Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly
Women in Tech-Media - NY Internet Week
Just got back from the Women in Tech-Media featuring:
Jennifer Hyman - CEO of Rent the Runway, a site to rent designer clothing that was founded in 2008 and has already been featured in the NY Times, has funding from venture capitalists, and a steady following.
Dorothy McGivney - previously worked at Google for 6 years and recently quit to start her own site Jauntsetter, a travel site and e-newsletter for New Yorkers. I just signed up! Hey roommie - you'll like this one!
Jordan Reid - founder of the lifestyle site RamshackleGlam as recently as March of this year and now a contributor to Cosmo, Time Out NY, TheGloss.com, etc. and a correspondent for BetterTV as well as appearing on other lifestyle programs. I've posted about her before. She has an inspiring story of finding success where her non-linear journey took her from Hollywood to a soulless NYC law firm to blogging for Nonsociety.com and then finally starting her own site.
Tammy Tibbetts - created She's the First, a global campaign that promotes the importance of educating girls in the developing world. Oh, and she graduated from the College of New Jersey (Go Jersey!) and is only 24 years old. Holy cow. All while maintaining a full time job.
And finally, the panel was moderated by Neha Chauhan who moderated the last Women in Social Media panel in February. She currently works as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan, is a Harvard Grad, developed My Social Impact and has another startup venture coming up soon so stay tuned.
I found the panel especially inspiring because they were all under 30 (I believe) and the general consensus was that doing their own thing was well worth the struggles of starting their own business. And they all seemed genuinely nice! I was particularly impressed with Jennifer Hyman, a Harvard MBA grad who spoke about literally changing people's buying habits through Rent the Runway. In the future, my closet might not be filled with cheap, low quality throwaways or filled at all. Instead, I'll be able to present the "brand" of myself that I want and rent designer goods for various occasions. Someday she hopes that people will rent seasonal items rather than buying them. In theory, this could open up many activities that were far from affordable to most - like skiing. And that's just the beginning. Jennifer believes that the future of eCommerce will be a more curated experiences instead of the current model which is to go to a site that has every selection imaginable. As someone who finds online shopping too time consuming, I agree with her predictions.
The panelists also gave some great general advice about building your business and blogging. Jordan's advice for gaining a larger audience is to comment on sites you like, offer to guest blog on other sites, and she mentioned that the blogging community is very supportive, so get out there and make friends. She also stressed that as a blogger, you're selling both yourself and your opinions so honesty, integrity and showing the absolute best of yourself every day is key. And don't be afraid to ask people for help especially if you're going at your venture alone.
Dorothy recommends Founders at Work, a book about various startups and how they went about launching their business. She also found Meet Up to be a great resource for networking and strongly recommends starting your own Meet Up if you can't find a group that shares your specific interest.
And finally, despite going to Harvard Business School, Jennifer and her partner decided to forgo creating a formal business plan and instead winged the process. They learned and listened to people along the way. She recommends never turning down a meeting with someone because you never know what advice they will offer or what type of connections they will give. Jennifer explained that you build your reputation by the respect you give others when you listen to them and are open to their suggestions. I thought that was some powerful advice.
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| Dorothy, Jordan, Jennifer, & Tammy |
Marketing and Social Media Advice from Natasha Attal via Marketing by Deepak
I came across this interview on my friend Natasha's site. Actually, Natasha and I met via the internet after both attending an event during Social Media week. Isn't Social Networking grand? I thought she gave some valuable advice on marketing ones blog and using social media. I recognized when I met her that she seemed ambitious and savvy then went from just starting a blog to starting her own company in a few months. Very impressed.
Here's the interview via Deepak Gupta:
About Natasha Attal
This is an interview with Natasha Attal, social media and inbound marketing consultant with Composure Marketing. She blogs on the company website about inbound marketing strategies and ways to leverage social media networks to help businesses expand their presence online. She can be found on Twitter @NatashaAttal or you can email her directly at Natasha@composuremarketing.com.
What did you do before becoming a social media marketing consultant and how did you get into that industry?
I started working as a Marketing and Sales Associate at a commercial real estate brokerage firm after graduating from NYU and developed a strong interest in the marketing side of the position. Whether you are marketing a building for sale or a product or service, the same rules typically apply – focus on the strengths of what you are selling and constantly find creative ways to reach out to your target audience. After several years working in commercial real estate, I found myself interested in how social media could impact the businesses I worked for and assisted various companies in the integration and implementation of social networking sites. I eventually started consulting full time and starting my company, Composure Marketing, to expand my outreach to different industries.
What tools of the trade do you use throughout your typical day and how do they help?
