 10 U.S. Cities For Vacation Value
8. NY Times- The 10 Best Books of 2008
9. Gigaom- Top 10 Tech Companies That Pay Engineers the Most
10. Thomas Joos- My Top 10 iPhone Applications

Photo Credit: Ella's Dad

Feauturing the Designs of an Illustrating Genius, Mateu Velasco

2009-03-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

For the past few years I've been enamored by Brazilian illustrator, Mateu Velasco's designs and edgy artwork. His graffiti-like work, uses bold colors while often depicting raw and edgy stories, faces and people. Caesar Lima from Pixel Blog describes Velasco's varied skill from "canvas, to street corner, to beach wall, Velasco's work permeates art and street culture with a humor and grace we can't get enough of."

I've used Velasco's print as my background on my Twitter page and I got such positive feedback and intrigue from Twitter friends that I decided to reach out to him directly. I let him know how his work inspires me and that I would love to feature some of his work on my blog. He promptly responded, with humility and gratitude--so refreshing and real. Velasco kindly accepted my offer, so from the artist himself, I've featured some of my favorite pieces (labeled by his Flickr sets) but to give him due credit, please check out his Flickr page where his collections are featured.

50+

digital

spray
acrilica
posca digital

gravura digital
formato A2

r u a

no processo

laranjeiras

illustration

2004

digital

Pinturas/paintings

serigrafia sobre kraft

2003

100 x 100 cm

Mateu Velasco: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mateu/

Like what you see? Tell me what you think and if you know other designers and illustrators, I would love to hear of them.

Google Me

2009-03-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ji Lee, the creative director of Google Creative Lab in NY created this card. I've seen it done before. The idea is slick (maybe cocky?) but catches my attention and is different. I think this is a testament to your personal brand. How do you represent yourself online? If someone Google's you, do the right site's appear? Is there a WWF wrestler with the same name as you that trumps your own content?
I think it's important to keep this in check. Periodically I Google myself, narcissistic you say? Think about how you want to be represented when prospective companies do a little Google check or the cred you're building for yourself. It's important.

What about you? How's your personal brand stacking up?

Photo Credit: PicoCool

A Photo A Day In March

2009-03-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

March is my birthday month (the 13th to be exact) so as Spring is on its way, I have decided to do a photo-a-day for March. Inspired by my dear Tall Tara and her Project 365 (my goals aren't that lofty) I'm going to try a month and see where I land and what I learn.

The rules are loose:
-Photos will be taken with my Kodak12X IS
-Photos can be of anything or anyone, but only one photo a day
-After each week I will upload the 7 photos onto my Flickr stream (unedited)
-I plan to update via blog about 2-3 times
-At the end of the month, I'm going to post my favorites and reflect

So for March 1st, my first photo:

March 1st-Rachael's breakfast birthday candle surprise.

Way to start off my birthday month with another happy birthday, her face is so precious here. Plus, who has ever seen a candle in an omelet? ;)

Friday Linky Love

2009-02-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

There's been a large focus on Generation Y for me this week and recently having connected with some young, progressive bloggers I couldn't help but feature their writing here. Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend.

1. CNN Money: According to a New International Workplace Survey by Kelly Services, Around the Globe the Desire for Meaningful Work Triumphs Over Pay, Promotion, and Job Choices
2. GenerationYGive: Agility in a Time of Uncertainty
3. Gen Y PR Prescriptions: 6 Ways to Play Twitter
4. Women-omics: Why Women are So Good in Business
5. Twenty Set: You Don't Need a Blog Topic. Just Start Writing
6. iNTERSECTEd: Social Media is Nothing Without You
7. Quiet the Thunder: No One Cares About Your Latest Blog Post
8. Smile Like You Mean It: Creative Genius
9. Brazen Careerist: 10 More Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workplace
10. Personal Branding Blog: Will Your Resume Get You the Job You Want?

Photo Credit: David

Top 8 Under-Appreciated Blogs by Gen Y Women From Rebecca Thorman

2009-02-26T09:15:00.001-07:00

Last night my friend and fantastic Generation Y blogger, Rebecca Thorman (@modite) created a list of "Top 8 Under-Appreciated Blogs by Gen Y Women," on her blog Modite. I am honored to be featured on the list and to be amongst 7 other amazing women bloggers paving the way for Generation Y. I've reblogged Rebecca's list for your perusal-let myself or Rebecca know what you think.

1. Dorie Morgan’s Rising Up by Dorie Morgan, @brstngphnx
Dorie weaves small ideas into major themes, and seems to have an outlook that is always a step to the side of my own. Which is exactly why I like reading her.

2. McKinney-Oates Cereal by Marie McKinney-Oates, @mckinneyos
Marie is the new Dooce. Wildly entertaining, transparent and hilarious, she writes about such topics as sex, her cat, the Snuggie, religion, her husband and whatever else crosses her mind. She has a special aptitude for dialogue.

3. Twenty Set by Monica O’Brien, @monicaobrien
I rarely feel the competition I do with other bloggers like I do with Monica because she’s one of the few people who can write about careers in a way that’s not completely boring.

4. Small Hands, Big Ideas by Grace Boyle, @gracekboyle
Grace and I have almost identical situations. I love that she’s also working for a start-up company and is super into social media and the environment. She’s what Gen Y is all about.

5. Intersected by Jamie Varon, @jamievaron
When I first discovered Jamie she had a completely different writing style. Now she writes in the vein of Penelope Trunk – on the edge of topics. But be sure to explore some of her archives too for the really introspective stuff.

6. Smile Like You Mean It by Caitlin McCabe
Caitlin is a fellow Madisonian and offers sarcastic and irreverent vignettes on life next to hipster finds in art, fashion, design and music videos.

7. Shouting to Quiet the Thunder by Milena Thomas, @MelonCamp
A lot of the times, Milena feels like my blogging sister. I don’t always agree with her, sometimes I don’t even know what she’s talking about (in politics), but I’m always interested to hear her opinion. Exceptionally self-aware, her posts never fail to delight.

8. Quarter-Life Lady by Akirah Wyatt, @quarterlifelady
Akirah’s blog is full of such fun, sincerity and enthusiasm that it’s hard not to get caught up in it all. Alternating between personal stories and smart career advice, Akirah is someone you instantly like.

Bringing Real World Experience to Students in the Classroom

2009-02-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a big advocate for real-life experience and projects in the college classroom. I was lucky enough at Champlain College to do just that. This included projects like putting together a full PR Campaign for Vermont Teddy Bear or creating an internet marketing strategy and website for Sonoma Station Restaurant. Then presenting the project, to the executives or owners of the company at the end of the semester. This prepares students for work experience once they graduate, because 'experience is knowledge.' Stanford University is also paving the path for real-world classroom experience by allowing their students to design Internet applications in class which is actually earning them a monetary income through online sales.

A student, Vikram Oberoi is selling his "Site Saver" application for the iPhone priced at $1.99. This app was built in an elective computer CS193P science class. College Mogul who also covered this article notes this progressive business nature to the amount of resources available online today. "As more resources appear online, educators can start giving lessons to students in class via guided Internet exercises."
From this specific CS193P class, 40 apps have emerged and several are available for purchase at the iPhone App Store on iTunes. Vikram created a website featuring these apps, which you can view here.

I can't help but agree with College Mogul that, "with more industries finding success and growth online, teachers will be able to integrate class lessons with “real world” gain—and potentially capture student’s interests in classroom lectures. For example, in video classes, students can publish their videos to YouTube and let the world judge how much they want to see their film. Authors can test their appeal on blogs. Financial classes can take students through the process of investing with services like Ameritrade."

Champlain College offers real world experience, not just in my Public Relations major--Broadcasting majors are allowed to host their own radio show in our studio or Criminal Justice majors have a required hands-on internship with the Vermont Medical Examiner's office, local law enforcement or corrections agency. I hope to see more university's and colleges adopting this technique. Instead of just teaching them how to fish, give them the fishing pole and let them wade into the water.

