Forget Wordless … I’m freakin’ speechless.

Two posts in one day?  This is my space and now you are my personal shrink, so belly up and listen to me, suckers!

My “how do I find my passion” question earlier today has been nagging at me.  If I keep looking and pursuing, reading, digging, and blindly trying to fit my square ass into every triangular space that appears, maybe something will click.  ’cause that is how it happens, right?  I know it isn’t true and that my passion will “hit me on the head” some day when I least expect it but damn it, it makes me feel good to put my head in the sand and dig.   That’s what I do.

I have this nervous, annoyingly manic need for resolution.  I never go to bed mad and it drives my husband crazy.  How are men able to have an argument and then just close their eyes and fall into REM sleep within minutes?  If you are mad at me, I’ll nag you until we’ve resolved it.  I don’t let things go and, while it might be considered a weakness, it works for me.  I think.  Maybe not, but shut-up and let me finish writing….

It’s at times like these that my inner yogi needs to get of her ass and smack me around a little. 

It occurred to me, while standing on my head during yoga class this evening, that I actually have been pursuing a passion of sorts.  I love what I do – I’ve proclaimed my love for what I do all over this blog and twitter.  I love to read, write, talk, tweet, and gush about marketing, networking and social media.  There are parts of what I’m doing that I really really love …. like giggle, hug myself when cool stuff happens, love.  The fact is that I need to pull up my big-girl panties and realize that I’m headed in the right direction but that there are bumps along the way.  One impossible project cannot derail me.  I still think there is some passion searching to do but I’m not sure that we aren’t supposed to be continually evolving and searching throughout our lives.  I recall a famous quote, “It’s not a very big step from contentment to complacency.” We must strike a balance and keeping complacency at bay.  I like this idea…. especially because it justifies my need to keep moving.

Activity, exercise, sweating and breathing are things I can’t live without.  My travel schedule over the past few weeks has not allowed for this and I’m 120% sure that my state of mind is always directly related to the state of affairs with my physical being.  I’m not an ohm, chanting, earthy yogi but there is something about yoga that puts me in a great place. 

So the lesson here is this:  when facing personal, emotional, life questioning crises, head straight to a yoga class and shake your junk upside down ’til it moves from your ass to your brain. 

Namaste, peeps.

What is your passion?  Someone commented yesterday saying,  “You know your passion, it’s what you wake up thinking about.. what gives you the jolt and the thrill and makes you scrabble around for a notepad, laptop, camera….“. I totally get that, it makes sense.  Well, it seems like it would make sense except that I don’t wake up thinking about anything lately.  My first thought is “ugh”.  

I have that Monday after a conference, can’t seem to get out of bed and get my brain moving, hangover.  If you’ve read my live blogging, or just noticed the annoying posts, you’ll know that I was at Mom 2.0 in Houston.  Two of my readers got so disgusted by the live blogging that they dropped me from their feed readers.  Guess What?  As much as my mouth really wants to apologize for that, I’m not going to.  I actually truly enjoyed live blogging my experience during those sessions and I feel like it was some pretty good information.  Read it or don’t.  Unfollow me or don’t.  What I do matters.  That is the takeaway and maybe it doesn’t matter to you but it does to someone.

Now all I really need to figure out is what it is that I do.
And who does it matter to?

Yes, I’m in one of those introspective, what am I doing with my life, modes. 

What do I do? 

The most important thing that I do is mother my children.  Now comes the question, how well do I do that?  I’m not asking you to answer that question, I’m just saying it is something I’ve been thinking about a lot.  Just because I work while my children are away does not necessarily mean that I’m doing the best for them during those hours.  Part of the equation is my sanity and my fulfillment – but if I’m not doing right by my family neither of those things are going to be in balance.

My experiences with Disney and Mom 2.0 over past two weeks have really gotten my juices flowing.  Not just my creative juices, but those annoying head game juices, that start asking you at random times of the day, “So, what are you doing?”, “Is this what you want to be doing?”, “How does this help you reach your goals?”, “What are your goals anyway?”.

What am I doing?  I’m not sure I really know anymore.  In my efforts to create a career for myself I have ended up walking into a number of opportunities that I thought were moving me in the right direction.  I’m not so sure anymore.  While I was in Houston, I had to handle emails and phone calls concerning aspects of a particularly challenging project.  As I sat in different sessions, one half of my brain thinking of solutions to my project problems, and one half being thoroughly inspired by the panelists, I began to realize that I’m not doing what it is that I want to do.  I want to be one of those people who knows what my passion is and let’s it drive me to this place of great self confidence.  What I do matters, but until it matters to me it doesn’t really do anyone a whole lot of good.

How does one get to that place?  What is my passion?

Professional Track:  Creating Experiences Combining Online and Offline Campaigns for Maximum Impact and Results  (Three Mormons and a Blogess Panel …. too funny)

Rachael Herrscher, Jyl Johnson Pattee, Allison Czarnecki, Jenny Lawson

Inspire real life engagement from online relationships ….