I have used Twitter and LinkedIn significantly to grow my business and reach out to industry professionals and clients. Twitter offers a valuable resource for people and companies to connect with other like-minded individuals. LinkedIn has also been a great tool in that you can follow Groups of interest and engage in conversations either through group discussions or the Q&A feature. These sites can only be effective if you truly network with people and connect further. The most valuable relationships I have built on these social networks have been when I took the additional step and called the people I have “met” online to learn more about them and their business.
I cannot help notice how many people call themselves social media experts. Are they just throwing the title around or are there really that many experts out there today?
I cringe when clients call me their “social media guru” or “expert” because I just don’t like the term. I am constantly learning about the social media landscape and it encompasses so many different networks – is it really possible for one to be an expert in using all these sites? I have a hard time believing that. What I do know is that when I work with a client I focus on one thing: their goal in entering social media or expanding their involvement and finding a strategy that will allow them to reach their target audience. I rather call myself a social media evangelist than a guru or expert. The term has been overused and does not carry much power anymore.
Some of our readers are up and coming social media “experts.” What advice can you give them and how can they get that seal of approval of becoming an expert in the industry?
Follow the “right” people and companies that you can learn from – Some social media blogs to read include Jeff Bullas, Mike Volpe, Altitude Branding, Outspoken Media, and Pamorama. Other great resources are the Hubspot.com and Radian6.com. They offer a multitude of social media guides and often post interesting case studies to review. Hubspot offers a 16-hour course through their Inbound Marketing University and it covers topics ranging from SEO and blogging to social campaigns and tracking engagement.
Comment on blogs – This is a great way to leave comments and establish yourself as a valuable voice in the industry. Don’t leave comments that say “great post” or “good information. Thanks.” Leave comments with more valuable content that will allow people to see that you have interesting insights to share. This will allow you to connect with the blogger and his/her readers.
Read Books – If you want to learn about social media and inbound marketing strategies you should read books on a regular basis. There is always more to learn as social media changes daily. Three books that I have found useful include the following:
- The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott
- Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment by Jim Sterne
- Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs by Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah
What kind of tips do you have in writing stories for our Readers?
The biggest misconception about blogging is that you have to be a writer. The truth is that you don’t have be a journalist to blog and share your opinion. My biggest tip to your readers is to be authentic and write what they are passionate about. They should engage with their readers and post topics that ask questions and make their audience think. The title of the article or blog post is also very important – make sure it has the necessary keywords and will catch someone’s eye. People scan their social network and blog feeds quickly and will on read your post if it grabs their attention. Numbered lists and question topics are quite popular and make it easy on the reader to read in a streamlined fashion.
Posted by Deepak Gupta.
Leave The Country?
My sister sent me a link to this article. It's fairly long but worth the read. Oh, and kind of depressing but interesting and potentially motivational. I wonder how much of it is accurate. Any thoughts? It reminded me of a posting that Jordan wrote a few weeks ago about having to figure out which hospital took her husband's insurance as he was bleeding profusely. That's completely insane and our health care system shouldn't be that way. Not to mention you already know my thoughts on balancing work and play. Personally, I don't see the point in living life and working crazy hours all in the hopes that you'll have enough money to retire and travel. What about having enough time and money to travel now? Traveling both enriches our lives with experiences and perspectives that we wouldn't have had otherwise - possibly even helping us in our jobs. And of course, taking vacations help us perform better at our jobs because we're well rested and not burnt out. That's only the beginning. Don't even get my started on the lack of availability of fresh, whole foods in this country, our factory farms, fast food joints, etc.
America – The Grim Truth
By Lance Freeman / Jun 10
Americans, I have some bad news for you:
You have the worst quality of life in the developed world – by a wide margin.If you had any idea of how people really lived in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many parts of Asia, you’d be rioting in the streets calling for a better life. In fact, the average Australian or Singaporean taxi driver has a much better standard of living than the typical American white-collar worker.
I know this because I am an American, and I escaped from the prison you call home.
I have lived all around the world, in wealthy countries and poor ones, and there is only one country I would never consider living in again: The United States of America. The mere thought of it fills me with dread.
Consider this, you are the only people in the developed world without a single-payer health system. Everyone in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand has a single-payer system. If they get sick, they can devote all their energies to getting well. If you get sick, you have to battle two things at once, your illness and the fear of financial ruin. Millions of Americans go bankrupt every year due to medical bills, and tens of thousands die each year because they have no insurance or insufficient insurance. And don’t believe for a second that rot about America having the world’s best medical care or the shortest waiting lists: I’ve been to hospitals in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Singapore, and Thailand, and every one was better than the “good” hospital I used to go to back home. The waits were shorter, the facilities more comfortable, and the doctors just as good.
This is ironic, because you need a good health system more than anyone else in the world. Why? Because your lifestyle is almost designed to make you sick.