So what about you? Do you know any college's adopting this strategy in the classroom? What about a class you took in college that prepared you for the real-world?

This Is the Way I Tweet

2009-02-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Jeremy Tanner's, "You Owe Me Nothing (My Twitter Policy)" and my mother lamenting that she doesn't get the 'rules' of Twitter I began to think about how I tweet and why.

First of all, when it comes to Twitter rules, I say there are no rules. Influential pundits talk about twitt etiquette, but there is no manual or handbook that you must abide by. I tell people, "Use it how you want..." Eventually, they're going to figure out how it works for them or doesn't. Which is why my (informal) Twitter disclaimer naturally came to mind.

My Twitter disclaimer:

I care less about gaining a large following and more about sharing and receiving the digital or day-to-day information I find interesting. This includes connecting and creating a dialogue. I follow people who @reply, interact, share and don't say "me" or "I" in every tweet.
I don't follow everyone back because I believe I reserve the right to choose if that person's tweets are compelling, intriguing or relevant. Nothing against you, I'm not even that picky but you have the choice to not follow me back as well. I'm following you because I like what you're saying, I've met you or it's work related.
If however, you begin to follow me I try (90% of the time) to send a personalized Direct Message to you, thanking for the follow and whatever peaks my interest about their recent tweets. Sidenote: I hate auto DM's-I want to un-follow when I receive them.
I believe @Lijit has immediate and personal, customer support and I think as a brand we use Twitter very well. With that being said, I often connect with my Lijit users on my personal Twitter profile, as it's easy and concise or I can RT @Lijit news or releases.
I've made some meaningful relationships on Twitter because of this personal interaction I've focused on. It is turned into why I love Twitter: the connections. When I first moved to Boulder I began to connect with a lot of Boulder Tweeps online, made some friends (and currently still doing so) that I have met off the Tweet grid or am planning to. I also like to tweet live via my crackberry at an event or tweetup, by contributing to the conversation.

Think I'm interesting? Want to connect? Talk tech, start-ups or share a laugh? I would love to!

So there you have it. My own personal, Twitter usage disclaimer. It works for me and is unique to who I am. How do you use Twitter? Is it for personal use or your company? Do you @reply often? What benefits have you experienced from Twitter?

Photo Credit: carrotcreative

Friday Linky Love

2009-02-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

TGIF, Friends. This week, Linky Love is focused on travel, tourism and social media. Go figure, I've been bitten by the travel bug and there's no cure.

1. Union Street Media: Internet Marketing Basics: Time-Sensitive Blog Topics

2. Almost Fearless: Should, Should, Should I Travel
3. Kat Maund: Kat Goes to China (stay tuned for a blog post here-10 students traveling to Western China for a mobile journalism and social media trip)
4. BBC: Online Networking 'Harms Health'
5. Wandering Italy: Twitter and Travel
6. Jaunted: JetBlue Wants Your Private Jet Lunch Money
7. New York Times: Photo Geo-Tagging On the Cheap
8. The Unofficial Apple Weblog: TUAW Tips: Packing Your Gadgetry For For Travel to Faraway Lands
9. Gadling: Budget Travel: Renting A Vacation Apartment
10. Cnet-The Social: OMG! Did Google Earth Find Atlantis?

Photo Credit: doug88888

Interview with Oliver Swann From Natural Homes.Org

2009-02-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

I recently received an e-mail from Oliver Swann, creator of naturalhomes.org regarding the cob houses I have been writing about and reviewing. He offered his natural homes map (iFrame code and all) for me to post and share similar houses with my readers. Of course, I was intrigued so I asked him to elaborate on how he started naturalhomes.org- what it's about and why natural homes inspire him. G: Where did your interest in natural homes begins?

O: My interest began when I moved from the UK to live in Norway where houses are generally much better designed, warmer and smaller than the houses in the UK. Friends there gave me a book about earthships which I read and loved but soon realised there were many other eco-house building methods to explore.

G: Why did you want to start naturalhomes.org?
O: There were several reasons to start naturalhomes, the main ones were:
I wanted to make information about natural building more mainstream and accessible, more magazine like but without moving it too much from the roots of where I started to learn myself. I've been on lots of builds, volunteering to help others build their houses, but never meeting any 'mainstream' type people. Obviously they weren't finding out about natural building, hence naturalhomes.org

I want to develop an audience for naturalhomes.org so I can profile natural builders and help support their efforts to teach new people. That's why I developed the map so that it was easy for people to browse the World and see just how beautiful and affordable natural houses can be. To reach a wider audience I made the map available to any blogger or website. The iFrame code is available here http://naturalhomes.org/naturalhomesmap.htm where you can select from either a map of all natural homes or a map of a particular type, like strawbale or earthship. I also manage portfolio of homes like the houses built by the builders, Amazonails (http://naturalhomes.org/themap.htm?strawbale@amazonails)

My own project is in Poland where I hope to create a small eco-village. I'll post details on naturalhomes.org nearer the time but if anyone wants to contact me about contributing they are welcome to write to house@naturalhomes.org. This year we are running courses on the land with earthhandsandhouses.org

G: To conclude, I have to say that naturalhomes.org is a fantastic resource that I have been waiting find. I've posted here previously about cob houses around the world, but really struggled for content and it didn't seem accessible. Oliver's site is comprehensive including maps, links and photos of natural homes and eco-villages around the world, plus it's filled with a myriad of natural home resources. As Oliver mentioned, for any questions or a natural home you want to feature, e-mail him at house@naturalhomes.org and you can also find him on Twitter, @naturalhomes.

This is one of Oliver's (many) maps featuring natural homes around the United States--fantastic, click through to find out more:

Personal Space

2009-02-17T21:06:00.001-07:00

I grew up in Iowa where physically, there was a lot of open frontier space. Inversely, the three months I spent in Costa Rica I experienced a 'breach' in my personal bubble where the people behind me in lines were close enough that I could feel their breath on my neck. Additionally, I've traveled to Bangkok, Thailand where the population for the city alone is 64 million. Each, vastly different.

Boing Boing guest blogger, Charles Platt asks “To what extent do we feel overcrowded, as a species? I’m not talking about resources; just psychological factors.” Do we ever think about personal space or is it something Americans take for granted? I believe it's a mix between sociological factors and the physical space that is left around us, that we're lucky (or not so) to experience. GOOD Magazine wrote about personal space, via Boing Boing and graphed personal space by each country. Take a look, it might surprise you.

What kind of personal space do you desire? Do you live in a small studio in a crowded city like NYC? Are you just looking for the freedom to roam? Does this affect us mentally and physically?

Friday Linky Love

2009-02-13T08:51:00.001-07:00

Welcome Friday and my second Linky Love! Although I'm not a big advocate of Valentine's Day I've ran across some humorous and interesting tid-bits around the holiday itself, so look for the love in some of the links. Happy weekending.

Photo Credit: Lall

1. Modite: Real Life Disclosures on the Myth of Work/Life Balance
2. Altitude Branding: Social Media Start Kit: Twitter
3. Dzine Blog: Web Design Inspiration: 40+ Impressive Single Page Websites
4. Drew B's Take on Tech PR: What Happened When I Spoke to the New Generation Twitterati
5. Naked Generations: Olympic President Recruits Gen Y Evangelists
6. Ad Age: H& R Block Reaches Young Consumers by Mobile Phone
7. The Tampa Tribune: Many Will Say 'I<3>
8. Fun & Food Cafe: Chocolate Banana Pancakes (in bed with your sweetie?)
9. The Huffington Post Re: Adam Sachs of Ignighter: An Open Letter To the Ladies on Valentine's Day...From Some Dudes
10. Geeks Are Sexy: The Geek Guide to Valentine's Day Gifts

I Want to Trust a Brand, Like I Trusted My Horse

2009-02-12T10:06:00.001-07:00

While growing up, I was a competitive horseback rider in three-day eventing (the triathlon of horseback riding events, yes, refer to Christopher Reeves harrowing accident and sport of choice) with my Thoroughbred, Keep the Wind. During these 8-some years, I learned a lot about leadership, independence, physical and mental endurance and most of all trust. Keep was blind in one eye, but we never failed to wow the judges as we soared over jumps and still brought home the blue ribbon (well, not every show) .

