*blue balls not included.
I love going back to Blogging 101 sessions. It reminds me of the reasons why I started to blog in the first place: as a creative — and many times emotional — outlet. While the content has changed (a lot) since I started, the purpose behind blogging has not.
Even if you’ve been blogging forEVER… there’s always something to new learn. Or inspiration to amass.
BURN OUT BE DAMNED!
What is your reason for blogging?
Seriously, did you not just get totally geeked out over this promo?
I have to say, coming in new to both the city and this community was scary. PodCamp last year was one of my first adventures as a new girl in town, and I was more than a little overwhelmed (and nervous as all get out). But I have the “un” conference to thank for its introductions to so many good peeps — and the many friendships that I have today. And I learned some really cool stuff too.
Register now — anyone and everyone is invited. There will be things to learn about social media, blogging, podcasting and likewise online activities. I’m definitely looking forward to this year’s schedule of sessions. But most of all, you’re sure to make a friend. Or 27. 
See you there this weekend?
What do you want to do?
Ah, the age old question of “what should I do today” — it happens often when you’re the new kid in town. I got an email from the friendly founder of a Pittsburgh company, called Wawadoo. Basically, it’s the holy grail of event websites: the site tells you what to do on a weekend or a sunny Sunday or when the Mon is flooding (again). One of the creators calls it a “recommendation engine for events.” Each time you vote with a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down,” you indicate what events you’re interested in. Even more awesome, is the website will figure that information is useful and relevant to you (hence, the thumbs) and recommend appropriate events that it KNOWS you’ll be interested in.
Kinda freaky AND total awesome sauce at the same time, right? How many times have you and your friends sat around wondering “what should we do today?” By the time this reality sets in, you were probably too drunk to go anywhere (or fell asleep watching The Bachelor re-runs… for SHAME). So, as you sit in your drunk and depressed stupor, wondering what your weekend COULD be like, you would have found a new event in Pittsburgh and maybe prevented that Stage Six Hangover. Or at least made some new friends while doing so.
Wawadoo is currently accepting beta testers: go to www.wawadoo.com, enter your email address, and the site will help you find the events you like faster than I can make a mention on my blog about penises. Better go quick…
Cleveland’s International Film Festival is one of my favorite arts and entertainment events of the year. I have always had an appreciation for foreign and independent film — even more so with the quirky. Add to that my obsession with social media, and I am beyond impressed with the marketing efforts of the festival this year.
It seems that many organizations still have trouble with even one tested method of social media and here, CIFF is utilizing at least 5: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and FourSquare. The festival has also included a handful of local, popular bloggers as part of a citizen journalist take on the films and festival as a whole. Jealousy ensues.
I am most in awe of its use of the mobile app FourSquare. Many have yawned over the benefits of location-orientated applications, but CIFF has embraced it whole-heartedly, including adding a special prize for its Mayor at the end of the festival — an all-day pass to Closing Day.
In addition to checking into the festival, there are several rotating status updates and coordinating specials around the event location itself, even curt reminders to turn off your cell phone now that you’re “checked in.” After checking into the Morton’s bar (located also within Tower City limits) with FourSquare, we were notified of the festival — what a wonderful thing to discover for an out-of-towner or newbie unaware of the event. I mean, most of the movies are on standby, but that means there is still a chance!
It’s incredible marketing and relationship-building, and a working model of how an event 34 years in the making branches out its social network to new viewers and ticket holders, increasing ticket sales beyond its expectations.
All that said, there’s a rather fantastic iPhone app for all that — the film festival, that is. My only wish is to incorporate cart and purchasing options in next year’s version.
My week has been incredibly busy. I have a few deadlines set already for this month, and my creative brainstorming is in overdrive. The Advance2030 Web Development Weekend was an amazing event with which to be involved. My “assessment” tasks morphed into that of a social media specialist, in charge of the project blog (and continuing the project!) and Facebook fan page. In one short weekend, we drove traffic up to 881 unique viewers on Saturday alone!
As I said, I will be continuing my work with Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club — specifically the technology group and social team, bringing the final open-source site to more young professional groups in the area.
The connections and networking opportunities made this weekend were invaluable – I meshed very well with a couple developers who may require my writing services — already with one project “under contract.” Seems like everything has been going in fast-forward motion, so I took the time to set up my business entity, with the help of a contact made through this weekend, utilizing a familiar word for myself and my services — Pursuit. It’s more perfect than I realized, and open-ended as I determine what writing niche(s) coordinates with my skills.
And because I need a backup plan (is that the writer’s constant self-doubt?), I have been meeting with a career counselor who specializes in career transitions. The sessions have helped me think about (and analyze) my communication skills and career accomplishments, and translate that into what I can offer individually.
Short “thank you” to all those who guided and counseled me — and to others who consistently remind me that (gosh, darn it) I’m good enough!
This blog is about pursuit: a transplanted Clevelander (me) in a new city (that's you, Pittsburgh!), pursuing the role of a self-employed copywriter, becoming a roller derby badass and somehow merging all my to-do items into one ever-growing Bucket List.
And of MY boyfriend. His blue balls started this mess.