Let’s start with your diet: Much of the beef you eat has been exposed to fecal matter in processing. Your chicken is contaminated with salmonella. Your stock animals and poultry are pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics. In most other countries, the government would act to protect consumers from this sort of thing; in the United States, the government is bought off by industry to prevent any effective regulations or inspections. In a few years, the majority of all the produce for sale in the United States will be from genetically modified crops, thanks to the cozy relationship between Monsanto Corporation and the United States government. Worse still, due to the vast quantities of high-fructose corn syrup Americans consume, fully one-third of children born in the United States today will be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives.
Of course, it’s not just the food that’s killing you, it’s the drugs. If you show any sign of life when you’re young, they’ll put you on Ritalin. Then, when you get old enough to take a good look around, you’ll get depressed, so they’ll give you Prozac. If you’re a man, this will render you chemically impotent, so you’ll need Viagra to get it up. Meanwhile, your steady diet of trans-fat-laden food is guaranteed to give you high cholesterol, so you’ll get a prescription for Lipitor. Finally, at the end of the day, you’ll lay awake at night worrying about losing your health plan, so you’ll need Lunesta to go to sleep.
With a diet guaranteed to make you sick and a health system designed to make sure you stay that way, what you really need is a long vacation somewhere. Unfortunately, you probably can’t take one. I’ll let you in on little secret: if you go to the beaches of Thailand, the mountains of Nepal, or the coral reefs of Australia, you’ll probably be the only American in sight. And you’ll be surrounded crowds of happy Germans, French, Italians, Israelis, Scandinavians and wealthy Asians. Why? Because they’re paid well enough to afford to visit these places AND they can take vacations long enough to do so. Even if you could scrape together enough money to go to one of these incredible places, by the time you recovered from your jetlag, it would time to get on a plane and rush back to your job.
If you think I’m making this up, check the stats on average annual vacation days by country:
Finland: 44
Italy: 42
France: 39
Germany: 35
UK: 25
Japan: 18
USA: 12
The fact is, they work you like dogs in the United States. This should come as no surprise: the United States never got away from the plantation/sweat shop labor model and any real labor movement was brutally suppressed. Unless you happen to be a member of the ownership class, your options are pretty much limited to barely surviving on service-sector wages or playing musical chairs for a spot in a cubicle (a spot that will be outsourced to India next week anyway). The very best you can hope for is to get a professional degree and then milk the system for a slice of the middle-class pie. And even those who claw their way into the middle class are but one illness or job loss away from poverty. Your jobs aren’t secure. Your company has no loyalty to you. They’ll play you off against your coworkers for as long as it suits them, then they’ll get rid of you.
Of course, you don’t have any choice in the matter: the system is designed this way. In most countries in the developed world, higher education is either free or heavily subsidized; in the United States, a university degree can set you back over US$100,000. Thus, you enter the working world with a crushing debt. Forget about taking a year off to travel the world and find yourself – you’ve got to start working or watch your credit rating plummet.
If you’re “lucky,” you might even land a job good enough to qualify you for a home loan. And then you’ll spend half your working life just paying the interest on the loan – welcome to the world of American debt slavery. America has the illusion of great wealth because there’s a lot of “stuff” around, but who really owns it? In real terms, the average American is poorer than the poorest ghetto dweller in Manila, because at least they have no debts. If they want to pack up and leave, they can; if you want to leave, you can’t, because you’ve got debts to pay.
All this begs the question: Why would anyone put up with this? Ask any American and you’ll get the same answer: because America is the freest country on earth. If you believe this, I’ve got some more bad news for you: America is actually among the least free countries on earth. Your piss is tested, your emails and phone calls are monitored, your medical records are gathered, and you are never more than one stray comment away from writhing on the ground with two Taser prongs in your ass.
And that’s just physical freedom. Mentally, you are truly imprisoned. You don’t even know the degree to which you are tormented by fears of medical bankruptcy, job loss, homelessness and violent crime because you’ve never lived in a country where there is no need to worry about such things.
But it goes much deeper than mere surveillance and anxiety. The fact is, you are not free because your country has been taken over and occupied by another government. Fully 70% of your tax dollars go to the Pentagon, and the Pentagon is the real government of the United States. You are required under pain of death to pay taxes to this occupying government. If you’re from the less fortunate classes, you are also required to serve and die in their endless wars, or send your sons and daughters to do so. You have no choice in the matter: there is a socio-economic draft system in the United States that provides a steady stream of cannon fodder for the military.
If you call a life of surveillance, anxiety and ceaseless toil in the service of a government you didn’t elect “freedom,” then you and I have a very different idea of what that word means.
If there was some chance that the country could be changed, there might be reason for hope. But can you honestly look around and conclude that anything is going to change? Where would the change come from? The people? Take a good look at your compatriots: the working class in the United States has been brutally propagandized by jackals like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. Members of the working class have been taught to lick the boots of their masters and then bend over for another kick in the ass. They’ve got these people so well trained that they’ll take up arms against the other half of the working class as soon as their masters give the word.