Keep and I during the cross-country portion of a competition

The reason I bring up Keep and my riding days is because I've been thinking about the role of trust within a brand and the consumer. Recently, with Phelps and A-Rod revealing their secrets, it has caused some fans and sponsors to lose trust in them. So I got to thinking about what I know...establishing trust between horse and rider is analogous to establishing trust between brand and customer. Really it is, just read on :)

I. Create Trust:
Horses, like people, have a strong sense of self-preservation. Their instincts are to run quickly from any threat and to stay within security of the herd. Mind you, the trust I created with Keep didn't happen over night. I had to prove it to him while consistency and patience were the formula. With positive reinforcements and a mature, persistent rider a horse will learn to follow directions of instinct but it is the rider and brand's responsibility to build the trust that keeps instinct in check and the horse or customers manageable.

II. Maintain Trust:
Once the rider has created a line of positive interaction, you have to stay consistent with your body language and reactions. The same goes for humans and brands interacting-respond appropriately, stay transparent, honest, and be consistent to their behavior or anticipated behavior. Then remember that once on a course of action, you must follow through.

I remember struggling with Keep, thinking "how do I learn to 'speak' horse if he doesn't speak my language?" I spent hours in his stall and in the saddle, morning and evening, learning the subtle cues that were distinctive to Keep. I learned that if he acted one way, I would react consistently to help teach him to learn. However, in all my training and lessons I learned the most by listening and being reactive. Two key points for a brand's reaction to a customer. Think about a brand that doesn't understand their target market, what a big mistake. Just like with a horse, why should Keep trust me if I respond angrily to his fear or don't listen to how he is acting. Like the tuned in, loyal customer--they notice when you're not listening.

III. Deliver Promises:
The Dove brand promises to make women feel gorgeous just the way they are. Volvo, vows to deliver your family safely in their vehicle. They're not just throwing a catchy tag line out there, but their initiatives mirror their promise or else they wouldn't be successful. Just like horses are social animals and stay in their herd, so are people. We use tools like Twitter, blogging and even sitting with your friend over lunch talking about how we're affected by or feeling about...my new running shoes, the Dentist that sent me the sweet welcome package, JC Penny's In the Doghouse Valentine's Campaign, etc.

If I rushed Keep through a cool-down, then threw him in his stall because I was in a hurry for something else, I broke his trust and didn't deliver my consistent promise of taking care of him. Simple, but customers don't like to be tossed aside. They want to trust that your brand's promise will hold true, and if it's broken, then they feel betrayed and upset. This will indirectly and directly, affect your brand. Depending on the extent of the broken promise and the customer or loyal fan on the receiving end, the backlash could be severe.

Above all else, trust is the first piece for any business, brand, or celebrity to establish with their following or customers. Yes, mistakes will be made, but if trust has been established and consistent then like me with Keep The Wind after a fall, I always got back in the saddle.

Customer Service Goes a Long Way

2009-02-10T12:53:00.001-07:00

Customer service. Seems pretty easy, right? Be personal, listen to your customers, follow-up, create a general sense of friendliness and validate why they, your customers, use your service or brand. Unfortunately, I think it's one of the hardest 'actions' to be consistent in.

I'm not talking about fireworks. Sometimes it's the simple little things that companies do to make their customer feel special. I just experienced one such customer service approach that I had to share:

Since I've relocated to Boulder, I've been grabbing new doctors, mechanics, and dentists. Through a recommendation, I've gone with Boulder Dental Group. I set up a consultation and regular teeth cleaning for next month and within a week I received a large manila envelope from them. Perplexed I tore the envelope open with my bubbling wonderment. Inside was a kind, "welcome" letter that told me exactly what to expect on my first visit to their office (partof this included a tour of the office before my teeth cleaning)! Then with clear branding on some 'dental SWAG' they included chapstick, a pen, post-its and a personalized appointment card. Wow.
Not a lot of work to put together, but it made me feel like I made the right choice. It made me feel welcome and it evoked a warm feeling inside of me. Definitely something any small business and especially a Dentist would want to do. Bravo, Boulder Dental Group.

What are some examples of customer service you've experienced recently that have wowed you?

February 12th Update: There are a lot of good conversations going on in the comments, including reader's exceptional experience with customer service and the not to so good ones. Join in!

12for12K-Social Media for 12 Social Causes

2009-02-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of 12for12K yet, here's your chance. This involves 12 charities for 12 months this 2009, to raise $12,000 per charity. This philanthropic charity effort is relying on the "combination of social media and fund-raising." The charity chosen in January 2009 was War Child and this month is Stop the Silence. Without a doubt, I'm in and you can grab the blog badge here (see my sidebar).
Recently, as I made my regular visit to Danny Brown's blog I noticed the 12for12K promotional video had been released. It's very well-done and inspiring, so if you also feel it please feel free to pass it along, donate and spread the word. I'm in, are you?

"When there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance." -St. Francis of Assisi

For more information:
Website: http://12for12k.org/
Twitter: @12for12k
Blog: http://12for12k.org/category/blog/

Friday Linky Love

2009-02-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Each week I must visit thousands of blogs, websites and newsletters--not to mention my RSS feed is jam packed and I'm constantly updating and changing it. Plus, I'm all about sharin' the love. Why am I not running a link love post? Good question, Grace. So be it. Each Friday, I'll post my top 10 article links that I pick up from the week. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy and happy Friday!

Photo Credit: BotheredByBees

1. Creative Class: Youth Entrepreneurship in the Creative Age
2. Strategic Public Relations: Is Customer Interaction An Opportunity or Cost?
3. Advertising Age: 2009 Super Bowl Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled Spots
4. Visible Measures: Measuring the Effectiveness of Every Super Bowl Ad across 150+ Video Sharing Destinations (if you don't know who Visible Measures is, you should. Scope their data and graphs on gauging video and audience measurement)
5. Hottnez: Adam's Bridge-1,750,000 Year Old Man-Made Bridge between Sri Lanka and India (this has been found a bit back, but imagine what this means for history, amazing!)
6. Danny Brown, guest post with Elaine Young: Small Business, Not Ready for Prime Time-Yet ...
7. Social Marketing: How's Your Blog? Time for a Fitness Checkup?
8. Computer World: FAQ: How Google Latitude Locates You (Although cool functionality, I'm not a fan and wouldn't opt in)
9. Read, Write, Web: StumbleUpon Hits 7 Million Users, Quietly 50% Bigger Than Twitter
10. Drew's Marketing Minute: Which Customer Service Example Are you?

Winter In A Cob House

2009-02-05T09:48:00.001-07:00

In this blog I try to mix in the facets of life that interest me such as social media, technology, music, travel and environmentalism. Through environmentalism, I've sort of become a source of information in building, living and maintaining a cob house (this remains one of my top search terms) thanks to my good friend's the Mullenneaux's and their journey in building a cob house.

As many readers stumble here for cob updates (it's very much long tail, very few people blog about cob houses, I've looked) I promised to follow up with them to see how they've dealt with their first Iowa winter in their cob house. Their insights are both helpful and interesting.

What's the latest with your cob house in the winter?

First, the confession. We just returned from two weeks in Florida. It wasn't that the cold forced us out, however. The house has been cozy throughout this harsh winter and a friend stayed there while we were away. Most of the lessons we have learned this winter are not particular to cob, but here they are.

What were some unforeseen challenges you faced?