Mayor of Martindale Texas welcomes us to Houston.  Tells a story about how Martindale was founded by a woman and the first mayor was a mayor.  7 women have been mayor and only 2 have been men.  Bestows official title – great great granddaughter of Nancy Martindale. – proclaims Bloggess as Czar of Nothingness for her ability to make something out of nothing.  Too funny!!!  Jenny goes on to tell us about the shorty awards, where popular vote deems winner.  Joke was to enter her in the government shorty award to prove that they were popularity contest… they pulled her out and disqualified all the votes.  Filled out official complaint …. ok, I’m going off to read her blog to read about it because this is way too funny.

How to incorporate online and offline:  Social Luxe Lounge at Blogher – had votes for bloggers and people came and got really great awards – successful party.

Today’s Mama – handbooks started with physical product in old media and then social media came along.  Take it social – keep local data bases – use twitter, facebook etc. social media promotion involving technology.

#GNO (started as Tuesday Twitter Parties) – people wanted to go from online to offline and campaigns would be reinforced by the offline.  Did the Office Max parties to help fund teacher classrooms.  Went to bloggers around country and had them plan for their own communities.  Online/Offline mix works.

Associating brands with positive experience gives major ROI.  Mix on and offline is great longterm ROI.  Creating experiences.  Experiences are everything and interaction or experience with brand is so valuable.  You can still do this just online but integrating on a live level it is about the brand and the overall experience associated with it.

What are the wacky things we can do that are going to create the emotional experiences.  Girl Power … you want to have those memorable experiences and emotional connection thinks about the brand or experience.  (The Texas Beet Jello Story …. you’ll have to ask the Utah girls about the Beet Jello because I’m still recovering from the Texas taco truck episode last night and just can’t bring myself to land here for long…. Moving on)

Questions:
Do you remember Facebook Bra Color meme?  Ya …. of course, didn’t participate but the whole random color thing was interesting.  BTW Nude… but how do you take it offline?  Have a bra party!  Get a sponsor involved….

Non-profits and cause campaigns – as much as you love a cause you have a “what’s in it for me”?  factor – so to get someone to get babysitter and leave house there has to be something in it for them.  Whether discount or product etc there has to be something that gets it to spread. 

What is the objective of the brand?  This is important because it helps pinpoint things you can do …

Local email lists?  What do you use to localize list – add field for city and state so that you can think local.  Huge opportunity to do something locally to build real live lists etc…. Update often!

Conferences are a great way to get word out.  Bigger scale but depending on objective gets word out.

Cause related marketing – When you are working on a cause do you look at the cause and then look at the brand?  How do you consider the all the potential ramifications?  ie bras and cancer – well, if you have a mastectomy you don’t wear bra …..  who are your current brand partners?  Get the cause history and find out who they’ve already vetted to an extent.  Dig into their needs more … ie make a wish foundation sends kids on trips – what about having people come to event donate miles etc because airlines are in trouble right now.  Make sure you go to the people who benefit and get guidance so you don’t run afoul.  You have a big voice – you get great exposure and someone benefits but do a little background research first.

Tracey Clark
Katherine Center
Stacy Julian
Donna Novitsky

This is what happens when the English Dept crashes the Business School.  A look at how people are using the right side of their brain to create left-brained results.

Lots of buzz about engaging brands so this exciting time to merge the left brain and right brain crowds.  Moving out of the information age and moving into the conceptual age.

Important for women now to have internet because being a mom can be isolating.  The ability to connect with others elsewhere is powerful.  The validation of our daily live is starting to be appreciated by brands.

Sometimes you start and you don’t have your vision – we need to be focused but it takes time.  It’s ok to jump in and following your heart leads you to different places.

If you have a problem you are not the only one.  So you can then reinvent your idea to fit you and your passion will allow it to grow.  Just solve your own problems – This is how Stacy Julian started.  Not knowing where you want to be 6 months from today is ok, but what are you going to do today?  Be authentic and ooze that so you speak to the people that resonate with you.  Be yourself and you will become a magnet for those who want the same things in their life.

CEO of Big Tent, Donna Novitsky – how do we make it happen for us?  Look at different channels SM has to reach consumers, and consumers have the power now, this changes dynamics of how to reach people.  Engage differently on different types of SM so opportunity to come up with rich programs where you build relationship between program and consumer.  Shutterfly, holiday cards sneak peak for members of Big Tent – call to action.  Tell shutterfly what you think and vote on the ones you like.  Gives value to members and results in good information for shutterfly.  Invents programs for her members and thinks what would she really like so they are beneficial to bothmembers and brands.

It is important to assess things and say no if it isn’t a perfect fit.  We do have power to say no to what may not feel right.  Sometimes you’ll get creative and if you put yourself in shoes of readers look to what would be helpful to your readers.  Talk about what you love.


How do you get someone to approach you or how do you make it happen? 


Seth Godin book Lynch Pin has been referenced many times this weekend….

If what you are doing supports your passion you will stay true to yourself and your readers.