If the people cannot make a change, how about the media? Not a chance. From Fox News to the New York Times, the mass media in the United States is nothing but the public relations wing of the corporatocracy, primarily the military industrial complex. At least the citizens of the former Soviet Union knew that their news was bullshit. In America, you grow up thinking you’ve got a free media, which makes the propaganda doubly effective. If you don’t think American media is mere corporate propaganda, ask yourself the following question: have you ever heard a major American news outlet suggest that the country could fund a single-payer health system by cutting military spending?
If change can’t come from the people or the media, the only other potential source of change would be the politicians. Unfortunately, the American political process is among the most corrupt in the world. In every country on earth, one expects politicians to take bribes from the rich. But this generally happens in secret, behind the closed doors of their elite clubs. In the United States, this sort of political corruption is done in broad daylight, as part of legal, accepted, standard operating procedure. In the United States, they merely call these bribes campaign donations, political action committees and lobbyists. One can no more expect the politicians to change this system than one can expect a man to take an axe and chop his own legs out from underneath him.
No, the United States of America is not going to change for the better. The only change will be for the worse. And when I say worse, I mean much worse. As we speak, the economic system that sustained the country during the post-war years is collapsing. The United States maxed out its “credit card” sometime in 2008 and now its lenders, starting with China, are in the process of laying the foundations for a new monetary system to replace the Anglo-American “petro-dollar” system. As soon as there is a viable alternative to the US dollar, the greenback will sink like a stone.
While the United States was running up crushing levels of debt, it was also busy shipping its manufacturing jobs and white-collar jobs overseas, and letting its infrastructure fall to pieces. Meanwhile, Asian and European countries were investing in education, infrastructure and raw materials. Even if the United States tried to rebuild a real economy (as opposed to a service/financial economy) do think American workers would ever be able to compete with the workers of China or Europe? Have you ever seen a Japanese or German factory? Have you ever met a Singaporean or Chinese worker?
There are only two possible futures facing the United States, and neither one is pretty. The best case is a slow but orderly decline – essentially a continuation of what’s been happening for the last two decades. Wages will drop, unemployment will rise, Medicare and Social Security benefits will be slashed, the currency will decline in value, and the disparity of wealth will spiral out of control until the United States starts to resemble Mexico or the Philippines – tiny islands of wealth surrounded by great poverty (the country is already halfway there).
Equally likely is a sudden collapse, perhaps brought about by a rapid flight from the US dollar by creditor nations like China, Japan, Korea and the OPEC nations. A related possibility would be a default by the United States government on its vast debt. One look at the financial balance sheet of the US government should convince you how likely this is: governmental spending is skyrocketing and tax receipts are plummeting – something has to give. If either of these scenarios plays out, the resulting depression will make the present recession look like a walk in the park.
Whether the collapse is gradual or gut-wrenchingly sudden, the results will be chaos, civil strife and fascism. Let’s face it: the United States is like the former Yugoslavia – a collection of mutually antagonistic cultures united in name only. You’ve got your own version of the Taliban: right-wing Christian fundamentalists who actively loathe the idea of secular Constitutional government. You’ve got a vast intellectual underclass that has spent the last few decades soaking up Fox News and talk radio propaganda, eager to blame the collapse on Democrats, gays and immigrants. You’ve got a ruthless ownership class that will use all the means at its disposal to protect its wealth from the starving masses.
On top of all that you’ve got vast factory farms, sprawling suburbs and a truck-based shipping system, all of it entirely dependent on oil that is about to become completely unaffordable. And you’ve got guns. Lots of guns. In short: the United States is about to become a very unwholesome place to be.
Right now, the government is building fences and walls along its northern and southern borders. Right now, the government is working on a national ID system (soon to be fitted with biometric features). Right now, the government is building a surveillance state so extensive that they will be able to follow your every move, online, in the street and across borders. If you think this is just to protect you from “terrorists,” then you’re sadly mistaken. Once the shit really hits the fan, do you really think you’ll just be able to jump into the old station wagon, drive across the Canadian border and spend the rest of your days fishing and drinking Molson? No, the government is going to lock the place down. They don’t want their tax base escaping. They don’t want their “recruits” escaping. They don’t want YOU escaping.
I am not writing this to scare you. I write this to you as a friend. If you are able to read and understand what I’ve written here, then you are a member of a small minority in the United States. You are a minority in a country that has no place for you.
So what should you do?
You should leave the United States of America.