An entryway that is closed off from the house is important in a cold winter climate. We hung a quilt on a curtain rod inside the front door to block blasts of frigid air coming in when the door is opened. Later we found out that this kind of thermal door curtain is a common practice in England.

If you are using a wood stove as your primary heat, give it a central location and outside air intake. A tight house and a wood stove drawing air from the living space is not a good combo.

Even though this is the most organic house we have ever been in, it is not the same as living outdoors. Moving indoors this winter was a challenge for Lin and I because we had been bathing, working, cooking, and eating outside all spring, summer and fall. The tiny camper where we slept barely separated us from the bugs and rain. To soften this seasonal transition, we are contemplating an attached building that would have a greenhouse on the south wall, an internal water wall for heat storage and solar heat collection on the roof. Hopefully, it will be a winter garden similar to what Anna Edey achieved on Martha's Vineyard: http://www.solviva.com/

What are you grateful for with your cob house?

Driving back from Florida, we listened to Garrison Keillor talk about how nature periodically tries to kill off anyone foolish enough to spend the winter on the northern plains. Native Americans didn't maintain year round communities in this region. They would head to the protected woodland valleys until spring. Eventually, our house will be sheltered by forests. For now, it is a wonderful place to live and dream.

The Mullenneaux's Cob House at Christmas, 2008. Photo Credit: The Mullenneaux's

Here is another great article in Radish Magazine, "Comfort of cob: Fairy tale cottage takes shape with mud, straw" by Linda Egenes who wrote the original article on our home.

For more information here are the rest of my cob house posts:
Building A Cob House
Building A Cob House-Follow Up
Cob Houses Around the World

My Mom AND Dad Are On Facebook, Weird? Think Again

2009-02-03T11:29:00.001-07:00

I can easily say that I'm 'Facebook Loyal' because I was just beginning college when Facebook came onto the scene in 2004 and exclusively opened up to Mark Zuckerberg's own, Harvard University. Then as everyone knows, expanded to colleges in the Boston area and Ivy League's. I went to college in Burlington, Vermont, so I was close to the action you could say. In early 2005 I was on Facebook as soon as Champlain College was in. I was immediately hooked and it's safe to say it has forever changed how I interact and connect online, even popular culture.

Now, in my post-college days while still remaining a proud Generation Y girl, I have a lot of friends who don't understand how it's now opened up publicly. They miss the days when it was just college students (maybe I do too, sometimes). Friends still feel weird that their mom is on Facebook, while I try to tell them it's the norm and so is having your boss, your extended family, etc. You can always choose to decline their 'friendship' via Facebook, but that's another story entirely. Plus, those of my friends lacking the online digital finesse have to realize anything you put online is public and out there for good. Deal with it.

Sometimes, they won't take my word for it. So of course, this is also backed with data (here comes the geek again) which is best represented on Inside Facebook. Their most recent study found that the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is women over the age of 55.

Key Highlights

Facebook reporting nearly 45.3 million active US users in the last 30 days
Facebook growing in every age/gender demographic. Fastest growing segment: Women over 55, up 175.3% in the last 120 days.
Facebook growing faster with women than men in almost every age group. Women comprise 56.2% of Facebook’s audience, up from 54.3% late last year.
45% of Facebook’s US audience is now 26 years old or older.

And yes, both my Mom and Dad are on Facebook. Times are a changin'

Her Morning Elegance

2009-02-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Good morning and welcome February! I recently discovered the musician, Oren Lavie and I just love this video. It's unique and rhythmic. I like the style and how their whole day happens...in bed. Intrigued, just watch Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie. It's a beautiful song.

Talk Nerdy To Me

2009-01-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Daily Candy is launching a contest, "Get With the Programmer-Talk Nerdy to Me" in time for the Valentine season. I love this idea! Previously, I wrote about how geeks and nerds are worth it, originating from a Craigslist post so I'm not trying to discriminate here but I think they're underrated. Maybe it's because I'm a geek too ;)

Daily Candy humorously asserts: "We're accepting nominations for the Don Juan of the Database. Do you know a worthy Gigabyte Gigolo?" To nominate your "RAMcake," they have an easy form to fill out and they will announce the finalists on February 4th for interactive voting, then the winner will be displayed on Friday, February 13th. I will also note that the winner (and the nominator) will win an HP Mini 1000 XP edition series netbook with an upgraded 60 GB hard drive. Follow http://www.dailycandy.com/programmer to nominate your RAMcake.

Nathan, a Talk Nerdy To Me nominee

It's time to rev your hard drives.

A Stylishly Hip, USB Drive

2009-01-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Stylehive features some great technology products, most of which a stylishly hip but definitively geeky gal like myself gets excited about. This evening I stumbled across the Mimoco USB Flash Drive. I'm all about organization and whether it means transporting documents or having your favorite music and photos in one place, I can't live without my USB flash drive. Mine however, is bland and looks like yours probably. So by blending together my technologically driven life with a little design edge, the Mimoco USB flash drive strives to combine both. Take a look at the two below, you don't even know what they are at first. Right?

Photo Credit: Stylehive

Some of the features I like:
-Includes protoHoodie keychain accessory which makes for great portability
- Look and feel ranges from Star Wars to limited Artist Series, so you can be sure your flash drive stands out from everyone else's
-Compatible with Mac & Windows

Music Inspires Art

2009-01-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

This year the Grammy's have launched a new campaign,"Music Makes Us." Found on Spinner some of the exclusive artwork from the campaign, features Stevie Wonder, Rihanna and Lil Wayne. The emphasis for the artwork is with artists around the world that are making a difference in music, while it also pays a tribute to the music that influences and inspires them.

Each of artists, provided a list of at least 15 songs that inspire them. Those song titles were then morphed into portraits of the artists’ faces. I love typography and design combined, something similar to what Wordle can do.

Andy Nulman Brings the Pow! Surprise

2009-01-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

A new found friend, blogger, enthusiastic entrepreneur and POW! Right Between the Eyes author, Andy Nulman is giving away 200 free copies of his book. He simply outlined that each of the 200 bloggers who request the book, link back to his site, list their address and POW! his book will appear on your doorstep. It's an offer I couldn't refuse.

So Andy, with my passion for marketing and spontaneous surprises, I am kindly requesting a copy of your book. I'm sure it's going to be a great read and I love what you're doing here to involve bloggers, nice little surprise tactic.

Kindly send the book to:
Lijit Networks, Inc.
C/O Grace Boyle
1050 Walnut Street, Suite 340
Boulder, CO 80302

Thanks for the tip Andy and best of luck with launching your book this year! If you want to join in on the fun, follow the link here for instructions.

Yes We Can, Yes We Did

2009-01-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Although I don't like to post political insights and views here, I simply can't deny the level of power and growth I felt today for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration with Obama as our 44th President. I caucused first in the nation for the Iowa Primaries, worked at the Democratic National Convention, heard one of his last rally's in Denver before the election, then of course voted. Clearly, personally my interest was invested in his campaign.

With that being said, I think the pictures say enough. What a monumental day in history...

Photo Credit: Times Online

Fifty People, One Question

2009-01-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

"We had an idea. Go to a place. Ask fifty people the same question. Film their responses." This collaborative, independent film is driven by Crush & Lovely creative studio and Deltree productions. Their idea began on the streets of New Orleans, which is portrayed by the video I found today and had to post. On their site, http://fiftypeopleonequestion.com the response was so positive from this New Orleans video they proclaimed,"now we're traveling to more cities (sister cities to be exact) and asking new questions. Always just trying to capture a little slice of humanity."

The authenticity and genuine nature of each person captured on this short film is raw and honest, which to me, represents the connectedness that human beings have regardless of outward or surface level differences. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Steve Jobs Taking Time from Apple

2009-01-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

As a big fan of Steve Jobs' innovation and Apple Inc., I found the personal release he recently sent out to the public very moving. I wish him all the best in his recovery towards the road to health.

