Let me tell you a story. A real story. About how social media works. And how little it takes to make a massive impression on someone.
The general chatter in the digital space these days seems focussed on influencers and brand advocates. People argue incessantly about the merits (or none) of influence measurement platforms like Klout and Kred. Continue reading
Most of you know I’m on the job hunt. And if you didn’t, you do now. This whole ‘job search’ thing has been an exercise in extremes for yours truly. I’ve affectionally taken to calling it “My Bipolar Life”. The peaks. Oh, the peaks are glorious. Sunshine, triple rainbows, unicorns and gumdrops. But the valleys? The valleys have sent me into the deepest despair. My drama queen tendencies and insecurity issues were learned at the knee of the best. No really. You should meet my mom. Let’s just say the knock-backs have the feel of a Louisville Slugger square to the temple. Continue reading
Remember when that blue Honda driving dude you adored dumped you unceremoniously on your birthday, then hooked up with your best friend (or worse, your MOM!)? Remember after when suddenly every single car on every single street was a blue Honda? The social media space is a bit like that at times. Especially blogging. Every so often, trends pop up in the blog world. No matter where you surf or stumble, every Twitter link you click on contains the same ‘style’ of post. And there’s one particular style these days that’s seriously getting on my last nerve. Continue reading
I’ve been suffering head splitting writer’s block these past few weeks. When I get writer’s block, what actually happens is that my noggin swims with hundreds of snippets and ideas and thoughts that I *want* to write about – but it becomes so jumbled and jangled that I end up paralyzed and unable to put pen to paper, so to speak.
Another superiffic side effect of said head swimming is that I get seriously bummed. Like, deep down dogs-barking depressed. Which only adds to the paralysis – “Well, I can’t write *now* because I’m all moody and miserable and maudlin…!” – you catch my drift. Continue reading
Anyone who knows me, follows me or has had the pleasure of engaging with me in the odd Twitter chat or two knows that I hate – nay, despise – buzzwords. Business speak. That gobbledy gook of catchphrases and say nothing terminology that some organizations even have an in house dictionary for. You know, if you need an in house dictionary for your staff…..you might have communication problems.
Anyhow, as I’ve been know to say a time or two (or ten)…… Continue reading
December’s a funny month. While we’re all “G’ah!! Winter!!” we’re also all “Uh. What?? Christmas is here already!?” December might be the only month of the year where we spend the *entire* month focussed on one event. For some of you, that focus starts even earlier (who *are* you people!?). Those of us who’ve been around the block a few times know this same focus happens in the business world. What starts in a mad scramble of end of year reports, wrapping up projects and planning for 2012, ends with Secret Santas, in-office parties and out of office parties. Lots of parties. Basically, if you’re on the job hunt at this time of the year, you’re screwed. Continue reading
Lately I’ve been thinking about my love/hate relationship with rules. And ‘love/hate’ might not be the best turn of phrase for how I feel about them. More like ‘follower/who cares’er’.
The follower part is simple. I was raised to be a contributing member of society. To work hard and earn my own way. And to respect my elders/authority figures. I’ve never scammed the government. I don’t damage other people’s property. And I would never – ever – take something that wasn’t mine. Not a lie, to this *day* I’ve never been pulled over by the cops. If I was? I think I would wet myself. Don’t even ask me how stressed I get when traveling and crossing borders. And when I get stressed I use humour. At the most inopportune moments. Like when I told the TSA people at Boston Logan that had I known I would be passing through a full body scanner, I would have gone on a diet. Heh. Hindenburg. Continue reading
My good friend and fellow blogger Jason Konopinski wrote a post last week that seriously got me fired up. In a good way. Titled “The Paper Tigers of Online Influence”, even the image he used made me stop and think (origami is insanely complicated but the outcome is really cool – like statistics – hmmmm.) “Paper Tiger” is an english translation of an ancient Chinese phrase. It means something as threatening as a tiger, but actually quite quite harmless. Kinda like “its bark is worse than it’s bite”. It’s fitting that Jason was talking about online influence and social scoring. Continue reading
Lucky you, it’s Friday and time for another instalment of “crap I wrote a loooong time ago!” Clappity clap clap.
This series was inspired by the question Why do I write? These last few fridays I’ve laid out reasons why we all write: to exorcise demons, to memorialize a time or place, to hopefully connect with people. But why do I still write today?
I’ve been lucky to meet some incredible people lately through my writing. And since I’m only ageist when it comes to my own sweet self (Jesus, Mary and Joseph *when* did I get this old!!??) – I often engage with some talented and inspiring young thangs. One such young thang – a truly inspirational and all around lovely young woman – reached out to me this week to help round out an idea she had for her own blog. Continue reading
Well, it’s Friday again. Time for another installment of Canadian Gothic – Weekly Writing From The ’80′s and ’90′s.
Mortgages Bite
I’ve been a bad blogger this week. Life, as it sometimes does, got in the way of writing. And this was important life stuff. As many of you know I’m currently a free agent, and while I’ve been doing a bit of freelance’y stuff here and there, I have an amazing son and a not so amazing mortgage to attend to. So, the job hunt has seriously ramped up. Continue reading