If you’re young, you’ve got plenty of choices. You can teach English in the Middle East, Asia or Europe. Or you can go to university or graduate school abroad and start building skills that will qualify you for a work visa. If you’ve already got some real work skills, you can apply to emigrate to any number of countries as a skilled immigrant. If you are older and you’ve got some savings, you can retire to a place like Costa Rica or the Philippines. If you can’t qualify for a work, student or retirement visa, don’t let that stop you – travel on a tourist visa to a country that appeals to you and talk to the expats you meet there. Whatever you do, go speak to an immigration lawyer as soon as you can. Find out exactly how to get on a path that will lead to permanent residence and eventually citizenship in the country of your choice.
You will not be alone. There are millions of Americans just like me living outside the United States. Living lives much more fulfilling, peaceful, free and abundant than we ever could have attained back home. Some of us happened upon these lives by accident – we tried a year abroad and found that we liked it – others made a conscious decision to pack up and leave for good. You’ll find us in Canada, all over Europe, in many parts of Asia, in Australia and New Zealand, and in most other countries of the globe. Do we miss our friends and family? Yes. Do we occasionally miss aspects of our former country? Yes. Do we plan on ever living again in the United States? Never. And those of us with permanent residence or citizenship can sponsor family members from back home for long-term visas in our adopted countries.
In closing, I want to remind you of something – unless you are an American Indian or a descendant of slaves, at some point your ancestors chose to leave their homeland in search of a better life. They weren’t traitors and they weren’t bad people, they just wanted a better life for themselves and their families. Isn’t it time that you continue their journey?
This article first appeared on Information Clearing House and has been reporoduced with their kind permission
I Heart Logos
Oooh, I might have to copy this idea since Oscar has completely destroyed my coffee table. Too bad I don't really drink beer but alas I just happen to have the cap from my Blue Moon bottle I had last night. Yeah, I had an odd craving for beer the other day. Must have been the Colorado influence.
P.S. Oscar totally bit my butt while I was writing this post. He's a weird one. Well.. he bit my back pocket. Close enough.
Colorado Part 3 - Street Performers, Scenery & Family
So here I go.. my observations. Right now, as I sit in my air conditioned apartment, after having been back in NYC for three days, I contemplate whether or there's a vast conspiracy with New York. I'm sure my sentiments will change back to their usual "I love New York." But I've started to wonder.. is there a conspiracy that brain washes New Yorkers into thinking that New York is the best place to live so we will put up with the living expensive, day to day bs of commuting on the hot, crowded subway, lack of access to real nature, lack of access to actually getting outside the city, seeing beautiful scenery everyday, etc.? It's just a thought. That will hopefully pass soon.. or maybe not. This comes on the heels of having looked at new apartments on the Upper West Side that are smaller than my current 5th floor walk up and pricier, having realized that I'm about to go into freak out mode with the money situation and need to get on the ball with applying to this program. Yeah, all good thoughts.
And in other news, going to Colorado and spending quality time with old family and those that I just met was (perhaps) a life changing experience. To be perfectly honest, I come from a pretty cool family and have some notable family members that have achieved great things on both sides. On my mom's side, I come from writers, store owners, creatives, etc. and on my dad's side, come from pioneers in religion, health, and people who endured a lot of hardships to move their family to a more promising place. It gives me a sense of pride, is encouraging and also makes me realize I have to shape up even more and get my ass in gear whether I decide to get an MBA, etc. Finally, I had a revelation with men as I watched my cousin get married to a great guy, met my other cousin's husband, and hung out and met various family members.. that who ever I marry will become part of MY family. I know that's obvious but it makes me re-evaluate my previous choices and gives me a better idea of who is good for me. If I realized this a while ago, half the guys I dated would have been kicked to the curb early on. And knowing this helps me get over relationships that didn't work out in the long run. Was all for the best.
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| Performer in Boulder. He was hard to watch.. scary stuff. |
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| 8:15 morning hike in Colorado Springs. We are champions. That was sort of some serious stuff. Of course there were people running on the trail. |
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| The Broadmoor |
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| My sister lounging in the Broadmoor like she owns the place. |
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| The coolest "family heirloom." A.O. Aaker - my great grandfather and famous doctor who died in a weird, tragic way, tripping over something and rupturing his spleen. |
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| My sister with two of the most adorable kids ever (well in top 5!) Luke is a genius, as he tells us.. and Marley is the sweetest girl I've ever met. I think she gave each of us about 7 hugs within the 7 hours that we hung out. |
Colorado Part 2 - The Wedding
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| My second cousin Cory and her new husband Chase |
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| The beautiful couple again |
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| Friends of the bride |
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| The view from the mountain top venue |
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| Cousin's friends |
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| My other second cousin and her adorable daughter Kate |
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| Another second cousin with her adorable and delightful son Neil, brother of the bride Kent, in the background |
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| Coloradians knows how to get down |
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| My second cousin Kent |
Web Wandering Wednesdays
I know.. I only have two hours for this. But I was busy doing important stuff today, like uploading photos of my Colorado trip and going on an intense run with my roommate.