Photo Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald

As I found through Crenk, you can see Jobs' letter below:

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

The Best Green Jobs

2009-01-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

As a young professional, my job not only excites me but I also feel grateful. I (like many of you) know friends and family members getting ready to enter the work force, getting laid off, or searching for a job. Either of the three can be daunting, but don't have to be ridden with despair.

I recently stumbled upon Fast Company's article on Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade and thought each one to be relevant as they fill a legitimate need. So considering a job change? Looking to sustain our environment? You might want to think twice about these positions...

Photo Credit: Fenner School of Environment

Farmer: Related careers: urban gardener; farmers market and CSA coordinator; artisanal cheesemakers; and other food producers.

Forrester: Companies/organizations: "The Nature Conservancy; New Forests Inc."

Solar Power Installer: Companies: "Akeena Solar; Sungevity; Sunpower; Full list at SEIA.org."

Energy Efficiency Builder: Schools: "Arizona State University School of Architecture: Energy Performance Climate-Responsive Architecture; University of Michigan: Alfred A. Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning; The Earth Institute at Columbia University."

Wind Turbine Fabricator: "According to the American Wind Energy Association, the industry currently employs some 50,000 Americans and added 10,000 new jobs in 2007."

Conservation Biologist: Schools: "Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington and the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. At the small College of the Atlantic every student gets his or her degree in human ecology; it's been called the most sustainable college or university in the world."

Green MBA and entrepreneur (a personal favorite): Schools: "Stanford School of Business; San Francisco's Presidio School of Management; Leeds School of Business; University of Colorado at Boulder -- Deming Center for Entrepreneurship; the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Wash."

Recycler: Companies: "Rumpke; Greenstar North America."

Sustainability Systems Developer: Companies: "IBM, V2Green, WindLogics."

Urban Planner: Schools: "Penn Institute for Urban Research; Harvard: Department of Urban Planning and Design; Portland State University: Nohad A Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning."

Welcome to YouTube, Congress

2009-01-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Starting today, Monday the 12th, YouTube teamed up with Congress in order to help give a glimpse of life in Capitol Hill to people across the United States. Two Web pages are unveiled, one is for the House and one for the Senate. It's unique in that each lawmaker is able to create their own personal, video channel on the site. The site is even equipped with a map of the United States, so if you don't know your elected officials you can select your State.

Steve Grove, head of news and politics at YouTube says, "People out there don't really know what senators and congressmen do on a daily basis," as he talks about how the YouTube channel will give the public a sense of what they're doing. I agree, because although we hear or see the final result we aren't able to always watch the innerworkings of what goes on with our representatives to reach the end goal. What do they do each day? I wonder this often and now I hope to interact more on a personal level, instead of writing a letter they may never read.

Financially, YouTube doesn't expect to grow from the channels, as they won't be carrying advertisements. However, if popularity grows so will YouTube's audience base.

Each member of Congress will have control over his or her channel. These pages plan to highlight members on a rotating basis and host events, like community chats where constituents will be able to interact with their representatives. I hope this project brings more transparency to the government while also offering more accessibility to Congress.

“New media technologies help facilitate timely dialogue between representatives and their constituents, and this will only strengthen our democracy,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement released by her office. To learn more about the project watch this video:

Who Would You Sacrifice For a Whopper?

2009-01-09T16:35:00.001-07:00

I think it's safe to say Burger King has taken the leap. They've gone viral, they're doing the whole social media thang. Seeing as I rarely ever eat fast food and I've never had a Whopper, the Whopper Virgin, Subservient Chicken and the most recent Whopper Sacrifice doesn't directly affect me, but I think it's still worth discussing. Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CPB) and Toronto-based Refresh Partners are both responsible for the campaign and CPB is local here in Boulder, so it hits close to home. Not to mention that around the blogosphere it has been a hot topic for discussion.

The Whopper Sacrifice goes like this: Install the Facebook Application in your profile, delete 10 "fair-weather web friendships," and Burger King gives you a free Whopper. I will also note that everyone will know who you wanted to "watch burn" and "sacrifice" because they appear in your Facebook feed. Oops.

According to the site, as of right now, already 73,462 friends have been sacrificed. It's safe to say that number keeps exponentially growing. I think the app is interactive enough that people are enjoying talking about it, musing over who they would sacrifice and free stuff always gets people going!

And for the record, if it was Chipotle I WOULD sacrifice 10 friends.

So here's the big question, would you sacrifice 10 friends for a free Whopper? Have you? What's the consensus?

Note: You must live in the U.S. in order to be eligible to receive your free Whopper.

Our Perception of Beauty Through Technology

2009-01-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Dove-Evolution

Although this project is older, I recently stumbled through it again and thought a re-post was necessary. Poignant. No wonder women have body issues...

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto
Co-CCOs: Nancy Vonk & Janet Kestin
ACD/Writer/Art Director: Tim Piper
Production Company: Reginald Pike
Director: Yael Staav
Music: Vapor Music, Toronto

Crowded Ink's Twitter Mug

2009-01-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a geek. I'm also a big fan of SWAG. So when the holiday season rolled around and I stumbled across CrowdedInk's Friends Twitter Mug on (gasp) Twitter, I immediately thought of my geeky counterpart, @fullyadam and knew the gift had to be his. Plus, I liked their tag line, "We put friends on your stuff like ev-ery-day."

Here's the scoop: you enter whichever Twitter name you're giving the mug to, next each image of their Twitter friends is generated onto the mug. Then you're able to check out how it looks with multiple viewing options and you can customize it to add text or move around where all the pictures are placed. If you're satisfied (you will be), you check out through Zazzle, and you purchase your personalized Twitterati mug for only $14.00. My mug arrived in about 5 business days and I have to say through their Twitter Handle @CrowdedInk and personalized e-mails I received their customer service is fantastic!

So think of Valentine's day around the corner for your geeky lover or upcoming birthdays, then think about CrowdedInk and their special, personalized gift. See photos below.

15 Blog Reads for 2009

2009-01-06T11:12:00.001-07:00

As the new year rolled around I began to clean out my RSS feeds by deleting the blogs I don't find useful, while adding new, fresh innovative thinkers to my list.

My iGoogle RSS reader (not a fan of tabs on the left)

Through my work at Lijit, I deal with hundreds of blogs each week so I stumble across quite a lot which helps me build my personal reading list of blogs. With that being said, I've created a nice list of some new (and old) favorites worth sharing:

1) Conversation Agent: Not only do I like Valeria because of her Italian heritage ;) but her powerful writing and voice helps build communities through marketing, public relations and communications.

2) HubSpot's Inbound Internet Marketing Blog: I love these Cambridge, Massachusetts based Internet Marketing guru's and I think they do an excellent job on their corporate blog. In addition, one of my favorite Friday afternoon pastimes is to watch HubSpot TV at 4 PM EST with @mvolpe and @karenrubin for new marketing tips of the week.

3) Silicon Alley Insider: "Digital business, live." They're the pulse Silicon Valley where I find the latest tech and new media news.

4) Media Savvy Leader, David Henderson: "Veteran communications strategist, author, online publisher, adjunct professor, and Emmy Award winning former CBS Network News correspondent." David covers topics from Twitter to national leadership.

5) Chip Chick: As a chick in tech, sometimes its hard to get a voice in through the male dominated field. Chip chick fills a need by covering tech and gadgets from a girl's perspective.

6) Techipedia: Tamar Weinberg is a "social media consultant and tech geek at heart." Whoever dubs themselves as a geek is fine by me, I feel the affinity Tamar and thanks for all the geeky tech reviews!

7) Drew's Marketing Minute: A fellow Iowan and 'top dog at McLellan Marketing Group' Drew regularly writes about blogging, marketing and branding. I also like his extensive agency background, which he often writes about.

8) Altitude Branding: "Altitude is a social media and marketing firm founded by Amber Naslund," and she blogs about branding, social media and the buzz around that scene.

9) Max Gladwell: Rob at Max Gladwell combines two of my favorite topics: social media and green living. Worth reading in these times...

10) Technosailor: Lead Editor, Aaron Brazell is not only my friend, but he has a great blog with multiple contributors where "technology and real life merge." Tune in with @technosailor and his new media and tech updates, he's on top of it.

11) Web Urbanist: I had to include a design and art blog on this list. WU features "urban street art, abandoned places and amazing designs" I don't know where they find their material, but each day something new and fantastic is featured. I'm always pleasantly surprised and artistically inspired.

12) Lawrence Lessig: No surprise here. Lessig is a Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and founder of the school's Center for Internet and Society. His insights on web 2.0, politics, technology and news are trustworthy and valid.

13) Non-Profit Marketing, Nancy E. Schwartz: Nancy covers the non-fluff truth around ideas, tactics and tips for nonprofit communicators "on helping their organizations succeed through effective marketing." Having worked at a non-profit for the past two years, they're dear to my heart and I think this blog would benefit anyone in the field.

14) Personal Branding Blog, Dan Schawbel: Dan is truly an expert on building your personal brand. Along with me (and some fresh young bloggers), he is part of the Young Professional blog network. I appreciate his regular posts, filled with relevant branding information and tools to help you or your business grow.

15) Amateur Traveler Blog: I had to end on this note: "Travel for the love of it." The Amateur Traveler, by Chris Christensen features travel resources, tips, stories, videos and ideas. It is also a companion site for the Amateur Traveler podcast. Ever since I got on my first overseas plane when I was 2 years-old I've had the travel bug and if my feet aren't movin', at least I can read Amateur Traveler.

I hope you've enjoyed my list. It's eclectic and maybe you already read some of them. If not, scope them out. I promise they're worth it. What are your favorite blogs for 2009? Please share.

Brands Join In For New Year's Eve Countdown

2008-12-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

Media Post recently wrote about a slew of brands that have nudged their way into Times Square, the center of many New Year's Eve celebrations, especially from an advertising perspective. They have found some pretty innovative guerilla marketing ideas and I thought they were worth noting. The brands listed below have made it to the top of the list:

Times Square, New Year's Eve---Photo Credit: Live Design

Ciroc Vodka: "Official Vodka of New Year's Eve." In partnership with the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission and E! Entertainment, Ciroc has employed a street team to give out $15 debit cards for cab fares to thousands of adults "wandering Manhattan streets between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m." (Can they do that in Boulder?!) In addition, prolific spokesperson P. Diddy, reinforced the "get home safely" theme by running the message on taxi television screens through New Year's Day, coupled with billboards, and a donation of $1 million to an unspecified charity if the city would change the iconic New Year's Even crystal ball to the color of Ciroc's blue logo.

Nivea: The skin and beauty care company will provide New Year's Eve hats and blue balloons tied with silver Mylar ribbons, along with Lip Care samples "to keep our lips looking and feeling beautiful for that unforgettable kiss at midnight." There will be a Nivea "Kiss and Be Kissed Platform," which will feature a couple celebrating their anniversary, a "welcome home" kiss and a midnight-practice kiss. I think this is a brilliant idea--it's humanizing and touching.

Pepsi: Plans to hand out scarves and then a few minutes before the ball drops, will release 1,000 big bouncing balloons that say "joy," "hope," and "2009."

3 Musketeers: Will promote the New Year's Eve Wishing Wall with falling pom-poms, confetti bags, and chocolate mini-bars to help bring in 2009.

Stay tuned for New Year's Eve advertisements, commercials and branding wonders...What other brands have I missed? Please share.

I hope you bring in 2009 with prospertiy, loved ones, innovation, happiness and laughter.

7 Things You Wish You Didn't (Or Did) Know About Me - Meme #2

2008-12-25T14:17:00.001-07:00

Micah says, "paybacks a bitch," as he gleefully re-tagged me in the "7 Things You Wish You Didn't (Or Did) Know About Me" meme. This one works like this:

Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
Let them know they’ve been tagged

Is is just me or do meme's sort of seem like a middle school chain letter? Oh well, here it goes:

1. The language I took in high school is Sanskrit-संस्कृता वाक् an ancient Indian language similar to Hindu. I can read the Bhagavad-Gita cover to cover and yes, can read all those cryptic looking Sanskrit tattoos people rock (do they really know their meaning?)

2. I hate mint. I really do and just don't like any form of it.

3. I lived and worked in Costa Rica with sea turtles on a beach in the summer of 2005. The village beach in Ostional is one of the 8 beaches in the world where the 'arribada' (arrival in Spanish) occurs: female Olive Ridley sea turtles lay their eggs in masses, with each moon cycle.

4. I have an extensive background in horseback riding and for over ten years I competed in three-day eventing (i.e. reference Christopher Reeves harrowing fall). I owned a thoroughbred, taught riding and veterinarian lessons, and traveled around the Midwest competing.

5. You don't know me at all if you don't know that I'm 75% Italian (Calabrese/Sicilian) and 25% Irish (Boyle=last name). A quiet one who doesn't like to eat or drink, with a side sarcasm.

6. I've been meditating (Transcendental Meditation) since I was five, a simple way to release stress. I attended an alternative school where we meditated and practiced yoga before and after school, while in between it was a regular college prepatory school. Hence, the Sanskrit (#1). Other practitioners of Transcendental Meditation: The Beatles, David Lynch, Goldie Hawn. Curious? See below:

7. Queen-Under Pressure is one of my favorite songs of all time. Doo Doo Doo Doo Do Do Do ...

Now my seven people to tag. Your mission if you choose to accept it:

@fullyadam- What a good sport Fully is, plus he's one of my favorite people on the web (& in life)
@JMalan- Emerging into the tech scene with valor especially as my co-worker @ Lijit.
@daveraffaele- A new Twitterati friend and 'social media supporter'
@jshuey- A fellow Biz. Dev practitioner with a pension for tech
@rickbutts- 'International troublemaker'
@GlobalPatriot- With support for social justice and global consciousness, why not connect the dots?
@joegreenz- Spurs of thoughts a' plenty
@converstations- A fellow Iowan and "Social Mediatician."

Meaningful Holiday Gift Ideas

2008-12-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

As we are amidst the holidays and the new year is fast approaching, this may mean a few different things for you; some time off, family, traveling, relaxing, energizing, gift giving, change? As I'm home in Iowa, visiting my family and friends I'm taking a little 'hiatus' and attempting to stay 'off the grid' for the next week. However, before I try to take a break from web 2.0 (try) I wanted to present a few organizations and gift ideas that give back.

1. Heifer: Based in Arkansas, this non-profit seeks to end worldwide hunger and poverty. They do this through helping people in developing countries feed themselves. Ie: Buy a goat-->provides milk for the family-->also makes yogurt or cheese to be sold.

2. World Wildlife Fund: Protecting the future of nature, WWF has annual gifts, grants or loans ranging from $1,000 to $3.5 million all of which helps to play an instrumental role in conserving places around the world from devastation.

3. Pro Mujer-Microfinance: One of my best friend's, Ali works at Pro Mujer (Spanish, meaning "for women") in New York City with their Finance Department. As they "give women credit," by helping them help themselves I love what they do for women in Latin and South America. Donations range in price--$25 gives a woman credit to grow vegetables to sell at the market, $500 provides 3 women with loans and health care and $5000 provides 25 women with loans and health care. To donate directly, click here.

2. Oxfam America: An online catalog that delivers to 120 countries around the world. It's as simple as purchasing an item (ie. can of worms, a camel, building tools), the card goes to the recipient, then the gift goes to those who need it most.

Whatever your choice may be, there are many ways to ensure your holiday gift is backed with meaning and making an impact in someone's life.

Happy holidays!