So a few weeks ago, I went to my first Likemind event. I mentioned the event in my previous post - a guide to surviving unemployment. There were some seriously interesting, inspiring and talented people at the coffee shop meet up. Two who stood out were the host, Teri Karush Rogers and frequent attendee, Shayna Kulik.
Teri was a former contributor to the New York Times and recently founded the website BrickUnderground New York, which "explores the art and science of vertical living in New York City. The site features tips for dealing with New York City apartments from navigating the Co-op board to finding a service that does your errands for you.
Shayna developed a passion for patterns while working in fashion. She realized she could offer unique insight and channeled her interests into Pattern Pulp. From what I understand, the site has grown from a website about textiles to observations on trends and has even developed into a successful consulting business. Hello inspiration! And female power!
Colorado!
I probably should have warned my readers that I was going on vacation to Colorado for about a week. I went to a wedding for my dad's cousin's daughter, stayed with my mom's childhood friend, then we stayed with second cousins on the Aaker side who we've never met. All in all, it was a super, awesome, life changing trip. I have so many thoughts swirling through my head now about New York vs. the West, family, history, genetics, life, love, health, religion.. that it will take me a bit to process it all. For now, I'll throw some photos your way. Day 1 & 2
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| My dad looking like a politician while he's presumably talking religion and politics with my sister. |
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| Golden Colorado |
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| View from our big American car (rental). |
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| Family photo before Grooms dinner. I have flat hair. I'm not even sure I can grow my hair as long as my sisters.. |
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| Probably right before I got altitude/ motion sickness. Fun times. |
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| Doesn't really need a caption.. |
Web Wandering Wednesdays
I know.. I only have two hours for this. But I was busy doing important stuff today, like uploading photos of my Colorado trip and going on an intense run with my roommate.
So a few weeks ago, I went to my first Likemind event. I mentioned the event in my previous post - a guide to surviving unemployment. There were some seriously interesting, inspiring and talented people at the coffee shop meet up. Two who stood out were the host, Teri Karush Rogers and frequent attendee, Shayna Kulik.
Teri was a former contributor to the New York Times and recently founded the website BrickUnderground New York, which "explores the art and science of vertical living in New York City. The site features tips for dealing with New York City apartments from navigating the Co-op board to finding a service that does your errands for you.
Shayna developed a passion for patterns while working in fashion. She realized she could offer unique insight and channeled her interests into Pattern Pulp. From what I understand, the site has grown from a website about textiles to observations on trends and has even developed into a successful consulting business. Hello inspiration! And female power!
Pay Attention - This Is Important
Web Wandering Wednesdays
As you know, I'm a regular reader of Cup of Joe, Joanna Goddard's blog. I had to share her very inspiring post that included cooking, great photography, wine and what seemed to be, good company. All the important things in life right?! According to Joanna's post, photographer Karen Mordechai invites people into (what looks like) her amazing home to cook a fantastic meal led by a chef. I scrolled through the post to find a fellow Skidmore Grad (go liberal arts!) who started the delicious artisan ice cream truck Van Leeuwen seen here with his wife and business partner. I don't remember him from school but it's always inspiring to hear about someone from my college who paved their own way and took an interesting path. For more photos and the full blog post about the event, check out Joanna and Karen's blog and hopefully it will give you some ideas for Memorial Day celebration fare.
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| via Cup of Joe |
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| via Karen Mordechai's blog Sunday Suppers |
New York City Guide to Surviving Unemployment
Many people have been wondering what I've been up to since my position was eliminated. They've wondered why I've been so busy. So I tell them that job searching is a full time gig and the most effective ways to get leads is to network. The last time I was unemployed, I wasted so much time blindly sending off resumes only to finally get a full time job from a random connection. Attending networking events is not only more effective but keeps my spirits up. On top of that, many of us are capable of paving our own way and providing skills that we already have on a freelance basis. I can't tell you how many casual bloggers turned "pros" I've met that now work or run their own sites. Or marketers with only a few years of experience now consulting in how to effectively integrate social media.. or PR gurus who are in demand..
In this economy, you'll be ahead of the game doing all these things while employed, giving you the opportunity to stay on top of industry trends, meet new people and potential hires (hello recruiting bonus!) and.. learn something new!
Join an industry organization. But don't just join it - attend the events, get involved, and join a committee within the organization.
- I joined AWNY last December, was invited into their Marketing Committee and became a mentor of social media, new technology, etc. for one of their well respected members. I also have a mentor and am co-chairing an event tonight! So I've made quality connections and because I've made myself visible, people will hopefully put a face to my name.
Not all networking takes place at Happy Hour.
- For the past two years, I somehow found myself on the mailing list for likemind. I vowed to attend one of the 8am coffee hours but once the date rolled around and the clock struck 6am, I rolled back to sleep. Last Friday, I finally ignored my "resistance" and took the faithful F train all the way down to West 4th Street where I met an incredibly interesting group. There were photographers, social media experts, an art director/pattern maker turned website editor, model turned writer turned product developer and the list continues. In fact, one of the attendees was someone I had seen ask Seth Godin a question during his Linchpin book signing last winter. She declared she wanted to be an Account Planner (of all professions!) but didn't know where to start. He advised to her gather a team and work over the weekends, to which me and my neighbor promptly raised our hands. Hmmm.
Go to an event/party by yourself.
- Yes, meeting strangers can be exhausting, but you're more likely to make connections if you're forced to.
Anytime you're invited to a party, book signing, gallery opening, talk, etc. GO.
- You can always go to the gym another time cause you're never going to lose those 5 pounds anyway. The worst that can happen is that it sucks and you leave. The best that can happen is that you meet your future employer, lover, best friend or great idea.
Be open minded.
- So you happen to have an MBA, are working but not satisfied in your job. Go to the next NY Tech Meetup and you'll surely meet startups looking for financial advice. You have your JD but can't find a job without experience - go to an entrepreneurial Meetup. And the world is your oyster.
The nitty gritty.
- Get your elevator speech down pat. Can you describe what you currently do and what you want to do in one punchy, positive, clear statement?
- Read, read, read. I have a (rational) fear of awkward silences. Fortunately, I read the NY Times most popular stories, various websites on technology, marketing, advertising, etc. so I can shoot the shit on basically any current topic. Thus, I am able to make connections, keep up with the conversation or lead it into an interesting place if things go stale. When all else fails, politely shake their hand, get their card (if interested) and head to the bar for another drink.
Any other tips? Please add comments!
Targeted Ads
The Buzz on the series finale of Lost is all about the Target ads.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dffVeozsjsI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=640&h=385]
New York Times Connections
Aw, I went to high school with this guy... Super cool dude and his (now) wife is very sweet. Of course ran into them at a bar a few years ago.
And supposedly went to college with this girl although I'm not sure I knew her. Weird how that works. On top of that, ran into my ex boyfriend's friend today and some guy I went to college with. Just a typical day in NYC. Hmmm.
In other news, I went to a party in Williamsburg that ended up being really cool. I met some new and interesting people. Both girls told me the story of how they met their husbands/fiance and in both cases, they strayed off their beaten path and did something they wouldn't normally do. One went to a bar she normally wouldn't have gone to- to watch the debates when she would have rather stayed home. And the other was set up on a blind date by a coworker - with a man who lived in a different city. So.. yeah, I've sort of been following this motto over the last few weeks in terms of networking, etc. but it's a good thing to reiterate. That yes - there's a time and place for staying in, watching a movie, working, etc. But if you have the opportunity to meet new people, go to a different neighborhood, hang out with different groups, etc. definitely go for it. Reschedule time with your good friends. I must say, they'll always be there.
Love,
Molly
Happy Friday
Well Hello there and Happy Friday! If you have managed to stalk me on Facebook or Twitter, you'd know that I'm at the Ace Hotel working right now. Great spot and I'll be back but it's getting a little too cold in here. So I thought I'd share some of my experiences as of late with you. It is becoming strongly apparent (again) that everything happens for a reason. These last few weeks have had their ups and downs but for the most part, I've met some amazing people and have been intellectually and creatively stimulated and moved. My bit of wisdom is to try new things and just get out of your apartment. When I was in a relationship and employed, I often chose sleep, movies and generally hibernating rather than going to events alone or meet ups that started at 8am! But since then, every event I've gone to has been a positive experience.
Case in point. Last night I went to a classical music performance at my church (St. Peter's) in Citicorp Center. I was invited by a talented composer whom I met at a bar 2 years ago. Thanks to Facebook, we have vaguely kept in touch. I went because it was in my church and hey, you never know. The performance - by The New York Chamber Virtuosi conducted by Jean-Pierre Schmitt was incredibly moving and I spent the first half tearing. My friend's piece is called The Adventures of the Blue Cat (timely) - a metaphor for life about discovering the world, losing ones way, seeking advice and then realizing the power to finding ones way is to channel inner strength and light.
After the concert, I spoke to some interesting people. There were tons of French women who were characters straight out of a movie. One was kind enough to let me photograph her. She was a beautiful (Upper East Side?) dame - jewelry designer with piercing blue eyes and a unique fashion sense. See picture below. Unfortunately not pictured, were the two 70+ year old women - either twins or sisters wearing semi-matching black and white outfits with each with a small Channel clutch - one black with white trim and one white with black trim. When I finally get back to writing my novel, I'll have to work these three in.