The Big Picture-2008 In Photographs

2008-12-18T18:24:00.001-07:00

The photographer, Aaron Siskind once said, "Photography is a way of feeling, of touching of love. What you have caught on film is capture forever...it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything." As I came across The Big Picture's photos of 2008, many emotions washed over me. With that being said, I decided to include the most moving and riveting photos that somehow spoke to me on a personal level (especially the flood from Iowa this summer since I'm originally from there and happened to witness the destruction first hand). Please visit The Big Picture for the complete list of photographs.

A U.S. Marine, from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire near Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan May 18, 2008. The Marine was not injured. (REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic)

Buildings and debris are seen floating in the Cedar River against a railroad bridge Saturday, June 14, 2008, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Days after it rose out of its banks on its way to record flooding in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar River has forced at least 24,000 people from their homes, emergency officials said. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

A personal favorite, because I've been to Grindelwald. Time exposure of the Swiss mountain resort of Grindelwald next to the north face of the Eiger mountain, seen on January 10, 2008.

Swiss pilot Yves Rossy, the world's first man to fly with a jet-powered fixed-wing apparatus strapped to his back, flies during his first official demonstration, on May 14, 2008 above Bex, Switzerland.

The head of a male student, still alive, trapped under the debris is pictured at the scene of the church school that collapsed on the outskirts of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, November 7, 2008. At least 30 people were killed when the three-story La Promesse school building collapsed while class was in session and some of the walls and debris crushed neighboring homes in the Nerettes community near Port-au-Prince.

Have You Been Elfed?

2008-12-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

Talk about virtually spreading the joy. Two recent campaigns, Ace Hardware's "Ace Your Face" and OfficeMax's "ElfYourself" have created a promotion that allows consumers to upload their own face choices into humorous greeting cards.

In it's third year, this week 57 million elves has been created during the first three weeks of the most current campaign. Statistically, users have been averaging 15 minutes (double the 7.5 minutes last year) on the site and has created 4.5 separate elf-centric videos. OfficeMax boasted 11,088 blog posts mentioning, "ElfYourself," which is doubled from last year.

I think this is a great representation of a brand engaging their customers. Through this fun and free gift they've created a niche within social media by creating brand association.

Furthermore, with a recent partnership with JibJab, ElfYourself added a Facebook application, which 600,000 users have tried out. JibJab's technology allows users to merchandises the elves from their videos onto printed greeting cards, ornaments, mouse pads, coffee mugs and playing cards. A great carry over into their product line to increase sales.

Here's a little holiday cheer and sampling of ElfYourself with me and a few co-workers from Lijit: @tarable, @JMalan and our boss, @PQBoulder. We have the moves.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

AD WEEK's Top Media and Marketing Innovations of 2008

2008-12-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, ADWEEK posted the Top Media & Marketing Innovations of 2008 with 14 innovations, people and ideas making the list. I thought each was pertinent, as I reviewed them inserting my thoughts throughout. Since we're nearing the end of this year it's nice to look back and reflect because the growth of technology within the digital age is booming.
1. Obama: Digital Change Agent: No surprise here, Obama proved the web's powerful capabilities in raising money and support. "While marketers have drooled over the Long Tail, Obama grabbed it -- attracting more than 1.7 million contributors, with 93 percent of $2.9 million in online donations coming in by way of increments of less than $100. " -Brian Morrissey

2. The TAMi Show: NBC's Multiplatform Olympics: As the first global broadband event ever, the 2008 Beijjing Olympics blew many of us away. NBC's TAMi stands for, "Total Audience Measurement Index," which helped to measure all media exposure. -Anthony Crupi

3. Hulu Takes Hold: The joint video-streaming venture of NBC and Fox delivered popular shows such as Heroes, The Office and The Simpsons to consumers-wherever, whenever they wanted it. There is even speculation "that Hulu could overtake YouTube in revenue in '09." -Steve McClellan

4. iPhone Juices Mobile Medium: The "iPhone phenomenon created a shift in the mindset of the American consumer--from 'Why would I want to surf the Web on my crappy phone?' to 'I can do that? I want one now!'" Enough said. -Mike Shields

5. HuffPo: The Rise of the Political News Site: Arianna Huffington's, The Huffington Post experienced a 474% growth rate, with 4.5 million unique users in 2008, per comScore. Her voice and site is a top 100 blog and a trusted source for information -MS

6. Fox's Clutter Killer: "This season, Fox confronted head-on the issue of commercial clutter, the growing number of ads and promos stuffed into shows by the networks." With this season's show, Fringe they aired half the usual network commercials and promo load making it the top-rated new drama among adults 18-49. Fox is paying attention to their consumers needs which is an impressive business venture. -SM

7. Turner's Big Year: Turner Broadcasting System boosted its share in the marketplace by offering "broadcast replacement" inventory. They also broke free from third-party ad networks and developed an in-house system which has led to viewing online ads at 50 million unique users and 3.5 billion impressions. -AC

8. Zuckerberg's Most Popular: The move in May to "open the social-networking service to outside developers," proved its influential capability. To date, 400,000 developers have created 52,000 apps. What a development to digital media. -BM

9. All A-Twitter: One of my favorite social media tools, (micro-blogging) proves "our conception of one another--and brands--are often formed by bite-sized interactions." They keep it simple, yet powerful, even when it comes to their small, 25 person team. -BM

10. Sponsor in Aisle Five!: Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. retailer rolled out their in-store digital network where they monitor and control television, content, ads and merchandising. Smart. This digital interaction "creates a dynamic, interactive dialogue between marketer and consumer." -Katy Bachman

11. Cinema Ads a Star: Their pre-show, 'First Look' showed a combination of ads and entertainment which reached 70% of moviegoers in the top 10 markets this year, and more than 65% in the top 25. They're experiencing double-digit growth in their ad business. -KB

12. Stardoll: Dressed for Success: The two-year old Swedish site built a virtual playground for tween girls that boasts 22 million members in 200 countries! Woah, look out they're "taking playtime to a whole new level." -MS

13. Web Amps Up Radio: CBS Radio's new online player has reinvented streaming--representing best that "the oldest electronic medium can migrate to the newest." Partnerships with AOL Radio and Yahoo LaunchCast also has boosted their new integrated-marketing possibilities. -KB

14. Oh, Snap! Magazine Ads Get Interactive: Unless you're living under a rock, the decline in print ads is obvious. However, SnapTell (Palo Alto based company) "enables brands to send messages to readers who shoot photos of magazine ads with their mobile photos." Men's Health, Rolling Stone and ESPN The Magazine are just a few to have adopted the technology this year. - Lucia Moses

6th Photo Meme

2008-12-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

The social media world loves to create games. I just got opted into one of those games: '6th Photo Meme.' The idea is 666-fold: go to the 6th page of your Flickr photostream, grab the 6th photo, post the photo on your blog and then tag 6 of your friends to do the same.

Adam Fullerton (@fullyadam) just tagged me over at his blog, The Passenger, so here goes my picture and response.

This photo I took is from the Boulder/Denver New Tech Meetup in Boulder. Five people get five minutes each to demo something about their new technology. I love this photo because it a) shows the collaboration of technologists, entrepreneurs, geeks and hackers (300 strong) in one room together; b) it represents the new tech boom in Boulder. The American Magazine calls Boulder, "a serious technology hub," and look out because, "The Western frontier is open, and geeks are populating the range." As a recent geek transplant, this makes me happy.

Now comes my turn to pass the Flickr meme love onwards:

1. Tara Anderson- a fellow 'too lijit to quit' co-worker (Marketing Manager at Lijit) who has a zest for life and insatiable humor. Tara is a force to be reckoned with.

2. Micah Baldwin- because he's keen on succeeding through failure, has a smart business mind (VP of Biz. Dev. at Lijit) and gives back by mentoring start-ups and coaching lacrosse.

3. Lauren Cook- a social media strategist and Founding Partner at Swarm Collective. Plus, we're connected by six degrees of separation and as a 'professional wine consumer,' we have more than one interest in common.

4. Melissa Michaels - her blog, The Inspired Room is one of my favorite sources of information for interior design and creating a beautiful home. Not to mention, she's one of the sweetest bloggers out there.

5. Jeremy Tanner - With a tagline like: "Consultant - Party Crasher - Startup Junkie," who could refuse Tanner's humor? He is also the Head Facilitator for Startup Weekend.

6. David Mandell - Best friends with one of my favorite professors, now also my friend. I love connecting the dots as Mandell's a local Boulderite and entrepreneur.

Cob Houses Around the World

2008-12-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

The idea of living in a cob house is still very whimsical to me. It's efficient, inexpensive, cozy and environmentally conscious. From my past two posts on Building A Cob House and the follow-up with the Mullenneaux's I focused on the building of their cob house and then what it was like to be living in one. Today, I thought it would be nice to visually represent a few beautiful cob houses from around the World. Please feel free to share yours if you live in one, know of someone who does, or stumble across a cob house that I haven't.

San Bartolo, Mexico-Photo Credit: Cobworks

Mayne Island, B.C. Canada-Photo Credit: Cobworks

Devon, England-Photo Credit: Cob Cottage

Vancouver-Photo Credit: Flickr neil-san

Orgeon-Photo Credit: Hub Pages

California-Photo Credit: Cob Cottage

Social Media for a Social Cause: The Opp-Guide

2008-12-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

Social Media is powerful in shaping brands, ideas, people and most interestingly, social causes. I ran across one such social cause from an article in Market Watch about Wendi Oppenheim, a 16 year-old founder of a community service, social cause revolution, The Opp-Guide. Oppenheim's non-profit was a recent finalist in the Best Buy @15 competition, inspiring teens to help their community.
The Opp-Guide is comparable to Zagat or Yelp, except here, teens submit reviews of their volunteer experiences with local nonprofits and charities. Their byline: "Community service ideas and organization reviews for teens, by teens."

I'm impressed with Oppenheim's eloquence as she understands where our country stands now and the importance of community, "Young people need to know the true satisfaction of giving their time to people in need." She attests that the reviews are honest and help fill the missing link between actually enjoying volunteering and only being there for the credit.

Market Watch believes, "The Opp-Guide has proven an innovative way to get teens involved in community service by helping them pinpoint opportunities that tap into their passion and skills."

So if you feel so inclined: Rock the Vote for The Opp-Guide at http://www.genv.net/bestbuy or text BBYV24 to 32075. You can also check out Oppenheim (President) and equally young, Ben (Business Manager and VP) talk in this cute video about their organization.

For more information about The Opp-Guide or to speak directly with Wendi, here is her e-mail: wendioppenheim[at]gmail[dot]com

So I'm curious...what other social causes do you know that leverage social media for their organization, cause or idea? Please share.

Attention Is Your Biggest Cost in Marketing

2008-12-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our brain only attends to 5% of the information it receives from all available senses. That's right, 5%. Think about the challenging implications involved in leveraging a marketing campaign or increasing sales when everyone is vying for that small percentage and trying to make the cut.

mobileYouth recently wrote about the neurological concept of gating, a mechanism that enables our brains to function, when tied to youth marketing. Thus the statement, "attention is your biggest cost." Makes sense. Marketing is directly tied to gating, the "neurological tool for blocking out information such as pain, sensation etc. to avoid overload." Blocking 95% of products and brand messaging seems daunting to any marketer, however, it doesn't have to be.

Take a look at this attention awareness test and consider its implications for youth marketing:

Fascinating, isn't it? Who saw the 'moonwalking bear' the first time they watched it? I didn't. Then I watched it a second time and it was clear as day.

With that being said, I will echo mobileYouth's simple declaration: be relevant. "Less is more and relevance paramount," because youth gates the products that stand out to them.

Morale of the story: "Your youth brand may be a moonwalking bear but unless you’re the team in white, you may as well forget it."

Building A Cob House-Follow Up With the Mullenneaux's

2008-12-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

In early November I wrote a post on "Building a Cob House" about the Mullenneaux family, and their personal cob building community story. The responses from readers were fantastic and inquisitive, so I felt a follow-up was necessary. I reached out to Hap and Lin Mullenneaux with questions readers had asked and how it felt to be living in their new cob house the past month. They happily obliged and also offered to serve as a contact for anyone else interested in cob houses. I hope you enjoy and learn from their responses as much as I did.

GB: With your cob home finished, how does it feel to be living in a home that you created solely with your own hands (and feet), especially with the help of Fairfield (Iowa's) supportive community?

HLM: We have been living in the house for one month. It feels more like a part of nature than a conventional house. As something natural, it is easy to accept it as it is. While there are some things that aren’t finished, we are beginning to realize that this house may never be finished because that is a static condition and this house is alive. We do look forward to running water inside and taking baths at home, coming as soon as the pond fills. Since summer ended we have missed our outdoor shower.

Loft Bedroom. The ceiling is bamboo matchstick blinds over reflectix. Photo Credit: Hap and Lin Mullenneaux

GB: What specific environmental benefits have you noticed in your new cob home?

HLM: In building this house we used much more “waste” than we created. Now our use of energy and water is a fraction of any house we have lived in before. We use rainwater from the roof. We heat with wood from the scrap pile at a nearby sawmill. Our total monthly housing costs are under $100, mostly phone and internet.

Cozy Kitchen-Photo Credit: Hap & Lin Mullenneaux

GB: In my previous post, I received a question regarding cob homes' flexibility and durability for various climates. Can you answer that comment, especially in light of Iowa's notoriously cold winters, wet springs and hot summers?

HLM: At this stage of our experiment the jury is still out. The season in question is winter. Cob walls give you excellent thermal mass. Heat them and they will radiate that heat back to you over time. But what happens when there is a sub-zero wind chill hitting the other side of the wall? Stay tuned!

GB: Are there any challenges you've noticed since moving in?

HLM: Balancing the heat was a challenge because we put the woodstove by the stairs. We are closing it in so that the heat spends more time downstairs. Condensation was an issue at first. We made the house very tight and there was still cob and plaster drying when we moved in. Add the vapor that we contribute from cooking, etc and you have high humidity. This is becoming less of an issue as winter progresses, but the interior plaster absorbs moisture easily and down the road we may cover it with something less permeable.

GB: So, if someone were interested in building their own cob home what insights, resources and advice would you give them and why?

HLM: In a climate with real winter you need to use every bit of the building season to finish a cob house before freezing begins. Keep the design small. Have the foundation and stem wall ready in the spring. Do the roof first on either permanent or temporary posts. We had to work hard to protect our walls before we got the roof on. Enjoy the process and encourage everyone to enjoy it with you. Cob is not meant to be done alone. To give cob a fighting chance in cold weather, do everything you can to help it. We made the house tight with good windows that are strategically located. We insulated the roof properly. We probably should have done more to insulate our stone stem wall. Keep the cob walls thick. In places where we sculpted seats or niches into the wall the thin wall tends to be cold and damp. Finally, don’t let heating be an after thought in a cold climate. Make sure you will have heat where you need it with proper placement of the woodstove or other heat source. Some folks who built a cob house in south central Iowa said that their home was a bit chilly when the woodstove was located on the north wall. The next winter they moved it closer to the middle of the house and were much more comfortable.

Be sure to get some hands on experience before you start your own project The workshop that we took at Cob Cottage was a blast. http://www.cobcottage.com/

Here are more great teachers we have met:
http://www.housealive.org/
http://www.emeraldearth.org/
http://www.cobincornwall.com/

We are happy to answer questions and share our experience via email: haplin[at]gmail[dot]com

Thanks for doing this, Grace.
Hap & Lin Mullenneaux