Letters to Juliette
Yeah.. I saw it. I spent this very rainy Tuesday running from place to place.. outside... Another pair of Aldo shoes has bitten the dust. Or rather... drowned. So at 5 when I finally returned home, I was slightly hesitant to leave my apartment again to meet up with a friend for a movie across town. I had gone out last night to a Music Unites Event. Awesomeness. And got home at 11:30ish, did not sleep a wink, then woke up at the crack of dawn to get to an AWNY 8am meeting. After the meeting, I spent a very productive morning working at V Bar on Sullivan. It's still by far my favorite work spot and worth the trip. Being in a quiet, open windowed café with classical music and great coffee definitely beats having Oscar nibble at my toes for attention. Speaking of, what's that I feel?!
Then headed up to Times Square to have lunch with the pops at Eatery. Hello Asian Chicken salad! Actually, everything on the menu looked amazing. Since I was in the area, I decided to check out a bead store I've been meaning to get to. Found a bunch of others. Bought some beads which I haven't done in about 5 years. Holy crap. I feel the passion for jewelry making. Now if only I had a little more room in my apartment and my schedule. Then went on a long, puddle filled journey to find a pair of Hunter Boots that ended in complete failure. Hence my drowned shoes. Bloomingdales had a pair of deep purple boots but I actually felt like it would clash with all the other purple in my wardrobe. And people would think, like.. er, I have an obsession with purple or something.
Oh.. so here we are! Back to the movie. It was totally cheesy. Just as expected. But completely delightful and just what I needed. Nothing like watching a movie that takes place in Tuscany, about finding love while sitting in a Times Square movie theater, as a recently single gal on a cold, rainy Tuesday. It reminded me what I really want in life again. Not that I needed reminding. Love. Sun. Good food. Wine. And Good conversation. To top things off, I found myself surrounded by a group of 20 or so young Italians while walking to the F train. I sign? Why yes. I would think so. Now the question is, can I find these things in New York City?
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| Yeah, apparently they have a love/ hate relationship. No. not adorable at all. |
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| Rachel Platten from the Music Unites concert at the Cooper Hotel. She's going to be a star. |
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| And couple walking through Times Square today. I got nothing. You? |
NY Photo Festival 2010
These last few days have been crazy. Two 3amers in a row. Wow. I've still got it. Or something like that. Thursday night, after going to a low key AWNY networking event (Silent Auction), I went downtown to an end of law school party for Brooklyn Law. It was crazy. Packed. There was dancing. And drinking. And whiskey. Not in that order.
Friday, I spent all day working from home and recovering. I didn't even leave my apartment until 5 so I was a bit stir crazy. So when my friend suggested heading to Dumbo for a NY Photo Festival party, I was all over it. The photo parties I've gone to have been generally low key, involve cheap wine, well dressed and interesting looking people standing around talking. That's how the party started... Fast forward an hour and a half in and people started dancing. The DJ put on some seriously old school tunes - like Elvin, Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (my favorite) going back to 50's early rock. People of all ages- hipsters, attractive Dutchmen, older folks and even someone in a handicap scooter were rocking out. And then.. we did a conga line around PowerHouse Books. It was like an awesome, sweat inducing, wedding dance - a - thon. My kind of Friday night.
And one of my favorite moments of the night - upon arriving at the York Street station, this guy and I looked at each other, had a moment of recognition that we were both at the party, and laughed. Like we were both in on a secret and knew how special, crazy and unexpected the dance party turned out.
Don't Worry Ma, I Still Have My Sense of Humor
For the last few weeks, I have been trying to get my stuff back from my ex. I vaguely remembered leaving a Harry Potter book in an attempt to get him to read it (he didn't!!!) and especially wanting it back because it was my sister's book. But mostly, I forgot all about the other things. I wanted some sort of closure but who doesn't? So it was kind of annoying that it kept dragging on - and my friends asked, "Do you really need your stuff back?" To which I replied that that wasn't the point. It was the principal! Duh.
So this evening, the day had finally come when we were to meet. As I opened the bag (following 20 minutes of awkward conversation interrupted by Oscar's frequent attacks (I didn't train him, I swear!!)) - I realized... it was about my stuff! Well mostly... Stuff I totally forgot he had. Holy crap. I feel whole again as I leaf through my "150 Ways to Tell if You're Ghetto" book. I can now have a cathartic release watching old episodes of Sex and The City (yeah, he wouldn't watch those either). And realize that like the early history of New York City, my love life (and self) is constantly evolving but will eventually grow into something great. All the while asking myself One Hundred Questions so I can truly figure out who I am and what I want... Okay, so it did take a plate of penné allá vodka and glass of red wine to come to this happy conclusion. But c'est la vie.
